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The Darkness That Binds Him	By : XxKageTenshixX Category: Naruto > General Views: 4337 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 7
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters. Nor do I gain any profit from this story or the anime itself. I own just the plot of this story.

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
- 10
Chapter 9
Suffocating would be the only word to describe the atmosphere surrounding the room's occupants. The aftermath of Sasuke's second appearance had officially put Konohagakure into a state of chaos. Parents kept their children inside and store owners were cautious of who they let inside. Several shinobi teams had been sent out to search the village for the Uchiha, though most were certain that he was using one of the many undiscovered but widely rumored secret entrances within the Uchiha compound to gain access to the village. Needless to say, all of the searches turned up nothing. The teams were pulled back, but most stayed on alert. Tsunade acknowledged the futility of the search efforts to herself. She knew that if Sasuke wanted to get back inside the village, he would. However, Tsunade was determined to do everything she could to keep her village safe.
Sakura stood deathly still by the door, her face still unusually pale from the shock of yesterday's news. Subconsciously her eyes drifted to Tsunade, watching quietly as she ran yet another diagnostic test on her teamma—no, on Naruto. She hadn't been able to call him "teammate" in so long.
Comrade, teammate, friend, brother.
None of those terms meant anything anymore. Was it even possible that just over a year had passed since the… mistake? 14 months….it felt like an eternity since she last thought of Naruto in any of those terms.
Betrayer, Rapist, Demon.
She winced at that last word. She knew Naruto was far from any of those. She wasn't ignorant of the rumors over the past year that had been circulated by the villagers and shinobi that knew of Naruto's secret. The guesses usually ranged somewhere between Naruto was finally showing his true colors and that Naruto was the incarnate of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Even though she never mentioned anything from that time, she briefly wondered if she ever questioned what was being said. Part of her had blamed Sasuke. You would think that after Sasuke's defection, Naruto's and her relationship would have grown. It had, but it wasn't what she now knew it could have been. Another part of her blamed it on the demon inside of him. Maybe its influence had finally seeped into him, like some said. Lastly, in a deeper part of herself, one that she never wanted to acknowledge, she blamed herself. Her thoughts had been so focused on the hurt that she was consumed by that she had never questioned her actions as of late. Sasuke leaving (to be honest with herself, she had never really gotten over it), her ra—assault by her assumed friend, then finding out the truth, dealing with 5 months of heart wrenching guilt, and now this? She could blame it on the shock of it all, but even that only went so far.
Emerging from her morbid thoughts, her eyes followed the glow of the healing justu against pale skin, flinching slightly when she caught sight of blue eyes.
There was something about Naruto's eyes that made her skin crawl.
She didn't dwell on the thought long as Iruka walked stiffly into the room. The force of the door opening beside her was enough to force her step back for fear of it colliding with her face. Hurt passed over her before it was replaced with shame when Iruka glanced at her.
Not wanting to risk her former teacher's wrath, she took one last glance at Naruto and exited the room, softly closing the door behind her.
From the corner of his eye, Iruka saw Sakura leave. He knew she was avoiding him, but he honestly couldn't care less. At least she could take a hint when it was given to her, unlike some people.
Facing the bed, he narrowed his eyes as he watched the Godaime Hokage check over Naruto. That was all she seemed to be doing lately. That and asking Naruto simple questions, like if he remembered what his name was or what village he lived in. Unfortunately the blonde never answered her. Iruka didn't know if he felt impassive or frustrated at that.
But he did feel some happiness. Naruto was finally responding! You couldn't really tell at first look but Iruka could see the differences, like the frequent blinking of his eyes and his slightly slouched frame. It was a sign, maybe, that he was getting better and that was all Iruka needed to know.
Opening his mouth to ask when Naruto is going to be released, he quickly shut it when the sound of people entering the room reached him. Neji and Kakashi eyed him warily as they entered the room. Since Iruka has been prone to violent outbursts lately, they felt their caution was justified.
"You summoned us, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked, his visible eye turning to Tsunade while still keeping Iruka in his periphery of his vision.
Tsunade straighten up and turned to face them. "Yes."
