Hey, hey!
This chapter was pretty fun to write. I must warn that the beginning of the chapter is a bit gore. So, you've been warned.
Naruto looked at the quivering man in the seat in front of him. The noble man that Neji had put a hit on.
Hit on. Those words were so funny to Naruto. Who would entrust such a responsibility to HIM of all people.
Right now Naruto was sitting in a chair beside the 30 year old man. The man had a damp potato sack bag over his head and his hands tied up to the arms of the chair. One hand was painted dark red of his own vitals. From Naruto pulling his fingernails off one by one. The man was gagged so all his moans and screams of pain was muffled. It wasn't like anyone could hear him anyways.
This was Naruto's safe room. Away from the alley. Away from his old apartment. Naruto found this gem years after the legendary sannin fled Konoha. This was an underground abandoned lab, and it was perfect for Naruto. All he had to do was slip in this man's home, in the middle of the night. While he was sleeping soundly in a bed full of women, and pluck him from the room.
He highly doubted those women would miss him.
Once sleeping soundly, having peaceful dreams. This man was now in a nightmare. Naruto had finished one hand. Now he had moved his chair to the other side to get started on the other hand.
Naruto used a thin metal box nail, and a tiny hammer, as he aligned it to the man's index fingernail. "You know. If you weren't such a piece of shit. That liked girls way younger than you. You wouldn't be in this position. You wouldn't be so fucked right now."
He hammered the metal nail into the man's fingernail. Hard enough for it to crack and for blood to seep through the cracks. One would be surprised, it didn't take much effort. Naruto then took a pair of needle nose pliers and started to rip off the cracked nails. Holding the man's hand still as he started to convulse in pain and scream in misery.
The sounds of pain bouncing off the walls. This was everything Naruto loved about what he did. He got a rush. He shivered with satisfaction and adrenaline. It always felt like the first time he heard that person in pain from his traps. Each time felt as thrilling as the first.
"Hold still now. Let me just-" Just like that he yanked off a large cracked nail from the skin and the man's finger started to bleed heavily. "Whew! Look at that. Let's get some water and clean that up!"
Naruto had a milk gallon jug, but it was filled with water instead. He took the jug from the table beside him and stood over the screaming man. He held the nape of the man's hair and pulled it back as he poured a little bit of water on his hand. "There ya go. At least I got some of the blood off your finger. Unfortunately you're gushing so, it's going to keep coming out. Say, are you thirsty?"
He then dumped the water over the man's covered face. These sounds were better than the screams of pain. The sound of drowning. The desperation for air. This was way more satisfying. Just when Naruto felt like he went a little overboard, he leaned the man up and pat his back so he could get some air and cough up some water. "Take a breath. There ya go. I need all your fingernails off before I let the water kill ya. No real reason why. I just think you'll look better without them."
This made Naruto completely forget about his annoyance with team seven.
Naruto sat on the ground as he listened to Kakashi give out the instructions for the bell test. This ridiculous test. He listened intently to catch if Kakashi said anything about team work, which he didn't. He wanted them to fail. Why? Did this guy hate being an instructor that bad? Did the third Hokage pair him to be their sensei because he wanted Naruto to fail?
After Kakashi briefed them, they stood up to prepare for the test. Naruto stretching just a little, trying to clear his mind of his annoyed thoughts. Instead, he filled his head with the sounds of last night job. Yeah, that put him at ease almost immediately.
That was when he heard Kakashi begin the test, and Sasuke sprint right by him. Naruto looked at Sakura and saw her panicked expression from Sasuke leaving them and took off herself to follow him.
Naruto couldn't fucking believe it. What in the hell were they doing?!
He sprinted towards Sasuke, since Naruto was the fastest, and yanked him with all his might back. He grabbed Sakura by the arm and pulled both of them from Kakashi. "Wait. WAIT!"
Naruto was already good at giving Sakura a stare down that would make her instantly cooperate, but Sasuke, Naruto had to grip him and practically pin him to the ground. He looked at Kakashi with a jittery smile. "Umm. It's not fighting needed to get the bells, right umm sensei? Could we have a minute to like, talk? Please?"
