Once the mask starts to crack

Chapter 4: Alone/ the scream

Naruto was sitting on his branch calmly while watching the stars in the night sky. This is the first time in years he had a look at the sky and gather his thoughts and emotions. He finally didn't have to run from place to place, away from all the villagers just for his own safety but just a few months back he was ready to give up and let them beat him up until he was at the brink of death. It's not like he didn't care anymore it's just that he got so used to the pain, he tolerated it.

He was listening to the owls hooting once in a while and he heard a shout which team 7's shift was over. He wanted to carry on doing the shift and not sleep since he has taken the habit of not sleeping for years. It gives him nightmares of the past. He just didn't want to dream of any of the memories since he would have hallucinations and anxiety attacks.
If he stayed on shift his team would keep bothering him asking him why he isn't sleeping. It would be too bothersome to explain and plus he didn't want to be a burden to them and let them get involved with his problems.

Naruto got down from the tall tree. He decided to take a bath at the lake that he had found while looking around the forest.

Naruto got his towel from his scroll and bath supplies with a lot of bandages to cover the scars so all his 'friends' won't see how ugly his body is. He grabbed his clothes that were stored in a scroll next to his bathroom essentials and stealthily ran to the lake, trying to get no one to notice him.

Naruto looked around to check if anyone had followed by I'm or hiding behind anything, spying on him. But saw no one.
He sighed quietly and started to undress. His orange jumpsuit and fishnet slid off his tan skin, revealing the bandages that covered most of his body. He unraveled the banged, putting the ointment on before going into the water.

After his business he redid the bandages, looking at his recent scars and cuts on his wrists, Naruto put back his fishnet and jumpsuit on. He snuck into the shadows, hiding his chakra, sneaking into the tent. Team 3, who were patrolling didn't notice him pass them, but a certain person did.

"Hey done, where did you run off to." Asked the duckbutt with a lace of anger in his voice towards the Uzamaki because of their lass encounter earlier made him mad but he could stay mad at the sun kissed blonde for long.

"Took a wash. Duhh. What did you think I was doing, teme." The blonde said while stuffing his scrolls in his bad.

"Tsk, well then go to sleep. I am trying to rest, you done." And with that sasuke fell asleep. Well unlucky for Naruto he stayed up all night with all the memories running through his head of the kyuubi festival. He tried to get some rest since this is the only calm time he can have. He tried 5 times but still woke up with nightmares. Beating came rushing into his mind. The most horrid memory he didn't want to see, the day he lost his virginity to a drunk man and the cause of him to have sleepless nights, made him have a blood curling scream. If course it woke up sasuke but also alarming team 3 and shino in the tent beside them which came rushing into his tent. Neji being  moody didn't really care. He thought it wasn't any of his business to interfere.

"Oi dobe, I am trying to sleep." He looks over at Naruto, glaring at him. But his eyes soften when he sees the blonde once happy and energetic now clutching his hair with tears streaming down his cheeks. Sasuke had the urge to do a foreign action that he usually never shows. He was hesitant until shino came rushing in and hugged him tight. He pulled him to an embrace with Naruto clutching onto the back of his shirt.
Sasuke grew a little jealous of the contract shino was doing but he couldn't do anything.

"What made you so unyouthful, my dearest friend?" Questioned Lee who was peaking inside the tent, seeing the scene of Naruto in shino's embrace.
Shino broke contact with Naruto giving him a concerned look. Naruto was still shaking with his hands in his hair. Shino has never felt this concerned for a friend this much but he wants to comfort Naruto.
In Naruto's mind all he could think about is Shino and Lee hunting him down in the next days to come.