Chapter LXXXVII

One with Lightning

Slowly, I open my eyes; I'm greeted by a subdued and acceptable light. My fingers are on fire, as if they were bleeding. I hear a regular and constant noise. The curtains don't cover the windows as usual, and I quickly understand why. The weather is grey, almost black; it's raining cats and dogs, and the rain hammers the glass mercilessly. The large clouds filled with water plunge Konohagakure into an artificial night. The soft darkness is comfortable, and the natural orchestra is a soothing melody. For once, I don't miss the sun.

As soon as I stand up, my mattress sags. Naruto climbs into my bed, smiling from ear to ear. My brain works in slow motion; I'm still a little dazed. I barely react when he sits on my legs to offer me a hug, taking me tenderly in his arms. I blink a few times and hug him back. Although I'm back in this daily life that I didn't miss at all, that of being bitten and having my chakra devoured every day, I feel relatively good. Fatigue left me; the pain in my arm is perfectly tolerable. Only hunger isn't there—rather, I dread breakfast…

Naruto separates from me and observes me kindly. It's early, probably morning. Yet, he's fully awake. His face is ugly with accumulated fatigue; double bags adorn his eyes, and his eyeballs are pink. Sure, he's content with short naps at all times of the day and night, but he has stopped sleeping. Since when? Impossible to know. To say I'm worried would be an understatement.

He will have a nervous breakdown, be irritable, be impulsive… Maa, even more than he already is. His mental strength has lost endurance; it doesn't matter if Naruto has been a shinobi since he was twelve. Unfortunately, he's emotionally fragile now. His broken psyche has just begun to heal. This isn't the time for him to lose his progress because he decided to watch over me, to the point of not sleeping at all. Moreover, the full-moon night didn't seem to have given him the slightest rest…

"Naruto, you have to sleep," I tell him dryly.

Guilty, the teenager lowers his head and avoids my eyes. I grab his wrists and caress them with my thumbs, and I soften my gaze. "There's no danger here. No one will hurt me, Naruto. I agree that this place stresses and frightens you. This is why I will watch over you. I can return the favour. I'll lend you my bed if necessary, but you have to sleep. Your body needs it."

Naruto lets out a sigh, showing that he understands me … even though he doesn't want to; he's determined to watch over me, refuse sleep. He's so stubborn. I sigh. I have to find words and reasons that will speak to him and resonate with him.

"If you continue to stay awake, your body will reach its limits and give up. As a result, you will fall asleep so deeply that nothing will wake you up. This means that you won't be able to save me if my life is threatened. How are you gonna protect me if you can't do so? How can I trust you if you don't trust me, Naruto? Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

The blond lets out another sigh before rolling his eyes.

Naruto…

The desire to force you to sleep by hitting your sleep reflexology point crosses my mind.

At the same time, I notice that the texture of his skin is soft. It's no longer grainy. He's sitting on my legs, and he doesn't crush me either; he's back to his normal weight. He's already imbued itself with my lightning chakra… But I'm not sure. As I slide a careful hand over his arm, I don't feel any static electricity shocks. It's the same thing with his golden hair. Not the slightest tingling, buzzing or electric shock… Perplexed, I frown. Without shame, I lift his shirt to observe the mark on his chest. It has changed. The diamond is decorated with ebony scratches like lightning bolts.

"Naruto, can you produce lightning?"

Naruto tilts his head to the left, arching an eyebrow. He brandishes his arm from, which lightning escapes from the pores of his skin. What does that mean? Clearly, his body made the transition, and did so in record time. His hair is the same as yesterday; they aren't shaggy as they should be. However, his veil of static electricity is missing. If he became a lightning entity again, I should receive static shocks from touching him or being touched. Lost in my thoughts, I unconsciously caress my neck…

I widen my eyes.

I can't detect my veil of static electricity at the back of my neck. Would I've developed resistance to lightning, or even immunity? That would explain why I no longer feel Naruto's. In fact, I'm convinced that's it. The possibility that I've gained new powers makes my heart race, and excitement fills me.

"Naruto, can you run an electric current through my arms?" I ask, taking his hands. "I wanna know if my body resists lightning. Start with a low voltage and gradually increase the intensity. Can you do this?"

