Mortal Mind

Chapter 3 - Pin and Quiet

Previously, Naruto awoken and met someone he presumably diagnosed with "mentally-deranged" but she was cool. She was tasked by The Rairon Organization to watch over and eliminate the target if he was deemed a threat to the nation. Now, Naruto have to complete an almighty task that may be the hardest he'd ever done, acceptance of destiny.

"GAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGHHH!" The anguished scream of a boy echoes in the abyss of all dreadful nightmares. His distressed came neglect and scorned by deaf ears for they are the cause of his harrowing horror. The swishing of operating tools stinged his ears and jagged abruptly along his skin, shaping his skin into nothing but shredded ribbons. The gloved hand held up a cleaver as the boy could only watch with terror stricken eyes as it swings down to his shoulder, completely detaching it from its host.

"GRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Blood splatter around the operating table forming a horrifically gruesome mess which no eyes of men may glance upon. The terrorizer did not end there but continued amputating every limb and every part that lives. The boy no longer have the energy to scream deafeningly from the endless hours of torture but can only watch in distraught.

A trolley rolled to the operator and on it was a metallic container, he opened the lid cautiously with a gas mask and purple liquid could be seen bubbling ominously. Organised glass syringes was stacked close by and he soon began sucking the container dry. All filled syringes were punctured meticulously on every vital part of the boy's organs and he could only eyeball while wishing death to be before him. It was only the beginning as the surgeon and his assistant formed a handsign simultaneously and the liquid within invades the domain, eradicating every living cell and organism in its wake.

The boy was gaping horridly, staring endlessly at the light shone above him as unimaginable pain course perpetually through his throbbing veins. The practitioner observed keenly with heinous eyes, seemingly engrossed to his subject's inevitable outcome. All living tissues perished, devoured by the acidic substance. His internal organs ruptured violently to even his blood was no more. His skin greys cold and barren then all recognition of what he was or what he pertains, resembles a lifeless corpse. It was like as if Life was literally torn out piece by piece in a agonizingly tedious process.

However, life lingers in the depths of his eyes, prevailing the impossible while even sustaining its impurity. "We've tested everything…" The man spoke slyly while maintaining his thrilling shock. "...that should have brought a mortal to the 'depths' in a second. But He! He REMAINS INTACT WITHIN!" The man laughed maniacally at this wonderful discovery. "Active regeneration! Unlimited Blood Supply! Adaptive Capabilities! THIS IS IT! THE OUTCOME I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR AFTER ALL MY YEARS RESEARCHING - ENDLESS DISCOVERY - THIS IS THE TRUE REINCARNATION OF IMMORTALITY! HAHAHAHAHAAAA!" His eyes spun in a twisted manner like wheels but he then remained extremely calm while holding back his endless murmuring. "BUT! There's one final test to necessarily deemed its nature. DECAPITATIOOOOOOON!"

The boy's head was positioned over the edge of the table and a wooden basket was placed below. He was staring lifelessly at the man holding the rope which will trigger a huge razor sharp blade to make a steep plunge upon his neck. "If you die, your head will be stacked neatly along with my faithful subjects." Neon light shone wall to ceiling across the huge chamber indicating how fucked up this man really is. Storeys of shelves reached the wall and layers of layers there were dismembered heads, stacked neatly side by side, their faces etched in permanent horror. "You might possibly be positioned in the 'Hall Of Fame' for surviving the longest. 301 days and 7 hours! That's a new record!" He congratulated in a boisterous tone. "Now, TIME TO PRESENT YOUR AWARD!" He forcefully pulled the rope with an insane glee, laughing hysterically as the blade latched off the safety, plunging towards his neck.

Naruto startly woke up feeling someone poking the back of his neck. "Senpai! Stop dozing off." Amena whispered harshly to his ear for they were in the library, going back to do her task as he grouchily sat up straight. It has already been three weeks after the Uchiha enrolled into the Academy and claimed she have the obligation to be responsible for his studies. As much as he antipathies her help, how could he disagree under the circumstances and steady progression? She had been a huge help to get him off his ass and brought him from absolute zero to deadlast, at least that's...something.

