Eyes of the Broken Soul
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.
This is another long chapter for you all! Naruto finally gains a hold on his doujutsu and there's action too!!!
Hope you enjoy the next chapter.
--
Chapter 14 - A Battle for Survival
The glistening rays of the early afternoon sun wisped down to gently caress the whiskered face of a young boy as he and his sensei slowly made there way off the academy grounds. Naruto tucked himself tightly under Iruka's arm, basking in the warmth and comfort of the chunin's protective hold while his memories wandered back onto the previous few days. It had been two weeks since Naruto had started his newly formed training program that Kurenai had introduced to them and things were finally starting to look up for the boy. Naruto had now completely mastered the tree climbing exercise that Kurenai was training him with and the water walking exercise was going much better as well. The red-eyed jounin would swell with pride as she watched the boy walk across the stream without her assistance. Although he was still a bit wobbly from time to time, things had progressed far better than the jounin could have ever hoped.
Anko would often arrive at the training field from time to time, allowing herself to watch as Naruto went through his different exercises, although she couldn't always make it. Iruka had since explained to her the circumstances of Naruto's life at the orphanage and how he eventually came into the chunin's care. The purple haired jounin almost went on a killing spree when she heard how Nartuo was beaten and tortured all in the name of something he had no control over. She just couldn't stand the type of unjustified indifference that made Naruto's life a living hell, the same treatment that she herself had once been subjected to as well, and she now found herself at growing odds with the rest of the village and her fellow shinobi.
Naruto's reading skills had also made huge leaps forward and the boy was now able to make out most smaller words without too much difficulty. He still struggled to piece sentences together to make meaning of the words but Iruka knew that Naruto felt proud of his achievements so far. The two of them would always read together at night, laying in the boy's bed with a steaming cup of warm milk firmly in hand. Naruto would always snuggle up against his sensei's side while the man explained each sentence, allowing himself to relish in the love and understanding of the one person that made him feel like he was a part of a family. Naruto hadn't had any nightmares since the last one where he almost drowned and had now come to the conclusion that they only occurred when he was emotionally distressed or worked up.
The boy's doujutsu training was probably the one area that Naruto had made the most significant progress of all, much to the growing delight of all three of his teachers. Kakashi had finally broken through the boy's fears of hurting those around him, having convinced Naruto that the only way to protect himself and others was by learning how to control his abilities. Since then, Naruto had learned to activate his doujutsu at will, although he could only hold it active for a few minutes at a time before fatigue started to overwhelm him. The masked jounin would watch on with fascination as Naruto took in his surroundings with his golden eyes, watching as the boy's expression fell into a look of wonderment. Kakashi would often find himself wondering what exactly Naruto could see through those golden eyes of his.
Of course, not everything was all happiness and fun in Naruto's life. His days at the academy were growing even harder and harder as time went on and it was now getting to the point where he no longer felt safe within its walls. Although he would no longer allow himself to fall behind for the sake of those around him, Naruto now found himself back on the target list of his class bullies. His efforts were often rewarded with cruel glares and hateful words that threatened to tear his soul apart. The boy would also often find himself cornered while walking back to class after breaks, made to endure the cruelty of his class bullies and their fists. The other students would just watch as he was beaten in the hallways, none of them making a move to help him at all.
Lee noticed his plight during one such incident and quickly came to Naruto's rescue, warding off his assailants and then trying to help the battered boy to his feat. Naruto just shrugged away when his friend tried to touch him and Lee was forced to watch while the boy picked himself up alone. The dark haired boy helped him get cleaned up in a nearby bathroom, rubbing off the ink marks depicting the cruel words that were scribbled on his face with gentle care and wiping the tears from Naruto's eyes. Lee was always careful not to physically touch the boy with his hands and instead used a soft towel to wash away his pain and sorrow.
The dark haired boy had since then vowed to walk Naruto back to class himself in order to avoid any further incidents. The blond knew that the only reason he wasn't beaten within an inch of his life every single break time was because of the efforts of his newly found best friend. Lee would always keep him company and watch over him carefully in the way that a big brother would look after a sibling. Naruto found himself depending on the boy's protection even more than ever before and had since grown to admire Lee as a pillar of strength and determination. Lee, however, couldn't understand why anyone would pick on someone much smaller than themselves and began to realize why Naruto was always so afraid of being hurt all the time.
Now Naruto found himself once again making his way back to the same green field he trained in every afternoon, walking slowly through the dusty path beneath him with Iruka at his side. He desperately tried to ease back the uncomfortable emotions that ate away at his soul. He couldn't allow the chunin beside him to know how much pain he was really in. They were almost out of view of the academy when a voice called out from behind them, instantly grabbing their attention.
Hey Naruto!!!
