Naruto: The Seraph Project

Chapter 44: Darkness of Despair

After Shikamaru left, I went to bed and slumber overcame me in record time, to the point of not being able to remember it. Apart from a fragment that I had invited the teenager into my sheets so that he'd fall asleep too, nothing else. In addition to sleeping quite soundly, I also stopped dreaming for days; it began when I started feeding my chakra to Naruto. Obviously, I am being held hostage by his toxin which prevents me from surfing on these abstract rivers influenced by the subconscious.

Nothing is able to wake me up... At least, since my student remains relatively alert, I can trust him during these periods that make me vulnerable. As for the absent dreams, I won't be sorry; a good majority were nightmares engendered by the ghosts of my past after all.

This morning I was roused from my sleep when something started tickling my nose until I sneezed. While my body took some time to stretch, Naruto—unsurprisingly—was emitting a tolerable snore. Snuggled against me, on his stomach, one arm around my waist, his tail was resting on top of me, under the blanket, with the bushy tip sticking out and dangerously close to my face. Needless to say, what is to blame for my abrupt and unpleasant awakening...

Eager to discover the information promised by Shikamaru, I rushed to take a shower to remove the static electricity covering my entire being before having lunch. Underwater, I watched for a long time my arms marked with pain. Gradually, more and more visible scars begin to permanently draw on my sore skin. In their current state and both recently bitten, not to mention the numerous bruises and scratches, they make me feel like a beaten man victim of domestic abuse. It bothers me a bit, although it's somewhat the case. This observation forces me to bandage my arms to hide the unwanted marks and prevent people from forming opinions about me.

Unlike yesterday, I didn't take any risks to wake Naruto up. Suspecting that he would insist on staying there while grumbling, I gently grabbed his ankles and with a sudden movement, I pulled him out. The sapphire-eyed boy woke up with a start when he fell to the ground. All his hair bristling to its climax as he was kicking and tailing, Naruto was hissing a lot as I was busy hoisting him out of my room.

When I released him, he got on all fours and like a disgruntled beast, he glared angrily at me, showing his teeth and canines. Although this posture and his puffy fur could make me anxious at first, it no longer impresses me; due to our special relationship and his emotional dependence, Naruto won't hurt me even if he's pissed off. Only his feral instincts force me to remain cautious since they make him unpredictable and aggressive, to the point that he can no longer recognize me.

Indifferent to his attempt to intimidate me, I curtly ordered him to get dressed. I also left him a drink on the table, while I get ready too. By weariness, I leave behind my usual shinobi paraphernalia and content myself with my forehead protector. In annoyance, I impatiently waited at the doorway, arms crossed, for Naruto to stop sulking. Fortunately, the uncomfortable tension in the air pushed him to obey me. Like me, he opted for a lighter outfit. He put on my sweater ... his orange pants and his headband tied on his forehead, not to mention the dark cape that doesn't seem to bother him so much anymore.

After the aqueous offering that he swallowed in a few gulps, he came to join me, pouting. Naruto quickly resumed his happy and usual mood when I ruffled his wheat hair and showed him my best smile. With his great sensitivity, this must make my gesture more pleasant and which he sincerely appreciates, since he smiles every time. Sometimes I feel as if he's giving me his head to make it easier for me.

Wasting no time, I headed over to Shikamaru's with the blond clinging to my arm.

★ ★ ★

While Naruto hastened to play in the garden, I read with excruciating slowness the report promised by Shikamaru who—with a cigarette in his beak—is content to observe the sky or the other boy having fun in an atypical way. The more I advance in my reading, the darker my face is; at this, the pangs in my heart become twists and vices of pain. This unacknowledged sadness mingles with the anger that darkens my soul in spite of myself. I feel my blood boiling in my veins and to say I'm enraged would be a euphemism.