Naruto Fanfic - Prisoner of Nightmare

Chapter Twenty-Three[XXIII]: Red Scroll

   Uzukaze Naruto stood in front of Mizuki's office, having previously exited the classroom along with the other students as the day ended, leaving for home with their parents or alone, like Uchiha. Sighing quietly to himself, Naruto raised his hand and knocked on the door the same way he did the first time, the door immediately opening inwards, an overly pleasant Mizuki standing on the other side.

   "Please, come in," he opened the door even further, allowing Naruto enough room to squeeze by, moving stiffly towards the chair in front of Mizuki's desk. Before he could, however, Mizuki slammed the door shut, locking it with an audible click. Soon, Naruto found himself raised off the floor by his neck, his body pushed into the wall.

   Naruto made fear enter his eyes, sputtering something incomprehensible as Mizuki's grip tightened. He made sure nothing but terror and anger were in his eyes and on his face, a careful facade sliding on to hide the calculating calm simmering beneath his skin even as Mizuki smiled crookedly, eyes black holes of poison.

   "Listen here, Demon," Mizuki hissed, "I have no idea why you're here, but I don't care. You are going to do something for me if you even want a chance at passing, and you're not going to tell anyone about it because who in their right mind would believe the words of a demon over mine?"

   "O-okay," Naruto managed to stutter out after the grip on his neck loosened.

   "Steal the Fūin no Sho for me and meet me in the middle of Aokigahara."

   "B-but the scroll i-is sealed--!" Naruto was cut off abruptly as Mizuki slammed him to the wall again, his head bouncing off the wood.

   "That's your problem, Demon," Mizuki jeered. "Either be at Aokigahara in three hours with the scroll or face the consequences of your failure!"

   Mizuki dropped Naruto onto the ground, his body landing with a thud as his hands immediately went to his throat, rubbing at it as he made tears prick the corner of his eyes, looking at part of a helpless and terrified child perfectly. "Hai, Mizuki-sensei," Naruto said horsly, his tone wet and on the brink of cracking.

   "Good, now get out, Demon." Mizuki pointed at the door, but not before kicking Naruto in the stomach, earning a whimper from him. 

   Naruto shakily got his feet, now clutching his stomach. He walked over to the door, unlocked it, and stepped outside, the door shutting right behind him. He was unsurprised, to say the least, to find Uchiha standing in front of him, having sensed him following him to Mizuki's office. Uchiha had a shocked, if not slightly disturbed and angry, look on his face.

   He grabbed Uchiha's arm and dragged him into an empty classroom, well, mostly empty classroom, and closed the door, but not before checking if anyone was outside. Before Uchiha could say anything, Naruto wiped the terrified, teary-eyed look right off his face as if it never existed, which it didn't, not really, and replaced with a triumphant grin, confusing Uchiha even further.

   "Asshole," Naruto muttered, rubbing his stomach a little, "didn't need to kick me that hard." He stretched his arms above his head, humming as his joints cracked. "Alright," Naruto called out, looking at the desks, "come out of there."

   An unsure, a little worried, and sheepish Haruno stood up from behind the desks, making Uchiha blink owlishly at her, a slight frown coming to his face. "H-hi, Sasuke-kun, Uzumaki-kun, I was just--"

   "Spare your explanation," Naruto said, waving her over, "I know exactly what you were doing. But, that isn't the point, the point is that I need Uchiha-san's and your help with something."

   Haruno stood a little ways away from them, a flush coming to her cheeks as she glanced at Uchiha and Naruto. "With what?" Haruno asked. "I-I'm Haruno Sakura, by the way."