This is the first chapter of my newest story, an idea given to me by fellow author Ookami88, who piqued my interest with the concept. So much of the credit goes to him, as he provided me with the storyline. I apologize if I missed any spelling and grammar mistakes, but I didn't feel like proofreading it a fourth time.

WARNING: This story will venture further than I've ever done before, and therefore be more graphic than what I normally write. Please be warned that this story contains swearing, molestation (including implications and scenes of rape), as well as smut/lemons. If you are uncomfortable with these, then I advise that you do not read it, especially with the later chapters becoming darker and more graphic. Again, if it is not your cup of tea, then don't read it. I don't want people to complain about it, since I've given a fair warning.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Side Effects

Chapter 1

The twenty-one year-old woman stood in front of the tall building, hesitating briefly as her anxiety began to creep up. For a moment, she was having second thoughts, and she debated on just turning around and going home. Her nerves were getting to her, and she took a deep breath to regain her composure. As nervous as she was, however, she realized that she simply didn't have much of a choice at this point, and reluctantly entered the towering structure. Printed on the glass door read WHITE SNAKE MEDICAL RESEARCH CLINIC in large, black letters.

Once inside, she immediately noticed the spacious reception area, with a woman behind a desk on the left, and a large waiting room to the right. There were restrooms further down past the waiting room, according to the posted signs.

Hinata stopped in front of the desk, swallowing a lump in her throat as she waited for the woman behind the desk to finish her phone call.

Moments later, the receptionist hung up, then looked up at the girl with a smile on her face. "Hello, how can I help you?"

"I-I'm, um, I'm here for that clinical trial," she replied meekly, tucking a lock of indigo hair behind her ear. "I-I was told to come here at eleven, so I'm a little early."

The woman nodded in understanding, typing something as she stared at the screen in front of her. "Hyuga Hinata?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Okay, let me just put it in the system," the lady mused, typing for another moment, her fingers clacking the buttons on the keyboard. "There's some paperwork that you're going to need to fill out, so it's good that you came a little early. If you have any questions, feel free to ask." She held out clipboard with a small packet, as well as a pen.

"Thank you," Hinata murmured politely, turning around to take a seat in the empty waiting room.

The carpet was a warm beige color, and the twenty or so chairs were neatly lined along the walls. The plushy seats were a light, sky-blue shade, looking more comfortable than the average chairs found in waiting rooms. A flat-screen television was mounted on the wall, which was currently on a news channel. Framed pictures hung on the cream-colored wall, many of them containing inspirational quotes. There were a few end tables among the seats, each with a stack of magazines atop of them. Besides a free water cooler with plastic cups, there were also two vending machines. The first sold an assortment of bottled water, soft beverages, and sports drinks. The second was stocked with candy, sweets, chips, and a few other varieties of snacks. Food was the last thing on Hinata's mind as she began to read over the paperwork.

Most of the questions were straightforward, such as name, address, and phone number. There were questions regarding current health status, history of illnesses, as well as family health history. Hinata answered those with ease, her anxiety slowly melting away. There was nothing to be nervous about, she tried to convince herself. She was getting worked up over nothing.

Once that section was finished, she turned to the next area, which requested more personal questions. Was she or had she ever been pregnant? When was her last sexual encounter? Those questions made her cheeks turn a bit pink, but she quickly filled in the answers. It had been about a year since the last time she'd had any sexual relations. She and her then-boyfriend had decided that they simply didn't have any romantic feelings for one another. The break-up hadn't been particularly ugly, and there had been no hard feelings. He was the first and only person she had ever slept with and she hadn't been with anyone else since. She had turned down numerous dates, and declined the offers of her friends setting her up on blind dates. One-night stands were not of interest for her. After answering those questions, she checked off 'No' for the category that listed various diseases, such as STDs, and other illnesses.

'Am I really going through this?' Even as she debated it, the pen continued to fill in the answers, until she had nearly completed the packet. She had been so engrossed in the paperwork, that she hadn't even realized that another person was now standing in front of the receptionist's desk.

"You're late," the woman remarked with a half-smile. "Get lost?"

The young man chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, I walked past it a few times."

