aberrant

chapter two

"...Who...are you...?"

His voice - no, his growl - was something that shouldn't have naturally been uttered through human vocal chords. She was confused, stupefied, and above all perplexed. She had just "seen" him in his entirety. She had been flying through the arteries of his heart and breathing between each of his skin cells, and yet nothing had given her reason to doubt he was an average human. Sakura must not have been looking for the signs, merely being engrossed with the prospect of saving his life before it toppled over a bloody cliff of no return. Then again, it was hard to look for signs for something she couldn't even fathom as a reality. Surely, something had to tick differently in him, but how? Where? She'd made a grievous error not detecting it before, and her mistake was glaring intensely into her eyes because of it.

The boy's grip was strong on her wrist, like some shackle obstinately locked onto her. She steeled her nerves and forced herself not to take any hasty action. Sakura had no doubt that she could break free of his grasp, but what of the consequences then? If she hurt him further, it might only deepen the blindly mad rage that burned in his red eyes. However, on the flip side, she couldn't allow him to remain so close to her in case he turned into a bigger brute than he already was.

Sakura could feel her pulse beating intensely, in sync with the amounts of stress her body was heavily laden with. She found it hard to meet his gaze with steady confidence. She didn't trust her own eyes not to give away the truth of her deeply rooted fear. Somehow, she knew this was something more than apprehension towards a suddenly hostile stranger. This was something far more innate and genetically embedded within the DNA of her body. Sheep didn't look wolves in the mouth and glare boldly, and she doubted she should, either. Not yet, anyways.

The hand attached to the wrist he was gripping clenched into a fearsome fist, fingers curled tightly into their new positions with natural ease. Sakura was beginning to wish she hadn't healed him at all, and that she had rendered his metacarpals and phalanges useless instead.

"I healed you," Sakura bit out, trying to sound braver than she felt. She also evaded his identity question. She had already shared some of her healing energy with him, she wasn't about to give him anything else from herself be it name or help. This little morsel of information resonated a bit differently than she had expected. Sakura had really only shared this as a bartering piece of information that she figured might help keep her own life safe - a life for a life. She hadn't been betting on him taking that knowledge with a look that - had she not been still fending off a feral fear - Sakura might have interpreted as a glint of surprise in his gruesome eyes. She realized, belatedly, that she shouldn't have been surprised he might have put two and two together. It probably wasn't hard for him to assume the impossible and strange when he seemed to be just as impossible and strange as she was...if not more so.

"Now...let me go, or I'll have to undo all of that progress I made on your injuries," Sakura stated firmly. She was a bit impressed by herself and the commanding tone she used in the face of his glare; though, truth be told, the anger of it had faded slightly in lieu of something akin to searching. Now, Sakura wasn't sure which was worse: defending herself against the fire hot anger in his eyes or squirming beneath this new, piercing look he gave her. His lips - the lower corner still spattered in blood - were pressed firmly in a stubborn and frustrated sort of way. She could see his jaw clench as thoughts surely passed through his mind, all unknown and unpredictable to her.

Sakura was sure, so sure that she could feel his fingers begin to loosen their death grip around her thin wrist. If that ordeal was almost over, Sakura felt like she could practically cry from relief. It would be quite some time before she'd put herself in a position like this again, that was for sure. She was prematurely planning how to take better care of herself and not taking risks like this before she could realize it was already all ruined.

She could see him palpably stiffen from head to toe, the fire and brimstone returning to his eyes like a match amongst dry kindling. It looked like he wasn't even paying attention to her anymore, his gaze drifting to some far off spot above and beyond the top of her head. His fingers - which had, in fact, been preparing to part from her skin - found her once more in a constricting grasp.

"Hey - !" She began, but slammed her loud mouth shut when his gaze flicked impatiently back to her. There was an intense fury radiating straight from his slit pupils and out through his red irises. Unable to determine who that fury was destined for anymore, Sakura opted to take the more aggressive route. It was clear to her that this couldn't end well for her, with his back and forth, in and out of anger routine. She, too, set her jaw firmly in a clench of resolution. She wouldn't hold back this time.

Sakura exhaled sharply through her nose as determination blossomed across her features. She yanked her captured wrist back suddenly, so that the boy's arm would be straighter. Then, as quickly as she could, she brought her free hand towards his exposed elbow in a powerful motion that was sure to deliver a direct blow to his olecranon. Or rather, it was supposed to have. Instead, she found that his other hand had moved a good few seconds faster than hers, and he had effectively stayed her offensive attack. She glared at him, loathing him, and fought to not show even a hint of her surprise when she saw him smirking with sincere mirth.

