Chapter LXXXVI

The Nocturnal Predator

His precious Kakashi was an idiot.

Of course, Kakashi was not like the other hateful humans. Kakashi was very intelligent and thoughtful. Kakashi was the only one capable of understanding him despite his silent voice. Without saying complicated words, Naruto and Kakashi understood each other in a language that only he and Kakashi used. However, Kakashi suddenly showed stupidity; it was such that he wondered if something was wrong with Kakashi, if Kakashi's mind was sick too.

First, Naruto choked when Kakashi mutilated himself, for no apparent reason. He looked in horror at Kakashi, who had begun to pull out his still young and fresh claws. Stunned, the sapphire-eyed boy froze on the spot; he could not believe that such a thing was happening. He could only observe the macabre scene straight out of a torture session. He stopped breathing; his breath was as dull as his horrified eyes.

When Kakashi's first finger was brutalized, a phantom pain electrified Naruto's index finger in agony. Unfortunately, a vague and terrible memory resurfaced. Naruto remembered the time when his claw had broken; it was a horrible memory that he locked away in his Pandora's box, which sometimes leaked against his will. There were still fragments of his claw, an acceptable length, but the pain was odious; his finger burned, and the pain only stopped when his claw grew back. He did not dare to think about Kakashi's pain who had just ripped it out at the root.

Naruto did not understand why such a sordid idea had crossed Kakashi's mind, just as he did not understand why Kakashi listened to his sick and sadistic brain. Kakashi's face, veiled behind the frustrating fabric, expressed his pain. Naruto saw the pain hit Kakashi. This pain was a warning; a more than sufficient warning to understand that Kakashi should not do it again. Pain is a normal reaction to danger; all living beings know such a simple thing. And yet, Kakashi attacked his middle finger.

Naruto convinced himself that the warning had not immediately reached Kakashi's brain. After all, Kakashi was weakened; his physical weakness and great vulnerability surely sabotaged his judgment. A healthy mind cannot persist in health if the body is sick; one does not go without the other. Kakashi was intelligent, perhaps the smartest being in this world. Kakashi would understand the second time … but Naruto was wrong. His precious Kakashi continued to mutilate himself, there, right before his eyes.

'Why do you do that...?' Naruto wondered abstractly.

It was inconceivable that Kakashi, blessed with intelligence superior to others of his species, could do such a thing. Was Kakashi seeking to embrace pain like a masochist? Actually… Was his precious Kakashi a masochist? Did Kakashi enjoy the pain? Naruto constantly questioned himself, stood there and watched the massacre. Normally, he would have pounced on Kakashi to stop him, to protect him from himself, to protect him from his sudden destructive stupidity out of nowhere. However, this vision of horror chained him with invisible and unbreakable bonds.

Naruto refused to imagine the even greater suffering of his precious Kakashi, who had just torn off the tips of his ten fingers. It was the same as tearing off your ten distal phalanges. Something was wrong with Kakashi. Kakashi had no reason to hurt himself. Kakashi showed no signs of mental distress that could justify this inflicted cruelty. Naruto succumbed to these self-destructive rituals because it was his only escape, his only means with which he held on and fought against hunger and despair. Despite the pain that sometimes plagued Kakashi's heart, Kakashi held on without having to resort to pain like him.

In any case, something was seriously wrong with his precious Kakashi… And the closer the ascension of the Moon approached, the more Naruto became worried.

As the Moon began her peak in the sky, Kakashi suddenly asked him to bite him. Of course, the blond did not know why Kakashi wanted his fangs in his flesh and once again, he did not understand why Kakashi was begging him to. Reluctantly, he gave in to Kakashi's strange and unnecessary whim. To get Kakashi to shut up and go to bed without a fuss, he injected a tiny amount of venom, just enough for Kakashi to feel it spreading through his veins.

Naruto was angry and lacked patience; he could not calm down either. With the fatigue accumulated after many sleepless days, he succumbed more easily to his negative emotions. The exhaustion he inflicted on himself was for the good of Kakashi, over whom he watched heart and soul. This same fatigue was double-edged, since he could harm Kakashi without realizing it. The fact that Kakashi was asking him to hurt him twisted his heart; he did not like Kakashi pushing him into this. The guilt that poisoned him was unbearable. However, his questions faded with sleep.

