Hey guys! I'm back from my training arc, and now that my study term is over, I think I'm ready to start releasing chapters ^^.
I had this in mind for a very long time, but after watching No Way Home, I finally cracked down on the editing/writing and here's the result.
I've had a ton of fun writing this so far, and I'm excited to see what people think!
Enjoy!
The sweet morning breeze of spring swept through Naruto's open window, giving life to the still curtain that began dancing in the wind. Sunlight shone down on his head, illuminating his blond hair to a platinum hue.
The rude, unfortunately familiar ring of his 7'o clock alarm jerked him awake from his essential, teenage deep sleep routine.
Voluntarily exhaling for the first time that day, Naruto opened one eye and slammed the snooze button on his phone.
"UP AND AT IT, BLONDIE!"
Naruto pulled his heavenly warm blankets over his head even harder.
Hoping beyond all hope that his mother would take the hint and leave, Naruto was utterly disappointed as he felt a slender hand wriggle its way under his neck and another one over his head.
Naruto instantly recognized the technique.
"Okay OKAY I'm getting up. I'M GETTING UP!"
The Rear-Naked Choke. (Judo/Jiu Jitsu)
A chokehold applied from an opponent's back. Wrapping the non-dominant arm around the neck and the dominant one over the head, it applies an immense amount of pressure that makes it incredibly hard for the defender to escape from.
Naruto started tapping out, the rhythm intensifying as he felt his head pressurize from the choke.
Finally being released from the choke, Naruto started breathing very heavily on his knees as the world came back into focus. He could see a few purple stars dissipate in front of him.
"See! Best way to wake up."
Naruto glared at his mother with slightly red eyes, clutching his neck with one arm.
"Child… Protection… Services," Naruto said.
"...Are a great branch of social law-enforcement. I agree, now come over and eat breakfast."
"Why… did you… branch out from… More than one… School…"
"Yes."
Taking a quick shower and brushing his teeth, his ears were greeted with the sound of his family in the living room.
Kushina Uzumaki, his mother, was busy cleaning up her husband and daughter's breakfast. Her long red hair was slightly damp from her morning shower, and an ever-present smile was on her face.
On the other hand, Kuchel Namikaze and Minato Namikaze were arguing about whether you put the cereal first, or the milk first.
"If you put in the cereal first, then it loses its crisp texture, dad," Kuchel said.
"That's not true, Kuchel. It's going to become soggy anyway, so you want to put the cereal first so you know how much milk to put in," Minato replied.
Kuchel pouted, giving her father an annoyed look. "You can put more cereal in if you're still hungry if you put the milk first though."
By this point, Naruto had finished putting his clothes on, and arrived at the kitchen.
"Last one to wake up like usual, Onii-chan," Kuchel said. "Don't you have a field trip or something today?"
"Oh yeah… Something like that," Naruto said, grabbing some cereal and pouring it into the bowl. "It's in the afternoon, though."
Minato looked up from the newspaper and allowed a victorious smirk to appear on his face. "See! The local genius agrees with me."
Kuchel's face started turning red like her hair; her bright blue eyes glaring holes into her older brother and father.
"Mom! Do you think you should put in the milk first or the cereal first?"
"Whichever side you're on, sweetie," Kushina replied, gently giving her daughter a head pat, enjoying the smooth texture that she's been familiar with all of her life.
"Crime rates are on the rise again," Minato said, his voice turning slightly dark as he pointed towards a certain article on the news. Naruto and Kuchel turned their heads and noticed the graph, an increasing function portrayed on the plane.
"Probably has something to do with the government increasing taxes and cutting social welfare. Seriously, they've gotta pull their shit together," Naruto said.
"Language, Naruto," Kushina said in her lecturing tone. "It's unfortunate, but that just means we have to support our friends even more, Minato."
Friends with some of the most reputable cops in the region, including the commissioner, Kushina and Minato were no strangers to Konoha's long history of rampant crime. From pickpockets to serial killers, even with their experience, this year had one of the highest rates of crime they had ever seen. Their friends would most likely have to work overtime for the next few months unless a miracle were to happen.
