Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Lies I Told Myself

Key

S.S: Sick Shit (not suitable for the weak-minded or squeamish)

thinking

"talking"

thoughts progressing into speech"

'substitute for italics' (in certain places, like emphasizing something)

/telepathy/

:scene change: (more for my reference than anything else)

POV (automatically Naruto's if left unspecified)

-

Summary: I was a cold, callous individual. I was sarcastic and witty, not a pleasant person to be around. I cut you down with biting words every chance I got and smiled so frighteningly that I made children cry. I was, simply put, an asshole. I never cared what you thought of me. And one day I got bored, so very bored, so I decided to snap.

A/N: Yes, I am quite aware it's been a few months. I'm fine btw, thanks for asking. But really, college eats up most if not all of my free time. That and having a social life. So yeah. Anyway, the warnings from the previous chapter apply, enjoy.

Also, let me make something very clear: I do own certain elements of the story. One such example is Living/Dead Chakra. (You can see evidence in my other stories.) So if you would like to use them, expand upon them, by all means feel free, I do not mind. I only ask that you credit me in your disclaimer.

And another thing, in this fic, Anko has not been inducted into the T&I unit. She is a stranger to torture and the things Naruto has done shock her. In fact, she will never be drafted by Ibiki. She was made a Tokubetsu Jounin because of her long-range combat skills, not because of T&I as in canon. So do not accuse me of making her into a pussy.

WARNING: See beginning A/N: previous chapter. I hate repeating myself.

-

Hate is Such

A Mean

Word

But Love

Is A

Lie

Knaji

-

Chapter Twelve: What Does Not Kill You, Makes You A Sociopath

:Outskirts of Konoha, Forested Area:

It is October the Tenth. I do believe every villager hates this day with a passion. That's the day my tenant attacked. It was also the day I was born. I have never felt a need to celebrate my birthday. I just acknowledge the fact that the body I am inhabiting is getting slightly older and closer to decay. I have already divined the secret to immortality, so I am not worried about dying of something as simple as old age.

Now everything else, that's another issue entirely.

"No, Warai-san, that is incorrect. Watch my movements and adjust yourself as such."

What was I doing at three am on the morning of my birth?

Training my apprentice of course.

Or rather, 'beating the shit out of him' is the proper term. He was still learning the forms and had difficulty using them in a proper spar due to his steadily growing body. My tenant was helpful to me in that regard, always keeping me on my center of balance, but I digress.

He was a quick learner. I had only been training him for six months and he already had the basics of my improvised fighting style down. Granted, it would take him a number of years to learn how to properly extract Living Chakra and modify himself as would be needed to use the more intricate pieces of my style, but he would have plenty of time.

I frown as he punches out sloppily, aiming for my stomach. I snap the joints in my right arm back to an impossible angle, letting the chain of chakra in it come loose and free my hand from the wrist. It swings around and behind him as quickly as a cobra, grabbing him by the leg and hoisting him into the air to hang in front of my face.

Irritation was my expression.

"Wake up Warai-san." I tell him firmly over his squeaks of distress. "You must pay more attention. I could have killed you thirty-five different ways just then; severing your leg and letting you bleed out through your femoral artery was one in particular that I would have been partial to, do you understand?"

I watch as he nods, but I know that he really does not.

Sigh.

Children and their need to sleep. Honestly. I would not bother to wake him so early if it was not to his (and my) eventual benefit.

I sigh, dropping him none too gently to the ground and tossing a scroll at him.

"Study that thoroughly. Practice your forms. When we meet again in a few weeks, I want you to know them by heart. And you have two things to bring to me next time. I want one essay detailing your current knowledge of the Elemental Nations, which ones possess a Kage, what their resources are, so on and so forth. It can be as long as you like. I also want an essay on your current weapons knowledge. They should both be significantly improved from last time. If I do not see any improvement, then we will have to step up the lessons portion of your training and limit the hands-on for a while. As always, I do not want you reading any books. I will know if you have disobeyed me. " I murmur softly to him, making certain my voice carries an undercurrent of warning. He nods warily, possibly remembering the first and only time he ever disobeyed me (and the subsequent punishment), before picking up the scroll and standing at attention. "You are dismissed, Warai-san."

I watch as he scurries off, back into the village, his ANBU watchers following. If he was not Sarutobi's grandson I would have turned him into something significantly more useful by now.

He had a great deal of Living Chakra.

