Reflected Scars

Remember! This is a HORROR fic, first and foremost. The cute stuff is only on the side. (makes it seem more important that way ;)

MORE ON THE PLOT:

You have no IDEA how close I was to taking that little bit of fluff in this chapter out. I know I'm on chapter 7 and this IS truly the first piece of fluff so far, (and for a while I might add) but it felt to me like too much too soon. If I'm going to write something I'm gonna write it right! First and forever foremost this is a Horror fic, and shall remain so till the very end where its' gonna be all fluff ;)

BUT!! But since you people are so wonderful and leave me dozens of reviews to inflate my ego beyond all reasonable limits I've left it in. Along with Sasuke dripping wet ;)


Chapter 7

Fly a Way Home.

Scenery blurred by as he soared toward the next tree, his sandaled foot hardly touching the bark before he was off again. Not a leaf fluttered from his passing. Years of experience had taught him to move unnoticed. To the point where it was second nature to him, like breathing.

His eyes scanned the wall of dark cloud surrounding them as they ran. They were in the eye of the hurricane and running out of time. The storm had slowed up as it passed by, and by sheer luck did it pass directly over the tiny town with the modern day houses they had been occupying.

*~*~*Kakashi's Flash back*~*~*~*

Kakashi had stayed awake most of the night listening to the wind outside, to see which way it had shifted. Also to see of his subordinates were sleeping yet. And not to his surprise, they weren't. It had been Naruto, like the pervious nights, who had risen from bed first and vanished out the dark bedroom door. He listened as the boy's foot steps faded into the shadows. After a few minutes of the still dark, he made a move to get up and retrieve him when his senses kicked in and alerted the Jonin that his other subordinate was close to waking. Quickly he lay himself back down and waited.

Kakashi assumed that Sasuke probably knew he was awake, but made no move to acknowledge it. He listened instead as Sasuke got out of bed and followed Naruto's path out the door and down the hall.

'Good, maybe if Sasuke brings him back he'll go to sleep.' He thought rolling over to face the dark room. He closed his eyes and waited for sleep to lightly claim him. He would not allow himself true sleep that night, only a mild cat_nap where he could still listen to the wind and rain. If they were lucky, then maybe the eye of the storm would pass close by and they could run the distance back to Konoha. Noted they had spent one night in the woods camping to get here, but that was only because they had left extremely late the day before.

He lay there in his warm bed wrapped up in smooth, cozy, cotton sheets and a down filled comforter at his feet waiting for a light rest. But it did not come, nor did the footsteps of his team from the dark hall. They had been gone more then fifteen minutes and there had been no screams or thumps to indicate a fight. Instantly his ninja instincts kicked in. Something must have happened.

Like a shadow he melted from the bed and drifted out the door like an invisible mist. The hall was dark and cold on his feet, and was only given brief snap shot images from the lightning outside. However, even then when it became filled with white light for seconds at a time, the master ninja was not exposed. He checked every room as he passed. Sakura sleeping soundly in her bed, lulled to sleep by the rain on the window. Hiroshi and Chiharu's room was undisturbed, and bathroom unoccupied. He slipped into the abyss of the dark stairway.

His feet hadn't even touched the linoleum, when he became aware there were only two figures to be found. This both relieved him and somehow unnerved him. He knew it was Naruto and Sasuke, but they were not moving... And very close.

He stood in the doorframe for a moment watching the dark_haired boy sleep mounted on the arm of the chair. Kakashi could sense the blond close, but was unable to spot him. He moved forward into the room and around the side of the chair where he found his answer. The blond lay sleeping on his team mate's thigh, a peaceful look plastered on his face. The Jonin smiled under his mask and walked off for his own bed.

*~*~*Real time*~*~*

'Neither have said two words to each other since this morning'. He thought to himself stealing glances back at his team. He could tell they were all tired. Sweat soaked their clothes and made it cling to their bodies. And their breaths were now panting and ragged.

"Keep moving, we're almost there." He called back. The gates to Konoha lay only a mile or more away, then they could all rest. Tree branches snapped in the wild winds that churned and spun around them. Chain lightning danced around them making the hair on their arms stand up. The hurricane had picked up speed and was now heading in a different direction. They had to make it through the gates before their tiny world of calm was ripped apart by the debris_cluttered breezes.

He glanced back at his team again. Sakura was painting heavily and she tried to keep up with the others. Her backpack seemed to be slowing her down, and he remembered all the little trinkets she had purchased for her family and friends. Maybe next time he'd tell her just to get them all postcards instead.

Sasuke was by far the best off of the team. His black hair stuck to his forehead where he had brushed it out of his face, not caring about his appearance. His shirt clung to his youthful frame like a second skin; moving and sliding over his muscles as he reached for the next branch. His mouth was half open as he breathed strongly.

And last but not least, the young, energetic, orange_clad, number one, loudest ninja was scampering along like a happy chipmunk. His spike hair now flat, as sweat ran down the back of his neck. He had unzipped his jacket a few miles back letting it flap behind him like a cape, revealing his normally hidden black shirt. His mouth was gaping wide in an effort to gather more oxygen.

His little band of misfits were really something else. Finally a familiar form appeared around the latest clump of trees and he smiled as he recognized home.

*~*~* 20min later*~*~*

"See you all tomorrow morning!"

"WHAT?!" Came the astonished reply from Sakura and Naruto. Sasuke was also giving him a look. The streets were empty of people and all the shop doors and windows were closed. Paper and garbage fluttered up in dead_end alleys when the wind blew and roared. The beloved calm eye of the storm had moved off to the west, leaving its short time inhabitants to wallow and wash about in its wake.