Minato and Kushina were both retired world-class MMA fighters, each running their own dojo/training gyms in the area. With the rise of crime in the area, they found themselves getting busier as the years progressed.
As much as they loved their jobs, they hated how demanding it was in terms of time it could be. In turn, Naruto had to take care of Kuchel often when he was little, which did help build a sense of responsibility. That being said, the married couple loved their children more than anything in the world, and Naruto and Kuchel were incredibly proud of their parents' achievements.
On one hand, there was Naruto Namikaze, who, through his friendly relationship with Doctor Hiruzen Sarutobi, was able to learn a variety of skills that propelled him into the position as the smartest kid in his school. His messy blond hair and deep violet eyes, combined with his personality and demeanour made him almost as popular as his best friend in school, Sasuke Uchiha.
On the other hand, Kuchel Namikaze was a pretty girl on the shorter side sporting crimson hair and blue eyes and in her last year of middle school. With a bright, kind personality and a large variety of friends, she was a relatively popular person at her school.
Finally, the last member of the family was a cute, half-cybernetic Border-collie/husky mix named K-9, who was a retired police dog that was put out of commission after he lost a leg and an eye while fighting off some bank robbers, who shot him with a shotgun. Fortunately, Sarutobi and Naruto were able to build him a bionic limb and an artificial eye, and K-9 was now enjoying retired life with his old friends and their kids.
"I'm out now," Naruto said, taking a long drink of water and grabbing his backpack.
"Have fun on your field trip!" Kushina said. "And say hello to your cousin for me!"
"Bye, son."
"See ya"
Naruto walked out of his apartment, and made his way towards his school.
The fresh morning breeze of Konoha invaded his nostrils as he began walking down the familiar concrete roads towards his school.
An urban area, Konoha was filled with businesses busy opening for the day, as well as a myriad of art shops, restaurants, cafes, and more. The status quo of heavy traffic was muffled out as Naruto inserted his earbuds and listened to some music.
Shoving the textbooks he didn't need, Naruto felt his shoulders lighten. He looked at the picture of himself, his family, and his best friend, Sasuke, that his sister made him put in his locker. He couldn't help but smile a bit as he zipped up his backpack.
"I'm not into guys, sorry buddy," came a familiar voice from behind him.
Naruto turned around and gave the owner of the voice an unamused expression. "You're the one who gets chased by girls on a daily basis, yet you're the one who's calling me gay. How ironic that you're still single. Furthermore, there is absolutely nothing wrong with loving who you want to love, Sasuke."
Sasuke Uchiha, school fuckboy, Fugaku Uchiha's son, school fuckboy, Kyokushin Karate connoisseur, and Naruto's best friend stood proudly behind him, his hands rubbing on the cold, blue metallic surface of Naruto's locker.
"You're the one who came to school and decided that smiling like an idiot at a photo of your friend was the best thing to do first thing in the morning," Sasuke said, shoving his textbooks in Naruto's locker, much to his annoyance. "And besides, you get attention from girls too."
"Whatever buddy… whatever… mind moving your hand so I can close my locker?" Naruto said.
Sasuke, who was busy sending a cultivating wink to a poor, unsuspecting freshman, ignored Naruto's comment, forcing him to push away Sasuke's hand.
The two friends made their way towards their respective classrooms. As they traversed down the hall, Naruto was greeted by the usual attention that Sasuke inevitably attracted, which was a feeling he was used to. Naruto used to be extremely annoyed by it before, but after a while, he got used to it.
"Hey buddy, doesn't your cousin work at… wherever we're going today?" Sasuke said, hands in his pockets.
"Yeah. The White Snake Institute of Technology. It used to be a university until Doc and a few of his students changed it into a research facility almost 30 years ago. She works there," Naruto said.
"Damn, you know everything, don'tcha?" Sasuke said.
"I only know what I know, Sasuke. We've had this conversation before," Naruto said, frowning and waving his hand in front of his face due to the B.O. emitted by one of the football kids, who was being harassed by other football kids, their odours just as unbearable as the former.