-

WARNING: S.S Ahead! It is not really essential to the plot, at least nothing significant other than to show Naruto's bloodlust and sadistic nature in detail. That and I'm feeling oh so terribly violent. If you do not think you can handle blood, organ removal, gore, torture, or anything of the like, then I suggest you skip down to where it says 'S.S over' and continue from there. I will not be held liable for vomit-ruined keyboards.

"Oh Kami, please don't-GURK!" my newest experiment screams, vomiting up a mass of blood onto his chest which drips down to the floor of my laboratory. I cease my actions briefly to contemplate what I shall do with the overweight, balding shopkeeper's vocal chords before frowning and simply immersing them in a waiting jar of cryogenic solution so they will not decay.

"I do apologize greatly, Ringo Sera-san, but I have need of testing something and you just happened to attempt to 'grace' me with a gift of rotten apples today. As you have done almost every day, for the past five years. I do not enjoy having rotten fruit lobbed at the back of my head. That and I do not particularly want to hear your screams, as they give me headaches." I murmur distractedly, focusing on cutting open the man's chest despite his incessant squirming. It was not every day that I got to do an autopsy on a living human being. 1

I wanted to see if a mere human could function without a few major organs as well as how well they could stand up to torture. I had a feeling this man would not last terribly long at all.

I would start with the lungs, but first I had to crack open his sternum and shatter some ribs. Unfortunately for him, I had misplaced my only bone saw and I was itching to use my hands.

It was no great loss, especially since I wanted to feel his bones break and bend beneath my fingers.

I had the power to give him life.

I had the power to take his life.

It was nothing short of magnificent.

"Do attempt to stay still Ringo Sera-san as this will hurt...," I tell him as I wrap my hands around his sternum, each finger in between a rib. He begins to squirm again and I smile, tightening my grip marginally. I had to gather my strength for this. I let the Living Chakra in my arms build, grow, expand into my muscles before clutching tighter, feeling the bone begin to bow under my growing force, and pulling upward. His body almost comes completely off of the table before the bone finally gives way with a loud and almost sickening crack, and then I have his sternum in my hands. "...greatly."

He screams and thrashes about, no doubt from the immense pain that comes from essentially having the entirety of your chest bones ripped from your body without anesthetics, but I strap him down even tighter, going about the breaking of a few more troublesome ribs methodically.

I was not satisfied in the least.

More had to be done, so I picked up a heavy pair of surgical scissors, watching his eyes widen and his frantic, yet subdued thrashing begin anew as I head for his chest. I give him a small smile, sharpening the otherwise dull blades with chakra and snipping the bronchial tube neatly before placing the lung I just acquired into another jar of cyrogenic solution.

I place the scissors down, wiping a thin spray of blood from my face and mask before cauterizing the bleeding wound and moving on. His breathing begins to grow a bit quicker, but not life-threatening, so I continue.

I debate whether or not to put his vocal chords back in. He looked quite angry and in pain. It would be nice to hear his opinion on things. Other scientists would never get the opinion of their subjects. (Of course, other scientists have foolish morals that would prevent them from doing this.) They would not care to hear what they had to say, but I did. I wanted to know how he felt. I needed to know when he hit his pain threshold and started spouting gibberish. I would replace them later than sooner.

"Are you hurting, Ringo Sera-san?" I ask rhetorically, trying to contain my glee as I reach into his opened body, pushing aside masses of flesh to grasp at his kidneys. I do not bother to be delicate, pulling hard on the organs and ripping them from his ventral cavity. More blood leaks into the ventral cavity before I cauterize the wounds, dropping the organs into another cryo jar. I raise an eyebrow as he shudders, letting loose the contents of his bowels. I wrinkle my nose as the sickening stench hits me before cutting off abruptly."Thank you tenant. That is quite disgusting, Ringo Sera-san...I do believe I will make you clean that up."

I tighten his bindings before replacing his vocal chords. It would take a bit before his body began to shut down. I would keep him alive with the Pure Chakra drip for quite a while.

"You little bastard! Wait 'til the police hear about this!" he begins to vent, as I cut away the seat of his pants and underwear, taking the excrement soaked pieces in my gloved hands. "When I get out of here I'm gonna-geck!"

I cut him off, shoving the filth into his mouth and holding my hand over the orifice so he has no choice but to choke it down or suffocate. He swallows, tears forming in his eyes from the pain. I remove my hand, only to punch him hard in the nose as he attempts to spit at me.

What was it with my experiments and spitting?

