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 55: Retaliate
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Sasuke was difficult the entire time he was at the hospital. He broke a metal chopstick when he jammed it in the lock on his handcuffs, insulted a doctor who had the audacity to try to make civil small talk with him, and caused havoc among the other patients when he loudly threatened to burn the place to the ground if they didn't let him out sooner.
Naruto had managed to pacify most of his heated moments with an apologetic smile and gentle reassurances. The handcuffs had survived their ordeal, surprisingly, and he now used wooden ones to feed the stubborn Uchiha. And the patients soon realized that Sasuke was just a constant ball of anger, and that he didn't really have a way to follow through on his threats.
The only thing Naruto couldn't really fix was a nurse's camera. Though, she probably should have known better than to try to take a picture of them when they were sleeping. Hell, at the very least find one that was relatively quiet. But she hadn't and the sharp click in the silent room had jolted them awake.
Sasuke snatched her camera away before she had the chance to retreat and chucked it as hard as he could against the wall.
The girl yelped and jerked her head back to stare at him in horror. "I.. I'm-"
"Your face is next."
The girl's eyes grew wide with horror, flickering between her shattered camera and Sasuke's narrowed gaze. He clearly meant it. Even someone as naïve as this girl could see that.
Naruto sat up, prepared to comfort her and smooth over yet another Uchiha disaster, but Sasuke grabbed hold of him and forced him back down by his side.
"Sasuke, let go."
"You don't need to play hero all the fucking time" he snarled. Dark eyes shot up, burning holes in the girl's warned face. "Why are you still here."
Not a question. A hint.
And she should fucking take it.
The young nurse squeaked an apology and rushed over to collect her broken belongings, her head down to hide her flushed cheeks.
Naruto watched her leave then turned to glare at the raven pinning him down. "Sasuke, will you just stop being an asshole for three seconds?"
"Why? Were you hoping to impress her?" he snapped.
Naruto growled in frustration as he pryed a ridiculously strong pale hand off of him.
Are you fucking kidding me?! Sasuke shouted in his head. She took a picture of us in bed together. You really think she had good intentions with that?
We could have just talked to her, you psycho!
She's not a victim, dumbass! Sasuke shot back. Stop helping people who don't deserve it!
Naruto ignored the rest of the teme's belligerent thoughts and ran after the girl. Sasuke had the luxury of being a stubborn hothead, but Naruto couldn't afford to do the same. This town had always looked the other way when it came to the Uchiha's temper, but it refused to forget what Kyuubi had done all those years ago. And the villagers never saw reason when Naruto tried to explain that he wasn't part of it. If word got out that a nurse was verbally assaulted in his presence, he would likely take the blame for it.
He didn't need that kind of attention from the villagers.
The blonde skidded to a stop in the hall, searching up and down both sides. "Dammit, where did she..?" He saw a flash of pink out of the corner of his eye and took off towards it. He rounded another corner and nearly collided with the girl he had been looking for.
"Shit!" He spun to the side and his back slammed against the wall as he came to a stop. "Nnn.." He glanced up and saw bewildered green eyes staring back at him.
Naruto scratched the back of his head and plastered on a friendly fake smile. "Uhhh.. hi. Sorry, I didn't mean to alarm you. I just wanted to apologize for my friend's behavior. He shouldn't have-"
"Friend?"
He looked up, surprised by the sharp tone in her voice.
"Sasuke Uchiha would never be friends with a monster."
The light faded from his eyes, making him seem like nothing more than an empty shell. Something hollow and lifeless.
A vessel.
"I.. I don't-"
"You don't belong with him" the girl snarled, her words thick with venom and intent. "Sasuke made a mistake when he left, but he isn't the one who should be locked up."
Her eyes narrowed. "And everyone knows it."
Naruto clenched his trembling fingers into tight fists and unconsciously took a step towards her.
Despite all of her posturing, the girl looked terrified when he drew closer. "Stay away from me!"
Naruto swallowed and looked down at his hands, anything to avoid the hate in her eyes. "I just wanted to help.."
"You want to help? Isn't it's little late for that?"
Naruto forced down the anger that shot through him and widened his plastic smile. "I think we got off on the wrong foot here." He held out his hand. "I'm Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki. I'm sorry about your camera and for.."
His voice trailed off. Several bystanders had stepped into the hall, blocking both exits. All eyes were locked on him, their hateful accusations clear as day. Naruto pulled his hand away and held it up, hoping to calm the crowd. "No reason to worry" he said with that same false smile. "I was just trying to apologize on behalf of someone else."
"You mean that demon of yours" a man snarled.
Naruto paled. "No. There was just a misunderstanding and a friend of mine handled it poorly." He turned to the pink-haired girl, hoping that she would step in, but her face bore the same hate as the rest of them.
Shit.
Luckily, Sasuke was far enough away for his thoughts to be his own. He didn't need him reacting to this. It would only make matters worse for him in the end.