"Apparently the term 'shower' went over their heads when they were younger," Sasuke said. A cheeky, characteristic, and goofy grin swept over his handsome face. "Is it the cute one?"
"What are you talking about?" Naruto said, narrowing his eyes at his best friend.
"Y'know, your cousin! Knowing your family, she probably is," Sasuke said. "Introduce me to her! Maybe I'll be able to officially join your family in a few years."
"I only have one cousin, Sasuke, and she's 5 years older than us, you dick. Stop thirsting over older women; people will start realizing you're into that kind of stuff," Naruto said.
"I am not into that kind of stuff- I'm just acknowledging beauty when I see it. And if you want me to join your family through a younger person…"
"Do you have a death wish?"
"I'm kiddin'."
"No you weren't."
Entering the classroom, Naruto Namikaze immediately put his head down over his arms and started sleeping. It strained his neck at times, but it was a hell of a lot better than having to pay attention in class and listen to content that he was already familiar with.
His teacher, Iruka Umino, had initially tried to get the boy to pay attention in class, but after a month of failed attempts, and Naruto's grades still being top notch, he gave in.
Ignoring the cold sensation of metal on his arms, he slowly allowed himself to drift into sleep.
The scent of cheap perfume and clatter of footsteps mixed with miscellaneous chatter was oddly relaxing. He felt an odd feeling of nostalgia as the class started to settle in.
Just as Iruka started his class, Naruto fell asleep.
Choji Akamichi liked eating.
Chips, Barbeque, Burgers, Sushi, Pizza, Ramen, whatever.
He didn't discriminate.
As such, growing up, he was on the chubbier side. Up to elementary school, it didn't really matter all that much; he still had friends, and no one really thought he was 'gross' or 'weird'.
Middle and High school, however, was a completely different story.
With even the slightest flaws and insecurities being over exaggerated and used as a weapon against you, Choji found himself at the mercy of bullies and insiders.
An outsider.
That's what he was.
It wouldn't have hurt half as much as it did if it weren't for the fact that he had to deal with their bullshit everyday.
This is exactly what he was thinking as he felt his neck tighten.
Kiba Inuzuka currently had Choji under a Rear-Naked Choke, using his arms to strangle the poor boy. A maniacal smile was on Kiba's face as Choji's face started turning red from the pressure.
"Hey, I saw this on TV the other day, I think it's the right way you're supposed to do it," Kiba said, his arms tightening around his neck.
"Let… me… go…" Choji gasped, his voice but a whisper.
"Mmm sorry? What the fuck did you say? I don't speak fat ass."
"Please… Let go…"
"Fine," Kiba said, throwing Choji towards a table, making him slam his stomach into its corner.
Choji fell to the ground, clutching his stomach.
The majority of the class was laughing along, staring at the fat boy clutching his stomach in agony. To them, Kiba was just providing them with their lunch break entertainment.
The few who had compassion had no choice to look away lest their own safety was at risk when coming to school everyday.
Kiba looked around the classroom for validation, and seeing the positive response, he started stomping on Choji very hard.
Head, groin, body, arms, were all fair game to him.
"Fatasses like you,"
STOMP
"Need ta"
STOMP
"Learn their FUCKING place," Kiba said, finally kicking Choji in the nose, snapping his head back and causing him to whimper.
Blood started seeping out of his face.
Why?
Was being fat really that much of a crime to these kids?
All he wanted was to come to school like a normal kid, study, and have fun.
Was that too much to ask?
Tears mixed with blood on the ground as Choji turned his head towards it in a futile attempt to save some dignity. It was useless, as he had cried in front of the class many times.
Hey Fatass! Go fucking kill yourself!
Hey watch this, I'm gonna hide a pencil between his ass flaps, maybe he won't be able to find it!
The comments from his past started to haunt him all over, and for a moment, it enraged him enough to try to fight back, just as he was told by some of his friends.
Choji lifted himself up, his rage filled face turning towards Kiba.
"Oho? You haven't had enough yet?"
Kiba mocked him, flicking his head with his finger a few times.
Choji roared, using his weight in an attempt to tackle the boy.
