Chapter LXXXXIV

Kidnapped

TW: Torture, Gore, Blood

I hear incomprehensible whispers, and these whispers become clearer as I regain my senses. I cough. I'm greeted by a smell of human excrement, which attacks my nostrils mercilessly. I half open my terribly heavy eyelid and analyze my surroundings while my vision stabilizes. I'm on my stomach, face down on a wet floor, cold and soiled with anything and everything. The undulating and tangled shapes cease their dizzying dance. I recognize underground areas—rather, sewers. Not far from me, I notice my accomplished ninja jacket…

My eyes widen as what happened right before I fell unconscious comes back. At the same time, a painful pull and squeeze in my wrists make me flinch. As I try to move, I realize that I'm securely tied up. My ankles and thighs are tightly bound. These bonds are so tight that they dig into my flesh, preventing the blood from properly supplying my lower limbs, which are already going numb. My hands are also tied behind my back and suffer the same punishment. I groan when the rope tightens even more. It's about to slide under my skin. My poor wrists, now strangled, are in odious pain.

"There! He shouldn't try anything."

"Look! He's already awake."

"I saw… That and the fact that it took a while for him to pass out… Weird…"

With difficulty, I turn my head. Two individuals are next to me, who were tying me up in my forced sleep. Their face is hidden by a mask, leaving only their eyes exposed, as black as their outfit. I recognize with horror their headbands, on which the symbol of three intertwined triangles is engraved. I panic. This group is already in action. For obscure reasons, they're after me; I'm their target instead of Naruto. I don't know what their intentions are, and I'm at their mercy. Immediately, I struggle against my bonds.

"What?! You—"

"Shut up!" One of the men shouts at me, giving me a violent kick in my side. I scream and curl up in pain; my breathing stops, and I'm forced into silence.

"Stop it! Don't hurt him! The beast will come running here if you make him bleed!"

As I catch my breath, I try to reach for the rope with my fingertips, scanning my surroundings. I know these abject tunnels. These are the sewers of Konohagakure. I'm still in the village, out of sight, and in a disgusting and unwelcoming place where the chances of seeing someone show up are nil.

Why didn't they kidnap me and take me I don't know where? Why hold me captive here? One thing is certain. I don't want to stay here to find out.

I try to keep my composure … in vain. I panic and panic, as if my survival instinct was shouting orders at me; I feel like prey in a bear trap. Despite the rope digging into my skin, I manage to twist my hand to touch it. I'm a hair's breadth away from slipping a finger to relax it and free myself…

Unfortunately, I'm suddenly flipped onto my back—as a result, my attempt fails. These nasty guys lift my shirt, reveal my frozen skin and pull it up to my neck. Their wandering hands slide over my exposed body, feeling it and examining it without shame.

"Don't touch me with your filthy hands!" I shout angrily.

I'm struggling like a devil in the middle of an exorcist. I'm fighting harder against these damn bonds keeping me captive. As I'm rolled over onto my stomach, one of them grabs me roughly by the hair and smashes my face into the ground brutally, crushing my face against the disgusting stone. As for the other, he just keeps me still.

"Keep quiet!" The one holding me by the scalp orders me sharply.

"Go die, you scum! I'm gonna bleed you the minute I free myself!"

"Free yourself?! We'll see that!"

He grabs my finger and…

An odious and agonizing crack splits the air at the same moment my voice tears through the silence. My scream is muted when he clamps his vile hand over my mouth to silence me. I inhale loudly through my nostrils. I'm sweaty. He just broke my finger, that bastard… If only he lowered his disgusting big hand a few millimetres. I could bite him…

"Now! You shut your dirty mouth and obediently let us work!" he tells me with an evil grin on his lips. "It's that, or I'll break all your fingers!"

"Wouldn't it be easier to kidnap him?"

"You already know why. Stop asking unnecessary questions. Our time's limited."

"Yeah. I don't want to dwell here. I don't know which is worse: the smell of the sewers or that of this guy… Is it me or does he suddenly stink of carrion?!"

"He reeks of death… He can give off pheromones like those damn demons," he says, clicking his tongue in disgust. "Even the beast has never released that much… It was a good idea to bring him here. I don't know if the beast can smell them, but under this shit, it shouldn't…"

What are they talking about?! What does he mean pheromones?! What does he mean I release pheromones?! Why would I stink of death?! But above all, what do they want to do with me?! Besides, what can I do with my hands tied behind my back and my legs tied up? I'm just a pathetic, defenceless shinobi without chakra… An ordinary man. My right hand hurts too much to try to untie the rope; the left is poorly situated to take over. If I keep struggling, all my fingers will be broken. His words aren't empty threats. He wants to torture me more. He takes pleasure in the suffering of others, since he has heart palpitations; excitement grows in him, and I notice his erection, which makes me very uncomfortable.

