Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Heart no Kuni no Naruto ❯ Chapter 2
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
Heart no Kuni no Naruto
by Sakura (aka L-sama no Miko)
Chapter 2
Naruto sat stiffly, wondering how the heck he'd wound up having tea with royalty in the middle of an enormous hedge maze. One moment he was standing before the monarch of one quarter of Wonderland and the next he was sitting at a large table with expensive dishes. “The evening is Our favorite time of day,” Queen Sakura said, a very expensive looking porcelain cup held elegantly in her delicate looking hands, “We are happy you have agreed to join Us for tea, boy who is called Naruto.”
“Psst,” Sai whispered, from behind the blond, “I'm going to head over to Sasori's now, I just couldn't leave without saying goodbye first.”
“Back away from my Naru-chan,” Kakashi ordered, drawing a pistol and aiming it at the knight. “It's not your job to hang around him like that.”
Sai just smiled his usual cheesy smile. Apparently having a pistol shoved in his face was something that wouldn't faze the teen that easily. “You're so scary, Kakashi-san,” he said with that eerie cheerfulness he always seemed to have. “I think it'd be best if I leave now. I'll see you around Naruto-kun,” he said with a wave as he left the impromptu tea party.
“That boy is always so rude,” huffed Kakashi.
“Must you always be so noisy, Hatake,” the queen warned, annoyance coloring her voice, “Or do you not value your head?” The White Rabbit blanched and immediately sat back down, the pistol nowhere to be seen. “Though I must say,” Queen Sakura continued, turning to the rather nervous boy. “We certainly understand how much Hatake loves you. It is also a possibility that We could also love you as well.”
“Y-Your majesty!” yelled the silver haired rabbit man, jumping out of his seat once again, “You can't love him! I'm more than able to love him enough!”
“Sit down and be quiet, Hatake!” the pink haired queen commanded before taking another elegant sip of her tea, “Do not make Us warn you again. We are incapable of stopping such a thing anyway. You know full well that those of this world will always have feelings for outsiders.”
`Ok,' the boy muttered to himself, `it's getting creepy again. Still, is it because I'm dreaming this freaky stuff `cause I want everyone back home to love me?'
“As an outsider, you will eventually go home one day, Naruto-kun. Until that day comes, We grant you permission to live at Our castle.”
“Gee…” the blond replied, blushing and scratching the back of his head, “That's um… really nice of ya, Queen Sakura, but I've already got a place at the Clock Tower.”
“The Tower?!” Kakashi asked, spitting his tea, “The home of Sasori Akasuna?!”
“Oh do stop such foolishness Hatake, it is pretty obvious he's made his choice.”
“B-B-But! Can't you move here?!” pleaded the overly amorous rabbit man.
“Pft, yeah right! As if I'd do that, you pervy rabbit!”
“There's no need to bully the boy into staying,” Queen Sakura said, glaring icily at her Prime Minister, “Naruto-kun is free to visit the castle whenever wants.”
“I must disagree, your majesty! Naru-chan MUST live here!”
“THAT IS ENOUGH, HATAKE!” bellowed the queen, almost shattering the table along with her cup as she slammed it down against the table. The rabbit man went pale again and his ears flattened against his skull in terror.
“Oh, hey it's night again,” Naruto noted, desperately trying to defuse the currently intense situation before any of them lost their lives.
“So it is,” the Queen of Hearts agreed, pouting at the now dark sky, “It appears that our pleasant moment has ended. There should be no other time than evening.”
“That reminds me!” Naruto started, “It's been bugging me, and I've been meaning to ask. Is the time always like this here?”
“Yes,” replied the pink haired girl, “There are no rules as to when the time changes so none can tell what the next period will be.” She then got a serious and pensive look in her lovely face, “Though it is possible for Us to change it at will since We are `one with a role to play'. However, the rule is that it must never be changed without just cause.”
`”One with a role to play”,' pondered Naruto, taking one last sip of the now cooling tea, 'Wonder what she means by that.'
“Enough talk,” Queen Sakura said, gracefully rising from her heart embroidered chair, “It is now nighttime, and sadly We are no longer in the mood for a pleasant cup of tea.”
