"Narutoooo…." The voice growled. Naruto didn't turn around.
"Naruto, please, it hurrrtttsss…" The voice begged.
"I don't need you anymore," Naruto lied.
A pain-filled laugh.
"You will. When you remember, you will."
Naruto woke up craving ramen so hard his head hurt. He let out a groan, only wondering for a second why his backside hurt so badly.
He sat blearily for a second, and then he let out a loud scream.
"AAHHH!" He leapt off of the bed, peering over it with wide eyes.
Sigh. "Good morning Naruto-kun."
"DON'T STARE AT ME WHEN I'M SLEEPING, 'TTBAYOU!"
Kabuto was staring intently at paperwork, but he paused to glare at Naruto over his round glasses.
"Don't flatter yourself. Do you need a painkiller?"
Naruto slunk back onto the bed, eyeing the bespectacled man distrustfully.
"No, I don't need a painkiller. I need ramen."
"Ramen?"
"Yes, Ramen."
Kabuto stared at him, then his lips quirked upward in amusement.
"I don't think Orochimaru-sama even knows what that is anymore. All he eats is rice and a pill for nutrients every day."
Naruto's jaw dropped, and he felt a swell of sympathy for his…master…
"Can we make some?"
Kabuto raised an eyebrow.
"You can cook?"
"Well…no…. but it can't be that difficult. My stomach will cave in if I don't get any ramen." Naruto hopped out of bed, unashamed at his nakedness with the prospect of ramen in his mind. He tugged on the uniform Orochimaru-sama had picked out for him. It was white, elbow and knee length. The top was baggy and exposed his collarbones, while the bottoms clung to him enough for easy movement. He wore regular indoor shoes.
"I don't think Orochimaru-sama would appreciate you burning the compound down. Let me take you to the kitchens."
Naruto nodded brightly.
Kabuto led him down the hall, this trip much less ominous than the last. Kabuto allowed Naruto to babble on and incessantly ask questions, while he responded with sarcastic comments and grunts.
"We're here."
Naruto stared at the room in confusion.
"This is the ugliest kitchen I have ever seen," he stated calmly.
Kabuto took a moment to glance around, before silently agreeing with him.
The walls were painted black, and all of the appliances encased in the same stone that filled the entire hideout. The room was small and cramped, and it smelled like blood. Naruto questioned this with a crinkled nose.
"We have some very interesting individuals residing here, Naruto."
"Ahh! YOU DRINK BLOOD?"
"No, idiot, but others living here might be inclined…"
"I haven't seen anyone else around here."
"That's because you spend most of your time in Orochimaru's room."
Naruto froze, feeling hurt wash through him. The hurt at the comment quickly turned to anger, and he swung his fist back to punch the older man. His brash attack was immediately dodged, and he grunted in pain when Kabuto knocked the wind out of him with a punch to the ribs. Naruto rolled, his body seeming to move by itself, and kicked Kabuto hard in the shin. Kabuto stumbled, his hands glowing with chakra that made Naruto's pulse drive upward in fright. He let out a yelp, kicking the older man as hard as he could in the knee before throwing the kitchen door open and sprinting away from him. Without chakra, Naruto was surprised to find himself running insanely fast. He had always had terrible stamina.
He ran until his lungs ached, and he began to slow. As soon as this happened, he was pinned by a very angry Yakushi Kabuto.
"You baka. You know I'm going to have to tell Orochimaru-sama about this."
Naruto twisted, hissing as he snapped his teeth at Kabuto. The older man held on tighter, smirking.
"It's amazing that you have such feline tendencies when the fox is locked inside of you." Naruto glared, bucking his body in an attempt to throw the shinobi off.
"Fuck you, Kabuto. Get the fuck off of me," He growled.
Kabuto sighed, relaxing his grip a bit. "Look, I'm sorry I hurt your feelings, Naruto."
Naruto's face filled with redness and he struggled even harder. "You didn't hurt my feelings, teme! Your face just pisses me off, get it away from me."
Kabuto laughed, shaking his head slightly, and released the younger shinobi.
Naruto leapt to his feet, brushing imaginary dirt off his clothes with flaming cheeks. The bespectacled bastard always managed to make him feel like an idiot.
"I heard you fought with Kabuto today," said Orochimaru randomly as Naruto sorted his documents on the floor. Orochimaru usually worked all day, and then stayed with Naruto all night, but he was now requesting Naruto's presence at all hours. He let Naruto take a few runs and train as much as he could without his chakra. Naruto wondered what all of the paperwork was for.
Naruto tensed.
"Yes master."
Orochimaru's yellow eyes didn't look up from his document, but his lips curled upward in cold amusement.
"Did he deserve it?"
"When doesn't he?" Naruto blurted loudly, unable to stop himself. Orochimaru laughed, running his fingers through the Jinchuuriki's hair.
"I must agree. The only one who talks to me as casually as he does is Sasuke, and I only put up with him because he is essential to my plans."
Naruto shrunk a bit at the mention of his former best friend. He tried to push away thoughts of all of his precious people, but they crept into his mind. He wished he could talk to Iruka-sensei. He always seemed to know the right thing to do.
Naruto glanced up at his master, and found himself being stared at. Orochimaru's yellow eyes bore into his, narrowed slightly in thought. Naruto stared back in confusion, and the man sighed and returned to his paperwork.
