Chapter Text
Naruto skidded around a corner, panic surging through him. His chest heaved, heart hammering inside- desperate to get out. He gasped for air as he spun around, searching for somewhere to hide. He could hear footsteps behind him, closing in fast.
Shit. Where am I supposed to-
He spotted a small alley tucked between two old buildings and raced towards it, knowing it was his only chance. He wasn’t fast enough to outrun them, and he definitely wasn’t strong enough to fight off a group of alphas alone. All he could do was hide and hope they would eventually lose interest.
Naruto ignored his creeping doubts as he launched himself into the covert darkness. His feet slipped over loose gravel, and he prayed to god that they didn’t hear it. There was a dumpster at the far end of the alley and he quickly slid behind it, crouching down in its shadows for better cover.
Naruto buried a fist in his shirt as he fought to catch his breath, willing his thrashing heart to give his aching chest a break. He dropped his head forward, letting long blonde hair fall around his face as he waited.
He could hear them.
Their cackles and taunts were getting closer, every step making their threats clearer and his fear rise.
Don’t panic, he told himself. Maybe they won’t notice you.
Maybe they’ll just-
“Ohhh, Narutooo..” a voice rang out, chilling him to his core. “Come out, come out, wherever you areee.”
Sasori.
Naruto inhaled sharply and quickly shoved his hand over his mouth, stifling any other sound that might slip through.
Please don’t come down here, he thought.
Please, please, for the love of fucking god, don’t-
“We know you’re out here” he purred. “You know, it’s only a matter of time before we find you.”
One of his pursuers kicked a garbage can, sending it crashing against a wall. Naruto’s heart lurched up his throat.
“You’re starting to piss me off” another one snarled, malice coating every syllable.
Kakuzu.
That calculated calm voice of his shattered, a million sharp edges that tore right through Naruto. He’s seen this side of Kakuzu before- the monster he truly is when he finally pulls back the composed mask.
Naruto didn’t want to face it again.
He just couldn’t.
“You have three seconds, Uzumaki” Sasori called out, still confident that Naruto was close enough to hear him.
“You come out now, and I’ll consider going easy on you. Don’t, and I will make sure you fucking regret it!!”
Yeah, like I’m going to fall for that, Naruto thought.
“He must have run off into the woods” someone else interjected.
Naruto knew that voice too- another one he had hoped to avoid.
Shit. Hidan’s with them.
Naruto swallowed hard.
If they find me out here, I don’t stand a chance.
He’s had to face them before and, on a few rare occasions, all at once. And each time was worse than the last.
Sasori was the one who pulled all the strings, and his cruelty had no bounds. He could make his buddies do practically anything, and he wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty either- which made him just as terrifying to face alone as he was with his friends in tow.
Hidan was always eager for a fight, but he wasn’t as brutish as the others. That didn’t make him more pleasant to go up against, by any means.
Hidan would still beat the shit out of you, he was just a bit more upfront about how he did it. You might walk away with a handful of broken bones, and Naruto definitely wondered if he ever sent someone to an early grave, but at least you knew what to expect from Hidan.
Kakuzu was the complete opposite.
He wanted to watch his victims squirm, plead, scream their throats raw and cough up its bloodied remnants. He didn’t just get some rush of adrenaline from a fight or a burst of endorphins from humiliating someone like the others did.
Kakuzu wanted to see crippling terror, to stand by and watch as pain slowly tore someone apart. He wore a mask of composure, but it never hid the excitement that would suddenly spark to life in his eyes- especially when someone begged him to stop.
Naruto didn’t want to face any of them, but he couldn’t stomach the thought of Kakuzu finding him here. He’d rather get his ass kicked than be tormented by a sociopath.
He truly could not think of anything worse. Though he assumed, given the chance, Kakuzu could.
…
The sound of fading footsteps pulled Naruto from his dark musings. His eyes widened. He couldn’t believe his luck. In fact, it might be the first time he’s ever had any to speak of.
Shut up. Stop thinking about it, he chided himself. Don’t jinx it.
He waited a bit longer, wanting to make absolutely certain that the coast was clear before leaving his hiding spot. If there was even a slight chance of them being out there, a hint of doubt left, he would stay behind that dumpster. Hell, he’d spend the night there if it meant he’d be able to get away. But Naruto had been straining his ears for a while now and had yet to hear any noise at all.
I think they’re really gone.
He nodded and took few deep breaths, steeling his nerve before stepping out from the shadows. He slowly rose to his feet and pressed his palm against the wall, keeping himself steady on legs that felt anything but.
With the utmost caution he stepped around the dumpster and slowly made his way back to the front of the alley. He dragged a damp palm across rough brick as he went. The sensation helped him feel grounded, and he was quick to welcome it.
It’s ok, he reassured himself. They’re gone. You know they’re gone.
Just focus on getting home.
He approached the alley entrance, eyes unblinking as he stepped closer to the light.
It’s ok.
It’s ok.
You’re ok.
Naruto stepped across the threshold, out from the shadows, and was temporarily blinded by the sun. He raised a hand to shield his eyes from it but never stopped moving forward. He couldn’t afford to waste anymore time.
He dropped his head, avoiding the abrasive rays as he made his way across the parking lot with newfound purpose. He knew where he needed to go. Just one foot in front of the other as he made his way to a real sanctuary. A place that hasn’t failed him yet.
