Mel

A blond blur could be seen rushing through the outer foliage of Konoha. The teenage body had matured throughout the years, muscles sliding under the smooth tan skin as summers flowed past his memory. Such sweet memories too, laughter and pain as intertwined as a heartbeat and breathing. Constantly apart, forever connected, never one without the other until death separated the two rhythms.

Coming up on a guard, the blur flashed red eyes and pearly teeth.

No one would notice the corpse for a while yet. By the time they did, it wouldn’t matter.

“They will all pay for their injustice.” A smooth voice came from his throat. He glanced down at the body, mutilated before it even finished its sentence of surprise. His red gaze slid to his claws, each one dripping and sharp. He felt laughter boil up, cackles rising to accommodate the others pain.

Never far behind.

The blood was delicious, foul and metallic. The salt infused liquid rolled thickly, pleasantly down the back of his tongue. His hand, upraised above his head, glistened obscenely in the moonlight.

“Who next shall fall before me?” He asked himself, licking his blood chapped lips with a long tongue. The whisker marks were etched deeply into his skin, framing his red eyes in shadow while his golden hair highlighted the brightly dark orbs. With another laugh, he leaped forward. There would be more pain.

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“Just as I thought…It’s come to this.” Orochimaru breathed, feeling the acute pain of the sword piercing his arm. The blood felt hot trickling from the broken white skin. He had to hold back a laugh upon seeing Sasuke’s deadpan look, so much like his brothers.

But not quite.

“There’s nothing left for me to learn from you.” Calm. Placid. Orochimaru felt sweat bead his frame, excitement thrumming in his veins. He had to appear calm as well, but it was hard. If he hadn’t had years of practice, training, in hiding emotion he might have failed.

“…It appears, even in front of you too…” He paused, as if considering the final words to the person who had destroyed his Konoha lifestyle almost as much as Itachi. Orochimaru felt like scoffing at the insult. If the Uchiha would look, he had in fact ruined his life more then Itachi. The Uchiha wasn’t just alone now; he was even being hunted and hated this time.

“I can become merciless.” Sasuke seemed pleased, internally, with his little speech. Orochimaru glowered, the sweat slipping further along his body. He could feel every minute hair on his body rising in anticipation.

“Orochimaru,” Said man felt a sudden yank at his heart, his pride urging him to tear away the smug look on the Uchiha’s face. “You’re weaker then me.”

Don’t give it away, he’s still clueless…

“There’s no need for me to give you my body anymore.” His eyes narrowed. That was nearly too much insult for his acting to bear. The anger mingled with his excitement, and he couldn’t help the almost scathing remark he uttered next.

“Such big talk…for a little Uchiha chick.” Sasuke had no reaction, beyond smirking. Orochimaru could feel his excitement begin to broil with hate for the young ninja before him. The Uchiha’s carried far too much arrogance for his tastes. It made it easy to control them, yes, but hard to control himself.

“Heh…If I wasn’t a little chick, you wouldn’t have been able to get me, right? You…”

Orochimaru paused while Sasuke paused, his inner snake hissing at the impudent whelp that dared speak to him that way.

“Couldn’t get Itachi…”

The time to end this was not coming soon enough.

“So you settled for the little chick that was me, right?”

His imagination lit behind his eyes, and he couldn’t wait to slice his oh so naïve tongue out of his mouth.

“Isn’t that right? The genius that was lauded as one of the ‘sannin’.”

To cut into his pretty locks, stab through the shimmering, fine mass of black-

“But you were only a genius to the norm of society…”

-penetrate the inky darkness until crimson flooded down his creamy face and he was sawing at skull-

“You couldn’t surpass the Uchiha name, or even come close.”

-tearing at thin epidermis, shredding through the thick encasing of bone with his vigor-

“No matter how much a genius one is, in front of the Uchiha name, they’re just ordinary people.”

-until he could finally get at that precious Uchiha brain and show the world just how ordinary he was.

