Disclaimers: Naruto isn't mine. This is purely a fanfic using someone else's characters.

Warnings: This story includes strong language, violence, angst, references to suicide/ suicide attempts, sexual content (yaoi of course), & referenced/ depicted child abuse.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Chapter 21: Deafening Silence

"Fear is a phoenix. You can watch it burn a thousand times and still it will return."

-Leigh Bardugo

- - -

Naruto noticed pretty quickly that a lot of the girls were paying close attention to him as the day progressed. Some whispered when he walked by- eyes darting over, their conversation clearly about him- while others simply gave curious indecipherable looks.

He had no idea where this newfound attention was coming from, but it made him extremely uncomfortable.

After Sakura's party, he realized he was far too trusting- especially when it came to the girls at this school. The realization encouraged him to put his guard up, to be more aware, and right now everything in him was shouting that they were up to some shit. And for some reason, he was in the center of it.

"Hey, Sasuke" he whispered, nudging his arm with his elbow. The raven looked over at him curiously, and Naruto leaned in to avoid being overheard. "Have you noticed anything odd about some of the girls today?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Odd how?"

Naruto glanced over at them and once again they were all staring. "Look" he murmured.

Sasuke did and watched as several girls quickly turned away. It was not at all convincing. They had definitely been staring. And based off the looks he caught on their faces before they could hide them, they weren't staring at him. When they did, they looked excited and curious- blushing faces, starry eyes, biting their lips as they created their own weird fantasies about him.

This was different.

Their eyes were sharp, like a cold steel blade- and their piercing stare only had one target.

Naruto.

Why though?

He wasn't sure, but it did make him wary. He would have to keep an eye on the blonde and on the obsessive fangirls. They were definitely up to something. He could only hope that he'd be able to put a stop to it before shit got out of hand.

If they touch him, I swear I will slaughter every last one of them.

"Sasuke?"

Naruto's voice pulled him out of his musings. "Hm?"

"Do you see what I'm talking about?"

The raven nodded. "Yeah. Something's up.." He turned to the blonde. "Keep your guard up- I don't trust them."

He nodded.

"And Naruto?"

Their eyes met and Naruto's widened as Sasuke's expression darkened. "If they try anything, I want you to tell me right away. I'll take care of it."

Naruto was surprised to see the raven so intense about this. He looked back at the group of girls, studying them. He wondered what was going on, and if he would actually need Sasuke's help to deal with it.

He shook the thought from his head.

No. You're being paranoid.

You're both being paranoid.

It's just a couple of jealous fangirls- what's the worst that could happen?

- - -

Naruto walked through the hall, on his way to fifth hour, surprised to find it empty. Typically, at this time of day, people were still filling the space with chatter and teenage antics until their next class. Something about the intense silence sent a chill down his spine. He wasn't sure where the feeling came from, but he was sure something was off. Not understanding why he felt the need to, Naruto picked up his pace and gripped the backpack strap across his chest, trying to keep his anxiety at bay.

He neared a corner, a sigh of relief escaping his lips when he heard other students coming from just around it. Before he could get to them, though, someone reached out and grabbed him, forcing him back. Naruto opened his mouth, a scream flooding his throat, but a hand clamped down on it, stifling his cry.

He was yanked into a dark empty room and slammed up against a wall. His eyes squeezed shut as his head bashed against it. He could see the lights flash on through his lids, but before he could react to any of it a pair of lips smashed down on his.

Naruto's eyes shot open, wide with fear, and he saw a pair of dark eyes he didn't recognize staring back at him. He tried to shove the stranger back, but the guy grabbed his wrists and forced them up against the wall by his face. Naruto's pained scream stayed trapped behind his teeth as a hand tightened around his fractured wrist. Tears filled his eyes and he tried to jerk his head away, but the guy just pressed closer, forcing him to stay in place.

"Mmmphhhh!!" he shrieked, the sound reverberating between them. He kicked out and tried to yank his wrist free, convulsing frantically, desperately- doing everything he could think of to break free.

After an excruciating amount of time, he finally moved his mouth away from Naruto's, and the blonde gasped as he fought to catch his breath. He looked up in horror at a pale face and dark jet-black hair, similar features to Sasuke but definitely not him. Naruto didn't know this person. At all.

He was so confused- he didn't understand why someone he didn't even know would do this. He tried to speak, but his voice caught in his throat and stayed there. When the nameless teen smirked down at him, Naruto did the only thing he could think of. He pulled his head back and threw it forward, bashing his forehead into the guy's smug face. A sharp crunch filled the room followed by a pained shriek. The guy released the blonde and stumbled away from him, gripping his broken nose.