"Maaan..." The Uzumaki grumbled glancing at the Uchiha annoyingly. "...you're acting like my mother."

She looked away puffing up her cheeks then pouts. "If that's what you think then I have no objections...at least finish up your history report." She whispered timidly as the blonde eye her confusingly.

"So troublesome. Such acceptance. Wow…" He yawns wide as a dish, a small tear forming off his eye. He eyes fixated lazily to his paper causing him to produce a small frown. "Tch, I would if any of it made sense."

Amena finished off her last numbers and peered at him curiously. "What'd you mean?"

"As a great man once said, History is written by the victors. Meaning, everything that is known and forgotten was burn to ashes, scripts of the previous era lost touch of the next generation. Victors of the precedent overwritten to their claim." Naruto stated with a slight hint of distaste in his words which did not go unnoticed by Amena. "For example, The motives of Madara Uchiha. Turn the world into everlasting peace through violence and vengeance. Eradicate all opposing force and leave nothing for the weak…" Naruto rolled his eyes remembering all the lecturers had claim. "On another source, he was the ally and friend of the great sage, Hashirama Senju. Long story short, their clans fought a senseless war and the survivors of the next generation gave up their conflict of violence and made peace upon all for the uprising of the next generation."

"He wasn't the most influential but he was a pillar of the bridge." Amena muttered and Naruto agreed wholeheartedly.

"That's right. No one really knew what turned him into the enemy of the nation but as fact states, Uchihas are emotionally driven. No offence. But I'm not narrow-minded, there are things yet to be known and discover, in this world so ugly yet beautiful." Naruto ended it by laying back and hands tuck behind his head in a relaxing manner. Naruto glanced at Amena as she looks at him endearingly. He blushed at her stare and stutters. "W-what are you looking at?!"

She simply smiled sweetly. "I didn't know you could be so poetic. It's an intriguing side of you." The Uchiha mildly said causing the blonde to slump back onto his chair with an irritated sigh. When the clothing on his neck was lowered, she noticed a distinctive tattoo engraved to his collarbone. "Hm…? Senpai, you were in a gang?" She had been meaning to ask about it ever since she treated him.

He quirked his head and immediately positioned himself straight. "Yeah, it was a long time ago." Naruto mused remembering the days.

"Did you quit? Because you became the 9th Paradigm?" To say it was a long time concludes he was quite young.

"Nope, that had nothing to do with it. I quit before all that happened." He claimed in an apathetic tone. "At the time when I was working odd jobs, things didn't really bode well for me. I thought I could make it through all that hardships if I worked hard by myself. Climb up the ladder and see where can I get myself into. I was even promoted at a Professional level." He snickers solemnly and continued. "I got cocky. Truth was, I couldn't do anything on my own. Before I knew it, It was already too late. I was alone in my own clan." Amena quietly paid attention as he unfolds his history. "To tell you the truth, when I ended up with this stupid life as the 9th Paradigm, I thought…" He held up his hands and gestured like as if the weight of the world is upon his very palms. "I bet I could solve a few of the world's problems using this power. I could kill heinous criminals, wipe corrupt politicians, stuff like that." He grip his palms, knowing the prospects to what it takes.

"Senpai, that's…!"

Amena injected but he went on looking discontent. "I know. I can't do that. Someone like me can't just go out and change the world on a whim."

She looked at him passively, piecing together his statements. "Is that why you hide your true form and live as an ordinary human?"

Naruto turn to her and took a moment to answer then paste dubious smirk. "Maybe. Honestly, this Biju power is out of my league. I doubt I could even handle it well. I rather have nothing to do with it." A wish for a normal life is a gift till the end, simple and understanding.

She put a finger on her chin then looked at him thoughtfully. "In a sense, that sounds more like you're making excuses for not doing anything."

Naruto deadpans with a twitch. "Wh-What? That's how it sounded to you? I just said something noble!"

She unexpectedly beamed a smile. "You're right. Actually. it changed my opinion of you a little."

Naruto became flustered. "R-Really?"

"Hai." The raven haired smiled reassuringly which seemingly motivated the blonde to finish his homework.

