Crimson Horror.

{0_0} : 3772words

The spacious office, lit by the rays of light penetrating through the windows, was filled with noise. The noise of all sorts: it was the chatter and giggling of girls sitting at the front desks, the stomp of the feet of boys chasing each other at the blackboard, their cheerful shouts, the rustling of textbook pages coming from those few who decided to refresh the material of the last lecture during this change ...

Added to the other sounds was a frustrated sigh from a boy with long dark hair tied in a ponytail at the top of his head, making his hair look like a pineapple. The boy closed his eyes for a moment, his face showed attempts to come up with a way out of this situation, but in the end, he had no choice but to surrender. And then Nara took the cards laid out in front of him on the desk, and our hero, whose hands were now empty, clapped his hands contentedly, after which he collected the cards into a deck and began to shuffle it.

"And again I am a fool," Shikamaru muttered, looking thoughtfully at his playmate, a blond boy in black pants and a dark gray T-shirt with a red Konoha symbol on his chest.

The Nara watched thoughtfully as the cards moved in the hands of the surprisingly lucky player. He noticed that Naruto had changed. Of course, for everyone around him, he continued to be the same who he was. The boy, whom everyone shuns, the one about whom adults whispered a lot of disapprovingly. For his classmates, Naruto remained a fool, not excelling in theoretical subjects, nor in ninjutsu and genjutsu lessons. However, the attention to detail Shikamaru noticed that Uzumaki became less chatty and more somber. That his taste for clothes changed and that Naruto never wore his favorite orange color again. That the boy began to fool less, and there were no more antics like the button on the chair planted by Iruka, the painting of the Hokage Monument and the like. And also this strange love for cards in which Naruto could even beat him ... All these changes did not happen by chance, and Shikamaru understood this. The events that Naruto witnessed left their mark, forcing him to look at the world in a new way and grow up, although so far almost no one noticed it.

Two months have passed since that terrible incident in the Uchiha quarter, which everyone was afraid to mention. Sasuke, completely recovered from what he had suffered, was now sitting by the window, staring sullenly at it, his hands folded into the castle. This is what the boy did all the time between classes. One might think that what happened broke him. But this was not the case, since Sasuke was still the first in the class for grades. His grades and ratings even increased slightly. And not because a sympathetic Iruka could overestimate the points. The Uchiha studied with even greater zeal, either trying to prove something to someone or pursuing some other goal that no one knew anything about.

Shikamaru turned his gaze to Ino and Sakura, sitting on the other side of the front row, and a new Academy student who had appeared by a strange coincidence just after what happened in the Uchiha quarter. At first, Mikoto felt very insecure around people she didn't know. And this was not only the case at the Academy. Nara heard that after the incident, the Uchiha completely lost her memory. The village itself seemed alien to her, she had no friends or acquaintances here, as if before the incident with the Uchiha clan, the girl did not leave her home quarter and did not communicate with anyone. Now everyone who cared for Mikoto was dead. But this did not stop her from filling the void by making many friends. The Uchiha was cheerful, kind and helpful. Her smile alone made anyone smile back. The only one to whom this did not apply was Sasuke, who for some reason shunned the only surviving Uchiha.

There was a rustling nearby. It was Chouji, who was closely following Naruto and Shikamaru's game, to open a new bag of chips.

"I can't believe my eyes, Shikamaru. You've lost again! - the fat man commented on it.

- It's a shame, I guess? - Kiba chuckled from a seat in the back row, lying on the desk with a bored look, putting his hands under his chin. The little dog, who managed to fall asleep on his head, raised his ear, but then lowered it again.

Seated to the side of Kiba, Shino and Hinata said nothing.

Naruto smiled, looking up with satisfied blue eyes. He was glad that he won again, and also that he was able to attract the attention of so many spectators. Uzumaki stopped shuffling the cards and put the deck on the table.

- Maybe we can play shogi? Shikamaru suggested, ignoring Inuzuki's question.

- Better at poker. Good game. By the way, two players won't be enough. Join guys! - knowing that Shikamaru has no equal in shogi and that it is useless to compete with him, Naruto refused, looking inquiringly at Chouji, then glancing back at Kiba.

But as soon as Uzumaki addressed them, Akimichi and Inuzuka turned away, showing a complete lack of desire to communicate with him. The blond sighed, knowing it was no accident. Surely the parents forbade the guys to talk to Naruto, threatening them with some kind of punishment.

