Chapter Two: The Wager

It was only a flash, and then Sakura was up against the wall. Now Naruto was just as he was before, except with specific alterations. He had whiskers on his face, and his eyes were red. What had that thing she'd seen been?

"Not... not human?" gasped Sakura. "I've known you for years."

"Yeah, I know," said Naruto. "Didn't you ever notice that nobody seemed to know where I lived? Or who my family was? See, I exist outside of the world. I can slide in and out whenever I want and leave no trace.

"And, if I want, I can slide other people out as well."

Sakura went cold. She tried to speak. "Did you...

"Did you kill Ino?"

"No!" said Naruto quickly. "What do you take me for?

"I just took her out of the world. Technically speaking, she never existed in the first place."

"But that's the same as killing her!" said Sakura.

"No, it isn't, she's still alive," said Naruto. "I've just moved her out of this timeline and into my dimension. She's fine."

This was impossible. But what she had seen, the vanished photos, the memories that were gone. Right now Sakura was having trouble remembering Ino herself. "What... what are you going to do with her?"

Naruto shrugged. "Not sure, really. I mean, she was always more your friend than mine. But I'm sure I can find something to do with her.

"Anyway, it's not really your problem anymore anyway.

"No one remembers her except you. All trace of her existence is gone, and you and Sasuke can be together."

"But... Naruto I... how can you expect me to act as if nothing has happened?" asked Sakura.

Naruto shrugged. "Don't worry, you'll forget about this soon enough. You only remember because you made the deal. It'll be just the same."

This was crazy. Ino was a jerk, but Sakura couldn't just let her disappear. She hadn't meant it. "Naruto, listen when I... when I said I wanted her to disappear I was being sarcastic. I didn't mean it."

Naruto blinked in surprise. Then he laughed. "Geeze Sakura. You really shouldn't make wishes you don't want to come true. Someone might be listening."

This was funny to him? She'd always known Naruto was strange, but this was insane. What was he? He had to be joking. "But I didn't know you were... some kind of god when I said that!"

"Why does that make a difference?" asked Naruto. "Haven't you ever read fairy tales, Sakura? Spirits wander the world in disguise, testing people's character. They grant wishes to people who were kind to them."

Ino would just vanish. No one would remember her, not even her parents. "Listen, Naruto; I don't care what happens to me. I'm begging you; please return Ino. I didn't mean it; I shouldn't have made a wish like that.

"I didn't mean it."

"Uh, yes you did," said Naruto. "You may have known it was wrong, but you still wished it. You hated Ino at that moment, and it wasn't just about Sasuke. See, she was your first real friend, and before you met her, you were completely isolated.

"She took you under her wing and taught you self-confidence. Then you broke off your friendship with her over Sasuke."

"That's not true!" said Sakura. "She was a control freak! She tried to decide what I should wear! She wanted my entire existence to revolve around her! I was afraid I'd become nothing more than 'Ino's best friend."

"I know," said Naruto. "That's why you wished her away. Sasuke asking her out on a date wasn't important. The primary thing that separated you from her was your interest in academics. The class ridiculing your interest in history was a symbolic lost of identity on your part. Driving you to make the decision."

Sakura blinked. "Naruto, do you even know what those words mean?"

"Not really," admitted Naruto. "But I get the gist of it. You were afraid of becoming nothing more than an extension of Ino. Now you don't have to worry about that. She never existed.

"I had to butterfly things a bit to give you more confidence. But it should work out fine without her."

"Give her back to her parents," said Sakura. "Please Naruto, I'm begging you. I shouldn't have... I shouldn't have made that wish. It was horribly selfish, and... I wasn't thinking."

Naruto sighed. "Well, that's kind of the hard part. See, granting wishes is one thing. But taking them back? That's something else. It's kind of a no takebacks thing." Then his eyes brightened. "Hey, I've got an idea. How about we play a game?"

Was he serious? "A game?"

"Yeah, like we used to do when we were young. If you win, I'll return Ino to this world, no harm, no foul," said Naruto. "On the other hand, if you lose, I get both of you."

Sakura looked at him. "But I... get both of us?"

