Chapter Fourteen: The Innocent Daemon
AN: Omamori are Japanese amulets that provide luck and good fortune.
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He had exculpated himself from his own unintentional, forgotten sins for he was an innocent. The visceral rhythms of his soul vacillated between sin and innocence, ashes and lust, life and worms . . . what had he truly become? Yet, it festered, slumbering deep within but growing ever so slowly, crawling over his soul, and leaving a trail of small and ugly black blots that would, in time, become bigger and deeper, cutting up his empyreal substance to bits.
He resented himself and he did not know why. The water before his knees was still like a murky mirror. His eyes, crystal blue, did not seem to belie his pitiful state of confusion. He curled his lips back over the white teeth and watched as his own image in water mimicked the features with natural perfection. A drop of blood from his dry lips fell down and created a single ripple. The reddish hue disappeared in the water that must have been vast for its tiny existence.
When the water stilled, the surface became clear again. His lips trembled as he looked down at the man burdened by Time. He felt it on his back and it drooped under its weight; he had grown decrepit before his own time.
At his back, he could hear that eerie Death-cum-Time custodian of heaven . . . heaven? Would he ever taste the cool drafts of its promised immortality? No, hell was a place reserved for him—that deep pit that was forlorn and destitute of the repose he sought. He would be left alone there to rot for yet another eternity. For this life and its fetters did not seem to hold his desire for peace sway. It left him over and over again, brought back the zest for its mortal taste that was so fleeting and surreal to him, and a reminder that it was all but a dream of a boy in the past years of boyhood.
A sob burnt his throat, but he satisfied his sadness by biting his lip fiercely, letting it bleed in a comedic sacrifice, thinking that it would overpower the emotion that rose inside him with a mighty force: uncontrolled, unfettered, untamed. A whimper finally forced itself out of his mouth, yet it shook him so fiercely that his whole body trembled with the coming shame that would not let him hide.
It overcame him, his vision blurred by the. Yes, he felt shame. He bowed his head and looked deep into his own eyes through the haze. He could not see his face anymore—it had become a mystery to him. He had become nothing but a mystery to himself, for he could not remember how he got here.
He could not remember his days or his nights that tempted him like a warm seductress to remember their gentle caresses; he had grown weary of her touch, perhaps. After all, it was not as though she was ever kind to him. He whimpered pitifully now and leant further down till the veins bulged out in his neck from exertion.
His lips touched the surface of water, and before he could even think of his pride, he let his thirsty tongue leave the soft trap of his lips to taste it. It was cool and stagnant. He could not even taste the dirt he swallowed down with it. His lashes touched the water that claimed his tears like a selfless mother. He wanted to drown inside . . . the shame was too much to bear.
"Naruto, stop," Sasuke said, sitting under the heavy drape of shadows. He moved his hand and tapped Naruto's shoulder. He shuddered under his touch, like a beaten down animal.
Naruto craned his neck, his eyes red from the tears he just shed. His swollen lip did not heal the way it should have. The misery on his face was made more picturesque by the countless tear lines on his dry features. He twisted his left arm and heard the loud clank of chains that tethered him like an undisciplined dog to the wall. His fingers twitched, but he did not fight it this time.
He curled his fingers firmly around the cold chain that held his freedom. It was a judgment placed upon him: a forgetful prisoner. Why was he here? "Sasuke—" he asked pitifully and let out a harsh sound with a gob of spit that sluggishly trailed down and then firmly clung to his chin, "wh-why am I here? Why wouldn't you let me go?"
Sasuke leant forward and wiped the spit from under Naruto's chin and then brushed his hand on his own clean pants. It left a whitish stain there, but that did not concern him. He felt nothing but pity for him. What would he tell him? "You ran off into the night from your home. You don't remember?" Sasuke asked and bent his gaze on Naruto and watched as the thing inside Naruto made him recoil from Sasuke's tall shadow.
Naruto looked around absentmindedly and tried to recall the fragments of that night's memory from within the chaotic blackness that sat upon the face of his past. His eyes betrayed the confusion in him. He tried and tried but nothing came to his mind. He remembered going to the academy, and after that, he could remember nothing.
The gossamer beauty of the intricately woven omamori, which always shook in the evening wind, truly failed him. Kushina had made it for him when he got married. What bad fortunes did it halt? It was meant to hold his happiness, but even the incubus that climbed his bed, a terrible omen, did not get caught between its threads. He could have found solace in the fact that he, at least, dreamt—like all people! It was just a useless gift: one of the many his mother had thrown his way over the past few years.