Kakashi laughed through his mask. "Just kidding! See you all when this storm passes." He said and vanished into another street.

"Bye guys!" Sakura called as she stopped at the door to her own house, while the other two ran on. For the most part the two lived in the same generic direction, so they continued straight down the same street.

Finally the street came that lead Naruto on his own path home. For a second, Sasuke looked at Naruto and Naruto looked straight back. Neither blinked, smiled nor acknowledge the other was ever really there to start with. Then they both turned their separate ways and ran on in silence.

*~*~*~Sasuke's flash back~*~*~*

The rain had softened its frantic pounding on the windows of the three story Victorian house. Noises could be heard from the kitchen of pots, pans and curses as someone frantically rushed around to cook something. Lightning shone only a fraction of what its true force was hours ago, and thunder was merely a low rumble. But none of these sounds reached the ears of those sleeping soundly on the plush chair in the sitting room. Not loud enough to wake them, till a hand was placed on the dark haired boy's shoulder.

His first reaction was to grab his knife and arm himself against the attacker. But the grip loosened and a strong, but gentle voice reached his ear.

"Time to get up." Kakashi said with a wink. Or maybe he blinked, it was hard to tell with only one visible eye. Quickly he turned and walked out toward the kitchen. Sasuke frowned to himself. He shouldn't have been so careless, letting his teacher sneak up on him like that, even if the man was a Jonin, he should at least try not to let his guard down so low. He yawned and moved to get up from his perched position, when he realized his leg wasn't moving.

Sasuke's dark eyes widened in shock at what the problem was. Naruto's head rested on his lap, one hand had come up and was lightly clinging to Sasuke's pyjama pants keeping him in place. The blanket had once again slipped off the young boy's shoulders and rested wrapped around his pale waist covering his boxers. His legs had come out from under him and hung limply a few inches above the floor. But it was not just the sight of his seemingly naked team mate, sleeping in his lap that made him tense. It was also the realization that at some point. At some time during his peaceful slumber on the chair arm. Resting with his team mate to secretly help the insomnia he had been suffering the past few days; that his hand had gained a mind of its own.

'Idle hands are the devils play things.' The rhyme echoed in his mind along with some sick maniacal laughter. He could feel his face warm as he removed his right hand from where it had nestled itself in the tangled locks of the blond youth. 'This is just to close!'

Naruto's face twitched as the warmth was removed and a silent grunt sound was heard but he made no move to wake. Sasuke sighed in relief as he thought that maybe he could escape this embarrassing situation intact, but then it hit him. Something that he should have realized the moment his eyes opened. He had been SEEN! Kakashi had woken him up, so he had seen the position Naruto and him were in! And most likely from the sound in the next room so had everyone else!

Sasuke jumped up sending Naruto flying to the floor in an ungraceful heap. "What the hell!?!" He exclaimed rubbing his head. "Sasuke you.!" He became instantly quiet at the sight of Sasuke, outlined by the light in the doorway and a mad blush on his face.

Naruto was puzzled for a moment before he realized why Sasuke had been blushing. He remembered something about his pillow last night being warm and soft despite the cold room. Without a word he got up wrapping the blanket around him and followed his comrade back to their room to dress.

Twenty minutes later, they all stood at the door packed and ready to go, while Mrs. Nakamura fluttered between each one shoving toast, bagels and glasses of fresh orange juice into their hands declaring that 'ninjas or not they were still growing and needed a good breakfast in order to be healthy and strong'. This was promptly followed by hugs strong enough to re_squeeze the orange juice they just had. And after finally prying Naruto off the kind women that he had somehow come to see as a loving Aunt. (She didn't help by grasping the blond in a tighter hold.) They were finally leaping through the trees on their way back home.

*~*~*~*Real time*~*~*~*

Naruto slammed the door shut behind him. At long last he was home sweet home, where he could eat his beloved ramen and sleep in his own comfortable, warm, soft, no_bad_dreams bed. Not bothering to even flick on the light he started to peal off his wet clothes on his way to the shower. He tossed them in a tangled ball into the open hamper next to door as he entered the bathroom. The cool air of the room gave him goose bumps over his naked body.

"Maybe I should have kept my clothes on." He said out loud to the empty room. Naruto grabbed a new towel from the tiny closet and hung it on the rack next to the shower stall. He turned on the tap and let it run for a few seconds allowing the water to heat up. He stood shivering naked, till a faint mist began to creep up from under the stained white curtain. He knew it was racking up the water bill, but today he was to damn tired to care.

After the shower, the blond exited the bathroom and went straight to bed. He never even bothered to get on his usual fuzzy pj's before crawling deep under the mound of fabric. A blanket and a comforter were on the bed while another two more comforters lay draped over the foot of the bed. Even though the nights were not cold, it was something the lonely fox child had come to take comfort in. Naruto felt secure and safe deep under the thick covers. The weight of the blankets had always made him feel hidden when he was small. When there was no one around to tell him things that went bump in the night were never going to hurt him. The weight reassured him when no one else would.

Too bad the things that would hurt him didn't go bump in the night... They bite and cut and tear at the wounded and exposed flesh of his dreams. His body might have been secure and safely hidden in the pile of material, but his mind was open to attacks from the darkest parts of his subconscious. The parts that even the darkest heart and soul refuses to acknowledge; where the true demons of the mind reside in the shadows. Reaching out a blood splattered claw for the helpless form trembling in the shrinking spotlight. Grabbing onto its victims and dragging it into the shadows where all that remains are screams of pain and loneliness.

End cha


pter 7

Fly a Way Home