Equally appalled and embarrassed, Sakura moved onto her next plan of action.

Sakura swiveled her body around just enough so that her legs - curled and tucked close to her body - were better positioned so that they would be facing him. She launched one at him in a swift kick straight to his torso, hoping that even though she hadn't been able to add any real momentum to it, that her own strength would be enough to at least get him off her.

Her kick sent him crashing away from her, his hands having released from her as he curled into a reflexively defensive position. His trajectory was cut short as his back collided with a wall. She bet that'd been a little less than comfortable on his spine.

Good.

"Shit!"

Sakura heard him curse from his landing point and quieted the gloating words that threaten to rise and bubble off of her tongue, acidic and vehement. She couldn't blow it by spouting hot air just long enough for him to attack her out of retribution. Hastily, Sakura stood and reached for her phone. She grabbed it and held it as best she could with fingers that shook more than she had realized before. As she began to run towards the exit of the alleyway, she was torn on what to do. Should she call the police? How would she explain what happened? Would they believe her? What would she do if they didn't? What would she do if they did? She might end up accidentally exposing herself in the process, and was too paranoid to risk that. But if she didn't call, would she be safe enough to get home? That crazy bastard might follow her and try to hurt her again.

One strong arm encircled around her waist right as her face was beginning to poke out of the alleyway. Her green eyes had been fixated on the glow of the nearest streetlamp, promising cars and people and help. She watched, in a surreal and practically slow motion experience, as that light jarred violently when her head bobbed in reply to a force her neck hadn't been prepared to support itself against. She was jerked back into the alley again, her phone slipping from her fingers. It tumbled and fell into a puddle of something or other with a very prominent sploosh! - not as though she could hear it above her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. Sakura slammed backwards into what could only have been a person's chest. She jerked her head around so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash.

Those same intense eyes as before were looking down at her, very seriously.

"You need to come with me," he said, starting to haul her backwards. They were moving deeper into the alley. A frenzied panic seized her, and she tried to scream, but he must have felt her ribcage expand as she took a deep breath and he managed to stop her from doing even that. His other hand clamped firmly over her mouth. Her lips had been parted in anticipation for the scream, but now she closed them out of disgust as his flesh slid across them. He tasted like blood, sweat, and grime. She wanted to spit out any saliva in her mouth that had come in contact with him, but his palm was resolutely pressed against such an action. "Agh, no, don't scream! There are bad people out there-"

She wanted to glare accusingly at him. If there was any bad person out there that night, it was the one that was forcing a certain pink haired girl from running away. As if sensing her irate and incredulous thoughts, he puffed out an exasperated sigh.

"Just...Just believe me," He no longer sounded animalistic and hostile. Now, he just sounded weary, impatient, and vexed. He slowly, slowly removed his hand from her mouth, as if still not confident she wouldn't try to scream again. Sakura wasn't so sure herself that she wouldn't dare another attempt. "The guy that hurt me is still out there, and he might try to come after you now, too, y'know? Once he senses new power, he doesn't let go that easily."

Sakura stiffened. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

Shit shit shit...she'd really have find a way to not lie so shittily.

He grimaced in what looked to be an almost comical display of incredulity. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him, inspecting. If she focused carefully, his entire body language and aura had shifted dramatically. She should have already noticed, but she'd barely been able to remind herself to keep breathing before. Sakura wondered what had caused this change. Or, maybe, this was the normal, and earlier had been his change in a reaction to something she wasn't privy to. Maybe to the man he had mentioned, if he was to be believed? Getting beat up might do that to a person. He seemed a pinch and a dash less threatening. His way of speaking was more boyish and bumbling, sapped completely of its former growls. And...had his eyes changed color? She couldn't tell in the poor light, nor was she all that keen on trying to figure out. The color of his irises didn't make or break her situation.

"Okay then, but...just between me and you...I already know, y'know?"

Sakura didn't have enough time to make a dignified quip - or a dignified anything really - before she found herself being maneuvered so that he could hoist her up on his back. Like a cat avoiding a tub of water, Sakura stuck her hands out and kept herself from getting any closer to the boy's back.

"Woah there, hold it! Nope!" She exclaimed. Sakura returned to her tried and true glare, targeting his head and willing it to pop off at that point. Maybe, if she was lucky, she might have missed something when she was healing him earlier. It would hurt her pride as a medic, but damn it would be worth it if she had. "I'm not going to just go so easily! I'll just scream and rip out all of your hair if I have to!"

Her fists clenched to further prove her point, a silent sort of "hell yeah!" resonating from her tightening muscles.