Naruto shrugged. "Well yeah, we've got to have stakes. I'm wagering Ino, your wagering yourself unless you own the soul of someone else.

"You don't do you?" He sounded concerned.

Would she lose her soul? When had this happened? When had her life become some kind of satanist ritual? "Do we have to do this?"

"Of course not," said Naruto. "If you don't want to do it, I'll walk out of here, and it'll be as if Ino and I were never here. You won't remember a thing.

"You'll be a self-made person who becomes confident and strong on her own." He paused. "Although I suppose that will have only happened because I changed the possibilities. And if you want to get meta-physical Ino would still be responsible for the timeline. But you won't know."

A game? Sakura had to try, but she was afraid. She'd always been good at analytical games like chess. "What... what kind of game are we talking about? Chess?"

Naruto laughed. "I'm not Death, Sakura. Besides, I want to win. No, what I have in mind is much more fun." Then he raised a hand, and suddenly, the world around them shifted. The walls became a forest of trees. A shimmering twilight was above her with a slow sunset, falling behind a white mountain. In the shadow of that mountain was a vast city of white-walled structures. And at the center was a vast white tower that rose high into the sky.

And Naruto was no longer clad in his worn shoes and shirts. Instead, he wore elaborate leather robes. His hair was much the same, but a crown was on his head, and two fox ears were coming from it. Three tails were swishing behind him as he backflipped back onto a rock and motioned around him.

"Welcome to the Land of Leaves," said Naruto with an exaggerated bow. "The dimension of spirits. Consider me your tour guide. We're in the outer forests that run from the realm of Sound and Fury to the walls right there. And beyond those walls, is my city. You have a week to reach the heart of my power and retrieve Ino. If you fail, both of you will be mine.

"So, what do you think?"

Sakura looked around her at the forests. Within them was an unknown world she did not begin to understand. But she'd killed Ino, worse than killed Ino. Now she was a prisoner. Sakura had to try at least to help her, even if Ino was a jerk. "...Is this place dangerous?"

"Well, you'll probably be tested," said Naruto. "Actually scratch that, you will be tested. But the spirit world isn't like your one. It doesn't throw things at you unless you're either ready to face them, or deserve whatever you get.

"Sometimes, both.

"Anyway the travel clothes are on the house," said Naruto.

Sakura looked down, and she was clad in a reddish-pink travel outfit. She had boots meant for hiking, and a pouch was at her side. The fading sun touched down behind the mountain, and all was dark for a moment.

Then a reddish glow came from Naruto who glowed brighter. "Welcome to my world. Time starts... now!"

The light returned, and it was morning. Naruto was gone.

For a moment, Sakura stood dead still. She looked around her at a dangerous place beyond her comprehension. How could she possibly get through all this? Glancing back she saw a path, and it seemed promising like it would be safer and easier.

But it led away from her path.

Sakura clenched her fist in determination and began her journey in the Land of Leaves.

Ino awoke, and something was different.

Her bed was more comfortable than it had ever been. The pillows were softer; the covers were warmer. And around her were curtains with elaborate decorations of foxes around her off. Pulling herself up, Ino realized she was wearing a bright white ball gown.

It wasn't even slightly ruffled. Which was odd, since she'd been sleeping in it.

Getting past the curtains she found herself in the sort of bedroom little girls dream about. There were bright banners around her, decorated with foxes. There was a mirror, and she saw her own reflection. For a moment she stared, taken aback.

She looked like a Princess. Raising a hand, she touched the mirror, and it began to ripple like water.

"I've got to be dreaming," said Ino. "But... when did I go to sleep? I was talking with Sasuke after Sakura ran out crying. No, I remember I was going to talk with her.

"I think maybe I went a little far."

"You think?" came a confident question.

The mirror cleared and Ino saw Naruto standing behind her. She turned around and saw that he was now altogether different from his reflection. He was taller and was like a mix of a fox, and a human and on his hands were claws. Despite it, he looked more handsome than monstrous, and Ino felt herself blushing.

She had to be dreaming. "What is this? Where am I?"

"In my Kingdom," said Naruto.

Ino could hardly believe this. What was going on? "Naruto? What is... what is going on here? Where's Sasuke and Sakura? Where is the class?"