He could not believe himself when a feeling of such hatred for her came over his heart. But it was all right. His mother and father . . . no, no one could see inside him to truly tell how he felt. It was not as though they could tear open his breast and look inside his heart. Those mysteries were his to relish and bear—the gift of solace in the realm of his heart.
Naruto closed his eyes and let out a peaceful sigh. The character of his features was soft with the calm that resonated inside him. He had found a momentary peace in the thought that he still had his heart to himself . . . and his friend, his brother, Sasuke. He opened his blue eyes and peered deep into the red that comforted him today.
He would lie to himself if he did not find Sasuke's eyes frightening sometimes, but not today; today was his day to drown in the blood of his eyes and find peace in the martyrdom that awaited him right at their deepest depths. He would sink down to the bloody depths of them, but he would be happy. "No," he said calmly this time and felt a slight tremor creep into his voice from weakness.
The last light of the evening shone on the roof above him before today's sun's death. Sasuke looked up as if the light disturbed the deep shadows that stood around him. He brought his eyes down and held his hard gaze. He breathed out softly and got to his feet. "Try to recall the night before. Where were you the previous night?"
Naruto looked up as Sasuke stood over him and looked down at him as if he had done something horrible. "Why are you . . . ? I do . . . " his voice trailed off. He could not remember anything. The thought shattered the frail peace of his mind he thought was going to hold a while longer. "I-I don't remember." He leant his head down and began to look at himself again as though that would give him the answers he sought.
"And the night before?" Sasuke asked and took out a dagger from the small leather sheath. He moved its tip underneath Naruto's bloodied shirt's neckline and tore it from the back to expose his skin. He had reddish freckles dotting the area around his neck and shoulders, but the rest of his back was clear and slick with sweat. He had been feverish the whole time!
Sasuke moved his torn shirt over the sweat to wipe clean the area around his spine. "Do you remember anything else?" he asked kindly and ran the sharp end of his dagger under his fore and middle fingers, wounding them. Blood oozed out of his wounds and fell on Naruto's back.
"I don't remember anything," Naruto spoke in sadness, not feeling anything on his back—the chase he gave to his scrambled thoughts had limited his senses.
Sasuke sat down and moved his cut fingers on Naruto's back. He quickly made small symbols along Naruto's spine to create a Fuin-Jutsu seal on him that he had learnt from Karin. It was passed down only to her family; even Kushina would not know anything about it. When he completed the seal, he saw Naruto's spine tremble in a ghastly manner under the tip of his bloodied fingers.
Naruto winced from pain and gripped the chains harder that bound both his arms to the wall. But the pain ended quickly, quietly retreating back to from whence it came. His grip slackened, and he uncurled his fingers and felt a burning sensation from the metal that abraded his wrists from the struggle. He exhaled loudly as if a burden had been lifted from his mind and raised his eyes to look up when Sasuke got to his feet.
"Don't leave the manor unless I say so," Sasuke said in a firm voice and unlocked the chains. They clanked to the ground. Naruto felt freer than he had ever before. Feeling the sweetness of freedom, he hastily got to his feet only to succumb to his weakness. He fell forward but Sasuke grabbed him. "Relax, you're still feverish."
"You didn't have to tie me up like that. I would never attack you. You know that!" Naruto said, sounding tired.
"You don't even trust your memories. Was it really wise to leave you to your own devices?" Sasuke asked but no reply came from Naruto. Sasuke curled his arm around Naruto's waist and then placed his limp arm over his own shoulder. Naruto weighed lighter than last time. He did not know what to think about this. He brushed it aside and opened the door to get out of the suffocating cell.
Sasuke walked silently through the corridors of the small prison in the Uchiha manor. He was just dragging Naruto; he could barely move his feet. Quietly, he mounted the stairs and walked through the small garden and listened to Naruto puff and blow close to his ear. "Almost there," he assured him and opened a sturdy looking door to a beautiful room.
Naruto's tired eyes took comfort inside the walls of the luxurious room. He was so happy to finally get out of the cell where Sasuke sat with him for ten straight hours. Sasuke gave the door a slight push with his foot, and it closed behind him. "Drink that," he said and nodded towards a bowl full of green-ish liquid. He loosened his grip and Naruto fell back on the bed.
