Disclaimers: Naruto is not mine, sadly. This is purely a fanfic using someone else's characters.

Warnings: This chapter includes some torture. Not too horrific, but it's there. So.. prepare yourself.

It's All In Your Head

Chapter 26: Torture

--

Naruto was alone for quite some time after Sasuke left. He was well aware that Kabuto would be back and that the next time would be horrendous, but he had hope that Sasuke's growing interest in him and Kyuubi's protection would help get him through whatever was coming.

Naruto's plan was actually working better than he thought it would. He figured Sasuke would eventually start seeking him out, but he didn't expect for it to happen so soon. It was actually nice to know that despite how warped his priorities were, how dark his mind had become, and how much time had passed, that Naruto still mattered to him. Sasuke had disobeyed Orochimaru by refusing to be a part of Naruto's torment, had made his disdain for Kabuto's treatment of him perfectly clear, and he had already visited him in his cell- twice.

And now that Naruto had planted a seed of doubt in the raven's mind, he knew that he would be drawn to him even more. That his doubt would fester, turning him against the snake. And hopefully he would begin to side with him instead.

Naruto put up his mental walls and reached out to his accomplice.

Kyuubi?

Nothing.

Kyuubi!

Again, nothing.

Come on, you damn fox. Are you there?

Damn impatient human. What am I, your pet? Do I have to be at your fucking beck and call?

Will you calm down- I just want to make sure you're ready. Our next time with Kabuto is probably going to be pretty brutal.

I told you already. He knows. I don't know what he has planned, but I might not be able to help you out this time.

Naruto shook his head. We spent years building up your tolerance to chakra-blockers. How could he keep you out?

Do not bother me with rhetorical questions.

Naruto rolled his eyes. Fine. Just be ready.

He could hear a low growl echo in his mind. Order me around again, and I will make sure you face him alone.

Have you always been this hostile?

Did I not make myself clear, human? Do not ask me pointless questions.

Human. Human. Human. Dammit, Kyuubi! Stop calling me human. It's Naruto. Na-ru-to. I mean, Christ- we share the same fucking body!

Yes, and what a pleasure it has been to be trapped inside of a child.

I'm nineteen!

Naruto could hear footsteps approaching his cell, and he quickly sat up, his connection with Kyuubi temporarily severed.

Alright, here we go, he thought, purposefully letting Sasuke hear his thoughts. Let's hope Kabuto's not in a bad mood..

Naruto looked over at the bars of his cell and saw his silver-haired tormentor slowly approach, a malicious grin already twisting his features.

"Hello, Naruto."

The blonde waited, anxiety clawing at his mind and rising in his gut.

The man unlocked his cell door and confidently stepped inside. "I have something new for you today" he said, his voice oozing with excitement. "And I can't wait to try it."

Naruto ignored the comment and held out his wrists. "Mind taking these off? They're fucking heavy."

Kabuto's grin curdled. He closed in fast and slapped Naruto across the face, knocking him to the floor. "It's about time you start taking me seriously, jinchurki. Mocking me will only make things worse for you."

Naruto pushed himself up, but kept his eyes focused on the ground. He could feel Sasuke's anger pushing through his thoughts and knew that he was seeing all of this. And that the way he was being treated actually bothered him.

"I assume it will be unpleasant either way" Naruto muttered.

Kabuto snarled and grabbed a fistful of his hair.

"Ahhh!" Naruto gasped as Kabuto lifted him up and threw him across the cell. Naruto crashed to the ground, slamming his head against the concrete floor. He could feel blood slip down from his temple. He pushed himself up again and wiped away the blood with his arm, before turning to meet Kabuto. He had a million things he wanted to spit at the monster but chose to keep his mouth shut.

Kabuto seemed satisfied with his response. His smile slipped back into place as he approached the blonde. He reached into his pouch and pulled out a small vile and a syringe. Naruto tried to scoot back from him, but Kabuto stomped down on the chain connected to one of his ankle restraints, holding him in place.

"There's no point in fighting this."

Several shadow clones suddenly grabbed the blonde, holding him still. One forced his head to the side, exposing his neck.

"Kabuto" Naruto breathed, "you don't have to do this."