“Uh… yeah,” said Naruto, “I guess I'd better be heading back to Sasori too. Thanks for the tea,” He bowed to the queen as he had been taught to do by his parents and found himself stumbling as he turned to leave. `Yeesh,' he muttered, `I thought you didn't get tired in dreams. Well, I hadn't really slept since I got here so maybe you can.'
“Nonsense,” the pink haired girl interjected, seeing the boy's apparently tiredness, “you will be asleep before you even reached Akasuna's. We insist you stay here at the castle and rest, even if it is just for a little while.”
“Yeah, maybe I should. Thanks again!”
Queen Sakura smiled, inwardly pleased that the cute boy agreed so easily. “Hatake will show you to the guest wing.”
The White Rabbit shot up and came to attention. “At once, your majesty!”
**************************************************
“Easy there, Naru-chan!” Kakashi said catching the boy before he fell again, “You'd better take my arm.”
“Nuh-uh! I don't need your help and quit touching me!” the blond snapped, yanking his arm away when the silver haired rabbit man made to grab it.
Kakashi looked hurt at the boy's rejection, but abided by Naruto's wishes for now. “This will be your room,” he said stopping at a door a few moments later. “Though, I'd feel much better if you were in mine.”
“In your dreams, pervy rabbit!!” bellowed Naruto, “All you've done since I've got to this wacked out world, is molest me! There is no way in Hell I'm ever goin' near your room!”
“You really should watch your language, Naru-chan,” scolded the taller man, “All I want from you is to love me as well. I would never force myself on you, my dearest Naru-chan.”
`Ch! You did force yourself on me! Remember that kiss?! Teme!'
“I'm NEVER gonna love ya,” the shorter boy bellowed in defiance, “So just forget about it! Good night!” He then shoved the door open and stormed into the room.
“Fine,” Kakashi said sternly, causing the boy to pause in shutting the door, “Even if you'll never love me as you say, this is still the world you wished for Naru-chan.” He then went back to the smiling rabbit he was while leading his love down the halls, “It's enough for me as long as you're here in Wonderland. Sweet dreams, my Naru-chan.” He then turned and went back down the hall.
Naruto stood there puzzled for a few moments then shut the door and lay down on the ultra soft bed. `Just what the heck did Kakashi mean by that?' he wondered, suddenly unable to sleep, `This is the world you wished for,' Kakashi's words ran over and over through the blond's head. `Yeah, right as if I'd ever wish for a place like this!'
************************************************************
Naruto found himself in the middle of a barren and grayish landscape. “What the?!” he sputtered. “Don't tell me I'm dreaming again! C'mon wasn't I already in a wacked out dream?!”
“You could say that,” a voice answered.
The blond `eeped' in surprise. “W-Who's there?!” he demanded, quivering.
“Neji Hyuuga,” the voice replied again. Naruto whirled and looked up at the source of the voice. Floating in the sky was a boy with long chocolate hair, dressed in a military style outfit of dark gray with gold trimming. “I am a dream demon, the incarnation of all bad dreams, such is my Fate.”
`Oh great another weirdo,' quipped Naruto, `This dream's just full of `em!'
“A `dream' you say?” Neji said, giving the slightly shorter boy a cryptic smile and reading his mind. “I suppose you would think of it that way.”
“Hey you!” Naruto yelled, not liking being talked down to, he was sixteen after all. “What do you mean by that? Sasori said something like that too.”
“Hmph,” the dream demon huffed, crossing his arms, “Calm down will you? It's just a dream.”
`It's just a dream,' those were the words the mysterious voice had said in the dream before coming to Wonderland. “I-It's you! You're the one who's been doing this to me, making me dream all this crazy stuff!”
“Don't go blaming me for this. I just connected your world to ours,” Neji snapped, “If you must blame someone, blame Kakashi Hatake. He did beg me to do it after all. And besides,” he added with a rather smug smile, “This is want you wanted, a world where you're wanted.” Naruto could only stare at the dream demon as he glided closer to him. “Everyone here is going to fall for you,” he whispered into the blond's ear, his warm breath tickling the sensitive lobe, “And that includes me. Aishiteru, Naruto.”
