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Frantically typing out the least readable 100 words anyone has had the misfortune of reading with my eyes half-closed in my notes app at 11:58 PM so I don't break my writing streak was not on my bingo card, but maybe it should've been.

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Listen I know staying awake until 4 AM is technically bad for me but the last time I did it, I woke up to 2.5k words. What do you have to say to that?

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Writing is fun until you have to start the first chapter, and you've spent two hours on just one sentence.

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“First and foremost I’m writing for myself,” I hiss through my teeth, resisting the urge to refresh my email for an Ao3 message for the 100th time.

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I am actively writing this right! Now! Exciting!

Cooking up a fic, might post (in 6 months).

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a bad show? that's nothing? a good show? sure. but a bad show that, for a brief moment, becomes very good, and then never is again? that'll drive a person to madness

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I was having a moment so I wrote 700 words of Naruto suffering and now I feel better.

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Cooking up a fic, might post (in 6 months).

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I, unfortunately, didn't get to finish Whumptober within the constraints of the challenge this year, but I do hope to finish the prompts sometime in the future!

Additionally, I'm going to be attempting NaNoWriMo this year, so I won't be posting any more fanfiction for a while, but not for lack of writing! I have a Naruto longfic in the works, and I hope to be able to post it within the next few months, so stay tuned for that! :]

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Konohagakure Military Forces Organization

It took a while but it’s finally done.

HOKAGE

The highest authority of Konohagakure, the face of the Fire Country’s military forces and has the duty to lead, administer and protect Konoha and to ensure the maximum prosperity of the village.

KONOHA COUNCIL

The Konoha Council, made up of the village’s top officials and people the Hokage trusts. Their duty is to assist the Hokage in governing Konoha and to offer their opinion on decisions that must be made with the greatest benefit to Konoha in mind.

In addition, in case the Hokage is unable to choose his successor, the council is responsible for finding eligible candidates for the position.

Keep reading

[greyling-writes]

Whumptober Day 5: Sunburn

Healing Salve | Heatstroke | "If my pain will stretch that far."

Links: Previous | Next | Masterpost | Ao3

Word count: 2519

Notes:

I'd be lying if I said I didn't love protective Sakura and Sasuke! I just adore when they're are forced to show that they care. x] Enjoy! <3

He jumped through the trees, eyes scanning around quickly. He needed somewhere secluded and untouched. Unfortunately, that probably meant he’d be running for a while. 

Pretty much any ninja worth anything trained in the woods, at least, any to Sasuke’s standards did. But it wasn’t really advised to do so anywhere near anywhere important, for obvious reasons, so he had to go far.

Sasuke landed on another branch, quickly scanned the area, then continued. He had to take advantage of this time, because Kakashi-sensei was out on a mission, which meant he had to train as much as he could before he got back. It was a personal challenge of sorts. How much could he improve before Kakashi got back? 

Another tree. He didn’t even need to scan to know this area would be useless. 

It was totally destroyed. Dozens of trees covered with dozens of attacks of various types, a few fallen over or broken repeatedly. Among the wreckage, his eyes caught a glimpse of a bright, unnatural color. He did a double take. It was a bright…something, half-buried in foliage and branches.

Probably nothing. 

The area was a bust anyway. It was probably just something that was left behind by another ninja. 

But it wouldn’t hurt to look at.

His curiosity got the better of him. He jumped down from the tree he was standing on, making sure to keep a careful distance. It was bigger than he’d realised. His heart sank slightly. A person?

He activated his Sharingan. Who the hell? He wasn’t sure if he should leave, but something made him keep moving forward. A few more slow steps and…What?

“Naruto?” A quick glance around the area confirmed a lack of any other ninja, and he deactivated his Sharingan. “What the hell are you…” 

He trailed off at the realisation that Naruto hadn’t reacted to his presence. At all. “Hey.” He called. 

But he still didn’t respond. 

Sasuke’s stomach sank, but he pushed it away. He knelt down next to Naruto, reaching a hand out. Naruto’s eyes were open, but barely. Sasuke waved a hand in front of them, but Naruto seemed to stare right through his fingers, “Naruto.” He said, his voice coming out slightly more panicked than he’d care to admit. He put a hand on his forehead, before pulling it back. It was hot. 

He glanced up at the sun. Shit. It was way too hot to be laying around on the ground, and from Naruto’s flushed complexion, he had definitely been out there for way too long. Sasuke let out a noise of frustration before turning back to Naruto. Gotta get him out of the sun. He hooked his arms under Naruto’s armpits and dragged him over to the nearest patch of shade. 

Okay but now what? He bit his lip, looking at Naruto’s unreactive expression. How did I become responsible for this idiot? 

What was he even doing out here?

Training, he supposed. 

“We have to go to the hospital,” he said, still unsure of whether Naruto could hear him or not. He sighed. He’d have to carry him there, likely. 

A moan. 

“No…” Naruto mumbled. 

“No, what?” Sasuke pressed impatiently. How am I going to manage this? He fought a groan of frustration. 

“No…hospital.” 

What? 

“What the hell do you mean no hospital? Are you-” He stopped, “I’m not arguing with a delirious idiot.” He pulled Naruto into a seated position against a tree. Carrying him on his back would probably be easier. 

“Sa…suke,” Naruto whimpered. It seemed to stab Sasuke’s chest. He froze, “Please.” 

His voice was small, almost pathetic. Sasuke would have laughed. But something in Naruto’s tone knocked the breath out of his chest. 

“My head…hurts,” Naruto mumbled. He blinked slowly, his eyes managing to focus on Sasuke. Or maybe he was staring though him again, “Sas…uke.” 

“Yeah?” Sasuke managed. 

“Where…” Naruto winced, “Where are…we?” 

Sasuke swallowed, “The forest, idiot.” 

“Idiot…” Naruto repeated. He fell back into silence, saying nothing more.

“Hey.” Sasuke’s body snapped back to life, and he grabbed Naruto’s face with his hands and pulled it up to make eye contact, forcing his face into Naruto’s line of sight, “Hey what the hell?” 

Naruto’s blank expression didn’t change. 

Fuck. “Shit shit shit,” Sasuke couldn’t help but say.

He crouched in front of Naruto and pulled him onto his back, almost falling forward from the way that his weight landed, but managed to stand straight, adjusting his hold to ensure he wouldn’t. 

Hospital.

He jumped into the trees, his speed diminished by an embarrassing amount. He definitely needed that training. It would take several minutes to get back to the village, and then only a few to the hospital, where they could handle Naruto.

But.. 

“Sasuke…please.” 

Naruto never asked him for anything like that. 

How did I even get in this situation? 

He let out a loud groan. What headache.

Naruto mumbled something unintelligible against his neck. 

“What?” he asked absentmindedly. What’s the fastest way to get there from here?

“No…hospital.” 

Sasuke let out a breath, trying to push the frustration from his tone,“You have heat exhaustion. And I’m no medical ninja, not that I’d want to take care of your dumbass anyway.”

Naruto whimpered again, “Please…” his voice shook, “No…hospital…” His whispered.

Then it was silent again. 

Sasuke exhaled another sharp breath. Why’s he so adamant about it? They were only a few minutes from the village now. He’s just delirious. Or maybe he just doesn’t want to deal with the consequences of his own actions. But Sasuke’s heart wouldn’t stop pounding in his chest. 

“No…hospital.”

His reason didn’t really matter, though, did it? If the idiot didn’t want to go to a hospital, then even if Sasuke managed to drag him to one, he’d freak out and be untreatable. 

He grit his teeth. Kakashi’s on a mission, it’s not like either of us have families I can bring him to. A small pang in his chest, but he ignored it. And I know shit about healing.