"Neji, as I have already informed Kakashi, Iruka has filed for the legal adoption of Naruto. As a result, Naruto will be released into his care today," she stated slowly, watching their reactions closely. Neji's head snapped towards Iruka before quickly looking back at the Hokage. When he locked eyes with Iruka, his eyes had dared Neji to argue with Tsunade's decision. "I want you and Kakashi to escort Naruto to Iruka's house."
Tsunade paused and eyed Kakashi, who tensed a little, preparing for what he knew was going to happen next. She looked back at Iruka. "I am sending Kakashi to live with you for the next several weeks."
"No way in Hell is that happening," Iruka fumed.
"It's only to help you and Naruto settle into this new life. Don't be unreasonable."
"Unreasonable?" Iruka looked at her menacingly. "I'm not being unreasonable. I don't want you or anyone else that has fallen into the Uchiha's trap anywhere near me or Naruto. You're lucky I haven't already left the village for what you've done! Even Iwa would be better than here! At least I would know what to expect!"
"You can't be serio—"
"Of course I'm serious!"
"You know the history behind Konoha and Iwa, you know what they would do if they found out—"
"OF COURSE I KNOW!"
"It's safer here."
"You have some nerve. Naruto would be safer with the Akatsuki than with you."
"Iruka! This is not up for debate! This is an order!"
Neji and Kakashi watched silently from the sidelines. Iruka was stiff with anger as he argued with Tsunade over who would be let near himself and Naruto….but they knew it was something much deeper than that.
"I don't give a damn about you and your orders! You lost that respect when you threw Naruto in prison! You lost that respect when you let those people hurt him like that."
"We've been through this—"
"No, YOU'VE been through this! You knew! You fucking knew what was happening down there and you did nothing! Absolutely nothing! Would you have let it continue if Uchiha hadn't come along and spoiled the pathetic sense of justification that all of you felt?"
"ENOUGH!" Iruka's mouth snapped shut at the shouted command. "As the Hokage and leader of the village that you still reside in, I am giving you an order and you will follow it like a shinobi of Konoha should!"
Iruka glared at her, fist clenched tightly against his sides, but said nothing else.
The room was left in uncomfortable silence for a few moments. Kakashi's eyes shifted from Tsunade to Iruka, watching their reactions intently. There was something he was being left out of concerning what had really happened in those cells. He wasn't sure if he liked being left in the dark.
Iruka continued to glare at his Leader before looking at the frail blonde behind her, his eyes softening a little before he stiffened. Without another glance at the occupants in the room, he turned, yanking the door open in an attempt to leave.
"Don't forget to stop by my office later so we can officially finalize the care of Naruto." Tsunade's voice caused him to pause before continuing out the room, slamming the door behind him.
Neji stood stiffly away from the door, glad to not be in the same room as Iruka anymore. Even he felt a little uneasy about the whole situation. He and Iruka weren't on as bad of terms as most of the village seemed to be in, but that didn't mean that Iruka was talking to him either. He simply acknowledged Neji's presence more often than other's. Neji couldn't classify himself as one of the ones that had betrayed the blonde ninja's trust by believing he was guilty of that crime….but he was one of the very very few who silently stood by and watched as things played out. He had never voiced his disagreement after the first few times he was asked his opinion of the matter. He always thought it was rather foolish how people jumped to conclusions regarding one's guilt.
He supposed, with some amusement, that he and his cousin were not that different with regards to their blonde friend.
Kakashi still stood quietly against the wall, observing Tsunade as she released a sigh and went to do a last check up on Naruto before his release. Kakashi knew that it should have bothered him that throughout the whole shouting match between Iruka and Tsunade, Naruto had kept a disinterested look, but he guessed he shouldn't assume that he would have been any different, even if he was responding now…
Watching Tsunade gently remove the IV from Naruto's arm, Kakashi wondered if he was just processing everything that had happened over the last year. He wondered if Naruto would even recall what had happened over these last few months….would he recall their pleas for forgiveness? His eyes flew to the ugly scar on Naruto's neck at that last thought.
Would Naruto forgive him for not being there for him all these years?
"Neji, go wait outside. Kakashi will be there momentarily."