'What can I do?!' I torment myself, again and again, looking for a solution…

They caress my entire uncovered back, focusing particularly on my lower back. I shiver in discomfort and groan, though my futile growls are silenced by that hand clamped over my mouth. I wince and squirm miserably when they pull down my pants, revealing almost the entirety of my butt lashed by the cold and humidity. I feel so helpless. I can't do anything while these guys undress me… I have to tolerate their indecent hands touching me…

"Nothing," says one of them.

Their hands withdraw … but they leave me like that, half-naked and vulnerable. I wanna bite his damn stinky hand so bad and make him scream like a pig at the slaughterhouse. I feel a painful pressure point in my lower back that makes me grind my teeth. One of them pushes his knee to immobilize me further. Then, a familiar buzzing noise sounds as their fingers approach the back of my neck.

"Did you feel that?"

"Yeah. This is as described in the report. He generates electricity like the beast, that bastard." He pulls down the back of my mask to expose my neck. A fierce hand grabs my mane at the roots to steady my head as my locks are lifted.

"I've never seen anything like it… It's different from theirs. According to our studies, the mosaic is the same from the skull to the bottom of the neck."

"There's never been a story of a marked human, though… I never thought it existed. Is he the first case?"

"Maybe. We can't tell, but he looks completely human."

My heart stops dead. Even this group doesn't have the slightest idea as to the meaning of this black mark on the back of my neck. I would be the first...? I consoled myself with the idea that this group had the answers, that I would get them once we got our hands on one of them. I'm bitten with worry now. Instead, I was captured in order to examine me, to find answers to this thing inked on my skin against my will. They inspected me thoroughly because they must be thinking the same thing as us…

That I'm becoming a chakra devourer.

"Why did the beast mark him?! Why were our ancestors never?! What the hell could he have done to make this happen? But above all, what does that mean?!"

"Because he doesn't tell his superiors everything, this son of a bitch!" he grumbles, twisting my hair roughly. I moan despite myself; tears appear in the corners of my eyes. I feel like he's tearing them away. Why is my hair so sensitive? The abuse is barely tolerable, and I'm about to cry.

I don't see the one with unhealthy ideas in his head and who keeps my voice captive in silence, but his evil smirk makes me shiver with fear. He leans towards me. His icy voice rapes my ear canals, making my hairs stand on end.

"I can't wait to make you talk," he whispers, licking his lips and caressing my face with his thumb. "I hope you won't talk right away so I can have fun with you as long as possible. I'm gonna make you scream like a pig and enjoy hearing your beautiful little voice."

I want to leave.

Go home.

Right away.

"Give me the syringe," he orders his accomplice, releasing my sore hair.

I hear them exchange an object and without warning, a needle, large and robust, sinks into the flesh of my neck. I moan as a terrible pain travels throughout my nerves. It's worse than the time Lady Tsunade stung me there. They're stealing my blood by hurting me on purpose.

"That's it! Squeal for me, you slutty whore!" my completely messed up captor sneers.

"Hold yourself, damn it! Why did I get stuck with you?!"

"Shut up and give me the next instrument! He'll bleed when I take it out, and you know what that means."

He removes the needle from my skin. Blood flow stains the back of my exposed and vulnerable neck. I wheeze loudly. My heart is unstoppable and as painful as my broken finger and my numb, strangled limbs. Of course, I don't have time to breathe. Out of the corner of my eye, I see an instrument of torture that makes me turn pale.

It looks like a kind of gigantic syringe capable of holding almost half a litre of blood. The syringe is long, horribly wide, but the tip seems different… There are strange mechanisms in this object. Truth be told… Since they've already taken my blood, I don't know what they're going to do to me with this thing straight out of a horror movie. Where are they going to stab me with this thing?! I don't want this thing near me.

My thoughts are confused, chaotic; I'm engulfed by a fear for my life that screams at me to struggle … but in a cruel paradox, I can't move; I'm petrified on the spot like a frightened little animal. As my torturer grabs the instrument, his hand on my face drops briefly.

'I'll give you a reason to scream, you bastard!'

