Rivals
A/N: Here's another chapter for you guys! My brain is fried and I my nose looked like Rudolph yesterday since I had a fever. Ugh. Anyway, reading time!
WARNINGS: Slightly graphic, coarse language.
Naruto sat up groggily, his head pounding and his mouth felt like sandpaper.
"Whaa...?" he mumbled thickly.
"Maa, rise and shine Naruto-kun," a voice hissed amusedly.
Naruto rubbed sleep out of his eyes and peered around the dark room. Where was he? He turned to look at the speaker and was shocked still for a moment before struggling to get off the bed.
"WHY AM I HERE!" Naruto shouted somewhat hopelessly.
Orichimaru simply chucked humourlessly when Naruto slammed his palms together to form a jutsu. As he started mold his chakra, a jolt of blinding pain coursed through his body. He slumped back weakly onto the lumpy futon groaning in agony. Only then did he realise that there was some kind stone cuffs on his wrists. Naruto stared at it while Orichimaru gloated above him.
"Ha! My wonderful inventions stop your ability to mold chakra because it interrupts your chakra flow inside you!" he sneered.
"You CREEP!" Naruto growled.
"You think I'm a creep?" Orichimaru smirked while Naruto shuddered in disgust, "I'll show you how much of a creep I am."
He swung a leg over Naruto's torso, straddling him.
"Get OFF ME YOU PERV!" Naruto yelled trying to shove him off. The snake only grinned, catching Naruto's hands while his long tongue snaked out of his mouth. It slid under Naruto's shirt tasting his skin.
"Ew, what are you doing?!" Naruto twisted his face in disgust.
"Mm, delicious," Orichimaru smirked. His tongue moved higher, brushing past his chest and licked his neck in the creepiest way possible.
"S-stop!" the blonde shouted weakly wriggling around in an effort to get him off.
"Orichimaru-sama."
Orichimaru retracted his tongue and turned his head to look at the newcomer.
"Ah Kabuto, is Sasuke-kun awaiting me?"
"Sasuke..." Naruto mumbled.
He felt violated from the lack of personal space, and he was pretty sure captors weren't supposed to molest their prisoners.
'They're all perverts,' Naruto thought a bit dazed, an image of Kakashi flashing in his mind.
Orichimaru got off the boy beneath him, and straightened out his clothes before strolling out the door.
"Have fun, Naruto-kun," the snake-like man sneered before slamming the door shut.
"JUST YOU WAIT! Kakashi-sensei and my friends will be looking for me!" Naruto screamed after him. After several moments filled with silence, he found himself curling up into a ball. He tucked his head between his knees, slowly rocking back and forth.
'Just you wait..."
.:.:.:.:.:.
Kakashi finally arrived to the Valley of the End, and by now it was pouring rain. Pakkun trotted up to a soaked hitai-ite and sniffed it.
"It's Sasuke's."
"Can you find him? Kakashi asked worriedly.
The little chubby dog snuffled around for a while before shaking his head.
"Nah, the rain washed away his scent."
All of a sudden Kakashi remembered something.
"Then...where's Naruto?"
Everybody in Konoha was frantically searching for Naruto. It had been months since he had disappeared. They sent out the best trackers, hunter-nin and ANBU, but the trail had long since grown cold. Tsunade was having doubts whether her little gaki would ever come back. Rock Lee was crying about the extinguished flame of youth, while all that was left of Team 7...Kakashi took it the worst. Sakura had started training with Tsunade for medical skills and knowledge, so at least she could be useful. However, Kakashi felt like it was his fault, his fault his two powerful genin were gone. He was moping around Konoha, and everyday he would whisper apologies to Minato's grave. That's where he was now, crouching down with his arms thrown over his knees.
"I'm so sorry..."
He glanced off to the side at the ANBU who appeared.
"The Hokage summons you to her office."
Kakashi sighed.
"I'll be there."
He never said when.
Naruto stared blankly at the wall opposite him. Orichimaru had visited him countless times, but he ignored him every single time. He wouldn't give in, his friends would save him...but even he was starting to lose faith.
Orichimaru was starting to get fed up. Nothing was working. He wanted to break Naruto into little tiny pieces and then reshape him as his own ideal shinobi. A shinobi who relished in killing. Orichimaru scowled. He leant back on his stone throne, watching Sasuke fight against his clone. His new body was progressing well at least. Kabuto appeared next to him, staring over at the fight.
"Ah Kabuto-kun. Have you found anything?"
"Hai, Orichimaru-sama."
Orichimaru held out his hand. Kabuto dropped a scroll with a few blood drops onto his hand. He chuckled as he read through the scroll and grinned maliciously.
"This will shatter my little jinchuuriki."
He swept towards Naruto's room and opened the door to reveal an exhausted Naruto. He was sitting on the futon and staring at nothing. But there was still am unmistakable gleam of hope in his eyes. One that would be extinguished.
Orichimaru walked over to the blonde, and held out a scroll.
"A little message from Konoha," he smirked.
"I TOLD you they would come for me." Naruto smiled triumphantly, albeit weakly.
Orichimaru only continued to smirk. When Naruto scanned through the letter, his face turned deathly pale.
"Th-they're..."
.:.:.:.:.:.:.
When everyone had gathered in the Hokage's office including Kakashi who had swung in through the window 2 hours late (which make Tsunade grit her teeth) Tsunade took a deep breath. She had to do this.
"Everyone, you know Naruto Uzumaki has been missing for the last 4 months. As a container of an extremely powerful demon, the Kyuubi no Kitsune-"
At this, everyone gasped except for Kakashi. Murmurs of fear, surprise and confusion spread throughout the room.
"-AND SO, the council has deemed it too dangerous and the other villages are in great danger if he continues to roam free. Therefore, Na-naruto U-zumaki..." here she started to cry.
"W-will be hereby d-d-declared as a-a.." and now Tsunade was sobbing.
"Missing n-nin of Konoha."
Everyone was shocked still while Kakashi was frozen still. Suddenly protests and yells flooded the room like a dam broke.
"But Hokage-sama-!"
"Naruto's innoce-!"
"SILENCE! The decision is final! Dismissed."
"N-no..." Kakashi whispered to himself. Not another one. Especially his little fox...The genin filed out of the room dejectedly, a few of them crying. Kakashi swung out the window, disappearing off to even god doesn't know where.
Tsunade slumped into her chair, sniffling as she rolled up the scroll.
"Crow."
An ANBU wearing a crow mask appeared in front of her.
"Take this scroll to the neighbouring countries."
"Hai, Hokage-sama."
"Be careful. It contains all the information about N-Naruto being a Missing n-nin."
Crow's mask covered his expression.
"Hai," he replied softly.
And then Tsunade was alone, staring down at the bingo book with Naruto's name and bounty next to Sasuke's. A ¥15,000,000 reward.
"I'm so sorry...Naruto."
.:.:.:.:.:.
"Th-they're abandoning me?" Naruto asked in disbelief. Orichimaru was grinning at him. Kiba, Shikamaru, Sakura...and Kakashi. Everyone...
"Yes Naruto-kun...everyone. However, I can teach you everything, Sasuke will be here too..."
And the light, the hope in Naruto's eyes...vanished. His eyes were dull and dead, and his faith in his friends, in everyone withered away leaving a husk of the former boy who never gave up, who never abandoned his friends. But they couldn't do the same for him.
"Do you understand me Naruto?"
"Hai Orichimaru...sama."