A/N: Hello everyone and welcome to "The Collector"!
Please enjoy! I'm happy on how this story turned out and am looking forward to adding more chapters soon.
Rated: "M" for frightening imagery and some minor yaoi between Naruto & Sasuke
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Chapter 1 – The Nightmare
"Well, that should about do it," a lean silver-haired man grunted, securing the final steel buckle into place. He took a step back, admiring his handy work, then grabbed a swig of water from the thermos he carried. "The little prick should be waking up anytime now," he said with a smug grin.
As if on cue, Sasuke began to stir. He attempted to rise, only to find that he could not. Blinking away the drowsiness from his onyx colored eyes, he then narrowed them in annoyance.
"What the?" he mumbled, teeth crunching against the leather bit that was placed in his mouth. He felt something hard against his back, and slowly let his fingers explore the coldness of a flat, steel table. As Sasuke began to struggle, he felt thick leather straps tighten around his wrists, shoulders, ankles, and forehead.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the voice scolded from behind his head. "See, the more you struggle, the tighter the bonds. Fun for me," he smiled, revealing sharp, pointed, teeth, "but the lady doesn't like her goods to be damaged."
Not being able to give a body to the voice, Sasuke ceased his struggles as his eyes began to roam. A large bare light bulb dangled from a long chain above his head, its dim light causing misshapen shadows to bounce across the tiny room. Small, dusty, run-down cabinets and drawers lined the left side of the room, their contents a mystery. Sasuke grunted, returning to his current situation.
His thoughts were interrupted as a tiny door opened quickly to his right. Swift footsteps were heard sliding across the linoleum floor towards him. Coming to a halt behind Sasuke's head, she glanced around the room and frowned.
"I thought I told you to clean up this place," the woman stated angrily. "How can I do my work in such conditions."
"Who cares, you're going to make a mess in here anyways," he replied, shrugging his shoulders.Sasuke tried to look in the direction of the voices, but to no avail. He grudgingly stared up into the darkness of the ceiling and waited for whomever it was to reveal them self.
"Leave us!" the woman snapped.
"Of course," came the obedient reply. With a hasty bow, the man backed towards the edge of the room, and quietly exited, closing the door as he left.
"Finally, I can get down to business." She turned back towards Sasuke and came around to face him, raising her thin eyebrow. "Now what do I have here?" A smooth hand slid across his check, brushing her fingers through his raven colored bangs. She stared deep into his ebony eyes and smiled to herself. "They say eyes are the window to the soul."
"Hn!" came the muffled reply.
"Comfortable," the woman chuckled to herself.
Glowering his disgust at the unknown woman, Sasuke turned away abruptly, only to be stopped by the infuriating leather straps.
"Don't be like that," she teased, "you got the best room in the castle."
Sasuke squinted into the darkness, unable to fully identify the woman. The shadows were too deep and the light too weak. Growing frustrated by the minute, he activated his Sharingan in attempt to see more, the tomas spinning wildly.
"Yes, those are them!" she exclaimed happily. Turning away from Sasuke, she sought out a rusty drawer, and slid it open. He was just able to catch the glimpse of a syringe being pulled from one of the drawers.
He shifted uneasily, his eyes following her movements as best he could. The squirt of some type of liquid filled his ears.
"This will be a good start," the woman stated, pushing her glasses further onto the bridge of her nose. Turning towards Sasuke, she smiled a grin full of malice and greed. Sliding her hand down along Sasuke's left arm, she stopped by his inner elbow, rubbing alcohol into the crease of his arm.
It wasn't long before Sasuke felt the prick of the needle as it entered his skin. He warily watched as blackish liquid drained from the needle into his arm. Within seconds, his tense pale body began to relax as a warming feeling rushed through his body.
"I could always do this better when my patient is relaxed," the woman stated matter-of-factly. Sasuke could hear her shuffling around. He strained to see what else was in store for him. A small metal crane soon moved above his head, two dirty bulbs roaring to life on either side of the strange contraption. Sasuke squinted against it, his ebony pupils already dilating from the new source of light.
The device whirred to life as a thin piece of steel extended downwards towards where Sasuke lay. Once it became level with his face, vicious claws sprang open from the end revealing eight miniature needles, four on each side. Their tips shone wickedly. They continued to move further down until they were level with Sasuke's temples.
He tried to call his Sharingan back to action, but had trouble focusing on it, or anything else for that matter.
