AN: We've got some psychological and sexual abuse in this chapter, so please skip if you don't wanna read that.
Chapter 33: The Puppet Show
"Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live."
~Norman Cousins
The first thing that greeted Sasuke to consciousness was the sharp smell of ammonia assaulting his nostrils. He pulled away instinctively and shook his head, blinking a few times as the darkness cleared from the edges of his vision. He glanced up. His vision swam and a strong nausea curled in his stomach. He swallowed down the impulse to be sick and tried to ignore the pounding in his head, forcing himself to take in his surroundings. As best he could make out, he was in a dark, one-window room, but the window was covered by planks of wood nailed into its frame. Tiny chinks of light peeked through the cracks, lending little light. Instead, one overhanging bulb shone its yellowy glow dully from above, illuminating the dirt stains on the old wooden floor.
"See now, Naruto?" said Orochimaru. "I told you he was fine. Have I ever lied to you?"
Sasuke's breath caught in his throat.
Naruto was kneeling on the floor only a few feet away, his arms bound tightly behind his back. His head hung forward and he would have looked unconscious or unaware were it not for the haunted blue eyes that stared up at Sasuke, unblinking.
"Naruto." He said in a quiet voice.
Naruto flinched at the sound, and a swirl of guilt, fear and shame flitted over his face before he quickly lowered his head fully, staring down at the floor, his eyes hidden behind locks of blond hair.
No. No, thought Sasuke, Don't give up. Please don't give up.
He tried to stand up, to go to Naruto, to tell him that they would get through this, that they would find a way like they always did, but as he moved there was a clinking sound and a tightening pressure on his limbs. Sasuke glanced down. Thin metal chains were wrapped around his forearms and calves preventing any movement. His injured hand was tightly bandaged, but despite that blood seeped through the thick material.
He swallowed, his adam's apple brushing against more unforgiving metal.
"You know what this reminds me of?" asked Orochimaru, his tone tinged with light amusement.
"This reminds me of the last time we were all together like this. Do you remember?" He grinned, tapping a finger to his lips in a thoughtful gesture. "Except, that time it was Naruto in the chair, and you with me, isn't that right, Sasuke-kun?"
He leaned down and laced his fingers through Naruto's blond locks. The boy on the ground shivered but didn't move away.
"How does it feel, Sasuke? Are you enjoying the role reversal?"
Sasuke started to shake and he dug his nails into his palms.
"Of course, one thing is still the same."
Orochimaru parted his pale lips in a venomous grin, revealing teeth that had yellowed with age.
"Little Naruto-kun will do anything for his Sasuke."
His grip on the hair tightened and Naruto yelled as he was dragged upward to a standing position. His arms could provide no support, bound tightly as they were behind him, and so he scrabbled to put the weight on his legs as he stood.
Sasuke growled and jerked forward.
"Don't touch him, you son of a bitch, or I'll- Ackh!"
The thin chain contracted tightly around his throat, cutting off the air to his lungs. Sasuke wrenched against it but it only pulled tighter, making the blood pound in his brain and his head threaten to burst open from the pressure. He quickly leaned back, allowing the chain to loosen as he choked and gulped in gasps of life-giving air.
"You'll what, Sasuke?" asked Orochimaru.
"Tell me." He said, raising his eyebrows in a playful challenge. "I'd like to know. What will you do?"
He played the words of his last question out on his lips as if each one was a delicacy on his slimy tongue.
Sasuke snarled, glaring at the man with every shred of poisoned hatred that pulsated throughout his body.
"I will kill you slowly." He said in a hoarse voice. "Making sure you feel every minute, every second of intense pain before you meet the end."
Orochimaru cocked his head to one side.
"Let's test that, shall we?"
He still held Naruto by his hair, forcing him to turn his head and face the older man as if he was controlling the movements of a lifeless doll. He turned then to Naruto and smiled at him before jerking forward and mashing his mouth against the teen's.
Sasuke saw Naruto's eyes widen and he tried to pull back with a muffled cry, his arms struggling to escape their bonds, but Orochimaru's grip held tight, keeping him in place.
Nausea surged through Sasuke as he was forced to watch the older man assault Naruto's lips with his own, to see the tongue snaking out and slaver messy saliva as he pushed through Naruto's useless defenses. The man brought up his other hand, pinching at the joints of Naruto's jaw to force it open.
The room was quiet save for Naruto's muffled cries and the sickening smacking sound of flesh sucking flesh, and Sasuke's body tremored so intensely he willed his skin to simply split open so that he could break free. In that moment every fiber of his being contained nothing but hatred and murder for the monster of a man in front of him.
It was only after what felt like a torturous age, Orochimaru pulled away and turned to face Sasuke with a sneer.
"Oh, you're still over there." He said in mock surprise.
He let go of Naruto who stumbled a few steps away from him panting, his gaze locked on the floor.
Orochimaru ignored him and strode towards Sasuke who pressed himself back into the chair, expecting an onslaught of pain.