"What's that?" Naruto asked, sat up, and picked up the bowl. Then he smelt it and made an awful face.
"It's a medicine mixed with the necessary nutrients. Take it. It'll ease your fever, and hopefully, put you to sleep," he said, watching as Naruto frowned childishly.
"Your hospitality stinks!" he said and drank all of it at a draught.
"Just shut up and go to sleep." Sasuke snatched the bowl from Naruto's hand, as if he was a little unruly child who would break it, and placed it on the table again. "You need rest. I'll lock the door from outside, so no use banging on the walls like the idiot that you are."
"Do you want me to die in here?" Naruto asked incredulously as if killing him was actually a prospect. "I haven't eaten anything since Sage knows when. I feel this—thing in my stomach."
"What? Gas?" Sasuke shot back, getting a little irritated.
"You asshole! You've got no heart. Sometimes, I feel like you're this soulless armour-decoration with such ridiculous good looks. Take away your looks, your money, and those little fancy coins you keep, what's left? I wonder what all the women see in you!" he said loudly and pulled the sheets over himself and shook them vehemently as if the debate was won.
"Are you done?" Sasuke asked and folded his arms.
"Yes, I'm done," Naruto returned and made a scholarly face.
"Good, because you sound like someone's bickering wife who is on the verge of taking that one-way trip out of the house—for good," Sasuke replied and walked out of the room, not sticking around to listen to Naruto's uncultured insults he started reeling off after "yeah, your wife, you asshole!" At least, he was himself again—even if it was irritating.
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Fire was hot in the hearth and the room, warm. Hinata shuddered when a loud sound woke her up. She closed her eyes and listened to the soft sounds of rain drumming on the roof. Slowly, she opened her eyes and raised her arms. Her burnt arm was not hurting anymore; it was swathed in fresh bandages. Yuu must have changed them again.
Hinata had slept through the whole day and had not seen Sasuke in her few moments of consciousness. Lost in thought, she touched the bandage and tried to pull it away to look at her skin. "Don't do that," came Sasuke's voice from behind the dull shadows in the room.
She jerked her head in that direction and found Sasuke sitting on the chair with an office scroll in his hand. "If you remove it, it'll start to itch and hurt again. Then you will complain in your sleep. And it might even leave a mark. I'm sure you wouldn't want that?" Sasuke asked in a manner as though the whole thing was so obvious to her.
"I-I was just—" she began absentmindedly, watching Sasuke as he placed the scroll on the table and walked up to her bed, "I wanted to look." Her eyes did not leave Sasuke's face as he sat down on the bed and grabbed her arm.
He turned it a little. "Does it hurt?" he asked and brushed his finger on the bandage. Hinata shook her head slightly and ran her eyes over the bandage, and then looked from Sasuke's hand to his face. He looked exhausted. His brow was marked with thin frown lines—something was bothering him.
He turned her arm again—gently this time. When he got no reaction from her, he let her pull it back. "It should be fully healed by tomorrow," he said and ran his fingers across the delicate seams of the sheets without any reason. "I will ask Neji to stay with you in your home after you recover—if being alone still scares you. You still don't want to tell me what happened?"
"I d-don't remember," she lied again and narrowed her lying eyes away. Sasuke saw through her untruthfulness, but he chose not to make her realize it. It was in his interests, after all. He wanted to see how far she would bury this inside herself—how long she would keep this little act up. Her lies were poor. It was a game best left to the professionals, but so far, he was quite impressed with her persistence.
"If you say so," he said and hid a smile as he turned his head away and pretended to be distracted by the rain.
Hinata put her hand on his, grabbing his attention. "But I-I'm telling you the truth. You don't believe me?" she asked as her hand trembled over his. There was desperation in her voice. She tried to mask it, but it was easy for him to sniff it out.
"I didn't say you were lying," he stopped and narrowed his eyes on her, "I know you're a terrible liar. It just depends on how well you lie. The rest is your business. Your concern. The better you hide your lies, the more successful your life will be. If you want to leave Konoha, that is. Am I not right, Hinata?" He still wore that sly smile on his face that was nearly impassive save for that ghostly emotion scurrying across his features.
"W-What?" Hinata barely managed, taken aback by his honesty. How true he was. A shocked expression froze on her white face, and her fingers dug into the skin of his hand. Sasuke's meaningful gaze did not flit from her face to his hand. He held it, overpowering the weak strength of her gaze with his own; it conquered it quickly and made her eyes lose the intensity of her emotions till they blinked and gladly admitted defeat.
