I do not own 'Naruto'
Confrontations
Naruto was hurt. Nothing had ever hurt him this badly before. Not in his thirteen years as a resident of Konoha. Not as a civilian and not as a Shinobi.
He had been beaten.
Stabbed.
Hunted.
Starved.
Burned.
Suffocated.
Crushed.
Poisoned.
He has been physically broken in a year more times than he could count. These things he could handle easily. He could just laugh them off. They all healed after a good night's sleep.
But none of those things could compare to the pain he was feeling.
The pain in his heart.
They ones he had cared for among all others had betrayed him. They had led him on. Given him the hope that he could have happiness.
Yeah right
He wanted to get to his land. He couldn't focus enough to just Shunshin there. So he was walking through the village hoping that he could get there before he lost control.
Unfortunately, he didn't have his Henge on. He wasn't going to wear it any longer. He was tired of hiding.
This didn't go unnoticed by the civilian populace.
"Hey, is that the demon brat?"
"I think it is"
"It looks like he decided to show his true colors."
"Maybe we should teach him a lesson."
Naruto had enough of this. He wouldn't be pushed around by the likes of these weaklings.
He turned to the ones speaking.
"Well go ahead" Naruto stated "try and punish the demon brat"he drew his sword "but he'll fight you back"
The civilians eyed him worriedly. Normally Naruto would just ignore them or give them a little scare.
Not this time.
"We aren't afraid of you demon" one of the braver civilians shouted
Naruto began to chuckle, it was an empty and hollow sound. The way he felt on the inside.
"Yes you are, I can smell it on you" Naruto spoke taking a big in a whiff "because your nothing but weak civilians" he smiled darkly "I already had enough skill to kill you all before I even graduated" he raised his voice "Now come on, who wants to be the first?"
None of the civilians made a move. They couldn't even look at him. They were all terrified of what was standing before them. It wasn't the boy they've tried to break and kill countless times. It was someone who would break them.
Naruto turned to leave. He wasn't going to let them see him when he lost control.
While his back was turned one of the braver and more foolish civilians decided to act. He grabbed a large rock that sat by his leg. With great aim he tossed it to the back of Naruto's head.
The rock made contact and fell off. Thanks to all of the abuse he could barely feel it. Not that he would have, it was a welcome change to the pain in his heart.
Naruto turned and glared at his attacker.
"So one of you cowards has a bit of courage huh?" he asked "I'll have to fix that"
"Do your worst" the civilian spoke "I am a proud citizen of The Village Hidden in the Leaves"
"It seems that you have, leaf envy." Naruto stated cruelly "Do you know what has leaves?"
"T-trees" he answered
"Yes, trees" he answered "how about it, do you want to be a tree?" he lowered his blindfold and glared the civilian in the eyes "Do you want to feel you bones become brittle like wood?" he asked "To feel your very blood turn to sap?"
Naruto glared into the man's eyes and his eyes began to glow with hatred.
The man felt himself become stiff. His skin became tough with bark an his bones felt as brittle as the branch on a tree. The very blood in his body became thick and slowed as if trapped in his small veins.
The civilian felt as his mind begin to fade. That would have been too easy and too light of a punishment.
Naruto halted the process to study his work. He would allow the man to keep his mind. That way he would endure all of the punishment.
The unnamed civilian was stuck in his pose. Over half of the civilian's body was wood. His eyes were looking around wildly for any kind of help. Help that he wouldn't be getting from the other civilians.
They didn't want to share his fate.
Time to finish this
He stood back and opened his coat. A mass off blurs began to jump from its depths.
The sky began to fill with dozens upon dozens of birds.
Woodpeckers
They made their way to the man tree.
They flew onto him and began pecking. Digging their powerful beaks into various parts of his wooden hide. He couldn't scream as they began removing his eyes from his head. He could only endure as they broke into him and began making a nests in his body.
But he wouldn't die.
The wood peckers glared at the remain civilians, daring one of them to come forward.
Naruto had left the minute the woodpeckers arrived.
He was finally at his destination, his home.
He finally lost control. His tears began to fall down his cheeks fast. There was no longer anyway he could hold them back. He wouldn't have any way, not here. This was his place of peace.
Surrounded by his family.
The foxes didn't know what was wrong with Naruto. They just knew that he was hurt and need comforting.
"Thanks guys" he spoke earning a growl "and girls" this earned a yip "I knew I could always count on you all."
He could.
-HOSPITAL-
Naruto was sure that the Chunin exams were over. He no longer felt chakra being tossed around from the tower. He did feel a few of his friends end up in the hospital.
He decided to check on them. Unfortunately the doctors and receptionist were being difficult.
"Just tell me were Rock Lee is" Naruto shouted
Usually he wouldn't need to ask. Unfortunately Lee was a special case. Without any chakra Naruto couldn't tell if he was going to find Lee or enter an empty room. He was tempted to use his clones to find the room for him.
"He's resting and doesn't need company from your kind" she hissed "so leave before I call ANBU to escort you out."
"Do you have tree envy?" Naruto asked
The receptionist paled. Many had heard about what had happened in the village earlier that day and didn't want the same. She didn't believe it at first, but now...
"Naruto stop harassing the receptionist" A lazy voice spoke "You're making a lot of noise."
"Kakashi, who am I up again in the finales?" Naruto asked
"And what makes you think you passed?" Kakashi asked amused eyes still in his book
"Because I beat Kiba" Understatement of the year Naruto thought I thrashed him
"You're fighting Neji Hyuga in the first round"
"Alright, Kakashi..."
