Chapter LXXXXVI

Pandora's Box

After my shower, I curl up tightly in my bed. I'm feeling a little hungry, but I don't have the energy to get out of my pleasant cocoon, especially since I'm being pampered by a caring Naruto. Missing a meal or two won't land me back in the hospital. Additionally, my growing stress prevents me from ingesting anything. I do absolutely nothing until I have to feed the teenager, who poisons me to give me some semblance of sleep. I'm so anxious that even with Naruto's venom in my blood, I wake up when it's still dark. I don't have the courage to tell my student what awaits him as I should.

Since I got home, I've noticed that I'm being watched by the ANBU—something that forces me to draw the curtains to protect my privacy. With my recent kidnapping, Lady Tsunade sent a squad to keep an eye on me, in case these guys make another kidnapping attempt. After all, the one who had time to escape clearly told me that we would see each other again soon… As long as he's the one tied to a chair, I hope so. I'm dying to give him the worst beating of his life for what he did to me. I don't condone violence, but this guy deserves to suffer.

I think most of the night. Since I've had almost no sleep, my chakra reserves are lower than usual. My actions will be limited, and I'm convinced that Naruto will go on a rampage. Sure, my hold on him is powerful, but it's not infallible. When his feral instincts take over, erasing all traces of humanity in him, he can no longer recognize me.

A voice in my head keeps telling me that we have to cancel the project.

At dawn, I put on my shinobi gear, telling the sapphire-eyed boy to get dressed. While waiting for them to get us, I invite the blond to sit on the bed, next to me. Unless I desert the village, I can't spare him this imminent torture. All I can do is be there for him, hold his hand if necessary.

Naruto is anxious; he continually bends and unbends his toes and twirls his thumbs together. He knows that something is wrong, that something will happen… I put an arm on his shoulders. My hand meets the back of his neck that I touch with tenderness. I slip it between his blond locks; a hope of reducing his growing stress. I notice that he's starting to have long hair, me included. Nevertheless, my thoughtful gesture works; Naruto sticks to me.

'I wish it was otherwise, Naruto. Sincerely,' I mumble, leaning my head against his.

Then, fateful knocks ring out.

They're here, very close, behind the door.

"Come on, Naruto. We have to go somewhere. We will stay together no matter what. So, you don't have to worry." I help the blond to get up. He follows me to the entrance. I carefully open the door. When I recognize Shikamaru, I widen the gap. Behind him, there are two ANBU members, wearing their white masks adorned with red; one with the image of a falcon and the other of a tiger.

"Is this really necessary?" I sigh. "I'm not gonna run away like a bandit…"

"I'm not the one who gives the orders," Shikamaru sighs, scratching the back of his head. He sniffs me discreetly before pouting. "You no longer reek of death, but your smell is still just as foul…"

"I'm working on it, okay?!" I hiss through my teeth, annoyed.

"Sorry," he apologizes, holding his palms forward. "I didn't want to offend you…"

"Maa, whatever…" I lean down and ask Naruto to get on. He clings to me, wrapping his ebony tail around my waist. Carrying my shivering student, I obediently accompany them towards inevitable catastrophe.

- XxX -

We progress into the underground passages—more precisely, the one leading to an interrogation room. Since we've been underground, Naruto has been struggling not to fall apart. Clinging to my arm as if a hurricane was trying to take him with it, he follows the pace of my steps; I almost trip sometimes because he's often in my feet. He breathes noisily through his mouth, close to hyperventilation. These familiar corridors bring back distant traumas and macabre memories of the time when he was in a cell. In all of this, my stress doesn't help him either.

I don't know why, but I feel trapped. I don't like being here, in the middle of these stifling and narrow paths. I scan the surroundings with anguish; my heavy heart is uncomfortable, crushed in my chest. With the ANBU and Shikamaru, I feel like I'm in a small box that is too full, to believe that they're sticking to my skin, although two metres separates us. Not to let these foreign emotions overwhelm me, I take a deep breath.

