By Design: A Naruto Story

From The Snake's Den

I woke up maybe hours, probably days later in a soft bed. Well, softer than anything I had slept on before. 

"Ah, you're awake." I heard Kabuto stand up. I could kind of sense his chakra, but it was only a little. 

"I will help you with ways to see even without eyes." 

"You are amazingly resilient for someone with your trauma. You're starved, and you have scars all over your body." he was changing my bandages as he spoke. The first layer of bandages was cold and wet. It must have been some kind of aloe to help with my injuries. The second layer was thicker, and it didn't absorb the moisture from the first. Kabuto must have been training to become a medical ninja. 

"I know of ways to help you navigate without your eyes. I can help you." Kabuto rewrapped my eyes too. The coolness of the bandages felt good there. My face was itchy from the acid.

"Thank you, Kabuto," I said quietly. 

"No problem." he placed a hand gently on my shoulder and ushered me to my feet. The floor was frigid stone. Kabuto guided me for a long time. And the longer I walked, the more I started to realize we were underground. That was somehow a comforting thought. Underground, nothing could reach me. 

We entered a room that smelled only of smoke. I could sense the snake man, but, again, not very well.

"Come here, boy," He said. I stood there for a moment. Kabuto ushered me forward, so I walked. My steps were slow and unsure. I didn't know if I would run into anything or when I would make it to him.

"You're that Hokage'ss child, aren't you?" His hand lifted my chin, and I felt him blow smoke in my face. It smelled like blackberries and relaxed me so much that it just made me tense again. I didn't like being off guard.

"Yes." I felt his hand reach for my hair, lightly grazing it with his sharp nails. 

"What iss your name, boy?" 

I swallowed. "Naruto."

"Yess, I remember now. Uzumaki. The Nine-tailed fox's vessel." He lifted my shirt up briefly and blew more smoke. 

"Yess, you will do jusst fine. I'm ssure you will be a usseful ssubject." 

"Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto interjected. the snake man chuckled and blew more smoke. 

"Ssettle, Kabuto. I will not do anything harsh. Just tesst some... ressearch. Iss that okay with you, boy?" he lifted my chin again. I nodded. This is how I would pay him back. 

For the next few months, I spent my days receiving instruction from the Kyuubi and Kabuto on how to see without eyes. I was able to grasp it pretty quickly since I didn't have anything limiting my perception. If a seeing person tried to learn it, they would have to get past the mental barrier that was using their sight, but that wasn't an issue for me.

In the afternoon... I think. In the afternoon, I would sit with Orochimaru and help him test various poisons. he would inject them into me and document the results. They all hurt, but not like other things I had felt. And Orochimaru was kind. He never pushed my limits and he always made sure I was okay afterward. He was kind to me.

I spent my sleeping hours with Kurama, learning about him and his power. he taught me ways to fight that he saw during the times when he wasn't sealed. He taught me some unique ways to use chakra, like how to walk on water and walls and write with it. That would help me a lot. 

I went outside sometimes to help Kabuto gather medicinal herbs or just to stretch my legs, but I mostly stayed underground where it was safe.

I got to the point where I could see pretty much everything in black and blue with chakra sense. The world looked so different, and somehow brighter than it was when I could see. Orochimaru continued to test his creations on me until I became immune or extremely resistant to everything. Then he just taught me about summoning jutsu. It was quite interesting. He told me stories from his time as one of the three Sannin, and he told me a little bit about my parents. 

"Why did you leave them?"

Orochimaru leaned back and blew a bit of smoke. He chuckled to himself and looked over at me. "Our goalss jusst didn't align, how about that?"

The one thing I could see especially clear with my broken sight was people's eyes. To be fair, I had only really looked at Lord Orochimaru and Kabuto, but their eyes were so different. I could tell so much about them because of it. Or maybe it's because they were the only people I had interacted with for almost three years.

"You-" Orochimaru picked me up out of the blue one day and brought me to the surface. "-have to go back to Konoha." 

As he said that, I clinged to his neck. No way I was going back there. 

"You cannot avoid thiss. You have to go back." He started walking in what I presumed was the direction Konoha. I would've cried if I could've. I thought he was abandoning me, leaving me behind. 

"Don't worry. I have plans." He touched a nail to the back of my neck. I could feel something being carved into my skin with chakra. It would be hidden under my hair, which I had let get somewhat long over time. 

"I am not abandoning you, Naruto. Jusst wait. You will ssee." 

"No I won't." I waved a hand in front of my face and grinned. Orochimaru laughed and flicked my forehead.

"Very funny." 

Orochimaru dropped me off a little ways away from the village, somewhere in the forest where I wouldn't be seen. 

"Here. A gift from me to you." It was a jacket with and orangey chakra to it. In the pockets were acupuncture needles, scalpels, and various poisons. I put the jacket on gratefully and hugged Orochimaru tight.

"You'll come back, right?" 

He rested his lips on the top of my head, and I could feel him smile. "Of coursse." 

I turned toward the village and darted off. I still remembered the layout, so I knew of a good place to sneak in. And it was near the Uchiha manor. 

It was eerily quiet. It had been so long that I'd almost forgotten it was a ghost town. I walked slowly, taking in the structure of the building I used to see in full color. 

"Who are you?" I stopped as a kunai pointed at me neck. I knew that voice.

"You don't even recognize me? I'm disappointed, Sasuke." I turned around, gently pushing the kunai away. I was right, it was they eyes that helped me discern. His were bright red. I could see the tomoe in his sharingan. He still only had one.

"Naruto?" The words fell like cement out of his mouth. His eyes darted over my face.

"What happened?!" He was a little taller than me, so my head tilted up and he grabbed my face.

"I'm fine, Sasuke."

"That's not what I asked. Where have you been?!" He hugged me tight. I returned the favour, nestling into his collar.

"Doesn't matter. I'm back now, aren't I."

His fists clutched the back of my jacket. "Who did this to you?" 

"You know who did it, Sasuke." I could feel him shaking around me

"I'll bury them all," he said through gritted teeth. I pat his back.

"Later. It'll happen. Just not now." I felt him relax a little.

"...Fine." 

"Sasuke-" I pulled away from the hug. "-I have plans. Big ones. I promise it will happen. Just trust me." 

Sasuke breathed deep and nodded. "Okay. I trust you." 

That night. I filled Sasuke way in on everything in my life. The next day, I made a damn good face mask and bought a bright orange jumpsuit. Stole... I mean I stole a bright orange jumpsuit.