As Uzumaki Naruto has just returned from a mission, he is targeted by a mysterious organization with unknown motives. Despite the endeavour of Hatake Kakashi, Naruto is abducted without leaving the slightest trace. After a month of absence, he reapp...
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The Seraph Project - Vigilance
When is the last time I felt this alive?
After an eternity of contemplating white and empty walls, of suffocating between four of them, of being bedridden, of being force-fed like a goose destined for slaughter, I feel reborn. I enjoy the rays of the sun, which warm my icy skin and my frosty insides, as if I've hibernated during the coldest of winters. The gentle wind carries my silver hair in its dance. I savour every breeze. Since my neck is protected, I don't experience any discomfort. My nose rediscovers the many scents of summer coming to an end, the culinary and tempting aromas that make me want to put something in my mouth.
Never in my life have I felt so free and alive.
The euphoric joy is such that I don't care about the venomous glares on us.
Of course, I'm not the only one experiencing heightened joy. Clinging to my arm, Naruto synchronizes his steps with mine. I can hear his heart beating wildly. Like me, the gaze of others doesn't bother him—rather, it doesn't exist. The blinding glare of the sun forces his eyes to the ground, but he keeps his head high. His silent laughter is followed by a tear of light, which slides down his cheek and meets the ground, thus returning to the earth.
I show a smile like his.
I take my time to return home after a long time. I enjoy the urban nature before finding myself between four walls. When I'm a block from home, stress skyrockets. According to the incident report, my door like my windows wasn't forced; the enemy broke in, and did so with disturbing ease. I could change the locks, but I doubt it would do anything. If they succeeded once, they will succeed again.
My emotions show on Naruto as he clenches his hands. He probably knows something is wrong. If I remember his categorical refusal to allow Sakura to enter my room, I fear his reaction to see that the place has been ransacked. I put the key in the lock, and we both hold our breath. As I open the door, the smell of musty and accumulated dust stings my nostrils. Over time, the odours of these people faded.
I look at my sad, upside-down apartment. The drawers and cupboards are emptied of their contents, piling up on the floor covered with dirt of all kinds. There are broken dishes. My ninja gear mixes with the depressing mess. My bathroom suffers the same fate, although the mirror is still intact. Nothing is worse than my unrecognizable bedroom. There isn't even room to put my feet so much it's a mess.
The sheets are roughly ripped off the bed and are torn. They inspected the bottom of my mattress since it's crooked and facing the wrong way; at that, they cut it open at the seam to take a look inside. My clothes are piled up all over the place, and I'm missing things. They took all my parchments and documents; my notes on my bulletin board are stolen. My desk and drawers are too as well. I guess they think I'm keeping secret information that might interest them. Fortunately, I don't have any of this. Even if I did, I wouldn't keep such documents in my home. My greenish blanket with black shuriken patterns found in the alley rests on my mattress.
