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 80: Suffer
--
"Fuck!!"
Sasuke slammed the hatch back down, grating his teeth as the metal screamed back at him. He roughly dragged his fingers through his hair, his eyes wild, sharingan spinning with his rage.
Sai reached out to him, prepared to pat his back- a gesture he knew could provide some comfort- but he changed his mind before making contact and quickly retracted his hand. He had a feeling that just as Sasuke had rejected his friendly smile, he wouldn't welcome any signs of companionship from him. Especially when he was already in such an agitated state. Sai had learned that the hard way with other potential friends.
Instead, he settled for offering a few reassuring words. "We will find him, Sasuke."
The Uchiha spun around, glaring daggers at him. "Will we?!" he snapped. "Are you fucking sure about that?! Because it's not looking that way to me!"
Sai checked the skyline, judging their time by the blushing horizon, before turning his attention back to the fuming raven.
"I still believe we can" he answered honestly. "There are still some bunkers left to check and there is still daylight left."
"It's been hours. Hours. Who knows what he's done to him after all this time, and we haven't found anything!"
Sasuke slammed a chakra infused fist into a nearby tree, sending it crashing through the forest, disturbing a murder of angry crows. He watched the dark omens take to the sky, and immediately thought of Itachi.
It did little to improve his mood.
"Fuck this. Let's go."
Sai nodded and the two leapt into the towering deciduous giants once more. He kept his eyes forward, pushing through foliage and jumping off of thick branches as he raced beside his comrade. He tried to think of something he could say, the things he had read up on that provide some amount of consolation when someone is distraught, but none of it felt right. Those things might work when it came to Naruto, and he may need to use some once they find him, but Sasuke was quite different from his blonde friend. Sai wasn't sure there was anything he could do to ease the tension, no matter how good his intentions were. So, he decided to simply accept that. The quiet, the obvious disconnect between them- all of it.
He cleared his mind of everything that wasn't the forest and the friend that needed saving, and let the melody of rustling leaves and creaking branches break the silence for him.
That is until a voice cut through it.
"Hello Sai."
Onyx eyes widened in surprise and shot over as someone suddenly appeared beside him. He must have been pretty distracted, because he didn't sense him approaching at all. Which was definitely not like him.
"Kakashi?"
The jonin gave him a small smile, but it failed to reach his mismatched eyes. He cleared his throat, avoided Sasuke's heated stare, and met Sai's curious gaze.
"Think you have room for two more?"
--
Naruto threw his head back and shrieked in agony. His mind was a disoriented mess. He didn't know what was happening, what Kabuto was doing to him, all he could focus on was the pain. An excruciating pain that seemed to be coming from everywhere all at once. His desperate cry snagged in his throat, scraping it raw, and still he couldn't hold back his screams.
The pain, his cries, Kabuto's cruelty- all of it seemed endless. He wasn't sure it would ever stop.
Which is exactly what the snake had been looking for.
"Ahh.. that's much better."
Kabuto turned his predatory gaze to his sharingan puppet and his smile curdled.
"Itachi, I'm disappointed in you" he hissed between his teeth. "I told you to enjoy yourself. I never said you could get in the way when it's my turn to do the same."
Itachi didn't respond. He just stared down at the blonde screaming in front of him, helpless to do anything else. Something squeezed in his chest tight but his face remained controlled and impassive, concealing everything he couldn't help but feel.
Luckily Kabuto didn't seem to notice his conflicted emotions. He was too busy amusing himself. Even with the frustrations he felt with Itachi's defiance, it was clear that Kabuto had no intention of letting anything dampen his mood.
The snake sighed. "Ahh, I suppose it's not entirely your fault" he said lightly. "I did tell you to do what you wanted. In the end, that's exactly what you did, isn't it."
His eyes hardened.
"I hope you enjoyed yourself, Itachi. Because you won't have the chance to do it again."
The raven still said nothing.
Did nothing.
Was nothing.
His form remained stationary, lifeless- just the way Kabuto wanted him to be. And he continued to do the only thing he could do.
He watched.
He stood by as jolts of electricity shot into the blonde at his side, the person he remembered before anyone else, the one he had been so desperate to hold again. Naruto thrashed against his restraints, his teeth clenched one moment then forced apart to unleash a haunting scream the next, and he just.. watched.