My student gives me his most beautiful smile while closing his eyes for a breath. He settles back into a comfortable cross-legged position, and I imitate him by crossing my legs as well. My gaze focuses on our hands linked together. A cold sweat beads up on my temple. I can't help but feel anxious. I'm still recovering; I'm in no condition to receive a strong electric shock. But I trust Naruto. His smile is kind and reassuring; he knows what he's doing, and I don't worry. All in all, the tension is palpable.

After a few seconds, his chakra spreads through my hands, then my forearms. It doesn't take long for a familiar tingling sensation to assail me. This isn't unpleasant. Although an electrical flow runs through my nerves, I feel no pain. I feel like that ants are running under my skin … and my arms don't go numb. Instead, they gradually warm up. Since my extremities are always frozen and icy, it feels weird; my hands quickly reached the same temperature as Naruto's.

The intensity of the voltage isn't that of static electricity—on the contrary, it's that of an electric shock. In other words, it's as if the blond was electrocuting me with a low-level Raiton jutsu. With precision, I feel each lightning, no matter how small, seeping into my skin, into my nervous system. I can determine the exact voltage I'm exposed to.

However, the discomfort escalates when lightning pulses here and there from his skin. I grimace, frown. The more Naruto increases the tension, the more difficult it is for me to hold on. Suffering manifests itself in crescendo. Electricity travels throughout my whole body; there's not an area that isn't affected. My hands start to shake and roughly squeeze Naruto's. I close my eyes, grind my teeth. I'm gradually electrocuted. The pain is more and more intense, intolerable… At the same time, my student lets go of me and the lightning stop.

I pant, looking down at my shaking arms. Scratch-like redness marks them along their entire length. I suffered some damage, nothing too serious. It's not immunity, but my body is resistant to lightning and electricity. Depending on the condition of my arms and the intensity of the voltage felt, I can easily withstand rather violent shocks. However, I couldn't resist a powerful technique like my Raikiri and lightning falling from the sky… Maa, let's just say that my chances of surviving are very much on my side. It's not for nothing that I don't perceive Naruto's veil of static electricity; such a weak electric current simply no longer affects me.

This mark on my neck doesn't only bring me inconvenience.

I smile and clench my fists. I acquired new powers; there's no doubt. I can't wait to see what I can do now. If I'm condemned to wearing this mark for the rest of my life, I might as well get used to it and take advantage of it. Better to dance with the rhythm of the waves than to fight in vain against them.

I plan to keep this resistance quiet… I must say as little as possible from now on, even with the Hokage. This group probably knows that I was marked by Naruto. Obviously, they know all the secrets about this mark. With this mole knowing everything we do… If this group can't confirm my resistance to lightning, it could work in our favour. If I can confuse the enemy, it's worth it. A loyal and reliable shinobi like me… They won't expect me to hide information of crucial importance from my own village. In any case, the will of fire within me still burns with just as much intensity.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts when Naruto gently brushes the redness on my forearms with a pout. He regrets hurting me.

"It's nothing serious, Naruto. It's not your fault. I'm the one who asked you to do this. I'll soon heal. Stop worrying about this."

The teenager remains silent and gives me a shy look. Since he is no longer hydrophobic, he can finally take a bath. He's dirty and reeks of sweat. However, if I ignore his lack of hygiene, his scent isn't unpleasant. In fact, it's starting to … please me...? I shake my head and stand up. This time, my legs are straight and don't wobble; they are eager to stretch out and move. They are rusty and excruciatingly stiff like concrete. Thanks to an overprotective Naruto, the nurses were unable to provide me with essential massages when I was completely paralyzed.

"Naruto," I call him out, pointing to the change of clothes on the next bed. "These are clean clothes for you. Take them to the bathroom. I know you like my shirt, but you'll have to get rid of it. It's as filthy as you."

Naruto inspects his top while letting out a complaint; he's not convinced… I sigh. I grab my IV stand and go to the bathroom, where I run the water in the bathtub. Since he categorically refuses to do something so simple, I resolve to do it for him every time. Afraid he might cause a flood, I patiently wait for the bath to fill with water.

Meanwhile, Naruto joins me, change of clothes in hand. His tail wags happily and his smile is so dazzling that I'm blinded. I easily guess what's on his mind.

