Reflected Scars

Not gonna up date all my chapters at once, couse i want those reading it here to have time to read it all. Also i need to bide some time to get chapter 13 done..

After I finish writing this fic I'm posting Authors notes at the end so everyone can see how man times I had to re-write certain things... Man those will be good for a laugh. Hmm this is only the second dream... And I had 11 in total....*beats head on table* what was I thinking!?!?

MORE ON THE PLOT:

This dream is not one for the fox demon’s dreams, this is just one of Naruto's. I was planning on this being one of the ones I was going to cut out of my 11, but for some reason it got worked in here so well I HAD to use it! And I actually saw a documentary on this a few months ago. It was really good and sent shivers up my spine, wish I had taped it. This is most of the stuff I remember from it.



Chapter 6

Vanish into the Storm

**********

"Let me out!" He screamed and struggled to get free. It was dark, hard to breathe and it smelled of earth and fabric.

"Hope ya can swim boy!" A mans voice exclaimed as hands threw him into the air. He was weightless for a moment before gravity took over and he landed with a splash. The water pressed the bag against his body. As he fought to get out, the fabric became heavy and air vanished.

Naruto struggled to reach his belt where he kept his shruikens, but his hand felt nothing but fabric. Another wave of panic swept over him. He kept sinking as the water pressure continued to increase, crushing the bag to his body; limiting his frantic movements. All air was gone now; he was holding his breath and his lungs burned.

‘Help me!' His mind screamed into the darkness. ‘Please!' He needed to get out fast. He was running out of air. Then a thought crossed his mind; a memory about how he got out of the belly of a snake.

‘YES!' His mind shrieked as his hands formed the seal. He concentrated, but nothing happened. ‘What?' He tried again. Everything started to become dizzy as the water pressure increased against his body. Why couldn't he use his Kage Bunshin no Justu??!

He wrenched his head back in pain as his ear drums imploded. His teeth clenched together trying to hold in the precious bubbles of air as they tried to escape with his scream of agony. He couldn't see it, but he could taste the blood from the water in his mouth. Colors and lights danced in front of his eyes and for a moment, he believed it was the sun. His lungs burned like fire and his need for air consumed his mind and body. He gasped in the cold water unable to hold his breath any longer.

Cold, salt water flooded his lung cavities. Blood rushed to his lungs where there should have been air, but there was none. His eyes rolled back in his head at the pain splitting his chest. His arms lessened their struggle against the fabric coffin. His heart beat slowed... and after a few moments stopped.

But his brain remained alive... floating helplessly in its watery tomb till it is finally unable to go on. And still it would be a few more minutes before his dead corpse would reach the bottom; where it would become a meal for the creatures that lurked in the dark depths.

*********

Naruto sat bolt upright clutching his frantically beating heart and gasping for air. Sweat was running down his back almost as fast as the rain outside the window. His hands shaking violently against the damp sheets wrapped tightly around him. He pulled at the fabric trying to get lose without submitting to the panic still in him, and kicking them to the foot of the bed.

‘It was a dream, it was just a dream!' Naruto repeated over and over again in his head.

"Christ!" He cursed and pulled off his soaked night shirt and pants, slamming them down next to him on the bed. Sweat glistening off his skin from what little light filtering through the closed curtains when lightning lit up the heavens.

‘Damn! What the hell have I been eating to have bad dreams four nights in a row?' Naruto lay back in bed and stared at the ceiling above him; or rather where the ceiling would be if he could see it. The wet sheets clung to him as he turned over to look at the other two beds in the room. Kakashi's was still and dark, but it didn't look as if he was awakened by his movements. Naruto's eyes moved to the other bed in the room, where his rival lay. Another flash lit up the room allowing him to see Sasuke sleeping soundly on his back; his breath even and slow.

Naruto swung his feet over the side of the bed again, placing them on the floor. The cold wood was smooth on the bottom of his rough feet as he pushed himself up to stand. His ankle felt weak and fragile while he moved quietly across the floor toward the door. Leaving behind everything except a cold pair of boxers he dared not remove, incase he came across his other teammate on this nightly ramble.

The halls were dark and cold as Naruto retraced the room layout in his mind. ‘Ok, there was nothing in the hallway I'm in now, so no worries as to bumping into anything... Now... Where am I going again?' He stopped and looked around. The lightning from outside being his only source of light left him with only brief, still images burned into his eyes every few seconds. He had no intentions of going anywhere when he left his bedroom, he just got up and moved. An automatic reaction to the feeling of immobility from being wrapped in the sack in his dream.

Three closed door lit up ahead of them and he remembers where they go. One was the room Sakura was sleeping in, another was the master bedroom where his two hosts slept, and the last farthest away was the bathroom. He wondered what Sakura's reaction would be if he went and woke her up claiming he had a nightmare and was wondering if he could spend the night in her room. Naruto's face twitched at the thought of the painful slap that it would earn him.

He continued silently down the hall and passed the other two rooms, right to the stairs that led to the main floor. Carefully he descended into the dark pit, testing with his foot before placing weight on the next step, incase it squeaked his location to the darkness. Finally he reached the bottom and found himself in the kitchen.

Cold enamel welcomed the soles of his feet as he moved to the table. Its wooden top was smooth under his fingers as he brushed his hand over it. Naruto turned and entered another hall. Walking the same direction he did that morning before he found himself in the den. It was extremely dark since there were no windows in the room, the still images he received from the flashing lightning proved to be useless the few times they were bright enough to reach him in the doorway. He felt his way to the couch against the wall. It was the same sofa that Sasuke had been on.

