Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Broken Wings ❯ Shattered Dreams ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

I uploaded this on FF net to, but I figured I'd put her and see if I got a nibble For future reference, this
story is going to be rated M, because I am a sick, sick author.
If you're looking for that happy campy Naruto then this may not be the fanfic for you- my Naruto is
pretty sadistic, twisted, and insane so if you can't deal then you may need to roll on
But yeah- read and review! If I don't get at least five I plan on removing this so let me know if you like
it!
-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-
The rain fell silently over the dark city, creating small puddles as sparklingly clear as glass, which
reflected the shining stars up above. They glimmered down from their thrones on high, gleaming like
diamonds from the background of the dark night. Such darkness that lay behind the stars, darkness
that could pull you in so deeply, so as to be damned forever into wandering the bowels of the
universe.
A never-ending hell. Who wanted to be alone eternally? Who could survive without the touch of a
mortal, who could survive in the deep silence of forever? Only those touched by death could ever live
such a life. She could never survive such a life. She breathed softly on the cool glass of the window,
as the world sped by in an endless cycle outside.
They passed the tall buildings at a rapid speed, the few dark stray cars and people melding with the
colors of the dark walls, so that it seemed as if time itself had accelerated, leaving her far behind. She
didnt mind. By now, she was so used to shying away, to curling upon herself to avoid pain that she
didnt care anymore. What did it matter to her?
She was miles away from her family, her home, and her world. Instead she was here, a small dark
city known as Konoha, as grim and unfamiliar to her as her own father whenever he looked into her
eyes.
,,Take her with you...I dont care what she does...she is of no use here...
Her fingertips pressed harder into the cold surface of the glass, as she stared out at the never-ending
blur of solitary colors. She breathed softly, almost afraid that the slightest noise would bring
everything to a harsh reality that she was really here. Really alone.
She pressed her cheek against the cold glass, the stinging icy sensation somehow soothing to her dark
mind and heavy heart. She blinked away the moisture from her eyes. She wasnt going to cry. She
was going to be stronger than that. She refused to cry. Instead, she let the pain and fear eat away at
her heart, blanketing every part of her mind. Thats what she always did. Let it rot her away into
nothing. Let her disappear. Everyone would be happy then. Without her around. She wasnt even
worth the space. Thats what he always told her.
She bit her bottom lip, as she drew away from the window, to lean back into the cheap and frayed
leather of the seat. The new spot was cold, yet somehow perfect. Everything was cold. The world
beyond the glass, the bitter rain, everything. As cold as she felt inside. As cold as her heart was when
she thought to the world she had left behind, as cold as Nejis eyes were whenever his pale eyes
rested on her.
Icy, hateful, pitying.
,,You pathetic creature.'They mocked her always, `You sad waste of space.'
She felt...isolated. And she was. She always was. There was nothing out there, nothing beyond the tall
gray buildings, and nothing beyond the dark windows of the houses. There was no one to welcome

---

her, no one to greet her, no one. She drew her legs up to her chest, shivering despite the warmth of
her jacket wrapping snugly around her body.
The man in the front seat, wrapped warmly for the cool night, breathed quietly in the brooding
darkness of the cab, humming to himself. The driver behind the battered steering wheel was quiet,
reaching out with a hand covered in a tattered gray mitten to turn the knob of the radio.
It screeched with static, a mix of an unearthly wail and the low incoherent mumblings of far away
voices. He cursed softly under his breath, turning it hard to the left, then swiftly to the right. He finally
caught a signal, as a warm rustic rhythm of smooth jazz began to reverberate throughout the cab.
She closed her eyes, reveling in the comfort of the dark, and the simple symphony of the music.
Weaving throughout the melody, she could detect the deep rumblings of the saxophones, the slightly
louder screech of the trumpets. The smooth playing of the clarinets, the deep throbbing of the drums.
It warmed her body just to listen, feeling the music with her entire being, until she felt as if she could
just float away...
Float away from everything. Maybe she would drift beyond the billowy softness of the dark clouds, the
deepening black of the sky. Drift until she didnt know if she were one with everything, or everything
was one with her. Drift until her attachments to the human world vanished, until she too had a throne
on high. And she would mock them from above.
She could have laughed. She rarely made sense anymore. She opened her eyes.
She stared at the long bleak road up ahead of them, the darkness of the night making it impossible to
see its end. It was dotted with the bright specks of light from the cars up ahead, lined with the dim
glows of the safety lights from nearby stores. It appeared never ending and impossible to tell what
was at its end, as dark and depressing as the new future that lay ahead of her. She reached a hand
out towards the stars through the windshield, grasping the air as if she herself could catch one. She
felt like she was in a trance, hand drawn towards the faraway light.
She caught herself, blushing as she drew the hand back against her body. She was so foolish
sometimes...She leaned her chin on her knees, long hair falling like a dark curtain around her. She felt
safe at times like this, protected from the harsh gaze of the world. She stared out through the window
past her curtain of hair, staring for a moment at a dark shadow walking down the empty sidewalk. It
was soon swallowed up in the darkness behind them.
As they drew closer to the main part of the city, beyond the soothing sound of the background jazz of
the radio, she heard the faraway honking of cars. A nearby street lamp shone its golden light into the
cold darkness, momentarily blinding her. It outlined the smooth dashboard, the rugged yet kind face
of the cab driver, the smooth shaven yet aged face of the man in the front seat. The unfamiliar faces
of strangers. She looked out through the window now, as she saw the ivory arches of a large building,
just as they raced by. She turned around, staring back at the quickly vanishing arches as they sped
onward. She settled bak into her seat with a gulp, as her soft voice broke the code of silence.
"E-Excuse m-me..."
The driver turned in his seat, as the strangers eyes in the seat next to him quickly darted in her
direction and then away. The driver drove for a moment, still at that fast pace, trying to find a break
in the sudden traffic. For five minutes more they drove, until he was finally able to turn out of the
highway towards the sidewalk, lessening up on the pedal, so that the small cab slowly squeaked to a
stop under a dim streetlamp. It was strange...this road didnt seem as if it were frequently traveled,
and as she watched the cars, they suddenly sped up, screeching away into the distance past those
ivory arches...