Hinata lowered her eyes and gazed at the white skin of her bosom. A few drops of sweat had burst from her pores. They were cool on her skin, nothing but reminders of her fear. For a few moments, they remained silent. The rain outside harshly pressed against the wooden walls and filled the whole room with many sounds from outside; but they were still dull and weak, unable to fully make it through the walls to disturb her thoughts.
"You seem ashamed. I don't know what's there to be ashamed of. You want freedom. I can understand that. Where is the harm is that?" Sasuke asked in a voice that exhorted her to give him a true answer, and she played right into his hands.
Hinata raised her eyes and tried hard not to expose herself completely before him. She had willingly ruined a part of her honour by being intimate with him—he did not need to know everything. But how much would I be able to hide? she thought as she saw her unmasked face in Sasuke's clear eyes. "I don't want to talk about it," she said after a long and thoughtful intake of breath.
"A'right," he said in a breathy voice, knowing that his suspicions about her were true. He was satisfied with her answer for now. With so little, she told him so much. "You don't want to talk. It's your personal life. But I'm glad, because if you keep lying like this, you might actually make it." He smiled and leant down to brush his lips against hers.
Blood rushed to Hinata's face when she felt Sasuke's tongue slip into her mouth. She did not protest, because after her painful ordeal, this felt tender and sweet. She wanted to make love to him again, even if it was after a lie—a lie she could not hide behind her honesty. She moved her arm and buried her hand in his hair, pulling him close till his skin touched hers, setting it deliciously on fire.
He pulled back and turned his head away. She thought he would lean back down, but he stood up suddenly and walked away. He stood before the door and spoke without turning around: "you wouldn't need anything, but my room is at the end of the corridor. I would recommend that you use that bell instead. I'm quite tired today." Then he walked out of the room and left her desire burning.
Hinata's lower lip trembled. It ached between her legs. She did not think he would tease and taunt her like this today—today of all the days when she actually needed him to soothe her pain. "It isn't fair," she whispered to herself and trembled with a burning shame of need. She breathed loudly and looked up to the ceiling and parted her lips to say the same words all over again: "it isn't fair!"
She was being obdurate, but she did not care. How easy it was for them to feel pleasure when they needed it. She grunted loudly and sensed her desire bother her entire body. Slowly, she snaked her fingers down and brushed them gently on her stomach. Then she slipped them under the smooth fabric of the underwear and felt her fingers get tangled in the mass of black curls. She did not stop and moved them between her lips and touched the engorged bud that did not hide her own arousal from herself.
Hinata's eyes trembled and twitched as she felt that familiar rhythm of pleasure invade her body like a mad tormentor. It was strange, and when she moved her finger around her entrance, her desire for him came rushing back. It was as though he was the only thing familiar to her flesh now. She could not even elicit pleasure out of her own body without his thoughts racing through her mind and the fleeting fires from his touch coursing through her veins.
Hinata did not stop—she could not. She slipped a finger inside and sensed her body respond to her own inexperienced touch, fooled that it was that familiar lover who had come back to play again! She arched her back and moved her warm finger slowly and steadily at a pace that always delighted her. Her lips parted in a needy moan, red and swollen with a heady pleasure that was probably the next best thing for her . . . and her body.
The delightful scent of her arousal went in vapours up his nostrils. His keen ears stood up and wriggled when her heavy breaths could not be overpowered by the harsh rain. They were too keen for these little distractions. Its head rose in him just like a stubborn little snake, rousing with her moans and her strong scent. It goaded him on again, and that same hatred came back with full force.
Naruto's eyes opened on their own as if a clock chimed right next to him—that beckoned him for his morning rituals. His face trembled, and he kept blinking his eyes without a reason, already feeling lost amidst the heavy blackness that had settled itself firmly upon his mind. He was lost again, and the only desire that crawled up to his lips as a breathy sigh was that hatred: "I hate you . . . "
He rose from his bed, falling down on his knees but getting back up the next second. His back burnt as the daemon inside him could not make it completely past the powerful barrier. So it itched and ached deep underneath his spine, a nasty flowing burn; but it found his eyes and glowed like an eerie menace through them. The more she sighed, the more restless he got till he could not quite contain it. He launched himself at the door and slammed his fists against it as many times as it took to break it apart. He ran outside into the open, guided by her sounds and scents.