"You know," the woman called out thoughtfully, "you Uchiha's are certainly something." The whirring of the device had subsided, and Sasuke let out a muffled sigh. Though his cautious eyes never once left the vicious needles that were lurking in his peripheral vision.
The woman leaned in closer to Sasuke, studying him intently with mysterious magenta colored eyes. She lowered her glasses from her nose, narrowing her eyes as she roamed over Sasuke's body. "But why let my eyes have all the fun," she smirked devilishly to herself. Her soft hands pressed down on Sasuke, sliding her slender fingers across his chest and down his arms. "So powerful," she whispered hungrily. It wasn't long before she found herself straddled over his body, her tight black leather shorts rubbing against Sasuke's muscular abs, her purple lab coat rough against his bare chest. She ran her slim fingers back up and playfully toyed with his black shaggy bangs.
Sasuke glared directly at her, or what he thought was her. All he could really make out was a mane of shaggy magenta colored hair. He struggled to hold on to consciousness, his vision blurring and growing hazy as he felt himself slipping into darkness.
"That's right, relax…" the woman cooed in a soft voice. She turned on the needled device once more, the whirring of the machine lulling Sasuke to sleep. The needles were inching themselves ever closer, slowly, dripping some unknown waxy liquid. Sasuke closed his eyes, choosing to succumb to the unknown darkness rather than face the fear of losing the last remaining tie to his clan.
The last thing Sasuke heard from the woman was, "I'm sure there is a lot more than I can harvest from you." A maniacal laughter echoed throughout the room as the needles hit home on Sasuke's temples. Searing pain spread throughout his face, then all went black.
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"NO!" Two blood-red eyes popped open, tomas furiously spinning. Sasuke bolted upright, gasping in breaths, his hands immediately going towards his temples. His navy blue sleeping bag fell to his waist, revealing a black tank top, and navy sweats, covering his now heaving, finely toned muscles.
"What, are we under attack?" The tanned skinned blonde was already alert, kunai held ready in his hand, azure eyes darting quickly back and forth.
"Naruto, you idiot!" Sakura yelled, smacking him on the head with her fist. Naruto grumbled, rubbing at the newly acquired bump.
Sighing and shaking her short pink hair, Sakura turned her pale green eyes towards Sasuke. Placing her hand on his arm, and softening her voice, she asked, "Are you alright?"
Sharp dark eyes, and a glare that could kill, were all she received in reply, as Sasuke vehemently shook his arm free of Sakura's grasp. "I'm going outside" he bit out angrily, exiting the large green tent that their team was now sharing. He left the flap blowing in the gentle breeze, revealing the still pitch-black night, and the heavy dense forest they were staying in.
"Great," mumbled Naruto, "he woke us up for nothing." Scowling, Naruto plopped back down onto his orange sleeping bag, stretching out his long legs and arms on the cool vinyl. Folding his arms behind his head he wondered, "What's his problem anyways?" Narrowing his eyes, he "Hmphed!" and rolled over. After giving a large and loud yawn, causing his whiskers to wrinkle on his face, Naruto rolled over and attempted to go back to sleep. Feeling an intense glare at his back, he snapped his eyes back open, and turned towards Sakura. "What?"
Sakura's eyes filled with genuine concern for Sasuke as she moved towards the opening in the tent. But just as quickly she hesitated, and returned to her pink sleeping bag.
"Fine. I'll go talk to him," Naruto sighed, pulling a white tank over his head to compliment his orange sweats. With a flurry of motion, he left the tent, leaving Sakura to feel helpless yet again.
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Sasuke sat atop an out-cropping of stone, overlooking the forest. He stared intently at the ground while running his hands through his raven colored hair. The moon was barely visible, hiding behind a thick band of clouds, yet there was just enough light let through for the subtle blue highlights of Sasuke's hair to shine.
"God, he's beautiful," Naruto admired from behind some nearby bushes.
"Go away, dobe," Sasuke snapped without turning.
"Hey, how'd you know I was here," Naruto sheepishly grinned, scratching his spiky golden-colored hair. "What's the matter, scared of the boogeyman," he mocked.
Sasuke was in no mood for games and turned cold, steely eyes onto Naruto.
"Okay, okay, all joking aside," Naruto waved his hands apologetically, "Are you okay? Sakura is worried about you." Closing the gap between them, Naruto sat down next to Sasuke, leaning in close to his right ear, whispering, "and so I am."
"It's nothing," Sasuke mumbled, pulling away from Naruto and staring at the sky.