They step off the library into the streets but was confronted by a crowd of people scurrying along the streets in one direction. Amena looked curiously wondering what was the commotion. "What's going on?"

Naruto breathed out dejectedly. "It's happening again, huh? They're heading towards the square, seems like an execution is about to take place."

She turned to him with an absurd expression. "Execution?!"

"You haven't been here that long so this might give you a chance to scratch the iceberg." Naruto warned her but he knew she would pick up the hint. "Your choice."

"I understand." She stood firmly gazing intently at the growing crowd. "Lead me to there." Naruto bit his tongue then lead her to the village square of the supposed event.

They came upon a scene of a malnourished half-naked man desperately dragging a heavy 4 meter long cross in the middle of the street. A masked man flaunt out a whip made of glass and fibre and whipped the man's back, severely shredding off his skin to which he went sprawling onto the cold unforgiving path. Bystanders cringed at the sight, their eyes could only stare helplessly as the man violently coughed out blood.

"ON YOUR FEET, WEAKLING!" The masked man once again whip his back repeatedly without mercy, flesh and blood once again sprawled all around him. The asshole stomped the wound on his leg forcing the man to moan and cry out under excruciating pain, grieving for the love it would end.

"W-what is going on?" Amena muttered shakily, her eyes frozen at the sight.

Naruto watched impassively but behind those blue orbs hides wicked intentions. "He committed treason against the Capitol. Whatever he had done, he's sentenced to a death row...without parole." Naruto glanced at the crowd, their teeth were gritting heavily as the dickhole continues stomping the man violently. "Caged in a cell exposed by the environments, if he managed to survive the period within a year, he will be granted the journey home. It was a looong way and now he's here."

"W-why would he go so much trouble to return?"

"For he wishes to die in his homeland instead of the shithole." It was not Naruto whom answered but a local villager, glaring distastefully at the person within the caravan before the executioner.

Amena looked back at the ordeal, her eyes becoming cold blood and hateful. "This...this isn't right." Her grip on Murasame tightens, her evil intentions were leaking which didn't go unnoticed by Naruto as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't be hasty…"

She glared desperately at Naruto, her red eyes watery and seeping. "I can't simply stand here and watch! I have to do something!" She fiercely exclaimed or hope will soon diminished.

"You will share the same fate if you lay a hand on that fuckface!" Naruto warned bitterly as the hate flows through his veins. "What you will do is to give him respect!" Naruto urged her looking at her spiraling red eyes.

"TADASHI!" A female villager ran through the crowd onto the severely injured man. His eyes was full of faith as she touched his face for the first time in a long time.

"SsSa-saki-chan!" Tears formed in his eyes as he touched her hands remembering how soft they were. Their heartfelt reunion came to a swift halt as a shadow looms over them menacingly.

The shitfaced sneered scornfully. "Eeeeeeehhh? Even a scum has a she-whore?! You're both worthless for being born!" He whipped out his weapon and swung it behind his shoulder lashing out against the sound barrier. "FEAST YOUR EYES, PEASANTS!"

He swung it towards them but she would not hesitate to protect her beloved. They wait for the inevitable pain but the sound of the ear-shattering momentum was broken by steel. They opened their eyes and saw a raven-haired with her back facing protectively towards them. Amena glared passively at the masked individual sneering in disgust. Her rage was surging overwhelmingly within when he spat saliva before her feet.

"Leave this man at be, don't you dare intervene!" She demanded sorely, her clan trait revolving intensely in her eyes with Murasame still clad in its sheath.

"WHY IS THIS WORM IN MY WAY?! Leave or succumb to my WRATH, FIEND!" He lashed out his whip and swung it once again towards the interference while chortling in a hideous manner. A yellow blur appeared before them and his glass-whip got bind by the arm of the blue eyed.

"Harming innocent civilians will violate the law of this village. Do not cause further unnecessary disruption to this man's ongoing sentence." Naruto stated sternly holding back the pain from the shards of glass puncturing his arm.

The masked coward looked around him wary of the hostility aiming towards him. He was about to bicker but the person in the caravan voiced out. "Let them be, executioner. We've wasted enough time thanks to your nonsense."