---

She eased her cramped legs out from their position against her chest, stretching them as far as she
could in the small backseat with a contented sigh. Reaching a hand into her jacket pocket, she
fumbled around for the folded slip of paper she had stored there. Her small clumsy fingers grasped the
smooth roughness of the paper, as she pulled it out. The paper was creased and slightly dingy, she
had opened it and read it so many times before.
She delicately unfolded it, as if it were something precious. She leaned towards the window, letting
the dim light shine down on it, as she read the small neat handwriting for the tenth time.
Mugendai High has white arches that mark the beginning of the campus, and it's almost impossible to
miss them. You're on the fourth floor of the girl's dorm, room number 302. Your roommate is Sakura
Haruno, you remember the girl we had you exchange e-mails with? She should help you find your way
around. Just be careful will you? And don't let anyone boss you around okay? I know how shy and
gentle you are, and how quiet you can't be. Don't be afraid to speak up! And take care of yourself!
You have my number, and call me if anything happens or if you need help or if you just need someone
to talk to. You know I won't hesitate to fly up there and kick some ass for you! Even if I'm married to
your cousin, we're still best friends right? You know I'll always be here for you!
-Love always, Ten Ten
She felt her eyes sadden with unshed tears, her heart crying out at the subtle reminder of what was
lost to her. She sighed quietly, unheard to anyone but herself. The soft music of the jazz turned
achingly sad, resonating the beat of her heart. She ached inside.
"M-My s-stop was b-back there...M-Mugendai..."
The man grunted, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. The man in the front seat looked shocked, yet
somehow showing pity on his face. Pity for her? She smiled a broken smile despite herself. The
drivers voice was low and eerie in her ears.
"I know what you said...Im sorry but this is as close as I can get these days."
She stared at the back of his head in confusion, her curiosity burning to know what he meant with his
veiled words. She took a quick glance out the window. The street was clearly empty now, the sudden
traffic disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She
looked down at her feet, incased in her dark knee high boots to protect her lower leg from the cold,
and the wet puddles that lie in the street. She never had been able to take charge, never been able to
say what she wanted. She just couldnt. Why...?
"W-Well t-thank y-you sir. H-How much w-will that be?"
In the rearview mirror, she suddenly noticed that he had a long faded scar across the bridge of his
nose, coming to rest underneath his weary eyes. He stared at her hard, his dark eyes boring into her
with such intensity that she blushed and looked away. The mans eyes softened somewhat. And when
he spoke again, his voice was gentle.
"Dont worry about it...your pale friend paid more than enough..."
She looked up, confused. Then the thought struck her, as a vision of an icy pale-eyed youth ran
through her mind.
,,Neji...'
Her heart warmed in her chest, as a hidden smile lit her face. She placed a small hand over her chest,
feeling the rhythmical beating of her heart as a solitary tear slid down her cheek. Despite his harsh