"Do you truly think I do this because I have to?" He knelt down in front of the blonde and filled the syringe. "No, Naruto. I want to do this. And I'm going to enjoy every second of it."

He roughly stabbed the syringe into the blonde's neck and smirked at the pained sound that slipped free.

It didn't take long for a thick blanket of darkness to fill Naruto's mind. His body suddenly felt heavy, and he could feel the weight of the sedative pull him further and further down, until it completely,

utterly,

consumed him.

--

When Naruto regained consciousness he was back in Kabuto's lab, strapped to the chair. But something was different. He looked down in confusion. Thick restraints were wrapped around his wrists and ankles, but the positioning seemed off. The ones on his wrists were higher up, forcing his hands flat against the arm of the chair, and his bare feet were planted firmly on the ground. And that wasn't the only thing that had changed. He could feel some sort of metal panel beneath his hands and feet- panels that weren't there before.

He looked up at his tormentor, his confusion apparent.

Kabuto's maniacal grin made his skin crawl. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. "What.. what is this?"

"Something special I designed just for you" Kabuto said. "Would you like to try it?"

Naruto's breath snagged in his throat. "Kabuto.." he said slowly, like he was talking to a personified live grenade, "Orochimaru needs me to get to the Nine Tails. He probably doesn't want you to-"

"Oh, my dear jinchurki. You clearly don't understand Orochimaru's methods at all."

Naruto could feel his mouth go dry as that grin stretched taut across Kabuto's face. "This is exactly what Orochimaru wants."

He stepped around his lab equipment and drew closer to the blonde, watching the fear flicker in his eyes.

"You see, a shattered mind is easier to control. And do you know what truly makes a person break? Betrayal-"

Naruto couldn't help but think of Sasuke, and the Uchiha didn't seem happy about the accusation.

"-and pain."

Kabuto drew out a small device and pressed a button. The metal panels beneath Naruto's hands and feet pulled back and sharp metal spikes shot into his body. Naruto screamed as they stabbed through his flesh. He tried to lift his hands and feet away from them, but the binds kept them flat, forcing every bit of the spikes through his skin.

Kabuto pressed another button and the spikes ripped free and retracted back into the metal panels.

Naruto's entire body shook, and he could feel tears pricking the corners of his eyes. Blood seeped down the arm of the chair and pooled beneath his feet. He could sense Sasuke's alarm, but something was pulling his mind away from him. Orochimaru. Meaning he couldn't count on the Uchiha stopping this.

Kyuubi, he called out. Kyuubi.. pl-please. Please help me..

But the Nine Tails' voice was silent. In fact, he couldn't sense him at all.

"That's not going to work this time, Naruto."

Blue eyes shot up and stared in horror. "Wh-what have you done?"

Kabuto walked back to the long metal counter and began collecting more supplies. "If you're trying to access your little fox demon- it's not going to work. While you were sedated, I administered two separate chakra blocks- one for you, and one for the Nine Tails."

Panic shot through him. No.. no that's impossible. Chakra blocks don't affect Kyuubi anymore. He couldn't have-

"You don't really think you're the first jinchurki I've had in here, do you?"

Cerulean eyes widened. "What..?" he breathed.

Kabuto nodded as he turned on a piece of equipment and checked several wires. "It took some time, and I'll admit- I made some mistakes. Your fox won't be able to help you, but the block allows just enough chakra to slip through to heal you. Not much, but enough to keep me from killing you."

He looked over and met Naruto's horrified gaze. "Not everyone was so lucky."

Kyuubi! Kyuubi, please!! You have to pull free of it! Please, please- PLEASE!!

Kabuto pressed the button and the metal spikes shot through his hands and feet again. He couldn't hold back his screams as the sharp metal tore through the same wound. Another button, and they ripped free.

Naruto was now shaking violently in his chair, forcing back a sob. He yanked hard at his restraints, desperate to pull free, but they were cinched tight. He wasn't going anywhere.

Kabuto approached him once more, carrying two thin metal pieces connected to several wires, and a thick leather strap. Naruto recognized it right away- it was what he used to shock his body with sharp pulses of electricity, and another restraint for his neck.