Neji frowned but bowed and left.
"Grab those clothes and come help me…I have something to discuss with you anyway."
Kakashi raised a silver eyebrow but complied.
XxXxXxXxTDTBHxXxXxXxX
Iruka found himself staring intently at the room in front of him, a bag of newly bought clothes clutched tightly in his hands. He was oblivious to everything else around him.
The room was a fairly decent size for a typical Konoha house. Shelves filled with toys (most of which were untouched) and a few books sat on the wall. A couple of scrolls sat neatly against the wall in the far right corner, and a couple of kunai and throwing stars laid haphazardly on the floor, along with a couple articles of clothing that were now too small for their owner to wear. The walls were a bright orange, as were the bed sheets. The orange was a little rough on the eyes…but you got used to it.
Most of the items in the room hadn't been touched in years, while a few looked worn. These few items were Naruto's current possessions. Well, what was left of them anyway. A flash of anger shot through Iruka at the thought.
Not long after Naruto had been convicted, the village had celebrated the imprisonment of the Kyuubi Container. One day, a mob had gone so far as to ransack the blonde boy's apartment. Nothing was taken, since no one wanted to take something belonging to a monster. Instead, they dragged the possessions out the house, dumped them in a pile in the middle of the street, and set them on fire. Iruka didn't know how long the fire burned before he came running, having heard a couple of his fellow villagers talking about "the burning of the demon's possessions". With the help of Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon, he had finally managed to put out the fire. But by then it was too late, as most of Naruto's things were destroyed save for a few scrolls, clothes, Naruto's old goggles, a few weapons, and a picture of Teams 7 and 10 together, along with the picture of Team 7 from all those years ago. The picture was burnt around the edges, but Iruka kept it, even though he wanted nothing more than to toss it back in with the rest of the burnt objects.
Together, the small group carried the items back to Iruka's house, ignoring the angry shouts from the villagers. Most of those shouts were about how Naruto had brainwashed them to his side or how they were demon followers, and were not worthy of their attention. Iruka considered the mob a disgrace to the village and betrayers of the human race.
He was used to the hatred, having often defended Naruto as a child, but he knew that the Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi were not. They were not prepared for life as outcasts in their own village, even among their own peers. Neither were they prepared for the insults that were constantly thrown their way or, more importantly, the rejection from their parents. It was a touchy subject for all three kids, but they were handling it as best they could under the circumstances.
A knock on the door sent a scowl on his face. Iruka had been so deep in his memories that he had forgotten his visitors' imminent arrival. Sitting the bag down inside the closet, he turned quickly to answer the door, throwing it open.
"Naruto!"
Kakashi and Neji stood on either side of Naruto, holding the blonde up and preventing him from falling to the ground. Naruto's head was bowed slightly, but not enough to where Iruka couldn't see that his eyes were a bit hazy behind half closed eyelids. Someone, presumably Tsunade, had changed him out of the hospital gown and into a brown t-shirt and black pants that hung loosely off his too thin hips. He wasn't wearing any shoes, but Iruka's concern was finally getting him inside his house.
"Take him to the first room on the left," was the only thing Iruka said before allowing them inside, Naruto stumbling over his feet the whole way.
Closing the door, Iruka turned just in time to see Naruto enter his new room. Not trusting either of the other shinobi in the least, Iruka hurried into the room. He watched carefully as Kakashi and Neji gently sat Naruto down at the foot of the bed, the Hy�ga prodigy bowing slightly before leaving the room and exiting the house.
Not bothering to acknowledge the masked shinobi, Iruka quickly sat down next to Naruto, rubbing his back in soothing circles, whispering that he was finally home and how he wouldn't let anything else hurt the blonde.
Kakashi stood up, letting Iruka's soft promises fill the air before speaking. "I need to follow up with Lady Tsunade on a few things…," he said hesitantly before adding, "I will be back soon."
"Then leave." The harsh worlds belied the unemotional delivery. The white hair shinobi nodded solemnly before disappearing from the room.
At the sound of the front door shutting, Iruka moved to kneel in front of the blonde, gripping his pale hand gently.
