Hello lovelies, chapter 13 is here now! Yay! I realized it was about five months since the last update, and I apologize for that. Um, so Kingdom is up, a new alternative is one chapter away from being finished, and I'm still trying to figure out what to write for sequels of 'Game of War' and 'Twisted Deal.'
**Note: Sorry guys, this was ready pretty early, but some things happened that involved assault and stuff. Haha, not kidding. People, if you have a parent, guardian, or whatever beating you, get out of there immediately. No relationship is worth that shit.
This chapter will be more of Naruto's POV than Sasuke's. Mostly because I wanted to save Sasuke's dialogue for the next chapter. This chapter also has a surprise at the ending, not that it is that exciting. :P Ok, back to the story.
Warning: Cruel things I suppose some slight cussing.
Disclaimer: The plot is mine, but the characters are not.
Sasuke's POV:
Everything was confirmed. Minato's base was indeed the address that Kimimaro had given me, and now all that was left to do was infiltrate it. After that, all that had to be done was kill Minato. Of course, I couldn't leave that to Itachi alone. He would never be able to do it without help. This meant that I would have to go too. It also meant that I would have to leave Naruto and the cast alone and unprotected.
The customers tended to get quite rambunctious, and often needed to be put back in their place, but Naruto or the cast would be incapable of doing it. It was a hard decision to make. Leave and destroy Minato, stopping him from creating more freaks, but also risking the dangers to the inhabitants of the circus, or stay and protect them, but risk Itachi's life, along with no guarantee that Minato would be put out of commission.
No matter what, the choice always pointed to the first. Minato had to be stopped, or more and more people would be hurt. The cast would only be vulnerable for a couple of days, and I was pretty sure nothing would go wrong. But in case it did, I left Hinata with instructions of what to do. She had gone into town plenty of times before with a coat, and if there was trouble, she would know what to do.
Naruto was still asleep, and I had left him in my room because I hadn't wanted to move him. Kimimaro stuck by his side, worried out of his skin for him. It seemed odd that this white haired freak, who had betrayed Naruto, would actually care for him so much. (1) But despite his display of worry, I still didn't trust him.
Any minute, something could happen, and it may or may not involve the child freak. The address may have been confirmed, but it could still be an ambush. Naruto was informed to watch over him, but Kimimaro would definitely be able to slip past Naruto if given the chance. I would have to tell the other freaks to watch out for him as well.
And speaking of the cast, where was Shikamaru? Still no word, no sign of where he could be. I hoped that he wasn't in trouble, and I would be keeping an eye out for him. After the Minato business, I'd have to go out and search for him. Itachi had been looking earlier, but it was as if he disappeared off the face of the earth. How was no one able to spot the rag doll freak?
A small buzzing snapped me out of my thoughts. I pulled out my cell phone and saw a text message from Itachi. It was time to move out. I looked over the blond and the white haired freak, both sleeping restlessly. I pulled out Naruto's collar from my drawer and snapped it around his neck carefully. It was doubtful that Naruto would try to escape while I was gone. He would be far too worried about the cast, but it was just in case.
Gently, I ran my fingers through his blond locks, watching as his face scrunched in discomfort as his body stiffened. Is this what the fruits of my labor bore? A traumatized human being who showed signs of his abuse not only on his body and while he was awake, but also in his sleep? This was my fault, and mine alone, but I would make things right soon enough.
I softly pressed my lips to his temple, and a strangled whimper slipped from his throat. I pulled away, watching him. His eyes were squeezed tightly shut, and his fists clenched in the blankets. What the hell did I do to him?
Naruto's POV:
I had awoken to find myself in the bastard's room, but luckily, it seemed as if nothing had happened. Unfortunately, the bastard was gone. Normally, this would have been a good thing, but what was the circus going to do while he was absent? He left a note to Hinata saying that things were to run normally, but so many things could go wrong. What if the customers tried to hurt the cast?
I would definitely be unable to protect them, and if they did get hurt, how would I call for help? There were no phones out here besides Sasuke's cell phone, which he took with him of course. And I wouldn't be able to run off circus grounds to get help, since I had also awakened with the collar on me once more. It was hopeless if things went wrong. The cast's safety was greatly jeopardized while Sasuke was gone, and I would never forgive him if the cast got hurt.
There was something else I was concerned about. The last time I remember being fully conscious was when I was exhausted. I had fainted when Kimimaro and I returned to our building after working. After that? I wasn't fully sure. I think I had seen the ringmaster, and it obviously filled me with fear, and then, nothing.
