Never Again: A Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 13: Inner Demons

Naruto sat in the stands, waiting for his match to start, sitting alone in his seat while his classmates sat several feet away from his, distancing themselves from him. 

He didn't care. He was used to it. 

He was always alone. 

The matchups were apparently different from last time. It went like this: 

Sayuri Uchiha vs. Neji Hyuga

Shikamaru Nara vs. Temari of the Sand

Shino Aburame vs. Dosu of Sound

Naruto Uzumaki vs. Gaara of the Sand

It was weird. 

Naruto watched as Sayuri and Neji traveled down into the arena. 

This wasn't supposed to be happening, it was supposed to be him going down there. His world was distorting. Nothing was the same. 

He couldn't change anything. 

He suddenly stood up, gaining weird looks from the other Genin participating in the Third Exam and began ascending up the stairs. He had to get away. He had to breathe. 

"Where are you going?" Shikamaru asked bitterly. "Aren't you going to watch your dead teammate's match?" He said sarcastically. Naruto stopped for a moment and turned his head back, meeting Shikamaru's angry gaze. 

"When Asuma dies, you'll understand the pain I feel. Or maybe that won't happen, nothing is going as it should anyway." Shikamaru stood up, rage covering his entire face as he marched up to Naruto. 

"What the hell is that supposed-" He stopped when the tip of Naruto's sword hovered mere centimeters away Shikamaru's throat, ready to pierce it through at any second.

"Or perhaps it'll be when your father dies? Or when Konoha is destroyed? Would you perhaps stop looking at me with those judgy eyes? Damn, Nagato really hit the nail on the head with the speech he gave me as I laid on the ground helpless with several chakra rods pinning me to the ground. Do you know pain, Shikamaru?" 

Shikamaru, who was now sweating, took a small step back from the eerily calm blonde. "I'm not sure how to answer that." 

"I am. You don't. Maybe you'll leave me the hell alone now?" Sheathing his sword, Naruto walked up the stairs again, disappearing through the doors. 

"Did he just threaten to kill you?" Ino asked, angry. Shikamaru let out a small sigh of relief and shrugged.

"I'm not sure. I don't know anything about this Naruto, something's changed." With that, he went to sit back down, tucking all of that information that Naruto had just given him into the back of his brain, deeming it unimportant. 

Naruto sat in front of the Memorial Stone, his eyes downcast to the dirt. "Hey guys," He looked up, a small smile on his face. "Never thought I'd take the Chunin Exams again huh? I think it's funny. Everything is slowly changing around me, things that shouldn't be changing, and I'm powerless again to stop it. It's happening all over again and I don't even know who the enemy is.

"Obito isn't really a bad guy anymore, he's just a more hyped up version of Kakashi-sensei. He probably knows some things about me aren't in the academy reports, but I don't think he knows I'm from somewhere else. Only the old man knows and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't tell anyone else." He was frowning again. "I, I never really talked to you guys after I came here. Sorry for that," His hands balled up into fists.