"Naruto." At the name, hazy blue eyes roamed the room before settling on the man before him. "Do you remember me Naruto?"
The blonde didn't say anything, his now dull blue eyes meeting Iruka's brown ones unsteadily before breaking contact and lazily roaming the room. They stayed like that for a while, one set of hands holding the other before Iruka spoke again.
"Do you remember how we first met?" Iruka smiled at the memory. "I had just gone out to do some errands when I stumbled across you in an alleyway not too far from here. It was obvious you were hiding, and doing a poor job at it." He stopped, anger flooding him again at the thought of those people hurting Naruto, but he quickly dismissed it. "I tried to coax you out but you were hesitant at first, until I offered you an apple. I could tell you were starving just by the look of you. But it worked. You came out and I led you here. Instead of an apple, I made you dinner and convinced you to stay the night."
Iruka smiled, fondness in his voice as he spoke. "You've been a frequent visitor ever since…" He paused, looking at the blonde in front of him, gripping his hands a little tighter in comfort. "One day, I think a month after I met you, I went out and bought some things and fixed up this spareroom. Painted the walls, found the brightest shade of orange I could for the bedsheets. I invited you over the night of the Kyuubi Festival and while everyone was out celebrating the heroism of the Yondaime, we celebrated your birthday. I made a cake and showed you this this room. It took me weeks to get the room the way I thought you would like, it but the look on your face was worth it." Iruka remembered the look of surprise on the blonde's face when he showed the room to him and the watery smile that came afterwards. "I bought some toys for you too, but you never really touched those—always wanting to spend your time with me outside…I bought you some books too, just to find out you couldn't really read all that well. I know the Sandaime taught you what he could when he could, but I decided I would start teaching you the basics."
Out of the corner of his eye, Iruka could see the book of the Four Hokages of the Leaf. Letting go of Naruto's limp hand to grab the book, he held it up in the blonde's line of sight. "This was your favorite book. It was your present from me for your ninth birthday. I believe this was your inspiration for wanting to become Hokage one day." He paused again, eyebrows furrowed in concern. Sitting the book down in its original spot, Iruka grabbed Naruto's hand again.
"Do you still have that dream Naruto?"
As Iruka expected, there was no answer to his question.
Roaming blue eyes caught Iruka's brown ones; the blonde's face never changed from the impassive look still plastered on his pale face. Iruka stared intently at Naruto, trying to see what the blonde wasn't letting anyone see. After a moment, Iruka smiled, as if receiving his answer to his question. Raising his hand, the brown haired man placed his hand on Naruto's cheek, ignoring how cold the blonde's skin felt beneath his fingers.
"I'm taking care of you now, Naruto, and I promise I won't let anyone hurt you anymore." The words were spoken softly, but he was sure that Naruto heard him. Standing up, but never letting go of Naruto's hand, Iruka sat next to Naruto. Iruka was content with staring at the wall in front of them, just so long as he could be next to his adopted son.
That's how Kakashi came upon them, a bag strapped over his shoulder. Iruka looked back, a scowl forming on his face when he caught sight of the other Konoha shinobi. Casting one last look at the blonde, Iruka stood silently as to not disturb the young man next to him. Walking out the room, Iruka softly closed the door, turning to cast another glare at Kakashi.
"What?" He snapped.
Kakashi didn't say anything, only shifted the bag on his shoulder. When Iruka caught sight of the bag, he scoffed and silently led the Jonin to another room.
"This is where you will be sleeping during your…stay." The last word was forced through gritted teeth. "I expect it to be the way I left it when you leave."
Side stepping away from the entrance of the room, Iruka watched the man hesitantly enter the room and place his bag on the bed. Turning, Iruka made his way to the kitchen. It was time for him to start preparing dinner.
Humming to himself in an effort to calm down, Iruka opened up one of the cabinets and pulled out a frying plan, placing it on the stove. He continued pulling out ingredients until Kakashi walked in. Ignoring the man, Iruka poured some flour into a bowl before cutting up the fish that sat on the counter.
"Iruka." Kakashi wasn't surprised at the lack of response. "Iruka, If I am going to be staying here, we need to come to a compromi—" his words were cut off as Iruka slammed down the knife and swiftly spun around, anger burning in his eyes.