"Well, again. And all because of you," - he thought, referring to Kurama.

The Nine-Tails snorted in annoyance.

"Better be glad that you could find at least one friend at all!" - the Fox growled. "This Shikamaru seems to be the only one who wants to talk to you."

Uzumaki knew the Kyuubi was right. Shikamaru was indeed the only one with whom Naruto managed to establish communication. Here either his indifferent attitude towards the requirements of his parents or their general interest in games, affected.

Naruto also looked at Sasuke, who was sitting by the window in sullen thought. But he never visited the Uchiha in the hospital. However, even if he did this, he would certainly have sent him to hell, as he did with everyone who tried to talk to him about something not related to his studies.

He glanced at Mikoto, who caught both Ino and Sakura's laughter. Apparently, the girls were joking about something again. Something that he probably isn't interested in. Uzumaki fixed his gaze on the dark-haired girl, feeling a strange warmth in his stomach. He became uncomfortable and turned away. The moment has passed. She has already found herself company. It is unlikely that he will be able to interest her in anything. After the incident, Naruto did not say a word to Mikoto, which he now regretted. Perhaps she needed his support. Was needed, but no longer needed.

Uzumaki did not know if he had done the right thing by blocking himself off from the last of his kind Uchiha. But he knew why he did that. He did not want to remember those terrible scenes that provoked him into strange and sometimes cruel thoughts.

The door creaked and Iruka entered the auditorium with some papers in his hands. The first person he paid attention to was Naruto.

- Naruto! Take the cards away! Do you know that gambling is prohibited at the Academy? - exclaimed Umino indignantly.

The jinchūriki rolled his eyes and hurried to put the deck back in his pocket before the teacher took it. A new lesson began. And the day ahead promised to be boring and uninteresting, however, as always ...

***

Our hero wandered along the street, immersed in the evening darkness. Why is he walking at such a late hour? Nobody knew the answer. Naruto had already become a habit.

In fact, it was like that. For the first two weeks after his nightmare, Uzumaki was terrified of the dark. She aroused panic in him. He saw bloodstains in the shadows. And sometimes looking at the window, behind which the starry sky shone, Naruto saw that shadow with red lights instead of eyes. For a long time he could not sleep with the lights off, he always carried a flashlight with him. Everything went on until the Nine-Tails, who both felt sorry and disgusted with watching his jinchuriki, told him that one cannot live in fear.

To overcome his fear, instead of relaxing at home in the evenings, Uzumaki was forced to go outside. At first he could take only a few steps from his own door, and then, flying back into the apartment, for a long time he could not stop trembling in his legs and arms. A few days later, he was able to walk the street to the end, without even thinking about rushing home. Well, then Naruto fell in love with evening walks, finding his charm in them. Illusions left our hero, allowing him to live in peace.

And from now on he liked to wander in the dark. In the light of the sun, the world seemed too bright and saturated, which did not go along with the boring and joyless life of the boy. Well, in the evening, when everything was painted in dark colors, it seemed to Naruto that the world was coming into harmony.

He was never in a hurry. Nobody was waiting for him at home anyway. He walked leisurely along the deserted alleys so as not to run into anyone.

Even now, the jinchuriki wandered along one of these alleys, listening to the chirping of grasshoppers, the howling of the wind and the rustle of foliage. Passing the still open eateries, he could smell the aroma of fresh baked goods. However, Naruto never went inside. Firstly, he was wary of how he might be met inside, and secondly, he did not have enough funds to buy something more expensive than custard noodles in Ichiraku.

He stopped when he saw a sheet nailed to the notice board in the light of the lantern. It had a pencil portrait of a person and some kind of inscription. Uzumaki knew that it was probably some criminal from some nearby village who had escaped or was looking for. He saw many such ads, but they disappeared as quickly as they appeared. Still, Konoha shinobi, undertaking the capture of such individuals, did an excellent job with their work.

He did not read it, passing by and thinking about why there is so much bad in this world. The boy often thought about this after the tragedy he had experienced. Bad was present in the life of every person, to a greater or lesser extent. Someone it often bypassed. Someone was pursued like a wolf following in the footsteps of a wounded victim. Uzumaki recalled with horror what he had seen that bloody night, and asked himself the question of what kind of person is capable of this and why people do such things. Why are there criminals, murderers, rapists? Why aren't all people kind?