"Don't lie to me, teme." Naruto clenched his fist. "Something has you seriously spooked, and that's no easy task. Naruto began to pace, crossing his arms behind his back.
"Maybe we should go see the Hokage when we get back. She can help you. It's not normal for people to wake up in the middle of the night like that."
Sasuke leaned back on the rock that he was perched on. Heaving a sigh and giving his signature "Hn," he closed his eyes. "It's not normal for a seventeen-year-old to have nightmares," he thought to himself. "Where did they come from and who is that crazy woman who is always there?" He didn't have much time to think it over when a warm body pressed down onto his own. He cracked one dark eye halfway.
"You know Sasuke, I can think of another way to take your mind off of those nasty dreams," Naruto smiled seductively, capturing the shimmering black orb in his own cerulean ones.
"As much as I'd like to, we better get back. Sakura will wonder where we went." Sasuke replied, the slight trace of pink appearing on his cheeks.
"Too bad. It's hot to do it by moonlight," Naruto winked, sliding back to his feet.
The two ninjas took off back towards the tent, re-entering it a few moments later, to see a very relieved Sakura. She anxiously asked, "Where were you guys? Is everything alright now?"
"Yeah, it's all good," Naruto answered, lifting the cover on his sleeping bag and settling back in. Sasuke merely nodded, already down under the cover of his own. Within moments, the sound of Sasuke's soft breathing filled the tent, his chest rising and falling into a steady rhythm.
"Naruto," Sakura whispered, "are you still awake?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I'm really worried about Sasuke. He hasn't gotten much sleep this past week. These dreams, or whatever they are, are really affecting him. Of course, he's too proud to admit to it," she added sullenly. "Anyways," she continued, "it's affecting his performance."
"Tell me about it," Naruto sighed. He smiled remembering how hot Sasuke looked on the rock. Sakura scowled. "What?" he questioned, blue eyes blinking in innocence.
Clearing her throat, she continued, "His sleep depredation could really cause trouble on future missions."
"Look, I already talked to him." Naruto propped his arm up onto the pillow, resting his fist against his cheek. "We'll be back in Konoha tomorrow and we'll talk to Tsunade then. I'm sure he'll be fine. Night Sakura," he whispered, sliding back into his sleeping bag.
"Night, Naruto." Sakura wasn't convinced though. Sasuke's problem had been increasing in frequency this past week. It was like every night Sasuke found himself in some horrible situation that not even he could get out of. Each night he'd wake covered in sweat frantically clutching at some part of his body, whether it be his chest, his hand, and most recently, his eyes, almost as if verifying they were still there.
Bizarre didn't even begin to cover it. Sasuke was probably the most confident person she knew, and to see him in that pitiful state, it made her heart cry out to him. Although Hell would freeze over before he cared what she thought about anything. "No matter," she thought determinedly to herself, "I'll do what I can to help him."
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"Mission report, Anbu Team 7," Tsunade barked.
Naruto winced at the sharp tone of her voice while Sasuke found the blonde, busty woman to be rather annoying.
"The transport was successful, Hokage-sama," Sakura acknowledged. "All the details are written here," she finished, placing a manila envelope on the giant desk before her.
"Good, good." Tsunade replied. "Now, I hate to do this to you, but with all the activity that's been going on in and around Konoha, I'm afraid that you all are not quite done yet.
She slid over a new white colored envelope, which skidded to a halt in front of Naruto.
"This just came in. It's merely an observation mission, but it's important nonetheless. Take the day off today, but you'll leave first thing in the morning for the Hidden Village of the Trees."
Sakura nervously shifted and hesitantly started to speak again. "Excuse me, Tsunade, but…" She was stopped short when a pale hand was placed on her shoulder. It pressed down, not enough to hurt, but enough to get the point across.
"Yes, Sakura," Tsunade glanced back up.
"It's nothing," came the exasperated response.
"Fine then. You are all dismissed," she finished, turning back towards the giant stack of papers that littered her desk.
"Sounds good to me," Naruto cheerfully picked up the envelope. "Come on guys, let's head over to Ichiraku for some ramen, I'm starving!"
"I'll pass," Sasuke cut in quickly. "We'll just meet at the usual spot by the city gates around sunrise." With that, he took off, heading towards the section that remained of the once-powerful Uchiha clan.
"Suit yourself. You don't know what you're missing!" Naruto shot back. "Come on, Sakura, let's go enjoy one heck of a meal."