The loud noise of the heavy door being broken to pieces did not carry itself over to anyone, not even Sasuke, who slept peacefully in his bed, exhausted from the day's ordeal. The rain drowned out Hinata's moans and Naruto's grunts as he stood under the heavy downpour, looking at her please herself without any shame. She could not even hear herself when thunder roared, opening her jaws wide to let out a loud, heated sigh, but he could—so clearly that it felt as if this spectacle was created just to taunt and humiliate him.
She turned her head and blinked in her moment of passion; she found darkness in the room as the flames in the hearth had burnt themselves out. Even the flame on the wick inside the lantern was out, leaving a thin line of smoke rising upwards into the darkness. She grabbed the sheets when her eyes saw two reds glowing beyond the grey smoke. The window was too tiny for any person to enter: Sasuke chose this room for her own safety.
Then Hinata saw a hand make its way in, the same hand that was cruel to her that day, and she found herself running out of the room. She turned the corner and ran towards the room at the far end of the corridor. Naruto was here, and this time, he would kill her! She could not fight him last time, and she did not expect anything miraculous from herself this time. So, she ran, looking behind as though the man had somehow moved through the walls and was chasing her down through the misty corridors of the manor now.
Light shone through the wooden bars in the corridor as lightning flashed in the sky, but that did not halt her steps. She stopped close to Sasuke's door but did not knock. She slid it open and thanked her lucky stars that he had not locked his door. The inside was warm, and the fire in the hearth there was not as cruel here as it was to her in the other room. The whole room glowed with a beautiful orange light that pushed back the night's shadows into nooks and corners. There they loomed, standing tall behind the cupboard and futon.
Gently, Hinata closed the door behind her as her eyes found Sasuke sleeping peacefully. It was strange for the keen ninja to be so helpless in his sleep. His face bore the signs of his calm as he slept without a care—not worried about what monster lay in wait beyond his door. She kept standing still, not knowing what to do. She moved her lips but nothing came out—fear had stolen her voice.
She took a few steps and gazed around in fear. Then she leant down and fearfully climbed into his futon, stealing glances at the closed door. She stretched her hand and moved her fingers to touch his face to wake him up. She had not quite touched the stray tips of the hair when Sasuke threw her onto her back and grabbed her by the throat, with his dagger's tip digging into her skin. He had that fierce, resolute look on his face, and his eyes burnt with a need to take a life.
He breathed heavily and suddenly that look disappeared from his sweaty face. His grip slackened, and he pulled his hand back. Hinata drew in a loud breath and sensed her heart beat at the right pace again. He shoved the dagger back into his pocket and backed away, looking livid. "Are you crazy?" he hissed and bent forward to meet her gaze. "I could've killed you! I told you to knock, didn't I? Don't you pay attention, Hinata?"
Hinata curled her fingers around her throat and coughed. "I . . . I-I was—" she fumbled with words, unable to give voice to her thoughts.
Sasuke rubbed his temple, annoyed by her foray into his room. "Why are you here?" he asked and moved back to rest his back against the wall. He looked irritated by her audacity; never had any woman had the privilege to sit on his futon. If he wanted lovers, he indulged them in the guestrooms. This was his own private place. No one was allowed here other than his beloved brother and a few servants.
"I-I saw—" Hinata's voice trembled as she struggled to sit upright.
"Are you going to say something, or will my whole night be wasted by your half-completed—"
"I saw someone outside my window," she cut him off and pointed a trembling finger at his door as if he could actually see beyond it without his Sharingan, "out in the rain—next to my window. Big, r-red eyes. I didn't know what to do, so I came here." She hugged herself and bowed her head to hide her tear-filled eyes.
Sasuke's Sharingan turned on automatically. This is bad, he thought, not sharing his secret with Hinata. He grabbed his sword that was propped against his side-table and got out of the futon. "Stay here and don't come out. You understand me?" he said with a heavy accent, looking back at her.
Hinata moved on the futon and twisted her back a little to look at him. She wanted to stop him, but she knew that only the Sharingan was known to tame the wildest of beasts. She crawled back and pulled the sheets over herself when she heard Sasuke lock the door from outside. She pulled them up as if they might hide her from Naruto and his wrath. (It was an innocent reaction!)