After an eternity of walking in silence, we finally enter the large room. The space, although open, is overwhelming. The fairly high ceiling is littered with big metal conduits and other cables of similar size. The room is round and reinforced by thick metal walls. The floor is of a similar material, although stone is mixed in. A subdued, reddish light illuminates the place, especially in the centre. A large circle occupies the floor. In the middle, a sturdy interrogation chair awaits the arrival of the feral boy. Fortunately, the former torture furniture has been stripped of its restraints so as not to scare away its future terrified subject, who rushes to snuggle into my arms, thus seeking comfort.

Scanning the surroundings, I recognize a few members of the ANBU specialized in supervising torture sessions. Of course, there are Inoichi and his daughter Ino from the Yamanaka clan. There are also Nara Shikaku, Yamato, Shizune and the Hokage herself. To my great surprise, Sakura is there and comes to meet me.

"Kakashi-Sensei, I heard what happened. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Sakura," I reassure her, stroking Naruto's blond hair. She notices how terrified her friend is. He's shaking. His normally tanned skin looks as white as mine now. He hides his face in my chest, clinging to my accomplished ninja jacket.

"It's gonna be fine, Naruto. I stay with you. It's a promise. Come now." His pupils veiled in darkness contemplate the void before them. When I force him to separate from me, his hand immediately clings to mine. I flinch as he gradually crushes my delicate bones. Luckily, it's my left and not my right. He wraps his arms around my whole arm. Reluctantly, he follows me to the centre of the room, shrouded in morgue-like silence. The tension is palpable, infernal. I'm not the only one to fear the possibility of this session, that's understood.

"Sit down, Naruto," I tell him, inviting him to take a seat on the chair. While not letting go of my hand, the teenager obeys me with a mechanical gesture. Unsurprisingly, his breath soars. His heart is racing so fast that it's about to burst. He tries to curl up into a ball, and I stop him. "Calm down. Everything's gonna be all right. I watch over you. I promised you, Naruto."

His other hand tightens on the armrest. His deadly nails easily scratch the metal; they sink and dig without stopping. His tail is atrociously stiff, immobile, and all his hair is standing on end. Naruto hisses in despair. His body screams at him to get up and run. I have to place a careful hand against his shoulder to keep him on this chair. His combativeness is miserable. This allows me to keep the upper hand. He has a panic attack. His terror reaches me. I fight against myself, against this powerful urge to get him out of this place. I'm afflicted with another urge to protect him and prevent anyone from touching him…

Before I give in to these urges, I glance at Inoichi, asking him to start. The latter nods and cautiously approaches my student. As a result, Naruto focuses his gaze on him and tries to sink into the chair to disappear. He starts whimpering like a puppy. I force myself into his field of vision to overwhelm his crazy irises. "Look at me, Naruto! Everything's gonna be alright! I promise you! Calm down!"

I put myself in front of him, occupying his entire vision by all possible means, but I escape his blind eyes, which gradually sink into madness. His hand doesn't let go of mine. He's breaking my bones now, and a horrible crunch makes me wince. Naruto has already forgotten me. He doesn't even see me anymore; my voice doesn't reach his useless ears. I have to restrain him on this chair by straddling him. The teen begins to struggle, and lightning pulses from his skin. The electric currents increase in intensity, penetrating my flesh; I would be electrocuted if I hadn't acquired resistance to lightning.

"Naruto is no more! It's now or never!" I shout.

Naruto bares his feral fangs before Inoichi's palm lands on the top of his head.

"Psycho Mind Transmission!"

The effect is immediate. His eyes go blank, and his body becomes paralyzed from head to toe. The possession technique worked. I can separate myself from him… Maa, sort of, since my hand is held hostage by his powerful grip. I'm focused on my student in a trance while everyone lets out a sigh of relief. However, the atmosphere remains heavy and dangerous. The shinobi get into position, ready to act if the feral boy goes on a rampage; at that, Lady Tsunade and Shizune approach us. With the distance between us and others, no one can hear what we say. Good. I'm afraid that Inoichi will discover … compromising things about me and the unhealthy relationship I have with Naruto.

However, there are unusual movements barely perceptible in Naruto's dull eyes. His fingers are trembling. He's fighting against Inoichi's technique. We remain on our guard and hold our breath…

"I've never seen that," blurt Inoichi. "This is the first time I've seen a brain like his."