In response to her declaration, the boy just scratch the back of his neck a bit awkwardly and let out a soft, mirthless laugh. She imagined dried blood accumulating beneath his fingernails with each scratch. "Well...I mean I guess...I'd just have to knock you out, but that just doesn't seem like the nicest thing to do after you healed me and everything..."

"Besides, it's also sort of a trust exercise, y'know?" He continued after a pause, his voice a bit more warm. "I'll trust you not to hurt me, and you can trust me not to hurt you! Problem solved!"

The problem was most definitely not solved; however, if she had to pick her poison, coherently being carried by someone was far more advantageous than be carried around while unconscious. Sakura had never wished more than in that moment that the phrase "glaring daggers" was more literal than figurative - then the problem really would have been solved. She had no room to broach further counterarguments with him. A logical voice from within told her that she wouldn't get very far trying to keep him at bay physically, as she'd tried and failed earlier. A very unrefined squeak jumped out of her throat as he reversed against her, knees bent, and easily hoisted up her small frame so that she was up on his back. His sturdy hands held her fast beneath her kneecaps and slightly under her thighs. Her legs were stiff. His touch was unwelcome. Unbidden, his head turned so that he could look at her from the corner of his right eye.

"The name's Naruto, by the way," He offered it in a way that Sakura supposed someone might have offered up an olive branch out of peace. She wasn't ready to lower her defenses and call off the small war that had brewed between them just yet though, and so she stubbornly didn't return the favor. He - Naruto - seemed to realize this quickly, but didn't take it to heart. She thought she heard him mutter something like "sheesh" and "alright then, here we go" under his breath, but couldn't be sure.

The next thing she knew, they were going up and up and up. Sakura couldn't help but feel stunned as she watched the gloomy night sky grow closer, the ground falling away from beneath them as Naruto jumped. He gracefully used the thin window sills and whatever other slim footholds he somehow found to propel himself higher and higher. She could feel his muscles tense before his last, big push off and then they were just up. They were suspended in the air for only a moment, just a slow breath out, before they landed on the destined rooftop. She had reflexively flung her arms around Naruto's neck in their airborne state and had tightened her grip significantly. As his feet came in contact with the flat, commercial rooftop, he teetered for just a moment before regaining himself and wriggling his neck about under her arms.

"Ne, could you loosen up a bit?" He sputtered. Sakura immediately obliged, unwilling to press herself so close to him, even when it did feel good to choke him a bit because of the kidnapping he was basically committing at the moment. As she did, he cleared his throat in a bit of relief before taking off in a sprint, moving far too quickly for her mind to comprehend. Up until this point, her brain had learned a certain set amount of truths. Of course, there were always outliers - such as herself - but she had witnessed any other exceptions. This feeling was probably similar to someone bearing witness to the first airplane flight. Sure, it was unbelievable, but it was impossible to deny the existence of this new truth.

He jumped from rooftop to rooftop as if the wind was carrying him.

"Do you seriously think that this - " Sakura had chosen a poor time to talk, while Naruto was landing atop of another building. Her head jerked a bit with the jarring action, and her soft inner cheek found itself chomped between her teeth in mid sentence. She shrugged it off, mouth stinging even while she directed her healing energy into it to fix her self-inflicted injury. " - damnit...you think that this is cover enough so whoever is after you -"

"Hey, you'd have been in danger if I'd left you - "

Sakura returned the favor of being cut off with her own oh so polite interruption. She practically hissed at him. " - whoever is after you won't be able to see an obvious figure running obviously on top of buildings?"

Naruto laughed, in a way that was a bit too cocky for her liking.

"As if," He mused, never breaking pace even as she blatantly ridiculed his logic. Laughter resonated in the tone of his voice. "Down there I'd have to deal with dumb sidewalks and cars and other pointless stuff. This way no one should be able to sneak up on me in a crowd, either. Besides, I'm pretty fast, he won't follow me up here anymore, y'know?"

Well, she wouldn't describe him as exactly eloquent - calling sidewalks dumb and relegating all other details as merely pointless stuff - but his obvious confidence in himself was rather infectious. It was clear he was someone like her, someone who was more of a something. She hated to admit it but, even though this was still a quasi abduction, Sakura found an intense feeling of curiosity rumbling in the pit of her stomach. She'd never really thought that she might not be alone. As a middle schooler, she remembered asking her father once or twice about if he knew of any others, but he had always smiled gently and told her there was no one else as special as her. She hadn't been able to explain it then, but when she'd held her father's hand as she asked him the question, she had felt something that she couldn't describe. Her young mind associated it with the closest thing she knew: sadness. If she'd been old enough to know what it was, she would have been able to identify biologically what she felt, which was low levels of serotonin and dopamine. However, her eleven year old memories that remained only recalled and understood the basics of what she had felt. Sakura had stopped asking altogether shortly after that.