Naruto let out a caustic laugh. “So that's it huh?” he spat bitterly, “I'm some lonely little boy who feels unloved and wants everyone to love him so I'm dreaming up some crazy place where they do. Ha! How pathetic can I get?! Even my subconscious is as wacked out as this world!”
“Oh please,” quipped Neji, “Don't start getting all high and mighty, my dear. You didn't create Wonderland. It's always been here.”
“Uh-huh! Right! There's no way this place didn't come out of my head! `Sides there's no one who even really cares about me anyway.”
“You're mistaken, Naruto dear. There are plenty of people who care for you. Very much. Sure they may not love you much right away, but if you'd let them get to see the real you they'll come to love you more and more. And only you.”
“You're delusional! What are you supposed to be the devil or something?”
“I've already told you,” the brunet replied, “I'm a dream demon. I would think that'd be scarier than any devil.”
“Yeah right, people can always wake up from dreams. And they're not always scary as heck!”
The dream demon sighed and smiled sadly at the blond before pointing behind Naruto. “What would you think is beyond a dream, Naruto dear?” he asked. The blond turned and saw only more of the barren landscape.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Naruto parried, blinking as he stared into the sun, “There's nothing, dreams just end!”
“So you do have some intelligence after all,” Neji said, the sad smile on his face once more, “That's why dreams are scary, my dear. They end when you wake up and then you're only left with reality. You'll come to understand this someday, Naruto dear.” The dream demon then faded away, but not before placing a chaste kiss on the blond's cheek.
Naruto shot up, placing a hand on his cheek. He could still feel it tingling from where the dream demon's soft lips had pressed against it. “Great, just great,” he muttered to himself, “I'm still trapped in this nuthouse!”
************************************************************
“Please reconsider, Naru-chan!” begged a frantic Kakashi as he chased him through the hedge maze. “You don't have to leave right now; you just got out of bed.”
“Look, I thought I told ya to back off ya pervy rabbit! I'm going back to the Clock Tower and that's that! Believe it! Sasori's probably worried sick about me too!”
“Just ignore him,” the silver haired rabbit man said, grabbing hold of the boy's arm, “It's almost as bad as cheating if you go near him.”
“C-Cheating?!” Naruto let out a barking laugh, “Yeah right. How can I cheat on you if we're not together you crazy rabbit?!”
“Pardon us, minister Hatake,” a pair of faceless soldiers said, coming up to them, “but her majesty demands your presence in the audience room at once.”
The Prime Minister glared at them and pulled out an enormous pocket watch. It glowed briefly and turned into the pistol he had threatened Sai with before. Before Naruto could stop him, the White Rabbit pulled the trigger and shot one of the soldiers. The poor soul was dead before he hit the ground.
“S-Stop!” begged the blond grasping onto the taller man's arm as he made to aim at the other faceless man.
“I never got that message, because the messengers went missing. Is that clear?” The remaining soldier gulped noisily.
“Don't do it!” Naruto screamed, shoving the rabbit man, causing his aim to be off and thus completely missed his target. The blond then stood in front of the soldier, his arms outstretched.
“What do you think you're doing, Naru-chan?!” Kakashi demanded, irate that his beloved would purposely put himself in danger. “If I hadn't missed, you'd gotten hurt!”
“So what?! That's nothing compared to you killing people!”
“Please sir,” the soldier pleaded, still trembling, “there's no reason for you to defend me like this, there are countless others like me so I'll easily be replaced.”
Naruto whirled on the faceless man and slapped him. “How can you say stuff like that?! You people are nuts!”
“He's being realistic, Naru-chan,” Kakashi snarled, still brandishing his pistol, “People like him are just expendable cards, they don't even have names.”
“And that makes you sooooooo important that you can just kill like that?!”
“Actually, Naru-chan,” the White Rabbit said solemnly, “Those who are `those with roles to play' share the same fate. We can be just as easily replaced if we die.”
`Just what the heck is all this `those with roles to play' stuff about anyway?! What's the big deal?'
“So you see, my Naru-chan,” the taller man continued, “No one here cares much about death. But you, you're not like us. There's no replacement Naru-chan. Now step aside and let me do what I must.”
“Not unless you promise not to kill him!” the blond shot, not daring to move.