Naruto shook his head and a desperate sound slipped from his lips. He leaned back, forcing his body firmly against the chair, trying to pull away from him.

"N-no.." he pleaded, "no.. no- please Kabuto. Pl-please don't do this."

"Your begging won't work. But I do enjoy the sound of it." Kabuto fastened the restraint around his throat and attached the metal pieces to his temple. "Now, let's see just how much pain you can handle."

Kabuto moved over to the lever on his machine and pushed it up several notches. Electricity shot through the wires and stabbed through his temple. A jagged shriek tore out of his throat and filled the cell, echoing back at him. He squeezed his eyes shut tight against the pain.

And then the metal panels slipped open beneath him. "NO!"

He screamed in pain as his hands and feet tore against the spikes.

Kabuto reached over and pushed down the lever to his torture device. He smiled as a sob slipped out of the blonde, truly enjoying every moment of this.

Naruto turned his head away, letting long blonde hair hide the pain in his eyes and the heavy tears falling from them. But Kabuto could still see it in his trembling frame, in the tears that slid off his face. He could almost taste his torment.

It was.. exhilarating.

"What do you think Naruto? Is it as unpleasant as you thought it would be?"

Kyuubi.. Kyuubi, please. You have to be in there. Ple-please.. you can't leave me here.

Kabuto enjoyed the sound of the blonde's pain, but he didn't like being ignored. His eyes flashed with anger. "I asked you a question, jinchurki!"

Kabuto shoved the lever up and slammed his hand down on the button, sending high voltage shocks through his body as spikes sliced through him. Naruto threw his head back against the chair as more screams tore through him, and in his excitement Kabuto wanted more.

Needed more.

He pressed button over and over sending the spikes in and out of Naruto hands and feet, tearing them apart. Naruto's shrieks fueled Kabuto, and he wouldn't stop. Couldn't. Not until he completely destroyed the vessel.

Naruto called out for Kyuubi in his mind over and over, and then in his desperation he cried out for the only person he had left- just as he had all those years ago.

Sasuke!! Help me! Pl-please! SASUKE! PLEASE!!

The door suddenly slammed open, and a black blur shot across the room. Sasuke rushed at Kabuto and punched him across the face, cracking his glasses and bursting a blood vessel in his nose. He quickly yanked the remote from him and shoved the lever to his device all the way down. Then he pulled the man back to his feet. Kabuto looked up into deep crimson eyes in time to see a fist barreling towards him. Sasuke punched him again, hard- sending him reeling to the floor.

Leaving him there, Sasuke moved over to the tortured blonde- noting the straps holding him still, and the blood pouring from his hands and feet. His body was still shaking as echoes of the electric shocks pulsed through him.

Naruto kept his head lowered as Sasuke drew closer, blonde bangs hiding his face, hiding his embarrassment. His shame. The strap around his throat limited him, and Sasuke could easily make out the skin that had been rubbed raw from Naruto fighting against his restraints. His wrists and ankles didn't fare any better.

It was fucking horrifying.

Jesus Christ..

"Do not touch him, Sasuke" Kabuto snarled. He spat out a mouthful of blood and ignored the steady stream dripping from his nose as he unsteadily rose to his feet, eyes locked on the Uchiha. "That jinchurki belongs to me."

Sasuke ignored him and sliced through the binds around Naruto's neck, wrists, and ankles.

He reached for Naruto's arm to pull him to his feet but paused when the blonde's strained voice slipped into his mind.

Don't..

He looked at him, confused. Why?

Naruto pressed his lips together, trapping a sob inside. The spikes- they're.. they're still in my hands and.. my feet.

Sasuke eyes widened with horror. What?!

The button.. press the button.

Sasuke quickly did and the spikes tore out of the blonde, along with a haunting scream. Sasuke carefully took one of Naruto's wrists and turned his hand around. It was covered in blood, the skin completely shredded.

God, Naruto..

"No! That experiment is MINE!" Kabuto regained his footing and jolted forward, ready to reclaim his test subject.

Sharingan spinning, Sasuke closed the distance between them before he could. He grabbed Kabuto by the throat and slammed him against the wall.