The receptionist smirked with amusement. "Well, try to get some of this paperwork started. Whatever you don't finish now can be completed afterwards before you leave. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thanks," he replied, taking it from her.

"And your name?" she inquired, double-checking her file.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

Hinata, who had been finishing up the last of the questions, heard the name greet her ears, and she look up in surprise. Just as she did, her gaze was met with that of the young man making his way towards the waiting room. Although he looked slightly different since the last time she had seen him, there was no mistake that he was, indeed, her old friend. His blond hair was shorter than it used to be, and he had grown taller as well. His grin made him that much more handsome, and the young woman felt her cheeks heat up as her lavender eyes locked with his vibrant blue ones. He was dressed in a pair of black pants, a white t-shirt, and an orange jacket that he kept unzipped. Even with the clothing covering his body, Hinata could still make out the muscles in his arms and torso.

Before she could speak, Naruto smiled brightly and walked over towards her, as he immediately recognized her. "Hinata, is that you?" He pulled her into a hug the moment she stood up, catching her by surprise. "It's been awhile! How have you been?"

"N-Naruto-kun," was the only thing she could manage, her face turning red as he held her against his chest. It had been almost three years since she had last seen him, but her heart fluttered just like it used to when she was around him. After graduation, the two had gone their separate ways, eventually losing touch with one another.

Naruto smiled, pulling back a bit as he looked down at her, his body towering over hers. "You still do that cute little blush and stutter. It really is you."

"Y-yes, it's really me," she responded, still blushing at how close they were. "I...I've missed you," she added shyly, dropping her gaze.

"I've missed you, too," he replied, clearly excited to reunite with his old friend.

Hinata had always been attractive, but she looked even more beautiful than before. Her silky, indigo hair was longer, reaching almost down to her waist. She had always been on the smaller size, making her ample breasts more obvious on her petite frame. The sleeveless, lavender sundress she wore matched her eyes, which she had once been self-conscious about. Naruto, on the other hand, had always found her unusual eyes gorgeous. She was stunning, and he couldn't help but notice how the dress she wore accentuated her figure. 'She looks adorable,' he thought to himself.

Realizing that his hands were on her shoulders, Naruto quickly removed them and gave an embarrassed laugh. "Sorry, I'm just so excited to see you."

"Me too," she confessed, smiling sweetly up at him, her cheeks still a light shade of pink.

Just as he was about to speak again, the receptionist stood up and called over to them. "Yakushi-sama would like the two of you to meet him on the third floor," she informed them. "You can take the elevator that's right over there, and then when you get out, walk down the corridor until you see Room 315. It will be on the right, just before the hallway takes a left. You can leave your paperwork with me for now if you haven't finished it."

Hinata handed the woman her completed packet, but Naruto gave an embarrassed smile as he gave her his paperwork. He hadn't even gotten as far as writing his name.

"You can complete it once the meeting is over, but for now, Yakushi-sama is waiting for you," she informed them.

Naruto and Hinata nodded in understanding and headed towards the elevator, where the blond pushed the button to open the doors. The elevator opened right away, and they stepped into it, waiting patiently for the doors to close.

"So, Hinata, what brings you here?" Naruto asked as they slowly ascended upwards.

"Oh, um...well..." her voice trailed off, not sure how to respond to the question. She was rather humiliated by the reason behind it, and had been hoping to keep it a secret. Running into her former crush had been the last thing she'd expected.

Realizing that she was nervous, Naruto quickly spoke up. "I came here because the money they were offering to take part in this clinical trial was too good to pass up. Ya see, my roommate decided to move out while I was at work one day. I literally came home to find out that he took all of his shit and left. That bastard even took a few of my things," he added with clear annoyance. "But anyway, he skipped out on his half of the rent, so he left me kind of screwed. And I figured that if I signed up for one of these weird clinical studies, I could make some quick cash."

"I'm sorry about your roommate. I can't believe anyone would do something like that. That's horrible," she said with a sympathetic expression.

"Yeah, but there's really not much I can do about it," he remarked with a sigh. "That's why I'm here."