Immediately, I fiercely bite his hand with all my might. I sink these fangs into his flesh, tearing a hole in my mask at the same time, and I don't care. I'm determined not to let go and to give this psychopath what he deserves! In response, the man bellows, dropping the instrument of misfortune. I continue to clamp my jaw on his hand to crush it, tear it away with my teeth. I want the blood to start spurting in cascades, for his blood to splash on me and warm my cold and dirty body. Mechanically, my victim tries to free himself from my bite, but I refuse to let go, as if I were a dog suffering from rabies.

"LET GO OF ME!" He screams before pounding my face with his fists.

I'm holding on; I endure… But I let go when the skin near my right eye splits and his fists start to stun me.

"He… He just bit me, that bitch!" he curses angrily, his eyes bloodshot.

"I don't need my arms to rip out your throats, you piece of shit!" I growl, glaring at them. I examine the damage from my bite. I show a satisfied smirk. My dental crown has imprinted itself on his skin, and the marks are already blue. Those killer fangs in my mouth have left two protruding holes, and blood is flowing freely. His spasming hand swells visibly, goes through all the colours, especially red; it's as if a deadly infection is spreading in the time it takes to say it.

The two men stand still. They no longer blink and stare at my bite. After an uncomfortable silence, they finally exchange a look. "You… It's… Do you think he would have…? And if you look closely, he strangely has long nails."

"Examine his dirty whore mouth and hurry while I take the sample!" My victim shouts. He's about to explode with anger.

My heart starts racing again. In my peripheral vision, I see him grab the evil instrument. Meanwhile, the other man is in front of me and grabs the tuft of my hair at the roots to raise my head; the pressure exerted is too painful to shake myself. I move my hands and feet in all directions to escape the rope, but nothing helps. In my helplessness, I can only let these guys pinch my mask and bare one of my hideous arms…

A high-pitch hiss coming straight from hell tears the silence.

We raise our heads immediately. I see two blue eyes, more luminous and icy than ever, jumping from the ceiling, rage in their hearts. The growls become angry cries capable of shattering glass with his vocal power alone. In a split second, the psychopath throws his comrade into the mouth of the unleashed monster before jumping away from me.

In horror, I watch my unrecognizable student scream and unleash punches and claws with a fury never seen before. Numerous lightning pulses from his skin. His victim didn't have time to scream, since his face was reduced to pieces. Naruto beats him while bellowing; a black anger has corrupted his heart, pushing him to continue with such cruelty. Blood is sprayed absolutely everywhere; masses of boiled brains accompany the scarlet volleys. This man no longer has anything of a man. All that remains is a sordid and nightmarish carnage, on which the teenager persists and massacres more. His vital fluid covers Naruto's face, which I don't recognize anymore.

I remain flabbergasted. Turning my head, I see that the other guy is already running away. Despite his mask, he looks at me with a smirk on his lips. "I'll see you again very soon," he says to me before rushing into a portal, which disappears when he passes through.

On all fours, Naruto stands on top of my securely bound body. Letting bloodcurdling hisses and growls, he frantically scans the surroundings with his crazy and wild eyes. All his hairs are ruffled to their peak. His tail, as crazy as his irises shining with a thousand lights, jostles in all directions. He continues to project numerous lightning bolts, which gracefully avoid me. The blond protects me like an impenetrable blanket. I don't know why, but I feel safe, sheltered, when his instability should terrify me. I've never felt such murderous waves in my entire life.

But one thing is certain for sure, irrefutable.

Naruto is completely engulfed by his instincts.

And Naruto will kill anyone who comes near me.

"Kakashi-Sensei!"

I turn my head in panic. Shikamaru runs towards us. Naruto's claws scratch the ground, and he arches his back. I recognize this posture with horror. In his current state and me being injured and defenceless, he's going to jump at his throat.

"DO NOT COME NEAR ME!" I shout. "HE WILL KILL YOU!"

Shikamaru brakes to my relief. He remains a few metres from us and, sizing up Naruto, he steps back to increase the distance. Fear takes hold of him. He's terrified, to the point that he can't hide it. If he's not careful, he will become the victim of Naruto's killer claws and unstoppable violence. He's a deer that, leaving the thickets, found itself face to face with a predator, which has already satisfied its thirst for blood although it'd still taste it. Just one wrong step and the predator will be interested in him; immobility makes him invisible.

The pressure and fear are too much. In response, his legs weaken, and Shikamaru falls backwards. His gaze no longer deviates from that of the beast. The two friends who nevertheless trust each other size each other up, analyze every little movement, no matter how small it is. Time is therefore frozen.