Konoha Forest.
The woods were massive, extending all the way around town, and then some. While he definitely has not explored all of it by any means, Naruto did frequent it enough to feel comfortable finding his way through no matter his starting point.
For lack of better words, it just came second nature to him.
The forest enclosing Konohagakure was dense with towering oaks and nearly impenetrable foliage. Crows and red-tailed hawks took refuge there, and deer were often sighted leaping across its brush. There were patches of wildflowers scattered inside, bordering small clearings and trailing beside trickling streams.
Naruto’s favorite feeling in the entire world was losing himself in those woods.
It felt like home more than any structure ever had. He could curl up in its dark comfort and breathe easy knowing that he was safe. The rustling of the leaves soothed his loneliness, like murmurs of an old friend, and the clearings offered warmth he couldn’t find anywhere else. Running his fingers over rough branches, leafy canopies brushing back his hair- the forest showed him a tenderness he usually went without.
It was the closest thing to love he’s ever known.
And after the kind of day he’s had, he was eager to go back to it.
A cloud passed by, freeing him from the incessant light, and Naruto finally raised his head. He expected to see a stretch of pavement and a beckoning forest beyond it.
He was wrong.
All he saw when he looked up was a set of dark eyes staring back at him.
Naruto’s breath caught in his throat, trapping his scream inside. Before he could do anything to get away a fist slammed into the side of his face, knocking him to the ground.
Naruto dropped hard. He threw his hands out to catch himself and felt jagged rocks tear at his palms. But he didn’t have time to deal with that now.
He sat up fast and turned around in time to see Hidan’s fist barreling towards him. Calloused knuckles slammed into his jaw and sent him reeling, knocking him flat.
Naruto’s whole face felt like it was set on fire. It scorched a path down the side of his jaw and burned his bottom lip. Naruto prodded it gently with his tongue, feeling the gash down its length. He could taste blood. Could feel it coating his tongue, his teeth, staining the tears in the back of his throat.
Naruto’s arms shook as he pushed himself up on his forearms. He dug his fingers into the pavement, lodging loose gravel under his nails as he tried to crawl away. He could feel a sob rising in his chest and just barely managed to choke it back when Kakuzu grabbed him. He buried his fist in blonde locks and roughly jerked his head back. Naruto cried out as he wrenched him up by his hair and forced him onto his knees.
“Nnghn!”
Naruto looked up through a haze of pain and found Kakuzu staring down at him, his eyes flashing with cruelty.
“I knew I’d find you here.”
He noticed the fiery look in the blonde’s eyes, and narrowed his own.
“Got something you want to say to me, Naruto?”
“Nhnn.. y-yeah, I do.”
Naruto grimaced as every word tugged at his bloodied lip. He clenched his jaw, forcing back the ache, the fear. They were going to hurt him anyways- there was no way he was getting out of this. But that didn’t mean he had to willingly submit to them.
Kakuzu leaned in, jade eyes practically glowing with excitement. “I’m listening.”
Naruto glowered up at him, reddening blues meeting that shameless stare. Honestly, he was terrified. But he hated cowering. And he hated how fucking easy it was for them to make him.
Naruro swallowed blood and fear, and glared at the bastard who put them there.
“Fuck. You.”
He was pleased to see how easy it was to obliterate that sadistic smile, but the feeling didn’t last.
The brunette abruptly jerked him back, throwing Naruto to the ground. His head smacked against concrete, his consciousness wavered, but they were never going to let him go that easily. They never have before.
Naruto raised a hand weakly as be struggled to pull himself up again.
“S-stop..”
Kakuzu grabbed Naruto’s wrist and jerked him towards him. Keeping him locked in place, Kakuzu reeled his arm back then bashed his fist into the side of his skull.
Naruto’s eyes rolled. His head smacked against the ground again. He faintly wondered how many times you could get hit like this before getting permanent brain damage. He assumed if he hadn’t already, he was likely well on his way.
Darkness clung to him, pulling his mind into its depths, and Naruto didn’t fight it this time. He could feel himself on the edge of a precipice, waiting to finally fall to nothing. He was close, but it was ripped away from him before he ever got the chance to jump.
A hand tightened around his jaw and jerked his face back, forcing him to look up. The pressure aggravated his pain enough to keep him conscious- to keep him away from an escape.
“That wasn’t very smart of you, Naruto.”
The sneer on Kakuzu’s face slowly spread into a feral grin and Naruto watched as he looked up past him. He didn’t understand why at first, but when he heard the footsteps he knew. More people were coming towards them. Naruto could hear their voices and knew they weren’t here to stop this. No, they were just as eager to get their hands on him. Or to watch.
Everyone enjoyed a good alpha fight.
And Naruto just so happened to be their favorite punching bag. Especially these alphas in particular. They’ve already managed to find a million ways to make his life hell, and he was sure they’d find a million more before they got tired of it.
It’s been a while since he’s faced this level of abuse from them, so he thought they’d moved on to someone else. But now it was plenty clear that they weren’t done with him- not yet.
Naruto had held out hope that all of this would be short lived- the taunting, the abuse. But that hope died pitifully in his chest when their interest in him didn’t. When they ended their day by hunting him down, eager to terrorize him. To leave their mark.
He shouldn’t be surprised. Naruto has had this fucking target on his back for months.
And Sasuke Uchiha was the one who put it there.