Chapter Thirteen: Predator and Prey
Canon-Manga Info: The Sharingan (at 3-Tomoe stage) is naturally equipped with an ability to suppress the Bijū, control summons, and put foes under a very powerful Genjutsu that can't be broken through 'Genjutsu Kai': a fact that's explicitly stated and shown in the manga and Data-book. The affected individual requires another person to break free from a 3-T Sharingan Genjutsu; the 'Two Men Rule' is talked about by Chiyo and the Data-book. That's why Orochimaru's whole dimension was turned against him by Sasuke's Genjutsu (his Immortality Technique has nothing to do with his health as Kabuto stated in the manga), despite him being a Genjutsu expert; Shī fell under it when he, too, is an expert; Danzō required several Sharingans to break free of Sasuke's short (albeit very potent) Genjutsu; so on and so forth; but that had more to do with Sasuke being a 'true heir' of the Sharingan, an Uchiha. (This is mentioned by Obito after Danzō's defeat, as well.)
Kurama's the only exception to the Two Men Rule: an Uchiha requires Mangekyō Sharingan first and foremost to control Kurama, but he can suppress Kurama very easily provided that a 'perfect' control hasn't been established on the Tailed-Beast by the Host. And Sasuke did just that when he and Team-7 were re-united for the first time in the manga. Killer Bee didn't break out of the Genjutsu, Hachibi/Gyūki broke him out of it by fulfilling the Two Men Rule required for breaking the Genjutsu (when Itachi and Sasuke put him under Genjutsu). And the reason for it was that that Killer Bee had established a perfect link with his beast; otherwise, he would've never been able to break out of the Genjutsu, Mangekyō Sharingan or otherwise. Perfect Jinchūrikis are not always immune to Ocular Genjutsu: Yagura is a case in points.
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Hunger rowed across his blues and took them under reds. Unreal. Ominous. Hinata's heart and body felt enervated by the aura his virile body generated. Amidst the even blacks in the room, his eyes were of the deepest red, as if set ablaze inside a furnace—she was almost fascinated by the colour's vigour.
His face played hide and seek, disappearing and reappearing with the travelling whites up in the sky: rain was heralding something different this time; but she did not care; her eyes tried to trace the contours of his features, hidden under the colour oozing out from his pores like an odious surprise—he was a blood-chilling sight!
Her wrist was still in his grasp. She twisted it a little, but, despite the wetness of his palm, she still could not break free. Her breaths swelled in her throat to the point of hurting and sweat drops stood quivering on her face. Wind, loading her face with chilly caresses, made her feel pain. In silence, she watched as Naruto sat without speaking and without moving, his eyes fixed on her, her face drenched in nothing but fear.
What was happening to him? She wanted to call out to Sasuke, scream out to him, whisper his name in the hope that he would hear her voice; but it was a silly thought, and a part of her sneered at her foolishness.
She wanted to be brave, but her eyes, her silly, silly eyes, began to give in to the helplessness she always felt. They pricked and burnt, and before she could stop them from revealing her weakness, tears began to trace the lines of her miserable face, with greater finesse. Then a powerful sob shook her whole body, but she clamped her lips shut; she did not want him to know that she was afraid of him and his new ugly side.
Naruto was still quiet, his ragged breaths nearly over-powering wind's hisses. Hinata did not know what to say, what to do, except look through the haze on her eyes and try and meet his gaze. His eyes, which trickled nothing but fear into her breast, felt as if they were slitting the fabric of her soul in two.
Only moments ago, Hinata had woken up in this menacing hour of night, but the drag of time made her weary. Slowly, the pendulum moved for her, and its back-and-forth movement took a toll on her mind. Suddenly, she realised that she was all alone: Sasuke was not here; Neji was not beside her; and she never could count on her own family . . .
Hinata was truly alone and at the mercy of a man who was a complete mystery to her—a mystery she did not want to unravel. Her breaths came out quicker than before, and she realised something as a pain began to throb in her wrist: Naruto was increasing the force of his grip!
"N-Naruto-Kun . . . " Hinata paused and puffed out her breast as she sucked in the air, soaked through with his aroma, "w-what's wrong? Are you all right?" She looked upon him with hesitation and peered into the darkness to see his face again. Only silence greeted her.