Since Naruto had been so open about his situation, she felt a bit more comfortable to share hers just as the elevator reached the third floor. "I'm in a bit of a tough situation myself," she began, the doors sliding open. The two of them exited the elevator and began to make their way down the corridor. "About six months ago, I had a falling out with my father. I left and moved in with a friend for a little while so I could get back on track. The thing is, I had some accounts that had somehow been hacked into, and emptied. I'm fighting with the bank to get it resolved, but they're trying to claim that it's not their responsibility. I'm pretty sure that my father is behind it, but I can't prove it. He has a friend who works at that bank, so it's highly plausible. I thought about hiring a lawyer, but I can't afford to, since I don't have the funds to do so."

Naruto stopped, gaping at her. "Are you serious? Why the hell would he do that? I mean, yeah, your dad's always been kind of a hard-ass, but I never expected him to do something like that. What was his problem?" he asked, traces of anger in his voice.

Hinata paused for a moment before continuing. "He wanted to arrange a marriage between me and his business partner's son, and I refused. I left and we haven't spoken since. I still keep in contact with my sister, though, to check up on her."

"Wait, what?" His temper was increasing. "He tried to marry you off? Like you're nothing but property?"

They began to walk once more, as Hinata gave a small nod to indicate that they should head towards the designated room. "More or less. I could never marry someone that I didn't love, and his partner's son is...well, I haven't met many people that are worse than him."

"What's he like?" the blond asked.

'The opposite of you,' she thought to herself. "He's rude and arrogant, and he constantly talks down to everyone. Women especially. I know that if I were ever to marry a man like that, I'd probably be treated like a second class citizen. Be the silent, obedient wife that answers to her husband's every beck and call," she remarked. "So I left. My friend has since moved away, and I managed to rent a small flat with what money I had saved while I was staying with her. But between rent, bills, and other necessities, even working two jobs sometimes doesn't cut if. I'm only working one at the moment. My other boss was apparently being accused of tax evasion, which was a staggering amount from what I was told. So we're guessing he fled the country or something because he was gone one day and hasn't returned."

Naruto shook his head in disbelief as they passed by some of the doors in the hallway. "Damn...so you're in the same boat as me, huh? Need to make some money, and fast."

She gave a slight smile. "Basically."

"Well, even though we're both in crappy situations, I'm glad that we ran into each other," he told her, slowly approaching Room 315 near the end of the corridor. "I can't believe that we lost contact like that. Hell, if it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have graduated," he added with a chuckle. "But you made sure that I didn't fail. So I owe you one."

Hinata blushed lightly and shook her head. "You don't owe me anything, Naruto-kun. I just gave you a little tutoring, but you accomplished most of that yourself."

"Oh, come on. Who are you kidding? We both know how much of an idiot I was in high school," he laughed. "That was you keeping my ass in line. That, and Sakura constantly nagging me."

"Speaking of Sakura, how is she?" Hinata forced herself to ask. Naruto had started dating her right before graduation, and she remembered the pain she had felt when she found out.

Naruto sighed. "We broke up after about a year. We were constantly fighting, and it was just miserable." Room 315 was getting closer. "What about you? I heard that you and Kiba started going out soon after."

"Yes, that is true," she told him. Once she had learned that she no longer had a chance with Naruto, she had agreed to date Kiba after his several attempts of asking her out. She had hoped that it would fill the void that she'd felt in her heart, but it had done nothing to ease the pain. "We ended our relationship over a year ago. We realized that we didn't have any romantic feelings for one another. We're still friends, but we rarely come into contact."

"I'm sorry," he told her. "But, at least we're no longer stuck in unhappy relationships, right?"

She smiled just as they reached Room 315. "Right."

Naruto knocked on the door, trying to see through the frosted glass window in the middle of the door.

"Come on in," a voice called from inside.

The blond opened the door, allowing Hinata to enter first, whom thanked him. It looked like a conference room of some sort, with a large rectangular white table, with eight chairs on each side, and one chair at the head of the table, which was the furthest from the door. Seated in that particular chair was a man who appeared to be in his early thirties. His silver hair was tied back into a ponytail, and he wore round, black glasses over his dark eyes. He wore a navy blue button-up beneath his open white coat, and he stood to greet them with a pleasant smile.