Naruto was peacefully lulled by a wonderful dream. He was with Kakashi. His hand was linked to Kakashi's. Sitting next to each other, he and Kakashi enjoyed the rays of the Moon. There was no urban landscape, only a plain behind which was a forest that blended into the horizon. The air was pure, not intoxicated. Numerous floral species surrounded them; the tall grass camouflaged their legs. The scent of blue flowers made his head spin, pushing him to get closer to Kakashi a bit closer, a bit more, a little bit more. Kakashi's hand rested on the top of his mask; Kakashi was about to take it down, to reveal himself to Naruto while their lips felt each other's hot air after each deep breath…

Suddenly, screams brutally pulled Naruto out of the land of dreams. His bulging eyes immediately focused on his Kakashi possessed by an evil entity. Naruto's heart hurt so much that he wanted to tear it out so he would not suffer anymore. He was in shock, and his mind was still half asleep. The feral boy did not know how to react and what to do. His body chose for him, decided without Naruto giving it orders. He tried as best he could to protect Kakashi from himself… Kakashi's fist hit him in the face; the force of the blow made him lose his balance. The blond was even more disoriented. However, he understood that Kakashi was not in control of his actions, that Kakashi was not the one responsible for his swollen and burning cheek.

When Kakashi calmed down and came back to his senses, Naruto could think again. If it had not been for the immense panic, he would have contained Kakashi with ease. He would not have needed these two humans, who had tainted Kakashi's beauty with their filthy hands. He would have jumped into the white fabrics to tie Kakashi with his powerful limbs, the same way when Kakashi was acting like a child, refusing to listen to him and obey his demands. His bones were heavy. Kakashi would have been crushed under his stone body; Kakashi could not have done anything… Unfortunately, Naruto was powerless against his emotions.

While Kakashi was recovering, Naruto was thinking and thinking. He was searching for the reason why this happened, what was wrong with Kakashi. His mind lit up with an explanation. Was it the caring, but sometimes dangerous Moon that pushed Kakashi to chase bloody self-destruction? After all, Kakashi's body had not finished adapting… Were the moon rays influencing Kakashi differently by stripping him of everything that made Kakashi Kakashi? Kakashi had started exhibiting strange behaviours as soon as the Moon rose to her full potential.

Naruto convinced himself of this…

However, there was a catch…

And this catch never left his thoughts.

At nightfall, Kakashi's words regarding his blond hair disturbed Naruto. Concerned, he inspected the locks that adorned his head and used the reflection of the transparent mirror to look at himself in detail. Kakashi had preferences … and this was the first time Kakashi expressed what he preferred and liked. And obviously, Kakashi liked the current shape of his hair.

Naruto had never cared about his appearance before … but he wanted to be Kakashi's world, to overwhelm the attention of Kakashi's eyes. Somehow, he wanted Kakashi to gaze at him the same way Kakashi had before saying those words that stuck in his mind. Admittedly, it made him a little uncomfortable since he was not expecting it. Kakashi never gazed at him that way, and he did not mind it—on the contrary, he already missed that fleeting look.

Quickly, Kakashi offered him what he had dreamed of for nights: his chakra so soft, so sweet, so electrifying, so unique… However, his joy was not there, simply because his heart was troubled and pinched his chest. Naturally, his eyes landed on Kakashi's arms, on which the imprint of his fangs had been anchored for years to come. Despite the indelible marks, the beauty of Kakashi's arms still persisted—rather, Naruto did not see the scars. He saw beyond the soft surface covered with small invisible body hairs. There was nothing more beautiful and perfect than this body in his eyes. Even Kakashi's scarred and strangely present eye could not tarnish Kakashi's beauty… The only thing that could tarnish it was the disgusting and rotting hands of these dirty and vile humans.

Naruto no longer wanted to anchor other scars; Kakashi had suffered enough. Even if Kakashi's body had not finished adapting, perhaps his body would respond in a similar way to his. This accelerated his organ of love, taking up all the space in his now small ribcage; there was almost no space left for his lungs, which were having difficulty filling with oxygen. These kinds of bites do not mark the skin nor are they painful. The way Kakashi had looked at him just before, Naruto took the plunge, convinced that Kakashi was receptive, that Kakashi would accept him…

All his hopes were destroyed when Kakashi coldly rejected him, so coldly that the blond froze in place.

