26Hello, all! Devilkeys Writing here, and this time I've brought some new blood with me!
"The hell's wrong with you, DKW?! You've still got two stories that are overdue for an update!"
I know, I know, but this was something that I couldn't just let sit on my computer and take up hard drive space. See, for a while now I've wanted to do Holiday Specials for Black Flames. But, by the time I come up with something good, said holiday is tomorrow, and I don't even have a single paragraph. Plus, in hindsight most of the ideas I've had are dumb omakes that don't have anything to do with the story and don't at all fit with the Black Flames style. The Headbutt "omake", which I am working on now, is an exception; it's actually canon to the story, and thus has the same "feel" to it.
This time was more of the same. I wanted to do a Halloween Special, but by the time I came up with something I felt was worth writing, it was really too late. Nevermind the situations that came up and prevented me from writing(though the costume party was totally worth it). BUT, I just couldn't let this thing go. It was too damn good to pass up, and unlike my previous attempts, this one is actually part of the main story. It takes place in the seven days between the end of the last chapter, and the beginning of the next one. It was originally going to be just three days, but I felt it was better to space the events out a bit more. Yeah, I know it's nearly a month after Halloween, but once the deadline passed, I figured there was no point in rushing it, so long as I just got it done and got it out. But I hit a major roadblock a while back, and just recently got through it, so I'm still not ready to post the first real chapter just yet.
Let me tell you right now, this isn't some goofy "costume party" or "haunted house" outtake sort of thing. I'm going for hardcore, balls-to-the-wall horror here. I want you guys to be looking over your shoulders every couple minutes, and flinching at every little noise you hear. This special will also serve as a little teaser for the next Black Flames chapter, which will have a very prevalent horror theme.
This first chapter isn't scary at all(though some people may be disturbed by the implications), and serves as a mere prologue. Saves time on background information later on by getting the "Who?" and the "Why?" out of the way right off the bat.
Enjoy.
XXXX
In his pitch black "workshop", Naruto sat at the desk, a deep scowl on his unmasked face. He had a new project, one that had been long overdue, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized just how daunting a task it would be.
With Kakashi taken care of, Naruto had vendettas on the brain, and on the desk before him laid the profiles of those highest on his hit list. Well, the highest ones he stood any kind of chance at getting to, anyway. Hiashi Hyūga was the odd man out, as Naruto had no intention of doing the Clanhead any harm. Physically, at least. But what the man had done would not be ignored or forgiven, and Naruto was going to make sure Hiashi understood what would happen if he ever put his hands on Hinata again.
But the other four wouldn't be getting any warnings. Picking up the folder on the far left, the thickest one, Naruto opened it and immediately narrowed his eyes at the pink-haired woman in the photograph on the front page.
Hikari Haruno:
Age: 37
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 115lbs
Occupation: Head Librarian at the Konohagakure Public Library
Status: Matriarch of the Haruno merchant clan, member of the Civilian Council
Family: Sakura Haruno(daughter), Aida Sanosuke-Haruno(husband)(1)
Flipping through the papers in the folder, Naruto's scowl morphed into a snarl at what he saw. Official Konoha Archive information quickly gave way to various photos of the woman, capturing her in virtually every kind of activity. Getting groceries, working at the library, working out at the gym, lounging in the hot springs, eating dinner with her family, sleeping; there were even a couple photos of her masturbating and having sex with her husband. Accompanying the photos were dozens, even hundreds of notes about her habits and personality, some almost disturbingly detailed.
But it wasn't the content that riled Naruto up; it was the span of time over which the information had been gathered and put together. He'd had her profile for nearly three years now, and still hadn't done anything. And unfortunately, he'd have to postpone Hikari's punishment once again. Out of the entire list, she would most certainly be the hardest to get to, as being an important part of Konoha's infrastructure afforded her an around-the-clock ANBU guard detail. If Naruto had just been after a quick assassination, he might've taken the chance. But he believed she deserved something truly special. Something so special, that even the "Dictionary of Death" himself was having trouble imagining it.
Make no mistake, Naruto had already thought of some well and truly depraved and diabolical ideas, but none of them seemed good enough for her. While the methods of mutilation he had envisioned were indeed as diverse and unique as they were horrifying, there was something that they all lacked. They could all be used on just about anyone and have the same effect, but Naruto wanted something that would be particularly effective against Hikari Haruno specifically. He wanted something straight out of the woman's own personal nightmares. The most obvious choice would be to go after her family, but that wasn't how Naruto operated. Sure, he wasn't at all above using someone's family and friends to get to them, but he didn't harm people who had done nothing to deserve it.
Naruto had gone back to the drawing board with Hikari so many times, and it was really starting to grate on his nerves. But for this particular grudge, nothing short of absolute perfection would do. If he had to wait for it a little longer, so be it(2).