"You're gonna take your bath alone like a grown-up," I say dryly, crossing my arms. "And don't even try to argue. I won't take a dip with you. No."

Unsurprisingly, my student is disappointed, and I don't care. I need to distance myself from an invasive Naruto, who suffocates me in every possible and unimaginable way. I don't need to suffocate even more by sharing a narrow space with him, with our two bodies in birth suits which will inevitably touch.

Naruto silently begs me, showing me his puppy eyes. He's doing it on purpose, and he's about to whine too! I turn my back on him and ignore him, so that he understands that I don't intend to give in to his whim. It's extremely awkward, and he doesn't want to let go. His tail gets involved; it caresses my arms, my neck, my face… I end up smacking it with the back of my hand, making my throat vibrate, annoyed.

Fortunately, the bath is ready. Without saying a word, I turn off the tap and return to my bed.

- XxX -

Naruto watched as Kakashi left the water room, watched as Kakashi gently closed the door, making sure to leave a gap. He remained there, motionless, staring at this door; he clung to the hope that Kakashi would change his mind and come back, that Kakashi would come back and enjoy the water with him…

But Kakashi did not return, even though he waited for long and painful minutes.

Naruto let out a sigh. He had to accept that Kakashi would not come back. Wearily, Naruto undressed and examined the artificial water source. He felt the watery surface and dipped his hand into it. Despite his sorrow and great disappointment, he smiled sincerely. His skin could feel the warmth and softness of the water again. When he removed his hand, it was wet. He had almost forgotten what it felt like to be wet.

When this earthy chakra was still flowing through his chakra veins, he could not even use his palms to collect the water, since it immediately leaked out of his skin. He was forced to drink straight from the stream of water. Something so simple and so easy was exhausting. His lips repelled all watery matter; he had to suck it noisily to consume it. Drinking like this was hard work, a real chore.

At nightfall, he was thirsty, and no human brought him glasses filled with this liquid essential to his survival. The moment he responded to his thirsty body's request, he would go to the water room and systematically forget the glass, from which he could drink with ease. When he returned to Kakashi's bedside, he noticed this damn glass mocking him, as if this damn glass had seen him twist in all directions to suck up the water. Naruto thought he was stupid, smacking his forehead every time. At least his precious Kakashi was sleeping and not witnessing his stupidity.

Naruto entered the water. He submerged himself fully for a few seconds before sitting inside. He remained semi-submerged; the water reached just under his nose. If his shoulders were not in the water, he was shivering from the cold. His joy was fleeting. The feral boy curled up into a ball and embraced his legs in front of him. Hit hard by sadness, he ruminated.

Naruto would give anything to enjoy this water with his precious Kakashi. Ever since he had been to the inorganic springs with Shikamaru, Sakura and all those other humans, he dreamed of bathing with Kakashi. Kakashi was doing better; his life was no longer threatened. He longed for the closeness of his comforting and caring arms that he would never leave again. Although this source was so small and frustrating, he wanted to snuggle into Kakashi's arms, close his eyes and let himself be rocked by Kakashi. He wanted to hear Kakashi's heartbeat, absolute proof that his precious Kakashi was still alive, while enjoying the lovely water… That was all he asked for.

Naruto wanted to become Kakashi's world.

Like Kakashi was his whole world.

He wanted Kakashi to only have eyes for him.

Such reciprocity meant sharing whatever it was possible to share. Although the spring was narrow, Kakashi's absence left a void so immense that it seemed gigantic; he could sink into the latter, into the abyssal and infinite depths in which he would drown for sure. Naruto showed patience despite the pain stabbing his chest. He wanted to receive affection from Kakashi with an intensity similar to his own.

He wanted Kakashi to kiss him back; he wanted Kakashi to stop pushing him away when he took care of his magnificent silver hair; he wanted Kakashi to groom his hair in return; he wanted Kakashi to bathe with him; he wanted Kakashi to embrace the night at his side; he wanted Kakashi to reveal his face eternally veiled in mysteries…

Naruto closed his eyes.

With a smile on his lips, he imagined himself being in Kakashi's arms.

Hellow! A few short words from the author!

I unfortunately have to take a week off. I got very sick this week. I need to focus on my health and be in shape for the next chapters which are by far the most important in this book. Thank you for your patience and understanding

The next chapter will arrive on April 19th