"Hey you."- Someone speaking.
Hey you- Normal rendition of Naruto telling the story.
'Hey you.' More specific thoughts Based on the situation.
'Hey you.'- unknown
Let's just get into it. Let me know what you think guys.
- ST
xXxI decided that day that my dreams where trying to tell me something. Throughout my sleep, I could feel the constant sensation of discomfort. Waking up and not being able to move, my eyes boring holes into the ceiling above me. The only comfort I could find being in the girl who laid so peacefully on my chest.
It didn't take me long to get to the root of what was waking me. Memories of my life before Eden had been flooding my mind every time I drifted off back to sleep.
"Hey, Naruto are you ok? Snap out of it idiot I've said your name like three times!" I shook my head at the sudden aggravating barrage of sound in my left ear.
"Um, ow? You know just because you're small doesn't mean you're not loud." I heard a snort at my response.
"You're one to talk, you're the loudest kid I know." I looked passed Sakura to see an arrogant smirk.
'Of course, you can't manage to mind your own business Sasuke.'
"Butt out jerk!" I stopped walking so I could get in Sasukes face. Today was the day of the Kohnoa city festival, it had been twenty minutes into it and he was already pissing me off. But he didn't shy away when I moved closer.
"Who's going to make me?" Sasuke put some effort into shoving me a couple feet back. Making me bump roughly into Hinata.
"God damnit Sasuke!" I turned to make sure she was all right.
"Sorry Hinata... It was this jerks fault." In truth Sasuke and Sakura were both my best friends, but he had moved away some time ago. Leaving just me and Sakura in Konoha while he attended school In the Sound. Somehow, I feel like we drifted apart, but not just Sasuke and I. Sakura also kept her distance after Sasuke left... It made me really wonder the depth of our friendship, was it that superficial that one person kept us as friends? Or perhaps it was more than that.
My answer came a week ago, when Sasuke gave me a call letting me know he was coming back to town. My concern being that two years had passed and a lot had changed, so who's to say we'd even still be friends anymore.
We were all graduating seniors. I'd had been accepted to a pretty decent college, successfully pulled off being an independent minor. I'd even made a great deal of friends on the way. But something was off, and it felt a little to empty; maybe a little to lonely after my best friends had distanced themselves. Me and Hinata had been going steady for about a year before we broke up, yet I can't for the life of me figure out why I would let her go. I told her that I valued her as a friend and that maybe we should stay that way. But part of me feels like it's because I felt more for Sakura. Or maybe I just don't know what the hell I wanted.
My biggest mistake being when Hinata caught me confessing these feeling to Sakura via text... we didn't last long after that.
'But I must be pretty stupid, because she's all over him.' I already knew how much Sakura felt for Sasuke. Even when we were kids. So, their constant flirting didn't go unnoticed, it had been a few days and the two were already moving pretty fast.
'Makes sense, no telling when he'll be back again.'
Hinata and I remained close friends, even close enough to bring on this awkward friend reunion so I wouldn't be the awkward third wheel. I'm not sure how she deals with me, but more nagging broke me from my train of thought before I could think about it further.
"Naruto! Stop antagonizing Sasuke." I could see a smirk beneath onyx eyes as Sasuke gave me his most jabbing look.
"Yeah idiot, you don't want Sakura kicking your ass like old times." He placed his arm around her shoulder, pulling her back against his chest. That bastard knew I liked her but I suppose he won this war fair and square. Sakura had been head over heels for him forever. The proof being her ridiculous blushing at the gesture.
"S-Sasuke.."
'Oh kill me now, she even stutters.'
"I'll show you an ass kicking!" As his smirk grew my fist tightened out of frustration. But before I could lay a finger on Sasuke I felt a gentle tug on my sleeve.
"Huh?"
"Naruto could you win me that cub over there for me?" It was Hinata, and she was pointing to a chubby little stuffed lion cub over by the ball throw. She was either very concerned by my growing agitation, or she reaaallly wanted a stuffed lion. But either way I was happy she was there.
She was always there for me.