Kakashi sighed, and the deadly weapon flashed and turned back into a pocket watch. “Looks like I have no choice,” he said forlornly, “I'll answer her majesty's summons.” He then started to head back to the castle. “Naru-chan,” he called over his shoulder, “I may not always see things the way you do, but I still love you, even when you confuse me. I'll take my leave now, my beloved, content to know that you and I share the same world for now.”
“Um… thank you, sir,” the soldier said bowing deeply once the Prime Minister was out of sight. “I am honored that you would even consider yourself with once such as me.”
“You're really a bunch of idiots, you know that?” the blond spat, “I only did what any sane person would have. But, your friend he's…”
“It'll be alright sir,” the soldier said as he grabbed onto the corpse's arms and began to haul it away.
“Hey! Aren't you going to call for help?! He's your friend right?”
“I can't. I must clean up this mess before any afterimages show up.”
“Afterimages?” the boy parroted.
“Yes, were her majesty to learn that they appeared anywhere near the castle, she'd be most angry. Now if you'll excuse me, I really must hurry.” He then said no more and continued dragging the body away.
*****************************************************
`This place makes me sick!' Naruto thought with disgust, `No one values life here at all. And I'm getting scared that my mind would even dream this stuff up! Believe it! And all this game, “those with roles to play” and afterimage stuff, I just don't get any of it. This world's nothing like home.'
“Oh! It's the Nii-chan!” the red twin whose name was Obito called, drawing the taller teen out of his thoughts.
“Yay! It's the Nii-chan!” Tobi, the orange twin beamed.
Suddenly, Naruto found himself being glomped by two overly enthusiastic gatekeepers. “W-Whoa! I-I'm not doing anything!” the blond stammered as he tried to escape from the twins' iron hold.
“Boss Itachi said to be nice the Nii-chan,” Obito explained.
“Yep. Yep,” Tobi agreed, “Tobi and Obito were waiting for you to come play with us at the mansion again Nii-chan.”
`Phwew,' the taller boy said, letting out a silent sigh of relief, `Guess, Itachi-san “talked” to them too.'
“Tobi, Obito,” a strange voice called coming up to them, “Is that your boyfriend?”
Naruto blinked at the figure before them. It was a teenaged boy just a tad taller than him. He had blood red hair that was cut short and rather sloppy as if he'd just gotten out of bed. Piercing teal eyes that were rimmed with black rings were eyeing him appraisingly. The kanji for `Ai' stood out on the left side of his forehead. He was dressed in tight black leather pants and a cropped leather tank top. A studded cat collar - the usual little bell included - was around his slender neck and a chain connected it to a piercing in his belly button. He had a par of fingerless gloves - one going up to his elbow while the other stopped just a tiny bit beyond the wrist. A multitude of rings adorned his slender fingers. Draped around his shoulders and hooked around his arms was a sand and red striped furry boa. But what startled the blond was that he had sand colored cat ears and tail. A tiny fish skeleton was hanging from one ear and his tail.
“He's an outsider!” Obito beamed, replying to the cat boy's question.
“Yep!” agreed his brother, “Tobi says his name's Naruto!”
“An outsider, huh?” the cat boy asked as he leaned over the blond and began sniffing him like a cat would. “You smell wonderful,” he said licking his cheek before purring and rubbing against him.
'Great, now I'm being molested by some punk cat. What next?!'
“That's Gaara,” Obito chirped, still clinging to one of the blond's arms. “He lives at the amusement park.”
“Tobi, Obito and Gaara are buddies!” added Tobi, clinging to the other one.
“Nice to meet you Naruto,” Gaara said smiling slightly.
“Hey, I thought the amusement park and the Hatters were enemies, so why are you guys buddies?”
Gaara got a confused look and Naruto couldn't help but think it made the cat boy look cute. “Oh that,” the Cheshire Cat said, “No one gives a damn. They're just hired men and I'm nothing but a stray. Either way there's no rule that says `you can't be friends with the enemy.'”
“Yep, Yep,” Tobi and Obito said in unison. “Though, Bushy Brows and Boss Itachi really hate each other!” Obito chirped.
“It's not just about land,” Gaara added, “There's a grudge between the two. I don't blame Lee, not after what the Hatter did to him.” Naruto suddenly got chills at the cat's icy tone. “Curious?” Gaara asked, grinning, “You want to know what he did don't you?”