---

words many times before...maybe he was going to miss her after all...She quickly wiped the tear away.
It was nothing...maybe he had only been doing what he saw at his duty...taking care of her...maybe he
only saw it as a chore...
"T-Thank you f-for the r-ride sir."
"No problem Miss...uh..."
She smiled despite herself, playing with her fingers within the long sleeves of her jacket.
"H-Hinata...Hinata H-Hyuuga."
She saw him wink in the mirror. She blushed, looking away, yet timidly smiling. When she stared back
at him, there was a strange light shining from his eyes, and his voice was no longer playful. It was
serious.
"Alright Miss Hyuuga...You dont want me to walk you down there? I mean, the streets of
Konoha...could be very dangerous for someone like you."
She stared at him, staring down at her unseen hands still fiddling around inside the too long sleeves of
her jacket. If she accepted help from him, that would only make her realize later just how alone she
was...or maybe...maybe she just wanted to do something by herself. Surely she was not that pathetic,
that she couldnt walk down a simple street alone for a few minutes?
"N-No...I-Ill be fine...but t-thank you for the offer..."
He sighed, staring down at his hands resting on the steering wheel. The stranger in the front seat was
eying her now, and she heard him mutter something under his breath, as he shook his head,
marveling in her stupidity. She stared at him curiously for a moment, before Iruka addressed her
again.
"Well...if youre sure...Just take care of yourself alright?"
She nodded slightly and opened the door, the harsh biting of the wind and the still cold air refreshing
her, clearing her mind. The rain had lessened somewhat, so that it was little more than a slight sheen
of moisture. She closed her eyes, relishing in the moment. She opened them again, swinging her feet
from the dirty carpet of the floor to the cold hard cement of the sidewalk. She reached back in the
seat, to grab her heavy bag, pulling the strap to rest on her shoulder.
She stepped out into the halo of light under the street lamp, rubbing her suddenly numb hands
together. She missed the warmth of the cab, the smooth steady beat of the radio fainter now. She
leaned back inside one more time to grab the small binder that held the rest of her school information
in it. She stopped herself, gathering careful words.
"I-I...h-hope Ill s-see you a-again sir."
This time he turned around in his seat, his face rugged and worn, yet surprisingly gentle. He smiled at
her, a genuine helpful smile. A smile that clearly said ,,let me help you.
"Listen, if you ever need to go anywhere in this city or need some directions or anything, theres a
small coffee shop at this next corner up ahead. You should really try their cinnamon rolls, theyre to
die for. And I always go there when Im on break, and if I see you Ill be glad to show you around."

---

She stared into his eyes for a long moment, trying to discern if he was joking. But he only smiled back
at her. He was really willing to help her, this man whom she had only just met. It was strange...but
she couldnt help but be thankful for his kindness. It was nice to know, almost made her feel warm
inside, knowing that she wasnt quite so alone anymore...She gave him another soft, timid smile.
"T-Thank y-you I...Iruka-sensei!"
She leaned back into the cold, closing the door softly. He waved at her through the dark glass of the
window, still smiling kindly, and she timidly waved back. He slowly drove away, the dented yellow cab
slowly fading into the distance. She exhaled, her breath coming from between her lips in a small cloud
of steam.
...She was cold...
-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-
He turned onto the back alley, the car rolling to a stop against the worn curb. Gaping cracks spider
webbing across the once smooth pavement of the sidewalk, tough weeds struggling to grow from
between the cracks. The dark alley was bathed in shadow, the narrow street flanked by old run down
buildings that should have long ago been demolished. The boarded up windows that seemed to glare
down on anyone who dared come this far out of the way, the dampness and cold hanging heavily in
the air that seemed to hold a death grip on his throat, and along with the sickening smell of rotten
wood and mildew, always made him feel sick to his stomach.
The car gave an almost agitated groan as it stopped, and the radio was suddenly filled with static once
again. He cursed under his breath, grabbing the knob and turning it roughly from left to right, and
growing quickly agitated as it refused to catch. He sighed with frustration, jerking the damned thing
off with a soft click.
The car was still and frozen with silence and tonight he couldnt hear the soft humming of the engine.
Of its own accord, his hand drifted upwards to cut the car off. He breathed quietly in the silent
darkness, almost afraid to even dare to breathe, eyes glued to the neon green blinking of the cabs
clock. It was strange...how tense he got when it was time for these things...
He sighed, trying to think of something to do to keep his mind busy. He raised a finger and dragged
across the clocks muted surface surface, a thin layer of dust coming away onto the pad of his
forefinger. The numbers glared brighter in the darkness, now that nothing hindered their glow.
Ten thirty.
He sighed in frustration again, leaning back, staring blankly up at the cars ceiling. The cloth up there
had once been a clean pale cream, now a dingy gray with age. Tattered holes were torn into its
surface, where small fluffs of cotton peeked through. He stared out into the darkness for another
moment, before placing his weary hands back on the steering wheel. He leaned forward, lowering his
head to stare down at the dirty floor, the petals worn with use, his boots large and suddenly heavy. It
was almost funny...him and this cab had been everywhere together...it was almost like an old friend...to
replace the ones lost...he could have laughed. That was a sad thought indeed...
,,You'd think I'd be used to this by now...maybe he's not coming...that little bastard...'
He sighed again, with barely concealed annoyance. This had to be the fifth time that the punk had
seemingly ,,forgotten about their meeting...or maybe he was out there, somewhere in the darkness,
watching him...knowing him, he probably was...that was the kind of things he liked to do...cause
anxiety...and fear...By now he should have known better...Iruka gritted his teeth.

