Chapter 25

Tortures of the Damned

Naruto made his way down the asphalt path that lead to the Konoha lake. Due to industrial waste and large corporations dumping chemicals into the waters, unchecked for years, it killed the aquatic life and outlawed swimming. The lake was just like everything else in Konoha. A cesspool.

Naruto scanned the path around the lake with his eyes looking for any signs of Sai. Instead of finding Sai he saw another familiar face. Konohamaru was standing by the large oak tree speaking with Haku.

Naruto was standing at a crossroad. The best course of action would have been to take the asphalt path back to campus, back to Cypress Hall, and back to Sasuke waiting in their shared dormitory. Instead. Naruto took the asphalt path that lead to the two boys speaking under the large oak tree by the cesspool that was Konoha lake.

The blonde stuffed his hands into the pocket of his three-quarter zip-up pullover. The closer he got the clearer the image began and the more he narrowed in on the little details of Konohamaru. The younger boy was acting erratic, scratching the skin on his neck, pacing side to side, and his voice was high-pitched and unhinged. Konohamaru was going through withdrawal. It was a familiar sight that caused his skin to crawl.

"Fucksake's, Haku!" Naruto growled and Haku turned around his face apathetic.

"N-Naruto!" Konohamaru asked his eyes wide and glassy. "What are you doing here?"

Naruto looked Konohamaru up and down. The other boy had long spiky hair, and youthful, deceitful eyes. Dark earth-kissed eyes that were holding secrets. Only he was inexperienced to hold onto those secrets for long. Soon they'll come tumbling from his lips. His uniform was wrinkled, buttons not fastened properly, and there was a tear on the seam of his sweater. Konohamaru was fourteen. Barely a teenager.

"What are you coming off of?" Naruto asked not bothering to hide the disgust with his voice. Konohamaru shrugged and shifted his eyes to the side, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Tell me Konohamaru...have you gone to the Tree Leaves hotel?" Naruto asked as he moved closer trying to catch the other boy's attention. Konohamaru's eyes grew wider and more fearful. 'Thought so.' Naruto thought bitterly and it felt as if he had bitten into baker's chocolate. Bitter and hard to swallow.

"Leave now Konohamaru," Naruto growled and the other boy stumbled backwards, pivoting, and jogging away. Naruto quickly rounded on Haku until he was inches away from his face his voice deep and low, "I told you to leave him alone."

Haku shrugged a small smile spreading his pale pink lips, "I only said I'd leave him alone if you took his place...and well...you haven't held up your side of the bargain."

"You know I thought you were a victim, Haku...now I see you for who you really are. Just a Zabuza clone," Naruto answered coldly. The boy in front of him was a predator. A wolf in sheepskin. Luring the children down the alleyway with false pretenses before devouring them.

Haku laughed and exhaled sharply through his nose, "That's cute. Wasn't it you who came to me begging me to help you get money when daddy cut you off? You're a master manipulator, Naruto...you try to hide behind a smiling mask among your friends. But in the back of your mind all you can think about is Callisto, in the back of your mind you know you missed the sex...the power...the money."

"What?" Naruto asked incredulously. 'No...you're lying...right?'

"You're a cheap and nasty fake," Haku answered, "...and I can see right through you. Why else are you here right now?"

The emptiness in Naruto had gotten larger and he tried filling it with Sasuke, but it wasn't enough...it wouldn't be enough...it would never be enough. The indisputable fact. Naruto felt it on every single level. Including the cellular level.

Unlike his life with Haku...

Naruto felt it when the Callisto was in his body it filled him. Naruto felt it when he was in the Tree Leaves hotel. When every orifice was being filled with a cock. Thrusting. Naruto felt it when his body was being rocked with orgasm after orgasm. The emptiness was filled. Naruto was filled completely and to the brim.

...and when he stopped it left him gaping and raw and empty.

Naruto wasn't the hero of this story...and maybe he was never supposed to be.

"Let's go back to your dorm," Naruto spoke with a smirk.

"This Friday night," Haku spoke as Naruto grabbed hold of the door handle. Fingers brushed against the brass handle and the blonde answered, "Same time? I have to be back by eleven."

Naruto breathed in the night air. He stretched his arms out and spun around exhaling. Every molecule was vibrating. The drug highlighted his reward pathway. So every time his synapses fired it was pure euphoria. The blonde was moving back towards Cypress Hall feeling the effects of cocaine lighting him up from the inside out.