“W-What did he do?” Naruto gulped nervously.
“Mary Gowland,” the Cheshire Cat offered in explanation.
“Merry… Go-Round?” the blond parroted.
“It's actually Mary Gowland, but anyway, that's Lee's real name.”
“Bushy Brows is reeeeeeeeaaaaaaaalllllllllllyyyyyy embarrassed about it so he kept it secret,” Obito said, laughing.
“Yep, and Boss Itachi found out and told the whooooooooooooooooooooolllllllllleeeeeeee world!” Tobi squealed with glee.
“Well it does sound like a theme park ride,” the blond said trying his best to stifle a laugh.
“Yes, and that got Lee really upset,” Gaara added, grinning in spite of himself. “You know, Naruto,” the cat boy began, “If you think it's fun to poke fun at Lee, why don't you come see the park? It's much more fun.”
“No way!” Tobi shouted, clinging tighter to Naruto's arm, “Nii-chan's coming to play with Tobi first!”
“Yeah!” interjected Obito, “Boss Itachi invited him first!”
“Who cares who invited him first?” Gaara hissed very much an annoyed cat.
“We do! We do!” the twins piped.
“Ok! Ok!” Naruto yelled, fearing that his arms would be torn off by the `Bloody Twins'. “I'll go visit ya in order so let go already!”
“Yay!” crowed Tobi and Obito.
******************************************************
Naruto sat against a tree to rest haven finally been able to get away from the hyper twins. He pulled out the vial Kakashi had left with him and stared at it, wondering what the heck he did to deserve such a wacked out dream. “Sasori was right,” he whispered, noticing that there was more liquid inside than earlier. “It does go up every time I talk to someone.”
“Everyone here is going to fall for you,” Neji's voice whispered in his brain as he continued to think about everyone's insane behavior toward him. `There's no way I'd ever want a place like this,' the blond mused. `Besides there's only one person I really want.' Flashes of short spiky raven hair and dark eyes flew by. `That Itachi guy kinda reminds me of him, so Ino-nee-chan's books would probably say that I dreamed him up because I wanted him. I know I'm not that great looking or classy like nee-chan, but there's nothing I can do about that, right?'
“Alright Naru that's enough soul searching!” he chided, as he stretched and got to his feet. “I'd better get back to Sasori's. This place is so crazy, there's no telling when nighttime will show up.”
A few minutes later, the blond stopped upon hearing a strange sound coming from deeper in the forest. “What's that thumping?” he asked, “I-Is someone there?” There was movement at the corner of the boy's eye and he whirled his head only to see nothing. Letting his curiosity overrule his nervousness, Naruto steeled himself and headed in the direction the movement came from.
He gasped when he came across a faceless corpse, blood pooling around the man's body. “Hey!” the called, “Y-You okay? You want me to get help?” There was no response. As was debating whether or not to go find someone, shadowy figures suddenly appeared and started to swarm around the unconscious man.
“Hey! Who are you guys?!” the boy shouted, “G-Get away from him! You did that to him didn't ya?!” Naruto really wanted to help the poor man, but found that his body was frozen with fear. He could barely move a finger let alone the rest of his limbs. As he watched the man's chest began to glow and a circular shape could barely be seen. The glow flared and when he could see again, the blond saw that the corpse was gone.
“H-H-He's gone!” he stammered, “I-Is that a clock?!” Where the faceless man once wasHHH lay a pocket watch. One of the shadows leaned over and gingerly picked up the clock and pressed it possessively to its chest. And just as silently and quickly as they appeared, the figures vanished. Not wanting to stick around lest they returned for him, Naruto high-tailed it out of there.
“J-Just what was that?!” he asked a bit later once he was back on the path to the Tower. “That guy turned into clock. It's just too freaky for me to dream up. I bet Sasori would know what happened back there, I mean he does live in a Clock Tower.”
*********************************************************
The boy wondered about the Tower looking for his host. Upon reaching the bottommost level, he could hear voices. “I see… he was from that district... Yes, I'll have it retrieved… yes this time too… no, it'll be easy to repair.”
“Sasori?” Naruto asked when he spied the redhead standing not to far from the staircase.