I had woken up in the room with a dull pain in my chest. I had lifted my shirt only to see stitches closing up yet another wound on my stomach. Another scar added to the others adorning my body. Operation after operation. Was it because of health problems that I had gotten from my family, or was it due to Sasuke's treatment towards me? It didn't matter.
Whatever this operation was for, it came with pills. And these pills had to be taken everyday, every six hours, or so said the note I had found with the bottle. Immunosuppressive pills. That's what they were called. I didn't know what they were, or what they treated, but Sasuke had made it very clear in the note that they were important.
If I failed to take them, would I die? Honesty, the idea seemed very appealing right about now. But it wasn't the time for that. I had to watch the cast members the best I could, and take care of Kimimaro as well. Maybe another day.
~Time Skip~
The day was already almost over, and still no sign of Sasuke. Where had he gone? The thought wouldn't leave my head. Maybe he went to go find Shikamaru. I was desperately worried for the brunette. Where had he gone? Was he ok? Or was he in danger like the last time he disappeared.
I prayed that he'd be alright wherever he was, but there wasn't a guarantee. This was a cruel unforgiving world, and I despised the people who made it that way. "Naruto, are you ok?" I nod to the white haired child, trying to regain my calm emotions.
"I'm fine. Come on, let's clean this place up a little." I said, motioning to the messy circus grounds. He agreed and we both set to work.
Despite the work, I couldn't seem to get my mind off of things. Soft footsteps could be heard coming towards me, and a light femine voice called out, "hey, Naruto, you don't look so good."
I looked up at Ino and Sakura, and gave a slight smile, "I'm fine guys, just thinking about some things." Since the day that they had found out everything that went on between me and Sasuke, I was really hesitant to speak to them, afraid that they would want to talk about it.
"Hey, why don't you ever come visit us to play cards anymore?" Ino pouted while Sakura agreed. My smile falters a bit and I stiffen, but I quickly try to salvage calamity, though I figured they had noticed my change in posture. "O-oh, I didn't.." Ino stutters, and Sakura looks away in embarrassment.
I wave it off, "it's alright. It's not your fault." I reassure them.
It really wasn't like they were to be blamed for my being continuously punished and being on and off the operation table. Had it really been so long since I had hung out last with the cast? I felt a bit guilty in a way, and though the bastard was clearly to be held accountable, I suppose it was partly my fault as well.
The four of us stood in awkward silence, not sure how to recover. "Um, well… You should definitely play cards tonight since you're not busy." Sakura finally said, "you too Kimimaro." Kimimaro looked at her before hiding behind me.
"Sure, but I need to rest with Kimimaro for a bit." I say, trying to end the conversation so I could lie down and stop the migraine that suddenly appeared. The girls nodded, walking back to their tent.
I walked to my building with Kimimaro in tow, and I never felt more happy to be in this small cramped space. I threw myself onto the bed in exhaustion, only to be shaken by Kimimaro. "You need to take your pills." He reminded me, and I grumbled my curses into the pillow as I took the pills from him.
Having already taken them in the morning, I knew that they were tasteless in a sense, but that didn't make them easier to get down. The pills were pretty big, and they had to be taken dry since I didn't know where to get water from besides the bathroom sink. Agonizingly, I swallowed the pills down with a lot of difficulty, when a thought struck me. How the hell were Kimimaro and I going to eat?
Since Sasuke had always given me food that I shared with Kimimaro, I didn't know where he kept it all. Maybe Hinata knew where he kept it, since she seemed to be his right hand man, or woman. Sighing, I settled back onto the bed, trying to get comfortable. I felt Kimimaro sit on the bed next to me, and silence consumed the room once more. "Naruto?"
I grunted, letting him know I had heard him. "Can I ask you a serious question?" I looked up, sensing his solemn tone. I waited for him to go on, and he looked away. "Why do you stay here?"
The question had caught me slightly off guard, and I didn't quite know how to respond. "What do you mean?"
"Sasuke hurts you, but you stay. Why?" I opened my mouth, but closed it again. Why was he asking me this now? When I didn't respond, he continued, "he's done things like what Orochimaru did, hasn't he? So then why-"
"Kimimaro, it's not that I stay here by choice, but rather, where else can I go?"
Sasuke's POV:
"And you're sure this is it?" I asked Itachi again, staring unsurely at the tall building. "Once again, yes I am sure." He sighed. If this was indeed the headquarters for Minato, then why was it in such a populated part of the city? Every second, someone was walking passed the house, chatting idly, not aware of the death trap.
