Chapter CII
Pretty Marbles
The full moon is upon us, slowly rising in the sky, and I don't care. I can't help but take a walk with Naruto. I'm doomed to have a sleepless night watching over him so that no moonbeams bewitch him. As a result, the urge to go out is stronger than me. I don't feel like being locked up between walls day and night. Besides, I'm not worried at all. The sky is cloudy, and the moon needs time to reach its peak. As long as I return to the den before eight o'clock, I don't have to worry. That said, I'm a little annoyed. I couldn't train Naruto because of the full moon.
Unsurprisingly, people look at us askance … although their eyes are particularly venomous tonight. The events of the full moon, the one during which Naruto sowed chaos and panic in the village, have had plenty of time to spread like a contagious and virulent disease. I just ignore them. Their detestable behaviour annoys me, but there's nothing I can do. The majority made their opinion on me as much as on Naruto… I sigh.
Naruto stops, forcing me to do the same. He looks into the window of a small store selling anything and everything, mostly trinkets more than anything else. However, something suddenly piques my interest; it is such that I stop blinking and thinking about anything. I tilt my head to the right, continue to stare at what is overwhelming my attention. Naruto gently grabs my sleeve, pulling me out of this disturbing trance. When I look back at him, the blond let my arm go. His face displays an emotional neutrality; I can't decipher the depth of his thought. I shrug. I put my book away and enter the store with Naruto on my heels.
As the boy sapphire-eyed boy ventures into the store, I stop. The salesman stiffens like an iron bar. Each of his breaths is a sad wheeze as erratic as his panicked heart. The silence is oppressive, the air is heavy. I slowly turn my head to face him. I pierce him shamelessly with my icy gaze. I wonder what this guy will do or say. Fear poisons him, overwhelms him; he holds my gaze out of survival instinct. He no longer blinks, refusing to lose sight of me. After a long and painful moment, he takes a step back. He doesn't want any trouble. Good. I just want to be left alone.
I turn my attention back to Naruto. Quickly, I spot him in one of the rows and noticing his small eyes frantically scanning the surroundings, irritation takes over me. I growl as I come to meet him. Next to him, I stare at him while crossing my arms. The teenager holds his breath, and many drops of sweat bead on his forehead. When I arch an eyebrow, Naruto gulps. He takes a piece of white fabric out of his pocket that he kindly puts back in its original place before putting his hands behind him, pouting.
"Stop stealing, Naruto! If you want something, just ask me!"
He fixes his gaze on the ground while making himself small. As for me, I examine the fabric by touch. The fabric is … terribly soft and silky. Obviously, he wants it for its oddly pleasant texture. Given that his sense of touch has greatly developed, Naruto must enjoy this kind of thing. Strangely, I constantly rub it between my fingers, as if I was bewitched by it. I grab it with both hands and examine it with all ten fingers.
I want it … and a crying need to stuff it in my pocket invades me.
I shake my head. What am I thinking? I'm not going to start stealing things when I just scolded my student for it… Anyway… Why did I even think of doing this? Something is wrong with me…
I take the fabric with me to investigate why I came here. More closely, I examine the curtain of marbles, which immediately captures my full attention. I feel … strange, even … hypnotized. With wonder, I contemplate the vibrant colours of blue and purple. I pass my hand between the meshes of the curtain, making them dance. The marbles collide, producing a soothing melody for my obsessed ears. I tilt my head to the left, continue to pass my hand between them a few times. Each time, I watch the marbles collide and jostle in all directions until they stop moving. I grab some to observe them more closely.
"Oh! The pretty marbles reflect rainbows in the light," I note, giggling.
I'm decided, I want this thing.
"What the hell are you doing out there?!" a familiar voice roars behind me, making me jump and letting all the pretty marbles slip through my fingers.
I turn around. I have a hard time recognizing this person… I squint … until I recognize Shikamaru … and he seems to be in a foul mood… "Yo."
"Do you know that the full moon is coming up?!"
I blink a few times again. I don't know why, but I'm having a hard time processing what he's suddenly rambling on about.
"Kakashi-Sensei! Did you understand me or are you asleep standing up?!"
I can't understand what he's telling me, as if he's speaking in a foreign language. The only thing I understand is my name. I stand there, like an idiot, trying to translate his gibberish…
Without warning, I receive a good smack of the tail behind the head. I glare at Naruto. He stares at me with his stern eyes. His eyebrows are horribly furrowed.
"Can I know what I did to deserve this?!" I grumble.
Suddenly, the blond points at Shikamaru.
"Kakashi-Sensei... Are you okay...?"
I scan the surroundings. My thoughts make sense again… But since when has Shikamaru been here...? It's as if he just appeared before my eyes…
I shake my head.
Did I have an absence?
"Sorry, sorry," I apologize, letting out a few nervous laughs. "I was daydreaming…"
A silence settles in.
"May I know what you're doing here?" he asks curtly. "The full moon is already in the sky, you know!"
"What I'm doing here is none of your business," I retort, crossing my arms. "Stop worrying. I have plenty of time to get home before the moon's effects are devastating for him. As long as Naruto doesn't start yawning, I don't have to worry. Do I need to remind you that the full moon forces him to sleep?"
Another silence.
"Hmm… You came by my place to make sure Naruto is safe from the moon, right?" I guess Lady Tsunade doesn't trust me…
Shikamaru sighs. "Yes and no. Godaime is worried. She wants to make sure there's no incident. She sent me to give you a hand," he explains.
"I see. Maa, I don't need help. I can look after him just fine on my own."
"Are you sure...?"
I nod. "Without his venom, I won't sleep, that's understood. I plan to make him sleep in my bathroom. It's a closed room with no windows. I just have to keep an eye on him while waiting for daylight to return. Unless you want to keep me company, your presence isn't necessary…" Images resurface in my mind. "To be honest… I don't want to face another full moon episode."
