Can't Help Myself 2.0

.11b

Shikamaru was even more confused at the switch of attitude. Naruto sat himself up with his head lowered and shoulders drooped. After a few seconds of silence between the two, Naruto pulled his legs and arms closer towards his chest.

"Hey.. look at me," Shikamaru softly urged, lowering his head as well to get a better view of Naruto's face in the gaps. He let out a quiet "Oh' after seeing the uncharacteristic solemn eyes, reminding him of the time when they were in the hospital together.

"Poor little boy, finally past the denial stage."

After hearing that taunting sentence, Shikamaru's heart pounded against his chest as his blood began to boil. He snapped his head towards the direction of the sly person and pushed himself off the ground to stand on his feet.

He positioned his hands to ready himself, "What did you do?!"

Soon the rest of them joined him, standing around Naruto as they breathed heavily from their earlier quarrel. The enemy's teammates joined the sly person, watching the kids closely.

"Did it work?" one of them questioned, peaking at Naruto who almost looked like a statue.

"It's starting soon~"

Neji averted his eyes to look at Naruto next to him before raising his kunai, "Answer us!"

"I'm simply doing him a favor, he obviously needed to know the truth about his so-called close friends," they answered while using his fingers to do a quotation action. He then smiled darkly as he met eyes with the dull blues, "It hurts, doesn't it?"

Naruto hesitated but still nodded his head, hands shaking as the grip on his pants tightened.

The voices still continued, like a never ending record.

"These.. teammates of yours view you as nothing, why bother trying so hard to be liked when they don't even like you ti begin with?"

"Right.." Naruto answered again, the wind carrying his words as he refused to speech loudly at the moment, fearing that his voice will crack embarrassingly.

"Stop spouting nonsense at him!" Kiba shouted, crouching behind Naruto and placing his hands on top of his ears. However, it was a futile attempt as Naruto's mind was already filled with voices.

The voice of the sly person entered inside, pulling him down further and further into his emotions. Gaslighting him to the point he was beginning to feel betrayed.

Getting him more valuable means they were able to get at least one of them killed, as ordered by Orochimaru.

"Why not harm the ones that are harming you?"

"But.."

"You're going to end up killed by them if you continue to let them get there way."

Naruto eyes shook at the new thought, fear struck him as his palm began to sweat.

"They- they want to kill me?"

"Who knows? They already want you gone. Attack them first before they get you."

He no longer has control over his thoughts, too many things were happening that his emotions were going in a spiral.

He snapped out of his headspace when he felt his own body shook back and forth. He lifted his head up, sweat covered his entire face as he stared into Shikamaru's worried expression.

"Snap out of it! Don't listen to whatever is happening in your head!"

Naruto felt his body grow hot as his anger raised, betrayed at the fake act in front of him.