Naruto shot around in an instant. recognizing the heart warming cheer coming from the voice of his only friend. Naruto allowed his whiskered face to fill with a massive smile at the boy's approach, causing Iruka to flinch at the sudden burst of emotions coming from his student.
"Lee!!!" Lee grinned as he heard Naruto call out his name and landed in front of the two with a panted breath, he had obviously been running to catch up with them. Iruka smiled as he watched the to fiddle uncomfortably in each others presence, it was almost as though Naruto wanted to hug the boy, but was still pausing in fear of the repercussions of touching someone else. Lee looked just as confused, but quickly brushed it aside and scratched the back of his head.
"I... um... well... was wondering if you were doing anything this afternoon. You know, maybe we could hang out for a while." Naruto felt his heart warm at the boy's suggestion, but quickly fell into a frown soon afterwards.
Lee, I'm sorry, I really wish I could but I have to train this afternoon. Maybe some other time?" Lee immediately lost the fire in his eyes and slouched in disappointment. He was really hoping o spend more time with his 'little brother' but understood why Naruto was trying to get stronger. He had often talked with the boy about his training and Naruto would often blabber on about his teachers and their strange exercises. He was about to turn to go home again when another idea came to mind.
"Maybe I can come and watch you train then. I promise i won't get in the way!" Naruto looked up to his sensei with pleading eyes, eyes that begged the man for his approval, but Iruka's face fell into a stern look of disapproval.
"Naruto, you know why I can't allow that, it's simply just too dangerous. If anyone..."
"He already knows about my doujutsu" Naruto cut the man off. Iruka felt his jaw drop at the sound of Naruto's words.
"How did he find out? And H... how long as he known about it?" Naruto scratched the back of his head in discomfort, trying to find the right words to describe his delecate sittuation. Lee noticed the growing tension on his friends face and decided to step in instead.
"Naruto was being chased by bullies at school and helped him out of trouble. When everyone else had left, I noticed his eyes turning gold. No-one else saw it and I haven't mentioned a word of it to anyone, I promise!" Iruka looked at the dark haired boy grateful eyes, silently thanking him for his intervention on the matter. He then looked over at Naruto with a more disappointed expression.
"Naruto, if you were having problems with bullies, you should have let me know about it. You know how worried I get when you keep secrets from me don't you? How am I supposed to protect you when you won't tell me what's going on any more?" Naruto bowed his head in shame, feeling guilty about hiding the truth from the scarred man.
"I'm sorry Iruka-sensei, I just didn't want you to get to worried about me." Naruto began to tear at the eyes before he continued to speak. "I just didn't want to cause too much trouble for you because... because..."
"Because you thought I'd leave you..." Iruka finished him off. Naruto just shrugged and slowly nodded his shoulders. The scarred chunin knelt down in front of him and pulled the boy into a hug. "Listen Naruto, I'd never abandon you, no matter what happens." Iruka understood what the boy was thinking. Naruto had been kicked out of the orphanage as soon as he became too much trouble for them and now he was afraid of being abandoned again for the same reason, so instead he opted to withdraw himself to make things easier. Iruka stood to his feet again and looked over to where Lee stood. The boy was now frowning in discomfort at seeing Naruto's painful emotions.
"Alright then Lee, I'll allow you to come and watch Naruto's training, but only if you promise not to mention anything you see there." Lee immediately shot back into a grin once more, blinding his two counterparts with the shining white glow of his spotless dentals.
I swear on my life as Naruto's friend that I will not tell a soul anything about what I see, that is a promise!!!"
Naruto's hard felt emotions quickly fell away as he watched the strange and humorous antics of his friend. He then allowed an approving smile to grace his features once more, while at the same time relieving Iruka's own built up tension. The three of them then continued to make there way to the secluded training field, Iruka watching from behind while the two boy's walked in each other's company up front. It was unusual for the chunin to walk without Naruto clinging to his side like an extra limb. He could see that Lee was the kind of friend that made the boy feel more comfortable and safe.
--
Kakashi Hatake was slowly making his way through the village centre and towards the training field where everyone was waiting, holding a 'Make Out Paradise' book firmly in his hand as he walked. He was trying to make good time today, knowing that Kurenai would thwart him if he was late again. As the masked jounin shuffled through the dusty streets, past the village stores and apartment buildings, a gruff voice called out to him from one of the nearby side markets. Kakashi looked up to see a very tired Ibiki waving him down.
"Hey Kakashi, long time no see." The jounin waved in return and walked up to the scarred man who looked like he hadn't slept in days, no doubt due to a long standing interrogation. Perhaps he was still trying to get information out of the 'traitor' Kakashi had supplied him with a few days before.
"So, how did it go with that special delivery I brought you the other day?" Kakashi enquired, curious to hear the fate of the man that tried to hurt Naruto in the alleyway. Ibiki just sighed in defeat, rubbing at the base of his temple with his fingers.
