CHAPTER 7
Naruto held his arms close to the front of his chest, crossing them, so that Ino wouldn't see.
"Get out!" He said angrily. "You have no right to be here!"
"I have every right to find out what you are hiding!" She said. Naruto walked into the bathroom and shut the door. He leaned against the wall and waited for Ino to leave. Her last words in the matter were that she'd find out what he was hiding! After she walked away Naruto sighed. He felt like he couldn't walk… he leaned over and suddenly puked onto the floor. The training was taking a worse effect than he thought. His instincts were slower and he couldn't react as fast. He was too slow to dodge Sasuke's attacks and now he felt pain almost everywhere and furious that he had gotten himself into this. But what overwhelmed all that was the fact that Sakura didn't care if he was okay or not but went straight to accusing him of doing it on purpose. He leaned back against the wall struggling to hold back his emotions but he let them out. He was alone. As he pulled a kunai out of his supply bag he realized that no one could help him now...
Naruto went for training the next day and when he arrived he didn't look at either of them. Nor did he complain about Kakashi being late. When Kakashi did show up the first thing he noticed was that Naruto hadn't yelled at him but sat there on the ground. He looked terrible. He was paler and his lack of sleep made his face look haunted. He just sat there clutching his stomach as if he was sick.
"All right!" Kakashi said. "Today we are going to have a four way battle." He looked at them all. "You guys have really improved so I am going to see if you can take me on yet." They looked at him interested and he continued. "You three will head in different directions into this forest. Then when the whistle blows you should find any of your teammates and take them down. Do not injure them if they give in. And no killing, period!" After explaining a few more rules they all walked off. Kakashi himself went away to hide and Naruto was left in the field. He slowly got to his feet but collapsed.
He was daydreaming or something. He felt awake and could see the bridge he had been standing on but he could also see visions of a future. He saw Sasuke as the Hokage of Konoha and his wife Sakura with two children. The entire village seemed to have gathered for Sasuke's ceremony. Then he saw himself, older but looking worse than he did now, standing there. People started throwing things and driving him back. They called him an outcast again and again. (1) He watched the fantasy Naruto call out to his friends. Sasuke just laughed and then the fantasy Sakura spoke.
"We were never friends Naruto"
Neji noticed Naruto with a look that clearly read 'I made a mistake.' He noticed how pale Naruto looked compared to the time he had been put under watch. It was around a week into the second month since Naruto had begun his actions. Neji began to walk over…
Naruto couldn't stop seeing more and more depressing futures in his head. He didn't realize that Ino was performing a technique on him. She thought this would get him to go onto her cause and was smiling. Neji stood next to Naruto and looked around with his Byakugan. Surely Kakashi wouldn't put a student in a Genjutsu like that! He noticed Ino and the pieces fit together. He raced over towards her! Then he heard Naruto grunt in painand turned back horrified.
A small stream of blood dripped down Naruto's hand. He had stabbed himself to remove the jutsu! He took off running towards the forest but tripped. He hit the ground and his right leg hit his Kunai! He let out a cry of pain! Neji and Ino both ran over to see whether he was ok! Naruto pulled out the Kunai, which had gone deeper than either though, and he didn't even see Neji or Ino. He was too lost in his own mind and feelings. He stood up and began limping off as fast as he could. Neji grabbed Ino before she could follow and told her not to follow. She objected and he finally managed to admit it.
"Naruto is in danger." He said. "And you didn't help that!" Ino scoffed.
"What kind of danger?"
"The kind that has him sitting up at night attacking himself with his own weapons!" Neji exclaimed. Sadly no one but Ino heard. They both ran off to fetch the Hokage.
Naruto leaned against a tree sobbing uncontrollably. Those visions, while he knew they weren't real, had shown him things that he'd been thinking about. A future he didn't want. Seeing it happen instead of just thinking about it shook him. His right hand gripped the kunai, which he looked at. And for the first time he really considered killing himself. But he was able to shake that feeling, telling himself it was just a vision.
"…St-Stop thinking…ab-about it…" He told himself. He lifted his sleeve, uncaring that his friends could be anywhere near him. He began sticking it into his arm over and over again.
"Stop…stop!" He said.The feeling didn't stop. It didn't go away. In fact it got worse and he knew he had to get out of there. He limped towards the end of the forest. He had one place in mind that could comfort him.
AUTHORS NOTES:
1 The original version of the chapter actually had the vision with "demon fox" mentioned. But then I remembered that Ino doesn't know about that so how could she put it in a jutsu?
2 Review Replies
Maiyuko-chan: Yes I know I don't reply that well. This is my first story posted here. And I wasn't even planning on Authors Notes either until I read a story that included them.
full-metal-sousuke: Well you have your answer now. :) However I do think more questions will be asked after the next chapter… Oops, said a bit too much winkwink
LeweL: Maybe. Maybe the story will end with Naruto and Hinata. Or maybe it will end with Naruto and Ino. But only I know the ending and I shall not reveal it here! Mwahahahacough … I need a better evil laugh. More fanfics with cliffhangers will help that. >:-)