"Naruto…" a voice called and Naruto looked to the side to see Sai. "SAI!" Naruto called out loudly and he threw both hands up into the air. Naruto ran to Sai and exhaled loudly, "I was looking for you."

"Wanna go for a jog?" Sai asked. Naruto looked at Sai who was dressed in his casual jogging outfit complete with worn out runners shoes.

"S'no fair...look at me!" Naruto spoke gesturing at his outfit. Sai quirked an eyebrow, "More name brands?"

"Pfff...whatever…" Naruto said with an exasperated breath. "Maybe another time if I'm not back by eleven, Iruka will have a conniption."

Sai quirked an eyebrow as Naruto waved and began jogging back the rest of the way to Cypress hall.

When Naruto returned to his dormitory the room was dark and Sasuke was already sleeping in his bed. The blonde began stripping his clothes and leaving them were they fell. The blonde crawled into bed alongside Sasuke curling up around him.

Sasuke exhaled groggily as he shifted before his body fell back into a deep slumber.

Naruto's eyes adjusted to the darkness and he stared at his dark-haired roommate. If Naruto was the sun then Sasuke was the moon. They complemented each other so perfectly. Naruto was flirting with death. Teetering on the precipice. The blonde wished that Sasuke was enough for him. The blonde wished the life Minato wanted for him was enough. The blonde wished his friends were enough...it wasn't...it would never be enough.

"Naruto?" Sasuke asked with a yawn. "Hm." Naruto answered.

"Where did you go?" Sasuke asked as he rolled to his side to come face to face with the blonde.

"I got lost...I'm sorry," Naruto whispered.

"Don't get lost again," Sasuke spoke sleepily as he wrapped his arms around Naruto and pulled him close to him. Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke feeling the warmth of the other boy envelope him. Naruto buried his face into Sasuke's chest as his fingers slipped beneath Sasuke's shirt. Naruto clung tightly to Sasuke. He didn't want Sasuke to let go of him.

The feelings he had for Sasuke were probably the closest thing that could come to filling the emptiness within him. But it wasn't enough. Just a temporary fix. But...fuck...he didn't want this moment to end.

It happened again.

Sasuke's vision blurred and a sharp pain erupted from behind the back of his eyes. The pain started out as a dull throbbing, pain that wouldn't go away and only increased in magnitude with each passing second. Sasuke brought his palm to his right eye and pressed against his closed eye, wincing, as the pain overpowered every other sense. The light became unbearable and he couldn't bring himself to open his eyes.

"Sasuke are you okay?" Karin asked she sounded distance and muffled. Sasuke winced and leaned against the wall. Sweat began beading at his temples and across his forehead. His breath coming out in sharp breaths. His stomach churned and he felt nauseous. It was then when Sasuke's vision went completely black. He felt weightless for a moment like his body was floating in the air then a whooshing sound came and he felt his body collapse backwards.

"SASUKE!" Karin screamed. Sasuke felt sharp pain erupt through his skull before consciousness began leaving him sense by sense.

Sasuke became aware even before he opened his eyes. He felt sharp pain on the back of his head, his neck felt sore, and he felt a tingling in his fingertips. Sasuke opened his eyes and was greeted by blinding white light that caused him to wince in pain and he immediately shut his eyes.

"Sasuke!" Karin spoke breathlessly. "How are you feeling?"

"Hn." Sasuke groaned and he shifted against the hard cot in the nurse's office. Sasuke peeked through his eyelids. Sasuke saw the green curtains were pulled around him giving him privacy. Karin was seated on a chair pulled up to the cot, her hands wrapped tightly around Sasuke's hand. No wonder he couldn't feel his fingertips the blood supply was cut off she held on so tightly.

He pulled his hand from Karin's deathlock grasp and he began pushing himself up into a seated position. He opened his eyes again slowly this time.

"Careful! You hit your head!" Karin spoke her hands going to Sasuke's head and a throbbing pain erupted as Karin touched the back of his head.

Sasuke moved his hands to the back of his head, to where the source of the pain was pulsating, touching bandages. It was then when Sasuke realized he had fainted while walking in the corridor between classes, and he was plunged into utter embarrassment. He collapsed back down to the cot covering his eyes with his arm. Wondering how many people saw him fainting.

