AN: This chapter is going to need a bit of a warning before we start. If you're not good with stuff like gore or psychological horror, this might be a chapter to skip. I'll be writing a summary in the end notes for anyone who wishes to utilise it. I'm not sure if anything will be triggering but it's better to be safe than sorry, right?

We're back to Rozu's perspective in this chapter but we will be having more "interlude" chapters in the future because I honestly had fun writing the last chapter. But now it's time to see how Rōzu's doing while his friends are trying their best to protect him.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this newest chapter!


Chapter 14: But You May Feel a Little Sick


Have you ever stepped out of the house into heavy fog?

The type where you can barely see a few feet in front of you?

Just a few steps beyond your door and you might as well be in the middle of nowhere, the only thing keeping you tethered being the unclear shadows through the murky void.

That was the hell I found myself in, wandering through a cavern of all encompassing, hazy white. Even at my feet, there only seemed to be a slightly denser variant of the haze that surrounded me.

"Other than a hot box, this isn't a good situation." I murmured to myself, if only to break through the uncomfortable silence I found myself trapped within. Something told me this wasn't a drug induced situation though. I was too untethered for that.

"Hello!?" I shouted, not even gaining the comfort of my own voice echoing back at me.

Am I dreaming?

Oh god! Am I dead?

"Not again!"

As if in response to my terror, the fog around me dispersed around me, revealing an all too familiar building in the distance. Unfortunately, the sight of a landmark only instilled more terror in my chest.

It was a hospital.

No. It was my hospital.

The place where my previous life had ended.

"No, no, no, no, no…" I chanted, hands shaking as I pulled them up into a Ram seal. "Kai!"

No effect. Nor did I gain any for my numerous other tries, all roads leading to the inevitable conclusion I didn't want to face. My only way forward was through those front doors.

"Fuck…"


It was empty. Completely devoid of life in a way I'd never seen it, even in the dead of night. That wasn't the most concerning thing though.

No, that was the fact that the inside was impossibly large. Hallways stretched on into infinity, seemingly never ending as I tried to make some sort of progress. The fact that I didn't feel lost in the walking nightmare was the only solace I could take.

My feet seemed to move with purpose beneath me, carrying me to where a part of me knew I'd end up.

My room.

And just as I recognised that fact, I saw it. There in all its painful glory.

Why was I back here? Has it all been a dream? One last gasp of a dying mind before oblivion finally claimed them?

Was it all for nothing!?

The bolt on the door clicked, swinging open with a slow, torturous creak. Inside was just as I remembered, clinical and cold, with little to make it my own. A pile of well wishing cards, the only splash of colour in the otherwise sterile room, though even they seemed washed out here, set upon a table next to the hospital bed.

Before I knew it, I was standing above the spot where my life was cut short, all that time ago. Gone, not with a spark but a pitiful whimper. A life barely lived.

I hated it.

I despised it!

With a roar of anger, I slammed my fists down onto the bed, the metal frame giving a cry of distress. My fists kept flying, red flooding my vision as I smashed my prison to pieces, tearing it apart.

It's not fair!

I didn't deserve this!


A whimper brought me out of my rage, snapping me back into the moment as I looked down at the wreckage I'd wrought.

Turning my gaze, I found myself looking at a child, curled up into a ball in the corner of the room. I was sure they hadn't been there before, would have noticed if they had.

Any questions I might have had to ponder were broken as they gave another sob, my resolve coming back as I shook my head and approached them.

"Hey, hey, I'm sorry if I scared you." I said softly, crouching down to their level, trying to get a look at them. They shied away even harder, pulling their knees closer to their face. "Yeah, I probably went a bit overboard there, huh?" I continued lightly, hoping for some sort of reaction.

The child didn't respond, shoulders shaking in held back sobs. Damn, I must have really put the fear of God into the kid. Considering the state of the bed I'd just dismantled with my fists… I could understand.

