Love Through Negotiation «COMPLETED»

Chapter 24

Naruto had experienced frustration before, but never the likes of this. He stared at his own, cruelly smirking reflection and sighed, putting his fists down and crossing his legs. The mirror followed suit, though its demeanor suggested it was doing that under its own free will as a way to mock him. "We've been at this for a few days now. What do you want?"

The mirror shrugged. The only difference between Naruto and the mirror was that its eyes were black and red instead of white and blue. "You know what I want. I'm you."

"You're not me," Naruto was quick say, just like he had said time and time before whenever it made the assertion that they were the same. He blew air out his mouth, toying with various ideas in his mind. "If you're me, then what I want will set me free, right? Once I get that, I'll have control of Kurama's chakra."

If the mirror was at all threatened by the way Naruto spoke, he didn't show it. "Maybe. It depends on what you want."

"Will finding Sasuke set me free?"

"No."

"Will eating ramen set me free?"

"No."

"Will fucking my hot wives set me free?"

"That's a definite no."

Naruto went to list all of his banal enjoyments and casual fancies and was met with the same answer over and over again. He even tried delving into his mind, teasing at what the mirror could want. When that didn't work, he tried to figure it out like a riddle and was about as effective at it as he was with any other riddle: not at all.

He ended their 'conversation' by letting his head fall into his hands as he screamed into his palms. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"

"You know what I want. I'm you."

Naruto sighed. "No you're not," he said silently. Fighting it didn't work. In fact, it did just the opposite. He had tried to muscle his way through the night before and all the way up to the evening of the second day when he tried to actually talk to it. It was morning on the third and he was just as close now as he was then. And he was really starting to hate that fucking smirking face.

His eyes narrowed at the mirror. Dark Naruto. "You know what I want?" he asked suddenly. Dark Naruto's eyes perked up and he straightened out his back, putting his hands on his knees and listening with rapt attention. "I want to be strong enough to beat the shit out of you, so I can go back with everyone to Mist and prepare for… for whatever swirly-face has in store for me."

"Are you sure that's what you want?" Dark Naruto asked, grinning like a madman about to get exactly what he wanted.

Looking up, concern on his brow, Naruto considered this new response. Was he sure? Pretty damn sure. "Yes," Naruto said as seriously as he could. "That's what I want."

Dark Naruto's grin fell. "Man, I didn't think I acted like this much of a child."

"If that's not what you want, then what is?"

"You know what I want!"

Naruto's lips curled up in a snarl. "That's not what I want!"

"Yes it is!" Dark Naruto stood up explosively, a look of utmost and profound rage glimmering behind his eyes. "You sit there and winge and moan and complain and piss yourself like a little fucking child when all you have to do is admit what you fucking want and you don't fucking do it! Do you enjoy pain? Do you enjoy suffering for others? Do you like playing the martyr?"

"I JUST DON'T WANT ANYONE I LOVE TO BE HURT!"

"And you would rather be hurt in their stead."

Naruto shrugged. He couldn't help but feel he was getting pulled into the way of thinking that Dark Naruto employed and that couldn't end well. "Yes. I would."