Kakashi tilted his head as he looked at Naruto. Studying his student and that itself made Naruto annoyed. He didn't want to be on this guy's radar, and now he was because he was showing signs of 'leading' this team. When in reality, Naruto could care less about this team. "You're right. No fighting is needed. Go on, talk before you resume."
Naruto let go of Sasuke and Sakura. Whispering to them heatedly. "What the fuck was that?! Don't ever run into some shit you don't know about again. He's just fucking standing there. That should be warning enough. Look…I don't like this as much as you two, but we need to work together, because I'll be damned if this fucker sends me back to the academy."
Sasuke silently watched Naruto and his drastic mood change. Naruto was pissed right now, and the way he grabbed him. That was rough as hell. "What are you talking about Uzumaki?" Naruto shot Sasuke a sharp look. "Teamwork. Teme. He's been harping about us getting along since yesterday when we all met. That's why we did those stupid fucking introductions. Remember? You wanting to obviously kill your brother. Sakura wanting to clearly hook up with you. Me simply hating my damn life the whole moment. Sensei wants teamwork out of us. So PLEASE, listen man."
Naruto took his finger and drew in the dirt. "He's going to let us try our shot. Not expecting good team work. Sasuke. Me and you sprint and flank him. Keep him in. You know fire jutsu's and so do I. Let's make a sick inferno and trap him in it. I use a shadow clone, and burrow under the ground and go for the bells. Just remember that fire has to be crazy hot Sasuke to distract him enough. While that's going on. Sakura, let us know if you see him escaping. If you do, we regroup and Sasuke will give us an idea, and if that doesn't work, we'll regroup again and Sakura will give us an idea. Either way we're showing that we're working as a team at least."
Naruto looked straight in Sasuke's eyes. Showing he was very serious and to trust him on this. While Sasuke was still pissed off about the orphan comment, and Naruto was still upset about the Hyuga comment. The two agreed to work together.
Sasuke nodded his head as he stood up with Naruto. "Deal." Naruto grinned as he looked over at Kakashi. "What's your fastest 200 meter sprint Sasuke?" Sasuke looked at Naruto and frowned, simply because he knew Naruto was faster. "19.49, I can't go your 19.19 space."
Naruto shrugged his shoulders, "Well that just means I'll follow your lead." That also meant Sasuke could look like the leader and hopefully that would mean Kakashi would be under Sasuke's ass instead of his.
Sasuke took off and Naruto followed. Both executing Naruto's plan and flanking Kakashi as they started the intense fire inferno. It was massive and immediately captured Kakashi in it. Naruto looked over at Sasuke to make sure he was continuing the fire, and while Sasuke looked a bit winded, he looked over at Naruto and gave a firm nod that he was fine.
Kakashi was too busy protecting himself to ensure he wasn't really harmed from the flames and was about to use his own flames to counter theirs. However, he stopped when he heard bells sound off. Soon the flames died down after a solid three minutes. A lot of the greenery around them was burnt and Sakura was seen yards away seeking refuge.
Below Kakashi. At his feet was a shadow clone Naruto. Smiling up at him as he dangled the bells in his hands that he pick pocketed from him. Kakashi didn't even try to reach for the bells. He just watched the clone make its way back over to Naruto and hand him the bells before dissolving. "You got the bells. Took you less than five minutes."
Naruto smiled at Kakashi and gave the bells to Sakura when she walked up beside them. Kakashi arched his brow at this and frowned. "You think you deserve to pass? Just because you got the bells?"
Sasuke and Naruto looked at Kakashi strangely. At this point Sasuke was starting to agree with Naruto. This sensei was annoying and out to fail them for no reason. "Why wouldn't you pass us? We played your game. We got the bells. As a team."
Kakashi tilted his head as he looked at them. "Sakura didn't do anything."
Naruto's eyes widened and he looked at Kakashi like he couldn't be serious. "Yes she did! She was guard watch. To alert us in case you got out the inferno. We ALL played a part."
Kakashi potent stare zeroed in on Naruto. "You made that position up in case I said something about it. You had no intentions of using Sakura. You think she's extra baggage. You treat her as such and that's not how teams work. You find her strong points and you include her to complete the mission. If you were out in the field and Sakura was left alone, an enemy could have creeped up and killed her."