'Man I really fucked up with that one didn't I?'
But instead of beating myself up for being a dumbass, I put on the biggest smile I had. "Duh! I'll get you all the lions Hinata, let's go!" I gave the couple besides me an arrogant grin of my own. "You two can come too so I can sweep the floor with Sasuke." Oh yeah, the spark of competition was definitely in the air now, driving me forward with a new found enthusiasm.
'Just like old times.'
The rest of the night went down as probably one of the best nights of my life. Our friendship felt fresh, and I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard. And for the first time in a long time, I felt like I wasn't alone anymore. I could even feel my affection for Hinata growing all over again, probably because of all the silly couple things there were at this festival. Games, silly pictures in the photo booth, and even the Ferris wheel. Catching us both off guard with a perfect view of a setting sun and rising moon in the distance.
" Hinata, why did we ever break up?" I worked up the nerve to ask her at the top of the Ferris wheel. I felt like a stupid kid who couldn't make up his mind, but I know I wanted her back more than anything. More than whatever it was I felt for Sakura.
"I'm not sure Naruto, you tell me." Hinata's expression was kind yet sullen, barely mustering a small smile. " I think it's because you weren't honest with either of us." She looked back out at the sunset.
"What do you mean?" I'm not sure I really had an answer myself. The breakup had been my fault for sure, I told her it wasn't a good time but why?
"If you had been honest with yourself about your feelings for Sakura, then we could've maybe worked through it, maybe even had nights like this all the time. But instead... instead you kept it to yourself and tried to ignore them like they weren't there." Instinctively I caught a tear that fell from her cheek with my hand.
"Hinata I'm sor-" she removed my hand, and sent it back to me.
" Don't! Naruto, just don't. Can you take me home? I think we should all go home now." Tears were at a free fall now, and I know for sure this was all on me. But I didn't press the matter further.
When the ride was over we met up with Sakura and Sasuke who had found a nice bench to taint with their PDA.
'It's like he never left. A blessing and a curse I suppose.'
"Alright losers, break it up. It's getting pretty dark and I have work tomorrow." Obviously, I got some groans in complaint from a certain pinkette.
"Why do I feel like you just like ruining my fun?"
"Yup, you got me. But unless you'd like to walk..." Sasuke was going to wait on his brother and head back to the sound from here. So, I was the only ride for the girls.
" Sakura you should probably go, I'll see you again." Sasuke gave her a gentle tap on the forehead. "Promise."
"Oh kill me now." I'm not sure if they could hear me but Hinata definitely giggled at my antics.
'Good, at least she's not to mad to laugh.'
"Come on girls." I turned to Sasuke and gave him a smile.
"I'll see you around jerk." I was pretty surprised when he accepted my hug without too much bitching.
"Yeah. Hey can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Yeah sure. Hey can you two wait for me at the gate?" Hinata gave me a nod and Sakura gave Sasuke a kiss. When they were off, I gave Sasuke my attention.
"You're a lucky guy Sasuke..."
" And you're an idiot who could've been just as happy. Hinata is so into you it hurts." I gave a light hearted laugh in response.
" You're a little too late on that one, that boat already sailed man. I kinda fucked that up. Hard."
"Yeah I know, Sakura told me."
'Oh Of course she did!' I decided to keep my mouth shut and let him get to the point.
"But what I mean to say is she still is. I saw the way she looks at you man, she's just hurt, that's all. Try again, just do it right this time. Like us." Sasuke was only looking at Sakura's retreating from at this point." I wish I hadn't taken so long to get it right. So much time wasted." Sasuke stood up from the bench, preparing himself to leave. "Just... just take care of her for me until I see you again. We'll do this again."
"You can count on me." We gave each other one last cocky grin before he walked off. It surprisingly wasn't so hard saying goodbye the second time. Somehow it was expected; at least this time I know for sure he wouldn't forget about us.
I walked over to catch up with the girls. Unsurprisingly enough when I turned to look at Sasuke, he hadn't even looked back. I wish I had that kind of assurance.
'That I didn't have to look back.'