Sasuke used Body-Flicker to reach the door before his heart could fully beat once. He stopped, turned his eyes around, and swept his gaze wide. He could see no aura. Yuu was standing by the door, his face enveloped by a thin film of water and fear. "Sasuke-Sama, he's—" he broke off, not knowing how to explain this.
Sasuke's lip twitched and a look of murderous rage flashed into his eyes, but he did not say anything. He turned around and walked out of the narrow corridor. He stood still and tried to pick up any sound, any trace of Naruto, but he was gone; he had disappeared into the arms of night. He stepped out into the rain, letting it lash his face and bare torso. "I need Karin on my team," he whispered to himself, and the tasteless rainwater slipped into his mouth. He gulped it down and looked around with an overbearing sense of futility to find something when he knew that Naruto was lost for the night.
He stood there quietly for several seconds and then finally spoke, "clean up that mess. Nii-Sama will be angry with me if he found out. I don't want it around in the morning." Then he left Yuu standing under the rain.
When he unlocked the door and stepped back into the room, he found Hinata sitting behind a wall of sheets, with just her eyes visible above her hands. She lowered them when she saw Sasuke lock the door from inside. "You had a bad dream. There was nothing outside," he said in a calm voice and walked to the futon. He placed his sword next to the side table and climbed into his futon again, not caring that his pants were still wet.
"But I—" she stopped, not sure whether she really did see Naruto or was it just a figment of her imagination.
"You know what, Hinata, I'm too exhausted to pander to your foolish whims at this hour of the night. Just sleep here for the night. Happy?" he said in a harsh, cutting voice and pulled the sheets over himself.
Hinata was too relieved to say anything. She slowly rested her back on the futon and pulled at the sheets a little. Sasuke stirred slightly and then placed his arm on his forehead. It did not take him long to fall asleep. Hinata, too, closed her eyes, comforted by the fact that she was not alone at anyone's mercy tonight. The thought gave her peace and she fell asleep, dreaming something beautiful for the first time in five long years . . .
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Sakura was confused, her eyes surveying Naruto who was sopping wet, standing on her doorstep. "Naruto, you—" she began but stopped suddenly when Naruto let himself in. She did not say anything and closed the door behind him. The sky roared and rumbled and shook the windows a second later.
The lights in her apartment were out save for a few candles waning into a pool of wax on the shelves. It happened quite often when heavy rains hit Konoha. It was just a minor problem, but a problem nonetheless. It was a good thing that their village's security was compensated by a thick chakra barrier; otherwise, what would happen during complete blackouts? It was not that hard to guess.
Tsunade's reign was going smoothly. Problems had dwindled considerably ever since she took over after Hiruzen's death a couple of years ago. Maybe she would take this matter into consideration, but the Chūnin Exams' rules overhaul came first. The thoughts about swaying Tsunade were not on her mind—not now. Her emerald eyes deepened into two dark greens when the last candle in the room melted completely and cast a thick shadow over them.
She kept looking at Naruto whose back was turned to her. He was silent and breathed heavily beyond the near-impenetrable wall of greyness between them. "Do you need something to drink?" she asked and eased towards him slowly as if she would scare him off if she moved any faster.
When no reply came, she turned to face him and grabbed his face in her hands. "What's wrong?" she asked in the voice of a lover. "You look tired. You've been running again?" She skittered her hand through his messy hair, still not getting any response from him.
Naruto wheezed in response as if her words hurt his body and mind. He lifted his head and eyes, and an expression of brutish lust came into his countenance. There was a delightful curl of pleasure in his lips that made her shudder with a realization. He did not give her even a moment to talk him out of it this time and grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and pushed her into the room that was so familiar to him.
Sakura staggered back and fell down on the floor; she sensed the aggression and force behind his movements. It was better to stay quiet and bear through this. So she raised herself to her feet when she saw Naruto approach her with slow deliberate steps; a hunger had came over his face like a heavy veil. He discarded his wet jacket, grabbed a fistful of Sakura's pink hair, and pulled her in to claim her lips in a rough kiss.
Naruto's teeth closed on her lower lip, bleeding it. There was no gentleness in his touch, but the heat that radiated from his body consumed the human part of her, and she gave herself over to his harsh caresses. It was not like Sasuke ever indulged her this way—it was such a painful thought in the heat of the moment. It was better to forget and pretend he was him. She did not protest when he grabbed her blouse and tore it apart and then reached down and did the same to her skirt and cotton underwear.