"You mean the one you told us was selling Konoha's secrets to enemy ninja factions? Well I've tried just about every method of extraction I could think of, but the man still swears he has no idea what we're going on about. He's one persistent bugger, in fact, i've rarely come across such a good liar in my life before. I've even gone so far as to using the 'rubber glove' on him."
The masked jounin shuddered at the mention of the said torture, it wasn't very often that someone had earned the usage of the 'rubber glove'. Most people would have either spilled their guts, along with their deepest darkest secrets, by then or had already keeled over from extensive psychological trauma. Ibiki noticed the sly look on Kakashi's mostly covered face and began to grow concerned for the mental well-being of his fellow jounin.
"Are you alright Kakashi? You look a little... well... disturbing is all I can say." Kakashi just snickered under his mask. Of course, he would eventually leak information suggesting the man's innocence in the entire matter, but not before the drunkard received his just rewards for the psychological damage he caused a certain young blond.
"I'm perfectly fine Ibiki, in fact I couldn't be better if I tried. Now, tell me everything that's happened so far. Every single last detail..."
--
Naruto, Lee and Iruka eventually found themselves stumbling on the green pastures that marked the sight of their training field. The boy had grown quite used to the location by now. It was the one place where he felt most comfortable other than his new home. There were no prying eyes or hateful whispers from the villagers or school bullies, only the love and protection of his teachers. Now, his new friend would be there with him as well. The three of them caught sight of a waiting Kurenai and Anko, both of whom seemed to be in a heated debate of some sort. The purple haired jounin caught sight of their untimely approach and waved them down with a sadistic grin on her face, causing Naruto to flinch in discomfort. The boy moved his head closer to his friend and whispered in Lee's ear.
"Just be careful, she's the crazy one I've been telling you about. Just don't look her directly in the eyes or she may use you for target practice."
Lee took a deep gulp of dread, remembering what Naruto had told him about his own previous discrepancies with the said woman. The thought of being used as a human pin cushion didn't sit well with the dark haired boy at all. Anko rushed up towards the three of them with a giddy smile, shooting past the now panicked boy's before throwing her arms around a surprised Iruka.
"Now he'll tell us Ku-chan, then you'll see that he likes me better than you after all." Iruka began to blush heavily as the woman pressed herself up even tighter against the chunin's body, causing Naruto to gag in disgust while Lee began to sweat drop. "Isn't that right Iruka-sensei?" Anko continued. Iruka just looked over to the equally heavily blushing and clearly furious Kurenai.
"W... what's going on here?" He stammered, trying desperately to free himself from the crazy woman's grasp.
"Well Ku-chan and I have been arguing about which one of us you've fallen head over heals for. It's obviously me, but she doesn't seem to understand that." Kurenai's face grew even redder than before as Iruka looked at her with a curious expression on his face. Anko just basked in the discomfort she had caused them both, relishing in her own ability to create such an agonizing torture without hardly trying.
"I've said nothing of the sort Anko!!!" Kurenai yelped back, almost squeaking as she spoke.
"Sure, whatever you say honey, but your face seems to severely disagree. You should really take the time to look in the mirror." Before it could go any further, Kakashi shunshined into view, immediately diverting everyone's attention to his presence. The masked jounin caught sight of the awkward scene playing out in front of him and found himself sweat dropping in discomfort.
"M... maybe I should come back later. You guys seem to be a bit busy at the moment." Kurenai quickly grabbed the man's arm before he disappeared again and yanked him to within striking distance, before slamming her fist into his head.
"You aren't going anywhere buster!!! Just what the hell took you so long to get here anyway!?!" Kakashi rubbed the back of his head, trying desperately to relieve the newly formed lump.
"Well, I was talking to Ibiki about one of his..."
"Oh shut it!" Kurenai cut him off. "I'm tired of your lame excuses."
"But it's really the truth" Kakashi tried to answer, but a quick glare quickly cut him off. There was just no winning for the poor man. In reality, Kurenai was actually quite relieved that the masked jounin showed up when he did. The... situation was beginning to grow rather uncomfortable for the others present. Anko, seeing that her opportunity to cause mayhem had now been flushed, released her death-grip on a heavily sweating Iruka and walked over to a nearby patch of grass. She then promptly pulled out a box of dango and prepared herself for the training.
Iruka tried to avoid the dangerous glares from both Naruto and Kurenai (the former of which could potentially kill you), while Kakashi and Lee slowly backed away from the amount of killing intent radiating from a certain red-eyed woman.
"Um... alright then. Naruto if you don't mind, I'd like to carry on with your doujutsu training." The said boy turned his eyes from his sensei and refocused them on Kakashi. He then walked over to where the man stood and prepared for the day's lesson.
"Aren't we going to summon my shadow clones Kakashi-sama?"