It tore a hole through Itachi to see him experience so much pain and to do nothing for him, but Kabuto had already ordered him to stay still and observe his work. And he had yet to find a way to break free from it.
After an eternity Kabuto walked over to one of his many contraptions and yanked a lever down, finally releasing him from its electrical pulse.
Naruto's convulsions gradually lessened until he was left twitching against the cot with the remnants of its power. His screams shattered into gut wrenching sobs, and whatever was left of Itachi's heart broke.
Dark, hollow eyes followed the venomous snake as he slithered back to the trembling blonde. It was clear that he was nowhere near done with him, and that Itachi would be forced to stand there and obediently observe all of it.
Kabuto reached out and grasped the handle of the kunai embedded deep in Naruto's abdomen and smiled down at him. Faded blues stared up at him, silently pleading, and the smile widened.
"This is going to hurt."
He forcefully ripped it out of him, then stabbed it back inside. Naruto shrieked in pain, tears streaming down his face, as Kabuto buried it down to the hilt.
Itachi narrowed his eyes on the part of the knife that wasn't lodged in the blonde, noticed the bright blue glow, and quickly realized that it was a chakra weapon. Even with the collar on, Kabuto had used a kunai that severed chakra from inside his victim. Itachi was confused as to why he would bother to use such a weapon when he had already made sure that Naruto couldn't access his chakra until he thought about where he had stabbed him.
The Nine Tails seal.
Likely to tear into whatever tethered the jinchuriki to his tailed beast.
Only a jinchuriki could truly understand that kind of pain, especially without the aid of his beast's healing abilities, so Itachi didn't try to guess at it. Though, he didn't really need to. Naruto's piercing screams gave him a pretty clear picture.
Kabuto told Naruto that he wanted to break him. Like the others, he recalled.
So.. it was Kabuto who killed the jinchuriki I freed from the Akatsuki.
The realization filled him with even more anger- and still no one could see it. It stayed trapped inside. Much like his blonde's anguish.
"How're we feeling, Naruto?"
Naruto's head fell weakly to the side, hiding the tears that he was helpless to stop. He opened his mouth, prepared to tell him off, but only managed to whimper pitifully. He snapped his mouth closed.
"That good, huh?" Kabuto said around a laugh.
He tore the weapon free once more and unceremoniously tossed it to the side.
"I personally enjoyed hearing you scream like that, but it's disappointing that it doesn't leave a visible mark. I'd prefer to leave something for Sasuke to notice later."
Naruto's brows furrowed over pained eyes. He didn't want this bastard to involve anyone else- especially not his person.
"Nnhn.. n-no.." he choked.
Kabuto suddenly grabbed a fistful of his hair and jerked his head back. Naruto winced, but it wasn't enough for him. Kabuto clenched his fist tight and yanked harder, forcing out a pained gasp. He smiled when he heard it, though it pulled into a tight sneer soon after.
Naruto screwed his eyes shut, trying to breathe through the pain echoing through him, the burning in his scalp.
"Nnhnn!"
"Do you really think you're in a position to care about Uchiha? Hmm? Shouldn't you be more concerned about yourself at this point?"
Kabuto tore a kunai free from his pouch, spun it around his fingers, and without warning slammed it down into Naruto's right hand.
Naruto's eyes shot open and he screamed, his anguish tearing his throat to shreds. He tried to jerk his hand free, but the knife had impaled him to the cot and his restraints kept him locked in place. He found Itachi's eyes and gave him a desperate look, but he just stood there- completely unresponsive to any of it.
Naruto was still gasping from the pain of it when Kabuto stabbed another kunai through his left hand. Another horrifying scream filled the space between them. Another smile loomed above him, itching to see his every reaction. Naruto closed his eyes again, blocking out the sight of it, but he couldn't stop the tears.
Another laugh rang through the bunker.
"Wow. I am surprised how little it takes to bring you to this point, Naruto. You used to be so much stronger. Sasuke's little pet truly is a pitiful thing."