"What the fuck!" he screamed. "I didn't fucking sign up for this!"

Naruto saw an opening and went for it. He rushed for the door, but a hand grabbed his backpack and threw him back. He crashed to the floor, his elbow slamming into the tile as he turned to avoid his wrist. "Nnn!" He winced as he pulled himself back, trying to get away from his bloodied, aggravated assailant.

"Wa-wait.." he pleaded, scooting further away as he advanced on him.

"Calm down, Sai. What're you going to do, kill the guy? We got what we needed- let's just go."

The guy spun around to glare at someone in the corner of the room- someone Naruto only now became aware of. He had no idea anyone else was in there.

"He broke my fucking nose, Ino! You really expect me to just leave?"

Ino. Naruto's eyes shifted over to the side where he saw Ino and two other girls standing together with matching malicious grins pulling their faces taut.

Fear crawled up his throat and settled low in his gut. What is this..? Why are they here? Why would they.. why would they want this to happen..?

He had so much he wanted to say, but all he managed was one shaky word. "W-why..?"

Ino stepped forward, clearly the leader of the group. "You need to learn your place, Naruto."

She nodded over to Sai, and he turned around to face the blonde. Naruto tried to scramble back, but he didn't move away fast enough. His attacker stormed up to him and grabbed a fistful of blonde hair, jerking his head back. Naruto gasped in pain and looked up to find the guy smirking down at him, blood slipping from his swollen nose and coating his clenched crimson teeth. Dark hollow eyes stared down at his face, a silent threat that Ino was happy to put words to.

"And if you forget, we will make sure your next punishment will be a lot more.." she tilted her head as she tried to think of the right word. She smiled when she found it. ".. memorable. Isn't that right, Sai?"

He glanced over at the platinum-blonde girl and licked his bloody lip. "Follow through with your end of the deal, Ino, and I'll do whatever you want to him." He shifted his gaze back down to the blonde in his grasp. "For a guy, he is a looker. I could probably do more."

Fearful blues widened.

"God, you really only think with one head don't you?" Ino said with a laugh. "I know, I know." She walked over to the door, the other girls following close behind. "You brought a condom, right?" she called nonchalantly over her shoulder.

"Of course" Sai called back. He looked down at Naruto and gave a wink, as if they were friends and he was willing to let him in on his little secret. As if he hadn't just assaulted him and threatened to do far worse.

His fist tightened and Naruto gasped in pain, much to Sai's obvious amusement. Then, with one last alarming look, Sai threw Naruto down to the ground and strolled out- ready to claim his prize.

He flicked the lights off on his way out, plunging the blonde in darkness once more- a horrible suffocating darkness. As soon as the door snapped shut, the shaking started and tears began to fall. He had not felt this scared since… since..

Mom, he thought.

It was like no time had passed. Like he was still fucking nine years old. Just like before, he had been utterly helpless, unable to stop someone from assaulting him. From doing whatever they wanted to to him.

He felt incredibly small, pathetic. A sharp burning shame flooded through him, revulsion swirling in his gut. He fucking forced himself on you and you just.. you just let this happen!

You did fucking nothing!!

He tried to get away.. he really did, but he might as well not have for all the good that it did. It disgusted him how fucking weak and pathetic he was. Bashing the guy's nose in was something, but it didn't stop any of it from happening. And if that guy really wanted to do it again, would he be able to stop it from happening?

Could he stop him from doing more..?

Naruto dragged himself over to a corner of the room, pulled his legs close to his chest, and sobbed against his knees as his mind tormented him with flashes of every single fucking time that he had been what he was today- a perfect, helpless victim.

- - -

Naruto stayed in that room for quite some time- unable to face anyone or anything. Eventually, the darkness caused more fear than the idea of leaving, and he finally rose to his feet. He took several deep breaths and once he had himself composed, or at least managed to fake it like he was, he stepped out of the classroom and into the chaotic halls.

Whispering broke out the second he stepped out, and a sinking feeling filled him. He didn't catch what they were saying, but there was no doubt in his mind that it was about him. Not sure what to make of it, Naruto made a beeline to the bathroom- thinking maybe he had something on his face or that it was obvious that he had been crying. He rushed inside a single stall bathroom and locked the door behind him with a deep sigh of relief. It felt safe in that well-lit confined space- a feeling he desperately needed.

Naruto walked over to the mirror and leaned close to examine his face. His cheeks and nose were tinged pink from crying and his eyes looked heavy, but it didn't look bad. Definitely not enough to warrant all of the gossip that seemed to spread the second he stepped out.

Something else is going on.