"Look, I just wanted to make sure you were ok" he told the girl. "I'm not sure why you took the picture, but you didn't deserve that kind of hostility. I won't bother you."
He went to step around several visitors at one end of the hall, but one man didn't take too kindly to that idea. He grabbed the blonde by the collar of his shirt and shoved him up against the wall. Naruto groaned as his head smacked into the unforgiving concrete slab, which seemed to please his assailant. He smiled as he leaned in- close enough for Naruto to smell the stale coffee on his breath and see the deep hate swimming in his cold, dark eyes.
"You're not leaving that easily."
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "I'm not some defenseless kid anymore" he growled. "I'm not going to let you just do whatever you want to me."
"I don't think you're going to have much of a choice."
Blue eyes widened, locked onto the growing cruel smirk that twisted the man's features. He tried to bring his hands together to perform a jutsu, but two others stepped up and grabbed his wrists, wrenching his arms apart. They slammed them against the wall and held them tight, rendering him immobile.
Naruto glared up at their leader, refusing to show fear. "You think this is enough to stop me?" he sneered. "Did you forget that I have a demon inside of me?"
He hadn't let Kyuubi attack a villager since those men attacked him in an alley, eager to finish what Sasuke had interrupted. He didn't regret it- it was the only thing that saved him from.. from them- but he didn't want to have to repeat it. He didn't want to become more of a monster in their eyes, but mostly he didn't want to prove them right.
The villager must have seen something in his eyes because he immediately called his bluff. "No one forgot what you are, beast. But I think you know better than to let it out again."
An unwanted memory came to mind- of being dragged into the woods, bound by chakra-blocking rope and surrounded by a mob of angry villagers. They shouted for his demise as they dragged him over to a massive tree on the outskirts of a clearing.
A noose hung from it.
"That Kakashi can't always protect you."
Naruto remembered the look in his sensei's mismatched eyes- the intense feral rage as he attacked the villagers. He had fully intended on killing them, and it was only because of Naruto that he didn't. There was even talk of imprisoning him for it, but Tsunade managed to talk down the elders. Kakashi didn't seem concerned or regretful of his actions, but Naruto felt unbelievably guilty. Kakashi never would have been put in that position if it wasn't for him. He couldn't put him in the same one now.
Fuck this.
Naruto gritted his teeth together as he pulled Kyuubi's chakra to the surface, letting its destructive power flare in his wrists. The men on either side of him cried out and quickly retracted their scorched hands.
"You son of a bitch!"
The man in front of him swung his arm out to punch him in the face but Naruto ducked down, avoiding his attack. He flashed out of view and reappeared behind him, a kunai brandished and pressed against his assailant's throat.
"I warned you" he growled in his ear. "Now back off."
"Tch. Think you're so tough."
"Naruto?"
The blonde pulled his knife back as he turned to to face the shocked pale teen at the far end of the hall. The crowd parted for him, of course they did, and he easily made his way over.
"What are you doing..?"
Naruto looked at the weapon in his hand, then back into those dark eyes. "I-"
A fist came flying towards him, and he was too distracted to dodge it. Naruto's head snapped to the side, and he dropped heavily to his knees.
The kunai clattered to the floor and a villager stooped down to grab it before anyone else could. He held it out, brandishing the weapon against the newest addition to the crowd. "Don't even think about it."
Another man grabbed a fistful of blonde hair and jerked Naruto's head back.
"Nnhn!"
"Naruto!" Those hollow eyes narrowed on the villager before him. "Let him go."
"We will." A cruel smile pulled his face taut and flashed behind the coldness in his eyes. "But he needs to be taught a lesson first."
"If you insist on doing this I will have to hurt you. And I know that's not what Naruto wants me to do."
"No" The blonde tried to stand but the fist in his hair tightened and yanked him back down. "Sai- don't. I'm ok."
"I don't believe you."
Sai shifted out of view and a black blur moved through the crowd, sending them reeling to the floor.
"Dammit." Naruto shoved his elbow back into the guy's ribs, forcing him to loosen his grip. He reached back and grabbed the man, then threw him over his shoulder and onto the floor. He layed there, dazed, but relatively unhurt. Naruto didn't waste time. He moved fast and cut off Sai's path of destruction. His dark-haired friend paused, stopping his fist from colliding with the blonde by mere inches.
"They don't deserve your mercy."
Naruto wrapped a hand around Sai's fist and slowly brought it back down to his side. "I know" he said quietly. "But I'll give it to them anyways."
Sai nodded and looked past the blonde, eyeing the villagers as they grabbed their injured comrades and took off- likely to find a hospital room of their own. He forced back the emotion rising in his throat, which he assumed was anger, and turned his focus back to his friend.
"Are you mad at me?"
Naruto gave a small smile and gently squeezed his hand. "No, Sai. I'm not mad at you."