"No, not today." Kakashi replied. "I want you to try and activate your doujutsu without your clones and see how long it lasts. When you have your chakra split into three, it reduces your efficiency, plus I also want Kurenai and Iruka to observe the results of your training." Naruto nodded his head in understanding and then readied himself.
"Good, now lets get started shall we?"
Kurenai and Iruka watched on with anxiety as they waited for the boy to comply, even Lee seemed to immediately divert his interest towards the said boy. Naruto focussed his gaze on his surroundings, trying to tap into the same feelings and emotions he always experienced when activating his bloodline. His eyes began to shimmer precariously in the warm soft sunlight, before eventually turning into pure gold. He was careful not to look into another person's eyes, lest he experiences another traumatic event like the one he had with Kakashi a few days earlier. Instead, Naruto focussed on his surroundings, observing the painted canvas of colour and light that swept across his gaze.
"As you can see..." Kakashi began, turning to his amazed audience. "... we've managed to get him to activate his doujutsu at will, although I still don't know what he sees when he's looking through those eyes."
Iruka placed his hand on his student's shoulder, causing Naruto to flinch in surprise at his touch. The boy calmed down soon afterwards when he realized who it was and turned his gaze to his sensei. Iruka fell into a trance when he looked at the boy's golden orbs, forcing Naruto to blush in discomfort. The red of his face contrasted sharply against the bright colours of his hair and eyes.
"W... what's wrong Iruka-sensei?" Iruka just gaped at the beauty he saw in Naruto's eyes. He had never really looked directly into them before and he now found himself lost in their enrapturing trance. Iruka could feel a mixture of emotions coming from Narutos touch as their eyes locked into one another. The boy began to frown in discomfort soon afterwards and the chunin could feel his emotions starting to deteriorate. The scarred man then quickly turned his eyes away from Naruto's gaze, causing the boy's feelings to quickly return to normal.
"Sorry Naruto, I should be more careful." Whatever the boy began to see in him, it was obviously negative. The last thing he wanted was for Naruto to witness was the death of his parents at the hands of the Kyuubi. That wouldn't do well for the boy's already low self worth and self degrading mentality.
"Alright then Naruto let's attempt something else..." Naruto turned his attention to Kakashi once more, his eyes still blazing with the golden tinge that reflected the world around him. "I want you to try and suppress your vision and block out everything you see that's different." Naruto complied and tried to forcefully block out the lights and colours of the world around him. He and Kakashi had practiced this many times during the past two weeks in order for him to control the extent of his vision. The jounin had explained to him that too much information can easily overwhelm someone's mind, especially someone so young, so Naruto had to learn to control what he saw.
The boy cringed in discomfort as painful tears began to sting in his eyes, caused by the force of pushing away his vision. Lee began to grow concerned about his friend, but a reassuring hand from Iruka kept the boy from intervening. After a few moments of agony, the colours around Naruto began to fade away, slowly being replaced once again by the normal light of the sun reflecting of the rich green grass. Kakashi noticed the change in Naruto's expression, but noticed that his eyes were still gold in colour.
"I did it Kakashi-sama. I can't see the colours any more." Kakashi gave an approving nod.
"Good, now try and look me or Iruka in the eyes again." Naruto froze at first, not wanting to witness the same painful visions he had seen before, but complied soon afterwards. He looked into the masked jounin's eye with a heavy gulp, but this time there was no pain. There were no awful memories or nightmares, just another focused eye staring back at him. Kakashi took a deep sigh of relief, realizing that their training had borne some fruit after all. As long as Naruto could keep control of his emotions, he should be able to control his vision as well and protect himself and others from harm.
"That's very good Naruto. You've done very well. Now I want you to try and focus on that tree and see if you can... well... look into it." The boy turned to the said tree and then focussed his vision again, trying to find the same energy he saw before, only this time in a more focussed area. Eventually, a warm glow began to radiate in the centre of the tree, causing Naruto to smile victoriously.
"I did it!!! It's working!!! Naruto quickly deactivated his doujutsu again turned to Iruka, before jumping into the chunin's arms. "It's working Iruka-sensei, now my eyes won't hurt people anymore." The man almost yelped when he felt the emotions running from the boy. The fact that Naruto was so happy about not having to hurt others anymore was quite surprising. The boy didn't care what powers his eyes granted him, he only cared that he wouldn't accidently cause someone else pain again. Naruto pulled out of his sensei's arms and then ran over to Kurenai, who was also smiling in approval of his achievement. The boy then grabbed her hands, causing the jounin to kneel down in front of him.
"Now... now I won't ever hurt you again Kurenai-sensei, I promise!!!" Kurenai could see the tears forming in Naruto's eyes, tears that still held some guilt over the incident that occurred between the two of them. Naruto stepped forward and hugged the woman with all of his strength while the remorseful water from his eyes ran onto her shoulders. "I'll never hurt anyone like that again..." he continued to sob.