Offended, insulted, hurt… All these words were useless to express the emotion that was shaking Naruto. Kakashi rejected him. However, Kakashi was receptive… He did not know how to react, what to do, what to say despite his silent voice. Naruto wanted to bite Kakashi in the neck—one of the most intimate things he and Kakashi could share. A painless bite, a pleasant bite; a pleasure shared between two… And Kakashi did not want it. Kakashi offered his arm instead. This further intensified his thoughts that Kakashi was a masochist and loved pain… All in all, Naruto was doing his best to remain rational.

Kakashi was not ready yet…

It was the only logical explanation.

It was the only possible answer.

Immediately, his frustration and pain turned to anger. Kakashi asked for his saliva and his tongue, and so, Kakashi asked him to make him suffer again, again. Naruto did not want to inflict pain on Kakashi, his precious Kakashi whom he protected by all means possible. How could he protect Kakashi if Kakashi begged him to become his executioner, his torturer? He was a hair's breadth from believing that Kakashi's mind was corrupted by an evil veiled in darkness. He was already preparing to capture Kakashi's gaze in order to find the evil that was plaguing him. He was ready to subdue Kakashi under his power, under his authority, until Kakashi stopped asking for suffering and pain… But Naruto did nothing.

Maybe Kakashi did not know?

The sapphire-eyed boy could not enjoy this delicious offering of lightning that he had missed so much. Its sweet taste chased away the mouldy rot in his fangs that made him vomit too often. The euphoria could have reached ecstasy if it had not been for all the chaotic tumult besieging his brain. Pleasant, electric currents ran through his chakra veins, replacing the earth he imbued himself with. This meagre meal was an incomparable luxury. He wanted more, so much more … but Kakashi's weakened body would not allow it. Fortunately, this darkness inside him no longer screamed at him to take more, to inject even more venom.

Naruto no longer feared this darkness lurking in his guts, which once threatened the life of the precious human in his eyes.

This darkness that he hated could never reach Kakashi now.

Naruto had to resolve to be obvious with Kakashi, because Kakashi was an idiot. As he poured the water onto Kakashi's inflamed skin, he bit his lip fiercely until he tasted iron in his mouth. He did not stop despite the screams and moans of Kakashi, who was struggling to escape. Since Kakashi had not heard the screams of his tortured body when Kakashi mutilated all his fingers, he had to go through with it. After all, it was only after the tragedy that Kakashi understood the extent of his mistake; Kakashi had to suffer the consequences of his choices.

Naruto stopped himself from shaking and crying. He knew all too well this pain he had to inflict on Kakashi. It was for his own good. When the glass was empty, he dried the skin. Deep down, Naruto begged Kakashi to understand. He was terrified at the idea that Kakashi was chasing suffering instead of being ignorant; it extinguished his breath, crushed his heart…

A feeling of happiness and relief overwhelmed him. Kakashi confirmed his ignorance. That made him smile. His precious Kakashi was still his precious Kakashi.

He convinced himself that the Moon was to blame.

Kakashi's body was young, immature.

This was Naruto's first time marking a human, after all.

Maybe he was worried for nothing? Maybe this kind of reaction was normal?

All in all, he hoped that was it. This reassured him.

Naruto watched over his precious sleeping Kakashi. He contemplated Kakashi's beauty, his body bathed in moonlight that made his skin as pure as snow. This nocturnal glow illuminated the shine of his silver hair which he caressed. His wintry skin had become soft and robust again; his heart beat with greater ardour, ready to face whatever life would throw at him. Naruto had the impression of seeing Kakashi more resplendent than ever.

Naruto refused sleep and offered a "kiss" on Kakashi's forehead, which he licked tenderly. His gaze became sharper than diamonds. Lightning escaped his skin as he clenched his fists. In the darkness his vengeful eyes lit up.

Never again would Naruto let anything tarnish Kakashi's beauty. The darkness trapped in its cage managed to bend the bars, enough for the darkness to reach and corrupt the teenager. Fear gave way to hatred.

The nocturnal predator that slept in him was awakened; only a tiny chain still held him back, preventing him from unleashing himself in a hurricane of violence. In his carnage, unrecognizable and massacred bodies would litter the land; an insufficient price to pay for their unforgivable crime. This thin chain, the last rampart that protected him from himself, solidified and became unbreakable, as long as Kakashi was at his side.

Despite the despair, despite the fear, despite the pain, Naruto had memorized the foul scent of these humans whom he promised to massacre until the last one.

Naruto was ready to kill.