There was only one other person who could possibly help.

~~~~~

He nearly broke the doors of the Uchiha compound entrance, tearing down hallways to his bedroom, where he carefully deposited his cargo. Cool him down. Sasuke unzipped the jacket, peeling it off of Naruto’s body. It stuck, likely from sweat, but he managed to get it off without damaging it or injuring him.

Sakura.

He had sent a clone to her house, but he didn’t know if it made it, or if it succeeded in getting her to come. And if it had, how quickly she would arrive. 

He groaned. How obnoxious. But he couldn’t get her in person. A certain idiot on his bed needed his attention. “I’ll be right back.” He said, though he wasn’t sure if he was being heard. 

He grabbed old towels and rags, and a bucket. He filled the bucket, before dragging it back to the bed. He dipped one into the water, before squeezing out the excess and carefully placing it on Naruto’s forehead. 

A faint knock. A chakra signature. 

He spared a glance for Naruto before answering the door. 

“Sasuke!” 

He wasn’t sure if he was glad she was there or pissed, but he wordlessly stepped aside to allow her entry. 

Sakura gazed around the room with a look of awe, her eyes sparkling as if he was showing her the cosmos itself, “Wow, Sasuke. Your house is so cool. I can’t believe you live here.”

It’s just a hallway. 

“So what’s this thing you need me for, huh?” she twirled a finger around a lock of pink, “Don’t tell me it’s a…” she squealed. 

“Come with me.” He knew she would follow. He spun on his heel and marched down towards his room. 

With another squeal, her footsteps began to tap after his. She mumbled something about romantic boys and bedrooms, but he wasn’t really listening. 

He opened the door entered. 

“Wow, Sasuke, I cant believe…” her voice faded as she caught sight of the bed, “Hey, what’s…”

He stood at the other end of the bed, so she could approach, “I found him in the forest, passed out.” 

“Then- But- Why-” She faltered, taking a half step forward, “Hospital!” she managed. 

He shook his head. 

“Bring him to a hospital, why is he…” she gazed around, “Don’t tell me this is your room.” 

“Of course it is,” Sasuke said mildly, “What else would it be? And no.” 

Sakura blinked. “Why not? “ 

“We can’t,” he said curtly.

“Well he can’t stay here!” she seemed frantic. Though, he noted, his own heart rate was also quicker than normal. He squatted down, grabbed the now-warm rag from Naruto’s face, and dipped it into the bucket again. 

“We can’t go to the hospital. He needs to be treated here,” he squeezed out the excess water, “And I don’t know anything about healing.” 

“And what makes you think I do?” Sakura asked breathlessly. Her eyes seemed to be glued to Naruto’s form, “We barely ever talked about it in class, it’s not like-” 

“Even if it’s not jutsu, don’t pretend you’ve never read up in healing salves or wound treating.”

Her jaw seemed to tighten, “Yeah I guess, but I still can’t-” 

“Sakura,” he said, “You’re his only option.” 

She gave him an incredulous look. She looked back at Naruto, still in the same spot she had been when they entered the room. She swallowed. 

“You’re sure we can’t…” She took in his expression, “Okay.” She said softly. She took a few steps into the room, “Okay, let me see.” 

She walked over and settled on the floor on the opposite side. Her eyes scanned over Naruto’s body while she took a careful hand and placed it against his forehead. Her eyes widened, “How long was he out there?” 

“I don’t know,” Sasuke said, the damp rag in his hand, “I just found him there.” He placed it on Naruto’s forehead at Sakura’s gesture. 

“He probably has heat exhaustion from the look of it,” her fingers trailed down the sides of his face, “He has a sunburn.” 

Sasuke said nothing. 

“Kakashi-sensei’s been gone for a while, do you think Naruto’s been out there the entire…” she blinked, “We need to cool him down.” She glanced around the room, “Taking off his clothes was smart, but we need something better. Do you have a bathtub?” 

“Should I carry him there?” 

“First, start the water. We need it cold. Not freezing, but cold.” 

He nodded.

“Then I’m going to need you to come back here to get him. Also, I’m going to need some things, and I didn’t bring anything with me…” She bit her lip, “They’re all expensive or time-consuming. Are you sure we can’t-”

“No hospitals,” he said as he stood, ”Money’s not a problem, but time is, right? So let’s hurry up.” 

She held his gaze for a moment, her hand still resting on Naruto’s cheek. 

“Write me a list of the things you need, and I’ll get them. You stay here and make sure that he doesn’t die in the meantime.” 

She paled slightly, but nodded, “Okay.” 

~~~~~

It had taken him way too long to get everything Sakura had asked for. It shouldn’t have taken so long, but his fame as the Uchiha survivor followed him around everywhere, and the crows of ogling strangers and merchants trying to get his attention made being timely with the trip difficult, despite his attempted efficiency with the actual shopping. 

He tore through the village, landing rougher than he normally would on top of buildings, ignoring as shingles fell and shinobi squawked at him rushing past. 

He tried to be gentle with the doors, but even he knew he’d slammed them way too hard as he slowed to a speedwalk upon entering the house. He carefully opened the door to the bathroom, where Sakura kneeled beside a shivering Naruto. 

“Sasuke!” her voice dripped with relief, “Perfect timing, he’s cooled down tons. I think he might even be a bit too cold,” her voice dropped to a whisper as she said it, “Can you help me get him out?” 

Normally, Sasuke might’ve thought that Sakura could use the training anyway, but looking at Naruto’s pale face, he set the bag of things down and reached into the cold water. He ignored his it seeped into his clothes, carefully wrapping his arms around Naruto’s torso and legs and lifting him out of the water. 

Naruto shivered, leaning into his chest the second contact was made. Sasuke winced at the temperature, but pivoted and walked out the room, careful to avoid slipping. 

He set him back on the floor of his bedroom, glancing around for a towel to pat him dry with. Sakura entered, the bag of supplies in her hands, and sat on the other side of the bed again. 

“First of all, he has a really nasty sunburn, probably from being outside for too long. For one like this to develop…” she gently traced Naruto’s cheek with a finger, “I’d say it’s not unlikely that he was outside for longer than just a few hours.” She retracted her hand to reach into the pouch, pulling out one of the containers Sasuke had purchased, “This is probably one of the best topical healing salves on the market.” she looked at Sasuke, “How much did it…No, I shouldn’t ask.” She shook her head, opening the container. 

Sasuke watched wordlessly as she applied it basically anywhere she could reach. He hadn’t realised Naruto’s skin was that damaged, but he supposed he hadn’t been paying attention. 

“The worst of it might be averted, now that he’s cooler, but I’d say the next thing to watch out for is keeping him hydrated,” she said, “I’ve been trying to give him water anytime he woke up, but so far be hasn’t finished more than a single cup.” 

“He definitely wasn’t drinking enough water.” Sakura looked up, an expression on her face, as if she was surprised he would speak. 

She quickly glanced back at her work, “I believe it.” she paused again, “Hes going to be really hungry when he wakes up, and it’s gonna be our problem.” she groaned. 

She recapped the container, “That’s all we can really do for now. If he had been unconscious the entire time, I’d be more concerned, but I’d say currently he’s just sleeping.” She bit her lip, “It’s…kind of tough to tell, but I’m fairly confident he’s fine.” 

Sasuke watched her face. She clearly wanted to suggest the same thing again. 

“If he’s not fine by tomorrow, I’ll drag his ass to the hospital if I have to.” he said finally. 

Some of the tension bled from her face as she nodded, “Okay.” 

Sasuke wrung out another towel and placed it on Naruto’s forehead. 

“He just needs to stay cool now,” Sakura said softly, “This could take hours.” 

Sasuke exhaled, before settling back into his seat, “Alright then. There’s plenty of rooms if you need one.” 

Sakura gave him a small smile, her hand settling itself in Naruto’s hair. 

“Alright then.”

Links: Previous | Next | Masterpost | Ao3

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Whumptober Day 4: Hallucinations (Pt 2)

Hallucinations | Hypnosis | Sensory Deprivation | “You're still alive in my head.”

Links: Previous | Next | Masterpost | Ao3

Word count: 2266

Notes:

I'm posting this bright and early to try to make up for being late by so many days ahhh- I hope you enjoy! This fic has been so fun to work on, I might expand on it a bit sometime in the future. Anyways! Here is the 3rd chapter in this mini series thing, and Part 2 of Day 4 (that's not confusing at all-)!

Where am I? 

It was dark. His hands were gone, or maybe just numb. He couldn’t feel anything past his forearms, which ached, but when he pulled on them…nothing. Were they being held by something? 

