Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Forced Fate ❯ A Moment of Clarity ( Chapter 4 )

'Oh God. Bright lights… terribly bright lights.' Naruto mentally screamed. He'd woke with the most horrific headache he'd ever had in his entire seventeen years, and this incredibly bright light seemed to be amplifying it by thousands. He squeezed his eyes shut as tight as they'd go trying to block out every stitch of light, hoping that would somehow keep the painful pounding in his head to a dull roar. He sat up.

"Ngh," that was a mistake. He groaned, putting a hand to his head trying to ease the now thundering, pulsating pain. 'And I thought it couldn't get any worse.' As with most headaches, sitting up definitely made the pain worse. Naruto bit his lower lip in a lame attempt to distract himself from the intense throbbing in his head.

'What the hell happened?' Looking around he frowned. He was in the hospital. How the hell did he get in the hospital? Where was Itachi? Where was Sakura? He paused at that question, swallowing hard at the pondered answers… What if she was dead? What if she was hurt really bad? And dammit where was Itachi… did he kill him?

He had been face to face with Itachi in a strange red and black world where he was being tortured mentally, emotionally, and physically, and now he was in the hospital. He had no memory of the torture ending nor being brought to the hospital. Was the experience with Itachi even real? Did it even really happen?

He was irritated! What had happened between being tortured and brought to the hospital? He didn't know; his mind was blank… And where was Sakura? She'd been with him; Kisame had attacked her. He turned his head around the hospital room checking to see if anyone was there. He was alone.

He lowered his brow and threw out his lower lip in an angry impatient scowl. There was a tremendous gap in his memory, and no one was around to give him answers. Where was everybody? He didn't have time for this shit. And how did he get in the hospital? Where was Sakura? Where was that bastard Itachi? He fisted his hands in barely contained anger and irritation.

"Gahhh." Naruto yelled. He was frustrated dammit! Where the hell was someone to explain things? Where the hell was anyone for that matter? How did he get here? His mind was screaming for answers, and if someone didn't get in here and give him some soon his mouth was going to start screaming. He threw the hospital blanket aside and stood up.

"Ow. Ow. Ow." He grabbed at his head again. 'Damn,' he grit his teeth. 'I'd forgotten about that.' Naruto stood motionless, pressing the palm of his hand to his forehead in attempt to settle the blinding ache there. 'Damn… I've never had such a headache before… what happened?' he wondered for the thousandth time, quickly reminding himself that he was irritated.

Sakura was God knows where, Itachi was… was… well, that's what he'd like to know, and he didn't know how in God's name he'd gotten in the damned hospital.

Headache momentarily forgotten, Naruto stumped across the hospital room, threw open the door, and stepped into the hallway. There was a nurse standing about twenty feet away with a medicine cart. "Hey!" Naruto yelled and pointed. "Get Old Lady Tsunade here right away… or Kakashi-sensei… or the Perverted Hermit…

The nurse looked at Naruto in slack-mouthed disbelief. Staring, Naruto thought, rather stupidly. Anyone else would have realized that the poor nurse was most likely stunned at his casual, and not to respectful, use of the Hokage's name, but Naruto just thought her intellectually challenged. Perhaps she couldn't understand him. "Get somebody dammit! I need some answers!" His voice echoed down the hallway, reverberating obnoxiously against the painted stone walls.

Naruto nodded his head in satisfaction when he saw the nurse run off, presumably to do his bidding. She probably recognized that he was an important person; he was the Hokage's favorite, the talented student of one of the sannin, not to mention he'd be hokage one day, that poor nurse probably couldn't have moved her feet fast enough to do his bidding.

Naruto sniffed importantly as self-praising thoughts went through his head. He reached down to arrogantly adjust his pants when he realized he wasn't wearing any pants… He was in a hospital robe! Oh he only hoped no one was standing behind him…

"Hehehe." Naruto's body stiffened as a snicker sounded somewhere behind him; it was a very familiar, very female snicker… 'Sakura-chan.'

Sakura was behind him. He'd been looking for her; he'd been worried about her, and he was absolutely ecstatic that she was okay. However… he hadn't exactly imagined their meeting to include a direct view of his bare ass.

Naruto was red-faced; he could feel it. Sakura had seen a full view of his bare backside. He turned around slowly… He was looking forward to seeing her, to see if she was okay, and maybe he'd finally get some answers, but he was also dreading it because of the situation. Obviously she was amused by the situation; he could tell by her teasing snicker, but he was not. He was immensely embarrassed. Well, the only thing that would save his dignity, whatever was left of it, was to pretend that he wasn't at all embarrassed… or bothered.

