Chapter XVIII

Trusting Each Other

The next day, I woke up late in the morning—rather, it was almost noon when I opened my eyelid for the first time. The medication helped me get through the night and numbed the pain. I manage to feel sensations again in my aching arm; moving it always makes me shudder. Besides the hunger, I am much better. At first sight, the fever had left me. I am still tired due to my greatly diminished chakra reserve. Depending on how much I've recovered, using a single Lightning Blade to its full destructive potential would be difficult. In this state, the Sharingan would keep me bedridden for a good week. I hope my student doesn't need to eat each day… Since he seemed to be fine despite his long period of fasting, maybe I don't have to offer him my chakra every night; otherwise, I will soon have one foot in the grave.

Forced to rest, I chose to sleep a little more. Apart from a few visits from the nurses coming to inspect me or provide me with a meal, I am not bothered more than that. Good, I need it.

At the end of the afternoon, I dive into my favourite book. My reading is of short duration since Hokage the fifth enters my room. Contrary to the usual, she is alone; she seems very preoccupied.

"How are you today, Kakashi?"

"Much better than yesterday."

I make a few weary movements with my arm to show her that the brief paralysis has left it.

"I can move it relatively as before, but I still have twinges."

Lady Tsunade examines my limb with her medical ninjutsu.

"And your chakra?" she asks.

"Let's say I'd be completely useless on a battlefield."

She frowns before glancing at my medical report.

"You no longer have fever and your vital systems are normal. Have you been anxious lately?"

It takes me by surprise and clogs my throat. I can't deny it… This whole story worries me too much. My retinal avoidance is a sufficient answer to her question.

"Your body under prolonged anxiety can react drastically when subjected to a major factor of stress," she explains sternly. "This is the reason for your sudden fever."

"I see."

I am reassured. It is not Naruto's bite that is to blame; a fear of falling ill because of him tormented me.

"I'd like to give you time off to rest, but that won't be possible."

A pinch in the heart, a dread and dark conclusions.

"Shikamaru shared the situation about Naruto's wounds and that they were taking too long to heal," she continues. "I was able to compare with the results of the blood samples. We were waiting for an occasion to draw his blood again for further research since we were uncertain … but if what you saw is true, Naruto's cells are taking too much time to renew themselves."

"What do you mean?"

"His body is incapable to regenerate and thereby heal its own wounds."

A shiver of dread slides down my spine. If I was peaceful earlier, it's the exact opposite now. The tremors possess me in spite of myself, my breathing quickens and she notices it immediately.

"It's possible that the healing process was compromised by the lack of nourishment," she tells me, trying to reassure me. "This is why you should go and inspect his condition without further delay."

I calm down listening to her words. One thing is certain. Despite his strange appetite for chakra, Naruto still needs water; it is indisputable since he began to do better afterwards. It is logical to believe that—long undernourished considering his far too thin weight—his body did not have the energy. It is likely that the natural system will kick back in after such a feast. However, this does not explain the inaction of Kyubi's power on his being. Since a host cannot survive having their demon removed, I highly doubt that it has been extracted. Perhaps his new condition conflicts with his title of Jinchūriki?

As I was about to share my questions, I noticed Fifth Hokage's dark expression. Something tickles her mind, much more than this disturbing revelation.

"Kakashi, are you able to get up now?"

I frown, nodding.

"Naruto hasn't come out from under the bed since yesterday. In addition, his growls are much more aggressive than before if one enters the room. We did not dare set foot inside the jail."

Indeed, this is a bad omen… Is Shikamaru's action to blame? Is it because he devoured my bluish essence? Both? Whatever the reason, I hope the sapphire-eyed boy hasn't descended further into savagery and that my efforts thus far have not been wasted. I shake my head to chase these intrusive thoughts into a corner; gnawing at my own blood won't change the situation nor will help it.

In a paradox of haste and slowness, I jump out of bed. I would have liked a well-deserved rest, but that will have to wait. I manage to make my body forget the fatigue that is tormenting it as I skillfully do. Godaime and I go underground.