"RRRRAAAAAAARRHGHHHHHH!"
But alas, his weight meant that his movements were too slow, and Kiba was able to dodge it almost too easily.
"Holy shit!"
"Did anyone just hear the floor crack?"
"He's too slow!"
All Choji managed to do was to throw himself at the ground.
A wave of laughter broke out as Choji lay unmoving on the ground.
At least I can say I tried… Why the hell did I do that?
I should've just let him calm down so I can go to the bathroom and clean up…
At least it's all over.
"Who the fuck said it's over? This is just the beginning, motherfucker."
Kiba turned Choji around on the ground to face him, and lifted his fist high in the air.
"Fucktards like you… need to learn their place. I'm gonna punch the living shit out of you"
Choji stared in fear as he saw Kiba's bloody fist start making its way towards him.
N-no!
"Kiba," came a voice from the left side of the classroom, just by the windows.
"I'm trying to sleep. Shut up."
Kiba instantly turned to the voice, anger ridden over his face.
"Who the FUCK SAID THAT? Who's the motherfucker who just signed their own FUCKING DEATH WARRANT?"
Kiba's eyes searched the left side of the room at the one figure that was slouched over his arms, his eyes readjusting to the light of the classroom.
"Death warrant?"
Kiba's emotions were wiped out in an instant as he realized who he just insulted.
"Me?"
Naruto stared at him with indifference, his face devoid of any emotions.
"N-no… That's not what I meant!"
"The fuck did you mean then? Watch your words next time before you insult someone, dog breath."
The class fell silent as Naruto put his head back into his arms and started to sleep again.
"And stop bothering Choji, go see him to the nursary, asshat."
"Y-yup! I was just p-playing around…"
The class started murmuring as Kiba politely opened the door for Choji.
Choji stared back at the blond, and felt insight enter his brains.
Both were predators, at the top of the high school hierarchy.
But they weren't on the same level.
Apex predators existed for a reason, and even a predator had the instincts to know which fights they were so unbelievably outmatched, that begging for mercy was the only option possible.
And that was the difference between Naruto Namikaze and Kiba Inuzuka.
Naruto was the apex predator that consumed predators for his meals. As such, Kiba had no choice but to back down.
The vibe of the whole room was changed with just a few words.
Choji wondered what it felt like to be someone as powerful as Naruto was.
"Isn't that the blondie who always sleeps in class?"
"Don't you know? That's Naruto Namikaze…"
"What's so special about him?"
"He's got it all, and he's good at fighting! I heard both of his parents were world-class MMA fighters, and he gets private lessons from them on a daily basis."
"Wasn't his dad…"
"The 'Yellow Flash'?"
Naruto felt the murmuring stir up again. "I'm going to sleep. Be quiet."
"And Kiba," He said,
"Y-yes?"
"If you're going to rear-naked someone, do it properly."
The class fell silent again as the bell rang, signaling the end of their eventful break.
The pink haired girl who was watching the entire thing go down couldn't help but sigh in exasperation.
That idiot…
The bus ride to the institute was rather uneventful. Naruto spent most of the time admiring the beautiful weather. The clear, spring sky with not a speck of white combined with the shining rays of a golden sun illuminating the morning view of Konoha was a sight for tired eyes.
Sasuke was entertaining a few lucky girls who were sitting besides them, talking about just about anything he wanted to talk about, which quickly became the thing that the girl's wanted to talk about, even if it was something as stupid or boring as the difference between pronouncing "tomato" as "tomato" instead of "tomato".
Naruto turned his attention elsewhere, and in turn noticed a familiar tuft of white hair in the seat in front of him. Lifting his head from the cold window (that was rattling his head quite painfully), he grabbed the smooth surface of the school bus seat and whispered to the person in front of him.
"Doc?"
The figure in front of him turned around, his familiar bright face turning around to face Naruto.
"Ah, Naruto my boy. I forgot that this trip was extended to Grade 11s as well!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said.
He wore his usual white lab coat over a grey t-shirt and blue jeans. He was once taller, but due to his immense age, he had shrunken slightly. Despite his age, he had a demeanor that expressed an energetic aura around him.