Oh Naruto was seeing red. He was plotting ten different ways to cut Sakura and Kakashi to pieces. They were STRESSING HIM, and he didn't like to be stressed.
Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Sakura before he looked at Kakashi. "Please. Tell us then. Without any further training from you, our sensei, how would you have used Sakura without failing and not getting the bell? Yes, we all went to the academy together, but we're learning about Sakura just as much as you are. How are we supposed to know in the course of 24 hours?"
Kakashi simply shrugged his shoulders. "There was no way." Naruto and Sasuke both looked at him with deep frowns on their faces. What the hell man. "The only reason I'm passing you is because you gave Sakura the bells at the end. Showing that you at least thought of her and wanted her to relish in the feeling of accomplishment with you two. So, yes. You pass. You're Genin."
Sakura let out a sigh of relief and leaned over to take a breather. Naruto looked at her before he looked at Sasuke. "Thanks you two. I do appreciate you guys trusting me." Sasuke rolled his eyes at Naruto, but a small grin played on his lips. "Don't mention it. Ever."
Sakura looked at Naruto and Sasuke. Smiling with a light blush on her cheeks. Being on a team with them wasn't bad at all. She could even tolerate Naruto more than she thought. "Let's celebrate! Let's go out to eat for dinner!"
Naruto's eyes went over to Kakashi, just for a moment. He wanted to see if their sensei was paying attention, because in reality, Naruto wanted to say no. He only ate dinner at home with his family, but if he said no, it would set their sensei off about teamwork again. If he says yes, that would show he's trying with them. Especially Sakura.
"Yeah. That sounds like a good idea."
Three months had gone by.
Three agonizing months.
This sensei was NOT letting up. It was mission after mission. All D-ranked missions in the village. Something to help buld 'teamwork'. Naruto was so fucking sick of teamwork. Today was another teamwork day. This time Kakashi said it would be a little different.
"Wow. This is like the third noble clansman that's been found in the crappy side of town. Dead in a brothel this time. What the hell is going on over there lately? Are they getting mugged and tricked by those prostitutes down there? One guy had all his nails ripped off and somehow drowned. Another had the skin off his back peeled off before dying from a heart attack, I bet off the pain. Gosh the third guy…"
Naruto looked at Sakura as she was reading a newspaper and frowned. Why was she reading that thing? Why did she have to have an IQ? Sakura specifically annoyed him not because she wasn't physically up to par with him and Sasuke, but she randomly had these intelligent outburst that reminded him she was a smart person. Too smart, and that annoyed him. Especially in this case.
Naruto gazed at his watch and almost growled. Kakashi was late. Again.
Sasuke was sitting next to Naruto and nudged his foot with Naruto's. Silently telling him to relax. Over the past few months. Naruto and Sasuke had built some type of friendship. They were more cordial to one another. Had a solid respect for each other. Sasuke respected Naruto's strengths and skills. Naruto respected Sasuke's skills and outlook on things.
Naruto looked at Sasuke and the two smirked at one another. One thing the two of them did share mostly in common. They wanted to be done with this team to move higher up. Fast. Playing the teamwork card and taking the Chunin exams, they could separate from this team immediately after. Both boys wanted to pursue Anbu.
Anbu would give them both the freedom to do as they pleased. For their own selfish reasons.
Naruto's eyes looked to his left of the training ground and saw another team coming to join them. Team eight came with Kakashi.
Sasuke looked at Naruto before looking back at team eight. He's grown to know Naruto enough by now to know that Naruto was infatuated with the Hyuga princess. Sasuke could admit she was a beautiful girl. Would he admit that to Naruto? No way. That would be a fight not worth it.
Hinata made eye contact with Naruto and smiled. The two only saw each other at the moment and tuned everyone else out. Naruto turned to complete mush. Her smile. It always brightened his day. It was like he could hear beautiful harmony music when she smiled at him. She wore such a cute kimono today too! A soft cream orange. Oh gosh! They matched today!
Hinata looked at her kimono and blushed before she looked back at Naruto. Like she was silently telling him she did this for him. This moment was perfect for him.
