Shadows of Deception

After some time, night descended upon Konoha. Shops, restaurants, houses, and more began turning on their lights to shower the village in a stunning glow of color. This was no more apparent than the Inuzuka Clan grounds. Human and canine alike partied as if nothing could disturb them. The compound was filled with laughter and the howling of dogs. Food was served all around and none could resist its allure. Though news of grief had struck them for their two deceased members, the clan had decided that the best way to honor their deaths was to host the party in their honor. Well, except for one.

While members of the Inuzuka clan involved themselves in the revelry outside, inside the main compound sat Hana, Kiba, and Tsume. Their canines rested at their feet while the Matriarch of the Inuzuka clan stood up. "We humbly give thanks for this food," she said.

"Yeah yeah, thanks! Can we eat now?! I missed lunch for this!" Kiba exclaimed happily. The sight of his food made him drool just like the dog Hana thought he was, but she looked at her own food and fought hard to remove the scowl from her face. Now that she knew what to smell for, she could see the hidden sedatives and drugs that would render her unconscious for Kami knows how long. She could also feel her breath shaking.

The food...did look very good. Her eyes watched the juice drip from the meat onto her plate. She had not eaten for three days. She was...so hungry, so very hungry. However, contrary to one anyone might have thought, this hunger...only fueled the depths of her rage more. Her mother must have planned this. The sedative given to her prior must have been for this exact point.

Her throat felt dry, but she dared not touch the glass of water. What laid within it were too many things that her mind could think of. She wanted to leave. She wanted to go back to the underground base. She...wanted Naruto and the others.

"Hana, why aren't you eating? You must be starving," Tsume said.

Hana continued to look at the food. If she didn't, then she knew she would be sending a murderous glare to her mother that would give her away. Her chest felt painful. An unsteady rhythm laid upon it. Blood was rushing through her heart and air through her tight lungs. She almost felt like...she would lose consciousness.

"I'm not hungry," Hana said slowly. Her voice was devoid of fire and steel to not raise the awareness of her mother.

Kiba looked at his sister as if she had gone insane. "Don't tell me you're doing that dieting stuff again?" he asked. If Hana had to give her former stupid little brother anything, then sometimes he had a stupid mouth at good times.

"Keep stuffing your face with food or I'll stuff it with my fist, Kiba," Hana replied.

Tsume stared at Hana for a moment before crossing her arms. "Well, the village worked hard to prepare this food for us. You're not leaving this table, and I'm not leaving you until your plate is empty," her mother claimed.

There it was. That...that tone, the one that defied her freedom, the one that treated her as if something to be contained, the one that...told her she was nothing more than a...a lab experiment. "Naruto, what...do I do?" Hana asked.

"Survive, my dearest dog princess. Survive now, for the night...has begun," Naruto replied to her from the depths of her conscience. She stared at her plate. She picked up her chopsticks, and she began to eat. What was once a disapproving frown on Tsume's face slowly turned into a bright smile. Hana devoured the feast just like Tsume had hoped she would. No, perhaps it was better to say that she devoured more.

One plate. Two plates. Three plates. Four plates. Five plates.

Hana ate and ate and ate, but she never felt full. It was like the food was disappearing into her body before it could even reach her stomach. After the sixth plate, Hana pushed herself away from the table. "There. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get ready for work tomorrow," The experimental Inuzuka said. She then disappeared down the hall towards her room.

Tsume looked at the dirty dishes her daughter had left. She was not sure why a sudden feeling of anxiety rushed through her body. "Hana, I'm so sorry," The mother said to herself.

"You okay, mom?" Kiba asked. The young boy had eaten his fill as well and Tsume could see he just barely had his eyes open.

"I'm fine, pup. Head to bed," she replied to him. Kiba picked up Akamaru and walked off to fulfill his mother's orders. Meanwhile, Tsume took the dishes and began cleaning. By the time she and the other workers of the Inuzuka clan were finished, Hana should be ready...for testing.

Meanwhile, Hana busted into her room and closed the door behind her. She could feel the way her legs stumbling and her muscles relaxing. Her vision was growing hazy and she could feel her mind slipping out of her body. It was becoming harder and harder for her to keep her focus.

Hana quickly ran into her bathroom and closed the door. Then, over her latrine, she vomited the contents of the dinner for the next fifteen minutes. "Get out! Get out! Mother! My clan! Konoha! I will not forget this! You will rue the day you messed with my life!" Hana swore. She gripped the sides of her toilet so fiercely that it threatened to crack beneath her fingers. Harder and harder she tried as more and more of the food that she ate left her body until her vision started returning to normal.

Hana backed away from the toilet and ran water through her mouth from her sink faucet. She stumbled to her feet. Slowly strength was returning to her body. The relaxing feeling that had been affecting her muscles had receded to a gentle tingle in her arms. She had not gotten all of it out, but...she had gotten more than enough.

As soon as Hana stepped out of her bathroom, she saw...herself sleeping in her bed. Yet, what surprised her even more than that was her seeing Naruto standing there with her...clone. "Naruto? How did you get in here?! Shouldn't you...be in Kusagakure? Why do you...have red hair?" Hana asked.

....

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