"Listen to me and listen to me good." Iruka pointed angrily at Kakashi. "I have no intentions of being friendly with you. I do not like you. The only reason why I am putting up with your presence in my home is because Tsunade ordered me to, though I don't see how being in the same place with the person that hurt you in the first place will help Naruto recover," he sneered.
"Iruka, please lis—"
A glass bowl flew into the wall next to Kakashi's head, the sounds of glass shattering ringing in the air.
"You stay away from me and Naruto unless I tell you otherwise, you hear me? I mean it Hatake! I catch you near Naruto and I will kill you!" Iruka screamed, storming out the kitchen without another word.
Kakashi's wide eyes followed the brown haired man out the kitchen. He had never known Iruka to be that violent.
Iruka made his way to Naruto's room, calming himself before opening the door. Naruto was in the same spot that he had left him; the blonde's head was listlessly hanging down, staring at his hands that were now lying in his lap.
Releasing a breath of air, Iruka walked over to him, positioning his arms underneath Naruto's. "Come on, Naruto."
Helping Naruto stand, the two slowly made their way to the bathroom across the hall, Naruto stumbling and limping the whole way there. Sitting the blonde down on top of the toilet seat, Iruka leaned over the tub and began to fill it with warm water. Turning back to Naruto, Iruka gripped the ends of Naruto's shirt to take to off, stopping when Naruto flinched at the attempt.
"It's okay. I'm only helping you undress so you can bathe. I won't hurt you," Iruka stated softly, removing the shirt completely. Staring back at him was a large scar, running from the blonde's left shoulder to the middle of his stomach. There were a couple more scars that were almost invisible if you weren't looking for them. There were a couple more visible on his arms too…and then there was the nasty looking scar going across his neck…
Frowning slightly, Iruka lowered his hands and removed Naruto's pants and boxers, ignoring the more violent flinch that came from the young man and the reasons for that reaction. There were a few more scars visible on his upper thighs and one on his lower left leg, but they didn't look all that bad now. Iruka regretted knowing that those scars would more than likely stay with Naruto for the rest of his life if they hadn't healed by now.
Sighing sadly to himself, Iruka helped Naruto stand and led him to the tub. Lowering the blonde gently into the tub as to not startle him too much, Iruka grabbed the bar of soap and a fresh wash towel form the rack by the wall. Gently placing the towel against the blonde's skin, Iruka began to clean his skin, making sure not to travel too far against his face or too low, all the while humming the same tune form the kitchen to keep Naruto calm. When he had washed all he could, Iruka grabbed the shampoo, pouring some in Naruto's hair and lathering the liquid into the limp golden locks. He made sure to not get any in Naruto's eyes and massaged his scalp gently. After Naruto was thoroughly cleaned, as clean as he could get, Iruka rinsed Naruto off and released the water from the tub. Helping the blonde out the tub, Iruka helped him dry off and put on the plain black clothes that he had sat out earlier.
Satisfied, Iruka and Naruto headed back to Naruto's room. Iruka placed Naruto back onto the bed, this time helping him lay back against the headboard. As he was settling Naruto into bed, Kakashi entered, holding two plates filled with chopped fish and rice. Iruka took the plates without thanks before turning back to Naruto, placing the plate beside him. Hearing the door close, Iruka sat on the bed, making sure to sit comfortably as he faced Naruto.
Picking up one of the plates, Iruka held it in front of Naruto. "Are you hungry? It's only fish and rice…I thought it would be a good idea to start you off with something basic." He left out the fact that it was Kakashi that actually cooked the food he had prepared.
When Naruto looked at the plate, Iruka sat it in the blonde's lap, holding out the chopsticks for him to use. Naruto looked at the utensil for a moment before raising a shaky hand to grip it. Iruka watched sadly as Naruto tried and failed at picking up a piece of fish, his hands shaking so badly the chopsticks continued to fall out of his grip. Blinking back tears, the older man pick up the chopsticks, picking up a piece of fish and holding it in front of the blonde's lips. Naruto opened his mouth and Iruka placed the fish onto his tongue, waiting patiently until Naruto finished chewing before repeating the action until the plate was cleaned. Iruka placed the empty plate onto the bed side table, picking up his own plate and eating some of its contents.