Darkness and its veil had made her nearly blind. The wind from outside snuffed out the last flame in the lantern that was placed close to the window. A thin line of smoke rose up from it, only to disappear in the drafts. She leant a little closer when Naruto remained in the same state. She was chilled to the blood with terror at the sight of his feral expression.
"I asked, what's this scent on you?" his voice rumbled deep in his throat, throbbing with emotions she had never seen him feel before—envy and rage.
"I don't know what y-you're talking about," Hinata stuttered, like she always did, but this time, a greater sense of humiliation enveloped her. She felt ashamed how fearful she sounded, sitting alone with Naruto on her bed in the darkness—a dream she had always wished to come true; but this reality had struck the soft visage of that dream that, now, it sat weeping in her mind; it needed the light touch of illusion; the little girl in her needed it to keep her whole.
She wanted to hide Sasuke and his scent, bury it deep into her dreams' soil and never let it leave her skin as flowers. If it left, it would remain but a memory, devoid of the love she secretly asked of him. How terrible she felt at the thought that Sasuke was the last string of web keeping her happy.
How desperate had Hinata become? She would not let Naruto win, not this time; she would not let him snatch away the last bit of joy from her. So she remained silent like a little child, fearful but stubborn in the way it held its ground. Moments passed by again, and she felt Naruto inch closer to take a whiff of the scent she released—again.
"There's something on you. Why—why won't you tell me?" he asked, his voice shaking and becoming louder and louder, a machine running without oil.
"Naruto-Kun, I-I don't—" Hinata's words got lost behind the scream that forced its way out of her throat. Naruto had twisted her hand around, and the liquid-like aura, which his body was releasing without hindrance, was acid-like on her skin. She heard her own skin sizzle the way a juicy piece of meat did on hot coals!
A foul stench of her roasting flesh crept into her nostrils and another hoarse cry rent the excitable air. "Why are you screaming?" Naruto asked in a voice that had a strong note of amusement. "I can smell something, and you're still lying—lying! Hinata, you're such a liar! You, liar!"
Naruto inched closer still, and the film of darkness between them dispersed. Fire sat upon his skin, glowing, spreading beyond the shadow and stopping just inches from his body's outline. The aura was alive. Evil. He was evil. Hinata bit her lower lip, drawing blood, her vision blurring as she looked on in terror at his face.
The skin above Naruto's upper-lip twitched with pleasure. He drew his lips back, gave a crazed cackle, and dug his nails into the tissues that were burning away under his touch. Hinata threw her head back; she hit it against the wall and that stopped most of the sound inside her throat and turned her scream into a gurgle.
"Liar liar liar—" he broke off to let out another grating laugh, "—liar liar liar. Hinata's a liar. Hinata's a liar."
She whimpered and struggled as her hand slowly turned to coal in his death-grip. "N-Naruto—" she choked out and thrashed about to get away from him; her face, tear-kissed and misery-pecked.
Naruto, still wearing a hard smile, leant his head down. His alcohol-soaked breath was an acidic fog on her face. He had been drinking again; but the foul odour of his breaths and whatever long tale lay behind them did not cross her mind: she wanted to get away and run into the forest. This man was going to kill her!
Wind slackened to a dull whistling that came in through the window. The room was dressed in his colours. Had it been any other night, Hinata would have found it lovely and soothing. Now, it looked dreadful to her. Her ordeal was not over. The life-sapping pain was not abating, and Naruto had become this monster in the dark who was taking perverse pleasure in tormenting her.
"Tell me, Hi-na-ta!" Naruto hissed, twisted her arm around, rolled her onto her stomach. A loud crack resonated in the room. Hinata pushed her face into the bed and screamed into the sheets—the scream came out as burbling sounds. Her spittle clove to her cheek, and the mucus that crawled down her nose slipped between her lips. She looked beyond the tears at the fresh red slipping over her arm.
Naruto had completely snapped her wrist, yet it did not stop him from twisting her arm even more. The skin over the burnt tissues peeled off like old scroll-paper, floating down on the heavily stained bed in a ghastly manner. The pain—it was unlike she had ever experienced before. It burnt like hell-fire through her tiny body.