---

,,Why do I worry about that brat so much for anyway? He knows how to take care of himself...he
doesn't need me checking up on him...he never has...he's never needed anyone...'
He knew why. He had always known why. Every time he saw that face, a face devoid of anything, a
beautiful mask that hid the demon underneath...
,,Because...no matter what...that bastard is always his son first...sometimes it really does make me
wonder...are you proud of me old friend? Even after al these years...I still kept my promise...what a
fool I am...I wonder if you're laughing in hell...'
He shook his head roughly from side to side, trying to forget those bitter memories, the past filled
with secrets...filled with dark thoughts that should have never reached the light, but stayed rooted in
the empty corners of ones mind.
He did a lot of remembering these days...thinking of four small boys, playing on the filthy back streets
of Konoha, all merely dreamers...
Dreaming...how they would one day escape the hell. Dreaming how they would one day be free of the
oppression of the gangs, the violence in the schools, the dark emptiness of their homes. Escape the
barely concealed loneliness in their hearts. Maybe that was how they had all found each other...
He almost laughed out loud when thinking back. Two of those dreamers were long since dead, dieing
for their foolish ideals...sacrificing their lives for what they had believed was right, but what was
actually much worse. They had not thought ahead to the future...of the consequences of their stupid
and rash decisions.
Konoha...one of the oldest and strongest cities in Japan...still bore the scars. The darker half of the city
lay buried in ruins, filled with the crumbling buildings from that long ago dream...filled with ashes and
the long forgotten bones of poor fools, filled with horrible secrets that could never again enter the
light.
The scars left behind...how the cemetery then had been overrun with the victims then, the whole of
Japan under national alert...the people in a crazed panic. Not many knew what had really happened in
those long ago days...nothing beyond the false rumors that had been spread to ease the minds of the
frightened people.
It was funny now...funny how the dream of one small boy had blossomed into a cruel fatal flower that
had nearly brought a nation to its knees. No one had believe he could do it...how he had fooled them
all...how he had made a fool of everyone...
The pathetic shattered dreams, left to the survivors from that long ago time. His only remaining
friend, corrupted by rage and guilt, hell bent on killing the one who had made him suffer so...his
mentor, dark and filled with the wisdom of years gone by, rotting away in his piece of this hell on
earth...always waiting...always watching. And in the aftermath...what was he? What was he? What was
he doing here?
He was working for the family of a loved one long since dead...for the sake of the memory of his
friend...he had consented to be a family lap dog...and the caretaker of a monster.
"Im so pathetic..."
The words surprised him, so that he barely realized they were his. In the dark silence of the cab, his
words were quickly muffled by the quiet darkness, until he felt almost ashamed about his spoken
words. He smiled darkly, smiled faintly to himself. He sighed, gripping his hands on the steering

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wheel, as he turned the key in the ignition. The car hummed to life once again, and he slowly pressed
his foot against the pedal.
The boy came out of nowhere. One minute the back road was dark and silent, no sign anywhere of the
slightest living creature, the next he was just there. As if he had always been there. Iruka gasped,
flooring the brake, as the car jerked roughly forward, throwing him hard so that he hit the steering
wheel before reeling back. The engine whined in protest, as he fell roughly back into his seat.
There had been no need to stop...he imagined himself, flooring the petal, the car leaping forward in
response-the boys screams as the tires ran over his body...
His heart was hammering in his chest, and he gulped despite himself. He felt a cold sweat break out
on his forehead. He reached up a shaking hand to wipe away at the moisture there. Even as his foot
itched to slam down on the pedal, sending the car shooting forward. What was he thinking? Even if he
had been going full speed, it would still have not been enough...
,,So...he decided to show after all...'
He tried to calm himself down, as the slim youth walked easily from the front of the car where he had
stood, as silent and still as a streetlamp, blending in perfectly with the shadows of the road. His walk
was sinuous and fluid, his movements almost unearthly. It was like he levitated, so light was his step.
He moved slowly and without hurry, like a cat stalking a mouse, already considering it as good as
dead.
He snuck a quick glance from under his eyelashes. It had to have been a temperature of fifty at the
highest out side of the still warmth of the vehicle, yet the boy wore merely a black long sleeve button
down shirt, with the buttons loose, a snow white shirt revealed underneath. Baggy jeans, a chain
hanging from the loopholes, a small charm jingling there against his hip.
He ran a hand over his brow, wiping away the sweat that had gathered there, but he still could not
hide his undeniable fear. It pulsed in his blood, it forever beat a steady rhythm in his heart.
He stood ramrod straight in the drivers seat, suddenly alert as he heard the click of the door opening.
It squeaked as it swung open on its rusty hinges, and Iruka winced despite himself.
The boy eased himself smoothly into the tattered seat, closing the door with a soft click behind him.
For a minute they just sat there, in a deep and fearful silence on his part, and he began to feel as if he
were suffocating. He deeply regretted that he had not bothered to get the damn radio fixed now, it
would have served as a useful distraction to his active mind. To late now...
He dared not even breathe, not until the boy spoke first. Not until he gave the all clear. And he did
speak after a moment, in a dark voice filled with such a degree of nothingness that it made his very
soul reel away from it. It was like hearing the voice of a demon, coming from the mouth of a child.
Iruka could have laughed at that last thought. This...thing...was no child. He should be used to it by
now. Hed heard that voice many times before...always whispering in his nightmares...
"Relax old man...Im not going to kill you today."
Iruka relaxed slightly, a tremendous amount of hidden relief coursing through his veins. But he dared
not look to his right, dared not look into that face. Dared not look into those soulless blue eyes. He did
not let down his guard, even thought it was fact that the boy always kept his word, no matter how
twisted it may later turn out to be. He rarely forgot the part he played in this sick mind game. He was
merely a pawn, maybe needed for now, but one that could be easily sacrificed to capture the king.