"If it were in a less populated area, then it would be more suspicious that way." He explained, and I nodded slightly. We were staked outside of the building, waiting and watching who entered and exited. So far, it was zero for both counts. No workers, no Minato. "Something doesn't feel right." I muttered.
Itachi ignored me, still keeping his eyes trained on the front door. I fidgeted in the seat, not liking the lack of movement we were doing. I never was a very patient person to begin with, and this was stretching me thin. My mind wandered back to a few days ago when Itachi had called me with news that literally bugged the hell out of me.
I flipped open the phone and answered." Yes? Who's this?" I was too tired to look at the caller ID. "Sasuke, we have a problem." My eyes widened at the familiar voice, "Itachi? Where have you been? I've-"
"Listen to me. The body is gone. Naruto's mother's body is gone." I paused as he interrupted me, and as he continued to speak, my eyes narrowed.
"When? How?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"The grave looked as if it had been disrupted from below, and there's no way someone would have known where to dig for her body."
"I see. I'll go t-"
"Don't do anything yet, wait until I get there."
"What?"
"I'm serious Sasuke, wait." I sighed, shaking my head.
"Fine, fine. I'll wait until you get here." I hung up, and lay back onto my bed, rubbing my temples. This day just got stressful.
A grave disrupted from below, but not above, and she was buried in a very secluded area. No one could have found her so easily, meaning what? That she had gotten up and walked out herself? Insane, completely delusional. There was no way that was what had happened. But then again, she was no ordinary human, she was an experiment of Minato's. Anything was possible when it came to that man.
Would Naruto know anything more about Minato's experiments? Did he even know about his mom being one of them? I wasn't sure what Naruto was aware of. He had never spoken of his experiences, and I had never bothered to ask. In fact, I knew absolutely nothing of the blond besides the fact that he was the child of a deranged scientist.
Sure, I had Itachi research on him, but that was just general information. I knew nothing truly personal. How was it possible to live, or rather, keep someone captive for two years and not know anything? What the hell had I been doing? Had I devoted so much time to keeping Naruto to myself, punishing him, forcing him to cut all ties with everything? Was I in the wrong, was I-
"Sasuke, someone's coming out." I snapped out of it as Itachi nudged me. We both watched as someone came out of the building, but I could tell it wasn't Minato. A worker? It looked like a woman, but we were too far to actually tell. The person was holding something in their hands, and was placing something on the floor around the building. Finished, they suddenly straightened up and quickly walked away, getting further and further away from the building.
"What do you think?" Itachi asked, and I wasn't quite sure how to respond. This person placed something around the building, but what was it? And why were they in such a hurry to get away? "Do we follow?" He mused, but before I could respond, a loud defending sound and a flashing light blinded our senses.
"What the fuck was that?" I growled, rubbing my eyes and trying to reclaim my vision. The sounds of screaming could be heard, possibly from the pedestrians who had been walking around.
"Look." I blinked my eyes a couple of times, focusing until I could see what Itachi was showing me. What the f… The building had been destroyed? "I think now would be a good time to check things out before any police come." Itachi said, getting out of the car before I could answer. He was right, this was our chance. I jumped out and hurried to catch up, my mind flashing back to the person who had hurried away. Those must have been bombs that they had placed around the building.
Everything was in rubble, and all over were papers spread out and taking a small look at them, I could see that they were just notes. There were no signs of life, so did that mean no one had been in here? Or did it mean that they had all been killed. "Looks like we've been tricked once again." I snapped my head to Itachi, but he wasn't looking at me. I walked beside him and followed his line of sight, anger building inside of me.
The body of one of the freaks was lying on the floor, dead, and its limbs twisted unnaturally. The words 'Try again' was written in what I could only assume was its blood. "Fucking bastard." I growled. Itachi tugged me away, his eyes looking behind us now and I began to notice the crowd of people already formulating. "We need to get back to the circus, now." I muttered, and he agreed.
Naruto's POV:
It felt like years since I had last sat down with the cast to play cards. But unlike those other times, this one was filled with awkward silence. Whenever there was noise, it'd be a cough or someone clearing their throat. This made me feel pathetic, like I was trying to rekindle a spark that was long gone. Kimimaro was asleep on my lap, and I flinched whenever he clenched his hands unconsciously while he slept. What did he dream of that made him so stiff?
"Naruto." I looked up from Kimimaro to Choji. "You don't have to be here if you don't want to." He continued.