“You want to get closer to the Uchiha’s powers so badly you immerse your body with medicine and take over other bodies. You’re actions...”

And that’s when he’d get at those lovely eyes.

“From me, who bears this name, it looks ridiculous.” Here he paused in his, to Orochimaru, long winded monologue. The sannin’s fantasy could go on, but at the point where his creative cutting reached the eyes is where it always stopped nowadays. What more did he want? Once he got there it would just be a corpse, nothing special, despite his grand and lofty views as a mortal.

“Plus, I don’t like your methods. What’s your purpose?” Orochimaru felt like scoffing. Methods. The boy in front of him had been sticking holes in the lungs of his friends, and he chose to criticize him?

“To unravel the logic of this world or whatever.”

How simply narrow minded of an Uchiha…

“You’ve continued to play around with people like toys for such a stupid and selfish reason.” Here he paused, eyes unfocusing for just a flicker of a moment. Orochimaru tensed, this was the moment...

“You make me sick.” He lunged forward, stabbing the sword even further into Orochimaru’s arms. Orochimaru opened his mouth, spewing out a snake. He didn’t have time to hear what Sasuke commented on this little detail.

He lunged, and the fight was on.

Sasuke thought he’d actually teach him everything he knew? He would soon learn that not even an Uchiha could outsmart a snake in its own lair.

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The blond paused, standing still on the tree’s thick branch. His sharp hearing picked up the sound of approaching footsteps. Familiar voices carried on the wind. He felt his lips split in a malicious grin, tongue tasting the flavor of his vessels old friends.

Inuzuka, Hyuuga. The female Hyuuga at that. Looking back through the boy’s memories, he chuckled at his utter dense perception of her. Words like weird, strange, and complicated. He rushed towards them.

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“Orochimaru, we’ve discovered intruders from Konoha.” Kabuto reported. Orochimaru sat up only a little straighter. There was only one person he cared for from Konoha anymore, and so far the little idiot hadn’t come yet.

“He’s with them. He’s sent a kage bunshin with his friends, but has been seen moving alone. He is hoping to reach Sasuke without any back up or interference, and have a ‘heart to heart’ with him.” Orochimaru smirked. Perfect.

“Fetch the Kyuubi brat, but don’t let him disperse the bunshin. When you have the chance, use the jutsu developed by the Akatsuki to make his friends believe he’s still with them.” Kabuto nodded, before heading towards the exit.

He wasn’t sure how he would be able to do that jutsu. It required a good amount of chakra to transform a corpse so thoroughly. He would just have to keep a hold of some chakra needles and inject himself when needed.

“And don’t let Uchiha see him.”

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“N-Naruto? Wh-what-” She was cut off by the most horrid thing she’d ever seen. Naruto didn’t even pause in his running. He’d bounded through the trees, aura flashing red, swirling with a masked intent.

Before she’d even finished stuttering, her long-time crush slashed out and ripped a deep gash into Kiba’s stomach. Her comrade staggered, eyes wide, clutching at the gaping wound. A pink, rubbery looking thing poked out from the lip of the wound. Hinata felt like screaming.

She hadn’t even felt killer intent, thought. It was like he’d just been on auto, letting his body do what it was trained to do. No thought whatsoever as he gutted his friend alive.

He turned towards her, smiling. Sharp fangs threatened to puncture his own lips.

“Hinata…” She shook her head, shock worming into her heart. Not Naruto…His eyes…They were red, swirling with a black evil. She was sure they were spinning, that he was laughing, that this was a nightmare.

She never noticed Kiba lurching in front of her until his head rolled at her feet. His body collapsed next to it, spine glistening from what was left of his neck. He’d moved in front of the blow meant to decapitate her.

She screamed and was dispatched within seconds, laughter ringing within her skull as pain throbbed throughout her body, the sensations twining in her last moments of life.

Laughter and pain are never far apart.