---

He felt as if he were burning under his skin, as if at any moment he would suddenly burst into flames.
But fear locked his muscles. He didnt dare to reach out a shaky hand to turn the heat dial off, so that
the warm air continually leaked out through the vents near his feet. He shivered in the heat. He licked
his dry lips, as he struggled to calm himself down. For a long moment he sat there, until his sluggish
mind was finally able to form words.
"So...how have you been...?"
He hadnt really expected an answer for his sad attempt at idle chitchat, and he didnt get one. The
boy stared out through the window, blank eyes observing everything and nothing. A man passed
across the dark street, illuminated in the headlights, an old man hunched in an oversized coat. His
eyes were wary and frightened, yet curious. For some reason, seeing the look of this stranger who
appeared almost as afraid as he, seemed to calm Iruka to the point where the fear almost evaporated.
An audience, no matter how small, was a sure sign that he would live to see another dawn.
That was a foolish way of thinking. If the boy had real y made up his mind to kill him, then nothing
would change it...especially not one poor stranger who simply happened to have gotten lost walking
home...
He had yet to discern the depth of the boys hatred for everyone from that long ago time, and he
couldnt even begin to fathom why the boy had chosen to keep him alive, above all others. In fact, he
couldnt even figure out what the brat was out to accomplish now, if his goals were even the same...or
even what they had been in the first place...
Thats how it was with them. It was enough to drive him mad...now that his life rarely made much
since anymore. But then again, it often seemed as if he had been driven to madness long ago...
He didnt know why. But somehow, seeing the old stranger, almost as scared as he himself was for
the secrets in the night, he was able to regain some manner of control over his wild emotions.
Reflexively, he timidly raised his hand, waving slightly.
Beside him, the boy didnt move, but for one split second his curiously dead blue eyes drifted over to
stare at the old man through the windshield. The man paled instantly, gripping tightly at the collar of
his coat, a hand rising quickly to make the sign of the cross over his chest. Mumbling under his breath
a silent prayer, he quickly scurried off as fast as he was able down a nearby alley.
Iruka envied that poor man, envied how easily he could just run away...
,,You should ask him something...anything...'
"So...I assume youre doing alright?"
The boy only gave a slightly bored tilt of his head as an answer, his dead eyes staring back off
through his window. He prepared himself for a long and intense silence, until the boy decided he had
stayed long enough and drifted back off into the shadows from whence he had came. Iruka gulped.
"W-Well then-"
"...you know...hearing your heart pounding like that...is beginning to get annoying..."
He sucked in a silent breath, and he almost tried in vain to get his heart to stop racing in his chest. It
was impossible of course, and the boy knew that. Iruka felt a surge of hate flow through him. That
little bastard just liked to make him squirm.