Some medical supplies in hand, I cross the metal door. As Lady Tsunade told me, I hear the growing growls of my pupil. The more I approach the cage, the more they increase. These wild noises acting as a warning make the hair on my arms and neck to stand on end; to this, a primary fear germinates in me. I have goosebumps. However, something is wrong. I perceive an unusual tremor which transforms these aggressive complaints into particular lamentations. To tell the truth, I cannot determine the emotions that guide them. For the first time, Naruto did not leave the shadows of his bed, where he must feel the safest. The concern devours my bowels, sabotage my cognitive faculties. Has the teenager forgotten me? Have I definitely lost this fragile link with him?

I take long, calming breaths before adding the sound of my voice to the middle of this eerie chant.

"Naruto! It's me, Kakashi!"

The effect is immediate.

The growls stop.

A deadly silence reigns.

Cautiously, the boy crawls out of hiding. Seeing me, he freezes in place; wide open, his deep blue irises stare intensively at me. He seems taken aback by my presence. It's as if he doesn't know how to react or what action to do. Like him, I remain motionless. I use this opportunity to take a closer view. Naruto still wears his headband on his forehead. Not only that, I also notice pronounced dark circles that darken his eyes, more than usual. Obviously, he hasn't gotten any rest since my last visit, but those dark circles looks as if he hasn't slept in days, if not weeks.

This detail is added to my big list of worries.

At first glance, my student does not seem dangerous to me. On my guard, I venture inside the cell, making the door rumble, which makes the teenager jump. However, I impose a safe distance between me and him and I wait for a movement on his part after having placed the few objects on the ground. By this very fact, I notice that it's a little less hot and that the surrounding smells have briefly changed. The scent of sulphur has faded to give way to a familiar burnt aroma. Despite my keen sense of smell, I can't identify it. One thing is certain, body odour stinks the air more and more every day. No need to say that an upcoming shower is essential…

Naruto finally gets up and comes to meet me. However, his shoulders are low, and instead of his curious expression, his face looks sad to me—rather, he wears a veil of concern. Slowly and nervously, he raises his palm and brings it dangerously close to my visage. I dread what he is trying to do. A cold sweat breaks out on my forehead. I hold my breath and frown. In response, Naruto stops. After analyzing me for a breath, trembling and hesitating, he moves his hand again and puts it on my forehead, under my grey locks. His gesture makes me miss a heartbeat and I froze in place.

What is he trying to do? Does he examine my physical condition by taking my temperature?

The teenager withdraws his too hot palm and while staring at my bandaged forearm, he holds it gently. His pout darkened further as he isn't taking his eyes off it.

His behaviour strikes me like lightning in the blackest night. He feels guilty for hurting me. I guess now that worry was gnawing at him as well as anger. All the sapphire-eyed boy saw was me suddenly collapsing as a potential threat took me to an unknown location. Maybe he thought that I would never come back again while demonstrating his displeasure with fierce animosity? I only see that. But it also means something else:

I managed to bond with Naruto.

To be sure, I decide to take a risky bet. Nervously, while he is focused on my arm, I put my hand on his shoulder. The teenager jumps and plunges his blue irises into mine.

"I'll be fine, Naruto. It's nothing, you don't have to worry," I say, sketching a cheerful face.

To my great relief, he does not push me away, on the contrary, he smiles back; the cockroaches that were hovering over his head flew off. I have the feeling that part of this darkness which is responsible for my daily torments has left me. I manage to find hope again.

"Give me your arm so I can inspect your wound. Would you?"

True to his silence, he does not answer me. Without the slightest hesitation, he offers it to me. Gently, I take it as it was a fragile thing before unrolling the gauze. Seeing the cut, my dark eye widen. The deep wound now looks like a simple scratch marked with bruises turning from red to blue. Until recently, his condition implied that it would need several days to heal entirely. I wouldn't be surprised if it were completely healed by tomorrow or the day after—even, I won't have to bandage his forearm again. Are these the powers of the demon fox or those of the devourers? I can't be sure. I sigh, relieved. Godaime was right; hungry, his wounds weren't healing.

