Nightmares

by Nejuke

Naruto is Hokage but even still, he is plagued by a reoccurring nightmare that keeps him awake into the early hours of the day. What does it mean and wow will this affect his work? He seeks comfort in his friends and hopes they may be able to cure him of his ominous dreams. (Set after Volume 72) (Rated T and Horror for some mild gore?) (Short chapters)

3. Chapter 3 - It Continues

Naruto stood amidst the darkness, feeing his heart beat loud in his ears as he stared towards the empty void that lay before him. He felt a shiver run down his spine, as if someone were breathing down the back of his neck. The lack of vision caused him to panic as he stepped forward hesitantly, wary that he may fall. Tentatively he extended his foot, feeling about to make certain that a path existed beyond the gloom.

Confident that he would be able to press on he increased his speed, convinced that someone was indeed behind him, its malevolent presence urging him to move. The earth felt soft underfoot, as if the soil had been recently turned; it dipped and rose, forming small crevasses where he foot would occasionally snag. The thought that he could fall caused his heart to fluctuate, he did not want to lose pace and longed to find his way out of the darkness if an exit did exist. His arms extended from the side of his body outwards in a wading motion to secure his balance and sure enough, as he continued forward, a light began to emerge. He could see the shadowed outline of the path ahead and the fear which clawed at his stomach dissipate.

With new found hope he set off at a light pace before picking up speed, eager to leave the void which encapsulated him. Yet as his eyes looked down to his feet Naruto quickly spiralled into a frenzy of screams and fits. The sudden rush of fear caused him to lose his footing, sending him crashing down towards the soft earth. He cried out as he realised what had cushioned his fall; it was not soil that line the path but strewn bodies, their eyes hollowed by death.

He scrambled to stand but found the shifting corpses constantly gave under his weight. Bile threatened to choke him as he stared down at the face below; the pale, deathly expression of his father stared towards him, his eyes open but darkened by the nonexistence of life. Wrapped in the arms of his father's corpse was his mother, her red hair matted and knotted about her head. She too stared towards her son with the same blank expression; her colourless lips curved open in a grimace of horror. Naruto felt the vile liquid substance creep up his throat as he sat hunched over the two mangled bodies. Bombarding them with a volley of gurgled cries Naruto scrambled to his feet, pushing them away from himself; the ominous presence which threatened to catch him seemed closer at hand and he was desperate to elude it.

With his heart in his mouth and his stomach clenching against itself in an effort to supress the nauseating sensation that bubbled there, Naruto continued to run but his eyes were unable to fall to the numerous faces that lined his path. Tears streamed from his eyes, burning his cheeks as he returned the gaze of Zabuza and Haku, their lifeless bodies a reflection of the memory deep in his mind. Part of him feared that they may be alive as Haku lay peacefully with a smile on his face, yet the fresh blood that trickled from the corners of his gently closed eyes forced Naruto to continue. He screamed out, running madly as he flailed his arms to increase the speed at which he ran.

The ordeal that faced him next soon emerged amongst the heaps of flesh as he clambered over strewn arms and legs, never forgetting that it was these bodies that his feet stamped against, the familiar form of his old master the tormented him. The elongated spires that protruded from his godfather's crimson dyed blocked his path; he would have to manoeuvre between the iron bars if he wished to escape the ominous presence that chased after him. Naruto shook his head and hugged himself, begging that he be released of the pain he felt from seeing his loved ones dead before him. As he strode across their unmoving bodies he had been swallowed by a leaden wave of sorrow, felt as clear as day his feet pound into their empty chests and the bones beneath break beneath him as he ran to save himself. Looking to Jiraiya Naruto spluttered past his tears as he looked over his shoulder and proceeded to frantically clamber over the metal rods that impaled the older man. He wailed apologies into the darkness as he freed himself of the metal, not looking back to his master but continued to run. All the while the light grew in strength, making it impossible to ignore the bodies he trampled across.

Fear set in like a dagger being twisted in an already open wound as he saw what looked like the edge of a cliff, the bodies suddenly ceased and only more darkness could be seen below. As he came to a progressive stop, his hands feeling cold as the blood seemed to pour from his veins, he looked down. By now he had expected to see another face staring back up at him but nonetheless doubled over from the shock and pain of seeing the familiar white orbs staring back at him. The body of Neji Hyuga marked the cliffs edge, like Jiraiya, the wooden pillars which emanated from his corpse formed a barricade in order to prevent Naruto from throwing himself off the cliff's edge. Piercing light soon burned at his flesh as he cried out once again.