"Yeah. Didn't you teach the head of the institute? Orochimaru or something?" Naruto asked as the bus rolled over a speedbump, knocking a little bit of air out of his lungs.
"That I did, son. He's one of my finest students, Orochimaru. A little bit too ambitious, if you ask me, but after your adopted grandfather Jiraiya refused to inherit the institute due to 'other interests', he was the obvious choice," Hiruzen said. "I have a feeling that in another universe, he would have turned out quite differently. He wasn't the friendliest person in the world when I first met him, but after years of bonding, he's turned out to become a good man."
"Makes sense. After all, they say that a genius is one bad day away from becoming a serial killer. And by the way, when you say 'other interests,' you're talking about how he's a borderline sex offender, right?" Naruto said.
"Correct, Naruto. Very correct," Hiruzen said. "Surprisingly enough, he actually raised your father quite well… Don't tell him I said that. Pushing my three greatest pupils to adopt kids was probably the best lesson I could've given them. After all, it is the reason why you're here today."
Naruto, whose parents were separately adopted by Tsunade and Jiraiya, was told this story a hundred times. Tsunade adopted Kushina and her older brother, Jiraiya adopted Minato, they became friends, they fell in love, and the rest was history.
In this sense, he always viewed the old professor as a real grandfather, and treated him as such.
"Well, I'll try to look for something wrong," Naruto said.
Hiruzen chuckled. "I doubt you will. Orochimaru is a perfectionist. Even with your brilliance, I doubt anything would be out of place."
Hiruzen treated Naruto like a grandson as well. From a young age, he taught Naruto as much as he could in almost every academic subject, as well as technical skills that he needed to intuitively connect abstract and pure fields such as math and science into real world applications. Something told him that Naruto would one day make very good use of these skills and create a better, more just, and safer society.
As the bus slowed down near the entrance of the grand, white skyscraper, Naruto couldn't help but let his jaw slacken by a centimeter at the building in front of him.
"Not bad…"
The interior aspect of the building proved to be even more fascinating than its exterior counterpart. Dozens of scientists in lab coats walked past, whispering conversations that most people wouldn't be able to understand even with an extra decade of education. The scent of innovation and modern buildings was sprinkled throughout the building, and as Naruto looked around, he started to wonder if he would be able to find a job in a place like this after high school was over.
Following Sarutobi with Sasuke closely trailing behind him, Naruto tuned out his homeroom teacher, Iruka Umino, giving them instructions about 'responsibility' and 'respect'.
Shortly after the long speech, a tall, pale man holding a tablet in one arm and a pen on the other approached Hiruzen and Naruto.
"Sarutobi-sensei. A pleasure to see you again. Who's this youngster that is accompanying you?" the man said.
Hiruzen flashed him a smile and shook his hand. "Good to see you too, Orochimaru. This is Naruto Namikaze, Kushina and Minato's son. He's an incredibly bright kid, and I have a feeling that you two will become well acquainted soon enough."
Orochimaru extended a pale, skinny hand to Naruto, who accepted the gesture and lightly shook his hand. It was incredibly cold to the touch, and equally as silky smooth.
"A pleasure, Naruto-kun."
"All mine. I've heard great things about this place from the Doc, and I'm sure the person who runs it lives up to its hype," Naruto said.
"Thank you. If Sarutobi-sensei has interest in your potential, then so do I. Any friend of his is a friend of mine," Orochimaru said, slightly… accusatory, as well as patronizing. Naruto ignored this - Orochimaru was surrounded by people who were less intelligent than he was most of the time, after all.
"Cool," Naruto said, not allowing his face to show any emotion.
"Since Sarutobi-sensei is interested in your progress, you must be quite the science wiz. You know, I'm something of a scientist myself," Orochimaru said.
"Yeah, you don't say," Naruto said, looking at his surroundings.
"I hope you enjoy your stay, Sarutobi-sensei, Naruto-kun. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact myself or any of my employees," Orochimaru said, retreating with a small bow.
