Insanity's Slip
Chapter Fifteen
By Boejangles
Naruto's head was still spinning with what had happened last night with his brother. It was a side of Sasuke he wasn't used to. He glanced up at the picture hanging on the wall across from him; he was waiting to see the Hokage. It seemed that Iruka had felt that some of Genin weren't ready for the exams; so the Hokage was taking their sign in forms personally.
Naruto turned to look at a lady that had called his name; she looked slightly annoyed like it wasn't the first time she had called it. He blushed slightly realizing he had been out of it. He stood up and walked into the Hokage's office.
"Hello Naruto-kun," Sarutobi said with a smile.
"Hello Hokage-san." Naruto bowed slightly.
"Oh don't be so formal, sit down." The Hokage spoke motioning to a chair.
"Thank you." The blonde said putting on a smile and sitting down, "Here are my forms."
Sarutobi took the papers and looked them over, "So tell me Naruto, why do you want to be a Chunnin?"
Naruto completely went blank for a second, "Uhm uh." He looked down at his hands and it came to him, "So I can protect those I care about."
The older male smiled liking the answer, "And what do you want most out of the exam?"
The blonde was slightly confused with e question, "I guess I would like to grow somehow."
Sarutobi nodded slightly, "And what is your greatest fear of this exam."
"That my brother will lose himself." Naruto slapped both his hands over his mouth not believing he had just said that.
"What was that?" The Hokage asked sitting up more in his chair, "Is there something wrong with Sasuke?"
Naruto shook his head no fiercely.
"Naruto." Sarutobi now had a very serious voice, "If there is something going on you really need to tell me."
Naruto clenched his fists and started crying, he didn't want to lie, because he hated lying. If he stayed silent he wasn't lying.
"Naruto, is Sasuke hurting you?" Sarutobi looked at him concerned.
The blonde just started shaking tears still falling down his face, "I try my best."
The Hokage moved around his desk and crouched by Naruto, "Try your best to what Naruto?"
"Be stronger and move on, but I just really miss my family." Naruto had been so ready to tell him everything, but something was holding him back.
Sarutobi pulled the blonde into a hug, "It's alright. Shh it's okay." He decided not to push it right now seeing the boy so vulnerable.
Naruto hugged the older man back and was able to stop crying.
"Okay you are free to go and enter the Chunnin exams, come talk to me whenever you need to okay."
Naruto nodded and gave a half smile wiping his face, "Thank you."
'Don't worry Naruto, we are going to help you.'
Naruto opened the door leading out of the Hokage's office to immediately find his face meeting the floor.
"Oof!" Came a muffled voice from under the blonde.
Naruto stood up quickly getting off of whomever he fell on, "I'm sorry."
"Great you ruined my attack on the old man." Came the voice of a brown haired boy wearing a yellow shirt, a blue scarf, and goggles on top of his head.
"I'm sorry." Naruto said again this time not mumbled.
The boy crossed his arms and pouted slightly then noticed the blonde's headband, "Hey you're a ninja?"
"Yeah I am." Naruto said with a small smile amused with the boy's quick change in mood.
"Cool my names Konohamaru. How old are you?" Konohamaru asked very interested.
"My names Naruto and I'm 10." The blonde responded holding out a hand.
The other boy didn't even notice the hand since he was in a slight state of shock, "Your ten and you a ninja? I'm nine and I still have to wait three years." The last part was said with a bit of a pout.
"I guess I was a special case." Naruto said feeling slightly uncomfortable.
"You have to come meet my friends." Konohamaru said grabbing the blonde's hand before pulling him along.
Sarutobi smiled having watched the entire scene and was glad his grandson and Naruto bumped into each other.
Naruto was slightly dizzy by the time Konohamaru was finished pulling him. He was standing in front of two other nine year olds. One was a girl pink shirt, a red cape, and matching goggles like the first boy. The other was a boy wearing an oversized blue shirt, glasses, and the same goggles.
"Hey guys this is Naruto," Konohamaru said pointing to the blonde with a smile.
The girl who had a light orange hair jumped forward, "The one who posses the sex appeal of an adult, Moegi!"
The boy who had hair the same color as Konohamaru's but slicked down jumped up, "The one who loves dividing numbers, Udon!"
Konohamaru then jumped forward, "This village's number one genius ninja, Konohamaru!"
"The three of us make…the Konohamaru Corps!" The three spoke in unison.
Naruto stared slightly shocked.
"What do you think?" Konohamaru asked.
Naruto blinked a few times, "Cool!" It felt a little weird being with kids closer to his age; being around kids that liked to play.
Konohamaru supported a confident grin, Moegi had a slight blush, and Udon was fixing his glasses.
Konohamaru stepped forward, "Do you want to play with us?"
"Play?" Naruto couldn't think of any games, "Play what?"
"Play ninja of course," Moegi said with a slight giggle.
"I don't know how." The blonde responded honestly.
"That's okay we will teach you." Udon said wiping his nose on his sleeve.
Naruto smiled and nodded his head, "I will like that."
The next few hours were spent running around, playing tag, learning dance moves, and for Naruto, having the time of his life.
"You should come have dinner with us, we are going over to my uncle's house." Konohamaru said from where he was laying on the grass.
They had all just collapsed laughing onto the ground a few minutes prior.
"Yeah you should come." Moegi said looking over at Naruto.
"It wouldn't be the same without you." Udon added.
Naruto smiled looking over his three new friends. When he thought about they were his three only friends. The kids from his class treated him more like a puppy and Sakura was more like a sister. He smiled at Konohamaru, "Well if boss wants me to go, then I'll go."
"Alright!" Konohamaru said pumping his hand into the air.