"Look, I guess we kind of started off on the wrong foot, didn't we. I'm actually really nice." I assured, pushing down the cringe I felt at the statement. Sure, that didn't sound creepy.

"My name's Rōzu." I introduced myself. "And don't tell anyone this, but I'm kind of a superhero." I whispered conspiratorially. "So there's no need to be scared, I'll help you out of here, trust me."

They seemed to finally loosen at that, making me sigh in relief. "Maybe you can be my sidekick in this adventure?" I suggested with a smile, delighted to see them nod their head slightly, even as they still didn't look at me. "Of course, I need to know my sidekick's name, don't I? So, what's your name?"

They mumbled something I wasn't quite able to catch. "Sorry kid, must have something stuck in my ears. Gonna need you to say that again." I murmured, drawing a little closer so I could hear what they said.

"...Sakura." They replied and my blood went cold.

"W-What?"

"My name… is SAKURA!" They screeched, bringing their head up to show their face as I reeled backwards.

Facing me was a perfect copy of the face I'd first seen upon waking up in the Hidden Leaf. Same round face, the same long pink hair, same freckle on their temple. The only difference, the only terrifying difference was the bloody void where her eyes were supposed to be.

"That's… what?" I whispered in horror, scrambling backward until I found myself pressed against the destroyed remains of the bed.

"Don't remember me, Rōzu? Did you forget my face? Did you forget the sound of my voice?" Sakura asked, crawling towards me with slow, deliberate movements like a spider crawling towards a fly. My body lay frozen as they advanced. "Already forgotten how you killed me?"

"No… I… I didn't!"

"But you did!" They screeched again. "You took my place, robbed my body and murdered me!"

The nightmare in Sakura Haruno's skin was on me, face inches away from mine, horrible voids peering into my eyes. Her breath was cold and held the sickeningly sweet stench of decay, sending shivers across my skin. I couldn't keep looking at them, turning my head away in a vain attempt of escape.

Sakura wasn't having that, her small hands grabbing my cheeks and dragging me back to meet her face. "No, you don't get to look away from what you did, Rōzu!"

"I'm sorry!" I sobbed, tears bursting forth. "I didn't mean to! It wasn't my fault! I'd fix it if I could, Sakura, I swear!"

Silence fell between us for an age, dragging on for an agonising amount of time before a smile slowly formed on Sakura's face. "Oh? But there is something you can do…"

"What? Tell me! I'll do anything!" I begged desperately.

"It's simple, Rōzu-kun." She grinned. "You just need to surrender."

I almost did, my will slowly slipping from my grasp before something clicked in my head.

Rearing my head back, I brought my forehead down on the spectre's nose before delivering a kick to it's chest, sending it flying into and through the wall behind.


"You bastard!" I growled, springing to my feet and adopting a fighting stance, a pair of kunai suddenly appearing in my hands.

I'd almost fell for it, almost let myself go. It was only that mocking address that had shown the ruse for what it was, everything finally fitting into place.

Memories of the last moments before I'd arrived came thick and fast. The Chunin Exams, The Forest of Death, fighting Orochimaru, saving Sasuke and finally pain flowing through my body as the Sannin's fangs buried themselves in my back.

This wasn't Sakura. This was Orochimaru. Or a copy of the madman inside the Cursed Seal that he'd inadvertently placed upon my body.

"You honestly had me going for a second there. I'd be impressed if you weren't such a colossal cunt."

The fake-Sakura let out an uncharacteristic cackle before their voice morphed into the voice of the Snake Sannin. "Oh Rōzu-kun, you are full of surprises, aren't you?" He asked smugly as he climbed through the rubble, body twisting back into his true form.

"Not such an easy mark, am I?" I snarked back, watching the man intently.

"Oh no, most definitely not." He agreed with a joyful hum. "To think, my other self thought you simply to be an above average nobody, the spare in the team. Reincarnation. How wonderful."