The fuckhead sneered with a spat then pulled back his whip forcing Naruto to be on his knees grunting in pain. "Senpai!" Amena went for his aid when she felt a malevolent presence manifesting. The villagers around them willingly separate themselves from the crowd to voluntarily accompany the man to his final destination. One by one, they walked in without question. When he reached the square, the guards dismissed the companions allowing the executioner to hammer the death row onto the cross. His palms bound by nails and the cross was raised firmly on its base. He dangled lifelessly, gazing weakly at the spectators below and his lover mourning for him. He peered to the horizon, then embrace the rays of the Sun for the last time, accepting the fate luring ahead, drawing his last gasp of air before succumbing to demise. Their heads were lowered as the man part ways from the world of the living to the depths unknown. The crowd soon shrunk, leaving the corpse to its natural cycle.

Later

Naruto's apartment

They sat quietly in Naruto's room as Amena plucks off the glass shrapnel carved in his arm. She released the pincer onto the tray of glass and continued plucking delicately as the blonde simply watched intently, wondering what was going on in her mind but he could tell she was upset. She was only wearing her usual sleeveless black shirt and pants as casual home wear. "Wow. You're really handy in this kind of stuff." She held back a snicker then punctured his arm. "OW! I'm sorry!" At least he got a smile.

"Stop whimpering." She scolded playfully, tending to his arm gently. "We were proficiently trained in the medical arts, this is actually my third time applying it to someone." She gestured multiple handsigns and a green glow emerged. She then tenderly applied them over his wound causing him to whimper. "This'll hurt a bit." Tiny particles of glass made their way off his veins, into his skin and onto the tray. "That's better…" She smiled softly and Naruto could only watch as she opens the first aid kit. "Senpai…"

"Hmm?"

"What was your gang like?" She asked curiously, turning her head towards the picture on his bedside table.

Naruto smirked looking at the yakuza portrait as she rubs antibacterial alcohol. "They were the type to never miss a single day of someone's happiness. It wasn't a happy beginning but the boss found me in a dumpster when I was just a kid. They brought me up with more things than I need and I had to admit I got really spoiled. Still, they were the only people to call family, brothers tied to an unbreakable bond." He finished wandering lost in thought.

Amena then applied the bandages, wrapping them around gently. "Why did you leave?"

Naruto looked her in the eyes earnestly but smiled nonetheless. "Sorry Amena, it's not for you to know." She nodded understandably, not persuading to know what was behind that painful smile. "Where were you born?"

It was his turn and she answers honestly without hesitation. "I don't know." It earned a questionable brow. "Everyone in the High God Forest was an orphan. Gifted children were brought there from all over the nation and raised to be shinobis. That is the purpose for which Rairon was created, after all."

"Sorry…" Naruto apologized before glancing down in a guilty manner.

She shook her head lightly. "Oh, I didn't mean I'm lonely because I don't have a family." She leaned forward giving him an assuring smile. "I had good friends there." The Uchiha continued to tend to his arm but Naruto suddenly cried out in pain as the pressure was too tight.

"OW! Amena! Did you really finish the course?" Naruto exclaimed suspiciously earning a flustered look from the The Sword Shaman.

"Of course I did!" She stiffened up in embarrassment and crossed her arms defensively.

"Huuuuh? Really?" He reinforced the question by shoving his arm at her face. "This doesn't look like a proper bandage to me! You didn't even tied the end properly!" Naruto proceed to undo the knots which earned an outrage reaction.

"What are you doing?!" She demanded latching onto his arm to cut off his advance.

"What does it look like?!" He yelled but she refused to give in to her mistake.

Letting out a groan, Amena covered her face with a couch pillow before shoving it in Naruto's face. "There's no way I'm letting you! You can't even help yourself!" She complained as she tried to get him to eat the couch pillow. "I knew I shouldn't have jumped in, but noooo. You were like 'You're gonna get yourself killed Amena-chan. We better not get involved Amena-chan. This is for someone to handle Amena-chan.'" She finished, trying to lower her voice to mimic Naruto's way of speaking.