After a few bites, Iruka noticed that his vision was starting to get blurry. Panicking briefly when he choked on some of the rice, his breathing started to get a bit erratic. Placing the plate on the bed, he closed his eyes began rubbing at his them uselessly. Suddenly, a sob tore through his throat and the tears clouding his eyes began to fall, landing on the orange material underneath him.
"Oh God, Naruto! I'm so sorry!" he cried, his shoulders shaking with the force of his sob, his fingers digging into the material of the bed. "I-I wasn't there for you when you needed me. I swear, if I could go back in time, I would be right next to you at that blasted trial. I swear I would!" He could barely hear his own words over his sobs, but his last words were spoken so softly, he thought he wasn't being heard. "Please, please, please forgive me. I never meant it…"
He continued to cry, hands still digging into the blanket, until he felt hands wrap around his gently. Opening his eyes, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the pale hands on top his. Slowly, his watery eyes widened and his sobs slowly decreased until they stopped. Looking up, Iruka whispered softly.
"…Naruto?"
That impassive look was still on the blonde's face, but his eyes weren't that dull of a color anymore, they shined with something as he stared at Iruka, never letting go of the older man's hands.
And that's how they stayed, in peaceful silence—with Naruto's hands gripping Iruka's like a lifeline and Iruka's small sniffles—until Naruto drifted off into a well-deserved sleep. Iruka slipped his hands from Naruto's loosened grip and stood, removing the plate from the bed and on top of Naruto's empty one on the small table by the bed. Wiping his face with the sleeve of his shirt, Iruka smiled a little at Naruto's peaceful expression as the blonde slept. Gently removing the blanket from underneath Naruto's sleeping body Iruka gently covered Naruto with it before gathering their plates and leaving the room. Looking back at Naruto, he turned off the lights and shut the door softly.
Kakashi was standing outside the door, leaning on the wall beside the door. The man never looked at Iruka and Iruka didn't spare the man a glance either, choosing instead to head in the direction of the kitchen—that small smile ever present on his face.
With a last glance at the door, Kakashi headed to his room.
XxXxXxXxTDTBHxXxXxXxX
The sun had already set and the people of the village were settling down for the night. On a street corner stood a restaurant that still held customers, unlike those who closed up early since the aftermath of the Uchiha's second appearance. One of those customers was the Nara clan's own Shikamaru. The brown haired shinobi sat at the far end of the restaurant, well away from any of the other customers.
The chair next to him moved, one of his fellow shinobi settling down in the seat.
"Neji."
The other ninja didn't speak at first, choosing instead to stare intently at the counter. "…Did you know?"
"Hm?"
"Did you know?"
It wasn't hard to figure out what the Byakugan user meant. Shikamaru didn't answer at first, choosing to let his thoughts run free before he came to a decision. Neither noticed another pair of ears that were listening.
"At one point in time, I thought it was possible." Shikamaru paused before continuing, "But with the way the villagers treated him, I just assumed that I was wrong."
Neither said anything for a moment, silently dwelling on their thoughts. Sighing in frustration, Neji clinched his fists.
"How could we have missed it? They look almost identical."
Shikamaru shifted in his seat. "It wouldn't have mattered. We would have never acknowledged the fact that they could have been related both because, to us classmates, he was simply the dead last in school to compare to a man like the Yondaime and because the older generations held so much hatred for him, it simply never crossed our minds. They treated him like dirt instead of the heir to the village's hero."
Neji stood abruptly, slamming his hands down on the counter and catching the attention of the other occupants of the restaurant.
"How could they keep a secret like this? Didn't it occur to them that Naruto's life would have been better had his heritage not been kept a secret from us?" With that, Neji turned and left, too upset to stay and hear the Nara prodigy's response.
Shaking his head, Shikamaru placed his head in his hands. "…Maybe it was because his life would have been far worse had people known who his father was."
Behind the counter, Ayame and Teuchi stood wide eyed, having heard the whole thing.
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The Darkness That Binds Him