After closing the folder with a snort of disdain, Naruto set it aside and focused his attention on the remaining three. There was no need to wait for them, as they were just normal, unimportant civilians, though one was the nephew of a Civilian Council member. That meant no ANBU guards to get by, and no worries of thorough investigations after any mysterious disappearances and/or murders.
Ever since the Uchiha clan's extermination, Konoha's police force just barely took their jobs seriously. So unless you were a ninja or at least a civilian of importance, even the most gruesome of killings would be treated in a fairly blasé manner, which would only get worse once any shinobi involvement was ruled out.
Again starting the far left folder, Naruto set about checking the information he had on the three men who had plagued his thoughts ever since he'd recovered his memories. The three men who had cornered him in a dark alley, beaten him down and had their way with him as a child. At this point, Naruto honestly didn't even care about being covert and stealthy about it; he just wanted them dead, at all costs. But first, they would suffer.
Haruo:
Age: 29
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 182lbs
Occupation: N/A
Status: Wealthy Civilian
Family: Ginrei Kagato(Uncle), Arata Kagato(Father, Deceased)
Haruo may have been a man nearing the age of thirty, but it seemed that his mind stopped aging at eighteen. He was all about living life in the fast lane, hitting a club, getting drunk and waking up next to a different woman virtually every night. With his lifestyle, he probably wouldn't make it to forty. But as far as Naruto was concerned, Haruo had lived about nine years too long already; and remedying that situation was going to be all too easy for two major reasons.
One: Due to a falling-out with his uncle, a member of the Civilian Council, over the inheritance left to Haruo from his dead father, the two were not on the best of terms. In fact, Haruo had gone so far as to legally renounce his family name, so he was just "Haruo" now. To Naruto, this just meant that any protection being related to a Council member would've afforded Haruo was now gone. Not only would there be no guard detail to worry about, but Ginrei likely wouldn't even bat an eyelash at the news of his nephew's demise.
Two: Drugs, booze and women apparently weren't the only things Haruo spent his considerable funds on; he also collected rare artwork and antiques, mostly weapons from bygone eras. As a bonus, not all of them were acquired through legal means, either. So if/when the man's headless, eviscerated corpse was found, and it was discovered that all of his valuables had been stolen, his death would likely be attributed to a shady deal or two that came back to bite him in the ass.
There was hardly any sport in it, but this wasn't about the "thrill of the hunt", or anything like that. This was vengeance. Cruel, devious, pure as venom, vengeance(3).
As for how to carry out said vengeance, Haruo's list of vices gave Naruto all he needed to conjure the degenerate's undoing. Apparently, Haruo fancied himself a lady-killer. But in the coming days, he would meet his match in a woman who was a man-eater in the most literal sense.
Kichiro Chiba:
Age: 33
Height: 5' 9"
Weight: 220lbs
Occupation: Paralegal
Status: N/A
Family: Akia Chiba(Wife), Akira Chiba(Daughter)
Naruto smirked at the scribbled note next to the "Status" category; it read: "Nobody". And that's exactly what Kichiro was; a nobody. He was a paralegal by official designation, but the more accurate title in his case was "secretary", and he was a paradigm of mediocrity(4). He only kept his job by catering to his boss' every desire without question or complaint. Unfortunately, his boss, Naomi Sato, happened to be a dominatrix with a thing for chubby and/or weak-willed men, and Kichiro happened to be both. He endured constant ridicule and harassment at work, which turned to pain and outright humiliation after hours. In return, he got off-the-books bonuses and perks, such as movie passes and tickets to special events.
At first glance, one might think Kichiro an ass for cheating on his wife of six years. But in reality, he did it for his family. He needed his job to provide for them, and being his boss' pet was the only way to guarantee that he wouldn't be fired. And instead of treating himself, Kichiro used his bonuses and perks to keep his wife and child as happy as could be. If they wanted something, they got it. He catered to their every need and whim, showering them with gifts in an attempt to sooth his own guilt.
Naruto already had a plan cooked up that used the man's devotion to his advantage. He would use Kichiro's family to infiltrate his life, and then ruin it. Naruto would see him hit rock bottom, breaking his spirit before the physical torment began.
As for the cover-up, Naruto had done his homework on Kichiro's boss as well. She'd been around the block more than a few times, and had literally dozens of former "pets", all of whom received similar compensation. That was sort of her thing, adding to the humiliation by treating her men as whores and paying them for their "services". There were those who liked the treatment far more than Kichiro, but Naomi only kept one "pet" at a time, unceremoniously dumping those she grew bored with. All Naruto had to do was pick one out and frame him for the murder. Any official report would say that Kichiro was been killed by one of his mistress' former lovers in a fit of jealous rage. And Naruto already had the perfect patsy in mind.