Sputtering once again he was finally able to garner enough room to breathe again, Naruto managed to fight back in his own way via getting his hands in Amena's face to push her back, "Damn it Amena-chan…" He grit out as the two shoved each other's faces competitively, "What are you talking about?! I never sai-, OW!" Naruto exclaimed when Amena bit his fingers after they got too close to her mouth.

"Just leave it dammit! It's fine the way it is!" The two continued to scuffle until they fell off the couch with a resounding thud onto the floor where neither of them let up, as Amena had landed upright on Naruto and wasn't about to let him go so easily. As a countermeasure, Naruto quickly stuck his own finger in his own mouth before jamming it in Amena's ear, getting her to recoil and put some distance between them.

"OH LIKE HELL! I HAVE O.C.D! I RATHER DIE!"

A grinning Naruto leaned up and smacked her across the face with the pillow she had earlier trying to teach him a lesson with. She almost looked shocked at first before she switched to glaring at him, her long raven hair all sorts of messed up from their scuffle. "I'm going to give you a chance to apologize for that." And in response, Naruto hit her in a similarly hard manner with the pillow thrice more. "WANT ME DO IT FOR YOU THEN?!"

Amena then proceeded to tackle him again and began the disturbance anew.

This continued for several minutes until Naruto and Amena having degenerate to a point where she had trapped Naruto's head between the couch and the wall. With her knees pinning his arms to the floor, she hovered over him and threatened him with a dangling spit instead of jabs.

Aware of the danger looming over him, Naruto desperately wiggled underneath Amena, "Come on, get off already! Is this how you treat your patients?!"

"Oh you are so lucky I drank milk today." Amena replied carefully so as not to end the torture, refusing to acquiesce to Naruto's demand.

Naruto tried to wiggle his head free in disgust for a vain attempt to escape the dangling spit. "NONONONONONONOOO! Amena! Get off!"

"Not unless you promised me not to take it off."

Naruto's response was a fierce expression. "NEVER!" He stated defiantly and Amena simply shrugged her shoulders, supplying more liquid into her torture technique. His head rocks in all possible directions, his reaction sunk into the most horrific and disgusted expression he could possibly muster. Under stressful pressure, Naruto was forced to resort by thrashing his legs around and lifted up his hips, this caused Amena to lose balance and accidentally slant forward. The spit inevitably splat onto Naruto's face but that wasn't their main concern. Their lips were in contact illustrating a full blown mouth to mouth kiss, their eyes were wide as china plates and the red hue on their cheeks grew spontaneously.

"N-Naruto-kun?" Their bodies stiffen then turned their heads towards the doorway and saw a brunette lady, standing nervously. The presence in the door attracted attention as Amena saw that as a good enough reason as any to get off of Naruto without anymore awkwardness, allowing Naruto to sit up and crack his neck after having it stuck at an angle for quite a while.

"Ayame?!" Naruto stuttered with a dawned reaction fluttering his hands upfront. "This is not what it looks like! What are you doing here?!" He freezed up between sentences and the brunette took a step back as her face grew crimson.

"Y-you've been gone for three w-weeks! I-I thought y-you might be h-hungry! The door w-wasn't locked and I got w-worr-! NEVERMIND! I BROUGHT YOU RAMEN! SORRY FOR THE INTRUSION!" She bowed apprehensively and scurried towards the door like a bolt of lighting.

She left a cloud of dust and the awkward silence in the room prevails over their minds, heads bow low in embarrassment and eyes won't meet for they refused to make any form of interaction. This continued for several minutes until the tense silence became so unbearable to a point where they were sweating profusely and Naruto was about to be the first to break the frosty ice. "Amena-ch-"

SLAM

He looked up to find the door slammed shut followed by another slam from the guest room. Naruto breathed out a heavy sigh and muttered. "Gimme a break…"

End of chapter 4 everybody!

If you don't know how Amena looks like in the story there's a link in my profile as well the link to the Fanfic with PICS!

Naruto Uzumaki - 16 years old

Amena Uchiha - 16

Ayame - 19

Tell me what you think of the chapter and advice me for I still have room for improvements.

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