"What do you mean?" I ask, frowning.

A silence.

"There's a lot of mental data that I can't extract."

"How so?" Lady Tsunade asks.

"Most of his thoughts are incomprehensible. They have no words and are abstract, like those found in the subconscious," he explains darkly. "I feel like I'm probing the mind of an animal capable of thinking."

His words confirm what we already knew about Naruto's altered brain…

"The most lucid and 'human' thoughts, if I can put it that way, are completely polluted and obsessive… It's real trash… It's like he's madly in love with you, Kakashi… Or that he's having a sick and sincerely unhealthy obsession about you…"

I choke on my saliva. As I blush, my heart sinks into the depths of the earth. "Uh… It's probably caused by his need for comfort and his attachment disorder towards me," I chuckle nervously unnaturally. "And we're not here to dissect his so-called … 'feelings' for me."

"Indeed. His thoughts are difficult to decipher, and I could be wrong… One thing is certain. He's obsessed with your chakra, and considers all other chakras to be uneatable…"

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Lady Tsunade giving me a dirty look.

'I'm screwed. Please! Make that his feelings are purely platonic…'

I'm by no means serene. I beg that Inoichi don't look any further, that he don't witness these embarrassing moments with my student. I don't want this to confirm those nasty rumours that I'm in a relationship with him. People will throw stones at me, and my reputation will be tarnished forever.

"Do you find anything about the mark and why Kakashi is marked?" asks the Hokage, crossing her arms.

"Hmm… From what I can understand, Naruto marked him because he wants to protect him."

"Protect me?" I repeat, arching an eyebrow. "From what?"

"A diabolical entity," he replies darkly. "Naruto is terrified of something hidden inside him."

"Naruto would be terrorized by the Nine-Tails?" I assume logically. It can only be that. Kyūbi is still imprisoned in his body… However, the seals that this group has placed should strip the demon of all consciousness, thus plunging it into a deep sleep. Otherwise, the red chakra would mix with his, and the demon would have already shown itself more than once. Kyūbi is too powerful not to influence its host. If it's unconscious, it can no longer impose his harmful influence on my student.

However, Inoichi shakes his head. "It's not the Nine-Tails he's afraid of. Naruto doesn't even know that he's the host of Kyūbi. He's afraid of something else, of another entity… It's dark, very dark. He fights every day this thing that is hidden inside him. Its only goal is to gain the upper hand and take control of his body."

A cold sweat slides down my temple, and I hold my breath. Obviously, Naruto is the host of another demon much more dangerous than the Nine-Tails. This doesn't bode well at all. This thing isn't randomly there…

"This must be the reason why chakra devourers are described as demonic creatures and driven by murderous urges," Godaime guesses.

"It must be the feral instincts the scientist mentioned," I add. "This thing is the one that is in control when Naruto is engulfed by his 'feral instincts.' This would explain his memory lapses when this happens."

"It looks like it," she agrees. "No matter what it is, this darkness has a will of its own."

"Do you think it'd be possible to seal this darkness?" Shizune gulps.

"I don't know. We have to do some testing to find out exactly what it is. However, I don't want to risk awakening or releasing this thing that he manages to contain with his will alone. This entity almost took over when Kakashi found himself in critical condition."

It makes sense. The sapphire-eyed boy becomes a completely different person and is unable to recognize me. This full-moon night that haunts me daily is proof of that. He knows how dangerous this demon is for me, and that would be why he marked me. Maybe this mark prevents this darkness from reaching me, from attacking me, because I'm seen as one of them now?

"It seems that you play an important role, Kakashi," Lady Tsunade says. "This darkness won't wake up as long as you're here."

"I think so. Naruto wants to protect me. He's in all his states every time this darkness hurts me," I agree before speaking to Inoichi. "Did you find out what that mark on my neck is?"

He shakes his head. "I can't extract any information about this. His thoughts are intelligible. It's like he instinctively knows what it is. Even if he could speak, he couldn't explain it… However, one thing that I can understand bothers me. He thinks of you as his human, like a pet, and uses a lot of possessive pronouns."