He had a horrible feeling that it was related to what happened in that empty classroom and was suddenly tempted to spend the rest of the day in this bathroom. He didn't want to face whatever this was. He wasn't sure he even could. But.. he needed to know.

Naruto took several calming breaths and kept his eyes locked on his feet as he unlocked the door and stepped into the hallway. He got two steps before he was suddenly shoved back into the bathroom.

Fear stabbed through him as he stumbled back against the sink. No.. no not again..

But it wasn't Sai or Ino or any of her cruel followers.

This time, it was Sasuke.

At first he was relieved, that is until he looked up at his face. His jaw was clenched tight as he glared down at him, his rage palpable.

"Sasuke..?" Naruto breathed, his body trembling under his burning stare.

Naruto swallowed back a rush of fear as Sasuke took an angry step towards him. He shoved a piece of paper in the blonde's paled face. "Care to explain this?" he snapped.

Naruto's scared eyes shifted from Sasuke's tense face to the paper in his hand. A photo had been blown up and printed on it, and the sight of it sent a wave of nausea through him. It was a photo of him, eyes closed, shoved up against a wall as Sai roughly kissed him. Someone had photo-shopped his arms so it looked like he was pulling his assailant in instead of trying to push him away.

Ino.

Horrified blues shot up to meet Sasuke's hardened obsidian gaze. "Sasuke" he choked past the tears in the back of his throat, "do you seriously think I would do this?"

"I don't know what to believe."

Tears flooded Naruto's eyes, and he fought to hold them back. "I didn't do this. That- that guy.. he grabbed me. He-"

"Why are your arms wrapped around him?" Sasuke grated out, clearly not hearing him, unable to see past the picture.

"That was fucking photoshopped!" Naruto shouted. "Do you seriously think I wanted this? He-" he swallowed, "he fucking attacked me! Why am I being blamed for it?!"

Sasuke furrowed his brows, trying to process what the blonde was saying and weigh it against the photo. "Tell me the truth, Naruto."

Tears slipped free, and Naruto let them. "You don't believe me.." he breathed, his chest clenching in a tight fist.

Sasuke's silence tore through him, and the tears fell faster. Naruto shoved his hands against the raven's chest, anger rushing in to hide his pain. "I thought I could fucking count on you!" he shouted, shoving him again, forcing him back a step. "I thought you would help me!"

His voice cracked and something flashed in Sasuke's eyes, but Naruto didn't care to see it now. He was fucking hurt, and he needed Sasuke to know that.

"How could you doubt me" he choked, "even for a fucking second. How could you believe this?!" He shoved him again and Sasuke slammed back against the door, his eyes still locked on the blonde, his thoughts still horribly, utterly silent.

"You didn't even ask if I was ok.."

That seemed to pull Sasuke out of whatever illusion he had fallen into. "Naruto.. what happened?"

The blonde shook his head. "Don't pretend to care now."

"Naruto-"

He reached out for him, and something in Naruto snapped. He pulled back his uninjured arm and punched the raven across the face, sending him crashing against the wall.

"You want to know what happened? Ask Ino- she set it up. Or find the guy who's nose I broke when he fucking forced himself on me!"

Sasuke's head shot up at that, but it was too late. Naruto had already wrenched the door open and took off. Sasuke stared after the blonde, his cheek throbbing, his chest tightening, a sharp realization kicking in.

I just made a horrible mistake.

And Sasuke was suddenly terrified.

Terrified that he wouldn't be able to fix this. That Naruto would want nothing to do with him after this. That he was hurting and alone, and desperate for that pain to go away..

Just like another blonde had been before he-

Minato was hurting and I didn't see it.

And now Naruto..

But this was worse, he realized, because he turned his back on Naruto the way he never had with Minato. Naruto's words shot through him, sinking into his marrows- filling him with regret and shame.

"I thought I could fucking count on you!"

"I thought you would help me!"

"How could you believe this..?"

Sasuke bit his lip hard. God, the look in his eyes. He was so fucking hurt.

So.. scared.

"..You didn't even ask if I was ok.."

Sasuke covered his mouth with his hands, horrified by how he acted towards the person who mattered most to him. "How could I treat him like that?" he breathed. "Fuck.."

I'm going to lose him too.

Author Note:

I know. I love Sai too, but I needed a villain that Ino could persuade and so I went with it. Plus Sai has a bit of a fascination with Naru, so it just made sense. Maybe I'll consider helping him find his humanity later- haven't made my mind up on that yet..

Honestly, it totally killed me to do it- I adore Sai. So please forgive me readers, and please forgive me real Sai!! You are still a beautiful treasure trove to me!