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The boy was thrashing, slamming his head back into the table. It was a wonder his screams hadn’t reached the Uchiha, despite the soundproofed walls. Kabuto approached, holding yet another needle.

“Let me go! Let me go! I’ll kill you!” The hoarse voice was bitten out, sobs racking the once strong and proud body. The injection kept him alive, but it might as well have been contained and condensed pain. Even Kabuto was feeling slight remorse for having to use it so much on one person.

“I’m sorry, Naruto. But lord Orochimaru wishes it.” He stuck it into his quivering wrist, and blue eyes shot open, a new set of screams being let loose.

A little bit of blood mingled with his tears.

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“Where could he be?” Naruto laughed to himself as he heard this, shooting through the trees. He’d been hearing these little snatches for a while now. His body was hypersensitive, smelling the sweat from his would-be pursuers and hearing bits of their conversations.

He was going so fast, his body melding into the shadow and yet screaming his presence to the world. He never stayed long enough to let his presence be more then a harsh burn, slipping away before they could pinpoint him.

Sure, some would catch up or stumble upon him, but he simply chose to slash them to bits. There was no formality or emotion, just butchering. They weren’t his goal. His real goal was much worse to the little child within his mind, screaming for his body back.

He was hunting for friends.

Specifically a male friend. Females had always been too boring to play with. Their bodies were soft curves, padded joints and inviting swells of hip and chest. The flat plains of a male body was better, a canvas for pleasure or pain. It was also great fun that their sexual organs were on the outside.

Great, great fun. And he needed that, as he’d been left with a stirring in his loins from all the beautiful carnage he’d created.

And was that Shikamaru?

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“Is it set?” Kabuto adjusted his glasses, swallowing. He knew Orochimaru was brilliant, and he was already powerful, but with this…Could anyone stop him?

“Yes, lord Orochimaru.” His lord smiled with obscene glee. In that moment Kabuto knew that, whether he was ever stopped or not didn’t matter. Hundreds would still die. Thousands.

And that was directly.

“When can it be done?” Should he really do it though? Hand over the world to Orochimaru. Leave people to be slaughtered by his hands, for what? He was almost assured to fall, thought not as fast, but eventually. Everyone looses their importance with time.

“Tonight, if you are ready, Lord Orochimaru.” His lord only snorted, and laughed. Kabuto flinched. Orochimaru’s laughter often led to pain.

“Of course I’m ready! Kabuto, do you know what this means? I will be able to live forever, I will have unlimited chakra, stamina, inhuman strength and speed, inhuman eyes!” He clenched his fist in anticipation. Kabuto Shuddered beneath his clothes.

“Very well, lord Orochimaru. I will set it up further and await you by midnight.”

“Is there no sooner time?” Kabuto looked startled. Orochimaru hardly ever questioned him past this point. He supposed he could do it earlier, but…

“No. Any earlier and it might not be set up to perfection.” Orochimaru seemed to see through him, see that he just wanted to stall and collect his thoughts. It’s not every day he was assigned to end the world.

“Very well. Midnight. And then all shall be mine.”

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He never knew that a genius’s blood would taste so utterly delicious.

He was currently straddling a thrashing boy, sharp teeth latched at his throat while his claws scratched away deep furrows of skin from his back and sides. His hair tie had been cut, one earlobe torn out when he decided to ‘play’ with the Nara boy’s earring, and each arm pinned down with a senbon in the wrist and elbow.

Aside from the ear and a few bruises, he’d left the face untouched. They would have to recognize him, after all.

“Naruto…” Shikamaru moaned out in pain, his hands straining uselessly. The blond laughed, lifting up from the pouring crimson ring, quick pink tongue a deep red. He smiled down at him, thighs tightening and restraining his legs.

“Not anymore.” Time to start work on his canvas. Such a lovely one at that. Almost perfect, except his skin tone had that annoying olive undertone. If only he had pure white skin, like Sasuke. Except, although Sasuke had the greatest skin for it, his body wasn’t right. To many muscles, to many indents and creases from his strenuous work regime.