Trying to look unruffled Naruto turned around, and sure enough there was Sakura, looking at him slightly flush-faced with a happy gleam in her eyes. She looked positively radiant, and happier than he'd seen her look in a long time. 'She was safe; she was okay.' He breathed a sigh of relief, bare ass momentarily forgotten, and waved with one hand while sheepishly scratching the back of his head with the other.

She gave him a smile, a real smile, one that actually reached her eyes. He'd almost melted; he didn't think he'd ever see that smile again… not like that anyway. He'd almost forgotten what it looked like, forgotten she even possessed such a smile. Was he the cause of it? Naruto's stomach did flip-flops at the very thought of it.

Naruto answered her luminous grin with a bright one of his own. "Sakura-chan!" He opened his mouth to ask what had happened when he saw her cover her mouth in a vain effort to hide near hysterical laughter.

Naruto could feel his face heat in embarrassed indignation; he was probably blushing two shades darker than before, if that was even possible. 'She could have at least pretended she hadn't seen anything.' Naruto thought in annoyance. He was about ready to whine, beg, plead for her to let it drop when he heard someone loudly clearing their throat behind him… 'Not again!' Naruto mentally groaned.

"I heard a nurse complaining about an obnoxiously loud crude mannered patient… naturally I figured it was you… Naruto." The speaker coughed, trying to cover up a highly amused snigger. It failed, and soon both Sakura and the new speaker were outwardly laughing, any pretense of preserving his dignity gone.

"AHHH! Kakashi-sensei! Sakura-chan! This-is-not-funny!" he shouted, trying hard to reprimand them, quiet them, make them see his crossness and embarrassment. Crossing his arms he frowned, waiting for their chastised reactions… it never came. They laughed harder; his frown deepened. 'Bastards.' He should have known. Throwing his hands in the air Naruto ran back into his hospital room to search for his pants.

Kakashi and Sakura watched Naruto leave in a huff and continued to laugh at his expense. Really they both should have controlled their mirth a bit better, but Naruto was so incensed it was hilarious and impossible to repress their humor. Both ninja's knew that if the situation were reversed Naruto would be rolling on the floor still throwing out sarcastic comments were it either of them exposed, so any guilt they felt was short lived.

Eventually their laughter faded into an awkward silence and both shifted their weight uncomfortably. Each wanted to say something, about the last couple of days, about Naruto, about anything just to break the unbearable silence. It was Kakashi who finally spoke.

"Have you told him anything?" Kakashi asked Sakura, his voice every bit the serious sensei.

She shook her head. "I'd only just found him", her face colored at the memory, "when you came". She kept seeing Naruto's bare backside; it was funny, but very embarrassing, and right now Sakura didn't feel much like laughing. Kakashi had shaken any lingering amusement from the moment reminding her of the conversation they were about to have with Naruto. She was dreading talking with him.

They needed to know what had happened between him and Itachi. According to Kakashi they had found him alone and unconscious on the forest floor. Itachi wasn't anywhere around. Sakura couldn't fill in any details; She was fighting Kisame at the time. The two ninja had been still, staring each other down, when she moved out of sight of them. She had been beaten to unconsciousness, and was unable to return to Naruto. The next time she saw him he was passed out in the hospital.

The two were quiet, both contemplating the conversation to come. The silence was awkward, neither knowing quite what to say, so they fidgeted waiting for Naruto to make himself decent.

Naruto huffed, searching his room for his clothes. It was obvious he couldn't have a serious conversation with them until he properly covered himself… Well, he couldn't really blame them; it would be hard for him to speak seriously with someone when their ass was smiling sideways at you. He grinned at that, and for some reason his mind wondered what Sasuke would have made of the situation.

"Sasuke," he whispered in a pained voice. He missed Sasuke. It was strange; he and Sasuke were both rude to each other, insulted each other, physically fought one another, and generally admitted that they couldn't stand each other, but they were the best of friends. Neither had realized just how close they'd gotten until their last fight two years ago. It was the last time Naruto saw Sasuke.