Kurenai rubbed his back with her hand, trying to ease the overwhelming emotions she felt. "Naruto, I know you'd never hurt me willingly, it was my fault that happened in the first place, but you may need those powers to protect your friends." Naruto pulled out of the hug and looked the woman in the eyes.
"But, I don't want anyone to feel the same thing I felt. I don't like it when people get hurt like that."
"I know Naruto, but sometimes someone will try to hurt those who are precious to you. You'll have to protect them as well you know." Naruto nodded his head in understanding and then turned to face the dark haired boy behind him. He saw the look of concern etched onto Lee's face and smiled through his tears.
"I think I understand what you mean."
"Alright!!! Enough mushy stuff already!!!!" Everyone jumped in surprise as Anko voiced her thoughts, jumping from her seat in the grass with flames in her eyes. "Come on! Lets see some action over here. I wanna see what those eyes can do in a real battle!!!"
The purple haired jounin quickly pulled some shuriken out of her holsters, causing Naruto to step back and gulp in panic, he didn't want another target practice session again. Iruka and Kurenai were about to intervene, but before any of them could even move a kunai landed in the middle of the field between them. The present shinobi, as well as the two young boy's, looked at the shiny piece of metal with curious stared. It was then that they caught sight of the explosive tag attached firmly to its side.
"Everyone move now!!!"
Naruto turned around on his heels to run away, but it was already too late. A blast immediately sounded off and the ensuing shock wave sent the boy flying off of his feet and hurtling through the air. He hit the floor soon afterwards with a heavy crash, knocking the air right out of his lungs as his ribs cracked from the shock. Naruto tried to pick himself up off the ground as his vision swam precariously, blurring the world around him. There was so much smoke and debris that he couldn't even tell the sky from the ground.
"Naruto!!!" The boy turned to his side to see Lee running towards him, sporting a panicked look on his face. "Watch out!!!" Naruto turned again just in time to catch sight off an unknown figure making its way towards him.
"Die you stupid monster!!!" The boy quickly jumped out of the way as the man lashed out with a kunai in hand, landing on the side of the nearby tree.
"Nggghhh!!!" Naruto grasped at the side of his chest as the excruciating pain of his injuries shot through his body, while still trying to hold his grip on the tree's surface. His assailant ran up to it's base and snickered at the sight of the boy's pain.
"So, it seems you've learned a few tricks, but that won't save you from us." The man ran up the side of the tree to where Naruto was standing, prompting the boy to flee up its surface as fast as he could muster. reverberating all around them were the sights and sounds of clashing weapons and jutsu. Kakashi, kurenai and Iruka were all engaging with their unknown assailants while Anko sailed through the battlefield with deftly enthusiasm. She had a smug grin on her face and a bloodied kunai planted firmly in her hand.
"Ooohhh!!! I knew it was a good idea to hang with you guys!!!"
Her grin quickly fell away when she caught sight of a certain blond being chased through the trees by another unknown shinobi. It then became painfully obvious who the target of their attack was.
"They're after Naruto!!!" She shouted, causing her companions to look back in concern.
Anko then quickly jumped from the grass and landed on one of the tree's branches. She caught sight of Naruto losing his grip on the tree's surface and falling a short distance, before grabbing one of the outstretched branches on his way down. The jounin quickly raced over to his position and jumped through the air towards him, arriving just before the boy's assailant could land an attack on his target. Anko caught Naruto in her arms as she sailed past him and the two came crashing into the ground with a heavy thud, the purple haired jounin receiving most of the blow in order to protect Naruto from the fall.
"Aghghhhh!!! You... owe me big time... kiddo!!!" The jounin then jumped to her feat again, not recognizing the emotions she had just felt coming from Naruto's touch, and prepared for another incoming attack. The jounin that had been chasing the boy jumped out of the tree and clashed his kunai against Anko's own.
"Figures that one monster would try to protect another!" The man snickered, causing Anko's blood to boil. The sadistic woman just snarled and pushed the assailant back away from his prey, creating some distance to allow Naruto to escape.
"Don't just stand there you little runt!!! Get your ass moving out of here!!!" Naruto immediately jumped up to his feet and complied, looked around the field for an opening to escape. Kakashi and Kurenai were still currently engaging two other Shinobi while Iruka battled further away.
"Why... why does this always happen?" He mumbled to himself, watching as his protectors traded blows in an effort to keep him from harm. "I don't want anyone to get hurt for me." Naruto ran into the midst of the fight while tears began to fall from his eyes.
"Please stop, just take me and leave them alone!!!" The boy didn't see the explosive kunai making it's way to his position. Lee, who had been trying to get to his friend the entire battle, noticed the developing sittuation and ran over to where the boy stood.