My hands…

And his legs, too, were bound. By what? Who-

Then it clicked back into place. 

The mission. That man. The feudal lord.

Sakura.

He hoped she was okay. His head began to fog again. It fell to his chest.

“You demon.” 

He wasn’t a demon. What were they talking about? 

Something seemed to swirl around inside of him, a ghostly figure slithering about-

“Naruto Uzumaki, you’re under arrest for the murder of Lord Anzu.”

“You killed Lord Anzu.” 

But he hadn’t. 

But they thought he did. 

Hopefully they just...let her go.

~~~~~

“-ake up, brat.”

Naruto’s eyes were open again.  When had they closed?  He glanced around widlly. It was still dark. But he could’ve sworn he maybe could make out a shadow-

“Shut up.” 

His thoughts seemed to come to a complete stop. Someone was there with him.

“Of course I am, you idiot. I’m always-”

“Hello?” he tried to speak, but his voice came out in a low whisper. 

“Didn’t you hear me? I said shut up. They’ll hear you.” 

Hear me? 

“Yes. I swear, you get dumber every day.”

Naruto’s brain seemed to inch forward like a snail. Who-

“I’m the one that they’re after. Are you understanding?”

The one that…

“What aren’t you understanding?” 

Who… Naruto could feel his headache growing, spreading across his skull, Who are you? 

His brain pulled, down down down, growing almost fuzzy as the voice said, 

“Who the hell do you think I am?” 

~~~~~

“-aruto!” 

He knew that voice. 

Darkness. His hands and feet were gone. A tingling sensation at his forearms and knees replaced them. Like they had dissolved into smoke. 

It was quiet. The voice. Like it had been said from somewhere really far away. Far away? That meant that he was somewhere. And the voice was somewhere else. 

Somewhere. Where was here? He pulled his head up to gaze around but it was nothing but dark. Pure black. 

“Naruto!” 

It was every quieter that time, and followed by another noise. But he couldn’t…What is that? 

His head hurt. His throat was dry. He reflexively swallowed, wincing at how his throat scraped against itself, like sandpaper against stone. 

“-aru-”

Who keeps saying that? 

~~~~~

A pain against his face. 

He pulled his head up, peeling his eyes open to gaze at the same nothing he’d always seen. Would he always be seeing it? A voice in his ear.

“You killed Lord Anzu.” 

I didn’t kill anyone.

“You murdered him in cold blood alongside your evil comrades. You and your people killed him.” 

I didn’t…kill…

“You killed him.” 

“N…” a cough tore through his chest, scraping against his dry throat, “I didn’t-”

A hand around his throat, squeezing. More coughs strangled him, but the hand prevented him from being able to breathe. His eyes bugged out of his head. 

“You killed him.” the same voice said calmly, “And we’re going to wait as long as it takes for you to confess.” 

“I…didn’t…kill-” he choked out, nails slowly digging into his neck, before he was thrown back into his slumped position. His head was killing him. 

“Just keep saying that.” the voice seemed to get farther away, “Just how long can you keep up the-” 

~~~~~

Lie? 

He wasn’t a liar. 

“Demon.”

Because he… 

Killed him. 

Naruto wasn’t a liar. Maybe if Sasuke was getting on his nerves, but someone’s life? 

Lie.

Liar. 

“You’re lying.” they’d said. 

Who even…are they? 

~~~~~

He couldn’t breathe. A desperate attempt at a breath pulled a strange substance into his nose, and upon opening his mouth, it entered that orifice, too. He choked, but reflexively swallowed, gulping down the substance and then lungsful of air. 

“Eat your fill, you fucking demon.” 

Demon? His hair was grabbed and his face forcefully shoved into the same substance. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t breathe he couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t-

“Open your mouth, you idiot!” 

He did, his jaw unhinging almost robotically and the substance entering his mouth again. It tasted terrible, but the flavor was the least of his concern as he gulped it down again desperately until there was space for him to take in a breath, then another. 

Breathe.

He had to- 

~~~~~

“-just tell us the truth already!” 

Another sharp crack and his cheek exploded in pain. He yelped, crashing to the floor. 

His hands were still behind him. He couldn’t move them. They were still fuzzy, but now they ached with a strange pain that he couldn’t- 

“You killed Lord Anzu.” 

No…I wouldn’t-

“You took his head in your hands and stared into his eyes and watched as the life bled out of him.” 

“No…” Naruto managed, his face pressed against the ground by his own weight. “I-”

Another crack and something sliced into his neck from the back. He let out another scream. 

“Say it! Say that you killed him! We know it’s the truth!” the person with the whip seemed almost frantic, angry. Someone killed their lord…it makes sense that-

Another slice at his body, this time his back. Naruto grit his teeth and ignored the warmth rolling down his cheeks. 

“You took your demon claws and sliced into him and watched as he died. And you laughed while you did it.” The man’s voice shook slightly as he spoke. 

No…

Another crack. “I can do this all day, you fucking-” Crack. “-demon!” 

Why does he keep saying th-

Crack.

~~~~~

A voice. It sounded like a woman. Or maybe it was a girl? 

Who…

He knew that voice. 

He was against the ground. His jaw hurt. Why was his face-

A noise was echoing in his brain. It had been like a firecracker, like someone snapping a piece of wood, like a- 

His face hurt. His body hurt. His hands were behind him, in the air, his legs beneath him, all of his body weight on top and it ached, he knees hurt, but he couldn’t move, how would he- 

Sakura? 

Where was she? Was she somewhere, too? 

It was dark. It was quiet. Except for…

Who’s voice…is that? 

~~~~~

“-ow are you going to get out of this one, I wonder?” 

Naruto pulled his eyes open. He wasn’t on the floor anymore. Instead, he was sitting, upright, back where he had been the way before.

Before?

Before…what? 

A long long time ago, before the pain on his face and on his chest, and- 

“I wish you would just stay unconscious. At least it’s quieter that way,” 

Who… but his thoughts leaked out of his brain like water through a sieve and…

“Who indeed?”

…then he was gone again.

~~~~~

Silence. Darkness. Did it matter if he opened his eyes? 

He did anyway, and just like before, just like all the times, there was nothing. Darkness and silence and an ache in his body. 

His throat was less dry than it had been forever ago. Maybe he was given water at some point? 

Given. By who? Who….

Where was he? 

“Idiot.” 

A jolt went through his body, but all he could do was slowly lift his head to try to find the source of it. The voice seemed to echo through his brain. 

Idiot. Idiot. Idiot.

It wasn’t the same girl’s voice from earlier. It was different. Deeper. But not yet quite like a man. 

“We all know that it’s your fault.” 

What? 

His head slowly came down to rest on his chest again. I’m tired.

Footsteps, the voice getting closer. “Don’t go playing dumb now. We know that you killed him.” 

Killed…him…

“That man.” Sasuke’s voice echoed, “Lord Anzu.” 

But…

“Quit it already with the innocence crap!” Sasuke’s voice seemed to stab straight through his brain. “We all know the truth already! Just admit it! You’re nothing more than an idiot, a brat, a demon who couldn’t get his way, so he-” 

Demon?

A sharp image of clawed hands around a neck, squeezing, squeezing, squee-

“Sas….uke?” he managed, his voice trembling, “Please….I-” 

“Just admit it already. At least do us the decency of admitting it.” 

~~~~~

Killed him.

“We all know you killed him.” 

“You’re under arrest for the murder of Lord Anzu.” 

“You grabbed his head with your demon claws and-” 

Screaming, grabbing. Scared eyes making contact with his, wide-eyed and-

“-you watched the life bleed right out of them.” 

A brightness blinded him, and he squeezed his eyes shut. Before he could reopen them, it was gone, plunged into darkness again. Footsteps tapped a few feet away.. Someone was in the room with him.

“You killed Lord Anzu.” 

Killed…him? 

Naruto said nothing. 

“Answer my question, Naruto Uzumaki.” 

Hands around his neck, wide eyes staring into his.

“Did you…”

“Please!” he begged, “Please don’t-” 

“...kill Lord Anzu?” 

Slicing, slicing, slicing his neck. Blood dribbling down as he choked. 