Having reached the end of the street, which turns into the path leading to the park, Naruto stopped again, thinking that it was too late and it was time for him to return home, because tomorrow was early to get up. But the boy really wanted to walk to the lake, on the shore of which Sasuke sometimes sat. On weekends, the Uchiha could spend an entire day sitting on the bridge and gazing out into the rippling water in the wind. Coming to the park in the evening, Naruto watched him leave with a curious look, and then replaced him in this post. Uzumaki also came to the lake on weeknights. It became a kind of his favorite place.

What can you see in the water during the day? It is not so clean and transparent to see the bottom. Is that his own indistinct reflection and sunbeams dancing on the fluttering surface. Here in the evening is another matter. You might think that with the onset of darkness, the opportunities for observation become less. Uzumaki could not agree with this. Let your own reflection in the water be barely distinguishable, let the darkness get in the way of seeing the opposite shore. But the lack of clear details only adds to the reflection of the starry sky, which very rarely froze, completely copying the original. More often the reflection moved, and then you had to take your eyes off the water and look up in order to connect one luminous point in the sky with another, dancing on small waves. He loved to listen to the quiet gurgling and try to distinguish in the darkness the circles walking on the water from the fish floating up behind the air. In the light of day it was not difficult. Well, in the evening this lesson was much more difficult and, therefore, exciting. Sometimes Naruto peered into the reeds on the opposite bank, wondering what kind of bird would fly into the sky under the cover of darkness if a strong wind disturbed it there.

In general, it is in such a world of amazing mysteries that Uzumaki Naruto's evenings are held. The Nine-Tails at this time was already peacefully snoring in his subconscious, not pestering him with advice and reproaches. At this time and in this place, the boy felt the peace that he lacked so much ...

And now the boy sat down on the edge of the bridge, dangling his legs and dangling them, looking at the small waves dancing on the water, merging in an amazing range of shadows. He disappeared in an instant and did not know how long he spent here, when he decided to go home. Getting up, Naruto wandered back in a different way, immersed in thoughts of what tomorrow has in store for him.

He was distracted by some sounds in the distance, from the other end of the park. They were screams, as if someone was calling someone. Naruto became wary, trying to figure out whose name was being shouted out. Did someone manage to get lost in the park at night? Even he, a little boy, knew him like the back of his hand. The fleeting thought that they were looking for him instantly left his mind. Who and for what reason would look for him? Nobody needs him ...

Uzumaki went this way so as not to accidentally collide with the seekers, significantly shortening his route through a small undergrowth. True, the undergrowth turned out to be so impassable that the boy had to reconsider his route and make several detours. He paused, sitting down to listen to the incessant calls, which grew a little louder.

The boy shuddered, distinguishing an extraneous sound quite close by. It was a crackling sound, as if someone had stepped on a branch. And something like a moan or moan, only very quiet. Or someone deliberately interrupted. Then something that looks like a squelch or gurgle.

The jinchuriki jumped to his feet, leaning his back against the nearest tree trunk, and then, as quietly as he could, moved on, moving from tree to tree. He held his breath, realizing that someone was nearby. Peering out from behind a tree, Naruto froze when he saw a bald man with several cruciform scars on his head, dressed in a standard shinobi uniform: navy blue trousers and a turtleneck with a green military vest with many pockets. The stranger was kneeling with his back to the boy, leaning on someone pressed to the ground and moving his pelvis. Someone, pinned to the ground, could not call for help, because the rapist held the mouth of his victim with his palm, which could only hum softly while the shinobi burst into her with sharp movements.

Uzumaki felt his heart beat faster in his chest as he realized that the stranger's victim was much smaller than he was, that it was a little girl. He didn't know what to do. A noble attempt to intervene was probably the last thing Naruto thought. What could he, a little boy who didn't even become a genin, against an adult shinobi? Surely if he sees him, he will kill him. The option to shout loudly and call for help disappeared, since help would hardly come on time. The only thing that could be done was to retreat, run away, hide.

However, Naruto's conscience and what he saw next did not allow him to do so. He noticed red rags lying right below him on the grass, which had once been a dress that was painfully familiar. Sensing a tremor in his hands, Uzumaki looked up. His foot moved back involuntarily, and a branch cracked under the sole of his sandal.

The shinobi froze, looked around and saw the boy, who was watching in horror at the terrible sight. Naruto, in turn, saw Sakura, naked and dirty, covered in bruises and abrasions, which the stranger was pressing to the ground. There were tears on her face that continued to pour from her eyes. The hand of an unfamiliar shinobi slipped from the girl's mouth, and she screamed. However, this scream ended faster than expected as the shinobi grabbed a knife lying on the ground and swiftly slid the blade down Haruno's throat.