“Oh it's you,” the taller teen replied sullenly.
“You weren't in that workshop so…”
“I had something to take care of here.”
“Oh, I see. So who were ya talking to?” the blond asked, noticing that they were alone.
“No one. I think it would be obvious that there's no one other than you and myself.”
`And here I though he was the only sane one here!' Naruto wailed, `I should have known, he'd be just as nutso as the rest. Wonderful, I'm stuck rooming with a guy who talks to himself.'
“You're late, by the way,” Sasori said walking past him and started up the stairs.
“I knew he'd be worried,” Naruto muttered under his breath. “Hey it's not like I wanted to stay out there so long!” he spat, “It's not exactly fun ya know. I did meet a lot of wierdos tho' and saw Kakashi kill someone. And I saw these really freaky black shadow things and a clock.” Sasori winced mid-step, but continued to climb the stairs. “You fix clocks right?” the blond started again. “I bet you know what that was all about.”
“I don't,” Sasori snapped much too hastily for it not to be a lie.
“Yeah, right! You're hiding something Sasori, I know you are! So spill it already and stop lying to me!”'
“It's not something an outsider should worry about,” the taller teen shot back, “You'll be going back to your world eventually, why would you care to know everything about this place? Just leave it be.”
Naruto was about to protest again, when they heard footsteps from below. Sasori stopped, growing nervous as whomever it was got closer. The redhead got in front of the shorter boy and waited to them to appear. The blond's sapphire orbs widened in shock and apprehension when a figure in a blood covered and tattered hood stopped a few steps below. He could see that he was wearing a mask. “Um… you know that guy right?” he asked his taller host.
“Why hello there, Naruto-kun,” the newcomer said lowering his hood and removing the mask. “Long time no see.”
“Sai! Wait a sec! How come you're dressed like the crazy guy in a horror movie?!”
“Oh these?” the knight queried, with his usual cheesy smile, “They're just my work clothes. And don't worry about the blood. I'm not hurt at all.”
`How the heck can he be smiling when he's dripping blood all over?!' Naruto thought taking a few steps up and away from the frightening looking teen.
“I've been helping Sasori-san with his job,” the teen continued.
“Don't talk about things that don't concern him,” snapped the redheaded Tower master, “Just hurry it up and fork over what you were sent to bring me. You know I hate waiting.”
“Of course, Sasori-san.” The knight then brought out a small wrapped bundle. He carefully removed the cloth to reveal a pocket watch. “I'm sure you'll be able to fix it,” he added as the redhead snatched the clock from him and headed back up the stairs, ignoring the blond.
“So, you two repair clocks, huh?” Naruto asked.
“No, that's Sasori-san's job, I help him with before the repairs.”
“Must I repeat myself?” Sasori said over his shoulder, “Stop talking so much, Sai. Go before they miss you at the castle, you are on duty after all.”
“Yeesh,” the shortest of the three said, “If he were any colder, he'd be a freaking snowman! Ya know Sai, he was kinda brushing off my questions later too. I tried to ask him about these black shadow things and the body I saw, but he just wouldn't tell me.”
“Wow,” Sai whispered, amazed, “If I didn't know any better, I think he was trying to get Naruto-kun to like him.”
“You say something Sai?”
“Those shadows you saw,” the brunet said, “They're afterimages.”
“Afterimages? That soldier at the castle said something like that.”
“They have no physical form.”
“Y-Y-You mean l-l-like g-g-ghosts?!” the blond stuttered. He always did have a fear of all things ghost related.
“Oh, they're not ghosts, they just happen to exist, that's all.”
“That's good,” Naruto said in relief, “What was up with them taking that clock, do you know?”
“Sorry Naruto-kun,” Sai replied, still smiling, “I don't think I'm allowed to tell you about that. Sasori-san would be very angry with me if I didn't keep this secret. So I can't tell you anything I do for him. I would never go against a friend.”
“So you guys are best friends or something?”
“I guess so, you see of all of `those with duties', I like him best.”
“So you and Sasori are `those with roles to play'?”
“Oh you knew? Wow, I'm surprised outsiders knew stuff like that.”