He had torn her skin and shattered her wrist, but her screams continued on instinct: it was not as if anyone would hear her screams that must have stopped dead in the vastness of moors and forest; they died against the windy wails. There was no peace for her, and the thought hit her hard!
It angered Hinata. This man, his family, and even her own kith and kin, had taken everything from her. She would not see herself lose anymore—she would not let them win. She would not tell him anything; and with that glimmer of courage left in her, she bit back Sasuke's name she was about to whisper. She cried out Byakugan between the screams and, with a quick whisk of her free hand, tried to hit one of Naruto's main Chakra-Points that existed deep in his belly.
Letting out an angry growl, Naruto jerked at Hinata's arm, and she went sprawling down and fell face-first onto the wooden floor. She tried to stand up, but her left hand hurt her body's entire left-half; so she moved her arms and legs in vain to stand up, like a fish which wriggle-wriggled to make it to the water to save its life.
"Are you running, Hinata? You won't tell me?" Naruto asked, a frightening smile in his voice.
He hopped off the bed and slammed his foot down on her ankle. Hinata groaned in pain and kicked him with the other leg: she planted her chakra-soaked foot deeply into his stomach's tender region. Naruto staggered back a little, but before he could recover, she quickly rolled onto her back and hit the core chakra-point in his belly. The snarl, contorting his features hideously, disappeared. He stood erect, and his head began bobbing like a marionette's in a children's puppet-show.
Naruto grabbed his own head, and his grip tightened in his dim yellow hair. Lines of blood appeared under his nostrils. His eyes rolled back into his head, and he emitted a blood-thinning scream that made every bone in Hinata's body vibrate deliciously with terror.
"Leave—me—get—out—" he grunted incoherently, his voice shaking as the aura overwhelmed his mind and body. Then he reeled off more gibberish she could not understand.
Naruto spun around and hit his head against the wall. He smashed his forehead repeatedly into the wall till the skin cracked open like half-boiled eggs and started to bleed. Then he lurched sideways, breathing heavily, stretching out his arm to touch Hinata who shrunk away from his hand. He looked lost as he fumbled for something in the dark. It was almost pitiful to watch him search in the empty space about him.
Suddenly, he charged at the window and jumped out and disappeared behind the tall grass. Hinata did not force herself to look outside. Her whole body was battered and bruised; her arm, burnt black. She did not even have the strength to sit up. Rusty smell of blood went out into the air, overpowered by the odour of burnt flesh. It made her sick to her stomach . . .
She heard the last faint sounds of the owl outside before she lost consciousness . . . lying alone in the house whilst Naruto's madness drove him deeper into the forest to fight his daemons . . .
. . . leaving behind a victim he would not remember come morning, Naruto prowled the forest like a creature of night, sniffing and whiffing the scents the night-life exuded. He was out to hunt—predator and prey. His body hurtled itself to the right, and he smashed his head against the bark. The thick skin on his forehead broke open and blood sputtered out from the new wound.
Naruto hissed between clenched teeth, his flesh burning and closing up in the fraction of a second. He rammed his head into the tree again and again and again . . . till his entire forehead was glaring red, something to be noticed. Blood flowed down the sides of his countenance in a cascade; warm trickles of it crept into his eyes and made a film over his sharp gaze; he stumbled back.
"Let go!" he cried out hoarsely and struggled with feeble attempts to stay in control.
His legs gave way and he slumped down to his knees; his body surrendered itself over to the fit of convulsions; he trembled all over and dug his nails into the sodden earth—his fingers caked with dirt—as though he was ploughing up his own grave. The wounds kept closing up, yet the pain in his head throbbed, intensifying. He watched the blistering hot chakra spreading under his muscles, roiling and moving up, creeping like creepers over his skin.
Falling forward, Naruto pressed his face into the mud and screamed out as the devil's chakra, from its womb which existed in a man's belly, boiled, tearing away at his skin the way a nasty butcher would, creating a layer over flesh most unholy. He thought that he was going to die! He did not know where he was whilst he howled—all alone in the darkness. Blood like roses flourished from the fresh abrasions and got trapped underneath the thick mantle. It was a ghastly show . . . only there was no audience for it this time!