"Naruto, stop!!!" He called out, catching the boy's attention. Naruto halted in his tracks and looked up to see the burning projectile making it's way towards him. He quickly shielded his face with his arms as the blast went off, picking him up off his feat once again and sending him flying towards the river. Naruto managed to land on it's surface with his feat, sliding across the water with a spray of mist lifting into the air around him. Lee looked on with amazed eyes as he saw the boy defy the laws of nature as he knew it.
"H... how did he do that?" Before Lee could even think about what was happening, the shinobi that had attacked Naruto jumped near the rivers edge and formed some seals in his hand.
"Katon! Dragon Fire Jutsu!!" The man sent a massive jet of flames hurtling towards the still recovering boy, picking up a gust of steam as the extreme heat touched against the water's surface. Naruto looked up just in time to see the massive inferno heading towards him.
"I guess this is it then. Maybe if they kill me now, they'll leave the others alone." Naruto was about to close his eyes in preparation for his demise when Kakashi suddenly landed in front of him.
"Suiton!!! Water Dragon Jutsu!!" A massive stream of water immediately sprang from around Kakashi's feat and collected in front of the masked jounin. It then formed the shape of a dragon before shooting off towards the other attack. As the two jutsus connected in a massive blast of steam and air, while the water on which Naruto stood began to waver under his feat. A massive shock wave quickly followed soon afterwards, knocking the boy over and sinking him beneath the torrent of waves amassing on the surface above him.
"Naruto!!!"
Kakashi was about to go after the boy, but soon found his hands full as his opponent struck once again. The two shinobi clashed on the rivers surface while Lee watched on from the embankment. "Hey Lee! Don't just stand there, go after Naruto!!! He can't swim!!!" Lee snapped out of his trance at the sound of Kakashi's words. He then jumped into the cool water and swam over to where Naruto had sunk.
The boy dived under it's surface and swam down into the depths of the cold river, the flashes and sounds of battle reverberating clearly above him. He caught sight of the sinking blond struggling against the threat of drowning and quickly grabbed onto his arm before pulling him to the surface. Naruto allowed for a deep gulp of air as they emerged from the river, the tears in his eyes disguised by the water on his face. Lee quickly swam them to the shore on the opposite side and then pulled Naruto into safety of the nearby forest, hiding them both from view.
"Are you alright Naruto-kun?" Naruto just sobbed with his arms around his knees as his fears gripped his body in their embrace. Lee noticed the golden tinge in his eyes forming once again as the boy began to mumble to himself.
"Why can't they just leave me alone? Why do they always have to try and hurt me?"
Lee noticed the tears flooding from Naruto's eyes. He didn't know what was going on, he didn't know why everyone was trying to hurt Naruto, but he knew that he would do anything in his power to protect the boy. At least they were safe for now, or so they thought.
"Lee..." The said boy immediately came to attention as Naruto spoke. "Please, just leave me. I don't want to see you getting hurt. They're only after me so they won't do anything to you if you just run away." Lee's eyes widened in surprise. Naruto was trying to sound brave, but his friend could hear the terror in his voice.
"No..." Naruto looked up and locked into his friends gaze. "I will not just run away and allow you to get hurt, I could never live with myself for that. I'm your friend and I'll always be there for you. Naruto burst into tears at the sound of the boy's words, sinking his head further into his knees.
"Oh, how touching!" Both boys quickly looked up as a tall man came into view in front of them, entering the small clearing hidden in the trees. Judging by his jacket, he was obviously chunin level. "So the monster has a friend to look after him? How pathetic! I'm going to enjoy seeing the life fall from your eyes."
Lee began to feel his blood boil inside his veins as his heart filled with complete and utter rage. The boy quickly stood to his feet and positioned himself between their assailant and Naruto, who's eyes were now filled with complete terror. The dark haired boy locked his eyes with the attacking shinobi as he fell into a taijutsu stance, displaying all of his anger and frustration in his dark pupils.
"I won't let you hurt Naruto-kun, even if it means I must die protecting him!" The man just snickered in humor.
"Well then, I may just grant your obvious yearning for death, or I maybe I'll just make you watch while I kill your friend slowly in front of you!"
The shinobi shot forward towards a prepared Lee, slamming his fist towards the boy's face. Lee caught the blow with his hand and halted the man's advance. The shinobi the struck with his other free hand, only to have it caught as well. Lee slowly began to push him backwards, edging him further away from the boy he was fighting to protect.
"You're... pretty strong... for an... academy runt." The man then allowed a sly grin to fall on his expression, causing lee to frown in discomfort. "But against a real ninja, you are still just trash." The man rolled onto his back and used his feet to send the surprised boy flying over him and into the nearby tree. The chunin continued to flow into his movement and sprang back up to his feat once more.
