Chapter IX

Nothing more but a Shadow of Himself

Sakura and I advance in the way leading to the underground. Even though I was a member of the Anbu back then since they have the privilege of being able to take them as they please, this is the first time I have borrowed them. Needless to say, these corridors hidden under Konohagakure are off-limits for the vast majority. Maybe I didn't find the use of it? Maybe my memory of this dark period is playing tricks on me, thus erasing parts of those days that I indirectly seek to forget.

Maybe. I can't say.

We haven't exchanged a word since my whim—which doesn't help the already too palpable tension. However, I guess it's not entirely my fault. After all, Sakura is Godaime's disciple and a trusted kunoichi, and yet—despite her status—she's left out. Given this particularly delicate situation, I understand that they want to avoid sentimental involvement and sadly, my student often lets her emotions take over a little too much.

We turn the corner and I can see at the end of the corridor a reinforced door; a few steps, and it opens with a shrill sound indicating that it is time to oil the hinges. I recognize Shikamaru right away with his nonchalant, tired posture of a soul that has lived too much. He rubs the back of his head while holding a folder containing documents in his hand. It is only after closing behind him that he notices us.

A short silence follows before he speaks:

"Oh! Sakura, Kakashi-sensei."

Mechanically, we move forward to meet each other.

"I didn't expect to see you on your feet yet," he says with an exhausted sigh. "Anyway, it doesn't change the fact that she was impatient to see you."

"Are you part of the team, Shikamaru?" I ask.

He nods as I glance out of the corner of my eye that Sakura looks away and then lowers her head.

"Since the incident, I've been cloistered in this village. Since I can't do missions because of that, she put me on the case hoping that my brain could find the key to this mess. I'm not thrilled, but I prefer that instead of sitting there doing nothing with my days and ending up like Kiba… He finally freaked out until Godaime deigned to let him go on a mission…"

"I see… Do you have any lead?"

"Not the slightest," he sighs heavily. "I mean, they will better inform you once there rather than me."

Shikamaru then turns his attention to Sakura.

"And you, what are you doing here? You know you—"

"Yes, I do know, Shikamaru," she replies curtly. "I was simply accompanying Kakashi-sensei."

As I suspected, her reaction confirms my questions.

"Sorry, Sorry. I ain't the one giving out orders."

A silence.

I'm about to say something to lighten the mood, but I'm taken aback by the girl:

"Naruto... Is he okay?"

Another silence, an anxiety and a breath.

"He's alive, that's all I can tell you…"

Mechanically, I clench my fists; his words, his tone of voice, it only further torments my restless thoughts. I don't know if he is telling the truth, if we should be worried or if he refuses to divulge information about him; it does not change the fact that I am not at all serene. At the very least, I will finally find out; only a few minutes to be patient in this hellish wait.

To calm my student with similar suffering as mine, I put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"We'll find the cure for him, you can trust me, Sakura," I say with a sincere smile.

She offers me a comparable expression in return. Just like me, she hides her fears behind this one so as not to worry me.

"You're right, Kakashi-sensei."

I pull my hand back, nodding, which she does too. Without further exchange, besides a non-verbal goodbye, the two youngsters leave the place. It is only then that I notice the frantic race in my rib cage; my own words, I hardly believed them. I take a deep breath to give myself strength and I enter this forbidden place by creaking the old hinges, expecting the worst.

Just like the tunnels, a subdued light plunges the room into darkness and I struggle to see further than a few metres around me. Immediately, I am greeted by two Anbu members busy guarding the area to make sure anyone who has no business setting foot here can move further. Nevertheless, since my arrival seems to be expected, they push themselves aside to let me pass.

I walk through the second door which—this time—is much quieter. My retina, being accustomed to the dark, finds itself dazzled by the few monitors hanging on the wall, above a large desk overloaded with various objects which hardly attract my attention. At first glance, there are video surveillance systems dedicated to monitor what is happening in the area and the cells. I quickly scan the screens, but I can't see Naruto on any of them. Also, only then do I notice that the images are rather dark and green, as if it were night-vision goggles. I don't know why, but goosebumps overtake me; a bad feeling takes hold of me without my being able to explain it. In front of the devices, two unknown people in white coats turn to face me, as does Lady Tsunade, arms crossed, her back leaning against the wall on my left.

"I didn't expect to see you here anytime soon, Kakashi," she says, glaring at me.

I know very well that I am in bad shape and that I should rest, get a good night's sleep; no need for medical skills to figure it out. Since I have nothing to say, I remain silent.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter," she continues with a sigh. "You come at the right time…"

"And Naruto?" I ask, looking at the digital screens. "I don't see him. Did he say something? Or is he still unconscious?"

She frowns before she steps forward as I imitate her. She raises her finger and points to one of the empty jails provided with a single bed with unmade sheets and a toilet.

"He's currently hiding under the bed."

Puzzled, I frown.

"What do you mean?"

"It's like that every time we enter the place," she tells me before sighing heavily. "He's been there for almost an hour this time. To answer your second question, he didn't say a single word when we tried to communicate with him. We still don't know why."