Shikamaru had the perfect body. Enough muscle to attract him, not enough to ruin his work. His lazy lifestyle had left him trim, but with no indents or curves of muscle.

He bent down, flicking at the Nara’s nipple with his tongue until it was unwillingly pert. Smirking, he bent to retrieve some sharp ninja tool. He proceeded to lick and tease the other nub, while he held the edge of the knife against the twin. Shikamaru squirmed beneath his skin as the knife slowly bit into hard, sensitive skin and at an even slower rate began to cut it away.

“You know…” The blond pulled back, flicking the bit of flesh away and enjoying the sight of the small hollow now in its place, only the surrounding dusky skin left. “I just might love you.”

He bent and began to lap at the blood spilling over the edge of the hollow, going so far as to thrust his tongue into the new wound. He brought up the knife again, suckling at the treasured spot while he placed the edge next to the still perfect, tight nub.

Shikamaru screamed.

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“Yes. Yes. Yes!” Orochimaru cried, flexing his small, tan hands. Naruto never had grown to be to tall or big or anything generally associated with strong people.

No matter. Even a short person could tear out a heart. Small hands could still crush a windpipe.

Next he felt his eyes. They were sore and aching under the protective cloth, but the thought of what they could do comforted him. He could already feel them getting less sore, healing minutely every minute, every second.

With this, who would really need Kabuto? The Kyuubi was faster, and had more chakra!

His power would be unparalleled now. Able to heal incredible wounds within seconds, able to copy any move, able to read another’s chakra movements, see through any technique. He could slaughter the Akatsuki whenever he wanted!

“Lord Orochimaru, I think your eyes should be healed within a few days.” Orochimaru felt like scoffing at Kabuto. Days? He’d be ready in hours! And his first stop, of course…

“Kabuto, I’m going to Konoha as soon as my eyes are healed. I’ll slaughter every ninja there, and drink of their strongest blood.” He licked his lips, and was surprised to feel the faint beginnings of fang like canines. Did the fox respond to blood lust that readily?

He’d have to have a chat with the thing soon, but not now.

Now, he just had to sit and let the creature heal him, and then move off to destruction.

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“Mmm, you should feel honored, Shikamaru. I haven’t taken anyone in so long…” The Nara whimpered with what voice was left. His injuries were large in number and depth, cruelty deeper than any of the attacks.

He had bone showing in places, muscles heaving and working with no epidermis to sheath them. Things had been ripped out, others stuck in, sometimes into natural holes sometimes forcing their way through his skin, meat, and bone. A few segments of bone had been purposefully unearthed from his body, in order to be snapped away and thrust into an entirely different part of his body.

He was beautiful in his agony.

“If only you had the fox as well. I don’t think I’ll ever find a body as perfect for torture as yours again.” He ignored the broken sounds and entered, eyes rolling at the rapturous feel. The teenaged boy shook, every aching muscle and skewered joint wishing nothing more then Orochimaru’s death.

“Such a pretty glare. Even like this, you hold sanity, clarity, and hate.” Shikamaru knew he would die within a half hour at best. He knew the rein of destruction and death would continue. He hated himself for not being able to live to stop or help stop this monster. He could see how well Orochimaru had planned, gaining the near omnipotent power of the fox and coupling it with the equally daunting Uchiha eyes.

The Nara dearly wished his last glimpses of this world wouldn’t be of the hybrid mix of Uchiha and Uzumaki. The spinning commas seemed like out of place black dots on the tan blond’s face, about the only black on it.

There was plenty of red.

There would be plenty of laughter.

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The end

Huh, kind of abrupt, but I like how it ends. Because really, how could you stop what Orochimaru became? Not with anything that I’ve read in Naruto. Anyway, please review if you liked. =o This was a totally new style for me, and even though I do like it I also feel apprehensive about it…I keep feeling like I left out details and things, but when I reread it I can’t find it. Meh.