Hello! I am bored and on summer vacation so I thought to myself, why not update with my limited free time? Anyways, one second chapter coming up! Sorry it's taking so long to update all the stories but I have major writer's block. Every time I start a story, I have an idea for a different one. Haha, and no one has given me any suggestions on this story, so..yea. I shall now begin.
Disclaimer: Cookie-Mine, Naruto-Not Mine.
Naruto's POV:
As the last customer leaves, I can't help but feel relief. The sun begins to set and it means that I'll be able to turn in soon. 'About time too,' I think to myself as I gingerly touch my wound that feels as if it is on fire. I look up into the sky and see it is like a hue purple that seems to twist around, as if in pain. 'You're not the only one,' I think dryly. The sky holds my interest for a couple of more seconds before I realize that I had better start cleaning up, lest I get punished by him.
I yawn and gingerly stretch before beginning to clean when I hear two familiar voices, "hey Naruto!" I smile up at the two girls, Ino and Sakura, who are just as bubbly and excited as they usually are. "You want some help taking the cash box?" Ino asks politely as Sakura nods before saying, "we know how you hate taking it to the boss's room."
I nod gratefully, "that would be great, thanks." They smile in response before taking the cash box from my hands and go towards the box's rightful home.
Relief fills me, it must have been the seventh time they've done this for me. And because they have, I've been able to avoid seeing that bastard so much. By now, I'm sure the cast has noticed my ill feelings with Sasuke, but I do not know what they think the reason for it is. I didn't want to say, and I hoped they'd never ask.
A small muted joy fills me for a second when I think about how I won't have to take that box to that room. I hated that room with a fiery passion. Seeing it once was more than enough, and I had been in that room at least forty times already.
Sighing again, I clean up the stamps and ink and lock them in the compartment inside the podium before making my way to my own room behind the cast's home. Just as I reach my door, a tiny tentative voice stops me. "N-naruto."
I gave the small blue girl a wave, "yes?"
She looked down at her hands before speaking again, "I was w-wondering if maybe you could-I mean since t-tomorrow is Sund-day you could..."
I gave a small encouraging smile to the poor shy stuttering girl, "mhm?"
She cleared her throat before trying again, "m-maybe you would come with me and the rest of the cast t-tonight for a while?" She flinched as if she were expecting to be hit. I felt pain in my heart at what she might have suffered.
I thought about her offer, I was really tired and in pain, but I suppose I could deal with it for a while longer. "Of course Hinata, lead the way."
She sighed in relief before cautiously grabbing my hand with one of hers, and looked for any signs of disgust that might have been in my face from being touched. Seeing none, she smiled happily and led me to the building she and the other cast members called home.
Sadness filled me when I thought about how self conscious the blue shy girl was. Many people might have screamed to be touched by her, but she had a gentle grip. Not threatening at all, those people were idiots.
We neared the building, and the misery increased. I disliked it here, not because of the cast, but because of the cages that lined up along the wall. I had been assured multiple times by the cast that they weren't forced to sleep there, they just chose to out of free will. 'Protection.' Shikamaru had told me. Protection from what? Or more likely who? Did people sneak here to hurt them? Anger ebbed in me for a moment, why did these people have to go through so much?
It brought me a little comfort to know that the cages weren't something to intentionally hurt them, but not nearly enough to stop feeling agitated in the building. "Hey Naru!" Snapping out of my thoughts, I waved back to the cast members that had formed a circle on the floor, minus Sakura and Ino.
"How are you all today." I asked each of them. Murmurs of 'fine' fill the room before going silent again.
"So what now?" Choji asked, breaking the awkward silence in the room.
"Hey, don't you have that deck of cards," I asked him.
"Oh yeah!" Choji got up and hurried to retrieve them.
"Naru, you look pale. Is something wrong?" Shikamaru asked.
"Huh? Oh, I'm fine, just a little tired." Hinata put her head down in shame. "No no it's not your fault Hinata!" I reassured her, "it's just been... a long week."
"Found them!" Choji announced coming back to the circle.
Sasuke's POV:
Again today's show has been a success. But what else would you expect from a circus being run by a person who comes from a long line of success? Sighing deeply, I run my hand through my spiky hair. Today, as usual, has been exhausting as well. Days go by, then weeks, months, and before you know it, it's been years that you've stayed in the same place. Unmoving, unrelenting, and absolutely annoying.
I look up from the chair that I am sitting in as my room door is pushed open, and watch as a person enters my room through the door. 'Or people,' I think to myself as I watch Ino and Sakura, the two headed freak, enter my room with the cash box. Again. "Evening sir." The two girls say in unison and bowed, before setting the box on top of the shelf by my dresser and started backing out.
"Wait." I stopped them, ignoring their greeting.
They immediately froze. "Yes sir?" Ino replied.
"Why are you two doing Naruto's job again?" I scowled. It seemed that Naruto never did this part of his job. I can't help but internally smile at the blonde's fear of this room. I don't fully blame him, I too would fear the very place that my life fell apart.
That didn't excuse the behavior though. I tapped my foot impatiently as I waited for their response. They looked at each other, unsure of what to say.
Sakura spoke first, "well, we just like to help him out, and it looks like he could really use it. You know with the accident and all, we don't want him to be moving around so much." Ino nodded, relieved her other half had come up with an answer. I could tell that they were obviously lying, but I had no proof.
I nodded, "make sure to tell him if he continues to shirk his responsibilities, he's going to have to report immediately to me. You two are dismissed." The two hurried out of the room without a word and didn't turn back.