Unexpectedly his mind was assaulted with images of a tortured Sasuke, as if the mention of his name flipped a switch in his head, activated something. Sasuke was calling for him, asking for his help. Naruto could see and hear his dark-haired friend clearly. Feelings of despair, helplessness, sadness, anger, and fear exploded within his gut, tore at his insides, trying to come out in one single huge wave. Naruto fell to his knees, grasping his hospital gown, trying to rip it away from his chest as if it burned him. Tears fell freely down his face, as so much emotion flooded into him at once. He'd felt anguish like he'd never known before. He couldn't breath; his chest felt like it was going to explode. "Ahhhh!" He screamed. 'Make it stop!' He gripped his gown tighter. "Ahhhhh!" He anguishly cried out again.

He was being brutally emotionally assaulted, and it hurt… he was openly sobbing, rocking himself back and forth, hugging his knees tightly to his chest. "I'm so sorry Sasuke." He screwed his eyes shut gritting his teeth in self-loathing. "Forgive me Sasuke." He wept. "I wasn't strong enough."

"I'm sorry Sasuke." He sobbed to his tortured friend, watching as the Uchiha was hurt over and over again by Kabuto, Orochimaru… The snake and his minions laughed ruthlessly as they brought pain upon the young sharingan user.

"Forgive me Sasuke." He blubbered. He was shaking. He couldn't believe what was happening right in front of him. 'Stop. Please stop.' Naruto silently begged, for it to stop. Whether he wanted Sasuke to stop his tortured cries or for Orochimaru to stop hurting his friend he wasn't sure. Probably both.

The Uchiha's pained cries for help sounded so accusing and desperate, as if the tortured boy didn't believe anyone would answer his cries. "I'm coming Sasuke."

Naruto watched in horror as Orochimaru fastened thick chains on Sasuke's wrists and neck, and began leading him away. All hope faded from the Uchiha's eyes, and he turned to follow the snake man, placing his back toward Naruto. "Don't go!" Naruto yelled. He felt so helpless. No matter what he said or did, nothing could stop his friend's torture, and now Sasuke was leaving. All he could do was watch in dismay as Sasuke was brutally beaten, man-handled, led away, drained of hope…

"Wait!" Naruto cried to his friend, hoping Sasuke would hear him, hoping he would fight, but the boy never did. 'Shit.' He was losing him. He was losing Sasuke… again.

He desperately grabbed for his dark haired friend, his hands gripping only air. "Grrr," he growled angrily, frantically grabbing at the air. "Sasuke!" Naruto called for his friend, his brother.

"SASUKE!" He screamed pleadingly. His pleads were in vain, and Naruto watched helplessly as his friend faded from view.

"Sasuke." Naruto whispered terrified. He had lost his friend again; he hadn't been strong enough to save him. Sasuke was gone; he could no longer see him. His brother was gone… Naruto began sobbing anew. Sasuke was being tortured and hurt, and Naruto couldn't stop it. He hadn't been strong enough.

Naruto grit his teeth and clenched his fists, his anger at Orochimaru threatening to eat him alive. 'Bastard!' Naruto had wanted to rip out the freakish snake man's throat for at least two years now, and now his anger and hate toward the sannin were amplified many times over. He wanted to throttle him, bloody him… Naruto shook his head. There weren't enough violent thoughts to match how he felt, what he wanted to do to the snake.

Naruto was breathing hard; his body and mind were in traumatized shock, and he trembled with barely restrained rage. 'What the hell was that?' Naruto knew he'd been in his hospital room, searching for his pants when suddenly he was with Sasuke and Orochimaru…

Part of Naruto knew that some trick was or had been played on him, but another part felt the realness of the visions he saw and refused to believe they weren't true. He was so shaken. The images disturbed him so deeply he couldn't help but let them affect him. False or not, those visions touched on his worst fears, his weaknesses, and that was frightening.

His vision was black, and the atmosphere around him was silent save for a soft female voice calling his name. He tried to calm his breathing, to reply to that voice, when his mind was assaulted again by haunting images! "Ahhhh!"

Naruto didn't know how long he'd suffered from the visions. He must have passed out or something, because he felt himself wakening, the visions lingering like a night full of terrible nightmares. He felt so drained of everything, strength, confidence, hope… He fought the sudden irresistible urge to weep, and almost lost the fight until a beautiful voice cut through his dark thoughts. 'Sakura.'

Dazedly he looked into a pair of green eyes. He stared at them waiting to comprehend if she were real or a really pleasant dream. Her eyes held so much emotion. Naruto saw the worry in them, and he knew she was real. All strife immediately fled him and a soothing peace settled into him from the sight of her.

Sasuke had not been real.

