Naruto: The Seraph Project

Chapter 76: A Mark Steeped in Mysteries

Naruto is upset, inconsolable. As soon as we're alone, I offer him my comfort. With nameless delicacy and caution, Naruto climbs into my bed and lies partially on top of me. He takes me tenderly in his arms, resting his head close to my neck; at that, his tail wraps around my leg. Quickly, his pain and distress are eased. He stops shaking, closes his eyes and finds a semblance of sleep.

Emotionally, Naruto is at his wits' end. My disastrous speech led to the breaking of the chains that kept him captive in his selective appetite. He was forced to devour another chakra than mine; it put him in great distress. As a result, his psyche took a big hit. I hope his next meal goes better to prevent his mind breaking further...

As for me, I have to be patient. I don't know how long my student will need to produce venom to poison me with. Aside from tiny, useless movements with my fingers or toes, I'm still paralyzed. The urge to rub my nails on something makes me suffer; the itching is unbearable now. I can't do anything to soothe the annoying itches, and frustration builds inside me. I try to move my fingers to scratch, but it makes my ordeal worse. My miserable actions accentuate the tickling more than anything else.

Additionally, Naruto looks excruciatingly heavy. He hampers my breathing a little. Given my deplorable state, it hardly surprises me. As long as I can fill my lungs with air, I can hold on until the blond wakes up.

I contemplate the blue sky, the clouds and the village looming on the horizon. I'm also deep in thought. Fears attack me from all sides, and I struggle to remain rational. Even though Lady Tsunade told me that I'm still normal, human, I can't shake the possibility that I'm becoming a nocturnal, chakra-hungry creature. It makes my blood run cold, to put it mildly. I feel like I'm changing. How precisely? No one has the answer, me included.

I fear that this mark on my neck will be the first step, that other ebony tattoos will appear all over my back, little by little covered with an abstract mosaic. I'm terrified of waking up with a furry black tail, claws, fangs, and a sordid appetite for chakra... But most importantly, what are Naruto's intentions? Why did he imprint this indelible mark on my skin? Is it even possible that I could become like him, a chakra devourer? If it's possible, will I become a feral animal too...?

If only we knew what happened during the month of his abduction. We could know how this group transformed him, how they achieved such a feat. I would get my answers, thus allowing me to compare, to see if I'm going through the same process as him. Is my transition smooth? Will I experience a hell that I refuse to conceive? If Naruto's voice wasn't silent, I could calm my devastating torment...

I'm pulled from my thoughts when Naruto stirs. He looks at me with his little eyes, tired and reddish from his recent crying. I greet him with a smile. He recovered from his emotions. His mind is still in a daze, since his wandering irises take time to scan their surroundings, not to mention that the light dazzles him, forcing him to rub his eyes. I wonder if he got enough rest. I want his venom, I want his fangs in my flesh, I want to be free of my unanswered questions.

That said, I give him time to stretch. Naruto gets up, freeing his tail from my leg. But instead of leaving the bed, he straddles me to sit on my pelvis, staring at me. His piercing, physical gaze makes me very uncomfortable. I really feel like he weighs twice his weight; he crushes me.

The sapphire-eyed boy sniffs me a little too closely. His rapid breathing gives me unpleasant shivers. My right wrist overwhelms the attention of his nostrils. He pouts as he stares at it. I understand that this damn smell is still there... Maa, that's the only explanation I can find.

"You don't have to worry, Naruto. It'll eventually vanish..."

His eyes don't deviate. The teenager lets out a muffled grunt, in no way convinced that it will fade with time. He grabs my arm and brings it close to his mouth. I guess right away what he wants to do.