He opened his mouth, licking his dry lips. 

The light seemed to fade from his eyes as they locked eyes for the last time. He took in a gurgling breath.

“No.” 

And then he was gone. 

~~~~~

The girl’s voice again. It was loud in his ears. Screaming through his skull. 

“Naruto!” 

What? 

“Jeez, Naruto, get some sense, will you?” 

He pulled his eyes open. It was still dark. He closed them again. 

“It’s not like it’s a secret, you idiot. Just admit it already.” 

Admit it…

“You killed him.” She said, her voice cracking in a way he had only heard a few times before, “You killed that poor, innocent man, and you-” 

I…killed him? 

“You won’t even confess to it.” 

But I…

“You’re letting these poor people live this way. Without closure. Without knowing who really did it.” 

I wouldn’t- 

“Just tell them.” Sakura echoed in his mind. 

Tell them. 

Tell them. 

Tell-

~~~~~

He was running. 

Wind in his ears, trees rushing past his vision. He landed on tree after tree, his heartbeat thrumming in his chest. 

A house emerged in the foliage. He grinned. 

He landed near-silently, a distance away. His eyes scanned the area, finding no one guarding the exterior. No one. 

He brought his hands together to form a sign, clones springing out of the air and landing in the shadows beside him. They watched carefully for his nod, before descending on the building. After the sounds of battle slowed and stopped, he made his way to the entrance, jumping off the tree 

The air was cool, almost sweet, as he took in a deep breath and approached his target. 

Two clones held the man by the arms in the center of the room, others milling about, inspecting bodies or even sparring with each other. They shoved the man into Naruto’s grasp. He grabbed the man’s head with his left hand before he stumbled to the ground, tracing the man’s neck with a sharp fingernail. 

“Please…” the man said, his wide brown eyes coming up to meet Naruto’s, “Please, I’ll give you anything you want…” 

Naruto gazed around the room. It was littered with bodies. Some of his clones had taken to poking them. Blood covered every surface, some even splattered on Anzu’s clothing. He said nothing. 

“My men…” Anzu sobbed, “They were all killed…”

Naruto took his hand and ripped it across Anzu’s neck, a line of red appearing where his finger had sliced. 

Anzu made a choking noise, his blood coming down to soak his clothes. He took in a gurgling breath before his eyes deadened. He stared at nothing.

Naruto’s clones all disappeared in a puff of smoke, and he threw the body to the ground. 

~~~~~

Hands. Two around his legs, two on his shoulders. 

It was bright, and he winced, a moan escaping him. It scratched at his throat. 

“-aruto.” 

A voice, close to his ear. Fingers fumbling with something near his wrists, but his hands were long gone. He couldn’t tell where the fluff ended and his arms began. 

“Naru-”

His head was almost to his chest. He was sitting up, maybe. His neck ached. How long had he been like this? 

A muttered curse, and suddenly his arms were no longer bound. They fell to his sides and he pitched forward, falling against something warm. 

Hands, gripping his shoulders, “Naruto!” 

He pulled his eyes open. It was bright. Too bright- He squeezed them shut again.

Hands. Touching him in too many places. Hands on his arms, his legs, now his shoulders. He was touching something, what was he touching? His head rested on the warm thing that vibrated with another repeated noise- 

Loud. Why were there so many voices? A lower one, right by his ear, a shrill one a few feet away. Had they finally come to kill him? 

Hands around his legs finally left again, but with their retreat came another pulsing pain in his ankles. Had they been bound? How had he forgotten? 

Warm, red, soaking his clothes.

His breathing started to change, but he couldn’t fix it, couldn’t stop gulping down breath after breath. 

His clones disappeared, 

He was too weak to move, too weak to avoid being slaughtered.

…and then he was alone.

Killed like that man had been, scared and pathetic and-

With the corpses.

“Naruto.” 

Close, loud, too loud-

“Naruto, it’s me.” 

He knew that voice. 

Kakashi…sensei.

“You’re safe now. Can you hear me?” 

Wide brown eyes, piercing his soul.

Safe? 

Please…he had begged.

“You’re safe.” 

A line of red, a gurgling breath. In a puff of smoke, all his clones disappeared.

Safe.

He was alone.

With the corpses.

Links: Previous | Next | Masterpost | Ao3

[greyling-writes]

Whumptober Day 4: Hallucinations (Pt 1)

Hallucinations | Hypnosis | Sensory Deprivation | “You're still alive in my head.”

Links: Previous | Next | Masterpost | Ao3

Word count: 924

Notes:

I am now 4 days behind on Whumptober- But I'm working hard to catch back up! In the meantime, here is the first part of Day 4, or part 2 of this little multi-chapter fic. I'll post part 2 tomorrow!

It was dark. 

Sakura.

He didn’t know where she was. The last time he talked to her had been…hours? Days? He really hoped it hadn’t been days. 

But it was hard to tell when time seemed to move like liquid, stretching freely and compression the exact same way. Every time he opened his eyes, he was met with the endless and call-consuming black. 

His arms were pulled behind him. Somewhere in the back of his mid he figured he should’ve been glad they hadn’t been pulled above him, something about horrible circulation, but that thought fled quickly. 

It’s freezing.

Raised goosebumps prickled his skin, and a shiver went through him, pulling at his restraints and at his aching body. 

Fucking nine-tailed monster they’d called him. But if the Nine-Tails gave a crap about him, then this wouldn’t have happened, would it? After all, the

A loud noise, and then light suddenly flooded his eyes. Naruto tried lifting his head to look at it, but his neck ached, and his eyes burned at the attempt. His vision turned blurry at the edges. 

It was a figure. He tried to scan for the edge of the room with the added light, but his eyes watered and he closed them. One of the people that brought him here? He wasn’t sure. They had all looked the same to him, and he couldn’t see his face to determine, anyway. Then the light disappeared with another loud noise. 

It was just him and the man. 

“Naruto Uzumaki,” the man said, tasting his name like it was poison, “Do you understand what you’ve done?” 

There were spots in his vision, “I haven’t done anything, you basta-” A hand whipped against his face. His head snapped to the left, a sharp pain in his neck. 

“Incorrect response.” Naruto wheezed in a breath, “It would seem you’re still trying to convince us. You must think we humans are fools.” 

But I’m human.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Naruto asked, “I didn't do anyth-” 

Another impact to his face jerked his head to the left. Pain bloomed in his jaw. 

“Of course you did, you demon,” the man said softly, “It’s in your nature.” 

Nature?

A hand grabbed his hair, pulling his head up. Naruto winced. 

“You killed Lord Anzu. And we’re going to keep you down here until you confess.”

As if.

He dropped Naruto’s head back down, almost throwing it. 

“Good look getting out of those.” 

Whatever. Naruto thought as the loud noise was heard again, and the light washed over the room. 

He squeezed his eyes shut, pulling in breath after careful breath. 

He wouldn’t confess to something he didn’t do.

~~~~~

His throat was scratchy. He tried clearing it, but not only did it not help, it bounced off the walls of the room and right back into his own ears, sharp and harsh. He winced at the noise. Something heavy tied his wrists, so it not something as simple as rope. Chain, maybe, from the way it pinched his skin. 

If he could just summon the Nine-Tails power, then he’d be able to break free easily. But the constant well of power was gone. Was it because of that man’s jutsu? 