Sakura looked frustrated, her eyes narrowing as she watched Sasuke disappear into the horizon. "Sorry, Naruto. I'm not hungry. I'll see you later," Sakura called, dragging herself off towards her home.
"Fine then," Naruto crossed his arms. "I'll go by myself." He strode off towards the shop, a large growl escaping from his stomach.
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Sasuke arrived home in a matter of minutes, tossing his ninja equipment onto the floor. His eyes were heavy with sleep, and although he yearned for it, he was wary as well.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he headed back towards the bathroom. Stripping off his anbu uniform, he climbed into the shower. He turned on the water, letting it dampen his hair and then run down against his back. He leaned his head against the wall, letting the water cleanse him, hopefully taking those horrible dreams, along with the missions' dirt and grime, down the drain.
Once he was finished, he toweled off, and threw on a pair on black shorts for the night. He didn't need to set the alarm, as his internal clock got him up early every day. Climbing into bed, he pulled the covers up towards his neck, leaving his left arm bent onto his pillow beside his head. He had always slept like that, even when he was little. Sleep was quickly claiming him, and his eyes began to droop. His vision grew fuzzy, and he drifted. Though it was not to be into a peaceful slumber. Once again, the nightmare started….
Sasuke stood alone in a darkened room, a rancid smell drifting into his nose. Dust-caked light bulbs flickered to life behind him, revealing half of the same dingy room where he was tied up before, yet there was no sign of the mysterious man or woman. There sat the infamous steel table and someone appeared to be tied to it. Warily, Sasuke stepped over to it, to see whom it was and if they were still alive. He called out quietly, but there was no response. Arriving at the table, he was downright horrified.
Sasuke stared wide-eyed down at himself, or rather, what was left of him. The filthy leather straps that had bound him earlier were severed in places and now hung limp drenched in his still-warm blood. His navy pants were torn and tattered, his black sandals frayed and singed. His chest had been sliced open down the middle, leaving broken, pale ribs exposed. Sharp, steel clamps stretched and pulled at his skin, causing tears and holes. Yet where his strong powerful lungs would have been, there was nothing but empty space. Even his heart had been removed, and now lay resting in a jar of milky solution on a nearby table: cold, still, shriveled, and dead.
Risking a glance at its face, he was sickened by the sight of empty bloody sockets that returned his gaze. He forced himself to look away and noticed the many puncture wounds that dotted his left arm from the free-swinging IV tube. Closing his eyes to the ungodly sight, he was startled when that same arm reached out and latched onto his own wrist. The head turned slowly, the matted black bangs lay slack against its forehead.
A raw raspy voice spoke through dry, cracked lips.
"Be warned," it croaked, blood spilling from the corners of its mouth.
Terrified, Sasuke yanked his arm from the things' grasp causing him to fly backwards, landing on a gurney. His right hand slunk into a wet, sticky hole. Turning his head slowly and with trepidation, he was shocked to see Naruto's tanned face.
The cheeks where his whiskers had been were stripped away leaving deep hallows on either side of his face. His eyes and mouth had been sewn shut with a thick dark thread and his usually sunny colored hair was dull and damp with blood. Sasuke's gaze traveled further down Naruto's body to where his hand now lay, inside his stomach, which along with the Kyuubi's seal, had been completely removed.
Sasuke jerked his hand out of the empty stomach, cutting it on the wicked clamps that held it open. His hand covered in a mixture of blood of both his own and Naruto's.
A hissing sound was heard on the other side of Naruto's body. Whoever had done this had failed to remove the IV tube as it still continued to pump an unknown substance into Naruto's left arm, it contents spewing onto the floor.
Fighting the bile that had risen in his throat, and the nausea that racked his body, Sasuke staggered away from the two bodies, his onyx colored eyes wide with terror. His back slammed into a door handle and he turned, grasping it with his blood soaked hand. Failing to get a good grip, he raised his left foot and kicked, hard.
The door crumpled on impact and Sasuke crashed through it, taking off down the empty corridor. His black sandals were flapping hard on the ground as his arms flattened back against his body. He cringed as that same insane feminine laughter echoed in his ears. "I'm waiting for you Sasuke," it cackled loudly.
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Sasuke bolted upright panting, sweating, and cursing. He glanced at his clock. It was only 2 am. Slamming his fist into its face, he fell back into his pillow, terrified.
"What the hell was happening to him?"
--------- END CHAPTER 1 -----------
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A/N: There you have it, chapter one. Look for Chapter 2 coming soon!
Please leave a comment letting me know what you guys thought about it.
Thanks!