During a period of boredom, Naruto had taken to personally observing Naomi for a few hours. In that time, he'd had the displeasure of witnessing a particularly brutal dismissal of a "pet", right in the middle of a "session". She'd kicked the man out, quite literally, and left him on the porch of her rather large house with a raging hard-on and the worst case of blue-balls in the history of mankind. Naruto actually contemplated killing the guy out of sheer pity when he eventually decided to, ahem, "finish" himself off. All over Naomi's front door. While crying so hard, that you'd think his mother just died in his arms(5).
Naruto shuddered as he closed the folder and moved onto the next. That was the last time he did any firsthand stalking.
Osamu Kobayashi:
Age: 35
Height: 6'
Weight: 201lbs
Occupation: Bank Manager
Status: Upper-Middle Class Civilian
Family: Etsuko Kobayashi(Wife)
This was one Naruto looked forward to most. He remembered Osamu as being the ringleader of the group that night. The one to land the first blow, and the one to suggest teaching the "demon" a lesson in humility for "walking around with such arrogance". Therefore, he would be the one to suffer the most.
However, with Osamu, Naruto found himself in a situation much like the one with Hikari. He just couldn't imagine anything as personally devastating as he felt was needed for proper retaliation. Osamu deserved something special, too; something on an entirely different level from his two friends. But what?
As he flipped through Osamu's folder, Naruto's answer came in the form of a note next to a photo of Mr. and Mrs. Kobayashi exiting the hospital with huge grins on their faces. Osamu's wife was pregnant with their first child, and looking at the date of the note, Naruto saw that the baby would be due in a month.
Oh yes, he could use that. An effective cover-up would be more difficult than for the others, but he had more than enough time to hammer it out.
With a dark and triumphant smile on his lips, Naruto closed the folder and set it back down with the others. One week. Starting tomorrow, the three men who'd gotten away with something worse than murder, would have just one week to live. One week before their souls were fed to Naruto's sword, and their skulls were added to his collection. And that week would be nothing short of Hell on Earth.
Naruto's eyes began to glow as the excitement and anticipation began to build within him. Oh, how he wished to personally be there to enjoy his victims' final days. But, alas, he didn't want to be seen anywhere near them. He'd have to make due with the footage captured by his clones, as well as the hidden cameras that would soon be placed in the homes of the targets.
With a somewhat disappointed sigh, Naruto stood up from his chair and exited the workshop. There were lots of things to do, and the self-imposed deadline was getting closer by the second.
XXXX
So, what did you think?
I know this was short, but it's just the prologue. The actual first chapter of the special will likely be just under 10,000 words, but it could run over. The second and third chapters will almost certainly be longer, just by virtue of having more characters involved and more elaborate set-ups on Naruto's part.
Fair warning, the last part of the special will contain some sick shit. Not just in terms of blood and gore, but just the idea of what's going on is twisted as all hell. And though he'll only be featured very briefly, Naruto will be portrayed as being more monstrous and evil than you've ever seen him in Black Flames. I do this at the risk of completely altering your perception of him as the main protagonist of the story, but, as I said before, this is too good to pass up.
(1): Yes, I know Sakura's canon parents were revealed in the latest movie and the accompanying anime episode "Road to Sakura". But I'm certainly not going to change things that have been established in this story for years just because Kishimoto finally decided to reveal that Sakura actually has a family. Don't care, moving on.
(2): Naruto will get his opportunity during the Chūnin Exams. I've been dying for that moment; so much so that I already have the entire scene written out and ready to be copy/pasted into the proper chapter.
(3): So easy, it's almost insulting, but...Cookies to those who can name the movie that sentence comes from.
(4): Not a dig at Paralegals. I've got an aunt who's a paralegal, and a cousin who's currently studying to be one. They've both told me, on several occasions, how important the job is.
(5): I don't know why, but I found that far more hilarious than it should be.
Well, that's about it. You guys know the drill by now; tell me what you think, tell me what you want to see, tell me what you didn't understand, etc. And once again, to the people who don't have accounts on this site: stop asking questions, please. I can't answer them if I can't reply to you. Asking about updates, I don't really care about, since I rarely reply to those types of "reviews" anyway. But when you ask legitimate questions about the story, it's irritating because I can't do anything about it.
The first real chapter to this little special, titled "The Blonde", will likely be out sometime over the weekend(no guarantees). The second and third will be out in December, hopefully. As for the next chapter of Black Flames...Well, it depends on how quickly I get these other things done, as I'm really trying to just work on one thing at a time right now. Recently, I nearly burned myself out trying to work on ELEVEN different things all at once. Most of which will never see the light of day, but I had to write them out anyway just to get the idea out of my head. So yeah, I might be able to get it done before we welcome a new year(or before the world ends on the 21st of December...), but at this point it looks like the next chapter of Black Flames will be a 2013 thing.
The universe willing, I'll be seeing you guys(and those few ladies who've stuck with my stories this long...)again soon.
Jason Out!