Standing up and pulling up his pants with a quick movement, the shinobi moved towards Naruto, who, staring at the naked girl choking on his own blood, did not immediately realize that it was time to run. Belatedly realizing that the killer was about to deal with him, Naruto took an uncertain step back and, stumbling over a branch, fell to the ground. The shinobi rushed towards him, drawing a bloody knife to strike. The boy's trembling hand ducked convulsively into his pocket. Drawing out several cards, Uzumaki folded the seal of concentration with his free hand and hurled them at the enemy like shurikens.

To the rapist's surprise, the edges of the cards flying at him glowed purple, sharpening on the fly. He drew back to the side, trying to dodge the blow. Two cards sank into his waistcoat at the corners without wounding, and one struck across his cheek, leaving a long scratch on it. Two or three others flew away, stuck in tree trunks.

Taking advantage of the enemy's confusion, the boy began to crawl back, but rested his back on a stump that appeared on the way. Just at that moment, the shinobi who came to his senses intercepted the knife with a reverse grip and rushed at the boy, intending to finish him off with one blow, but, not noticing her, stumbled on the same branch that knocked Naruto to the ground, and fell, dropping the knife, which rolled straight to Naruto.

The boy, in whose eyes the eerie scenes of the dismembered members of the Uchiha clan flashed again, to which Sakura was added with a slit throat, choking on his own blood, lunged forward, holding his breath and grabbed the knife, getting dirty on the handle with the still warm blood of Haruno. With shaking hands, he pointed his weapon at the almost standing villain, who looked at him with a sneer.

- What, will you kill me, baby? The spirit is not enough!

Naruto exhaled quickly, as if someone kicked all the air out of his lungs with a blow, then inhaled just as quickly, feeling the same incomprehensible smell as then, in the Uchiha quarter. It was a smell that the boy had never felt before, even if he cut himself or smashed his knee when the blood appeared. No, it wasn't the smell of blood. Rather, the smell of murder.

No sooner had the shinobi got to his feet than Naruto with a desperate scream swooped down on him, knocking him to the ground again, but this time on his back. The first blow was unusually strong for a boy of this age. The blade, reflecting the light of the moon in a second, sank into the enemy's chest between the ribs, piercing the vest. The shinobi wanted to scream, but like Sakura, he couldn't, as his scream was cut off at the opening note. This knife again plunged into the flesh, this time to the very hilt, hitting right in the heart.

But Uzumaki could not stop, even realizing that the enemy was already dead. He struck more and more blows, punching holes in the rapist like a sieve, and pouring out on him all the anger and rage that boiled in him. He beat again and again, feeling that his face, hands and clothes were all covered in blood, and did not stop until the very moment when the piercing rays of the lanterns appeared somewhere very close. Dropping the knife, Naruto jerked back, staring in horror at what he had done.

- Naruto! - Iruka exclaimed, first breaking through the branches to him and freezing at the sight of a terrible picture.

"I ... didn't want to ..." Uzumaki managed, falling to his knees and feeling his eyes wet with tears. - He killed Sakura.

Umino directed the light to where Sakura's already motionless body lay and dropped the lantern.

"And he did ... terrible things to her. He wanted to kill me too! Uzumaki sobbed.

Recovering, the teacher came out of his stupor and, walking past the corpse of the rapist, whose face was an exact copy of the portrait of a fugitive pedophile prisoner from a nearby village, which could be seen on the ads, sat down opposite Naruto.

- Turn away, don't look there! Iruka ordered sharply, and when Uzumaki complied with his order, he continued softer. - You are not guilty of anything.

Umino hugged the sobbing boy to him.

"This bastard got what he deserved," he muttered, closing his eyes to the number of injuries the killer had inflicted. - You did everything right.

- Iruka! Shouts came from the edge of the undergrowth.

Chuunin looked around, realizing that he was too distant from the rest of the people looking for Sakura, who had run away from home after a quarrel with her parents. He knew that nothing could be fixed and that it would not be possible to postpone the inevitable. The girl was dead, and her parents would find out about it anyway, a minute earlier, a minute later.

- We are here! - shouted Umino and said. "Don't worry, these are Sakura's parents and the search patrol. Everything is behind ...

But Naruto knew that nothing was behind him. It was another nightmare he would never forget.