"I'm okay...Karin…" Sasuke spoke as he walked across the courtyard, although, the redhead made no moves to dislodge herself from him. The nurse recommended Sasuke go for additional testing as his migraines, and now fainting spells, were concerning. Sasuke said he was fine, and left the nurses office against medical advice. Karin had wrapped an arm around Sasuke and was escorting him back to his dormitory.

"You should follow through with the testing, Sasuke," Karin lectured.

"Hn." Sasuke exasperated. He felt weak and thought if Karin wasn't helping him he wouldn't have been able to carry his own weight. The nurse said he was experiencing a migraine. It was only a migraine. No need to make a big fuss over things.

Sasuke felt angry that he was in the nurse's office on the cot, under observation, to see if he had any signs of a concussion. He missed classes, and missed lunch and it was after 6:00PM when he was released, and he felt too weak to go to dinner.

Sasuke opened the door to his room and Karin helped him into a seated position on his bed. Naruto wasn't there. The blonde had been coming back later and later every night this week. It was Thursday night, and Sasuke only saw Naruto in the form of him crawling into bed with him. Nothing sexual happened. Not even a kiss since Monday. Just innocent sleeping besides each other. It irritated Sasuke...and it left Sasuke wanting more.

"You feel hot…I think you have a fever...maybe we should go back to the nurse's office," Karin spoke as she held a hand to Sasuke's forehead. He groaned and began peeling his pants and shirt off. He did feel hot, and his throat felt scratchy and it was difficult to breathe...and his thoughts turned perverse as he thought about Naruto.

"I'll get you some water, and medicine!" Karin spoke and she vanished. Sasuke began pulling on silky pajamas. The fabric felt cool against his burning flesh. Sasuke collapsed onto his bed and began drifting off into sleep.

"Sasuke?" Karin asked as she sat on the edge of Sasuke's bed. The dark-haired boy opened his eyes, and Karin blushed immediately as she stared at Sasuke's expression. His inky black orbs that reflected the milky way galaxy were hooded, his face was flushed pink, and sweat rolled down the side of his face. He was giving her a forbidden expression. To Karin he was irresistible.

Karin had medicine and a glass of water in hand. She helped Sasuke take the medicine, and held the glass as Sasuke swallowed. Watching his Adam's apple bob up and down. Her heartbeat quickened.

"Sasuke…" Karin whispered as she brought her face close to Sasuke. "Naruto...usuratonkachi," Sasuke whispered as he pulled Karin close to him and kissed her on the lips. Karin's mind went blank as Sasuke kissed her deeper. Her mouth opened and Sasuke's tongue entered.

Karin kissed Sasuke back desperately. Her mind trying to recode what Sasuke said. Warmness and euphoria filled her body and soon she was drowning. She forgot how to breathe. Forgot how to do anything except kiss. Karin felt warmness and wetness secrete from between her legs, and make a mess out of her underwear. This was perfect and exactly like her fantasies. She loved Sasuke so much..she loved Sasuke so much she would do anything for him...even if it was murder.

The dormitory door swung open and Naruto appeared in the frame, "Oh….am I interrupting something?"

It was Karin who broke the kiss at the sound of Naruto's voice. Anger and furry took over Karin's body...no...wrath consumed her. Her blood red eyes turned into slits at the appearance of Naruto. She wasn't mistaken. Sasuke called out Naruto's name before kissing her. Naruto was corrupting Sasuke. Karin knew it. Naruto was sick and vile, an abomination, and he lived in sin. Naruto was already infecting Sasuke and soon would bring him down into the mud and and blood and the filth that Naruto rolled around in on a daily basis.

No...no...NO!

"Look...I wouldn't care...and would leave ya'll alone, y'know, but Iruka is doing bed checks," Naruto spoke as he looked over his shoulder and down the corridor. "So...if I were you...I'd leave."

Karin stormed out of the dorm purposely hitting Naruto's shoulder as she passed. Karin had to do something...had to physically remove Naruto from Sasuke's life. It was the only way she was going to save Sasuke...the only way she can save Sasuke and rescue him from this vile, wretched, faggot. She had to do it soon…because she loved Sasuke so much...so much she'd do anything for him. Even if it meant murder.