"Orochimaru-sama."
Both Naruto and Orochimaru looked up at the intrusion, but both already knew whom it was.
"What is it, Kabuto?" Orochimaru sounded annoyed.
Kabuto sighed, pushing up his glasses jerkily.
"Sasuke has progressed…exponentially. And by that, I mean he nearly killed me just now. I think you should come with me."
Orochimaru's lips curled upward in glee. Naruto grimaced a bit.
"Naruto-kun, you come with me. This will be a…learning experience for you."
Naruto walked beside Kabuto and behind Orochimaru, who was excitedly moving down the dimly lit hall. Naruto glanced at Kabuto with a questioning look. Kabuto smirked, leaning down a bit.
"He doesn't trust me alone with you anymore. He assumes I am as perverted as he is."
Naruto's eyes widened, and he stuck out his tongue. He was so uncomfortable around his 'master' still, even if he had grown used to sex. As Orochimaru explained it, it was merely a device to grow closer to another. A quest for power. Orochimaru certainly used it to make Naruto feel helpless and weak. It almost amused him that Orochimaru was suspicious of Kabuto. As if Naruto would ever let the four eyes touch him.
"Eehhh?" Naruto squinted at him.
Kabuto pulled away abruptly as Orochimaru spun his head around, eyes narrowed. He reached back and yanked Naruto forward so they were side by side, and then continued walking. Naruto snuck a glance back at Kabuto. The older man was laughing.
Naruto had been in the training room before. It was where he had run laps until his legs shook. He didn't know that Sasuke used the giant arena, and seeing his friend standing there sent chills up his spine. He crept closer to Orochimaru; feeling protected knowing that Sasuke was much less powerful than he.
"Show me what you've accomplished, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke calmly stepped closer to them, and Naruto followed Kabuto to stand on the outside of the arena. Sasuke completely ignored their presence. His sharingan activated; he stared intently at the snake man.
Suddenly, Sasuke was behind him, his sword thrusting through the older man's back. Orochimaru's face turned to shock, his eyes wide, and Naruto fought to keep himself steady. Then Orochimaru's body promptly turned to snakes that coiled around Sasuke's sword and wrists. Orochimaru stepped calmly from the shadows, and the snakes vanished.
Naruto's body relaxed.
"Very good," Orochimaru purred. Sasuke stared expressionlessly. Naruto inched closer to Kabuto until their hands were almost touching. The thought that the Uchiha could move so quickly terrified him. He would never survive an encounter with a man who had three years more experience.
"Your next lesson will be ninjutsu, which I know you will thoroughly enjoy." Orochimaru smiled his creepy smile.
"Though, I think revenge is best acted out with ones bare hands, Itachi Uchiha is not an easy foe."
Suddenly, as Sasuke turned to stare at him, Naruto remembered.
A man at his door, his eyes hooded and heavily lashed. The face was gaunt and the jaw strong, but he was unmistakably similar to Sasuke. His partner smirked from beside him, shark-like teeth shining predatorily. Naruto hadn't understood then who these men were, but he knew he would.
Itachi stood across from him in a clearing. Naruto cried as Sasuke, who had possessed half of his body, jeered at him. He was such a failure. He was worthless. Sakura would never love him. Sakura was so disappointed in him. Itachi…crows…Gaara…Deidara….
The onslaught of memories was become more and more violent the more he remembered.
Orochimaru marking Sasuke. Sasuke dislocating the sound-nin's arms. Sasuke screaming in pain. Sakura sobbing, begging Naruto to bring him back. Naruto's heart breaking when he realized he would never make her happy. Kabuto's hands striking, cutting his muscles. His heart stopping. Jiraiya. Sai. Yamato-sensei.
Sasuke telling him he would never understand. Them fighting.
Sasuke left me. It hurts…it hurts…I'll bring him back Sakura….
Orochimaru snarling at Tsunade, his brow sweaty with pain from his torn arms.
He's running, running, and he hits the light. He meets his best friend's eyes. Maybe now, he'll come back. Please come back. I can't let someone I love do this.
Sasuke's in his head, and the Kyuubi is screaming. His mind is blanking.
Maybe if you forget about all of this, you'll give up on him.
Naruto woke up, and he roared in anger.
"I must say, Naruto-kun. I like this feisty side of you much better."
God, he wanted to kill him. He wanted to claw and bite and mutilate. He had been raped; a man in the mind of a child. He had been manipulated into slavery.
"Come over here so I can kill you," He snarled.
"My, my. Your eyes are so red when you get angry. You don't want to lose control again. You remember what happened last time."
Oh yeah. He fought Orochimaru. He hurt Sakura.
Sakura.
Oh GOD!
"They fucking….they tried to make me give up…" He struggled against his bonds, even as he spoke. He became aware that he was tied up in the training room, and he could not use his chakra to break free.
"I came here alone. I shouldn't have come here. L-let me go!"
Orochimaru calmly stared at him, his lips curled upwards in amusement.
"I suppose now that you remember, our love life will be even more interesting…Naruto-kun," He purred, and Naruto let out a scream of rage.
"I'm never letting you touch me again! You're sick!"
"I may be sick, Naruto. But you're mine."