Chapter XL
A Race Against Time
After marking with a brush the place that Naruto had pointed with his fingertip, Shikamaru—without saying a single word—had harshly grabbed the map which he had then roughly rolled. He had hurriedly put on his sandals before starting his mad dash through the village, jumping from roof to roof; he was in such a hurry that he had not greeted his guests when he left. The pace of his bruised heart accompanied the unleashed one of his steps.
Since the tragedy, he finally had a real lead to find answers to this mystery at first sight impossible to solve. Although Shikamaru was certain that he would unearth something one day, with this lack of clues as tenacious as his desire to get carried away by the wandering clouds free from all social shackles, it was difficult for him to keep hope.
At last, he had an answer, and like the Copy Ninja, he was convinced that this was where Naruto had been sequestered after his abduction, during that disastrous night when he himself had almost suffered the same fate. His blood boiled in his veins to see his brother in arms amnesiac and completely unrecognizable. Naruto was in the grip of perpetual suffering, pouring torrents of tears from which he chased away by self-harm. Not to mention the catastrophic damage to his brain which made him feral to the point of considering himself like an animal, even a mere beast…
Those people, whoever they were, had destroyed a happy young man. A boy who had overcome his childhood pains caused by exclusion, loneliness and an absent family and now, he had to get out of new and more devastating nightmares than those of yesteryear. The traumas would probably mark his soul forever; an indelible scar that would haunt him until the end of time.
The Naruto that Shikamaru was secretly jealous of was engulfed in darkness engendered by unimaginable evils. To face this hell so as not to sink into madness and mental distress, Naruto was embracing his amnesia with his arms wide open. Thus, he fiercely protected himself from what Shikamaru forbade himself to conceive. If the blond had known nothing but despair and pain between these torture-creating walls of all kinds, in this place of diabolical machinery, it was only logical that he would cling so fiercely to the first source of comfort, as if his life depended on it. Kakashi was hiding things, but for his broken friend's sake, he didn't insist on knowing nor would he seek to. To protect Naruto, Shikamaru agreed to keep to himself his doubts about the secretiveness of the man with heterochromic irises.
In no time, Shikamaru finally arrived at the Hokage's residence and without further ado, he rushed through the halls to reach Tsunade's office. Panting, the latter did not knock and violently opened the door.
"Lord Hokage!" Shikamaru shouted between two breaths.
The brutal entry of the teenager pulled Godaime from her work; at this, Tonton, who was sleeping peacefully on her lap, jumped. Immediately, seeing the distraught state of the young shinobi, Tsunade frowned and put on her usual stern look.
"What's the matter?" she asked, clasping her hands.
Shikamaru needed a few seconds to regain control of his breath unsettled by his abrupt effort and the shaking discovery that Naruto had sown when he had revealed the location of this non-existent place.
"We know where Naruto was held captive," he announced with conviction.
Tsunade's eyes widened at these unlikely words; a cold sweat beaded on her forehead as she felt her heart pinch in her chest. She was fully aware of the non-existent progress of the case leading to nothing but frustrating dead ends. According to reports the day ago, there was no harbinger of such news. This put her in shock. So much so that her brain refused to believe it, she silently froze in place for a breath.
"H-How?!" stammered Godaime.
Shikamaru spread the map in front of the Hokage's eyes and heavily placed a finger on the fresh mark, causing a thud. He was so shaken by this discovery that his hands had not stopped shaking.
"That's where Naruto was held," he repeated confidently.
However, Tsunade arched an eyebrow, puzzled.
"We've already searched the area. Why do you think that—"
"Naruto told us himself!" Shikamaru cut in shamelessly, frowning.
A leaden silence settled in and made the atmosphere way too tense.
"How can you be so sure?" Tsunade coldly asked, back to her usual composure. "Has Naruto finally loosened his tongue?"
The teen with the ebony iris shook his head.
"He's still mute as a grave," he replied darkly. "When Kakashi-sensei was at my house, Naruto came to see what we were doing and he started acting weird. He was unable to react to outside stimuli as his eyes incapable to blink stared at the map. Even Kakashi-sensei failed to get him out of this trance that had completely engulfed him…"
He paused before finishing his explanation.
"When Kakashi-sensei's words finally reached him, he pointed to where his eyes were clinging forever."
"Even if what you say is true, we've already searched every bit of land around here…"
"We believe that the data is skewed," Shikamaru said cautiously. "Either the tracking data is altered, or those in his medical file are. In my opinion, the first hypothesis prevails."