All around him, the black pressed against his skin, bleeding into his body like ink on a page. He strained his ears to listen, but all was silent, except for the occasional blip in the background. Dripping water maybe? He couldn’t tell. 

~~~~~

The chain was starting to make his wrists sore. But every time he strained to move, a painful ache stretched through his body, from the base of his neck down to the end of his spine.His breath caught. They’ll be back anytime. He continued with his efforts, but all it resulted in was his fingers going numb and his back aching.

His eyes were getting tired from straining so hard to see something, anything in the darkness. A slight movement of shadow would be welcome, or even that moment of blinding light when one of them entered. But he saw nothing. 

His eyelids drooped slightly. If I close my eyes..I’ll just see the same thing anyway.

Did it matter if he had them open or closed? It’s so..hard.

But that was a coward’s way of thinking. He needed to keep his eyes open to be able to see if anything happened. 

He slouched slightly. Couldn't he just rest his eyes for a little while? Nothing had happened or was going to happen. He was alone. 

Unless they’re already here.

A small stab of panic in his chest. He straightened. In the dark, how would he be able to see if someone was there? He would never be able to know. 

A shiver went down his back. Someone could be right behind me right now. The half-turn of his neck he was able to perform confirmed that it was just as dark behind him. Okay. Think.

Naruto wasn’t the sharpest, but even he could do basic chakra techniques. If he stretched his awareness around him, - it pulled at his brain, as if unraveling the threads that made him up, each of neurons unfolding and withering away- he could feel around him, and he felt-

It snapped back like a rubber band, exploding against his skull. He flinched, a headache sprouting right  between his eyes. 

Shit…He used energy he didn’t have. 

The darkness persisted, even as his eyelids slid shut. 

His top lashes fell to meet his cheeks, and then he was gone.

[greyling-writes]

FIRST TUMBLR POST ON THIS BLOG!! HELLOUUU my name is sunny i like obito a lot n i would like to share my doodles here. nice to meet you all!!!

[greyling-writes]

Whumptober Day 3: Set Up For Failure

fingerprints | wrongfully arrested | "I warned you"

Links: Previous | Next | Masterpost | Ao3

Word count: 1619

Notes:

Hello! I'm so excited for this particular plot, it was fun to write! This is a part one! Part two comes tomorrow. Enjoy! <3

“You really don’t wanna fight me, kid,” the man said, a dark grin on his face. He hopped from leg to leg lightly. 

Naruto stared at him quizzically, tensing slightly. 

He had gotten separated from his team. Kakashi-sensei had gone off with the leader, luckily. He was probably the most dangerous. Sasuke and Saura were together, so they should be safe. That bastard better keep her safe, anyway. But Naruto was left to handle what had to be the biggest guy in the group. 

And he was big. Almost double Naruto’s height and certainly double his girth. He seemed to have a lot of chakra, but chakra detection and sensitivity wasn’t really Naruto’s strong suit.

You don’t even have to win. He thought to himself as he took a breath. You just have to hold him off long enough for Kakashi-sensei to get back. He concentrated on his chakra flow. It was fast, strong, flowing through him almost unable to be controlled, but he reigned some of it to focus it to a point. 

“Really,” the man said from across the trees, “the bravado is impressive, if not obnoxious, but you don’t wanna die here, I’m sure. And  don’t want to be a killer.” 

Yeah right. 

The band of ninja had snuck into someone important - a feudal lord -’s home, and killed him while he slept. Naruto didn’t know the details, but from the way Kakashi-sensei spoke about it, he knew. He didn’t want to know. 

But what he did understand was that these ninja were murderers. “I don’t want to be a killer.” This man’s hands were bloodied already. 

The ninja chuckled, “Your face…Oh if looks could kill.” He rolled his shoulders back, “I warned you.” 

He’s coming. 

The man’s hands were a bur of signs before he exclaimed, “Earth style: Grounding Wave!” 

Naruto jumped back, if only to maybe escape the radius of the attack, whatever it was. He put his own hands together to form the only sign he really needed. Copies of himself sprung out of him in a puff of smoke. 

Upon landing, the clones jumped forward to attach the enemy ninja in a flurry of punches, only for the ground beneath them to ripple as if it were liquid. “Woah!” the clones yelped as the ground lifted to form large waves, folding in on itself and collapsing, burying them beneath the dirt. They were gone before they could blink. 

Oh shit. 

“Now that you’ve seen my abilities,” the man stepped out from behind the warped dirt, “You really want to keep this up?” 

Get off the ground. Naruto wasn’t the sharpest noodle in the ramen bowl, but even he knew that staying on the ground for an earth style user’s techniques as an idiot move. He jumped onto a branch, focusing the chakra on his feet to make sure he’d stick. Kakashi-sensei would be proud. 

As if I could run away. The second he turned, he’d probably be killed. 

A hand appeared on his back. What? 

“Lightning style: Lightning’s Breath.” 

A jolt in his heart seemed to slam it against his ribcage, the burning tendrils of energy stabbing through his limbs, bouncing off of his skin, stabbing, stabbing, slicing his insides and rebounding back to his heart again. His jaw locked, his body jerking into spasms that only sent the spikes of pain further into his body. He fell to the ground, the impact seeming to shatter his skull into a million pieces, all of them stabbing his brain. The world blurred into an amalgamation of browns, greens, and reds.

“I’m letting you off easy, alright?” Naruto rasped in a shaky breath, shivers and tremors racking his entire frame. “I understand idiots like you aren’t the smartest, the strongest, or, well…” He chuckled. “Even really good at anything.” 

The shocks slowed to mini jolts, a numbness spreading from their touch. He took in another breath. He couldn’t feel his lungs. A blur of movement entered his vision, dark and-

“Lucky for you, I have a use for you. So you’re not dead yet.” 

Naruto’s head was filled with cotton and lead. Dead. He wasn’t dead yet. 

He..talks a lot. 

His ears rang in a tinny sound. Waves of spots filled his vision. The trees. They were green and brown and-

“-sure as hell ain’t gonna be me. Besides, didn’t I say it-”

Move. He had to move. But his body was nothing more than fluff. His fingers tingled with residual energy, but they didn’t respond to his efforts. 

“-have fun with that, huh?” A bark of a laugh, “You won’t be getting up for a while.”

Just keep breathing. His lungs seemed to insist on remaining deflated, each inhale quickly extinguished.

“Hope you don’t make it out, you know…It’d really suck if I ever had to see you again.” 

Then he was gone. 

~~~~~ 

Stay awake. 

The air was cool. Breath after breath brought more agony, his lungs stretching past their limit to try to supply his desperate body with oxygen, and yet each breath seemed shorter than the last. 

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. 

He wouldn’t die here. He refused to die here. 

Someone would come, right? Eventually, someone would come?

Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, Sasuke even. Anyone. 

He groaned, just to see if he could. It came out, quiet, completely wiping his energy and rendering him breathless again. 

Just keep breathing. 

What if the wrong person came and finished the job? One of the man’s allies? 

Were Sasuke and Sakura okay? He couldn’t hear anything other than the roaring in his ears of his own blood. At least it was still flowing. 

A rustling behind him, barely audible. Someone’s here. Was it another member of Team 7? An enemy? 

“-ey!” A voice. It seemed young. Not like an adult, with killing intent. Right? 

“Hey!” it called again. Closer now. 

A thud, right by his ear. “Hey!” Hands on his body. “Naruto! Can you hear me?” 

Sakura.

“S…” He tried, but he descended into coughs, each seeming to stab him anew. 

“N-No, don’t speak, alright? Just…” Some rustling, a breath. “Don’t say anything.” 

Yes ma’am.

He was safe. He was safe. She was safe. He wasn’t going to die, and they could all go home once this was over. 

Hands on his body slid him forward, each movement feeling like a new slice into his flesh, but he locked his jaw. He wouldn’t complain, not when it was Sakura, not when she was here to help him, save him. Not when she was alive and safe and here. 

Maybe after this…she’ll let me take her on a date.

She flipped him on his back, the impact winding him again. He pulled in a wheeze, peeling his eyes open again to gaze at the blur of pink in front of him. 

“Can you move?” She asked, something urgent in her voice. 

He tried to lift his head, move an arm, anything. His finger might’ve twitched, but an ocean of sand filled his body where his bones used to be. He couldn’t feel anything at all. 

“I see…” A pause, “I’ll just have to carry you, then.” 

Her hands trembled as they gently landed on his shoulders. “You’re going to be okay. Right?” She cleared her throat, “Okay?” 

Yeah. 

The world was hazy. Every blink seemed to drain more of his energy as he gazed at the trees, all of their greens and browns blurring into one big blob. 