But the man merely sank down onto his haunches bringing himself face to face with the teen. His white shirt was rolled up casually at the elbows and the top button was loose. He might have looked like an everyday office worker that had just come home to relax, but for the cold, dead eyes in that psychotic face. Maybe it was Sasuke's imagination exaggerating things, but he could swear there was no light in them, no soul.
He swallowed.
Orochimaru placed a pale hand on his thigh. It might as well have been a hot poker for the way that it burned into his skin, but Sasuke didn't pull away, holding the man's gaze steadily.
"You understand now, don't you, Sasuke." said Orochimaru quietly. "There is nothing you can do to save him."
"Unless…would you like to change places? Spare Naruto all of this…trauma?"
His hand moved slowly up Sasuke's thigh as he spoke. Sasuke sucked in a breath as the hand neared his groin.
"Don't touch me, you perverted piece of shit."
The words came out automatically, but his mind was racing.
Was this an offer? Some kind of twisted deal? He looked up at Naruto who was now watching them, his face warped by unreadable emotion.
"How disappointing." said Orochimaru.
He withdrew his hand and stood up.
"Oh well, more fun for us, eh, Naruto?"
He strode back over to the non-responsive teen, shooting a smirk back at Sasuke.
Orochimaru ran a hand through some of the blond locks, pushing Naruto's bangs away from his eyes. The hand moved down to Naruto's chin lifting it with one finger, and Naruto met the older man's eyes reluctantly as his head was forced upwards.
"Kneel down," said Orochimaru.
Sasuke's stomach tightened and Naruto let out a shuddering sigh before slowly kneeling down in front of the man. It was then Sasuke realized he was exactly level with Orochimaru's waist. Orochimaru reached down, undoing the button of his pants.
"Wait." said Sasuke, the word barely coming out as more than a mere breath. Naruto was trembling now, his legs barely keeping him upright. The sound of his breaths came faster and shallower as he began to hyperventilate.
"Wait." said Sasuke again in a stronger voice.
Orochimaru ignored him, pulling down his zipper and pulling out his thick, half-hardened member. Not a trace of shame marred his face as he held it out on display.
Sasuke yanked at the chains on his arms. They rattled as they cut into his skin providing no give. Orochimaru wrapped a hand around the back of Naruto's head, fingers intertwining with the locks. Naruto's breaths began to be interspersed with sobs, but he didn't resist as he was pulled forward.
"Wait!" shouted Sasuke. "I'll do whatever you want! Anything. Just leave him alone."
Orochimaru halted his movements, turning to look at Sasuke with a mocking smile. He cocked a brow.
"Anything?"
"Yes. Anything." repeated Sasuke.
He wasn't stupid. He knew what he was offering, knew what this was. He glanced at Naruto with worried eyes. His boyfriend was still quietly hyperventilating, staring straight ahead, yet seeming not to see anything with glassy eyes. He was completely out of it, his mind gone. Sasuke wouldn't let this go any further. He couldn't.
"Beg me." said Orochimaru, cutting into Sasuke's thoughts.
"Excuse me?" he said, not quite believing what he had heard.
"You heard me, Sasuke. I want you to beg. If you do that, I'll let him go."
Sasuke lifted his head high to meet Orochimaru's triumphant gaze.
"Please." He ground out through gritted teeth.
"A little louder." replied Orochimaru smoothly. "Please what?"
"Please let him go." said Sasuke in a stronger voice, every word cutting into his pride. "I'll do anything you want. I'll do it…willingly. You don't need him."
Orochimaru's face widened into a sadistic grin.
"That's all I needed to hear."
He turned to Naruto. "Get up."
Naruto stood at once, like a puppet soldier on invisible strings.
Orochimaru put himself away and pulled up his zipper, placing a hand on Naruto's back and guiding him towards the door.
"Let's you and I go somewhere more private, Naruto-kun. I may be many things, but I'm not an exhibitionist."
Sasuke blinked. "What? Wait, but you said-"
"Oh, Sasuke." said Orochimaru as he stood at the open doorway. "I was just teasing. Naruto was never getting out of this. Not with you around. But who knows, maybe you and I can have some fun later. I won't deny it'd be fun to see if I can fully break that Uchiha pride."
He winked.
Sasuke couldn't breathe. His throat turned thick and his head swam as the reality of what was about to happen hit him.
"You can't." he choked out.
Orochimaru began closing the door.
"No, wait. Wait!" said Sasuke, he yanked at the chains on him now, unheeding as they bit into his skin and throat.
"Leave him." He gasped out as the chain on his neck choked him. "I said I'd do it. I'll do whatever you want. Let him go!"
"Naruto!" he cried in desperation.
Orochimaru simply smiled as he swung the door shut behind him. The last thing Sasuke saw was Naruto's empty, blue eyes turning to meet his as he screamed his name.
AN: Good lord, I am cruel. What can I say? I live for the angst. MAXIMUM PAIN!
To those who mentioned Iruka - He actually was not originally going to appear in the previous chapter. He became a last-minute addition which seemed to make the story flow smoother (believe me I didn't want him to get shot). It just seemed weird to me that he would conveniently just not be around or involved.