Disclaimer: Naruto doesn't belong to me. Probably wouldn't be nearly as popular if it was anyway…

Summery: AU. Mizuki escapes confinement and his revenge on Naruto has disastrous consequences. What will happen when the loudest ninja in Konoha suddenly isn't anymore?

Warnings: Gore(especially prologue), violence, possible future Shounen-ai and/or Shoujo-ai. And het…

Cyber-"Welcome all. I shall now investigate what would happen if Naruto suddenly was deprived of his voice. Because we'll be dealing with Mute!Naruto below is a key to alternate forms of communication."

-written "speech"-

/sign language or other forms of code/

'mouthed words'

Hush

Prologue

Humming pleasantly the brown-haired man strolls down the street, glancing at various shops as they turn on their lights for the evening. He nods in greeting at various shopkeepers and passers by occasionally exchanging a word or two. When he passes by a ramen stand though, he stops, blush highlighting the scar across his nose when his stomach rumbles, and murmurs, "Ichiraku. . ." He contemplates for a moment then chuckles, "It'll be a nice surprise for him." Mind made up he slips under the flaps at the entrance.

The shopkeeper smiles warmly, "Welcome! What would you like today Iruka?"

Iruka smiles, "Two bowls, to go."

"Treating Naruto again?" The shopkeeper busies himself in preparing the ramen, gesturing for Iruka to sit down to wait.

Settling at the counter, Iruka nods and then sighs wistfully, "Yes, and this way I won't end up with an empty wallet. Tomorrow Naruto officially becomes a genin and gets assigned his team. Even though he was a handful I'll miss having him as a student."
. . .

Across town a blond-haired boy, dressed in orange, stops on the steps of an apartment building and suddenly sneezes. "Someone must be talking about me. . ." Naruto sniffs and rubs his nose, continuing up the steps, "Hope it's something good." With a cheery smile Naruto moves to the door to his apartment, nearly bouncing with excitement, "First I'll have ramen for dinner and then I'll go to bed early!" Unlocking the door he laughs, "That way I'll be wide awake tomorrow! I'm finally gonna be a ninja!" The enthusiastic blond slips into the dark apartment and suddenly stops, a frown flickering over his features, "Something's. . ."

"I've been waiting for you, monster fox." A silver-haired man, hair hanging lankly around his face, appears out of the shadows behind Naruto, his voice twisted with hate.

"Mizu—ugh!" Naruto turns and starts to speak but the man vanishes and a hand grabs Naruto's chin, forcing the boy back and exposing his throat. The kunai in the man's other hand glitters in the sliver of light coming through the partially open door and there is a small splash of blood. For the briefest moment there is only a thin line of blood bisecting Naruto's throat but as his attacker moves in front of him Naruto collapses to his knees and the blood seems to blossom, quickly soaking the collar of his jacket, even as his hands come up in a vain attempt to stop the flow. Blue eyes stare up with confusion and shock and Naruto's gasping breaths bubble through the even cut. His mouth, a little blood staining his tongue and lips, forms noiseless words as he falls back, 'Mi-Mizuki-sensei? How?'

For a minute the only sound to break the silence is the gurgle of Naruto's choking breaths, creating a faint foam around the slit, as Mizuki smirks down at the bleeding boy. Then Mizuki laughs, "You ruined my plans to get the scroll so I thought I'd give you a little present before I left for another village." He crouches down, cruelly jerking Naruto up, the bruises on his face coming into the band of light, "You got lucky the first time, little monster, but you're no match for the likes of me." Mizuki laughs again, "I'm actually doing Konoha a favor by killing you. Maybe they'll even thank me for getting rid of the monster fox." His gloating is cut short however as he notices the wound on Naruto's throat beginning to close, wisps of red chakra hovering around it. With a growl he forces Naruto down, dripping kunai raised, "Damn you! I won't let you heal, demon!"

Naruto struggles weakly and manages to get his arms up, taking the brunt of the first blow. Mizuki, though, doesn't stop at one slice and hacks away at Naruto's throat with mad abandon. The blows overlap and crisscross, some as high up as right underneath Naruto's ear and others nicking his collar bones. As the assault continues Naruto's hands fall away giving Mizuki full access to the torn throat. Red chakra hisses through the rapidly multiplying wounds but can't keep up with the damage. As Naruto's tear filled eyes start to cloud and his lips turn blue through the coating of blood, Mizuki crows in triumph, "Die, filthy fox!" He stops slicing and stabs the mutilated flesh a few times before rising nervously, hearing a noise outside, and fleeing. Naruto lies on the floor, tears dripping down his cheeks and chest heaving in an attempt to get some air through the mess of torn flesh and blood.
. . .

Iruka grins as he trots up the steps, the take out containers of ramen clutched in his arms. His ponytail bounces in rhythm with his steps and his soft brown eyes sparkle with merriment. "Won't Naruto be surprised!" As he approaches the door to Naruto's apartment, however, his steps slow and he frowns at the open door. "Naruto? I brought you ramen." Iruka pushes the door open voice laced with worry, "Naruto?"

As the door swings open light fills the dark apartment falling on the sprawled body of Naruto on the ground. He lies in a pool of blood, jacket so soaked the original colors are impossible to tell. Where his throat should be there is only an unrecognizable pulp with flickers of red chakra trying desperately to heal the damage. His chest still moves but only in short spasms, each accompanied by a wheezing gurgle.

The ramen in Iruka's hands drops to the floor, noodles and broth mixing with trickles of sticky blood. His mouth opens but nothing comes out and in a flash he is at Naruto's side, shaking hands hovering over Naruto, unsure. Iruka's breath is strangled in a sob, "Naruto!" as tears gather in his eyes.

Naruto's eyes open, clouded with fear and pain, and he twitches slightly, a flinch too weak to move his body. Then his eyes clear and his bloody lips twist into the faintest ghost of a smile. A bloody hand comes up, flopping against Iruka's cheek without strength and then sliding off. With a gurgling exhalation Naruto's eyes close and he goes limp, hand flopping to the ground with a wet sound.

"Naruto, don't--! Naruto! Naruto!" Iruka's keening scream echoes through the apartment as the bereft man gathers the bloody boy in his arms, another wordless scream following as the blond head lolls. "Don't die. Not after how hard you worked! Naruto!" With a desperate gleam in his eyes Iruka stands and blurs out the door, murmuring, "Hospital."
. . .
. . .

Cyber-"And that is the end of the prologue. I know the injuries might seem a little much but I figure that anything less could be handled by the kyuubi's chakra. Anyway, please leave reviews and I'll see you next chapter, should you want one. Ja ne!"