Kabuto's jabs usually wouldn't work on him, but in this state it hit every insecurity Naruto had. He felt the sickly swell of shame crawl up the back of his throat, the heat of it burning in his face. He didn't want the snake bastard to be right, but he couldn't deny the truth in those words.
He felt just as pathetic as Kabuto accused him of being.
"Was he like this with you too, Itachi?" he went on. "Or did you get a little more fight out of him before he finally gave in and spread his legs?"
Naruto flinched.
Itachi didn't respond but it wasn't for lack of trying. He could feel the words on the tip of his tongue, his charcoal eyes just one small spark away from a burning inferno. His skin crawled with the need to act, and it was driving him mad that he couldn't.
He shifted his gaze away from the one pulling his strings and back to the tormented blonde. He could see him silently pleading for him. Stormy blues searched his face, seeking the Itachi who had tried to ease his pain before, and he could see the moment he realized it wasn't there.
Kabuto leaned in, his grip still tangled in his prey's hair, and watched those terrified eyes slide back to find him.
"What is it about you?" he wondered aloud, his golden gaze drinking in every inch of his face. "How were you able to seduce both Uchihas, hmm? What draws them to you?"
Cerulean pools flickered between his curious eyes, fear building with every word. Please tell me he's not going to-
"I'm quite curious about it, Naruto. In fact..it makes me want to have a taste for myself."
Kabuto's long serpentine tongue slid out of his mouth and slowly moved towards him, taking the time to taste the air between them. Kabuto smiled around his snake tongue, savoring the flavor of his fear, eager to wet his palate with more of it.
Naruto tried to shrink away from him but the fist in his hair, the drugs, the restraints, the kunai in his hands.. there was no chance of escape.
"Nn-no.." he breathed, "d-don't.."
Kabuto grabbed his jaw and squeezed tight, widening the entrance so he could get inside. Naruto tried to scream but it was pushed back in as Kabuto shoved his tongue into his mouth. He brought his head lower, his tongue deeper, forcing its length down his throat.
Tears streamed down Naruto's face and he jerked against the cot, tearing gaping holes in his hands as he strained to break away.
"Mmphh! Nnhh!"
Kabuto shivered with his stifled cries and answered them with a groan. It echoed through the blonde, filling him with fear. He could hear the desire in it, the excitement, and knew what it meant.
Please, please stop!!
Someone, please! Fucking make him stop!
Kabuto's tongue was suddenly ripped free from his lips, and Naruto retched- dry heaves sweeping through him as he spat away the taste. The sound of a surprised gasp pulled him away from his nausea and brought his gaze back up.
Reptilian eyes were wide, brows furrowed in confusion- both at the hand wrapped around the back of his neck, and the knife protruding from his chest. Kabuto looked down his torso- at the gleam of the weapon buried inside, the blood steadily falling from it. He shifted his stare to the equally surprised jinchuriki before finally looking over at his imperfect puppet.
"Ita..chi?" the snake gasped. "What.. are you.."
"You disappoint me, Kabuto" the raven snarled, echoing his words back at him. "You said you wanted to enjoy yourself, but I never said I would share what's mine."
Itachi bore down on his neck as he twisted the knife, those dark eyes lacking the humanity Kabuto had kept from him and brimming with the hate he had brought on himself. Blood pulsed from his chest and fell into the palm of Itachi's hand, but the raven remained undaunted by it. He watched with cold apathetic eyes as the life slowly slipped away from him, as pain flickered across his face. If anything, he enjoyed the sight of it. And he'd like to see more.
For the jinchurikis that he couldn't save.
For the blonde he loves, who has suffered far too much.
..For himself.
"Mangekyou."
--
"Two of you?"
Kakashi gestured to the man keeping pace beside him and Sai was even more confused. He didn't recognize this person at all. The ex-jonin seemed to realize this, because he answered the question before Sai could ask it.
"Sai, this is Obito. He.. he is very important to me."
"Obito?"
He supposed he had only ever seen the man with a knotted wooden mask concealing his face, so it made since that he wouldn't recognize him, but he was surprised to find him calmly traveling with Kakashi.
"Weren't you-"
"A lot of things have changed, Sai" Kakashi quickly added.
"Tch."