"I know what you're going to say" Kakashi interrupted "but I won't be able to train you for the finale"
"I wasn't going to ask for training, not from you" Naruto growled "I just want Lee's room number since she" he pointed to the receptionist "is giving me a hard time." Naruto turned to leave
"Wait Naruto" Kakashi called "Sasuke is up against Gaara"
"And?" Naruto didn't care about the Uchiha
"So I need somethings from you" He continued "Your sword and any other dances you've made, they'll be the surprised since they're original"
"What?" Naruto growled "You actually expect me to hand over my weapon and hard work?"
"Don't worry" Kakashi spoke "you'll get the sword back, Sasuke just needs it to cast a few illusions until he wins"
"And what about me?" I can't wait to here this "what do I do while your training the Uchiha?"
"Well since your up against Neji you should quit"
"What?"
"Well with out you sword you have no Genjutsu" Kakashi reasoned "not that they would work against a Hyuga"
"No" Naruto answered evenly "those Genjutsu are mine, not the sword" he explained "as for the dances, forget it. I spent countless nights training those skills, I'm not just going to hand them over"
"Fine, if you want to be difficult" he spoke " as your superior I order you to hand them over."
The room went deathly cold. The sudden change caused Kakashi to look away from his book. He saw the source of the change. A pissed Naruto Uzumaki.
"Listen to me Hatake" Naruto whispered "If you ever try something like this again, well here's a sample"
Fox Glare
Kakashi was in a small and nearly empty room. All that he could see was his sensei, his former team and a copy of his favorite book... next to a kunai
"Hello Kakashi" they spoke as one
"Sensei, R-"
"Don't speak" they snapped "It's time for you punishment"
Punishment He though what do they mean
"What's happening?" he asked
"We are going to read a copy of your book to you" they answered
"...How is that punishment?"
"It's the Yaoi version" they answered "and the only way out is to kill yourself"
"That's..." he didn't know what that was
"If you do it then you gain our respect and our forgiveness" the spoke "but you'll be shamed like your father as a coward."
"...And if I don't?"
"We kill Sasuke and leave Sakura to you" they picked up the book "you have until we reach the end to decide."
-REAL WORLD-
Everyone who saw what had happened couldn't believe it. One minute Naruto was talking to Kakashi, the next, Kakashi passed out. Many Sensei's, who were here to check up on their students, saw the whole thing. Even his former Himes had saw the ordeal but were too afraid to step in.
The shock only increased as he gave a cruel but hollow laugh.
"I will comeback to check on my friends" he spoke coldly "tell the others what you saw" he leaned and whispered "or I'll come for you, do you hear me?" he asked "I'm talking pain, razor blades and lemon juice."
The receptionist nodded frantically.
Naruto vanished in a Shunshin
-INUZUKA COMPOUND-
Naruto felt like kicking himself. He had actually forgotten about Hana during the ordeal. She was the only one not in any of those pictures he saw.
He decided to sneak around to her window. It would be unlikely if most of the clan didn't hate him more for hurting Kiba.
"Hana" he called "Inu-Hime"
Her window opened and he humped right to it, never entering. He looked to his Inu-Hime and saw that she was upset. So did the triplets who hung around her feet. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had her angry.
"Why?" she asked through tears "why did you do it?"
"Do what?" please don't mean...
"Don't play dumb" she shouted getting the triplets riled further "why did you hurt Kiba so badly?"
"It was a match and I...I lost control" he admitted "but I-"
"No, I don't want to hear it" she stated "your nothing but a monster"
Monster
Monster
Monster
"No... Hime" he begged "don't, don't say that."
She was his last Hime. The last person important to him.
"Get out" she ordered, when he didn't she put on the claw he got for her "I SAID LEAVE"
"Hime" he took a step in toward her
"DON'T TOUCH ME" she screamed
In her anger she lashed one of the claws out toward him. The blades cut him deep across the neck drawing a mass of blood.
The triplets saw this as a signal and attacked Naruto. One bit into an arm and one into a leg. The last one tackled him causing all four of them to fall out of the window.
"Hime"
It was the last thing he gurgled before he dispersed into a column of black petals.
The look of betrayal would be forever burned into Hana's mind.
"Naruto" she cried "I-I'm sorry"
But it was too late...
He was gone.
-HOME-
That was it, he was done. He had nothing left. He had no Himes and he definitely had no love for the village.
"So you are just giving up?"
Don't worry, I'll still free you.
"That's not what I asked."
What else is there for me? I have nothing left.
"What did you have before meeting them?"
Nothing but my fox family
"Exactly, it's just like starting over."
...starting over?
"Yes, starting over without restraint."
Restraint?
"Yes, no more of your Himes holding you back."
Holding me back?
"...What are you a parrot?"
...A parrot? He couldn't resist
"The point is, you won't have to keep yourself restrained for them, relying on simple parlor tricks." The fox growled "Remember what happened in the forest?"
How could I forget?
"The only reason I started helping again was because you found your resolve.
We went over this already Kyuubi.
"Yes we did, and when you gave in, but only partially"
Parti...
"Don't you start that again!" Kyuubi snapped
Sorry
"You were so focused on saving Anko that you still held yourself back."
I-I'm sorry
"I can make you a stronger, better you, not held back by your emotions for them" the fox whispered "but for me to do that, you have to let go"
MAYBE I WAS A 'LITTLE' HARD ON KAKASHI?
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