“S…Sa-” 

The blob faded to black. 

~~~~

“-ou can’t have him!”

Hands, touching his body, his arms, his..neck? What? 

“-aruto! Wake up! Please-” 

Someone’s…crying.

“Naruto!”

His name. 

The pressure around his neck increased. 

His body, his arms, his head-

Hurts.

Bright light and bleary eyes and a blurry world. A pink blob on the floor. Pink.

Sakura.

“Naruto!”

The urgency in her voice sent a pang of panic thorugh his chest, and he pulled his eyes open. Sakura. His eyes were slow to focus on her folded form, on the ground. Ground? 

Weren’t they just in the trees? 

Her eyes found his and a tear rolled down her cheek as she let out a breath, “Nar-”

“I said shut up, you kunoichi brat!” A hand descended to smack her face, whipping it out of Naruto’s vision. Her entire body jerked at the motion and she fell to the ground, still. 

S- “Sakura!” tore out of his throat. It hurt. The hands around his body tightened, but it didn’t matter. Someone had hurt her. Someone hit Sakura and all he did was watch. 

He whipped his head around, everything snapping into clarity. Ninja. At least five of them, maybe more. He couldn’t see because when he went to look, the hand around his neck squeezed, choking him into stillness. He looked straight again, eyes landing on the man that stood over Sakura’s body, his hand red with…

Blood.

“Sakur-”

“Shut the fuck up,” the man behind him growled, shaking him. Naruto rasped a breath, his head filling with clouds and fluff. But she still wasn’t moving. 

Please…

“S…aku…ra.”

What the hell is happening? 

“If I have to tell you again, you fucking brat,” the man behind him said into his ear, “I’ll kill you right here and now, and tell them you died in conflict.” 

Them?

Sakura’s head slowly lifted, her eyes blurred, face streaked with blood. A handprint left faint fingerprints of red on her cheek.

Another ninja stepped before him, a slight grin on his face. The man with his hand around Naruto’s throat pulled him up off the floor ever so slightly, forcing him to look directly at the person in front of him. 

Naruto Uzumaki, you are under arrest for the murder of Lord Anzu.”

Links: Previous | Next | Masterpost | Ao3

[greyling-writes]

Whumptober Day 2: Trust Issues

Amusement Park | Role Reversal | “You got away with the crime while the knife's in my back.”

Links: Previous | Next | Masterpost | Ao3

Word count: 2262

Notes:

I'm not going to lie, this one very loosely follows the prompts, but better than not at all, right? : D This fic takes place after the timeskip! I hope you enjoy! x] <3

He needed to get back. Orochimaru probably wouldn’t be pleased that he was outside at all, much less for so long. 

He scowled at the thought, pushing off the tree branch. No. Screw him. 

The foliage of the trees blurred past, every leaf looking the same. Then a bright orange caught his eyes. Just like…No of course not. What would he be doing here? A tree quickly covered it, blocking his view. 

It was probably nothing. And besides, what did it matter if that idiot was there? In fact, if it was him, then Sasuke should keep going, away from there. 

It could be your chance to kill him. Another part of him reasoned. And become as strong as Itatchi.

His stomach sank slightly, but he pivoted and dashed for where he saw the color. Odds were it wasn’t even Naruto anyway, so it was of no consequence to just check. The trees parted and among them was…

A bright orange jumpsuit, now littered with streaks of black that wanted to be more classy, but only one person would even consider wearing such an ugly orange with anything in the first place. A head full of bright blonde hair. He was still.

A crucial detail that had slipped past Sasuke’s notice at the first glance. Was he unconscious? He instinctively took a leap back, Sharingan activated. He glanced around for even a hint of movement. Who did this to him? He fought whatever emotion bubbled in his chest, shaking his head. Doesn’t matter. He reminded himself. It made his job easier, anyway. 

After a moment, it became clear there was no one else nearby. 

The trees were full of gashes, holes, and deep imprints. Cracks riddled the bark, branches and even entire trees knocked over. Naruto slumped on a branch with a violent crack at the base. He would certainly fall to the ground, if let alone. 

Who could’ve done this? Sasuke couldn't help but wonder. Who was strong enough to take Naruto out like this? Yet leave him alive? Even if the Akatsuki had somehow gotten him, they wouldn’t have just left him alive. 

Naruto slid down the tree branch as it sank lower toward the ground. At this height, the fall would kill him. Sasuke glanced around again, and when all was still silent, lept forward to crouch on the tree beside Naruto. Witness his death and claim your power. His stomach sank as he thought the words, almost in time with the branch that threatened to drop Naruto. 

What if our- He shook his head. What if his team comes for him? He couldn’t help but survey the area again, even though if anyone came he would be able to see, or at least hear them. Still no movement among the foliage. Just him, and the body beside him.

A soft moan. His heart jumped in his chest, his muscles tensed, as he looked for the source of the sound. His eyes found the boy close to his demise. Naruto. 

It is painful, Sasuke thought, to be on the brink of death.

The branch careened forward, finally. Naruto slipped off and hurtled to the ground. It would only take seconds for him to expire. At this height, he will definitely die. He would die. He would die and Sasuke would see every second of it. His Sharingan would make sure of that.

The wind rippled Naruto’s hair, his eyelids twitching. 

They cracked open ever so slightly, a glimpse of his blue eyes peeking through. 

The ground crept closer and closer. He would soon make impact and then he would be nothing but a bright red stain, a stain on the dirt and a stain on Sasuke’s life.

Naruto blinked.

A stain that would never wash out, never disappear. 

He glanced around blearily, eyes drifting to the left. 

A stain that would make Sasuke’s chest stab every time he thought about it, just like it was now. 

Naruto glanced to the right. 

Sasuke’s heart beat rapidly in his chest. He was choking on his own pulse now, but frozen he remained. Was it excitement? 

Naruto’s eyes found Sasuke’s. Even half-lidded, they seemed to widen. 

Any second. Any second now, Naruto would hit the ground and Sasuke would be rid of him. And he would be strong. Strong enough to kill his brother and get revenge for his clan-

Naruto’s lips parted, as if to speak. 

-his parents, his mother and father. They were killed and he needed to avenge them. So he had to let Naruto-

He jumped. The whipped past his ears as he pushed off of ranch after branch, hurtling toward the ground faster than anyone could. His Sharingan flared, scanning every single branch and twig to find the best one to jump off of. The one that would send him further, faster, closer. 

A weight landed in his arms, hard. He grunted as he landed on the ground, before tumbling over with no amount of grace, depositing his catch in the grass beside him. 

All was silent. Except for his heart, beating like a drum in his chest. Pounding, pounding, pounding. He took in breath after silent breath, gulping down air to compensate. 

The wind blew in the trees lazily, their leaves shifting and rustling as if to tease him with its lack of energy. Not a care in the world they had. 

A noise beside him. 

He froze. 

He turned his head, almost painfully slow, forcing his eyes to see what was beside him. 

Naruto stared at him through half-lidded eyes, his gaze unfocused and hazy. Had he hit his head on the way down? Maybe he already had brain damage before the fall. but of course it wouldn’t be permanent, ri-

Did it matter? Naruto shouldn’t be looking at him at all, he should be dead, why was he looking at him? Why had Sasuke caught him? He was supposed to let him die-

“S…Sa-” 

Take the life of your best friend.

He needed to be the one to kill him. 

Yeah. 

He couldn’t just let Naruto die, because he needed to be the one to kill him. The adrenaline cooled in him then. If he had just let him fall, then it would’ve all been for nothing. Yet his horror only increased as he watched Naruto’s lips clumsily form the syllables of his name. It can’t be permanent damage, right?

Why does it matter? He fought a wave of nausea. It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter. He should be dead.

And he would be. 

Sasuke pulled himself into a seated position, ignoring Naruto’s eyes on him. It didn't matter. He was a dead man already, living on borrowed time. 

And looking at him.

And saying his name.

Sasuke closed his eyes and shook his head again. Just kill him. Kill him now. 

He took in a careful breath before opening his eyes again, his expression steeled. His gaze met Naruto’s beautiful blue eyes. They seemed to stare through him. He wasn’t really seeing Sasuke, that much was clear, and yet it still seemed to stab him through the chest. Naruto’s lips were parted, but nothing came out. His eyelids slid nearly shut again, his eyes threatening to roll back into their sockets, before he mumbled, “Sas…uke.” 

Sasuke’s throat felt so dry he thought he might choke on air. It felt like he was. Choking, suffocating, dying. But he wasn’t the one dying today. 

Chidori. It would be quick and painless, so unlike how he had-

“Naruto!” 

He knew that voice. He couldn’t stop himself from jerking his head towards it, his Sharingan seeing nothing. But he still knew. Sakura. 

Now. Kill him. Now. If you don’t, then-

He reached down, grabbing a fistful of the orange jumpsuit and throwing it over his shoulder. The weight felt like almost nothing, with the adrenaline coming back full force through him, the sound of rustling getting closer, closer, closer, no longer from the wind but something much more aggressive. His heart beated faster, faster, faster, like it might jump out of his chest and into Naruto’s arms. 

They were moving. Air rushed past his ears as he jumped through the trees. Branches whipped against his face, but he had to keep moving. He craned his neck around the bright orange obscuring his vision to try to see her, try to catch any glimpse of the voice he had heard just seconds prior, and the person it belonged to.

He didn’t know how long passed until he stopped. The volume of his breaths rivalled that of his heartbeat, which hammered in his chest against his ribcage like it wanted to break free. He took in more gulps of air, and the weight on his shoulders seemed to increase. 

But it was silent. There was no one around, no one to look for…

Naruto.