My heart skips a beat hearing these words, both reassuring and nightmarish. I'm still human in Naruto's eyes. So, I'm not becoming a chakra devourer… However, he sees me as a possession, as if I belong to him. Mechanically, I touch the back of my neck. Did he really mark me in order to possess me? At the idea of belonging to some master like a mere pet… I break out in a cold sweat, and a shiver of dread slides down my spine. I sincerely hope I'm wrong…

"Hmm, that's annoying," sighs Lady Tsunade. "I hope you can probe his memories of his kidnapping."

Inoichi nods. The fear that Naruto breaks free from his grip and descends into madness takes hold of me. The fact that he can move isn't a good sign—a warning of impending doom. Once again, I have a bad feeling. I feel like I'm watching a tornado coming towards us, convincing myself that the wind isn't blowing in our direction, that the tornado changes course at the last moment… But the longer I wait, the more I observe, and the closer it gets, destroying everything in its path.

"There are mental blocks," he says, frowning. "Clearly, Naruto is determined to never remember anything again. This will take me some time."

That only means one thing. The presence of mental blocks implies that Naruto is the victim of a genjutsu spell. Only two hypotheses come to mind; either this group is the cause of his amnesia … or Naruto is the culprit. That said, I'm thinking of the second possibility. If he's responsible for his own misfortune, that would explain how he found his way back to Konoha. This idea is far-fetched, and if it's really the case, I dread discovering what happened during his kidnapping to protect himself in this way. Naruto would have erected mental blocks himself, and not just simple blocks if Inoichi needs time to break them down. Blocks wielded by force of will are easy to break down—child's play for Inoichi. I wonder if the teenager didn't use his chakra devourer pupils to forget everything. Did Naruto bewitch himself with a genjutsu? Is this even possible?

The more time progresses, the more agitated the blond becomes. His mouth is wide open, and his eyes are bulging. His nails scratch my skin. He hisses while breathing loudly through his mouth. Naruto fights against Inoichi's hold with all his might. There's even foam on the edge of his lips. It's not a good sign.

"I'm almost there," says Inoichi.

Inoichi begins to sweat and grimace in discomfort. The feral boy produces electricity, which gradually intensifies; the electricity spreads through my body. My student's hisses become growls that tear the silence. I notice that the shinobi are getting into position; at that, Lady Tsunade and Shizune distance themselves.

If Naruto breaks free, he will be swallowed up by his instincts—rather, by this darkness.

"Inoichi, stop!" I shout, hoping to stop the impending catastrophe.

"I only have one mental block left to cross!" he exclaims.

Without warning, deadly waves are projected in bursts as lightning pulses from Naruto's head, forcing Inoichi to retreat. Then, he's suddenly propelled several metres away when he receives a powerful, devastating tail swipe to his abdomen. The crazy tail jostles the chair, causing it to fly in the air as Naruto jumps up. Meanwhile, he lets go of my hand, which allows me to step back…

As his once-golden hair becomes electrified like the tip of his tail, Naruto screams. An atrociously sharp and powerful howl, whose echo accentuates, resounds and extends over time. In response, I hear an orchestra of suffering around me. Everyone, absolutely everyone is arched forward, with their palms firmly pinned over their ears. In chorus, they utter cries and complaints of pain. They're paralyzed and unable to do anything.

What does that mean? I realize that Naruto is screaming his cry of doom, which can stun his victims and make the ear canals bleed until they become deaf. Why am I not suffering like everyone else? Why doesn't this howl paralyze me like the others? Why are my ears still intact?

This inexplicable phenomenon plunges me into a stupor. As the howl ends, Naruto's tail wraps frantically around my torso and both arms. His tail continues to tighten against my body, to the point that it hinders my breathing. I groan as I'm gradually crushed. The searing pain forces me to my knees. I'm struggling to fill my lungs with oxygen. The lightning oozing from his prehensile limb numbs my muscles; I'm electrocuted with full force. My arms and hands are useless, and I don't have the strength to get up…

I'm dragged by his tail and find myself behind him. Naruto brandishes his fists in the air and lowers his two arms filled with a phenomenal amount of chakra. He hits the ground, which shatters into pieces, cracking several metres like an explosion. Broken fragments of different sizes fly in all directions; clouds of dust rise and blind me. The power is such that the ground shakes like an earthquake and a loud roar resounds like a storm.