"You are such a bad boy Ringo Sera-san. Defecating in your clothes like that and then even trying to spit at me and cursing! What a filthy mouth! You are such an infant today." I tell him patronizingly over his moans of pain, rubbing my dirty gloved hand down the side of his face in a mockery of a caring gesture. The stench was probably putrid, thankfully my tenant had the foresight to block my sense of smell. "Now I have to clean you up and take care of you."

I crank the table he is lying on into a diagonal position before cutting off his clothing to leave him nude. I then strip off my gloves, making certain to drop them into the biohazard bin as I wash my hands and put on new ones. I finish and grab the water hose, hooking it to the sink and turning the water up as hot as possible.

For those of you that are not aware, I keep industrial grade sinks in my laboratory for medical cleaning purposes. This means that the water can reach temperatures of three thousand degrees Fahrenheit in a matter of seconds if I do not use the regulator. 2

I will leave the rest to your own deduction.

Keep in mind that I am assuming you have a brain in that skull of yours, even if it is the size of an amoeba.

I adjust the hose's nozzle enough that the stream of water narrows so that I can aim it properly before letting the trigger go. The water stream stops as I turn towards my experiment, my tenant temporarily blocking my hearing for me as well.

Thank you, tenant.

I had no delusions that this would be pleasant.

I grasp the trigger again, pulling back as quickly as possible and letting the stream of water fly. It hits him squarely in the groin and I watch, fascinated, as the soft tissues of his penis, scrotal sack, and surrounding muscles literally 'melt' from his pelvis. The white of bone shone like a beacon in the sterilty of my laboratory. I couldn't hear his screams, but from the damage, the veins bulging in his neck and temples, and his facial expression, left me with no doubt as to the amount of pain he was experiencing at the moment.

It was really quite interesting, I could not believe that the man was still conscious though. The amount of mental strain he must be going through should be horrifying at this point. I bid my tenant to relinquish control of my hearing, immediately regretting my decision as sharp, agonizing screams fill the air. Thankfully, my tenant reacts quickly, blocking my auditory sense once more.

I sigh in relief before letting a smile cross my face as I lift my head to look at the apple seller.

"You look haggard, Ringo Sera-san." I tell him. It was strange, not being able to hear myself speak. "But, I regret to inform you, we are not finished yet."

I watch as he fights through the pain, trying desperately to loosen his bindings. I recognized the look in his eyes. He was nothing but an animal. A frightened, inferior animal that just happened to walk on two legs and have opposable thumbs.

He was a human.

He was pathetic.

Oh so pathetic. Not fit to breathe the air of the world.

I would purge him.

Cleanse the earth of them all.

They would either end up as my servants, experiments, or dead.

No exceptions.

I notice Dai coming out of an adjacent room. I didn't mind him watching, in fact, I encouraged it. He needed to learn what could happen to him if he did not listen. I frequently stressed to him that it would not be very difficult at all to anchor his soul back into his body.

And torture him to the brink of death.

I wasn't expecting him to fly swiftly at me as I turned the hose back onto the apple seller, that was my mistake, but it would soon be his.

Don't rough up his mental facilities too badly tenant, I still need an experiment capable of thinking and or problem-solving.

My tenant nods to me before starting to play with Dai. The fool would never attempt a possession of his master again after this.

I return to my work, aiming the water at his leg this time. I couldn't help but laugh as his muscles melted away, it was like watching a horror movie, except significantly more hilarious.

Hm, I am growing bored though. I sigh, shutting off the water and picking up a surgical knife before cutting off one of the apple sellers index fingers. I cauterize the stump and the end of the severed finger before heading into the next room, handing it to Maki.

She needed a good treat and I needed a break. The apple seller would be fine for a few days.

Hm.

I wonder what Anko-san is up to.

S.S over.

-

:Hokage Tower:

Sarutobi

I honestly did not know what to do. Naruto was getting worse and worse as time wore on. I had no desire to kill him, since I loved him like my own son, but what could I do?

I wonder if Anko could help him. They seemed to be very close. Perhaps she could bring him out of this...this pit of evil he was falling into.

But I would have to let her know what he had been doing, I could not let her go into this halfway.

Kami-sama, don't let this break her. Don't let her see him as I do...

As another Orochimaru...

"Shimizu-san?" I call to her through the speaker, trying to keep my voice steady even though my finger was shaking on the call button.

"Hai, Hokage-sama?"

"Please send a missive to Mitarashi Anko for a meeting with me, ASAP."

"Hai, Hokage-sama!"

I release the call button with a deep sigh, massaging my temples before reaching for my pipe.

"Kami-sama...please let this end well..."

