Naruto Fanfic - Prisoner of Nightmare

Chapter Two: Sightless Chain

   Hatake Kakashi was filled with a weak but constant dread as he stood in a clearing, leaning against a large oak tree. His nerves were shot from tossing and turning all night. Every time he was about to drift off, the pitter-patter of the rain against his window invoked that image of blue. It was horrible, and by around three in the morning, Kakashi had given up trying.

   He was even earlier than his students, not daring to be late lest he angers Naruto. 

   More than the dread, though, he was feeling helpless.

   While Kakashi technically did have the key to Naruto's life on his hand, his intuition told him it wasn't enough. He seriously doubted that such an awful power could be suppressed, even if the Hokage did give his guarantee of its effectiveness. 

   Still, Kakashi was trying his best to deal with the pressure of having Naruto as his "student", as he knew it was quite necessary. The Hokage had summoned him again at six this morning, thoroughly explaining the reasoning behind releasing Naruto in the first place. In fact, the Hokage even assured him that after the Chūnin Exams in Iwa were concluded, Naruto would no longer be his responsibility. 

   That was his only comfort. He would only need to survive for three more months. 

   Three months...

   He grimaced, What a long time.

   Kakashi was taken out of his mind by the rustling of grass, and he snapped his head to the right to see Naruto casually walking over. He furrowed his brows, noticing that Naruto was blindfolded and barefoot, revealing the seals covering even his feet. Not saying anything, Kakashi tensed up as Naruto got closer, taking deep breaths to keep himself calm.

   Naruto ignored him, though, laying down underneath the shade of a tree next to Kakashi, hands behind his head. Although Kakashi was a bit confused by this attitude, he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Actually, now that Naruto had his eyes covered, Kakashi could feel himself relax for the most part.

   Thus, the two of them waited in silence for the other members of the team to arrive. 

   Kakashi could finally sense Sasuke and Sakura after around five more minutes, Sakura trailing behind Sasuke like she always did. Thinking about Sakura, Kakashi couldn't help glancing at Naruto, only to see that he had no reaction. Which made sense, considering his chakra was sealed and they weren't close enough for them to hear.

   It was no secret that Sakura's father was murdered in the massacre, and Kakashi briefly wondered how she would react if she knew that her's father's killer was her new teammate. Thinking about it more, Kakashi realized that Naruto had actually killed around three members of the Uchiha clan as well.

   Though, he supposed three was insignificant compared to what Itachi did.

   He paused, frowning minutely. There have been a lot of massacres in the last few decades, actually.

   ...How frightening to think about.

   Neatly pushing his thoughts away, Kakashi causally greeted Sakura and Sasuke with a, "Yo, you two were almost late."

   The two looked at each with disbelief. From their expressions, you would think that pigs grew wings and flew. Seeing this, Kakashi reflected on himself a bit. Was he really that bad? Was it really so inconceivable that he would be one time? Sorting through his memories, he determined that answer was resolute "yes".

   Ah, oh well. From now on, I'll be on time.

   Clearing his throat, Kakashi gestured towards the unbothered and unresponsive Naruto, and said, "This is your new teammate, um, Uzumaki Naruto."