Naruto: The Seraph Project

Chapter 52: The Pursuit

Once my body and my mind were refreshed, I left my bed to wash away the static electricity accumulated in my mane with water. Surprised, but not surprised, Naruto obeyed his nocturnal creature instincts and slept with me. That my hair looked horribly shaggy proves it. Otherwise, I would never have known.

Hungry, I cooked myself something. The smells attracted the curiosity of Naruto who came to observe what I was doing ... a little too closely since he was in my way. To occupy him and have peace, I offered him a puzzle. However, he wasn't very interested in this one ... or the others for that matter. He seems excruciatingly sleepy to me all of a sudden. His tiny half-closed eyes imply that he's sleeping upright while the night is supposed to wake him up. Odd.

All in all, Naruto moved to my window that he opened. Half-lying on the headboard of the bed and the bed itself, he crossed his arms on which he rested his head. He contented himself with observing the exterior becoming more and more engulfed in darkness. The many clouds darken this particularly black night despite its lunar star at its peak. Even his ebony tail remains motionless and lifeless.

When I inquire about his condition, Naruto just looks back at me. If I touch him, he reacts, but not more than that. His demeanour isn't normal at all. This isn't his style, especially during these hours—on the contrary, he's active and annoying. To say I'm anxious would be an understatement. Worried, I watch my student with a keen eye while swallowing my meal.

Since I don't feel like going to bed right away, I just laze around, reading in my bunk. I will give him my chakra later. With this forced and prolonged nap, I don't want his venom to run through my body more than necessary; the more it runs in my blood, the more I will need it, and the more I will be unable to part with it. I had planned to take Naruto out tonight ... but seeing his sudden worrying lethargy, I change my mind...

His behaviour is abnormal and I am weighing my words. I feel as if it's getting worse over time. When I briefly tickle him on the ribs, it takes a few seconds for him to show signs of discomfort before moving a millimetre away. If I start again, the same thing happens. Moreover, he doesn't return the slightest glance nor does he issue the slightest verbal complaint. If I call out to him, he peeks at me. Naruto remains silent and unresponsive to anything.

I'm so focused on Naruto that I don't even read anymore; I stare uselessly at these empty pages on which intelligible squiggles are printed. My favourite novel seems as interesting as a blank wall now. I gnaw my blood to the marrow; I don't know if Naruto is just tired or if I need to urgently examine him and find out what's wrong. He blinks, he breathes ... he yawns sometimes. Is my mind playing tricks on me?

Slowly, the darkness fades as the sky clears up, revealing its bright and distant stars. Suddenly, I notice the teen's dark fur ruffling and puffing out, along with his blond hair. Naruto jerks his head up and stares at the endless void before him without any facial expression. I feel as if that he's in the grip of a deep trance. This doesn't bode well at all.

"Naruto...?" I call out gently, trying to put a hand on his shoulder...

With a start, I withdraw immediately before I even touch him. His skin has suddenly released lightning and if I touch him, I will receive a shock. His veil of static electricity has grown in intensity and is ready to electrocute anything that comes in contact with it. Naruto seems to be storing electricity with which he will create artificial storms...

A cold sweat breaks out on my forehead.

His disturbing immobility is a ticking time bomb; a warning that a tragedy is about to happen. I have a very, very bad feeling. My heart starts racing and I stay alert. Given his unstable psyche, I brace myself for the possibility that he jumps down my throat. I take a defensive position, ready to react. I recovered some chakra... However, this is far from enough; my field of action is greatly limited. I repeat Naruto's name, but my voice doesn't reach his deaf ears, as if I had disappeared from his universe.