That was until Kiba slung his arm over Hinata's shoulder and pulled her into him. Cheesing that annoying smirk that Naruto wanted to claw off. Sasuke looked at Naruto again once he saw Kiba make such a bold move. Dog boy had no clue what he was getting himself into. He could feel Naruto's chakra start to shift. Creating that weird aura where his eyes start dancing and he looks creepy.
Sakura looked at the approaching team and put down her newspaper. "What's going on here?"
Kakashi smiled under his mask at his team and pointed with his thumb to team eight. "We will be doing teambuilding today by sparring with team eight. Both teams should get something out of this."
Naruto looked at Hinata as she seemed to shy away at the attention. Gravitating behind her sensei as she looked at his teammates. Why was she being coy? He knew she could handle her own.
He's seen Hinata train. He's seen the real Hinata. The one who's eyes shifted just as crazy as his when she grew excited. When he would come back from a job soaking red. Her favorite part of it all was helping him clean up. Hearing about his night. Naruto knew the real her, so why was she hiding?
Maybe because Hinata didn't know Naruto did his, 'jobs' off pure sadistic enjoyment. She believed he was doing the greater good. Ridding the world of people that were bad.
Neji said that Hinata wasn't okay after her father died. That sometimes her personality would switch, but Naruto thought that was fine! It was okay to have a mask in front of people you didn't deem close to you. That's all it was Hinata was doing. That's what Naruto believed. Or made people think he believed that.
Like, so what Hinata lost every adult close to her while she was young. Her father deserved to die. Naruto felt bad about her mom and uncle, but her father, he could care less about. He could tell Hinata still had a positive outlook of her father. She still made excuses for what he did to her as a child. So, Naruto never told her that he knew Obito killed her father. It would crush her!
This was a secret he was going to keep until he was ready. He needed Hinata to trust him more than she trusted Obito before he told her that truth.
"Stop staring at her so hard." Naruto blinked as he heard Sasuke mumble this to him. Was he that obvious? "I'm just saying this, because you'll get Kakashi's attention."
Oh. Sasuke was looking out for him. How nice.
Naruto nodded his head casually and stood up from his sitting position. Picking up Sakura's newspaper and balling it up. "No need for this while we spar. So what's the pairings sensei?"
Kakashi put on a thinking pose as he looked at his team. "You're all blitzing one another. You decide how you want to go about taking the other team out. Free for all, but you work as a team. The first one to lose a teammate in this, loses."
Naruto wanted to throw up hearing that word sometimes. TEAM.
Sakura looped her arm between Naruto and Sasuke and smiled. "Alright! This is going to be good. Then afterwards. We'll get dinner!"
Dinner. The one meal he reserved for Hinata and that's the meal he's been missing the last few weeks because of teamwork.
Naruto looked at Sakura and internally rolled his eyes. Sakura's version of team building at dinner resulted in her flirting primarily with Sasuke, and even giving him googly eyes on the side. Naruto wasn't the brightest crayon in the box, well he kind of was, still he could see that Sakura's main objective right now was boys. Her teenage hormones had her flirting with Sasuke and him.
Wrong place and wrong time to want to make romantic connections.
At first Naruto thought Sasuke was faking it. That he secretly liked Sakura and the fan girls that followed him. In reality, Sasuke wasn't faking at all. Naruto learned Sasuke really hated it. He hated the fakeness of the admiration and forced love. Sasuke was lying on the fact he wanted to be alone, but he wasn't faking the fact that he didn't like Sakura on that level. He was just tolerating everything at this point.
Sasuke was just good at faking it like Naruto, so they could be submitted in the Chunin exams.
Naruto looked from Sakura back over to team eight and caught sight of Hinata. How her head was tilted to the side as she looked at him. An owl like stare. At this moment, he couldn't really read what she was thinking. Her eyes, they had a look that he's never seen on her face.
It kind of looked like jealousy. Couldn't be though. Not from Hinata.
Soon the teams separated to come up with a strategy to fight their opponents. Hinata, Kiba and Shino in a small huddle as they discussed their plan. Hinata being the first to voice an idea. "They want to protect Haruno. That will be the first thing they do. Form some type of protection for her. Let me take her out first. They will automatically fail as a result. The task is teambuilding. The first group teammate to be taken out first, loses."