Naruto gave him a small head nod, and turned his attention towards the massive arc reactor that seemed to be powering the institute.
"Hey Doc, what do those robotic arms do?"
Naruto closely examined the levitating car in front of him. Quite the fascinating object. It was most likely magnetically suspended in the air. The technology lifting it up was probably more focused on the material that it was levitating over compared to the car itself.
It would probably be a long time before the world would need to lay off road-workers due to its obsoleteness created by flying cars.
Writing more jot notes into his notebook, he could vaguely hear the voice of his teachers calling him to follow the guided tour.
Naruto kept his eye glued to his notebook and started making his way towards the general direction of his school group. Through years of texting while walking down the street, Naruto was able to avoid bumping into unsuspecting scientists or guests.
However, he did not notice that while his group turned left into a brighter side of the hall, and Naruto turned towards the dark, alley-like entrance. A sign that read "KEEP OUT, AUTHORIZED PERSONS ONLY" was unfortunately unseen by Naruto.
For some reason, there was no other security than the measly sign.
It was almost as if someone wanted an unsuspecting victim to walk into the room.
On the other side of the hall, Sasuke Uchiha looked around, but was unable to find his best friend.
"Where's Naruto?" Sasuke asked no one in particular.
He turned to a mint-haired girl next to him and asked: "Have you seen a dumbass blond somewhere?"
The girl looked startled, but simply shrugged at the question.
Seeing that the familiar blond was nowhere to be found, he reasoned that he had probably run off somewhere more interesting, or was busy talking to someone.
By the time Naruto realized that he was going towards nowhere in particular, Naruto lifted his head and stared at the endless, dark hall, illuminated by a dim blue light. The concrete walls in this part of the building seemed more ancient than the fresh, flamboyant conglomeration near the front doors.
Naruto turned around and noticed that he was probably lost. Shrugging, he continued to walk down the way that he came from… But which way did he come from? This section of the building seemed like a labyrinth that he had unsuspectingly walked into.
An eerie, middle-pitched noise startled Naruto, who sharply inhaled and allowed his precious notebook to fall on the floor with a thud that marginally echoed through the corridors. A red flashlight beamed down the hall, which startled Naruto once more, and realizing that he was probably in a place he wasn't supposed to be, he ducked away into a darker hall that was connected to the one he had walked into.
He could hear footsteps that were coming towards him. He let out a small sigh of frustration, and started desperately looking for a place to hide to avoid getting into trouble. He hadn't even said hello to his cousin yet!
Naruto turned around and saw a wooden wardrobe which looked incredibly suspicious.
He could hear footsteps coming even closer now, and so Naruto grabbed the handle and shoved himself in. Breathing in the smell of old laundry and mothballs, Naruto pushed a few white lab coats in front of him, just in case someone opened the closet.
However, as he crawled into a corner, he noticed that the back panel… could be pushed.
Frowning into the lab coat, Naruto pushed on the other end of the closet, which opened up into an abandoned corridor that was probably untouched by a janitor for a very long time. Stepping out of the closet, Naruto examined the hall with his brilliant violet eyes.
This field trip was getting very interesting.
What is this Narnia bullshit…
Naruto noticed the sounds of machinery coming from a room farther down the hall. Footsteps echoing with every step he took, Naruto moved towards the room with his heart beating in his chest.
He arrived at the door and observed the sign: "Project #9. Code Name: Kurama."
Hesitantly, he wondered if it was a good idea to head towards the big sign that read "Exit" or even better, to go back the way he came from and try to find his school group. He was definitely not supposed to be where he was right now.
Unfortunately for him, his teenage instincts told him to open the door, and he complied with a resentful look on his face.
The moment he opened the door into the dark room, a dark figure shot out and grabbed his left arm, which he used to open the door.
Eyes widening and adrenaline kicking in, Naruto shot back and tried to free himself from the grip of his attacker. However, the thing that was holding him in place had an incredibly firm grip, and had no intention of letting him go.
Naruto started to panic, and looked around for anything he could use as leverage to hold him back. The creature was starting to pull him in, and an animalistic growl accompanied the steady tempo of machinery coming from behind the door.
