Disclaimers: Naruto is not mine, sadly. This is purely a fanfic using someone else's characters.
Warnings: This story includes strong language, violence, sexual assault, torture, sexual content (yaoi), & angst. .
It's All In Your Head
Chapter 18: Imprison
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Kisame carried Naruto through a hidden doorway lodged against a stone wall. They moved through a snaking corridor, down a long flight of stairs, and into a room filled with barred cells. The air was cold and smelled of mildew, dust, and something metallic. It took Naruto a moment before he realized what it was.
Blood.
A chill ran down his spine. What're they going to do to me? He was terrified to know the answer.
The two brought him to a cell at the end of the hall, where Kisame roughly dropped him onto the dirt covered slab of concrete. Naruto winced. The impact was jarring- causing his teeth to clatter, and sharp pain to rush up his tailbone.
"Was that fucking necessary?!" he snapped.
His patience already stretched thin, Kisame turned around and back-handed the blonde, sending him careening to the floor. His jaw felt like it was on fire, and he could taste blood from his split lip. Naruto slowly pushed himself up, which proved to be difficult with his wrists still tightly bound.
"Watch your tongue, jinchurki" Kisame growled, "or I may have to relieve you of it."
His hand wrapped around the handle of his sword, which he clinked against his back- a warning to the mouthy blonde. One that Naruto quickly understood. He kept his head down, letting blonde locks cover his face. He knew better than to respond.
Itachi stepped forward and switch out the ropes on his wrists and ankles for thick iron shackles. The heavy bands on his wrists were attached to long chains that were bolted to the floor. Naruto knew it was a waste of time, but he tried to access his chakra again. Nothing.
Of course. If they use chakra-blocking rope, then they're likely to use all kinds of chakra-blocking restraints.
At least now he could move around more- they didn't bind his ankles, and the chains were long. But they kept his wrists locked together, which made him incredibly nervous. It made him feel.. vulnerable.
A feeling he knew all too well.
The blonde sat in front of the Uchiha, keeping his eyes averted, but he could feel Itachi watching him. He didn't want to get hit again, but he had a feeling the man was waiting for him to speak.
"You have me locked up" he finally said, "I can't use chakra, I can't escape. What else do you want from me..?"
A hand suddenly lashed out and grabbed his chin, forcing his head up. "Mangekyou Sharingan."
Naruto's eyes widened. "No- wait!"
Too late.
Itachi, once more, had him trapped in an illusion. But this time he was alone in it.
"Why am I here?" he asked, trying to keep the fear out of his voice.
"Curiosity."
Naruto clenched his jaw. "About what?"
"You."
The scene changed and Naruto found himself sitting in a chair at a simple wooden table. He couldn't move. He swallowed back the lump in the back of his throat as Itachi sat across from.
"There's nothing to know" he said quietly.
"Then why don't you show me more about Sasuke."
Naruto flinched. "What do you care?! You ruin his life and then you think you have any right to know what's left?"
Itachi tilted his head as he studied the blonde. "You're quite protective of him."
"He's my friend."
"Friend.." Itachi repeated. "Right."
Naruto looked away. "I have nothing to say to you."
Itachi leaned forward. "I don't need you to say anything."
Naruto could feel Itachi in his head, pulling the memories forward, forcing them to come out. Naruto gritted his teeth against the onslaught, trying to fight it, but Itachi's sharingan abilities outdid anything he could manage on his own.
And then there he was- Sasuke. Mocking him in school, sparring him in training, pointing out his failures.. unable to hold back a smile at his success.
More memories flickered through his mind.
Sasuke forcing the forbidden jutsu on him, then becoming horrified when he realized it worked both ways.
Sasuke tearing the men away from Naruto and beating them to the brink of death.
Sasuke pulling him close, trying to hold him, and Naruto pushing him away.
Sasuke kissing him, and Naruto pushing him away.
Sasuke leaning in, smiling at the blonde..
And Naruto pushing him away.
Naruto felt embarrassed at first that Itachi was able to see all of his most private moments with Sasuke, but then he only felt ashamed of himself.
He watched Sasuke protect him, care for him, try to be close to him.. and his own cold response to it. The sight of it- the hurt in Sasuke's eyes, the way his hands fell to his sides, how defeated and broken he looked every time he was rejected.. it was painful to watch.
"Looks like I'm not the only one who's broken him. Wouldn't you agree, Naruto?"
The blonde dropped his head. "I.. I didn't mean to hurt him.."
"But you have." Itachi pulled a scene from his memory and froze it on a single image- forcing Naruto to see Sasuke's pained face, and the anger in his own.
"I might be a monster, jinchurki. But I'm not the only one."
Then the illusion faded and Naruto was thrown back into a cold reality, his stomach tight with shame, in a cell that he was starting to think he belonged in.
--
"This is where the trail stops." Pakkun said.
Kakashi and Sasuke dropped down before a large rock wall. Nothing about the jagged rocks seemed odd, but there was definitely something there. Sasuke's sharingan eyes could detect something- something that wasn't quite right. No doubt Kakashi's saw the same.
"A hidden entrance" he said. "Now we just need to figure out how to get in."
Sasuke looked around. "There has to be some kind of trigger to activate it. And it's probably close."
Kakashi nodded. "Let's spread out."
The three lifted rocks, checked dense bushes close by, and ran their fingers through the grass in the clearing- nothing. Sasuke moved on to the trees along the perimeter, running his hand along the bark and knocking against the wood. By the third tree his temper was back, but it turned out not to be a waste of time. He knocked on another tree trunk and heard a sharp metallic sound.
"The hell-?"
Sasuke dug his fingers against the bark and found a sharp edge. He managed to pry it open and inside was a hollow metal compartment.
And a lever.
This is it.
"Kakashi", he called over his shoulder. The silver-haired jonin ran over to him, Pakkun hot on his heels.
"Hmm." Kakashi examined the hollowed out tree as he gently ran his fingers along the handle of the lever. "I've never seen anything like this."
Sasuke grabbed the lever and glanced over at him. "I'm not waiting for back-up."
Kakashi met his eyes. "I know." He turned to his furry companion. "Pakkun, I need you to report all of this to the Hokage. Make sure they know where to find us and how to find the lever."
The hound nodded. "Understood."
They watched him run off, then turned their attention back to the hollow tree, and the key to the Akatsuki's hideout.
Sasuke took a deep breath. His grip on the handle tightened.
"Time to get Naruto back."
Then, he yanked it down.
Author Note:
Ok, in case you were wondering- yes. The metal compartment in the tree was inspired by an episode of Gravity Falls. I absolutely love that show- always have, always will.
Hope you're enjoying the story! I would love to hear your thoughts about it. I really am trying to keep this one unique and angsty and interesting. Hopefully I've managed that so far.
Ok, onward people!~
To the angst!