I excused his silence with his outburst, but if he refused to speak with anyone, if I trust her words, the gathering of intel from him is compromised … especially since I know that we were counting a lot on his voice to shed some light on this whole story. In a sense, we are back to where we were.

"Shikamaru told me you were going to update me on the situation. Did you find something?"

"Yes and no. Nothing that cannot concretely explain what is going on, apart from more questioning."

She turns her head to address one of the team members responsible for the case.

"Play the first video."

"Right away!"

On the central monitor, the image sizzles before stabilizing. I see the same cell, but this time Naruto is lying on his back and visibly unconscious; I'm guessing it must have been after he passed out when I intervened. However, something is different. The room is lit instead of being in almost absolute darkness if it were not for the faint glow in the corridor in front of his cage.

What I witness next chills my blood.

I see the young teenager wake up and raise an arm in front of his eyes, he gets up abruptly despite his injuries and the pain that makes him flinch for a moment. His blonde mane and the tip of the tail then ignite before using a fiery puff to destroy the surrounding light sources with a feral screech. I recognize with horror this wild look that has its blue irises lighting up. He takes a deep breath to exhale—without any hands seals—what is similar to the technique of the fireball on the bars. The glow of the fire is such that I can no longer see anything on the screen. Despite the redness of the metal, it quickly regains its grey colours. I hear the boy scream before he begins to frantically punch the grids to the point of bloodying his knuckles and attempting to burn them again with his fiery breath.

"That's what happened when he regained consciousness," Godaime confirms to me, although I've already figured it out with the video. "We had anticipated that he would wake up in another fury. We have made sure that the bars can withstand the most intense of heat. Naruto only uses the fire release and we haven't seen any techniques from his usual repertoire."

After almost a minute of fighting in vain, the pain causes him to stop and curl up on himself, placing his hands on his stomach wound. Then, he crawls with difficulty and miserably under the bed to hide… It's not the Naruto I know and this thought strikes my heart; I pity my student, not to mention that once the calm comes after the storm, I see how thin and weak he is. However, anger creeps into this emotional torrent and I struggle to keep my composure. I am more determined than ever to make those responsible pay.

"We tried to put some lights back on, but he rushes to destroy them as soon as he's completely alone."

Which explains why the surroundings are so dark … darker than usual.

"Would he be photosensitive?"

"It looks like it, but it's not the most alarming…"

A silence, an agitation and a shared fear.

"He refuses to eat or drink. We cannot approach him without being repelled by his flames. I remain very worried as his condition is deteriorating hour by hour. We were soon ready to use the hard way… Even ramen from Ichiraku does not attract the slightest glance."

I have no words, and no sound comes out of my mouth. If we're really dealing with an amnesiac Naruto with a feral temper, employing said strong-arm manner would destroy any future trust gains with the sapphire-eyed boy. Nevertheless, I understand the decision of last resort, as well as this dilemma that leads to hesitation again and again; concerning his life, the choice is quickly made.

Fifth Hokage sighs before addressing the other two.

"Play the sixth one."

A nod before one of them complied. On the screen, I see the young teenager lying on the covers, on his side, facing the wall next to the bed, motionless. They don't take long to speed up the video to almost eight times its normal pace. From what I can notice, Naruto does not leave his bunk and moves from one position to another. Sometimes sitting in a ball, burying his visage behind his knees, sometimes dozing…

"Omitting visits that make him go hide for long minutes until he's alone again, that's what the last two days of observation look like. He also relieved his bladder only once. I don't know what happened during this month, but his psyche is greatly affected and shows symptoms of distress that are just as worrying as his physical condition. In addition, his sleep cycle is different. He sleeps four to six hours in the morning, and two to three hours in the late afternoon. He has no way of knowing the time of day, yet his cycle remains regular."

Although my ebony iris is glued to the screen, analyzing myself what I know now, every detail—in case they missed something even if it's unlikely—I listen attentively to the monologue of Lady Tsunade. To be honest, I have no idea how to help him, not the tiny bit. The situation seems hopeless to me; unconsciously, I somewhat lose hope.

"However, there is still one more thing to try."

At the same time, we turn our heads to look each other in the eyes.

"Kakashi, you're the only one who could approach Naruto and calm him down during his fury," she says in a confident tone that briefly brushed off the anxieties consuming me.

"Maybe," I nod grimly. "But I'm afraid that what happened was just a fluke."

"Each time we tried to enter his cell, he ignited himself to chase us away. If you can slip in without it happening, there is still hope. You are probably the only one who can establish this bond of trust with him."

Godaime is telling the truth. I may be the only one who has a chance of reaching the sapphire-eyed boy. I don't know how, but I have to find it; I have no right to fail a second time. No, I categorically refuse. Despite the considerable weight on my shoulders and my body exhausted by the abuse of useless training, I search within myself for my last strength and lock up in the corner of my head this crying need for rest.

"Understood," I confirm, hiding my lack of self-confidence the best I can.