The group looked over at Sasuke. None of them were surprised to see the hostility on his face, the fury in his blood-red eyes, but Sai had thought that it was because Naruto was still missing. He wasn't sure why Sasuke seemed to be angry at Kakashi. Though, it seemed likely that the man next to him had something to do with it.
"Something you wanted to say, Sasuke?"
The raven glared over at the silver-haired man, the person he had once considered a mentor, a teacher. The man he now saw as a fucking traitor.
"Get lost, Kakashi."
Mismatched eyes narrowed. Two sets of them.
"We've done this before, Sasuke" he said quietly. "You're not the only one who cares about him."
"You have a funny way of showing it."
"Meaning?"
Sasuke stopped and the group stopped with him, all eyes locked on the fuming raven as he turned to face them.
"I didn't put him in a fucking cage, Kakashi!" he snapped. "Naruto wouldn't be in this mess if you hadn't forced him into it!"
"You really think I had something to do with Kabuto?"
"No, I think that bastard wouldn't have been able to capture him if Naruto wasn't in the middle of trying to escape from your goddamn barrier!"
Sasuke shifted out of view and reappeared in front of Kakashi. He roughly grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, yanking him close.
"This is your fault!!"
Kakashi didn't try to pull away from him- in fact, he didn't seem worried about Sasuke's close proximity in the slightest. He just carefully studied his face, reading him like a book. Just as he always had.
"Kind of like how it was yours last time?" he said quietly.
Sasuke froze at that, but Kakashi wasted no time continuing.
"Two years is a long time, Sasuke, but not long enough to forget. Naruto might have been Orochimaru's prisoner, but who's room was he in?"
Sasuke shook his head. "Stop."
"Who put the chains on him?" Kakashi pressed. "Who took away his chakra? Who kept him from leaving back then? Tell me."
Sasuke's fists trembled against the man's chest, his face twisting in pain. "I said, stop!"
"It is my fault that Kabuto took him" Kakashi said, his heart breaking at the truth of it. He swallowed hard and narrowed his eyes. "But who's fault is it that Itachi did?"
Sasuke's eyes shot up. "Mangek-"
A hand slammed down over his eyes as another tangled in his hair, keeping him from escaping his sudden blindness. "I warned you about that before, Sasuke."
"FUCK YOU!"
A blast of chakra slammed into Kakashi's chest and sent him flying back. Obito appeared behind him and pulled him into his arms, dropping down on a tree branch several meters back. He made sure his partner was alright before turning his gaze to the other Uchiha.
"That's enough, Sasuke."
A humorless laugh, just as splintered and miserable as Sasuke's mind, shot through him.
"Of course it is! Why should Kakashi take any responsibility for this, right?! I'm the one who should be blamed for everything he went through- is that it?"
Sasuke clenched his fists.
"You will never stop hating me for abandoning him, will you?"
Kakashi looked over at him, and Sasuke could see the truth of it in his face. He really had never forgiven him for it. He might want to get closer to him, bond with him, but it was all for Naruto's sake. Naruto was the one who was like a son to Kakashi, not Sasuke. The only reason Sasuke had been captured and thrown behind that barrier in the first place was because Naruto couldn't stand to be apart from him.
"I don't need you to tell me that I failed him" Sasuke snarled. "I know that better than any of you assholes, but you know what- I'm not the only one."
Then he took off again, determined to find his blonde on his own.
"Sasuke! Wait!"
Sai rushed to join him, determined to stay by his side and find Naruto with him.
"Dammit.."
Obito pulled his boyfriend to his feet and offered a sad smile. "I'm sorry, Kashi."
Kakashi shook his head. "No, I expected that. And I know I deserve it."
"Kashi-"
The ex-jonin took his lover's hand and brought it to his lips. "It's ok, Tobi. You don't always have to take my side you know. Sometimes I make mistakes- it's not often but it does happen."
Obito smiled at that, but it slipped when Kakashi's did.
"I made a mistake this time, Tobi. And I mean to fix it."
Then, hand in hand, the two leapt through the forest, once more trailing after the irate Uchiha, determined to make things right.
Author Note:
Alright, check-in time!
How are we all doing? You feeling good, my lovely readers? Or are you all just pissed and traumatized at this point? ;)