'Sasuke.' At the thought of his best friend, all those horrific visions and feelings flooded back into him. 'Oh God… Sakura… I'm sorry.' She had loved the Uchiha so much; she had counted on him to help her, to help Sasuke… He'd failed.

"I wasn't strong enough." He whispered as if he were informing her of an incredible revelation, something he should have told her before but was too ashamed to admit.

"Sakura." Naruto whispered, looking deep into her lovely eyes, willing her to see the honesty in his own. "I'm sorry." And he was. He'd promised to bring Sasuke back to her, and he'd failed.

Sometimes he'd had nightmares about Sasuke in Orochimaru's hands, being tortured or irrevocably turned evil, but never had he experienced something like these visions. The experience had felt so painful, so heart wrenching, so terrible, so… real. He'd really thought he was seeing Sasuke tortured. He'd really heard his voice, seen Orochimaru…

Naruto shuddered. He couldn't bring himself to look away from Sakura. He was terrified to look away from her. He didn't want to fall back into that false world of nightmarish images. Sakura's eyes were reality. She was reality, and that's what he needed right now… reality.

Sakura ignored Naruto's apology, not knowing what to make of it yet.

"Naruto? Are you okay?" She asked sounding worried and very concerned. Her voice was breathy as if she feared he might not be okay.

That simple question, 'are you okay', triggered Naruto's thoughts, which began mumbling incoherently. Feelings he'd been trying to suppress came back to him in a torrent of emotions. He had wondered himself if he'd be okay. Those visions had caused him despair and doubt like he'd never known before. He was shaken to the core. He couldn't answer her; he didn't know himself, and for the first time he actually needed to think.

'Was he okay? Could he ever be okay again?' Naruto wondered.

Sakura and Kakashi had rushed through the door at the sound of his agonized scream. They'd found him unconscious, in a deep trance, or something like it. He'd been unresponsive to their voices and touch. She had called to him, screamed at him; Kakashi shook him, slapped him…

Sakura had begun to fear he wouldn't come around when she'd heard his breathing even. He'd fallen asleep. 'Thank God.'

After Naruto had fallen asleep, Kakashi ran to fetch the hokage. He'd suggested that Sakura go and he stay behind, but she had refused to leave her blond friend. So Kakashi had fled the hospital room, returning within minutes, buxom blond in tow.

Sakura was worried for her blond friend. From what the hokage could tell, Naruto had been emotionally and mentally exhausted. It had taken all the energy he'd had not to succumb to the mental assault. The female sannin had told Sakura and Kakashi that the incident could have killed Naruto, broken his mind, or one of the worst, broken his spirit.

Naruto had slept the whole day and night; Sakura sat by his side the entire time, waiting for him to wake up. She had feared he may not rouse, but Tsunade had assured her he'd come around, she only hoped he'd awake unchanged.

Tsunade couldn't cure Naruto. She couldn't delve deep enough into his mind to see just how much damage was done, let alone to mend it. She'd claimed that a strong force was blocking her entrance, a force she was quite sure wasn't Naruto… She'd said it was the Kyuubi.

Holding Naruto's hand in her own, Sakura began to weep. She couldn't imagine Naruto with a broken spirit. She could almost accept the other terrible scenarios as long as she didn't have to see him with a broken spirit. A dead Naruto would be better. His spirit was the best part of him; it was what made him who he was.

Sitting by Naruto's side, refusing to sleep, Sakura had several hours of quiet to ponder matters. Not that she wanted to, but after awhile the solitude forced her mind into action.

She tapped her foot in nervous agitation, the Hokage's diagnosis ringing in her head. 'Only the sharingan can cause this kind of damage.' How confusing. Sakura knew two facts right now: one, she agreed with Tsunade's assessment of Naruto's injury, and two it was impossible that a sharingan was present to do this to Naruto. Each certainty contradicted the other, and that confused the hell out of her.

To be affected by the sharingan the way Naruto was, the user had to be making eye contact with him at the time. But Kakashi and herself were right outside his door; they were with him for nearly the whole experience and no one had eye contact with him. No one else was even in the room.

It was also impossible that the damage was done before he was ever brought to the hospital. Tsunade had examined him when he first arrived. He'd been unconscious, but fine. Not to mention both she and Kakashi had talked to him just moments before the mysterious attack and he'd been his old self.

Sakura knew her mentor's assessment of Naruto was correct; Tsunade'd seen injuries like this before when Kakashi and Sasuke were assaulted by Itachi. She'd even cured them, so what was the answer. How did this happen?

Author’s Note