Naruto suddenly looked a lot less regal. "That's uh, an awful lot of questions your asking.

"Long story short, I've kind of kidnapped you and taken you to another dimension."

What? Naruto kidnapped her? Where had he gotten all this if he had? And how did he make those things look so real? "What are you talking about? What... How did you set all this up?"

"I inherited it," said Naruto. "It's kind of been here since the beginning of time."

Was he serious? He didn't seem to be lying. Was he on drugs? Was Ino on drugs? The latter would make a lot more sense. "What is this place?"

"I told you, my Kingdom," said Naruto. "The Land of Leaves."

"I've got to be hallucinating this," said Ino. "This is a dream."

"In a sense," said Naruto.

"Fine," said Ino, "I'll play along. You kidnapped me. Why?"

Naruto shrugged. "Sakura asked me to."

"What?!" Ino said despite herself.

"Actually that's not really fair," said Naruto. "See I asked her if there was anything I could do to help after Sasuke asked you to the prom. She asked me to make you disappear, so I did.

"You no longer exist."

This was a really, really weird dream. "...Sakura wouldn't do that."

"Oh but she did," said Naruto. "She regretted it as soon as she realized her wish was granted. But when she said the words she meant them.

"That's the thing about humans. They sometimes wish for horrible things, simply because they know they'll never happen. But wishes have power. Just wishing for something changes the world in a million tiny ways. It changes how you act. It changes what you do.

"And sometimes it comes true."

Ino wanted to wake up. She wanted to wake up fast. "Naruto I... I have to get home."

Naruto put a hand to her shoulder. "This really is your home, now Ino. You don't exist in the timeline. See." He motioned through the air. Suddenly the bedroom was filled with the infinite possibilities of the universe. Ino found her mind looking at a very specific place in the world, where she should be.

But where she wasn't.

The hundreds of connections she'd formed throughout her existence had been cut loose. Then expertly reattached in other places. Ino felt herself becoming weak at the knees, only to be caught by Naruto. "Everyone is getting along just fine without you. The timeline is pretty good at accounting for alterations. It doesn't matter at all that you've ceased to exist; humans are great like that. When one fails, another comes up to replace them."

This was insane. She had to be dreaming. "Mom and Dad..."

"They don't remember you because they never had you," said Naruto sadly. "Sorry, hands were tied."

Ino felt strength returning. She pulled herself out of her arms and backed away. "Why would you do this to me, Naruto? What did I... I didn't do anything to deserve this. Please, please let me go!"

"Sorry, can't do that," said Naruto. "I offered to grant Sakura a wish, and she made one. As Fox King, I can't back out on a wish.

"Still, I have some good news for you.

"Sakura and I are playing a game."

"I don't care about your game! I want to go home!" said Ino, hating this nightmare more by the moment.

"Oh come on, it's fun," said Naruto. "See, Sakura has to find you in a week. If she succeeds, you both go back. If she fails, I get to have both of you. So either you get free, or you get payback.

"Now let me give you the grand tour of my domain."

"I don't want to!" snapped Ino. "Leave me alone!"

"Actually, you do," said Naruto.

Ino froze as she realized she wanted to see more of this place. She looked at her hands. It wasn't that she was being forced. It was more like she'd suddenly become unnaturally calm. This was nothing more than a dream.

Why did it matter if she cooperated?

"What is..." she found herself saying.

"You're a very nice person, Ino. But you're just human," said Naruto, baring his fangs in a wide smile. "And now you're mine. Now follow me."

Ino had no choice but to obey.

Author's Note:

So one of the principal problems with writing this is how to portray Naruto as a villain. He has to be antagonistic while still making him Naruto. What I chose to do was focus on his thoughtlessness and his possessiveness.

Naruto demonstrates a possessiveness for his friends that borders on the unhealthy. His proclamation that he is going to cripple Sasuke for life so he can't leave them comes to mind. At the same time, Naruto rarely thinks thing through. He also demonstrates an ignorance for others feelings. Combine that with a godlike power and a detachment from humanity, and you've got our villain.

Tell me what you think, please.