"Uzumaki-san. Hyuga-san. I've been expecting you. I hope you were able to find the building okay," he added. "My name is Yakushi Kabuto. I am the head researcher for the trial study that you expressed interest in. Please, have a seat."

Naruto and Hinata sat beside each other on the left end of the table while exchanging their own pleasantries.

"Before we begin, do either of you have any questions?" Kabuto asked.

"Yeah, I do have one," Naruto told him. "Why are you offering to pay so much money for this study? The information claimed that it was safe and all, but I feel like there's a catch."

Kabuto shrugged. "There's no catch, Uzumaki-san. I like to ensure that any volunteers who agree to partake in my research are fairly compensated for their cooperation. There have never been any issues with these studies, other than mild side effects. Hives. Dizziness. Nausea. Nothing dangerous or life-threatening. In fact, we have many clients who return a more regular basis to take part in additional studies. Some people even make a living off of it. I am paying a bit more than usual because I have only had a handful of subjects in this study so far. There have been no cases of adverse side effects, but if you are hesitant, then feel free to decline. However, if you agree to it, you must fulfill your end of the contract by completing the entirety of it. It takes place over the course of four weeks, and if you choose to take part in it, you will get half of the payment right away. You will receive the rest at the end of the four weeks. If you attempt to break your end of the deal, you will be required to pay back any monies that have been paid to you. There have never been any cases like that, but I don't want to pressure you into anything that might make you uncomfortable."

Despite Kabuto's reassurances, Hinata couldn't shake that hint of doubt that kept rearing its ugly head. Did she really want to take part in this trial? Before she could make that decision, she would need more information about the study. Naruto seemed to have the same idea as he spoke up a moment later.

"So, what exactly is this study anyway? Like, what do we have to do?" he inquired.

"We are testing out a new type of dietary supplement," Kabuto explained. "Although neither of you look as though you need to be on a diet, weight loss isn't the only thing the supplement may be beneficial towards. It will safely and naturally give you a boost in energy, but not harmful the way caffeine is. They do not contain caffeine, by the way. They are not meant to be treated for depression or anxiety, but most test subjects felt more relaxed and content than usual while taking the supplements. Many found themselves to be more motivated than they used to be. There could be more positive factors that have not yet been noticed. None of the drugs will be harmful towards your overall health from what we've gathered. There are rare cases where things could happen, but that kind of comes with the territory in this type of field. Everything is trial and error, hence why we're willing to pay you so much. You will also take part in some sociological and behavioral studies, to see how the drugs effect your mood. Some feel improvement, while others have little reaction to the drugs. You will also participate in a variety of physical activities, so we can observe if the supplements are proving helpful.

"Due to the fact that you will most likely not have time for your jobs in order to fully participate in this study, you will be paid enough to cover six months worth of rent. That is not included with the paycheck for the study itself. As I said, you will get the first half of the payment, along with the rent coverage, within 24 hours of us receiving your payment information, should you decide to participate. You will receive the second half upon the completion of this trial. So, although you may not have a job by the end of this, you will have enough money to sustain you for awhile until you can manage to find a replacement. Some people use up sick time or vacation time, while others flat out quit the jobs that they despise and take part in the study."

Naruto seemed to be thinking. "Well, I'm not really crazy about my current job, and with my roommate walking out on me, it's not like I'm going to be able to afford my apartment whether I have that job or not. I really don't have much to lose, so quitting my job won't affect me."

Kabuto nodded with a smile, then turned to Hinata. "And you, Hyuga-san? Would it be problematic for you to possibly lose your current job in order to partake in the trial?"

Hinata thought for a moment, weighing out her options. She was more hesitant about this than Naruto, as she couldn't shake this paranoid feeling. Overall, the experiment didn't sound too bad, and the money would save her from a worse situation. The issues with her accounts had not been resolved, and didn't appear that they would be anywhere in the near future. Not only that, but Naruto sounded like he was interested in it, meaning he probably didn't have her worries. She couldn't help but feel a bit more relaxed knowing that fact, and she made her decision.