"Shame shame shame!" It laughed!
Naruto crawled across the muddy ground, trousers getting frayed at the knees. He looked from side to side at the forest that grew on air's canvas as the skin around the corner of his eyes chipped off. He shrieked, and the pain shook his very soul to waking, feeling sliced up by many knives—sacrificed under Leaf's sun, yet another shadow that was faceless; but there was no escaping his invisible tormentor.
Naruto slammed his back against the tree and looked about, frantic, as if someone was out to get him. "Where are you?" he screamed, his voice hard and raw. "Leave me a-alone!"
"How you romp and yelp like a little whelp. I can't leave, you unwanted bastard, you filthy little cunt. I'm tied to you. Don't you see? You can't run away from me," it spoke as the dark forest. "Run run run, little doggie—run run run!" The harsh voice mocked, and Naruto jumped and scrambled to his feet; but he fell forward again and quickly gathered himself up to sit straight.
The backbone wriggled and pushed outwards the muscles that held it securely in place. He let out another scream, every fibre in his body getting torn apart by something he could not even see. He felt rage rise up in rushes from inside. He was angry. There was no one who cared for him, understood him. They all abandoned him—left him to rot! Dead last—dead last—filthy—ugly little boy! they sneered and sneered and sneered . . . till he wept like a little boy under their stares.
"F-Father—I'm sorry—I'm useless to you—I shame you!" he cried and kept crying and hiccupping, storm singing in the air!
The more these thoughts poured out, the more vulnerable he felt . . . child-like. The chakra kept coming, leaking from the cuts, spreading grotesquely over his body. He did not need anyone; he only needed this thing gestating inside his belly, an unwanted child like he. Yes—yes! he agreed and slumped against the tree to let it take over whilst he continued to emit hoarse cries in pain. He felt like a nosy boy—punished brutally for a mistake he never made.
"S-Sasuke—" he said, a hopeful note hidden in his voice's chorus, and sniffed the scent of his chakra drawing near. In a moment, Sasuke landed close to him, his eyes glowing, taming the beast that was furious tonight.
"Naruto," Sasuke said softly and gazed upon Naruto's miserable condition as he fell face-down on the grass, writhing in pain, scratching off the skin from his face with his claws. "Calm down. Come with me." He extended his hand to him and took two steps forward; Naruto sat upright with lightning fast speed.
Naruto's nails, still stuck deeply into his face, did not seem to bother him anymore. He let out a warm, acidic breath that turned white camellia quivering in the yellowed grass to ash. He crouched and sat still and locked his demonic eyes with the Sharingan that threatened him.
"You don't love me like I love you," Naruto complained in a child's tone that vibrated severely in his throat. "You're mean. I don't l-i-k-e you!"
"That's hurtful. You want me to go?" Sasuke asked and shoved his hands into his pockets in a manner as though he was the adult in this business arrangement.
"No, stay!" Naruto returned, teeth flashing in his smile like knives carving through flesh. "Come sit with me and play! You don't play with me anymore . . . "
He stood close to Naruto and looked down at him as he maintained that hideous smile whilst he crafted a little sagged house from the mud; he watched the skin around Naruto's lips crack in an ugly manner that left nothing but exposed flesh behind. He was miserable and lost—Sasuke pitied him. He was his friend, and even though he hated to admit it, but somewhere in that little corner of his mind, he cared about him.
"Sasuke, h-help me," Naruto's voice wobbled in terror, and he wept over the little mound he had made with his hands, "something's after me. It's—it's out to get me—it wants to kill me!" He shrunk away from Sasuke and hid his face in his hands as he wept. The tears humiliated him . . .
He peered at Sasuke from between his reddened fingers and felt something recede back into the maw of insanity that existed like a trial in him. The red in Sasuke's eyes disciplined it, threw it back that, when his skin healed, he felt relieved as if the burdens of his spirit were lightened forever.