But when I turned to look back at the girls all I saw was Hinata bolting out of the crowded festival exit, no Sakura in sight.
Then I realized I gave Hinata my keys to keep in her purse.
'Are these jerks trying to take off without me?!' I sped through the possibilities of jokes they might be playing as I took off after them. Orange converse gliding across the ground and a black jacket tail flapping behind me. I rounded two corners on quiet Konoha streets before I caught site of indigo hair rushing in the wind. A light white winter jacket and blue shorts. 'Yep, those are definitely her shorts...'I shook off my thoughts as I struggled to keep up with a pretty fast Hinata. Blue short shorts where my motivation for running at this point, that and I knew neither of the girls could drive stick correctly anyway.
'Hell no if they think they're going to wreck my car!' I kept forward, making sure not to lose her in the Konoha alleys.
'Like seriously when'd her thighs get so built?' I finally caught up to her at a street lamp, just an alley away from my car. By the time I reached her she was damn near hyperventilating. But she didn't acknowledge my prescience in the least.
" Haha very funny. Thought you'd lose me huh?" I managed my words through shallow breaths, but she paid me no mind. I grabbed on her shoulder when I realized she hadn't heard a single word I said. "Hinata?" She turned to me. But I didn't expect her to be crying in hysterics, nothing she said made sense.
" Hinata what's wrong? Slow down and speak to me?"
'And where the hell is sakura?'
"Sh-she's. She's GONE!" Hinata was damn near shouting to get the words out, a crying mess in my arms.
" What do you mean? What happened? Where's Sakura?" My mind was racing, they're were both just laughing at my expense not five minutes ago.
'What the hell could've happened?'
" Those men. They took Sakura. They took her Naruto!" I released her from my grip and immediately started scanning the area. The alley was dimly lit and I could see a few cars just outside the exit of it. If she had chased them for so long, they couldn't have gotten too far. I tucked Hinata behinds me as I slowly crept toward the parking lot.
"What did they look like?" My voice was calm but I could feel my nerves rattling like a thunderstorm. My hand reaching into my pocket for my phone to call 911.
"Th-That! Naruto behinds us!"
The last image I had still burns bright in my memories. The sight of a tall man in a long white trench coat, greasy black hair, deathly pale skin and a smile only a lunatic could muster. As my eyes turned to face him, his body began to change. His neck began to crack and contort as it lengthened. His casual smile unhinging as it grew to inhuman like proportions. And long fangs accompanied an already large nightmarish mouth.
"Hello children!"
His head lunging at us was the last part of the dream I remember, every time.
'Every God Damn time.'
I woke up again in a start, but this time my blood was boiling. Every time that bastard Orochimaru popped up in my dreams I can feel my blood lust rising. The need to feed aching on my fangs. Drool dripping from the corners of my mouth like a rabid dog.
Then I realized where I was.
Hinata was under me on the couch, my clawed hands gripped firmly around her neck and my exposed fangs so close to the throbbing artery on her neck that ran just under my fingers. She was still fast asleep, the only sign of discomfort being a small moan as my weight shifted on top of her. But as innocent as she was I could still feel the urge to end her life rising, pooling up in my eyes as a sight I needed to see and hammering into my head as something I'd want to remember. Her blood was mine.
'Just. One. Bite.'
'Save this lust for your enemies. Otherwise... you'll have no pack to help you take what is ours. Save your hunger for Orochimaru.'
'That voice again.' I'd been hearing it on and off the last couple days. But I didn't complain, whatever it was had interrupted my thoughts and gave me a second to think about what I was doing. it obviously seemed to benefit the both of us, so I simply heeded it's warning and slowed my breathing. I could feel my claws slowly retracting and my jawline straightening as my teeth found their respective places. I laid back down, my head on Hinata's chest, listening to her quiet breaths as I wrapped my arms around her waist.
"I'm sorry Hinata." I could still feel my anger ragging inside, caught off by my sudden withdrawal. Leaving a hole in me, hungry, angry, and wanting.
xXx
A/N: A little context for y'all.