Title: Dom Andra

Author's Note: I'm experimenting with writing styles and want to note that this story will be told in snippets within snippets...hope you guys enjoy!

Edited 12.04.2015

II.

They are crows.

Naruto has flashbacks to Itachi and reasonably fall to his arse. He scrambles back to his feet as the crows surround him, frantically patting down his person for a shuriken, kunai, anything—then curses loudly upon realizing that somehow they are all gone.

"Looking for these, dear?"

Naruto nearly chokes when the sensation of cold caresses his neck.

'Whose arms—?" He thinks, before looking down and seeing pale white skin dull like death itself.

Then the flesh moves, dropping down to his waist and constricting, pinning his own arms against himself. He loses it at this. Naruto isn't exactly known for subtlety, and the alarming fact that the stranger is able to catch him completely off guard not once, but twice is enough to push him over the emotional edge.

"LEMME GO!" The jinchuuriki snarls, thrashing wildly against the stranger's infuriatingly gentle vice-grip.

A deep, baritone hum vibrates from the stranger's throat in rivets. Rising, falling, it is an otherwise soothing melody—disregarding the circumstances. Naruto wants to scream when he feels the other man (demon?) settle his chin upon his head, and in fact does when he feels the stranger outright nuzzling.

"OFF!" He struggles, becoming increasingly murderous as the seconds tick by. "GET—THE FUCK—OFF!"

"Temper." He replies again.

Naruto feels his blood boil, but it's obvious that the stranger just wants to fuck with him. After all, the jinchuuriki is now—quite literally—in arm's reach, and the stranger has proved himself more than capable of rendering him harm.

So Naruto hangs still, like an angry ragdoll, shuddering deeply as cerulean blue marbles close. The stranger gives no reaction, simply hugging the blond closer.

When Naruto's eyes open again, however, his voice is low:

"I'll kill you, motherfucker."

The stranger's response is almost wistful. There is a tilting, amused lit to his voice as he responds.

"You are passionate." He says simply. "You remind me of someone—though a little more brash, a little more loud, a little more blond..."

"You're gonna sorry." Naruto interjects hatefully. "I'm gonna kill you, and then you're gonna be sorry!"

Silence. And then—

"Empty little words," says the stranger "From an empty little boy."

The words sting.

Naruto feels himself redden, and grows angrier that the stranger has gotten to him. Condescension, derision, mockery—the jinchuuriki could handle all that, because none of it was true. Insults were just used to rile him up, make him lose his confidence, make him lose the battle… but this stranger here talks as if his statements are matter-of-fact, as if he is finally enlightening Naruto on something everyone knows except him. It makes his blood boil. For the first time, the jinchuuriki feels something akin to humiliation at the words of another.

"What do you want from me?" He asks, trying to sound deadly, and instead coming out flat.

"Nothing much." The stranger answers. "You only want what you can't have, and I'm sure you're well enough within my reach."

Naruto stiffens.

The stranger merely hums again in response. His arms tighten, and Naruto stands awkwardly in the cold embrace before he disappears completely, though not without residue. Faint mists of ebony—smelling of strong alcohol—surround the jinchuuriki as he jerks forward, finally free, feeling somewhat tainted…

—

"I didn't drink." Naruto says stubbornly.

Sakura refuses to look at him.

"Really!" He exclaims, standing his ground.

Boy-and-crush had long ago dissolved to boy-and-mother. Said mother huffs and crosses her arms, looking livid, while her one-eyed once-mentor and bare-bellied comrade flank her sides. One seems merely apathetic, lethargically flipping the page of a small orange novel, while the other has his eyes closed cheerily in yet another false smile.

"If you think—" Naruto started. "—that I just fucked off and went drinking then you're dead wrong! Sakura-chan, Kakashi-sensei, SAI! The day's barely started, and I don't even drink! You guys know this!"

"Well it's hard to argue with the evidence." Kakashi states airily.

"And there's still no deer." Added Sai.

"It's not a deer!" Naruto exclaims.

He stomps his feet, out of sheer habit from his lonely pre-teen days, and very briefly memories of the stranger's smooth drawl creeps back into his mind.

'Little boy...'

He shakes his head. Blue eyes pierce furiously across his team spectrum:

"Why won't you guys believe me?!" He cried.

"Because it's stupid." Sakura answers, at last. "And insulting. You're implying that all of us suck enough not to see through some genjutsu that apparently only YOU can. For God's sake, Naruto, do you know how ridiculous this excuse of yours sounds? 'Oh, I couldn't bring Shika's deer back, 'cos it's actually a demon in disguise!'"

"It IS!" Snaps Naruto. "And it's out to seduce me, or...or something!"'

"You've been reading too much Icha-Icha! I swear, I'm going to kill Jiraiya—you were always a pervert, but these newfound fantasies are just plain weird, and detrimental to your career!"

"NO, God, listen to me! It's not Jiraiya—"

"—and you!" Shrieks Sakura, snatching Kakashi's porn out of his hands as an afterthought. "You're just as bad! It's a wonder I'm the only one still sane!"

"Maa, hey!"

"Hmm." Sai grunted softly, "Sorry to interrupt the family dynamic, but I think we're forgetting the main point here, yes? Someone should go inform the Naras of their lost property."

"I'll do it." Says Naruto, slumping in shoulders in exasperation and not-quite-defeat. "Apparently, it's my fault, so I'll do it."

"Good." Replies Sakura.

"Maybe Shika will believe me..." Naruto mutters.

"What was that?!"

"Nothing."

"GOOD."

—

One knock, two knocks, three... no one answers, and Naruto rolls his eyes before deciding to screw manners altogether. He pounds on the wood in rapid spurts, shouting for Shikamaru in-between, until very grudgingly the pony-tailed chuunin opens the door.

There are bags under his eyes, and he smells of cigarettes.

"Naruto, I'm sleeping, what is it?"

"Pfft, no you're not. You're awake."

"You know what I mean. You've interrupted my afternoon nap. This is one of my only days off, you know."

"Heh, I know."

"So?'

"One of your deer escaped earlier today, and Sakura-chan wanted me to tell you I lost it. Also, she wants your mom to beat me up for it."

Shikamaru raises a ragged eyebrow, leaning against the doorframe wearily.

"Earlier today? How early?"

"Morning. About 8 o' clock, maybe?"

"Well I did inventory of our deer at noon before napping, and since it's only, what—12:30? They were all there half an hour ago, so it's wild, but thanks for the concern."

Naruto's eyes widen.

"So then..."

"...so then your ass is saved, and mine as well. Now goodnight."

"Good afternoon."

"Stop being a smartass."

"Just trying to keep up with you."

Shikamaru shuts the door.

Banter over, Naruto is struck with the oddly finite feeling that something's really screwed today, and that he alone is unlucky enough to have to deal with it.

"Fuck." He says, in tired wonder.

[to be continued...]

—

A/N: ...as i said, snippets within snippets, so now you guys know to expect short chapters LOL. please review!