-

Anko

I-I couldn't believe the news that Hokage-sama had just dropped on me. It was unreal. There was no way in hell it could be real. Yes, Naruto was a strange kid, but these experiments? Killing people for chakra? Turning Ronin Hiroshi into some kind of chakra construct? No way.

"Hahaha!" I laugh, playing this off as a very bad joke. I knew my laughing sounded nervous. I didn't want it to be true. Naruto was a sweet kid who had bit the bad end of the stick in life. He was like me...shunned for something he couldn't control, for something someone had forced on him, he...he couldn't be like him, he just couldn't! "Good one Hokage-sama! You had me going there for a minute! Now what did you really need? Someone killed? Escort mission to the Daimyo's palace? Did the Fire Lady want us to try finding her cat again?"

The Hokage's grave look doesn't change and I feel my heart literally turn to ice in my chest and skip a few beats.

"You...you're...you're not kidding...are you?"

He sighs, shaking his head at me before placing a hand over his eyes as if in pain.

"T-th-there's no way! How can you accuse him of this?! Where's your proof?!! I want proof of thi-!" He cuts me off by grabbing my hand and placing it on his crystal ball, bidding me to look into it and concentrate on Naruto. I watch intently, seeing all that he has done, all that he has hidden from me inside my own apartment, and all his smiles when he talks to me, and what he does once I leave or am asleep or otherwise occupied.

"Oh Kami-sama..." I pull away from the ball, managing to make it two steps before falling to the floor and dry-heaving. The withered husks of those women were so much like my old teacher's experiments...Gods..."H-Hokage-sama, w-what can we do? He's a little brother to me, how can I stop him from turning into a monster?! How can I save Naruto?! How can we save hi-?"

I am cut off again, this time by the opening of the doors, and behind them stands Naruto, his cat sitting nestled in his arms. A blank look adorns his face as he looks from me to the Hokage. I am unable to make myself move or wipe the look of guilt from my face. I had the feeling the Hokage was the same way. I watch as the kid I see as a brother steps across the threshold, shutting the door quietly behind him.

I could honestly say that I feared for my life. I felt like a lab rat, on my knees before him.

"So...you've been told then?"

I can barely bring myself to nod. He tilts his head to the side.

"And what do you think of me now, Anko-san?"

I try to keep the growing fear I feel from my body. Naruto, he was such a kind boy. He could have never done those things. He was my little brother. He is not a threat.

But in the back of my head I hear another voice telling me to run. His very presence screamed death, danger, destruction. His chakra felt predatory. I had never felt the waves of danger rolling off of him like this in the many years I had known him.

Me, a Tokubetsu Jounin, cowering in front of the only family I have, and a Genin at that.

I didn't know, at that time, that Hokage-sama was essentially doing the same behind me.

"I-I..." I couldn't answer, my mouth had gone drier than sand. I swallow, trying again. "I don't think any different of you Naruto."

He tilts his head again before asking the same of our leader.

The Hokage says the same, though his subtle offensive stance indicates otherwise.

"I see. I do hate that two of my most favored people not only feel the need to lie blantantly to my face, but also fear me." he replies with a small sigh of resignation. I don't protest his statement and neither does the Hokage. "Oh well. This matter shall be fixed tomorrow. I will cease my experiments on the villagers, although Ringo Sera-san is too far gone to return to any semblance of a normal life. He will need to be put down."

I watch as the Hokage nods stiffly, Naruto saluting him in the proper manner, before turning on his heel and exiting the room.

I release the breath I was holding as I am helped to my feet by Hokage-sama.

"You can still save him Anko. Just remember that he is not too far gone yet." he states before dismissing me.

I leave his office, feeling numb as I walk back to my apartment.

I wouldn't let him turn into another Orochimaru.

I swear it.

Notes of The Footed Kind

1. Ringo Sera is Japanese for apple seller, of course. I was going to go with Appuru Sera-san, but can you really picture this version of Naruto saying that? Really?

2. Yes, they actually do make sinks like this. They are used in slaughterhouses if I remember correctly.

-

Anaki: My characters are psychotic.

RC16: The character is only as psychotic as their creator.

Anaki: Wow, I need some mental help then don't I?

RC16: ...I don't wanna get killed, so no, you don't need mental help.

Anaki: Really? -sharpens a knife-

RC16: Yes, yes, really! -sweats and back away-

Anaki: Yay! -hugs-

RC16: Phew...-wipes sweat and whispers- Crazy bitch...

Anaki: What was that? -grabs knife-

RC16: Nothing!

RC17: -laughs and hugs them both- Hehe, they're so silly aren't they? Make sure you review!