---

Iruka looked away, hands holding a vice like grip on the steering wheel. He stuttered, mouth trying
vainly to form words. He clamped his mouth shut, focusing on the dim glow of a streetlamp in the
distance. He didnt know what to say. The boy laughed, a dark chuckle that made the hairs rise on the
back of Irukas neck.
"I suppose we both know why its racing...dont we? How silly of me to forget..."
Iruka sighed, and for once he felt slight pity for the boy sitting beside him, eyes staring at everything
and nothing. He barely thought of how hard it must be for him...living with...something like that on
your shoulders. He couldnt even begin to understand...he almost wanted to comfort this strange boy,
so unfamiliar to him, yet somehow known. It was sad indeed...a sad road this boy walked alone...But
he was only playing himself. Taking pity on this monster?
,,I must be going mad...'
Whenever Iruka saw him, saw him with his friends, he was like a whole new person. His eyes were
bright with mischief and happiness. He was obnoxious and loud, as carefree and wild as any teenager.
Better to fool them all. If it was one thing the boy was, it was an amazing actor. Deception. Lies.
Trickery. It was what he did best. He had everyone fooled...
"W-Well...what about your friends?"
The answer that followed was filled with contempt, and the boys voice seemed almost thoughtful.
"...I hate them...Ill grow weary of them soon enough...and then..."
Iruka gritted his teeth in sudden hatred. It almost made him want to scream, how simple the answer
came to that bastard. It was just that easy. He used whatever people were necessary to uphold the
role he had taken this time around, and then when the little charade began to bore him...hed lower
the curtain...and find a different stage, find different players...
,,Those poor kids...'
Why was he surprised? Of course it was only here, in the dead of night that his true nature was
revealed. Only in his presence.
The boy played his part to perfection. No one could ever guess the truth, ever guess the soul behind
those bright eyes, the real feelings behind that phony smile. It was almost amusing...how dim his so-
called ,,friends were. They didnt know anything about him...all they saw him as was the perfect friend,
happy and cheerful, loud and dependable...and nothing else. It was almost maddening, how naïve they
were...
Iruka often wondered if they would ever figure it out...what a joke...of course not. That was a secret
that had been well kept for over fifteen years...a secret the boy had personally made sure was well
kept. What did it matter? Whether they found out or not, the ending would still be the same...Which
was why Iruka still couldnt understand why he was still alive...
He to often let himself forget. Forget why he was here, forget the madness his friend had slowly
sunken into because of the demon sitting so casually beside him. He often forgot about the blood on
the walls...the screams behind the closed door...
The boy sighed, obviously bored of his presence. He should have known...the routine visits were
growing shorter, and even farther in between. Iruka rarely knew what went on behind those bright
cerulean eyes, what veiled thoughts lie underneath the golden hair. This boy was a mystery, and he
always had been. Always would be.

---

He didnt hear the soft click, until he felt the cool night breeze drifting inside, and he looked over. The
door was wide open, the icy wind drifting in, and the seat as cold and empty as if no one had ever
been sitting there. Iruka leaned over to grasp the cool handle, closing the door against the biting
wind. Not that he was gone, Iruka felt his face twit with the emotions he had hidden. Anger.
He was angry. Angry for all the poor kids who had come before, angry for all the people...how many?
How strong it burned in his heart now...anger made him bold, and he couldnt hold the words that
leapt from his mouth.
"Burn in hell...Naruto..."
-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-
The street was dark and empty, and she burrowed deeper into the warmth of her jacket, feeling
strangely uneasy. She felt weird, as if she were being watched...she shook the feeling off. She was just
being unusually paranoid, fearful as always. She had her father to thank for that.
There was no one around, the wide darkness of the sidewalk with the occasional streetlamp to light
her way, with only the soft sound of her footsteps to company her. She was alone now, more than
before, in more ways than one. She tightened her grip around her binder, resisting the urge to grab
the slip of paper from her pocket and read it once again, if only to be comforted by the simple
directions from a loved one.
Staring straight ahead of her, she breathed a sigh of relief as she saw another flickering streetlamp
just a few steps ahead of her. Finally, she would be in the light. And anything was better then the
creeping darkness of the empty street. She would only bath in its dim glow for a moment, and then...
Past the glow of the lamp, for the first time since she had begun walking, she saw the flash of
headlights shining in the distance. She saw that the car was sleek and black, and it gleamed in the
light. It drew closer, to the point where the intensity of the light blinded her. It went racing by, loud
music leaking in buzzing waves from its closed windows, and seeming to make the very air she
breathed pulse.
As it passed by, for one split second she dared to look over. Everything seemed to slow down, as she
stared into the drivers seat. A rough looking boy sat there, a dark headband around his forehead, its
silver-plating gleaming, a note engraved into its surface. His hair was dark and spiky, his face baring
such a look of anger at the world that she wanted to look away. The boys dark eyes drifted over, ever
so slowly, into her direction. That was all it took. She blanched.
Then it was over, and the car had speeded around the corner off into the darkness of the night behind
her. Somewhere, she heard a shrill screech of tires turning quickly against pavement. She blinked, an
intense feeling of fear slowly spreading through her. She wondered why. Then, she heard the dull roar
of a motor coming from behind her. She turned her head slightly, daring to look back through the
curtain of her hair.
It was the same car.
It was slower now, much slower. She gulped, a hidden shiver of fear running down her spine. She
couldnt stop herself from walking just a little bit faster. She heard it behind her, the smooth purring
of the motor, the loud pulsing music coming from within. It made her head ache, but she dared not
reach up to rub her pounding temples.
It pulled up so that it was right beside her. Her breath caught, as her mind went in fast circles. Maybe
they just wanted directions...or wanted to know what a young girl like her was doing walking down a
dark street at such a time as this. She roughly estimated the time to be around eleven. Why hadnt