Those hollow eyes studied him, trying to decide if that was true. Naruto could see the uncertainty in his usually expressionless face and threw an arm around his shoulder. "Don't worry, Sai. I know you didn't want to hurt them- you were just looking out for a friend."
Friend.
The word made his chest feel warm. Sai had tried so hard to earn that friendship from Naruto over the years, and he still couldn't get used to the idea that it was real. Naruto had been so resistant to the idea at first, and he had doubted that they would ever get close. But he was wrong and it made him feel..
Happy, he thought. I think this feeling is happiness.
Sai looked back at the blonde and noticed a red mark on his face. His eyes narrowed. "Are you ok?" he asked.
Naruto lightly fingered the bruise forming on his cheekbone. It didn't feel great, but it wasn't bad. He's definitely had a lot worse. "I'm fine" he said. "Kyuubi will have this healed in no time."
Sai looked relieved.
Naruto steered them down the hall, heading back the way he came. "Did you want to visit Sasuke?" he asked.
Sai shook his head. "Just wanted to make sure you were ok. Besides.." he dropped his head, "I don't think he likes me very much."
Naruto quirked a brow. "Why wouldn't he like you?"
"Kakashi said that he felt jealousy towards me because you and I have become close, and you used to be that way with him."
"Sasuke heard him say that, didn't he?" Naruto shook his head when Sai affirmed this. "That guy loves to stir up trouble.. Don't worry, Sai. Sasuke will come around."
"You really think so?"
Naruto grinned. "Of course. Who wouldn't want to be friends with you?"
Me, Sasuke thought. I wouldn't want to.
I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that.
Doesn't stop it from being true.
Naruto mentally rolled his eyes and brought up walls around his thoughts, shutting him out. He pulled his arm away and patted his friend's shoulder. "Alright, I'll see you later Sai."
"Bye, Naruto."
The blonde started to push the door to Sasuke's room open when Sai added, "if those villagers go after you again, I want you to tell me. I don't like seeing my friend hurt."
Naruto flinched. Fuck. He definitely heard that.
He gave Sai a thumbs-up just incase he hadn't and made his way inside, closing the door behind him. He looked over and saw Sasuke sitting up in bed, his dark eyes locked on his face.
"What the fuck did he just say?"
Naruto sighed and made his way over to the chair beside him. "It's nothing for you to worry about."
"Nothing for me to worry about.." Sasuke leapt out as far as his handcuffs would allow and grabbed the blonde's wrist. He yanked him back hard.
"Fuck!" Naruto tripped back and fell onto the raven's lap. He tried to get up, but Sasuke wrapped his arm around him and held tight- forcing him to stay. "Dammit, Sasuke! Stop doing that!"
The Uchiha released his waist and grabbed his jaw instead, turning his face towards him. His eyes narrowed on the bruise darkening his cheek. "What happened?"
"Nothing."
Don't lie to me.
Naruto averted his gaze. "It's not a big deal" he mumbled.
Show me.
Sasuke, come on-
"Naruto" he snapped. Just fucking show me.
Ughhh.. this is stupid.
But he gave in and opened his mind to the nosy raven. He went to slip off his lap, but Sasuke pulled him back. Even lost in the blonde's thoughts, he was completely aware of his body. The idea made him blush for some reason and he gave up on that too.
He could feel Sasuke tense up as the memory continued to unfold- the girl's harshness, the angry villagers shoving him up against the wall. He was happy to see Naruto fight back for once but pissed when he saw them lay their hands on him again- seeing one punch him in the face and another bury his fist in his hair, forcing his head up.
He watched as Sai stepped in to stop them, and a new surge of jealousy rushed through him. He wanted to be the one to save Naruto. And if it wasn't for these damn handcuffs it would have been.
I would have killed them.
Then it's probably a good thing that you're chained to a bed.
Sasuke pulled free from the memory and glared at the blonde on his lap. "I don't like seeing another man step in to help you" he growled. "That should have been me."
"You don't need to be so jealous. Sai is just a friend."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. And what am I?
You're my..
"Your what?" he pressed, dark eyes locked on his blonde's reddening face. He released his hold on his jaw and slipped his fingers into his hair instead, pulling him closer. "What am I, Naru?"
"You're my… my Sasuke" he murmured shyly.
"Your Sasuke" he repeated, clearly amused.
Whatever. Then what am I to you, hmm?
"My everything" he said- without hesitation, without a trace of uncertainty. He met those surprised blues and his expression softened.
"You, Naruto Uzumaki, are my everything."
Author Note:
Was that too cheesy? Or just the right amount of it? I mean- Sasuke is so fucking uptight.. maybe he needs to be a little corny sometimes.
trying to convince myself*
Alright, people. Time for another chapter!~ It might be beautiful, it might be angsty- hell, it might be both. Let's see how Cinnamon's feeling. ;)