Naruto sat down on the soft cushions, and felt himself sinking in. Sinking, the fabric wrapping around him, holding him, dragging him down. ‘Let me out! No!' He jumped up struggling against the clingy pull of the dark beast. He fell to his knees on the carpeted floor; his back to the soft fabric that no longer sought to consume him. Naruto stood again on wobbly legs and made his way back to the kitchen where he believed nothing would try to eat him.

An open door caught his attention and he entered it, finding himself in the living room. Another flash of light outlined the bay window on the far side. He peaked through it, out into the dark night outside. Naruto opened the curtains fully, letting the view of the storm fill the room. His legs ached, and his eyes hurt. He moved another chair to face the window, not wanting to try and sit on another sofa. There he curled up, bringing his legs under him. He rested his tired head on the arm and watched the storm.

~~~~~

*Crash!*

Sasuke's eyes flew open at the smash of thunder that shook his bed. He lay still listening to the storm outside and for anything else he might hear, but the dark revealed nothing. And when he opened his eyes, it showed even less. The room was dark and still. To still he noticed looking at the other bed across the room. ‘God damn it! He had better be to the washroom!'

Sasuke turned on his side to face Naruto's bed and watched for the dolt to return. The storm raged outside with the full fury of nature's wrath against the house. He lay there looking at the empty bed, wondering how it was able to withstand this type of onslaught and hardly shake at all. He felt his eyes drift shut with the sound of rain hitting the window pain. The soft warmth of the bed drawing him back into sleep. His eyes flew open with another thunderous crash, and he realized Naruto wasn't returning.

Slowly he got up and walked over to the bed. The sheets and blankets had been pushed to the foot of the bed, and the pillow was on the floor. A small pile of clothes appeared to be pajamas, but that couldn't be right, could it? Was Naruto walking around some strangerÆs house naked in the middle of the night? Bending over he touched the fabric to see if it still retained some warmth from its occupant, but was slightly shocked to find it cold and damp. His first thought was that the dead-last had pissed the bed, but it was only the sheets that were damp as he discovered when he carefully picked up the blankets.

He looked over at Kakashi who lay back to on another bed. The Jounin showed no signs of being awake, but Sasuke knew he most likely was. So sighing to himself, he gathered up two of the soft blankets in his arms and went to go find his lost comrade.

He moved through the darkness like it was his own home. He had memorized the layout the day before, when they received a tour from Chiharu and Hiroshi. He skipped passed the first two doors on the floor, knowing that Naruto was dumb, but not enough to enter either of them. He found the bathroom empty like he expected, then went downstairs to the kitchen. Lightning flashed more brightly than he had expected and left his eyes burning with the image around him.

Sasuke rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, trying to remove the shining sink and fridge from his mind. After a moment he managed to open them again and looked around. The light shouldn't have been that bright unless a window was open somewhere close by. Another flash, not as bright as the last one, showed him what he was looking for. He could see a chair that had been moved in front of the window in the next room, also what appeared to be a head resting on the arm.

Shaking his head, he walked toward the doorway then stopped. For some reason he had believed Naruto would be asleep, but something told him he wasn't. Slowly he moved in behind the chair and peered down. Naruto sat curled up in the chair with only his boxers on and his head on the arm of the chair. He frowned and tossed the blanket over him.

Naruto jumped like he had been attacked and batted madly at the fabric. A panicked gasp escaped him and reached Sasuke's ear.

"ItÆs me." He said pulling the blanket off Naruto's head. The blond stared at him for a moment while an awkward silence grew neither knowing what to say. After all, Naruto had just about panicked there on the spot over nothing.

"Why are you up?" He somehow managed to get out, not sounding too bad as he pulled the fabric to cover him without feeling too smothered.

"The storm woke me." Came the answer as Sasuke sat on the arm of the chair where Naruto's head had been. They sat there a while longer, watching the lightning dance with the dark storm clouds in the sky outside.

"You should get to bed."

"Thanks mom." Naruto replied sarcastically.

"Moron."

"Asshole."

"Bastard."

"..Prick..."

"Dead last." Sasuke said his mind already planning the next half a dozen comebacks he knew Naruto wouldn't be able to come up with himself. Lightning lit the room making shadows dance and jump across the walls, while the wind banged flying branches against the glass. æIf the storm gets any worse then we all might have to find stronger shelter.'

The cool air in the room sent a chill up his spine and he pulled the other blanket closer around him. Sasuke then felt something odd, there is a slight pressure on the side of his thigh, and as he looked down he found a mop of golden hair.

"..... Smart ass....."

The words drifted to his ear were almost lost in the sound of rain, and he wondered if he actually heard them at all. Suddenly aware of his surroundings he scanned the room to see if anyone was watching. People he knew or not, he did not want to be caught with his teammate sleeping on his lap.

He looked back at Naruto, whose breathing had evened out and was now deep in sleep. He knew should probably leave and head back to bed, but that would mean waking Naruto and removing that head from his leg. He could remember easily that it had been almost 4 nights since they had started their mission. Their short little three day trip had lasted almost a week. Not that he really minded. The thought of having to face the dust cows again back in his own house made he feel like throwing up. Yes, that was one of his worst qualities he would openly admit. He was a lazy house keeper. But then again it was only him in his house, and he figured as long as he found it tolerable it was clean enough.

‘If I wake him to move him, will he go back to sleep?' Sasuke asked himself studying the blond youth before him. Naruto's blanket has slipped to his lap exposing his back and shoulders. Sasuke looked around the room once more to make sure they were alone, then covered him up. Adjusting slightly, he pulled his blanket up under his chin and leaned back against the chair. He closed his eyes and listened to the storm rage outside.

"Dobe..." He said in a whisper so as not to wake the other up.



End Chapter

Vanish into the storm