Freed of the sensations, Naruto stood up and took one step before he lost his energy. Sasuke quickly grabbed him when he fell forward and hugged him to keep him from falling. "Sasuke . . . " he whispered into Sasuke's ear, " . . . they left me behind—all of 'em. I don't have anyone but you now. They left me to rot. They—" And he lost consciousness, breathing softly like an exhausted child against Sasuke's throat.
Sasuke stood quietly for a few passing moments, holding Naruto and looking up. He reached down and hooked his arm under Naruto's knees and picked him up. He looked down with remorse on his face. Naruto had healed all his injuries, but his torment was not over. If this continued, he would let loose the tempest of his angers . . . and perish.
He would not let that happen. He did not know why this was happening, but someone was using Naruto to stir up trouble. He would find out. It had happened before, and that time, he lost many of his kith and kin; but back then, he was a child, unaware of the shadows that lay buried in many mounds under leaves. He was old and wise now—wise beyond his years.
Sasuke turned his eyes and gazed at the crow sitting behind the branches of an old tree. It cawed and grated its coarse beak against the bark. Sasuke leant his head down and smiled behind night's soft cover.
"Nothing misses you, does it?" he whispered and jumped up.
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Hinata woke up when the sun burnt on her cheeks. She opened her eyes—Sasuke's face greeted her. He looked beautiful, his white skin touched tenderly by sun! A smile ghosted over his lips as he cupped his chin, looking at Hinata with mischievous eyes that always made him look so desirable.
"Had a little kitchen accident?" he asked and pressed his index finger playfully on the tip of her nose. "I'm glad I found you. You could've bled to death."
Memories of last night came rushing back. It felt unreal. Did Naruto . . . really do that to her? She did not know what kind of man she shared a bed with—on the nights he did bother to sleep beside her. She did not have the courage to tell Sasuke. He would never believe her. What would she tell him? That Naruto was taken over by a daemon . . . that he hurt her? It was a nightmare, a bad dream that disgraced her.
"I—" she stopped, avoiding his eyes, "—I don't remember." She closed her eyes and placed her hands on her breast. Her hands did not hurt much, but the pain she felt in showing her vulnerability before Naruto last night was something she would never be able to recover from.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes and tried to see beyond the little mask she wore today. She was lying. He knew! It was all well and good if she decided to keep this to herself. He would handle Naruto, but if she came out screaming that Naruto was not normal but something unreal, it would make things too difficult for him—even Naruto.
He had a small amount of pity to spare for her. He would not lie. It was an honest thought, but it had to be done. "You should rest," he said, watching as her eyes flew open in panic. He watched every tiny nuance of her features that were drenched in mortal fear. She gave the impression of a helpless rabbit caught in a trap—the way she usually did when he took her to bed; and if she had not been bruised badly, it might even have stirred his loins.
Sasuke smiled to himself, loving the amusement the private joke provided. He started to get up when Hinata grabbed his arm; with helplessness, her fingers trembled. Her eyes ran about the room, darting frantically from corner to corner as if someone was hiding, waiting for Sasuke to leave.
"You—y-you're leaving?" she asked in a voice that was not tamed by her tongue. Naruto could come back: he could kill her! She needed time to recover, and then she would ask Neji to let her stay with him for a few days—just a few more days and she would be free . . . she would never tell anyone that Naruto humiliated her—never! She would kill herself before the world found out that the man who abandoned her, raised his hand to her, as well, that he left her broken and disgraced. It was a secret she would take to her grave. She would not give him the satisfaction—she would not give anyone the satisfaction.
"I can't stay here. You know I have duties these days, don't you?" he said, almost lovingly, and smoothed the hair from her damp cheeks. She was hot and tired. "I'll leave Yuu here. If you need anything, you can call for me."
"B-But—" Hinata protested weakly and bit back the truth about Naruto. Her body yearned for a sanctuary where it could just hide and heal for a few more days. She had the courage to accept this weakness today. Live and fight another day, that was what she thought, and that was what she would do today!
Sasuke's eyes coolly appraised her face. He had her hand in his. It would be better if she did not stay here. If someone came running from Anbu to ask for her, they would know—Root would know; and he did not want them to find out that he knew someone was pulling Naruto's strings.