'Other self', so did that mean they weren't connected? That was a good thing to know. The idea of Orochimaru having access to my memories was another terrifying level that could only be topped by Danzo gaining such information. Still, I needed to check.

"So you know my secret, going to tell your master?" I asked mockingly.

He only seemed more entertained by my question. "And ruin the surprise? Never. I'm nothing if not a showman and that would be… How would you put it?" He tapped his chin in thought. "Oh yes, spoilers."

"Fantastic, now would you kindly fuck off to some far off corner of my mindscape, I'd really appreciate it."

Orochimaru was on me in a second, holding me aloft by the neck and bringing me close to his face. "You know that's not the end of our transaction, Rozu-kun."

"What, about to offer me power with some serious asterisks? Not interested." I replied with a grunt.

"Oh? Not even to save your friends?" He asked with a smile. "They're out there, you know. Fighting to protect you. How much longer do you think they'll last?"

As if to emphasise his point, the sounds of Naruto and Sasuke echoed through the halls, cries of pain and anguish.

"You're lying." I denied.

"Can you risk that I'm not, Rōzu-kun?" Orochimaru pressed, his yellow eyes boaring into my own.

I tried to deny him, to fight, but I knew it was a losing battle. I couldn't risk it. Wouldn't risk losing my brothers. No matter what.

A deal with the devil… was a small price to pay.


Energy surged through my body from my lower back as I sat up, vision coming into perfect focus as I scanned my surroundings.

My gaze found Gaara first, looking at me with wide eyes as he sat at the opposite side of the root shelter we were in.

The sounds of fighting outside followed after, the voices of my teammates bringing me to my feet as I strode outside.

I was greeted by an almost familiar sight from my memory, even if the details had changed. My teammates were in a rough state, obviously nearing the end of their tethers as they tried to force back the shinobi from sound. They were joined by the two remaining Sand Siblings, who were in a similar state to my teammates.

Anger spiked in my chest, a wave of caustic purple chakra exploding out of my body as I clenched my fists, stopping the fight dead. My allies looked upon me in shock, no doubt surprised I wasn't on the verge of death the opposite in fact.

I. Felt. AMAZING!

"Naru, Sasuke? Did they do this to you?" I asked, a dangerous edge to my tone as I looked upon my friends. They looked like they'd gone through hell, would probably look worse if not for Sasuke's healing techniques and Naruto's tenant. The thought brought forth even more rage as I turned towards my victims.

Most looked weary at the new arrivals, obviously feeling the power that was radiating out of me in waves. It was only the one covered in bandages that was different, abject terror in his lone, uncovered eye as he stared at me. It seemed like he knew exactly what was going on.

Good.


"Retrea-ack!" Bandage boy tried to shout, only to be stopped as I moved at blinding speeds towards him, grabbing him by the neck.

"You talk too much." I admonished with a tut before pushing the boy down with all my enhanced strength. He was barely able to let out a scream as his bones gave out from beneath him, body accordioning under the pressure with a series of satisfying snaps.

One out of six.

The next sound ninja tried their luck right after, launching towards me with a spinning kick aimed at my head. I put an end to that as I grabbed the offending limb and spun them around, wrapping their body around a nearby tree. Satisfaction filled my chest as his blood sprayed free, landing on my face.

It seemed that was enough for the two dressed similarly to my latest victim, the pair making a dash for the treeline in hopes of escape.

That wouldn't do.

With a flick of my hand, a litany of chakra strings spread out at rapid speed, forming a web between the trees directly in their path. They were caught in an instant, my strings wrapping painfully on any part that could gain purchase.

"Abandoning your teammate?" I asked with a tut, shaking my head in disappointment. "A team should really stick together."

With that, I clenched my hand tightly, the strings pulling taught under my grip. Their last moments were spent in an unwilling embrace as my strings brought them together, crushing their bodies together until their flesh gave out. An almighty pop sounded through the clearing as the strings finally cut through, turning them into mincemeat in a shower of gore.