This realization beaded cold sweats. Tsunade refused to believe that someone could have falsified reports as serious and important as these. Still, though unconvinced, she gave him the benefit of the doubt. Shikamaru's words made so much sense that they tormented her too. This place, this hideout, this lab, wherever Naruto had been imprisoned… There was a possibility that this place was well hidden. Although unlikely, a careless error could be the cause of this inconsistency…
Since she placed near-blind trust in the head jōnin's son, a decision was quickly made.
"Even if the odds are one percent, we have to take it. Especially since the enemy may have already returned there," she darkly muttered before turning her attention to Shikamaru. "I'll prepare an emergency team to search the area thoroughly. As for you, you—"
"I want to be part of the team!" he cried, slamming his hands on the desk. "I want to be involved in the case … in all its aspects!"
In response, Godaime rose from her chair, putting her palms on the surface in turn, looking him over with her stern face.
"This is out of the question! Did you forget that you are a target, Shikamaru?! Do you really think I'm going to send you there in the den of the wolf?! Naruto's state isn't enough for you?!"
These last words concerning his brother-in-arms twisted his heart. Since Naruto's return, the teenager kept tormenting himself about what would have happened if his father had not rescued him that night. Would he have gone through the same hell as his friend if he had not succumbed to the experiments that had killed the other and too many subjects? He could not know it… Nevertheless, the latter was determined not to let go of the matter, even if it meant risking his life and putting it at stake. He sincerely wanted to help Naruto and he made it a personal matter.
"You did send Kiba on a mission! Why not me?!"
"This has nothing to do with this!" Tsunade retorted, out of patience. "I make sure that his missions take him out of this whole story and that his team is capable of countering the strange abilities of these shinobis!"
A silence.
"I'm not dumb, Lady Tsunade," Shikamaru said in a calmer tone. "It's more than likely that the place will be abandoned and I'll make sure not to isolate myself. Moreover, I'm in the best position to lead this unit since I know the file like the back of my hand. I am ready to put my life on the line for him if necessary."
Godaime let out a painful sigh. She fell into her thoughts as the young shinobi waited impatiently for her verdict. Motivation in him was relatively rare, although he always took his job seriously. That he was more determined than ever was enough to tip the scales. Reluctantly, Tsunade decided to give in to the teenager's whim.
"You leave me no choice… All right, come back here in thirty minutes."
"Understood!"
- XXX -
Punctual, the four young shinobis all responded to Godaime's summon. Nara Shikamaru, the unit leader, waited patiently for the impending orders in the company of his squadron composed of Hyūga Neji, Aburame Shino and Sai. Given the nature of this delicate mission centred on tracking and retrieving information of all kinds, the talents and specialties of the three ninjas were perfectly suited for this kind of thing. At the very least, Shikamaru did not have to wonder about the choice of his teammates for this mission.
When Tsunade explained what this mission was about, the effect was immediate; aside from Shikamaru, surprise gripped the boys. Granted, they knew that their fellow Naruto had been abducted for a month, had come back amnesiac and feral, was hard to approach to the point that they had been ordered not to approach him at all, and was currently in Hatake Kakashi's custody… Apart from this information and that the case was not progressing, they were totally ignorant of the situation toward Naruto.
Neji was the first to frown. "I thought we were sure that Naruto had been held outside our borders," he wondered, puzzled.
"Although we've scoured the area a few times before, recent data suggests that the location where Naruto was allegedly held is indeed in our lands," Tsunade replied, clasping her hands together in front of her, elbows on the desk. "However, it's feared that the enemy has already set foot there."
"If that's really the case, the possibility that there's a trap or an ambush cannot be ruled out," Shino said before looking at Shikamaru. "Since you were among the targets, it puts you directly in their line of sight."
"You don't have to worry about me. I won't be caught twice with the same thing, not to mention I won't be alone and inattentive like the other night. I doubt they expect me to be there," he replied confidently.
"If I understand correctly, we also have to protect Shikamaru?" Sai asked.
Tsunade let out a sigh and nodded.
"I want you to go there immediately to find this hideout, whatever it is, to glean any intel that might explain what happened to him when he was abducted. I don't care if it takes days on end to find it, but don't come back until you're two hundred percent certain it's not there."