Shino looked at Hinata and arched his eyebrow. Even though Hinata couldn't see his eyes, she could tell he was rather amused. "You can blitz by Uchiha and Uzumaki fast enough to get to her?" Hinata had a thoughtful look on her face, "Maybe Uchiha-san, but not Naruto-kun."
Kiba rolled his eyes at her term for the blonde. "Please Hinata. We're trying to win here. Just plain, 'Naruto' right now. Shino, what do you think?"
Shino slowly nodded his head and leaned in further in the group. "My bugs were over there while they were plotting. You're right Hinata. They are going to focus on Sakura. They believe we'll focus on Kiba. So, we'll trick them. Me and Kiba will form a protective human barrier around you. When Naruto and Sasuke blitz for Kiba, you blitz for Haruno. You'll only get seconds to do this, so don't let your emotions of upsetting Naruto stop you. Understand."
Hinata blushed and this but nodded her head with determination. "Yes."
The three stood up at the same time as team seven. Forming a protection around Hinata. "Hey, Hinata." Said person turned to look at Kiba as he called her name. Loud enough for team seven to hear. "You never have dinner with us. How come? Naruto has dinner with his new family."
Shino looked at Kiba, but could see what he was trying to do. He wanted to get Hinata riled up. If Kiba wanted to get Hinata going, then Shino might as well get Naruto just as riled up. "Hn. Perhaps if we win. We can have dinner at my home. My mother is making dinner, and I believe she is making your favorite dessert tonight Hinata. What was it again Kiba?"
Kiba smirked at Hinata. Not a teasing smirk. Not a joking smirk, or smart ass comment smirk. A flirtatious smirk, while he tilted his head as he looked at Hinata. "You know she loves cinnamon rolls."
Shino nodded his head before he turned back to look at team seven. "That's right. Cinnamon rolls. You got her some for lunch the other day Kiba."
Kiba and Shino were met with the darkest glare they have ever seen. Naruto looked like a wild beast ready to rip their skin from their bodies. He was taking deep breaths as him and Sasuke stood in front of Sakura and his hands shook from rage.
They were mocking him. Making fun of the fact they were spending more time with his best friend than he was. Playing mind games with Hinata. Making her believe he didn't care about her anymore!
Naruto looked at Kakashi with those crazed eyes Kakashi has seen from time to time. Waiting for him to start the match. Kakashi looked at Naruto and just shook his head. The kid fell for their trap hook, line and sinker. "Begin."
Just as Naruto and Sasuke took off, and was at arm's length from Shino and Kiba, Naruto paused as Hinata whizzed by him. Sasuke turned around to snatch her arm but was too late. Hinata made it to Sakura in seconds and their female teammate didn't have a second to guard or defend herself before Hinata hit her with a gentle fist that knocked Sakura's breath out and sent her to the nearest tree. Leaving her indented there.
Naruto's arms dropped to his sides as he watched the scene. He got fucking tricked. He could hear Kiba laughing right in his damn ear. "Dammit!"
Sasuke rolled his eyes to the sky and just walked over to Sakura to get her from the tree. Once Shino and Kiba started picking, he should have known it was a trap. That they had a trump card. Kiba didn't even take his damn dog out his hoodie, that should have been a clear sign that they didn't plan on really fighting.
They would have caught this if Naruto wasn't so distracted with what they were saying. He let them get under his skin. Naruto was supposed to create a shadow clone and leave it with Sakura. Which he clearly was so angry that he forgot.
When Sasuke approached Sakura, Hinata was still standing in front of her. Staring her down. "Hyuga. It's over. Team eight won." Hinata turned and looked at Sasuke. Her Byakugan still active as a hollow look took over her face. Sasuke concluded that Naruto wasn't the only one that let this whole ordeal get under his skin.
Hinata turned around to leave and took a few steps before she turned back around and looked at Sakura and Sasuke. Naruto approaching behind her. "I recommend you do not have Naruto miss another dinner with his family. Unless it pertains to a mission. Please, do not let this happen again."