"Like Naruto-kun, my situation won't get any better, whether I have my job or not. So, it would probably be beneficial for me to take part in this," she said.

"Okay, if you are both interested, then we can begin this study as of tomorrow morning, if it works for the two of you. However, you will need to sign a contract before you start. It's mainly a disclaimer stating that you are not allowed to sue us for any adverse side effects. The risks have been put on the table, as we do not want any legal issues. Once you sign the contract, though, you may not break it under any circumstances. By doing so will result in you forfeiting the contract and you will be required to pay back any and all payments that have already been received by you. Feel free to read it through." Kabuto pulled two small packets of paper out of a folder, and passed them both to Naruto, whom gave one to Hinata. "This is four pages long, each of them requiring a signature. We do not need any personal information other than what you've already provided. We only request access to your medical records from your doctors. We need to know as much as your medical history for protocol purposes. If you are uncomfortable with any of these, please tell me so."

"Nah, I don't think that there will be any problems," Naruto mumbled as he lazily scribbled his signature on the first page without reading anything.

Hinata, on the other hand, was quickly skimming over the fine print, though she found nothing that particularly alarmed her. Each page seemed to contain a reasonable condition, so her worry decreased a bit more. She signed the pages.

Kabuto collected both completed packets from them, then rose with a bright smile on his face. "Wonderful. We can start this tomorrow morning beginning at 10 a.m. if that works for you." Upon receiving two nods of approval, he continued. "Please bring your account information with you so that we can deposit the first lump payment. We request that you also bring a change of clothes that is adequate for exercise, as well as a swimsuit. You are free to go."

Naruto and Hinata thanked him, then left the room to head back towards the elevator.

"Even though this whole thing seems a little weird, I'm kind of glad that I decided to do it," Naruto remarked with a smirk. "Now I can go tell off my boss and quit. He's been such a dick lately that I don't feel bad for dropping the bomb and telling him to take the job and shove it up his ass."

Hinata smiled with amusement. "I don't think I'll take that approach, but I won't be sad about losing my job either. The hours are long, the pay is mediocre, and the job itself is thankless. There's a lot of abuse from the customers," she added.

"Well, screw 'em all. And it looks like we're going to be doing this together," he pointed out. "So I'm kind of relieved by that."

"R-really?" she asked, a light blush creeping onto her cheeks.

Naruto nodded, enjoying that cute blush of hers again. "Yeah, I want to do some catching up with you. I have to help my friend with something stupid this afternoon, but maybe after we're done tomorrow, we can go get coffee. Or maybe ramen because I hate coffee," he said with a smirk.

Her blush darkened, not going unnoticed by the blond male. "O-okay. I don't like coffee much either, so ramen sounds good."

"I have to finish up that stupid paperwork before I leave, but could I get your cell phone number on your way out? I lost a bunch of my contacts, and I'm bad at remembering numbers," Naruto told her as they approached the elevator.

"Okay." She hoped her nervousness wasn't obvious. "I lost all of my old contacts as well." In truth, her phone had been swatted out of her hands by an angry man whose marriage proposal had been rejected.

"Cool, I'll give you mine, too."

They entered the elevator and exchanged numbers, slowly descending down to the ground floor. Naruto grumbled about the boring paperwork he really didn't want to do, while Hinata smiled with amusement. She had missed him so much, and seeing him after all this time had rekindled the feelings that she had always felt for him. Unbeknownst to her, the feeling was mutual.

Before parting ways, Naruto pulled Hinata into a tight embrace, resting his chin on top of her head. "It was really great seeing you again, Hinata. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"A-alright," she squeaked, growing flustered as he held her in his strong arms.

While Naruto reluctantly worked on that dreaded paperwork, Hinata headed out of the clinic with a radiant smile on her face. She had a feeling that this trial study wouldn't be as bad as she'd feared. Not only that, but she had reconnected with Naruto. Hinata couldn't wait for tomorrow.

Since this is the first chapter, it was obviously a bit on the boring side due. The next chapter, however, will be much more interesting as Naruto and Hinata begin the study. I'm not sure how often I will get to update this story, since I'm still working on my other current story, but I will be sure update it every few weeks. Please be patient and feel free to review.