The young shinobis nodded aloud before hastily stepping out. As for Godaime, she could not help but be on the edge. This whole story was a bad omen and only brought other unanswered questions. From the first report, she had noticed that the information contradicted each other. Besides, there was no reason to think that Naruto—although now feral with an unpredictable temper—had lied in any way. Kakashi and Shikamaru seemed convinced of his silent words. All this tormented her with malice to the point of being unable to immediately resume her work.
Since Tsunade refused to believe that such crucial and all-important data had been tampered with, she opted for simple carelessness. After all, the many teams were exhausted. However, even this hypothesis left a bitter taste. In all this, at this precise moment, she was not at all serene to have sent the young Shikamaru into a potential enemy trap.
She was beginning to regret having given in to his whim…
- XXX -
Without wasting any time, Shikamaru's group set out to reach the area several kilometres from the village. Since he was in charge of the team, the latter was in the lead and guided his brothers in arms through the forest, thus jumping from branch to branch, from tree to tree and so on. Although he did not show it, the impatience of Shikamaru was felt as he had accelerated his pace. The other boys were well aware that he had been responsible for this case since the night of the tragedy. That he was rushing like this did not surprise them. All in all, curiosity had taken hold of the shinobis for a long time and the opportunity to learn more about Naruto presented itself on a silver platter; this information regarding him would also help them better carry out their mission.
After several leaps, Neji was the first to break the silence. "Shikamaru. Before we get there, it would be pertinent to tell us what you know with us. We know it's strictly classified, but just being sent on this mission puts us in the confidence. And to be frank, all this mystery is bothering me."
"I have to admit that it's been bothering me too since I saw it," Shino added.
His words captured the attention of others, wondering what he was referring to. As for the team leader, he easily guessed what he meant by that. A cold sweat beaded despite him.
"You saw his tail, right?" he inquired as the bug handler confirmed it with a nod.
"I'm not the only one. Why, you may ask? Because Hinata and Kiba saw it too."
"Fuck," Shikamaru swore to himself, gritting his teeth.
He was aware that Kakashi had trouble keeping it hidden from the world; the latter constantly sought to express the states of Naruto's emotions in an unconscious way. He had hoped that no one had noticed, but he was wrong. Worry gripped him. Naruto's condition as a chakra devourer had to be unknown in the village. The blond's atypical behaviours had already begun to spread particularly harmful rumours; his tail was not going to help his situation at all. If Shino, Kiba, and Hinata saw it, that included other people … a lot of people, by the way.
While the young shinobis eagerly awaited the explanation regarding the strange extra limb, Shikamaru sighed wearily.
"At this rate, the whole village will soon know about it," he fumed to himself before returning his attention to his brothers in arms. "Keep to yourself what I'm about to tell you. Lord Hokage wants this whole story to remain confidential."
They nodded.
"That tail is the result of experiments that had been done on him…"
"What kinds of experiments?" Neji questioned.
A silence.
"We have no idea," Shikamaru replied grimly. "We just know the results that these experiments have had on him and the catastrophic consequences on Naruto, both physical and psychological."
"Is that what caused his amnesia?" Neji inquired.
"It does. In addition to not remembering anyone or himself, these events cause significant trauma. Naruto suffers a lot from it on a daily basis, to the point where he categorically refuses to regain his memory to protect himself from it."
His last words startled the teenagers.
"If it was only that," he continued, gritting his teeth. "These guys have done irreparable damage to Naruto. He had plunged into verbal and non-verbal silence and became a wild beast."
"What do you mean?" Shino wondered.
"His thought patterns have become different from ours. He's convinced that he's not human and he displays beast behaviour more than anything else. He was very hostile to anyone who wanted to approach him and only Kakashi-sensei managed to gain his trust and tame him. Even I have to be careful since he has an irrational fear and distrust of everyone. As much to tell you from the outset that this Naruto has nothing to do with the one we know."
A silence settled. The young shinobis were far from imagining the extent of the situation regarding their comrade. In a way, they understood now why they had been told to keep their distance from Naruto… However, neither of them was ready to hear what Shikamaru decided to reveal. "It's only the state of his psyche… While there's a chance for him to heal over time, as for the damage to his body that caused him to grow a tail, there's no cure for his condition…"
He paused before finishing. "Naruto has become a nocturnal creature with a voracious appetite for chakra."
The boys' eyes widened; at that, their heart skipped a beat and they held their breath. Of the three, only Sai did not seem as surprised as the others about this weird and sordid hunger for chakra.