She stood naked in his arms, letting him paw her as he wished. He pushed her back on the bed and crushed her with his weight. His lips—that had abandoned the gentleness of previous nights—nipped at her delicate breasts and left red marks on her body. He broke her skin as he pulled at the soft skin of her taut stomach, his long canine teeth digging into her inner thighs, wrenching out sobs of pain and pleasure.
But it was all right—she would let him love her: it was what he wanted, and this was what she wanted him to do; and that was what she needed for this pretend-play. She could pretend it was him who had come to play with her like this if she closed her eyes—it was just a little game. She arched her back and pushed her genitals into his face when he lowered his face between her legs to sniff her scent. It delighted his daemons that she was always willing and ready for him—that she was selfless for him. Hinata was cruel, cold, and unkind. She pleasured herself for someone else!
He growled and licked the mucus that clung to her quivering slit. Yes, her body was always pliant under his touch: a touch Hinata rejected. He lifted his head and looked into her misty, murky-green eyes. They invited him to please himself and satisfy his building hunger. So he did. He pressed his body on top of hers and took her harshly, entering her over and over again with hard thrusts that made her cry out.
When her walls did not allow him to go deep enough, he flipped her over onto her knees and took her from behind. It pleased him how she struggled and moaned into the pillow, feeling pressure between her legs as he went in deep and hard, pushing her forward on the bed. Sakura clenched her fingers and moved her knees so wide apart till her child-like breasts got squashed against the mattress. She turned her head and peered through her sweaty hair that fell over her eyes, but she could not really see Naruto clearly beyond the mist that had come across her gaze.
His hands slipped on her sweaty back and felt the muscles under her lovely skin convulse with pleasure. It had been a few days since he last felt pleasure like this. It was not as though Hinata was ever willing to embrace and love him. How he had begun to loathe her fake innocence. The thing dominating inside him smiled at his thoughts, and he increased his pace, eliciting loud grunts out of her.
But Naruto was still not satisfied. He needed more—more pleasure, more lust, more warmth from her body. It was still not enough to consume him and sate his passions. So he grabbed her by the arms and pulled her back onto his lap and pushed upwards. It felt amazing how he speared her completely in this manner, feeling the crushing depths of her walls—so warm and slick. These were the pleasures only Sakura could give him.
He placed his hand against her forehead and pulled her head back onto his shoulder; then he leant in to whisper in her ear as he slowed down his pace, "Sakura-Chan, you wouldn't hurt me, right?" he hissed, bit down on her shoulder, and held her head in place when she screamed and clenched her walls tighter and tighter.
At that moment, a thought crossed his mind: how much could she have squeezed him had he wrung her tiny throat in his hands? He smiled and kept up his pace and enjoyed her body to his heart's content.
The night had yet to give into morning's easy seductions when Sakura got up from her bed and stood before the mirror. Her genitals ached. She would have to use medicine this time to heal. Naruto was never this harsh to her before. She brushed her fingers on the small red marks on her breasts and a blue bruise on her shoulder. They would heal on their own, but she would never let Sasuke see them: they would be just another weapon for his mockery. The Medic, would-be lover in her scorned the idea to bear them like a Fuin-Jutsu seal.
She turned her eyes to Naruto sleeping on his stomach. He had spent himself today and left his seed inside her; it was just another chore, another thing to clean up before she left for the office. She walked out of the room and felt the chill of the morning wind on her body that had exhausted itself and spent its heat for today.
When Sakura looked out the window, the first ray of sunlight burst through the night and created a balmy hue in the sky. She sighed and lowered herself into the chair and opened the drawer. There it lay, the same white paper with the same black pen on it. She took it out and wrote down Naruto's behaviour; she deleted the important details of the night. That would never concern him. All he wanted to know was that how far his daemon had consumed him.
A layer of tears came across her eyes, and she stifled a sob that vibrated in her throat as she created the Root symbol given to her on the end of the page with her chakra. The tiny sparrow sitting in the cage on the table bounced happily, eager to see her. It was time for it to fly back to its sanctuary and feed. She opened the cage, took it out, and slipped the paper she had just rolled into the tiny container tied above its feet.
The bird struggled as Sakura approached the window; it knew how to find its home. She released it and it flew south. It would not be long before they knew how everything was coming along. When it flew away out of sight, she lost her will with it, too. "N-Naruto, I'm sorry," she whispered and sank down to the floor. Then she buried her face in her hands and cried . . .
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