Dedicated: to Rainbowbats, for her/his amazing review. If I got reviews like that every day, I would totally write an entire book if that's what the reviewer wanted –dies from happiness–

Next chapter will be longer, seeing as this is a something reminding of a filler, yet holding some importance. Yay.

You are one of God's mistakes

M u r d e r

P a r t IV

Itachi was a calm man. There were times when he felt like the world came crashing down on him, there were times when he felt miserable and pathetic. There were times like that for him too.

The only difference between him and all the other human beings on Earth was that while they bathed in misery, he kept himself together and faced it. He wasn't emotionless, and he had feelings.

He just did the healthy thing and kept them bottled up inside.

Yet, when he saw his favourite spider like that – pathetically crushed under a shoe – he felt the anger boil inside. He glared up at the owner of the shoe, his eyes slightly wider than normally. His lips were still parted, having tried to warn his father from stepping on his dear, dear spider.

"What have I said about letting those things wander around in the house?" Fugaku's voice was calm, but that only made Itachi angrier. He hadn't been this upset since Sasuke had put a gum in his beautiful hair while he was asleep when they were younger.

"Father..." Itachi took a deep breath. "...I hate you."

Fugaku's eyes widened in shock, and the kitchen sounds came to a stop behind them, Mikoto too being surprised.

"Excuse me?"

"You murderer!" Itachi growled out. Fugaku's ears turned red, like they always did when he became angry. "You killed her!"

"I did not," Fugaku snarled back. "I merely stepped on a disgusting insect."

"She was not an insect, father." Itachi refused to look at his father, trying to calm down. But the feeling was taking over him – and he mistook the shock and sorrow, that he should have felt, for anger. "She was my pet. I've had her for more than a year!"

"Get over it, Itachi," Fugaku murmured as he massaged his temples. "Why couldn't you just have turned into a normal child? But no, instead you have to do everything that's not normal. You're asocial, asexual and you play with spiders instead of getting a dog."

"I'm not abnormal," Itachi defended. Never before had Fugaku said such a thing direct to his face. Although he had always suspected this from his father, it was a difference. To hear it like this, being called abnormal.

"But you are," Fugaku insisted. "I would scream in joy if you told me this minute that you were heterosexual. Or homosexual – doesn't matter!"

Itachi closed his eyes, feeling like he had been slapped in his face. He knew that a lot of parents probably had these kinds of arguments – parents to homosexuals wishing that their children were heterosexual.

Instead, his father told him this. He cleared his throat, nodding once.

"I'm sorry, father, for being such a disappointment." And with that, he left the kitchen. He could feel his mother's stare. While he put on his jacket and shoes, he heard his father speak up,

"These shoes were new..."

UAUAUA

Naruto tried not to panic. He breathed slowly – inhaling sharply – through his parted lips. His eyes were barely open, and what he saw was blurry. The room was so damp – hot, yet wet. The yellow lights in Manda's terrarium were bothering his eyes, making his head hurt.

The low hiss on the other side of the glass wall made Naruto whimper, and he pushed himself harder against the other wall. The rats – white and brown with naked tails – squeaked and longed for freedom. Just like him.

To think that he had reached the level where he compared himself to rats.

He breathed again, the wet and warm air stocking in his throat. He closed his eyes fully, trying to think of something else than Manda's sharp fangs and the rats' whining. The crash outside helped him lose focus on Manda's hisses, and he sat straighter.

He tugged a little in the hem of his jeans unconsciously, nervously wondering what Orochimaru was doing out there. His father had the grace of a cat – he would never stumble like a mere mortal. When he didn't hear anything after the crash – not even a low mumble of vulgar curses – he tried to crawl closer to the door.

He moved slowly, uncertain if he dared to make any hasty movements. Manda was on the other side of the glass wall, inside of her terrarium, yet he felt the need to be careful. Snakes weren't his favourite animal, to be honest.

"Who do you think you are?"

Naruto flinched, almost jumping away from the door, when he heard a voice that didn't belong to anyone he knew. Orochimaru's voice was raspier, while this was still young and clear. He knew that Kabuto's voice would never be as dark as this man's voice. He leaned back, closing his eyes to think up a picture of the man who had spoken.

"What kind of pathetic man puts their child in a closet?" The tone was not questioning, as if he didn't want to hear an answer.

Naruto let out a small yelp when the door was opened, and he expected Orochimaru to step inside. He was even more surprised when another man entered. It was the neighbour – the oldest Uchiha child. Naruto couldn't remember the name of Sasuke's older brother, but that wasn't his highest priority on the moment.

Instead, he wondered what the pale man was doing in the room where Orochimaru had installed Manda's terrarium. He got up on his feet, pressing himself against the wall. He wondered why Orochimaru didn't arrive to tell Itachi to leave.

"Come with me, Naruto-kun. I'll take you somewhere nice."

Orochimaru had told Naruto all his life not to go with strangers. He had told him to be careful if he ever needed to talk to a stranger.

Though, this man was technically not a stranger. Naruto had met him before. Naruto was friends with this man's younger brother. He was probably safe. Naruto would probably be safer with this man than with Orochimaru.

Abusive, loving Orochimaru.

"Come," the Uchiha repeated firmly before walking out of the room.

Naruto followed.

To Be Continued

Please leave a review to let me know that you are still interested. I won't continue this if no one is interested.