---

she asked Mr. Iruka to walk her down here? Surely that wouldnt have been that much trouble. The
car crept along beside her, but she tucked her head down and kept walking.
She heard the soft whir as the window was rolled down, a loud rough voice calling her.
"Hey there baby! Need a ride?"
She was to nervous to say anything, much to frightened and trapped in that ,,dont talk to strangers
concept that she had been taught since she was smal . Her tongue seemed to be glued to the roof of
her mouth. She walked a little bit faster, ignoring him with an embarrassed blush. Just go towards the
light, she chanted in her head over and over. Just get to the light. The boy, leaning across the
passenger seat in the corner of her eyes, frowned, before breaking out into a sleazy smile.
"So youre that type huh? Thats okay, shy girls turn me on!"
She blushed even deeper, still pretending that she was alone. It was easier if she imagined that the
street was empty, with no one but her and the flickering light. No one but her. No one but her...
"Cmon now dont be like that!"
To her surprise, the car halted to a complete stop, and the boy opened the driver door and stepped
out onto the sidewalk. She kept walking, faster and faster, resisting the sudden urge to breakout into
a run. Her father had told her that only cowards ran. She wanted to run. She was a coward.
He caught her under the streetlamp.
She silently cursed her fear, cursed herself for thinking that if she made it to the lamp, he would just
disappear into the darkness. Only shadows feared the light...
She had heard him running up behind her, before he grabbed her by the arm, spinning her around so
fast that her head spun. Now, up close in the dim glow of the nearby light, she could barely make out
the features of his face. But his dark eyes, they gleamed with malice. She stumbled to form words,
backing up as far as she could in his vice like grip.
"Y-Yes...h-h-how c-can I h-help y-you?"
"Where ya goin so fast?"
She deliberated between lying like there was no tomorrow, which was bound to fail since she was a
horrible liar and stuttered even more when under pressure, or to tell the truth. She stared up into the
boys shadowed face, his silver headband gleaming malevolently in the darkened light, and she could
almost see his face set in a lecherous scowl.
She took a quick glance through the curtain of her hair, to where a lone bus stop lay on the corner,
past which she knew lay the entrance gate to what would be her new home. Mugendai High, fourth
floor girls dorm, room number 302. She lied.
"I-Im j-just g-going t-to t-the b-bus s-stop."
He smirked in the darkness, grip tightening on her arm. She barely stopped herself from wincing. She
had the oddest feeling that this strange boy wanted to see her draw back in pain. Fear choked her
throat and numbed her body.
"What you ridin the bus for? Ill give you a ride to wherever you need to go."

---

He was pulling her back towards the running car, and she pulled back slightly, completely
overwhelmed. She gripped her heels into the sidewalk, so that they squeaked in resentment against
the asphalt. But she was helpless, she could only let him pull her towards the car like a bad puppy on
a leash.
"N-No I-Im fine...I-I d-dont e-even k-know y-you..."
"Well now you do. Im Zaku."
She pulled back weakly, and it barely seemed to phase him. He continued dragging her towards the
pounding music of the car, her heart pounding frantically in her chest. Damn her insecurities and
shyness...damn her lack of confidence! If there was ever a moment where she needed to stand up for
herself, then this moment was now. She tried to choke out a scream.
No sound left her lips.
She heard another whir, as the window of the backseat of the car was rolled down. Inside, was a boy
who seemed even more frightening than the one still dragging her towards the car. His entire face-
head, neck, everything-except for one gleaming dark eye, was wrapped in white bandages. That one
eye peered into her face, it seemed to rip her soul from her body, scrutinizing everything about her
down to the slightest detail. Around his neck gleamed another silver plated band, just like his friends
with a note engraved into its surface. She tried, really tried, to gather enough energy for one ear-
piercing scream, but when that dark eye gazed into hers she froze.
A bird locked in the eyes of a snake.
She missed the light. No matter how fragile and weak it had been.
In the darkness of a car, she couldnt see below his neck, but she did see that beside him sat a girl.
The glow of the nearby light illuminated her face clearly. She had the longest hair Hinata had ever
seen, so long that it appeared to spill over the expensive leather of the seats onto the smooth carpet
of the floor to puddle at her feet. She wore one of the strange headbands around her forehead, and by
the haziness of her half lidded eyes and the deep red of her cheeks, it was obvious that she was very
drunk.
Her head was tilted over sideways onto the bandaged boys shoulder, her mouth hanging agape.
Hinata stared in shock, blushing in embarrassment, as the boy shamelessly placed his hand down the
girls shirt, and rumpled around there. The girls head rolled on the boy shoulder, as he continued to
feel underneath the cotton fabric of her shirt. Hinata blushed redder than ever before, as she turned
her head away from the sight in embarrassed disgust.
Run her mind screamed at her. Run and don't look back.
As the boy dragged her over towards the passenger side, she struggled slightly, pulling away with all
her might. She felt her throat tightened and crystal tears, tears that would slip down her small cheeks
at a moments notice, blinded her. She found her voice once again.
"N...N-No!"
The boy growled low under his breath as his voice dropped an octave lower, turning darker and fiercer
as he spun around to face her. His eyes seemed to burn in the darkness. Behind him, the dark eye of
the boy, still with his hand shoved down the drunken girls shirt, eyed them with detached interest. It
suddenly occurred to her that maybe this boy didnt get rejected to often.
"Listen here you little bitch-"