"Naruto has become a chakra devourer?" Sai asked.
The leader of the troop suddenly turned his head to stare at him, as well as Neji and Shino who focused their attention on him. The fact that Sai was aware and knew the exact name of these creatures, it astounded him. Then, Shikamaru wondered about the extent of Sai's knowledge on the subject. Perhaps he was able to share data that was still unknown and therefore move things forward?
"What do you know about them?"
"The Root knows that these now-extinct creatures once existed," Sai confirmed. "Other than the danger they pose to shinobis since they're entirely dominated and driven by their insatiable hunger for chakra and their strength that far outweighs us, I know no more. Truth be told, judging from what I've learned on the subject, I'm surprised to hear that you're capable of keeping him under control."
Shikamaru held his breath before swallowing. His words were true since Naruto—in addition to being endowed with exceptional strength—let himself be more and more controlled by his hunger. He perpetually increased his venom to take more chakra from Kakashi, continually increasing it to the point of enslaving the Copy Ninja in slumber. In a way, that Naruto refuses to be interested in chakra other than this one reassured him; a sincere fear that he might start attacking the shinobis and kunoichis of the village on sight, thus possessed by his hungry instincts. There had to be a reason why he was forbidden to devour another chakra, but Shikamaru had no idea why… At least, the current situation suited them if he trusted Sai's words.
"If these chakra devourers are no longer of this world, why learning about them?" Shino curiously asked.
"Simply because there are rumours that a clan of ninjas has been trying to bring them back to life with little success, and have been for decades. However, we've never been able to obtain any information about this clan… To believe that it doesn't exist."
"Logically, those who kidnapped Naruto must be part of this clan since they succeeded," said the bug handler.
"I'm ready to put my hand in the fire that these guys and this clan are the same people," Shikamaru attested, clicking his tongue in his mouth. "All of our data on this case is sad and non-existent. They exercise extreme caution and hide all traces of their activity and existence. They're dangerous and shouldn't be taken lightly…"
A shiver of dread slid down his spine. He realized that this group was very secretive and did not seek to mingle with the rest of the world. These ninjas remained in their corner, in their little shenanigans by orchestrating many kidnappings in probably all the hidden villages in order to achieve their goal. However, since they worked tirelessly to bring the chakra devourers back to life and, logically, to weaponize them … he assumed it was to start future wars using these terrifying and powerful creatures as weapons of destruction.
"After all this time, we finally have a lead," he continued in a whisper. "And that's thanks to Naruto. Without him, we would still be twiddling our thumbs…"
A silence.
"If I understood correctly, Naruto has become a threat to us?" Neji worried, a cold sweat sliding down his temple.
"Not exactly," Shikamaru retorted. "Kakashi-sensei is able to keep him under control, and Naruto isn't interested in any chakra other than his. He angrily refused mine when I offered to him… As long as Kakashi-sensei has this hold on him, he'll remain harmless. And…"
He clenched his fists as his heart was squeezed in a vice.
"Whether he's a chakra devourer or not, Naruto is our friend, a brother-in-arms, and he needs more than ever any support he can get to pull himself out of his demons that are causing him unimaginable pain. As long as this pain lasts, he'll have no desire to remember himself or us. Only by driving away this darkness will he finally be able to remember who he really is."
Although he hid it, his tone of voice betrayed a camouflaged sadness. His words motivated the young shinobis, now aware of what was going on with the sapphire-eyed boy. The whole story seemed unbelievable to them, straight out of a horror tale, but they did not care. All that mattered for now was the success of this mission. Since this was where Naruto had been sequestered, where he had been the subject of traumatic experiments, they mentally prepared themselves for what they were going to find in this place which would reveal all the hell that their comrade had to live. They, in turn, wished to help Naruto out of this darkness keeping him captive in a world of pain and nightmares.
Like Shikamaru and Kakashi, they wanted to make those people pay.
Hellow! A few notes from the author!
For those who haven't noticed, chapters 1 to 6 of my fanfiction have been completely rewritten and updated. I hope you will like this new update! (Yes, the first chapter also again.)
For those interested and invested in the story, I recommend that you read the updated chapters for several reasons: more lore added, more information that will be relevant later, the non-canon death of Jiraiya mentioned, the unstable state of Kakashi's mental health truly expressed...
Sincerely, thank you for all your motivating comments and your interest in my story ❤