Why did he hesitate? 

If  killed him there, then Sa- she and the others would’ve caught up. It would’ve taken too long, been too messy. 

He slid Naruto off of his back again, letting him fall onto the thick branch with a thud. 

Kill him. 

Kill him. 

Kill him. 

Kill him. 

Another soft noise got his attention. Naruto’s eyes had fallen shut again. He was shivering. 

Sasuke wanted to make the shivering go away. 

He should be dead.

He wanted him to be warm.

With his own blood, soaked through his clothes-

He wanted…

“S..Sas…”

A shiver went down his own spine. Stop it. Don’t say his name, don’t speak of him, don’t think  of him. 

“Please…” Naruto’s voice cracked. 

As did Sasuke’s heart, it felt like. Why was he still alive? Why was he not dead? Why-

“Don’t…go…” 

His breath hitched in his throat. Why? Why? Why was he so…

You’re too weak to face me. 

You have to kill your best friend.

Only then will you have the strength to beat me.

He wasn't strong enough. 

What’s more important? His fingers twitched, his hands beginning to tremble. He made a fist. Getting revenge for your family or keeping this idiot alive? This idiot…that means nothing. That is nothing. He’s nothing.

But it didn’t feel like nothing as he watched him shiver violently, furrow his eyebrows in pain, another whimper escaping his lips as he saw things Sasuke couldn’t see. Each tremor seemed to pull Sasuke’s heart further down. 

Kill him. 

Kill him now. 

He wouldn’t even feel anything. The Chidori would kill him so fast he would never have the chance to open his eyes or scream. It would be quick. Painless. Easy. 

Sasuke opened his hand to focus his chakra. One shot. One hit. He could be done with Naruto here and now, and never have to worry about killing him ever again. This opportunity wouldn’t present itself again. And then he would finally be strong enough to take on Itachi. He swallowed. 

“Chidori.”

The lightning change in chakra form came to him easily. He poured more chakra into his hand. More. More. More. He needed to make sure it would be strong enough. One hit. It had to be one hit. 

The lightning crackled brighter. His target, prone on the floor and shaking, crying in his pathetic state. He would never again be able to cry. Never be able to cry. Never be able to say Sasuke’s name so sweetly as if he was the most precious thing in the world-

“Sasuke…”

He shook his head. 

“You mean nothing,” he said. “Nothing.” 

He took a step forward. Then another. 

I’m…

He froze. 

I’m sorry.

He pushed his arm forward, unable to to look as the blindingly bright technique tore into the air, screamed into his ears. 

A noise. 

A voice. 

“Naruto!” 

They’re here. 

Too bad he had already- 

“S…Sasuke.” 

A shiver went through him again as he slowly turned to face straight again. It couldn’t be. 

Bright blue eyes gazed at him through his own outstretched fingers. His hand rested right in front of Naruto’s face. Silence. 

“I knew you wouldn’t do it.”  Naruto said slowly, his lips cracking into a smile, “I knew you weren’t…like they say about you.” 

Like they say about me? 

“Tch,” He managed. He straightened, pulling his arm back, “I don’t know what you mean.” 

You missed your chance you missed your chance, you messed up, how did you mess up-

Naruto’s bright expression dimmed slightly as he ducked his head, “Right. Of course you don’t.” But his smile didn’t disappear. 

Chidori. 

He needed to try again. It wouldn’t take longer than a few seconds. And Naruto’s guard was down. Still. Even though he tried to-

“Naruto!” 

They were here. They were here for Naruto and Sasuke still hadn’t…

“You’re probably not here to…come back?”

He couldn’t stop the scowl from appearing on his face. Naruto’s voice was so hopeful, yet so empty. He didn’t want to see the expression Naruto must’ve been wearing. He refused to turn to see. 

Come back where? There was nowhere worth returning to. The only thing that might’ve been was right in front of him. “Of course not, idiot.” I‘m here to kill you. But he said nothing more. 

“I can sense his chakra signature over there!”

He stole a small glance at Naruto’s expression. 

Time to go. 

Wordlessly, he jumped off the branch, leaving Naruto alone on the tree. 

“Sasuke!” But his voice was already fading behind him. The others wouldn’t follow, they had an injured Naruto to worry about.

Naruto.

You mean…

Nothing.

Maybe if he said it enough times, it would be true.

[greyling-writes]

Whumptober Day 1: Race Against the Clock

Search Party | Panic Attack | "If only we could hold on.”

Links: Previous | Next | Masterpost | Ao3

Word count: 1970

Notes:

Hello, and welcome back to my corner of the internet! I'm so excited to try Whumptober again, this time for a new fandom! :] I hope you'll suspend your disbelief for these, as admittedly, not much thought went into the plot itself, more just jumped into the actual prompts to the best of my ability. This fic takes place before the timeskip! Enjoy! <3

His chest ached. The room was much colder than it should’ve been. but he pulled his freezing joints to somewhat normal motion, and moved his chopsticks towards his mouth, chewing almost robotically, he was sure. 

The noodles were warm, but he barely felt it as they slid down his throat. He tried not to gag, but the flavor was oddly too strong. But he had to eat them. It was cold outside and his hands ached from it, but his stomach turned even more at the thought of eating at all, even his favorite food. 

“This ramen tastes like shit,” Sasuke said from the other end of the table. The awkward silence that had hung over their group seemed to magnify at that, an expected response being waited for. Naruto carefully spun more noodles around his chopsticks. Was that enough? Was he moving too slow? Had they noticed? 

Say something. He was supposed to respond. 

“Don’t say th-” the aroma of the ramen seemed to hit him as if brand new, stabbing the back of his throat. He gagged. 

Sakura shot him a look of disgust, and Kakashi-sensei glanced at him idly. He looked down at the table. Whatever. More noodles. He slowly pulled another mouthful in, chewing at the same speed. 

“What’s wrong? Can’t get your words out?” Naruto’s stomach flipped again. Too much. His mouth began to water. “Not even to defend your precious ramen?” 

His throat closed as he tried to swallow. His jaw locked in place, preventing him from accidentally spewing the noodles from his mouth. 

“Hey now,” Kakashi-sensei said mildly, “Let’s be kind.” 

Do not throw up. Not here, not in front of them. Not after eating ramen. He’d never hear the end of it. 

“Tch,” Sasuke glared at Naruto, his face of disgust mirroring how one might look at a bug beneath a shoe, “Can’t even speak for himself?” 

Do not throw up do not throw up do not throw up

“Maybe you didn’t hear me.” 

It really was freezing in there. 

His stomach turned. 

“I said this ramen is shi-” 

A bang. His head felt strange. Why was everyone beneath him all of a sudden? 

Oh. He was standing. And his stomach had had enough. A violent gurgle forewarned of what was coming. 

Need to leave need to leave need to-

Door. He ran for the door, a sharp spike of pain in his brain as he whirled around, swung it open, and sprinted. There were noises, voices. What were they saying? Something about the-

Cold. It was freezing. The air burned his skin with it’s chilling embrace as he crashed to his knees, the powdery-looking white betraying him with its microscopic daggers. His stomach emptied violently, his throat burning too, eyes watering.

A sob tore out of him as he gazed at the mess in front of him through blurred eyes. His aching lungs pulled in air with a raspy breath. He couldn’t get enough. It burned, it burned, it burned, it-

The air whipped against his face. Everything was the same color, the ground, the sky. White. It was all white. His legs burned. What is that? Whooshing in his ears. 

His legs, they were still moving. His joints ached and whined, but he was still moving. They pulled roughly out of the snow and slammed back into it again, stabbing wave after wave of freezing snow - nearly ice - into his feet and shoes. Where he was going, Naruto didn’t know. As long as it was away. 

His stomach lurched again. Every movement of his body jerked it in one direction or another. 

He jolted, the world coming to a standstill for a moment. Then he was on the ground. 

Everything’s sideways. He glanced around blearily, but…it all…looks the same.

How did I get here? His face was cold. The snow he had fallen in wasn’t very warm. His gaze drifted to his feet. Oh. His ankle was at a slightly odd angle. It must’ve gotten caught in something. 

Ow. He thought dimly. He could barely feel it, but the dull ache bloomed in his leg as he looked at it. 

His stomach whined again. Another jerk, a strange noise, and then…

Another mess. Sasuke would laugh at him. Coughs racked his body, growing in intensity as his lungs struggled to pull in the frigid air, slicing his throat and starting the cycle all over again. Another spasm, but nothing. Did he even have more to give? What was wrong with him? 

His throat burned. His checks were numb, tears running down frozen tracks. The wind whipped against his ears and face, tiny shards of ice seeming to cut his face, but he couldn’t even tell. His legs. He couldn’t feel them. 

His eyes found the sky. Or at least, he thought it was the sky. White, grey, bright, blinding. It hurt to look at. His breaths shuddered as his body spasmed again. Frostbite. Frostbite was a thing. From…being too…cold. Was he too cold? 

He couldn’t even feel the cold anymore. So maybe it wasn’t really that cold and…

He was tired. The numbness in his body brought with it a unique kind of ache, but every attempted movement blossomed in a new kind of pain. It was better to just…stay like that. 

Would they find him? Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, Sasuke. 

Would they even look? 

Would he die here? 

He blinked slowly. The ground, the sky. His own face when he was dead, dead, dead. White.  

He opened his eyes. When had he closed them? It was loud. It was quiet. Maybe his brain was frozen. It certainly felt like it. It pushed against his skull and ached. It rattled against his skull and shook his bones. He sank down into the freezing snow. Sharp ice dug into his skin. Would his body be frozen forever? 

His eyelids dropped. Wouldn’t it be nice to just sleep away the cold, and then never have to worry again. 

If only the ramen had tasted nice. He missed ramen.

Drowsiness swept over him like a warm blanket. Was it worth looking around? At the unchanging white of everything. Maybe if he just…closed his eyes.

Just…for a little bit.