He wedged his feet against the frame of the door and pulled harder with no success.
His thighs started to burn from the sudden workout. His strength was failing him, and the dark room was starting to get closer.
Just as his lower body was about to lose strength, Naruto felt pain shoot up from his incapacitated arm.
Naruto let out a silent scream as a thousand needles sunk into his arm, sending jolts of seizures across his body. His blood turned cold, metallic, and he felt as if his left arm was being frozen by liquid nitrogen.
After what seemed like an eternity, the creature broke its grip, and Naruto leapt away painfully, crashing into the other side of the wall and running for his life towards the false back panel.
Somehow, Naruto found his way back to his school group.
His left arm felt as if a thousand flu shots were numbing it up at the same time. However, because he didn't want anyone to suspect him of suspicious activities, he decided to wait until he got home to examine the damage. Hopefully, he just electrocuted himself on something, and his muscles were just in shock.
Yes. That was it. There was no other explanation in his mind.
"Where were you?" Sasuke asked, a slightly concerned look on his face.
"I was… in the bathroom, and I got lost," Naruto said.
"Right… Why are you holding your left arm that way?" Sasuke asked.
"Smashed my funny bone on something earlier."
"Yikes."
"Yup."
Naruto ignored the shots of cold flames coming from his arm, and noticed a sight for sore eyes. A familiar fiery red color attached to someone's head.
"Oi, Tayuya," Naruto said aloud.
The redhead turned around, and saw Naruto through some glass that separated the two of them. With an arrogant smirk, she quickly made her way towards her blond cousin and put him in a headlock.
"Whassup, fucker! I haven't seen you in ages!" Tayuya said, giving Naruto a noogie.
With only one functional arm, Naruto had a hard time escaping her grip on his head.
"Yeah, I know. Mind letting me go?" Naruto said, not particularly fond of having his already messy hair become even more disastrous by the torture his cousin was making him endure.
"Sup, Naruto's boyfriend," Tayuya said, turning her head towards Sasuke, and burying Naruto in her hair in the process.
"Sup cutie," Sasuke said, sending her his signature wink.
"That shit ain't workin' on me, bluenette. I know you two are lovers from the past life," Tayuya said.
Naruto, who was struggling to breath with Tayuya's hair covering most of his face, couldn't reply to the comment.
Arriving at his house, Naruto noticed that no one was home. Convenient enough, considering his current predicament.
The numbness was starting to go away, and his arm was regaining some function, which further solidified Naruto's theory of electrocution.
With a splitting headache, he started to examine his left arm, which was surprisingly unscathed.
As he moved up his elbow, he realized that his arm was shaking very slightly. Subtle enough that no one would notice, not even himself.
He moved towards the mirror in his toilet to take a good look at himself.
Although he was used to having dark circles due to a habit of not getting enough sleep, his eyes looked extremely sick. Prevalent bags were under his eyes, and his face was deathly pale. His lips, usually a very pretty red hue, was as white as the inside of a peach. As he gripped the sink with both of his hands, he felt his grip weaken as the shaking in his left hand started to spread and migrate towards his chest.
Terrified, Naruto grabbed his left arm with his right and ran to his room.
Picking up his phone, he was about to call 911 before his hand lost grip of the phone and fell to the floor with a loud thud against the carpeted floors.
Unable to think, Naruto tried to calm his breathing and stabilize his arrhythmic heartbeat while laying on his back.
His last thoughts before he fell unconscious was wondering why the color of his room was suddenly rainbow.
Orochimaru stared at the CCTV footage of himself, Sarutobi, and Naruto from earlier that day.
"Kabuto," Orochimaru called.
"Yes Orochimaru-sama?"
"Make a new directory on Naruto Namikaze… We're going to keep an eye for him, he might be a good candidate for my secret project."
"Right away."
"Anything to report?"
"... Project #9 is missing."
Orochimaru's head snapped back towards Kabuto, and he felt a sinister smile formulate on his deathly pale skin.
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See you soon with a new chapter.
Next Chapter: Stand up, little boy.