---

He raised his hand to slap her. Slap her. He was going to slap her. She watched in stunned horror as it
came hurtling towards her, stricken as still as a deer in the headlights. She felt as if her heart would
leap out from her chest.
Somewhere, the light in her vision flickered. Was it going to die away with her? Did it sense her
drifting away?
,,Why did I ever...why did I ever deny his wishes? If I had listened...then maybe I could have
stayed...maybe I could have...'
To late, she began to wish she had ran. To late, she wished she had run as fast as her legs could carry
her, like the coward she was. Her eyes closed slowly, as she waited for the pain. She waited for the
extricating pain, the sound of her head cracking against the cement as she crumpled down to the
ground. Waited for the dark bliss that awaited her...
She didnt know how long she waited, frozen in time, waiting for the blow to smash upon her soft
cheek, to hear herself screaming as she fell...would it hurt as much as she thought it would? And still,
the blow never came...
What was taking him so long? Was he reveling in her fear, in how she held her breath, her body rigid
with sick anticipation? Why didnt he just get it over with? Why was he stalling? She dared not open
her eyes. Ears straining to hear something, anything.
She heard it, the boys raspy breathing, suddenly shallow with panic. She could almost hear his heart
thundering in his chest...and then...she heard it. A sickening snap, something being broken in two...did
she imagine it all? Was she dreaming? Was she imagining the loud yelp of pain coming from behind
her, the sound of someone moaning in wordless agony? Was she dreaming? Had he hit her already,
and this was merely a figment of her pain-induced mind?
Immobilized by fear, she felt the bile rise in her throat. The only voice she hadnt heard, the muffled
shout of the boy from inside of the car. What was he saying...?
"Zaku! Zaku!"
Did she dare open her eyes? Dare to see what was happening? Did she even want to? She was cold,
suddenly cold. Colder than she had ever been before. She felt it, the deep sense of something...bad.
And in that moment, everything inside of her screamed at her to run with such force, that her eyes
wrenched open.
She could make out the masked boys face hanging out of the window, and she could clearly see the
sweat running down the side of his face from underneath his headband. It left a wet patch on his
bandaged cheek. His only visible eye was wide with thinly veiled shock and...fear.
But where was the boy who had tried to hit her? Where was he? A mere moment ago, he had been
directly in front of her, prepared to send her spiraling into the dark dream world that was
unconsciousness. The girl slouched in the seat, a thin stream of saliva leaking from between her
parted lips. The boy next to her, his hand frozen underneath the cotton of her shirt, his panicked eyes
zeroed in on something behind her.
To slow, she turned, to slow. Too slow her head drifted sideways, hair whipping back against her
shoulder. Pale eyes straining to see in the dark. Something was lying on the ground...something
writhing on the ground...something struggling for breath...that boy. Zaku.

---

She could hear him clearly, gasping for air. She imagined his face was twisted in pain...His arm, the
one that held the hand that had been about to collide with the side of her face, hanging as limp as a
rag doll on the cement.
The other, held behind his head at a sickening angle, broken wrist twisted around his neck so that it
appeared as if he were choking himself. She felt her eyes widen, overflowing with tears. Why was she
crying? She should be running...running far away. Help...she had to go get help...
Her hazed gaze drifted slowly upwards, her blurred vision seeing nothing but two curiously dead eyes
that bored into hers with such intensity that she felt her breath hitch. Trough the dim glow of the
light, she saw a crown of golden hair...A voice shed never forget, as cold and uninviting as death. Her
heart seemed to freeze in her lungs. Was this happening? She had to be dreaming...
"I suggest you run...If you dont want to die..."
The light flickered once more, momentarily bathing everything in darkness. She could still make out
the shadow of Zakus limp body against the cement. Make out the much more menacing shadow
behind him. She was cold. And afraid the light would never shine again.
Her hands, how tightly they gripped her binder, smashing it against her ribs. Her eyes, how blurred
the world had become...was she crying? Why was she crying? Her feet, how they led her of their own
free will, led her running faster than she had ever run before.
Towards where the light had once been, and even in the dark, she could see the white arches
becoming more and more visible. Fear was a mindless creature that attacked ones mind, controlled
ones body like a skillful puppet master. The world around her was hazed, and she couldnt run fast
enough...She remembered...something hard and metallic clipping her shoulder as she ran by, her
binder flying out of her arms.
She never stopped to think. She only ran. Ran like the coward she was.
And in that faraway darkness behind her, a slow song that whispered of death blasted over the
speakers so that her head began to ache. But she dared not rub her temples. It didnt matter now.
She would never make it. She had just bolted through the white arches like a bat out of hell, when the
screaming started.
-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-
I need to know damnit! Hot or not?

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