Naruto looked at Hinata completely flabbergasted. He was right. She was jealous. She almost knocked Sakura's head off from jealousy!
For him.
Something good did come from this 'team building' exercise then.
Once Hinata made it over to her teammates, Shino patted the top of her head. "Amazing plan Hinata. I expected nothing short from the Hyuga clan rising leader." Kiba gave Hinata a side hug as well and grinned at her. This time on a playful friendly level.
Naruto's eyebrow twitched.
She planned this. She knew who to target on team seven. That they were going to protect Sakura. That Shino and Kiba could distract him and Sasuke long enough for her to get an open opportunity. Hinata did all of this out of spite. She wanted to show Sakura a lesson. She wanted to show HIM a lesson. Get his attention. Check him.
Naruto started to grin as he eyed Hinata. She may have Neji and everyone else fooled, but Naruto knew better. Hinata was very much sane. She was just as sane as him.
Soon everything settled down and the two teams were cleaning their weapons together. Naruto waited for the perfect opportunity of Hinata walking away from Shino and Kiba, to get her assault pack from the tree a little distance away. He eyed her the whole time waiting for his chance to talk to her alone and immediately stood up to speak to her.
Sasuke watched Naruto go towards Hinata and shook his head. He was wasn't even upset that team seven lost, he was rather amused. Mainly because Naruto kept calling this girl his best friend. What he saw was not how best friends treat one another.
Hinata shuffled through her pack to place her freshly clean and sharpened weapons up. Stopping as she sensed Naruto approach her. She smiled at him nervously and he arched a brow, cornering her. "I-I…I can explain Naruto-kun."
Hinata stood up and backed against the tree and Naruto trapped her against the tree. He smiled at her and slanted his head. "Yeah? Explain then."
Hinata actually couldn't explain. She puffed her cheeks and looked off to the side. Naruto continued to smile at her and actually chuckled a little. "It's okay. I didn't like that you let Kiba and Shino play with my head though. That was playing dirty Nata."
She blushed at his words and just couldn't look at him. "I'm sorry Naruto-kun."
He wasn't buying it. Not by a long shot. "Plus, you went pretty extreme on Sakura. I'm gonna need you to apologize to her."
Hinata snapped her eyes over to Naruto and looked at him like he had to be kidding. "You miss family dinners for them, and they make fun of me for it. Yet, I must apologize? That is not fair Naruto."
Naruto leaned in to Hinata and his bright blue eyes turned a raging red. "No. Your teammates teased you for it. Sakura just mentioned us doing dinner later. The same dinners I tell you I hate. I do not like being on this team, Hinata. You know this. However, I don't want this sensei on my ass any more than he already is, all because you almost knocked Sakura's soul out her body."
Hinata wasn't intimidated. She pouted at the treatment and leaned her head back against the tree. Naruto closed in on her and whispered in her ear. "Apologize Hinata."
"No." She was a Hyuga. No such thing would happen.
Naruto smiled at this and continued to whisper in her ear. "You apologize. Or I'm going to crush one of your teammates. If you feel upset over a fucking dinner. Imagine how I feel over them talking about you like that. Now either apologize, or I'm going to play eeny, meeny, miny, moe on which one of your teammates I'm going to rip apart. I don't need this attention on me Hinata. I don't need my sensei to think I just would let anything happen to my teammates. Do me a solid."
He heard Hinata take a sharp breath in frustration and lift herself off the tree. His demonic eyes turning back sky blue and he lifted up to smile at her. Hinata not returning the smile and looking rather upset. "You play unfair Naruto-kun."
He showed his bright teeth and ran his tongue over his white fangs. Hinata straightened up to walk off to Sakura, but Naruto reached over and gently grabbed her arm. "Hinata. Stop telling Kiba and Shino things about you. They're not your real friends. I am."
Only he was.
End of chapter.
So, cause of death this chapter was waterboarding, but the torture was probably more morbid.
As I said, Naruto and his possessiveness will only grow. So, don't be surprised lol.
He has this flip of a switch personality for sure. Mainly towards Hinata because it's so hard for him to control himself around her. Considering he's hiding how he really feels for her. It makes him all discombobulated. All my guy wants to do is love her!
Well, see you next Saturday!