"Kin, run!" The sound ninja with the spiky hair shouted towards his female teammate as he brought his arms to bear towards me. Not a kunai or some other weapon, but his actual arms as a blast of concentrated air exploded out of the appendages.

His mistake had been alerting me to his presence as I jumped out of the way of the blast, bouncing off the trees to land behind him. Grabbing his arms, I pulled them backwards as I placed my foot on his back, grinning at his scream.

"You need to be disarmed." I commented viciously as I pulled with all my might, drinking in his screams as I confiscated his weapons by force. It didn't take long for them to detach, his body falling to the floor in a bloody pool as I held my prizes aloft, only to frown as I gave them a shake.

"Oh no, they're broken." I pouted before shrugging and tossing them away without care. "Oh well, I'm armed and ready anyway."

Letting out a laugh, I turned myself towards my final target, beginning my slow advance towards them.

The girl was terrified, eyes wide as she sat there frozen in place, watching me advance. A small puddle formed on the ground where she sat, soiling herself as she anticipated what I'd do to her. Ideas raced around my head as I drew closer and closer, my heartbeat pumping in my ears in abject thrill.

Why had I hesitated? This was fantastic. I felt so alive, so powerful. I could do anything I wanted!

"...-ōrō! Dammit, Rōzu!" The voice of my black haired teammate sounded off in my ears, arms wrapping around my chest. "You've done enough! Stop!" A second pair of arms quickly joined him, Naruto wrapping his arms around the pair of us.

How annoying, They were ruining my fun. Maybe I should just kill them. They're just a couple of fictional characters after al-

Wait!

No!


Clarity came back quickly as the energy of the Curse Seal receded. My eyes turned down towards my bloodsoaked arms, horror filling my chest as I watched the black marks disappear from my skin.

What had I done!?

"S-Sasuke? Naru?" I whispered weakly, strength leaving my legs as I fell into their grip. "I… I didn't… I wouldn't…"

"We know, Rōzu. We know." Naru whispered back, voice shaking in a way that made my breath catch in my throat.

My tears came quickly after that, sobs breaking out as I held onto my teammates like a lifeline, afraid to fall without them. I'd just killed five people in the most horrible ways, slaughtered them with impunity. They had every right to run, run and hide because I was a monster.

"It's not your fault, Rōzu." Sasuke said firmly, conforming I'd voiced my own thoughts. I'd be lying if I said I didn't hold onto his words with everything I had.

"Die!" Kin, the sound kunoichi, screamed as she dashed towards us with a kunai in her grasp.

"Sand Coffin!" The voice of Gaara sounded out as our attacker was wrapped in a blanket of sand and crushed.

My teammate's movement had me looking at said Sand shinobi, a sadistic smile on his lips as his siblings stood nervously at his side.

Right.

I'd forgotten about them.


AN: I think it's understandable to forget about them all things considered, Rozu.

tl;dr: Rozu "wakes up" in their mindscape, which takes the form of the hospital where they died in their first life. After exploring for a while, he finds the room in which he died. After having a bad reaction to the sight, he comes across a child, who is a nightmarish facsimile of OG Sakura. This is revealed to be the Curse Seal Orochimaru trying to take control. Rōzu tries to deny them but the idea that their teammates are in trouble causes them to accept.

Under the effects of the Curse Seal, Rōzu dispatches with the remaining Sound Shinobi in horrifyingly brutal fashion, killing them all besides Kin. It is only Sasuke and Naruto begging him to stop that causes him to snap out of it. As they embrace, Kin tries to kill Rōzu only to be caught by Gaara's Sand Coffin.

Used a bit of my own interpretation for the Cursed Seal's effects in this chapter, with the Seal pushing the victim to be the worst version of themselves. With Rōzu, this pushes their protective streak to the extreme, along with a little boost of sadism. Even their use of jokes is pushed beyond the bounds with some dark jokes and cruel mockery.

Any comments/kudos/reviews are greatly appreciated!

MurderousLord!