When the clouds clear, I see Naruto on his four legs. His crazy and feral eyes scan the surroundings. He's on defensive. Although Naruto stops crushing me, he keeps me hostage. I try to free myself … but he hastens to crush me even more to stop me and limit my field of action. Excruciating pain makes me moan and wince. My breath fades a little more.

There's nothing I can do. I am at his mercy.

Naruto starts jumping in all directions, carrying me with him. He skillfully avoids the Kagemane no Jutsu that tries to capture him; at that, Yamato tries to capture him with his Mokuton techniques. With each leap, the grip on his tail tightens. Every pounce is slowly finishing me off. When my ribs crack, I scream. Electricity is now unsustainable. I groan loudly and wriggle miserably in pain.

"STOP!" shouts a voice I don't recognize.

Naruto freezes. I understand that everyone does the same. My vision is blurring. I can no longer think. The grip doesn't loosen, but it doesn't get worse. If this continues, my bones will break for good, my organs will burst… All I care about is breathing what little air I can. All sounds are muted—as a result, I don't recognize the voices and the panic in the room.

"He took Kakashi hostage!"

"Fuck! He's killing him!"

"But if we don't do something quickly, his heart will give out!"

"What can we do?!"

"We have to find a way to immobilize him before he jumps in all directions!"

"If we fail our next attempt, he'll break him in two!"

"If Kakashi is killed, he'll have to be killed!"

"He can dispel our shadows if cornered by producing light … and if that happens, Kakashi-Sensei's heart will stop!"

"If I use my Mind Body Disturbance technique, he might finish off Kakashi."

"Fuck!"

"I'll try to get in his mind while he's still. Take advantage of this moment to subdue him."

"Ino! Be careful! You won't be safe in his mind!"

"Mind Body Switch!"

Naruto's body twitches; he inhales sharply, lowering his head. It's only now that I notice that he's half standing, half on all fours. However, his stillness is short. The kunoichi soon lets out a scream of terror, visibly back in her own body. Ino is livid and trembling as Shikamaru asks about her condition. She's terrified and destabilized by what she must have seen in Naruto's mind…

A hiss from beyond the grave forces me to turn my attention back to Naruto. His glare is black, and his blood boils in his veins; at that, he gives off more deadly waves than ever. His claw-armed hands are wide open; his fingers are distorted with madness. The fangs are visible, and the mouth is dripping with drool.

Naruto is ready and about to kill.

If I don't do something, there will be a massacre.

I have to do something now!

Every second is precious. My useless arms are firmly nailed to my body; only my forearms can briefly move. The electricity makes any coordinated movement impossible, and my heart weakens. I'm suffocating, and my brain, in great need of air, will inevitably shut down. I have to find a solution before something irreparable happens…

Then, I'm struck by an illumination.

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

He'll bleed when I take it out, and you know what that means.

Yes! I know what I have to do!

These guys didn't want to draw my blood because they know that chakra devourers' sense of smell is exceptional. Despite his madness, although he's possessed by this darkness within him, Naruto will smell the scent of my blood, and it will bring him back to his senses, I'm convinced of it!

Excruciatingly slowly, I approach my hand to the shuriken pouch hanging on my thigh to grab a kunai. I can only touch it with the tips of my nails. At the same time, the teenager gets in an offensive position. He's storing an impressive amount of chakra charged with lightning, creating a miniature storm eager to destroy everything.

'PLEASE!' I beg in despair as I agonize.

I fight against the lightning as it burns and finishes me.

I fight against the unconsciousness, which tries to carry me away into eternal nothingness.

I fight for my survival by drawing on my last strength to reach this kunai so close, yet so far.

With a silent cry from my heart, I finally grab the kunai, which I hold tightly for fear of dropping it. Before Naruto's energy buildup reaches its peak, I drive the tip of the kunai as deep as possible into the flesh of my thigh, aiming for the artery. The pain strikes me and tears from me a silent complaint. The blood stains my pants, which take on a burgundy hue.