~~~~~

“-it!” 

A loud, crunching sound. Getting closer to his ears, then- 

“-ey! He–” 

His ears rang as the noise banged around in his brain.  Something touched his shoulders, and an awful nausea crept through his stomach as he rolled onto his back. 

Then something warm touched his face, as if taking his temperature. The voice said something short and loud again, maybe a curse. Why was it cursing? 

“-too cold, he’s-” A little quieter this time, as if talking to itself. 

The warm thing drifted from his forehead to cupping his cheek. The heat it brought seemed to defrost his brain a bit.  

But then it was gone again. A pressure on his shoulders, fingers digging into his back, and then  his head exploded into fireworks of pain as he shook back and forth, a noise escaping him. Sasuke would laugh.

“Hey!” The voice yelled, “Open your eyes, dammit. You better not be dead-” 

Dead? He wasn’t dead? 

No. His head was killing him. People don’t feel pain when they’re dead. He gathered. 

“Shit shit shit,” the voice was slightly softer, before returning, “I know you’re not dead.” It didn’t seem too sure of itself. 

Open your eyes. It had said. They were closed? 

Peeling them open, the world was the same white it had always been. His eyelids were heavy, heavier than they should’ve been. Something drifted onto his face. Oh. A snowflake. It was cold against his cheek, but it didn’t melt as quickly as it should’ve.

Open your eyes. Who had said that? 

A dark blob entered his vision, “Naruto.” 

His eyelids drooped again. They were so heavy. Did he have to keep them open? Who cared what the blob wanted, anyway? 

“No, no don’t close your eyes. It’s too cold for that shit, you hear me?” 

Too cold. He wasn’t cold, he was numb. If he was cold, he’d be shivering, so why wasn’t he-

“Can you hear me?” A gentle tapping against his face. It was warm, soft. 

He tried to respond, but all that came out was a soft mumble. 

“Listen, we have to go back. You can’t stay h-”

The sky was white. The wind was loud, whipping against his ears and tearing into his skin. Maybe. He couldn’t feel it anymore. Every breath burned his lungs, so maybe the blob was right. He leaned into the warmth against his cheeks, wishing desperately it would be everywhere else, too. He wanted to be warm, not numb. 

“Naruto?” 

His eyelids were so heavy, and his eyes were tired anyway. What was the point of sticking around for it all? Was he going to die here? 

A new pressure at his shoulders again, fingers gripping him not ungently, but firmly, pulling him up. His head ached from the change in pressure, but not a noise escaped him as it rested against a new surface. A hand in his hair warmed his frozen skull, and another around his back held him steady. 

“Don’t fucking die.” A warmth against his neck mumbled. 

I don’t want to die.

“Kakashi-sensei would kill me.” 

I don’t want to-

An exhale, then some shifting. “Dammit,” it muttered, “It’s time to go. Can you-” 

Through blurry eyes, Naruto gazed. The sky was grey. 

Another breath. “Right, okay.” More shifting.

The warmth next to him was gone, now a pain in his shoulder, a hand holding his wrist and suspending his weight from it. A hand snaked its way around his waist, but his body was still so heavy. It hurt. 

“I know, alright? Just shut up for a second, we have to-” 

His arm was being pulled away from his body, wasn’t it? Was it punishment for running away? For being in the cold? Maybe for being ungrateful for the ramen. 

Another muttered curse, “I swear, if you die-” 

Naruto kept his mouth shut. The pain meant he was alive anyway, and the blob didn’t want him to die. Which was good. Probably. 

The ground was black. The sky was black. What if he just closed his eyes? His head was so heavy. 

“-ey, don’t-”

The darkness was warm. 

~~~~~

The light was warm. 

He felt damp, and the deep ache in his joints was still there, but at least it was warm. 

Was he dead? 

There were noises. Voices. 

“-found him dead in the fucking snow-”

“-he’s okay now, ri-”

“-it’ll be fine, Sakur-”

There was no way it was this loud in the afterlife. 

Or this painful. The room seemed to spin and his eyes weren’t even open yet. Everything hurt. 

A noise. Someone complaining, maybe. It seemed really close.

“-aruto!”

“Nar-”

The voices got louder. Maybe the noise had been him. The voices were so cloud, converging, screaming-

“Naruto!”

He peeled his eyes open, the light piercing his corneas. A moan escaped his lips, scratching against his throat and sending a shiver down the back of his neck. His limbs seemed to vibrate.  He was definitely alive. 

“Naruto,” a voice said softly, almost imperceptibly. He slid his gaze over to find the source of it. 

“S…Sakura,” he managed, before descending into a coughing fit, each one slicing into his throat and lungs. “Wh- Wha-” What happened?

“You ran out into the snow, idiot.” Another voice. Sasuke. 

“What were you thinking?” Sakura cut in, “You could’ve died, you idiot.” A flick to the forehead sent a headache through his skull. 

What was he thinking? 

Ramen, loud, voices, standing, slamming, running, throwing up, running, falling, cold. Then warm. A voice-

Sasuke.

He was looking at the wall, avoiding Naruto’s gaze. Naruto looked up at the ceiling. 

“I don’t know.”