Settling back in my chair, I feel my cell phone vibrating in the back pocket of my uniform. Looking at the caller id, I answer. "Hello." I listen as the one on the other line begins talking. "That's fine, just be sure it gets here safely."
Naruto's POV:
I look around me and enjoy the peace of the cast's room. After playing a couple of rounds of cards, Ino and Sakura arrived looking a bit frazzled. They had said that they had something to tell me, but later. It was now way past later and still nothing. The room was silent, only Choji and Hinata had gone off to sleep, and Ino and Sakura looked just about ready to well. Shikamaru, well I didn't think he ever slept.
"Ino, Sakura." I called them.
"Hm?" Sakura sleepily replied.
"What was it you wanted to tell me?"
"Oh!" They both looked wide awake now. "Sasuke said to tell you to start doing your job," Ino began.
"Or you'll have to report to him." Sakura finished.
I shivered at the thought of having to report to him, but nodded understandingly. "Thank you, sorry to get you two in trouble." I apologized to them.
They shrugged, "well we weren't really in trouble, you were." They laughed jokingly. I smiled at their exuberance. "Well, we're off to bed!" Sakura laughed. I waved to them both. Standing up, I looked to Shikamaru who was studying me.
"Well I guess I'd better go back home to sleep too." I began to leave but I felt a hand grab my arm gently. I unconsciously flinched.
"Naruto, let's talk for a bit." Shikamaru said, giving me a serious look.
"Of course. What is it you wanted to talk about?" I gave him a small smile, hoping he didn't notice my nervousness.
He shook his head, "not here." He looked at the sleeping forms of the cast before getting up and pulling me to a more secluded area of the building. Upon arrival, he released his grip on my arm. "Okay, so what-"
"Naruto, tell me why." Shikamaru interrupted.
I looked at him confused. "Why what?"
"Why did you begin to work for Usagi Hyrugi? You obviously don't like the boss, you never call home, and you're in immense pain from your accident."
I looked down at my feet, "I told you all that I was trying to work my way through school..."
Shikamaru shook his head, "no you didn't. That's what Hinata guessed, and now you use that as your excuse for being here."
"It isn't a excuse, it's the truth." I protested lamely. It didn't even sound truthful to me.
"Naruto, you can't even look me in the eyes," he said sternly, then in a more gentle tone, "Naru. You don't have to lie to me."
"I'm not lying." I began to feel trapped under Shikamaru's calculating gaze. Why was he bringing this up now? What had brought it on?
The brunette sighed, "ok here's the thing. When you first came here you were with a friend, but since then, that friend hasn't returned. Now saying that, I know that you weren't in a car accident, that you are not here for the money, and the reason why you hate the ringmaster."
I stared at him with wide eyes, before trying to regain my composure, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Shikamaru nodded, "you're really going to make me say it?"
I stared at him in both horror and curiosity, how much did he really know? "Fine. That day when you first came to the circus, you were with a friend. I saw you both enter the tent, but you exited out alone after not even five minutes. That was when you ran into Sasuke, and after you two exchanged a couple of words, I saw him forcefully drag you into his building."
He paused, and I hoped he was done speaking, prayed that that was the end of his knowledge. He watched me, maybe for some kind of reaction, but as I stayed silent, he sighed. "I heard you scream and call for help."
My heart was sinking more and more with each of his words, "no more, stop pleaseā¦"
"I'm sorry Naruto, I wanted to help," he apologized, "but obviously I wouldn't be able to do anything. Who would listen, much less believe a freak?"
I could feel myself shaking and disgust rose in me as I relived what happened in that room in my head as Shikamaru continued, "Naruto, I know he is keeping you here against your will. You working your way through school is pretty impossible since you never get paid, and more importantly, that injury in your stomach is not from a car accident, it is impossible to get hit by a car in this area."
I knew what he meant by the last part, there were too many trees narrowing the paths for cars to go through. "Naru, why didn't you just say the real reason why you are here to the rest of them? They wouldn't judge you if that is what you're afraid of. How could we, when we look like this?" Shikamaru sighed gesturing to his appearance.
"I-I think I'm ...going to go lie down." I choke out before running out and away from the brunette.
Sasuke's POV:
It must have been at least three hours since the fox had locked himself in his home. If I weren't so slightly amused at first, I might have immediately knocked down the door and demanded an explanation. None of the freaks knew what had happened, but I had a good idea which freak did know. The one with the scars running down his whole body, the one that looked like a chewed up rag doll, and the one with an IQ of over 200.
Of course, since today was Sunday, Shikamaru tended to run off in search of a clear view of the sky. Normally this wouldn't bother me, but right now I was beginning to get irritated. Maybe breaking down that door wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.
"S-sir?" I looked up at Hinata.
"What." I snapped at her.
She flinched and looked like she was going to run away, but thought better of it, "maybe it is b-best to just leave N-naruto alone. It is Sunday after all." The other freaks agreed silently.
I didn't want to, and was about to tell them to mind their own business when I felt my cell vibrating. Checking the caller ID, I turned back to the freaks, "do what you want, but I want him out by tomorrow to report to work. Or else."
The freaks nodded quickly and watched as I went into my own room. "You better have a good reason for calling me this early." I growled into the phone. A quick apology was said from the other line before a hasty explanation was said. I nodded to myself slowly, "fine, but be sure to keep this quiet. We wouldn't want him to know everything just yet."
Gah! Who is this mysterious person calling ? You may all put any suggestions for why this person is calling Sasuke, who it is, and how the cast is going to get Naru out of his home. Well, till next time! Please review, your words are my fuel!