Therefore, I implore that it's gonna be enough…

The impending explosion loses intensity and disappears. As a black spider's web forms on my retina, I catch a glimpse of the bright blue eyes focused on me. Eyes nourished by violence soften; the shine leaves them. The hair returns to normal, and the tail releases me. I immediately collapse to the ground. I stare at the void in front of me. My exhausted hand let go of the grip of the kunai anchored in my thigh. I'm dying. I pant loudly and breathe as if it was my first time in this world. Curled into a ball on my side, I cough, spitting out sprays of blood.

"Kakashi-Sensei!"

"Kakashi!"

The kunoichi run towards me. The blond is next to me, on his knees, and is helpless, even in shock. Clear waterfalls flow from his eyes; he panics and hyperventilates. He understands the severity of the situation since he lets Sakura, Shizune, Lady Tsunade and even Ino approach me to provide urgent care.

I'm gently turned onto my back, which worsens my suffering and makes me moan. I let out a scream when Sakura removes the kunai before controlling the bleeding with her medical ninjutsu. In the meantime, they unbutton my jacket and pull up my shirt and my chain mail. They hold their breath at the sight of my chest. Since I can't move to look at myself, I assume I'm brutalized like never before. They rush to give me care, which gradually calms the agony I'm in.

"His left lung is punctured and he's bleeding internally. A little more and his ribs would break," Lady Tsunade notes darkly. "His skin suffered first-degree burns from the lightning. Shizune, control the bleeding while I repair his lung."

"Understood," she agrees.

"Ino, help Sakura stop the bleeding."

"Y-Yes," she stutters as she does so.

Naruto holds his hair. He holds them so roughly that he's about to rip them off. With great misery, I offer him my hand, which he hastens to grab with both of his.

"It's not your fault, Naruto. I don't blame you," I whisper sincerely. "I know it was this darkness in you that hurt me."

The sapphire-eyed boy lowers his head, gasping in sorrow. He can't forgive himself, and there's nothing I can do to help him, especially right now. Each of my breaths of air stops burning, indicating that my lung is repaired. My vision stabilizes, and it allows me to see that the kunoichi have dried blood that has dripped from their ears—a result of Naruto's shrill and devastating scream…

Why weren't my eardrums perforated like them?

"Your ear canals aren't damaged," Godaime says in awe, examining my ear.

"I wasn't affected by his howl. It seems that I'm immune to it now. The first time he used it, I was paralyzed with pain like the others."

"It seems so," she agrees. "Your heart's gradually returning to a normal pace… I'm surprised that it hasn't given up."

I remain silent. She mustn't know that I gained resistance to lightning—something that probably saved my life. When the young kunoichi control the bleeding in my thigh, they pull down my pants to bandage my wound. This brings back memories of my recent kidnapping. In a flash, I see the faces of these guys, their macabre smile despite their mask, while they're undressing me, groping my buttocks, even my crotch. I suddenly close my eyes, turning my head. Reluctantly, I obediently let them do what they have to do, biting my lip. I refrain from hitting them, pushing them away…

'They provide me with care. Only care. Nothing more,' I repeat to myself, holding my breath.

"We took care of the most serious injuries," Shizune says as they dress me back, much to my relief. "There are still many significant injuries. The ideal is to keep him under observation…"

My heart starts racing. I understand that she wants to put me in a damn hospital room. If they put me back there, I will lose my mind!

No. I refuse.

Out of the question.

I'm going to scream.

"Please! Don't send me back there!" I beg, grabbing the Hokage's arm. "Let me recover at home!"

"This is out of the question! You lost a lot of blood. You're delirious, Kakashi!"

"I am perfectly lucid!" I retort coldly. "I'm gonna freak out if I go back there. Don't send me back there. I'm begging you." Unconsciously, I tighten my weak grip on her arm. I wheeze miserably. I implore Lady Tsunade with my eyes; I beg her to accept.

"So be it," she says to my delight, getting up.