Lost in my thoughts, I don't notice the blond panting or forcing himself to keep his eyelids open as they ferociously try to close. I only realize it when he starts to waver. His eyes roll in their sockets before Naruto falls back. Mechanically, I manage to catch him in his fall.

"Naruto!"

He does not react. His body is shivering, his breath is rapid and beads of sweat slide on his temples. I remove his forehead protector to take his temperature.

'Fever,' I whisper to myself when I notice that he's really hot … more than usual, things said.

Without wasting a second, I lift the teenager and carry him in my arms to put him in his bed; I nearly stumble on the way when I narrowly avoid stepping on his tail. I don't know what's going on with him. It's too sudden for it to be normal, especially considering the progress of his recovery. I barely have time to lay him down and cover him with the sheet up to his hips when I hear the metal door open, followed closely by the sound of heels. On the other side of the jail, I recognize the fifth Hokage, with a satchel in hand.

"Lord Godaime."

"Is he unconscious?"

I nod. She must have been watching what was happening on the video monitors to have come so quickly. Lady Tsunade enters the cell as I push aside to make room for her. My student remains impassive about this intrusion, confirming to me beyond any doubt that he has indeed passed out.

She takes a look at the condition of his arm before focusing on the most serious of his injuries. She lifts his T-shirt up to his pecs and cuts the bandage with her chakra. The wound is more deplorable than it was in my memories. The surrounding skin is bright red and purplish and there are transparent, even yellowish discharge. An image goes back into memory; I realize only too late that this wound that I thought healthy was heavily infected. Godaime uses her medical chakra to inspect the gash thoroughly. In doing so, I notice that she is still able to examine his injuries with her healing ninjutsu despite Naruto's ominous immunity to it.

"You don't have to worry, he'll be fine," she reassures me as she settles into providing traditional healing. "The infection got worse because his body was unresponsive. The fact that he has a fever shows that his body has finally gotten to work."

"Why so suddenly?" I ask, puzzled.

"I observed in detail what happened. My theory is that he released the pressure all at once. Animals tend to fiercely hide all symptoms of illness and all signs of weakness. I guess Naruto trusts you enough to show you that part of vulnerability in him."

I listen and watch the Hokage work in silence. After cleaning the wound and applying ointment, she bandages his abdomen. Then she places her hand on his forehead. She frowns, something is wrong…

"Strange, his body temperature is lower," she whispers.

"What do you mean?"

"When we first treated him, his "normal" temperature was around forty-four degrees. If I take into account his fever, it must be around forty-two."

I see that she is taking advantage of his swoon to draw his blood when she pulls a syringe out of her bag and some glass tubes. She applies a tourniquet to his left bicep before finding a vein. I'm on the edge; a fear that my student would suddenly wake up to be carried away by a fury. Luckily, nothing happens as she thrusts the needle into his flesh, filling the tubes with scarlet liquid.

"We can only wait for him to recover on his own," Godaime says as she finished the samples. "If his wound heals as quickly as the one on his forearm, he should regain consciousness by tomorrow."

"I see."

"You should take this opportunity to rest, Kakashi. There is nothing more you can do."

This is true. Nevertheless, I can't help but keep repeating her observation that my student values me enough to be vulnerable in my presence. This thought pushes me to be with him for the moment.

"I prefer to stay by his bedside," I retort. "I think seeing a familiar face when he wakes up might benefit him."

Lady Tsunade glares at me with wide eyes. Needless to say, she disagrees with my decision. Regardless of her verdict, I am determined to stand my ground whether she likes it or not.

"Alright," she sighs, getting up, ready to go. "Stay cautious. Even if he trusts you, he's still an unpredictable beast."

"Understood," I say with a nod.

I wait for Godaime to leave the jail to sigh, relieved. Besides Naruto's breathing breaking the silence, the place sinks into a soothing calm. I approach the young teenager and run a hand through his blond mane.

"You don't have to worry, Naruto. I will watch over you. I know that you are still there under this shell that you have created for yourself. I will help you find the person you really are."