"Now the monster will die!!!" Naruto yelped in panic as the man sped towards him with a kunai appearing in his hand. Before the attack could land on it's mark, a sudden flash of white appeared in front of the boy, before a spray of red mist scattered through the air. There, standing between the man and a panicked Naruto, was none other than Lee. The boy had taken the kunai directly to his chest and blood was now pouring freely from the open wound.
"N... Naruto... run..." Lee gripped the arms of his assailant with his hands and clamped down on it like a vice, halting his movements to allow Naruto's escape. Blood began to trickle down the corner of his mouth, signifying that he had been hit in the lungs. Lee's eyes began to fill up with tears, trying to ease the burning pain he felt in his chest. Naruto slowly stood to his feat and shook his head in disbelief.
"No... no.... you weren't supposed to get hurt. I didn't want you to die." Naruto felt a sudden pulse of rage enter up inside of him, filling his blood with an unimaginable fury. The boy suddenly found himself standing inside the same dampened labyrinth that haunted his dreams, his tears falling to the ground and adding to the already water logged floor. Two darkened red eyes began to open behind the iron bars that stood in front of him as an ominous voice filled the air with all their malice and dread.
"Destroy them... destroy those ignorant fools who would try to harm you. That is the only way you'll survive and become strong." The water that flowed around Naruto's legs began to turn a darkened red, seeping into his clothes and running up across his skin. The boy began to scream in pain as a sudden burst of rage and blood lust filled into his heart, emanating from an unknown source.
"I think that it is only fair that you feel my hatred as much as I have been subjected to you fears." The room in which Naruto stood began to fill with horrendous flames before suddenly disappearing into darkness once more.
Naruto fell to his hands and knees as the sudden excruciating pain began to overwhelm his body, filling his young soul with unimaginable emotions that no-one could ever imagine existing. The boy's eyes began to fill with a deep red haze and his nails sharpened out into claws.
"What's going on?" The startled chunin that attacked them quickly forced Lee's grip of his hands and jumped away from the massive amount of killing intent emanating from the small boy in front of him. Lee, no longer having the strength to stand, collapsed to the floor in a lifeless heap. Naruto looked over to his fallen friend as the boy's robes stained red with his blood. The enraged soul then turned back again to face their assailant, desperately trying to push back the excruciating pain and emotions he felt inside.
"You... why did you do that to him? He was my only friend!"
The man didn't even have a chance to answer, because soon Naruto was right in front of him slamming his palm into the chunin's chest and sending him sailing through the air. The boy blasted off again in a flash of dust and grass. immediately appearing above the still airborne shinobi. Naruto grabbed the mans collar in his claws and slammed him into the ground, forming a small crater as the earth shattered beneath them. The boy then landed on his feat again and picked the now limp body up into his grip, raising the man's terrified eyes to meat him own. What he saw then was not what the chunin expected. There were tears coming from the 'monsters' eyes. Tears that held all of Naruto's sadness, pain and grief. Tears that held the innocence of a scared child trapped within the tormenting visage of a terrible monster.
Naruto's slit eyes began to turn gold once more, while the edges emanated with a halo of deep red. It was like looking into the heart of the very sun itself. The man began to scream in terror and pain as they locked in each other's gaze, while Naruto's tears continued to fall from his eyes. Naruto was once again lost in his emotions, unable to control his actions as he burned away his opponents soul with his deadly gaze, causing the man to feel all of his pain and memories. Eventually, the boy realized what was happening and he quickly released his grip on the chunin, allowing the man's body to fall limply to the floor. Naruto's eyes slowly returned to normal once more and his claws disappeared.
"What... have I done?" Naruto collapsed to his knees and began to sob. He had once again allowed himself to cause another person the same pain that had plagued him his entire life, an act that he promised himself he would never allow to occur again. He then remembered the dark haired boy that had fought to protect him and shot to his feat once more.
"Lee!!!" Naruto turned around and ran back to where his friend lay silently on the floor. He turned the lifeless body onto it's back and tried to find any signs of hope, but their were none. The only person who had ever tried to be his friend was now lying in a cold pale heap on the grass. Naruto collapsed into tears and allowed his head to fall onto Lee's stomach, while the salty liquid soaked into the boy's blood stained robes, mixing with the crimson liquid. Naruto just cried for what felt like an eternity, having now lost his only friend. He began to feel the last remnants of his soul slowly break apart under the torment and frustration of his ill fate, but then he suddenly a glimmer of hope rushed to quell the hopeless heart. Naruto felt his emotions begin stirring inside his body.
"Lee?" The boy looked up again and searched the lifeless body in front of him. He could feel the slight tinge of emotion's emanating from the boys touch, something that told him that Lee was still alive. Naruto quickly activated his doujutsu and focussed his gaze on the body beneath him, catching sight of the small glimmers of light radiating from inside.