Asuma opened the front door when there was a knock only to be looking at nothing before he noticed a square rock. 'Here we go again', he thought crossing his arms and looked at the poor excuse for a rock before it exploded emitting a lot of smoke.
Moegi jumped out of the smoke first, "The one who posses the sex appeal of an adult, Moegi!"
Udon jumped out next, "The one who loves dividing numbers, Udon!"
Naruto was the next to jump out, "The youngest of this years Genin, Naruto!"
Konohamaru was the final one to jump out, "This village's number one genius ninja, Konohamaru!"
"The four of us make…the Konohamaru Corps!" The four spoke in unison.
Asuma raised his eyebrow at the new addition to the Konohamaru Corps. After closer inspection he noticed it was the Uchiha that Shikamaru had mentioned.
Konohamaru took Naruto to the side, "I think we still need to work on your introduction."
"Okay boss." The blonde said with a nod. Konohamaru had already been the official boss of the group and Naruto, being reserved, was not one to try and change that.
Asuma got the boys attention, "Naruto as in Uchiha Naruto?"
"Yes sir," Naruto said with a nod.
"I'm assuming you are all here for dinner." Asuma said wondering if he had enough food.
"Of course Unc its tradition!" Konohamaru said just walking into the house.
"Well come on you three get in." The only adult present said moving aside to let the others in.
For some reason Naruto felt really comfortable just being with people he could joke with and he was able to just forget about everything.
"Bye Naruto!" Konohamaru shouted giving the other boy a hug when it came time for the blonde to go down a different street.
"Goodnight Naruto." Moegi said with a blush gracing her cheeks as she hugged the older boy.
"See you around Naruto," Udon said with a salute.
"Bye guys I had fun!" Naruto said before running down his street towards the house.
It started dawning on Naruto just how long he had been gone and how dark it was. He opened the door quietly and shut it even quieter.
"Welcome home," a voice that could only belong to Sasuke called out from the dark room.
Naruto jumped slightly, "I'm sorry I'm late."
"Late? Not just late, its way past curfew." Sasuke said and you could tell from his voice he was trying to control himself, "What exactly were you doing?"
"Well I turned in my form for the Chunnin exams and then I ran into some kids and they invited me to play with them and then to have dinner." The blonde explained.
"Well if these kids caused you to come home so late then perhaps you shouldn't be with them." Sasuke said standing up from where he was sitting.
"But they are my friends!" Naruto got defensive.
"Friends that caused you to come home late!" Sasuke yelled back at him.
"They're my only friends!" Naruto yelled.
"Then perhaps you don't need friends!" Sasuke said getting louder.
"You can't tell me that I can't be with my friends!" Naruto yelled taking a step towards Sasuke.
The older Uchiha's eyes went red and he smacked the blonde across the face.
Naruto was forced against the door with a hand at his throat.
Sasuke was right in Naruto's face tightening his grip on the blonde's neck, "Yes I can tell you who you can be around and I can tell you whom you cant. Do you really want to test my power in this?"
Naruto coughed trying to get air back in his lungs and was smacking at his brothers hand. He wheezed out something unintelligible.
"What was that?" Sasuke teased loosening his grip.
"You aren't my brother." Naruto said with fire in his eyes fully believing that this wasn't his brother right now.
Sasuke's eyes adapted a crazed looked. He lifted the younger boy off the ground and threw him into the wall. "I see these little 'friends' of your have given you some false spirit. I guess I have to break you again."
Naruto got up and coughed before his eyes flashed red and he lunged at Sasuke, "Give me my brother back! I want my brother back!"
Sasuke flipped the two of them over and punched the blonde in the stomach, "You need to learn your place and learn it now!" His brought his fist back again and hit Naruto in the face.
Naruto felt the air leave him before his head smacked against the floor. "I don't know you anymore," he was able to wheeze out.
"Shut up!" The older Uchiha shouted before he started and attack with both his fists. "You are under me and you need to know it!"
Naruto tried his hardest to turn his pain into anger, but he just couldn't bring himself to seriously hurt his brother even if he wasn't acting right.
Sasuke brought down his arm with a especially forceful punch right into the younger boys forehead.
Naruto heard the crack before he felt it; he felt his hair becoming wet before actually feeling the pain. The pain the started as a buzzing light. The rest of the punches weren't even felt.
When Sasuke finally ran out of energy he got off of the younger boy and stood up wiping the blood from his hands onto his pants, "Don't question me again." With that he left the room up the stairs.
Naruto felt like he was choking and then he realized he was choking, on his own blood. He rolled onto his side and spit up the blood. He slowly reached up his hand and felt the back of his head feeling how sticky and wet it was.
'I just need enough strength to stand up…just stand up.' He forced himself to get up and was able to very slowly. He started feeling a different strength running through him.
Naruto blacked out and couldn't remember leaving the house or how he was walking down the silent dark streets. He would phase in feeling confused and then phase out surrounded by a warm comfort. He wasn't sure were he was going or how his body was even still moving, he just wanted to sleep.
He finally felt like he was waking up when he got to a familiar street.
Sarutobi sighed; he was up to his elbows in paperwork for the Chunnin exams, which started tomorrow. His head shot up when the door opened. "Oh Kami…" were the only words to leave his lips as he shot up from his desk.
Standing in front of was a Naruto that was practically covered in blood and had some dripping from the back of his head.
Naruto glanced at the Hokage and gave a small smile before falling to the ground.
Sarutobi ran over catching the boy, "What happened to you?" However Naruto was already passed out. "I am going to help you; whether you like it or not."
He shook his head before carrying the boy over to his private medic.
A/N: Woo! I got myself worked up just writing it. Hope you like. Leave me a review! The more reviews I get the more I want to update. : P Love Boe!