Naruto: The Seraph Project

Chapter 73: Silent Tears

My sad awakening is greeted with agonizing tortures, which engulf me in liquid fire. My mind is still in a daze. I can only moan painfully in response to the deadly abuse. Cruel reality hits me with coldness and violence, shakes me fiercely while showing an evil smirk; it takes pleasure in making me suffer. My exhausted breath turns each of my inspirations into overwhelming trials for my survival. On the path between consciousness and unconsciousness, I whimper despite myself...

I felt so good, so peaceful in the darkness...

I want to go back there...

I reluctantly open my eye. All my senses are altered... Maa, except the blazing inferno of my whole being, it takes me time to understand what's happening around me. My vision is completely blurred; the darkness prevents me from seeing anything. I barely hear anything, and my sense of smell is non-existent. My toothache got worse and is unbearable. I want to tear my Sharingan out of its orbit. I feel like it's dissolved in acid... If I could move, I'd be writhing in pain. To top it all, I really want to rub my paralyzed, itchy nails on something...

Slowly and despite my ordeal, I feel gentle caresses on my scalp. Careful fingers slip between my locks; it would be nice if it wasn't for my bath of suffering. I flinch when I turn my head briefly. My iris immediately gets used to the darkness, in which I recognize this shadow near me.

Naruto is at my bedside and watches over me. His shinobi headband is tied around his neck, and he holds my left hand. His azure-blue eyes have lost their shine and sorrow tarnishes them; tears are stuck in the corner of his eye sockets, under which there are pronounced dark circles. The blond hasn't slept since he poisoned me. The room is in almost darkness. I conclude that it's evening or night. The curtains covering the windows and my useless vision prevent me from being sure.

Suddenly, the pain strikes me absolutely everywhere; it rips from me a wail, and I grind my teeth. I hear with misery the worried squeaks of my student, like his breathing that has accelerated.

The odious crisis finally over, I gasp. Naruto's anxiety-ridden face approaches mine. He also let go of my hand to delicately place it on my cheek.

"... I'm ... fine, Naruto..." I mumble. "It just ... hurts everywhere... You don't have to worry... It's nothing..."

Naruto releases a tear. It slides down his cheek before landing on my skin; the clear drop becomes a needle soaked in alcohol that pierces me, mixing with my blood like a throw of salt on open wounds. I try as best I can to hold back my voice, but I can't; it responds to torture by itself...

Without warning, Naruto licks my forehead ... again. Until his drool anesthetizes my skin, it hurts and I feel disgusted. I can't defend myself, push his mutated tongue coated with saliva away from me... I don't know what's the nature of his unwanted and unpleasant gesture; my brain is too weakened to think, to find this obvious answer. I can only tolerate his slimy tongue when it's used to numb my skin and to make his bites painless...

"... Naruto... You have to sleep ... find sleep... I don't like seeing you ... hurting yourself like that..." His sapphire eyes shy away from mine. "You promise me, Naruto...? You're gonna sleep when ... you've poisoned me ... once again?"

The feral boy stares back at me. At the same time, I'm hit with another painful crisis, which shakes me mercilessly like a tidal wave. I escape a cry that tears the silence, then lamentations of despair. If I could, I would cry.

I can't anymore...

I want to sleep...

I want to die...

The mattress in my bunk is sagging. I open my eyelid despite the pain and agony. Naruto looks excruciatingly serious. He climbs extremely carefully into my bed. He gently feels the sheets to make sure he doesn't step on me. His rather suspicious intentions worry me; my painful heart races and smashes my ribs like sharp knives would. Naruto straddles me; both of his legs are on either side of my hips and brush against me. With his eyes closed, he leans towards me, grabs my face and holds it in his palms.