"You don't want to stay here?" he asked in a tone as if he was talking to a wee girl.
Hinata shook her head a little, breathing loudly. Her fever was spiking. Sasuke placed his hand on her forehead. She was burning and not from lust this time. He looked at the door and called Yuu in. Within a moment, Yuu came running into the room. He bowed and nervously looked at Sasuke.
"Call a few men from the house and take her to the guest room," Sasuke ordered and stood up.
"But, Sasuke-Sama, she is Naruto's wife. You can't—"
"That's not your concern," he said, a bit irritated, his eyes glowing as he held Hinata's hand in his. "Why do you ask for reasons when they don't concern you?"
Yuu flinched at his less-than-gentle tone. "Please, forgive me, but Itachi-Sama hasn't left for his mission yet," he said, his voice tiny like a frightened boy's, and lowered his eyes.
"Nii-Sama is still home?" he asked and clenched his jaws.
"Yes, his mission was delayed. He would leave late at night," he explained.
Sasuke heaved a sigh, and his eyes turned back to normal. "Take her to the Uchiha Infirmary for now and shift her to one of the guest rooms later. Make sure no one knows she was here. If anyone asks, tell him I sent her out on a mission with one of my men," he said in a measured voice. He looked at Hinata who was barely conscious and placed her hand on her bosom.
"Get it done," he said and left the room. Hinata's eyes could not follow him anymore. She felt so weak, and after taking a few rough breaths, she fell unconscious.
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There was a mantle of silence over the room as Itachi looked into Sasuke's eyes and weighed his secrets. Despite Sasuke's best efforts, his brother found out about Hinata; but, thankfully, he was not angry.
"Why did you bring her here? That was not very wise. What if the Hyūga clan finds out? This would humiliate you, as well," Itachi spoke calmly and rolled up the scroll. The matters in the Intelligence Division seemed to be piling up.
"No one will find out. She wanted to come here. It's not as if I forced this decision upon her," Sasuke said and looked from his brother's eyes to a faint smile on his lips—he was very slightly amused.
"Is that why you indulged her twice?" he asked suddenly and watched with a glint in his eyes as Sasuke's face burnt with shame. "I am sure that was with her consent, too. She is a fool and you should not stop to entertain her every whim."
Sasuke was silent. He lowered his head, feeling humiliated that he was being interrogated for his amorous escapades with the married Hyūga girl.
Itachi placed the scroll aside and rested his hands on his thighs. "Sasuke, do not use her to start something against Hiashi. She is an unreliable girl. She does not possess the strength to go against her father. She was already too weak to save herself from all this. She is undisciplined, unfaithful, and . . . undependable," Itachi spoke by stressing on the last word.
"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked and gulped dryly—his Adam's apple quivered.
"You are quite aware of what I mean," he spoke and locked his bewitching eyes with his. "Hiashi will not relinquish any information about that night. Let this go."
"I'm not—"
"Why must you waste your youth on such matters?" Itachi cut him off, still calm. "Why must you test me?"
Sasuke looked up, and he felt snared by his older sibling's too-knowing eyes. "Do you intend to abandon me if I go too far, Nii-Sama?" he asked, and he was smiling and there was a touch of anger and bitterness in his smile—he was challenging him.
Itachi considered him for a moment with an air of restraint. It was always impossible to tell what he was thinking. "You know the answer. Why ask me every time?" he spoke in a cool voice, and after this re-assurance, the expression on Sasuke's face softened. "This matter runs deep. Do you really want to keep digging till you find something that may mortify you?"
When Sasuke did not say anything, he spoke again, "send her off to her home tomorrow. I do not want her around when I return. Do you understand me?"
Sasuke stood up silently and bowed before him. When he left the room, Itachi wondered: what did he hope to find by digging into the past? Did he find something in Mist? Outside, there was a birth of the new and frightening storm . . .
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EN: Demon and Daemon have slightly different meanings, but daemon has been utilised as an alternative spelling of demon; furthermore, the concept of 'Demon', as it's in the orthodox religions, doesn't exist in Japanese folklore; therefore, I thought 'Daemon' to be the right choice for this fiction.