I let out a sigh. No one knows, but I will recover quickly since I inherited the blazing healing speed of the chakra devourers. Besides, I no longer agonize, although my chest still hurts, especially with each breath. Raising my head briefly, I see the horrible reddish and purplish bruises on my torso in pitiful condition. With injuries like that, I'm surprised Naruto didn't break me in half.

I pull down my tops to cover myself. Exhausted and out of breath, I lie still.

"How are you, Kakashi-Sensei?" Sakura asks me worriedly.

"I'll survive…" I whisper. "That said… It's not me you need to worry about."

Mechanically, the two young girls fix their gaze on Naruto plunged into a worrying immobility. Apart from some jolts due to his silent cries, the blond no longer reacts to external stimuli. He brought my hand to his face. His guilt for having hurt me hits me and saddens me in turn. I hope he can forgive himself. He was forced to face his demons, after all. I don't blame him for giving in to this darkness, with which he wanted to protect himself.

"What do we do now?" Inoichi asks the Hokage.

A silence settles in.

"We'll put the project on hold for a while," she says with a sigh. "We'll try again in a few weeks and give him time to recover. We must find how to prevent him from breaking free from your powers and a means to counter his cry of doom." She lands her gaze on me. "We can't risk Kakashi's life. If we lose him, I don't know if Naruto can be reasoned with."

It's a euphemism. Naruto will either end up in a cage, or he will be killed… Sadly, she's not wrong. My student will descend into madness if I die, and nothing will be able to stop him. With what happened in the sewers yesterday… This darkness will take over and will massacre the village in a nameless rage. With the power of the chakra devourers, he will be difficult to stop, and many will lose their lives. I'm his only motivation to fight against this darkness within him, that's understood.

I would like to lie down longer … but the broken and cold ground is extremely uncomfortable. Slowly, I try to get up, wincing in pain.

"Don't move, Sensei," Sakura tells me.

Immediately, Naruto lends me a hand. Gently, he places a hand on my back to help me sit back down. He carefully takes my arm and places it on his shoulders. With a hand on my hip and his tail wrapped around my waist, he gives me a lift to stand on my two feet. My legs are horribly shaky. I lean against Naruto so as not to collapse like a brick. I realize that I won't be able to walk home alone and that I need his help.

"Thank you," I tell him as he gives me a shy little smile.

"Kakashi," Lady Tsunade calls out to me. "Since you're the only one who can do whatever he wants with him, try to unravel the mysteries of this darkness and find a way to neutralize it. We'll try again when we're sure that Naruto won't be as much of a threat to us as he is to you."

"Understood."

Unsurprisingly, Lady Tsunade speaks to the ANBU. I easily guess her order to escort me into the shadows. In my state, I won't complain about it; I can't defend myself. Plus, I can't wait to get back to the den. I'm starving for once. It's such that I can no longer think of anything else. I'm so hungry that I feel like I'm going to have a craving soon. I feel like my chakra reserves are dwindling. I experience a bizarre and ignoble discomfort in these fangs in my mouth; at that, I really want to bite something. Odd.

"Do you want me to accompany you home?" Sakura offers me kindly.

"Thank you, but don't bother. I can count on Naruto."

I glance at Ino. Her head is low; she clasps her hands together at her chest. She's livid and trembles. Obviously, what she saw in Naruto's mind sent her into a tizzy. This is the first time I saw her return to her body immediately. Could she have seen this hidden darkness in him? Should we really be worried about this said darkness? Who knows. All in all, I have goosebumps…

"Sakura," I call out to her, asking her to come closer. She comes forward to listen to me. "When she's better, asks Ino about what she saw. She may be able to unravel some of the mystery surrounding these feral instincts. I fear that Naruto may succumb to it one day or another…"

"You… You think so?"

"It's a possibility. As you can see, we can't let this thing get the best of him."

The teenager nods before comforting her rival.

"Help me, Naruto. It's time to go home." He nods in his own way and helps me walk. Both my legs struggle to carry my weight, and fatigue hits me like a well-placed punch. My stomach rumbles like a storm and twists in all directions. It's not a craving, but I'm having a really bad time. Between sleep and my need to eat, I hardly know which is more pressing.

All in all, I'm happy to have survived this tornado, which changed course at the last moment.

"I'm starving."