I sighed, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be such a bad guest."
He shook his head, "that's not what I meant. You just look as if you have a lot on your mind." The rest of the cast agreed silently, and I felt guilty again. It had been forever that we could hang out like this, and I was ruining it.
"Guys, I'm sorry." I say, looking down at my hands, not able to look at their piercing eyes. "I've just been.. Tired lately, I guess." I didn't really know how to put my thoughts into words.
'They know everything.'
I couldn't get that thought out of my head. They knew why I was here, why I didn't leave, why I was tired. It wasn't a matter of pride or masculinity, it was a matter of personal means. I felt so exposed in front of them, so ashamed.
I picked up Kimimaro, still avoiding their gazes, "I'm going to bed, see you guys tomorrow." I didn't look at them as I left their tent, their small goodbyes barely reaching my ears. What was I thinking? Trying to revive something that was possibly lost forever. Stupid, stupid me! I felt a drop of rain fall onto my head, and looking up, I saw clouds beginning to form.
Hurrying to my building, I maneuvered Kimimaro in my arms so I could open my door, and shut it quietly behind me, locking it. I laid him on the bed and pulled the covers over him. I didn't feel good, but what else was new? I had a headache again, and sleep was the last thing on my mind.
The rain began pouring outside, and as it got louder, I prayed it wouldn't wake up Kimimaro. Listening to the rain fall, I thought about my old home. It tended to rain a lot in this town, but since I had been at the circus, it had rarely fallen. Back at my old home, the rain was constant, and it brought bad memories of when I was a child and had seen my mother down in the basement.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, I put my head in my hands in frustration. Was this all I would be able to amount to? Spending the rest of my life in this circus with the bastard? It would have been fine, since I had the cast members to talk to, but everything had become so complicated. Then again, how different really was life here compared to life with my father?
Sasuke kept me in the circus at all times, and my father had at least allowed me to go to school, but either way, both kept me trapped. They both tried to control everything I did, and both had punishments when I disobeyed. Father's involved torture, Sasuke's rape.
A strange sound caught my attention, and I saw the doorknob moving by itself. Was it one of the cast members? I could hear something scraping against the lock, and my voice caught in my throat. Someone was picking the lock, someone was trying to break in here! I couldn't do anything as the lock snapped and the person at the door pushed it open and stepped in.
"Sh-Shikamaru?" I stuttered, unsure if what I was seeing was real. He put his finger to his mouth, indicating I was to be quiet. He beckoned to me instead, telling me to follow him outside. I nod, moving carefully off the bed so that I wouldn't disturb Kimimaro. Once we were out of the building I practically tackled him. "Thank God you're alright! Where the hell have you been? Are you alright?" The questions were streaming from my mouth, but I was too relieved to notice.
"Naruto, take a deep breath and calm down." He chuckled slightly, "as you can see, I'm fine." He waited while I looked him over, confirming his words. Letting out a sigh of relief, I still couldn't believe my eyes. Shikamaru was right here, safe and sound, and it felt as if a weight had been lifted off my chest.
"Shika, what happened? Why did you disappear?" He had a strange look on his face, and it made me a bit nervous. "Shika?" I asked, and there is a small frown adorning his face. He looked away for a moment, his eyes trained on Sasuke's building. "Did you and Sasuke get in a fight? Did you try to run away?" I worded my questions carefully, looking for some kind of emotion from him, but receiving nothing.
"Naruto, listen to me very closely. I wasn't in any kind of trouble, and the ringmaster and I didn't get in a fight." He finally said, and when I opened my mouth to question him more, he held up a hand, stopping me. "We don't have much time, so hear me out, ok?" I nodded, waiting for him to continue. "I ran away yes, but not for the reasons you think I did. I had to wait for the right time."
He paused and looked at the ringmaster's building again, as if he was waiting for him to burst out. "Sasuke's not here if you are looking for him." I offer, and he nods.
"I know. That's why this is the right time." He paused and turned to me again, "I'm going to help you escape."
(1) Haha, that describes Sasuke more than it does Kimimaro. :D
Dun! Dun! Dun! Haha, Shikamaru returns! Unharmed, yet with very large plans for Naruto! What will happen next? Tune in for the next installment of Usagi Hyrugi Circus!
Well, that's it for now, haha cliffhangers. Next to be posted should be the sequel of Twisted Deal, and then maybe the next and last chapter of A New Alternative. I'm trying to finish these! Haha, well Ja Ne!