"He's, still alive!" Naruto yelped. But he could see that the light was quickly fading away, falling even further into darkness as every second passed.
"No, Lee! You can't die! I won't let you die!!!" Naruto didn't know why, but he was compelled to place his hands on the boy's chest. Instinct soon took over and Naruto focussed his gaze on the diminishing light inside his friend. He moved his touch towards where the glow was brightest and began to focus his chakra in that area.
"Please don't die.... please..." Naruto felt the energy begin to drain away from his body as his chakra linked with his friend. The wounds on Lee's chest began to slowly burn away and the energy inside his body began to brighten even more.
"I won't let... you.... die.... not now..." Naruto felt his eyes growing heavy as the life left his body, seeping away into the boy bellow him. After a few more seconds of contact, the blond boy fell into darkness and collapsed to the ground. His one hand still remained on Lee's chest, still trying desperately to give him any life that it could spare.
--
"Ngghh. W... what happened?" Lee's eyes slowly began to inch there way open, allowing the light of the world around him to fill his gaze with the promised of life. "I, thought I was going to die..." The boy felt a warms sensation coming from the area around his chest and looked down to see a hand laying on top of him. It was then that all the memories of what happened came flooding back, filling his mind with sudden terror.
"Naruto!!??" Lee quickly shot up into a sitting position and looked down beside him, only to see the pale face of a blond haired boy he had come to call a friend. Lee, noticing that the warm sensation was coming from Naruto's hand, quickly removed it from on top of him and gently placed it on the ground. He then turned onto his knees and looked over the lifeless body besides him.
"Naruto? Naruto please wake up!" Lee shook the boy's body desperately in an attempt to revive him, but Naruto didn't respond. "Someone... help me!!!" As Lee called out into the trees a shuffling could be heard coming from the nearby bushes. The boy jumped to his feat in preparation only to see Iruka and Kakashi appear into view.
"Oh, thank goodness we found you..." Iruka paused when he saw the lifeless body of Naruto lying on the floor behind a protective Lee. "Naruto!!!" The chunin ran up to the boys side and felt for a pulse. After a few seconds of agony, the faint signs of life slowly flickered through Naruto's veins, prompting Iruka into tears of relief. He then turned his gaze to an equally shocked Kakashi.
"We need to get him to a hospital immediately. His vitals are very weak at this point." Kakashi nodded his head and immediately appeared beside the boy, before cupping him up into his arms. Kakashi then felt a warm sensation fill into his body, filling it with strength and healing his cuts and bruizes.
"Oh shit!!!"
The masked jounin quickly placed the boy down again and released him from his grip. He then turned to the panicked boy besides him and noticed the blood stains on his robes, only there were no wounds to speak of.
"Lee, what happened here?" Lee snapped out of his trance and turned his gaze to Kakashi.
"I don't know, the last thing I remember is being stabbed by this man. I thought I was going to die but then I woke up with Naruto's hand on top of me and my wounds were gone." Kakashi nodded his head in understanding while Iruka looked on with a panicked gaze.
"I see." He then pulled out a small piece of paper with a seal inscribed on it and formed some hand signs. The seal began to glow a deap blue in colour and Kakashi then placed it on the boy's forehead.
"What's that for?" Iruka gulped.
"It's a seal made to block a person's chakra flow. I'm using it prevent Naruto's chakra from flowing into me when I carry him." Iruka still looked confused, not understanding what was going on. "I'll explain later, right now we need to get Naruto t hospital." Iruka nodded his head in approval and then walked over to a still overwhelmed Lee, who now had tears forming down the side of his face.
"Are you alright?" The dark haired boy silently nodded, his gaze not once shifting from the blond as Kakashi picked him up off the floor.
"He... he was going to let himself die so that I could live." The scarred chunin placed his hand on the boy's shoulder.
"He'll be alright. You can come to the hospital with us if you like." Lee nodded his head in approval and then followed the two other jounin out of the forest. Iruka carried him safely across the river while Kakashi carried an unconscious Naruto where they met a waiting Anko and Kurenai on the other side. The entire field was marked with the scars of battle, while the bodies of dead shinobi littered the floor. The two waiting kunoichi caught sight of the approaching shinobi and frowned when they saw the lifeless Naruto in Kakashi's arms. Even Anko seemed to faulter at the sight of his pale face.
There were no words shared between them, their expressions said enough on their own. The group quickly made their way to the hospital together, rushing to save the life of the boy who had touched all of their hearts. Lee looked over the young boy who had just saved his life by risking his own. He didn't know why the boy was always being treated so cruelly and he was now yearning for answers.
--
Well, this was a pretty long chapter. I hope you enjoyed! :)
I hate to leave you guys guessing what happens next, but I'll update soon. I promise!!! XD