"So, this- this is where your true loyalies l-lie", Kabuto choked out. "Orochimaru w-won't be pleased, Uchiha."

"I'm sure you'll love that, Kabuto."

He sneered. "So, you- you admit your betrayal."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Watch your tongue, snake." He tightened his grip, cutting off his words, drowning them in the back of his throat.

"Do you really think this is what Orochimaru wants?" Sasuke hissed. "You think he wants the Nine Tails' jinchurki to be tortured to death? How does any of this benefit him if both are lost?"

Kabuto clearly didn't buy it, but it was probably enough to convince Orochimaru. They both knew that. The sage was blinded by the potential he saw in having Sasuke Uchiha as his vessel, so he was often willing to look the other way when it came to him. He was still highly suspicious of the raven, and definitely didn't outright trust him, but he was far more willing to placate him than he had ever been with the others.

Or with Kabuto.

"If he's a prisoner, keep him in a fucking cell" Sasuke snapped, his voice razor sharp. "I've seen enough of your failed experiments to know that this will kill him. If you are truly loyal to Orochimaru, you wouldn't want to do anything that would hinder his plans."

Kabuto tried to keep his composure- he didn't want the Uchiha to win this. But it started to slip as the raven leaned closer. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words would come out. All he could do was watch as the Uchiha's face darkened.

"And if you don't want to be the next one strapped to that chair" he whispered, his voice low and dangerous, "then you will keep your fucking hands off of him."

Then he threw Kabuto, sending him flying back against a wall. He walked over to the metal counter, grabbed a vial and syringe, and shifted out of view, reappearing directly in front of him. Sasuke grabbed his leg and yanked it down, forcing Kabuto's head to slam against the floor. While he lay there dazed, Sasuke filled the syringe, gripped a handful of his hair and yanked his head to the side, then stabbed the needle deep into his neck.

Kabuto's eyes went wide from behind shattered glasses, then rolled back as his consciousness slipped from his grasp.

Sasuke turned away from him and went back to the blonde. He was trying to lift himself from the chair with his forearms and the heels of his feet, but the pain sent him dropping back down.

Sasuke walked over to him and gently pressed down on his shoulder. "Just stay there for a second." He dropped down to his knees and lifted Naruto's foot, careful to be as gentle as possible. Like his hand, it was completely torn apart.

Sasuke clenched his teeth together, disgusted by the level of cruelty Naruto had faced. "You're not going to be able to stand, Naruto."

The blonde looked over at Kabuto's collection. Does he have anything that can unblock my chakra?

You mean Kyuubi's chakra.

Naruto glared at him. Yes.

Sasuke shook his head. That block isn't permanent, but he hasn't made an antidote. It fades with time.

How much time..?

Sasuke hesitated. "I don't know."

The blonde looked away, his expression pained. How could you be a part of something like this, Sasuke..

The raven grabbed his jaw and jerked his head towards him, forcing their eyes to meet. "If I were, would I fucking bust in here to shut it down?"

Naruto pulled back from his grasp and looked away. He couldn't meet those eyes. Not like this. Not when he looked so pitiful.. so weak.

Not after he had cried out for him like that. Again.

Before the blonde could protest, Sasuke scooped him up in his arms and pulled him close. He tried to ignore how good it felt to hold him, how perfectly he fit in his arms. He hardened his mind and moved towards the door.

"Let go" Naruto growled.

"Don't be stupid. You can't walk like this. Besides, you're a prisoner. What makes you think I would grant your request?"

Naruto moved faster than Sasuke thought he could in this state and jabbed an elbow into his throat. His grip loosened slightly and the blonde leapt from his arms. When he landed on his bloodied feet his breath caught in his throat. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.

Sasuke caught him before he hit the ground, and pulled him back into his arms, eyes flashing with irritation at Naruto's foolishness.

"Goddamnit, Naruto.."

He pulled him against his chest, choking back a sob of his own as he looked down at the tormented blonde in his arms.

Why the hell did you have to come here?

Author Note:

Ok, was that too much? I know I'm cruel to Naruto often, but I mayyyy have gotten a little carried away this time. Hopefully the next chapters make you hate me a little less for it! ;)