Fortunately, his submission makes him harmless in Naruto's eyes. The blond hisses again and carefully inspects the surroundings. His noisy nostrils sniff the toxic air, searching for the slightest hidden threat. His body covers mine more, and they end up touching. I'm taller than him, wider. Yet, I feel so small, so insignificant; his gigantic frame covers me with tenderness and gentleness.

The adrenaline leaves my veins, and the pain stabs me. My broken finger, my numb and stiff limbs, the bruises on my face, the cut near my wet eye and my hurting hair… It all comes back, and it all hurts. Nevertheless. I let out a sigh.

I am safe and sound.

Meanwhile, Naruto stops hissing. He unties me by cutting the rope with his claws. When my hands are free, I immediately pull up my pants as he frees my legs. I grit my teeth in response to my broken and twisted middle finger. I'll need a splint… That said, if I truly inherited the chakra devourers' regenerative ability, I don't have to worry. And that's the least of my worries…

Tired and trembling, I sit down with difficulty. Naruto holds me tightly in his arms. He buries his face in my neck, crushing me into a pleasurable embrace. I can still feel his anger boiling in his veins. As long as he's in this state, no one can violate my personal space demarcated by him. His psyche is really unstable. If I'm not careful he'll lash out again, and I doubt that I can stop him.

"Thank you." I appreciate his hug … but he stains me with his victim's blood…

Shikamaru carefully gets up. The moment he moves, Naruto's stern eyes focus on him. I no longer feel murderous waves; he shouldn't jump for his throat as long as Shikamaru keeps his distance. One trembling step after another, he slowly approaches me and stops when the feral boy lets out a warning hiss.

"Are you doing okay?" he worries.

I'm somewhat in shock. So I just stare back.

"What happened?"

A silence.

"This group is interested in me… No … they're interested in my mark," I whisper.

Another silence.

A fuzzy memory comes to mind and restarts a mad race in my chest. "They … were … three…" I say darkly.

"Oh… That...? You don't have to worry…"

"What do you mean?"

The youngster remains silent. His eyes ask me to follow him.

I nod and separate myself from Naruto. His impassive face covered in blood terrifies me a little… He's still on his guard; he carefully scans the surroundings with all his senses. I rub a hand over his face to clean him, but a lot of blood has already dried. In Shikamaru's words, Naruto has had more than one victim… With Naruto's help, I get up. My legs wobble for a breath, although I quickly find my balance.

I'm disgusting and vile. I'm covered in fresh blood, sewage and droppings of all kinds that have soaked my dirty clothes. The smell of the sewers permeated my skin; I stink like shit … literally. These guys could have kept me hostage somewhere other than this infamous place! I feel like vomiting. Still glad they didn't dump me in the polluted waters out of sheer wanton malice.

Even though it's just as disgusting as my clothes, I retrieve my accomplished ninja jacket, which I put back. I inspect the white stripes on my arm, replacing them correctly to hide my scarred skin. I examine my mask by touch. As long as I don't open my mouth wide, they won't see that it has strange holes in it. Given my deplorable state, they shouldn't stare at me for too long.

Exhaustively, I follow Shikamaru. Overprotective, Naruto follows the pace of my steps and stays close to me, on alert. He stares at the other boy warily, unable to convince himself that Shikamaru isn't a threat to me. In silence, we sink into the tunnels. The foul smell makes us cough, especially from Naruto, who has pulled his shirt over his nose.

After long and painful minutes, I hold my breath.

In front of an exit ladder is another massacre that is beyond belief. Unlike the second one, this one is literally shredded into pieces. The walls are covered in bloody body splatters, including brains. The face was fractured and torn off; its interior is an empty shell. The throat is scratched, split in two; the head is still linked to the trunk by the vertebrae reduced to dust. The carcass was gutted; it has become a filthy soup of rib fragments and pieces that were once organs. The small intestine is cut multiple times, waddling around the body like a morbid and horrifying snake. The only things still recognizable are parts of the legs. The arms, with which the victim had to use to protect himself, were ravaged by claws that dug the flesh down to the bone … the bone fractured in many places… A scarlet pool covers the ground, on which the carnage rests.

With anguish, I stare at Naruto out of the corner of my eye. Impassive, he looks at this man with no emotions in him. There's no ounce of regret in his action; he would have continued to unleash his anger on this corpse.

I realize how dangerous Naruto is…

At this precise moment, I am alongside a real demon capable of setting the village ablaze if necessary… However, my life isn't at all threatened, on the contrary.

I trust him completely.