`It's starting to make sense,” the blond pondered, `All the servants don't have any faces - at least the ones at the castle do, and `those with duties' do. They also kinda feel different too. That makes people notice them.'
“I'd rather be free of my duty though,” the Knight of Hearts said his voice solemn in spite of the smile that seemed to be continuously pasted on his face. “That's why I'm not too found of clocks or my duties.”
“If you don't like your job, then why don't you quit?”
Sai just continued to smile as he replaced the mask and hood. “I really should be heading back. Good day, Naruto-kun.”
******************************************************
Later that night, Naruto was once again in the barren landscape where he'd met Neji. “So you saw an afterimage,” the dream demon remarked appearing in the sky above him.
“Neji!”
“When someone in this world dies, their body can't keep its physical form so it leaves behind a clock. The afterimages then come to clean up.”
“Yeah I saw. It's just so bizarre that it really freaks me out,” the blond said angrily.
“You wanted to help, but couldn't right? You can't,” Neji said crossing his arms, “That's how fate is, there is no changing it. Besides it's one of the rules.”
“Well, guess what `Mr.-You-Can't-Fight-Fate'? I think that rule sucks! You just can't treat people that way, even if this is `just a dream,'” Naruto yelled, spitting the brunet's earlier words back at him.
“Really? What if it was some random stranger?” Neji retorted.
“Even a stranger deserves help! I don't wanna be one of those who just stands there and watches!” the blond shot back. “I did try to help that guy, but I just couldn't move for some weird reason,” he added quietly, ashamed for sounding like a hypocrite.
“You couldn't because it was alright. That `person' didn't need help. Don't blame yourself, Naruto dear.”
“You know why I couldn't move, don't you Neji?! Tell me!” the shorter boy demanded. He then lunged at the dream demon and grabbed onto his jacket lapels, shaking them furiously. “I'm sick of everybody treating me like I was some little kid or some kind of toy! Stop hiding stuff from me and talk to me damn it! Say something, will you?!”
The dream demon started to say something, but was overcome with a coughing fit. The coughs got worse and he attempted to cover his mouth, but failed as blood suddenly came pouring out and covered the shocked blond.
“Eeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!” Naruto screamed, running around like a chicken with its head chopped off. “I can't believe you puked blood on me!”
“S-Serves you right for shaking me like that,” Neji spat wiping the crimson liquid from his mouth with a handkerchief. “Just because I'm a dream demon doesn't mean I can't get sick.”
`Whoever heard of a sick demon?!' the blond thought. `But he does look kinda pale, so maybe he really is sick.'
“Look if you're so sick, then why don't you go see a doctor? Or go to the hospital?”
“Out of the question!” the slightly taller brunet snapped.
“But you puked blood! That's not good man!”
“T-They scare me,” Neji muttered, blushing.
“C'mon Neji! You're a demon for crying out loud! Demon's don't get scared!” scolded Naruto.
“I hate needles and you can't make me go!” he spat, sounding very much like a petulant and spoiled child.
“You're such a wuss, Neji!” the blond said laughing. “Fraidy demon! Fraidy demon!” he kept repeating while holding his sides and rolling on the ground.
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As the blond lay sleeping on the bed and mumbling as he dreamed, Sasori stood by Naruto's side, wondering what it was about the boy that would cause him to put down his tools and leave his work. Ever since he showed up in Wonderland, all Naruto had done was complain and ask questions, so why would he feel compelled to care for the boy? It wasn't like he was actually useful either - he just got in the way. Shaking his head and huffing in disgust, the Tower master turned and left the spare room he had fixed up earlier, making sure he shut the door as quietly as he could.
~TBC~
Sakura: Whee!!! More fun for Naru-chan on his b'day!!!
Naru: Lady, there's no way that could be fun! Believe it! I can't believe you'd make me go through all that on my birthday!!! T_T You'd better get me the heck outta your freak show or else!
Ita: Surely you don't think I'm a freak, Nau-chan.
Naru: O-Of c-course not Ita!
Gaara: Naruto Uzumaki, if Sakura refuses to let me out of this, then you are staying as well.
Sakura: Now, boys play nice or I'll be forced to let someone else have their fun with the cutie. Well, folks, let me know what you think of this latest bit of wackiness. ^_^