She wasn't sure if she wouldn't or just couldn't fathom that there were other people like her, other people so different. But there he was. Fire in the hearth, igniting the torch of some foreign truth that blinded her eyes, so unused to the light as they were.

"That's pretty big talk coming from a guy who was bleeding all over the place just a minute ago."

Sakura could almost feel him physically deflate at this last jab she managed to get in.

"Hey! What the - " Naruto sputtered indignantly. Something akin to childish annoyance toddled its way into the tone of his next words. "You're making me rethink the whole not carrying you knocked out thing."

Besides the fact that she was unwilling to trust him, their recent scuffle was still too fresh for him to be making such threats. She froze against him, only her hair ruffling about as Naruto continued his impressive pace. It was only by chance that she managed a glance over his shoulder and saw his cheeks tightened, the skin brought high up over the bones. He was smiling. That insensitive jerk!

She made a move to give his hair a pull for good measure - Naruto's childish mannerisms had rubbed off on her and made her momentarily forget the nature of her situation - but something tickling her ear stayed her hand. It felt like a long, skinny tongue brushing against the opening of her right ear canal. Instead of grabbing blonde locks, her hand instead slammed against said assaulted appendage in confusion. She looked to her right, brows scrunched and eyes narrowed. For one second, one small second, Sakura thought she saw a pair of eyes flash at her from the shadows of a roof a few buildings away. She couldn't be sure, though. Naruto was moving too quickly, and her brain had spotted the eyes - or what she was sure were eyes - for only a blip of a second. It lasted only long enough for her to wonder if it had been nothing but a figment of her imagination.

Still, both the feeling in her ear and whatever she had seen made Sakura's cold run cold. It was worse than when she had first seen Naruto's red gaze. Without thinking, she hunched herself lower to make herself smaller.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Sakura briefly bothered to wonder if he knew something was up by the way she had moved closer to him, or if her body was exuding tangible waves of trepidation. In normal circumstances, she would've assumed the former, but Naruto couldn't even been placed remotely close to the word "normal". She couldn't, either, for that matter.

"Ah, nothing, nothing. I just looked down and got nervous seeing how high up we are," She lied, for once finding it easy to bury the truth behind nonchalant words. Sakura wouldn't admit she thought she'd seen something. It would just corroborate with what he'd said earlier, about someone being after him. It wasn't that she wanted him to be wrong, per say, it was just that she didn't think it would be wise to fan the flames of his conviction. It might become too real. Right now, it was just paranoia, her brain playing on his words and imagining a boogeyman where empty shadows sat instead.

Sakura didn't think she was strong enough to face something like that being a truth.

"You don't have to worry about that, just don't look down!" The grin in his voice was so obvious, like the sun in the sky. Typically, Sakura would have rolled her eyes; however, she was still regaining composure after that skin crawling feeling and could only mutter a small "yeah, ok".

"I've been doing this a long time, so don't worry about falling, y'know? And you don't know it, but there's a base not too far, so it's almost over!" Naruto continued, the tapping of his shoes slowing down just a bit as he concentrated on talking to her. There was a pause, and Sakura could already tell he was grinning cheekily again. "C'mon, I'll make up for earlier when I scared you. Let's have some fun before we get there!"

He was kind of loud with his last proclamation, which Sakura found to be rather hypocritical to what he'd said earlier about not wanting her to scream because he didn't want the mysterious bad guy hearing and finding them. And...wait. What did he mean by fun?

Abruptly, Naruto switched his slowed down speed right back up to once far more breakneck. Caught off guard, Sakura clung close, peeking around his hair with wide eyes. A few of his yellow strands battered softly against her cheeks. He was running faster, too fast, if their path was any indication. Naruto was sprinting straight for the edge of the top of the building they were currently on, and the opposing building was much farther away than any other he had jumped to before. Too far.

And then he was jumping - or soaring, more like it - with a terrified pink haired girl on his back. He brought one of his hands out from under one of her legs, no longer supporting her as he raised it up in a celebratory fist pump above his head. Duly concerned about her sudden decrease in safety, Sakura clamped her freed leg tightly around his waist and slammed her chin down to burrow closer to his shoulder. He was laughing and laughing, while her eyes were squeezed shut and she cursed his warnings about not screaming and the paranoia that had made her see things in the dark. It almost hurt to keep the scream inside that so desperately wanted to escape.

She wondered then, as she tried to find a happier place in her mind, if it might be worth it after all to squeeze as tight as she could. At least that way she'd be able to break his bones before they surely fell to their doom after Naruto's jump of stupidity.