A shiver of dread slides down my spine, and I have goosebumps. My body has finally stopped imagining the sensual movements too close to my intimacy, but this nightmarish Naruto above my paralyzed self still freezes my blood. Thanks to his venom, I can't relive the scene in my sleep…
Shikamaru lets out another sigh. "It's up to you," he concedes, shrugging. "I'm on patrol duty tonight. Others have volunteered. Godaime refuses to take any risks."
"Of course. Another little incident like that and he'll be locked up."
"I don't know what you're doing here, but hurry up and get back! Everyone's on edge seeing you wandering around when the moon's out."
"Sorry, sorry," I apologize with a few nervous chuckles.
The youngster stares at me anxiously before leaving. Mechanically, I glance outside. My heart leaps in my chest. The sky is almost black; the last rays of sunlight are fading at an alarming rate. I've lingered here for ages and have clearly lost track of time. If I don't hurry back, disaster will be inevitable. Turning my attention back to Naruto, he's almost asleep standing up.
What was I doing to have wasted my time to this extent?!
A captivating melody hypnotizes me as the blond passes his hand between the meshes of the curtain. With interest, I observe their uncertain dances. I tilt my head to the right. When the marbles stop moving, I grab them between my fingers to examine them more closely. "I want the pretty marbles."
- XxX -
I don't know how or when I got back to the den, and I don't care. I can't help but hang up my new acquisition as soon as I'm inside. My heart is pounding with excitement; my hands are shaking. With difficulty, I fix the curtain of marbles in the mouth of my bedroom's door. Yawning, I contemplate the glittering ornaments hanging in the void. I put a hand to my chin, tilt my head to the left. No. It's not there yet… Something's missing… It's not perfect, and it frustrates me. Due to the fatigue that is catching up with me, I can't find what I need to complete my work…
I'm pulled out of my thoughts when I hear Naruto pouting loudly. He looks at me in exasperation; at that, his tail wags like a disgruntled feline rotten with impatience, about to throw a fit. I arch an eyebrow and glance into my room. The curtain is half-open and the night lights are getting brighter and brighter. I widen my eyes, and my heart climbs into my throat. I'm forgetting what I have to do…
As for Naruto, he's angry, tired, and seems to be judging me. Apparently, he was waiting for me to finish what I deemed a priority… I'm an idiot; I didn't think to close the curtain of my window. I have no idea if the full moon is casting its fatal rays. I shake my head, slapping my cheeks to pull myself together. My brain is haywire, horribly dazed, as if I had abused alcohol… I take a deep breath before yawning. Oddly enough, I feel like sleeping…
"Sorry, Naruto," I sigh, sliding a hand through my hair. "I'm a little dizzy…"
Naruto's facial features soften as I shake my head again. As best I can, I try to piece together and align my thoughts so that it makes sense. "Well… As I explained before, you will sleep in the water room, where the full moon's rays can't reach you."
The sapphire-eyed boy sighs heavily, expressing his disagreement. He swings his leg into the air, arching his head back.
"It's only for one night, Naruto. Come on. Wait for me there while I get the blankets."
Reluctantly, my student obeys, though he hisses and walks with elephant steps. As I pass through the curtain of marbles, I stop. Once again, I find myself playing with them, passing my hand between them to make them dance and "sing," creating this melody so sweet to my ears… I shake my head. What the hell am I doing?! I don't have time for this… Hesitantly, I move away from the curtain. However, I don't take my eyes off it until I reach my bed. I grab the blanket and sheets, including my pillow. Then I rummage through my closet to find a spare blanket that will act as a mattress. I don't want to move it into the water room and have it start to mould from the humidity, especially for one night…
After a fierce fight against the irrepressible urge to linger on these damn marbles, I finally join Naruto. He's sitting cross-legged and pouting; he doesn't want to sleep there, that's understood. I prepare a temporary bed for him. "Stop complaining. With the window, it's too risky and you can't choose anyway. Keep going and I tie you in the sheets."
The teenager stops grumbling and stares at me with his little unhappy eyes.
I get up and point at the improvised bed. "Come on! Sleeping time!"
Dejected, Naruto lets out a sigh. He joins the sheets, in which he sits and opens his arms to invite me to join him.
"I don't plan on going to bed, Naruto. I have some things to do. I'll join you a little later."
The feral boy sighs; a veil of sadness and disappointment covers his face. He lies down, curling up into a ball, hugging the pillow, on which he rests his head. He doesn't need to know that I don't plan on dozing with him all night. He'll sleep soundly, and he won't even notice. Besides, I plan on doing a bit of cleaning.
I grab the blanket to cover him up to his shoulders and offer him a few caresses in his blond mane. "It's gonna be okay, Naruto. I'm watching over you," I whisper, sketching a sincere smile.
My words soothe him. Naruto returns a shy smile and finally closes his eyes to find sleep. Quickly, he falls asleep. I look at him for a little while. I recognize the old Naruto in this sleeping face. Seeing him so peaceful… I can only smile.
I make sure the blond is fast asleep before I slip away. I close the door, leaving only a small gap. Fatigue hits me all at once. I start nodding and fight against my eyelids determined to close. Even if I could sleep without his venom, I don't have that luxury. I have to watch over Naruto and make sure the moon can't bewitch him. A sleepwalking attack isn't to be ruled out.
With a clumsy gait, I return to my room. Once again, I'm hypnotized by the curtain of marbles that calls out to me like a siren song. As I stare at it, I take off my shinobi accessories. From then on, I feel much lighter. I sit on my knees in front of the curtain. The nocturnal rays filtered by the dark clouds are reflected on these pretty sparkling marbles. Their brilliance intrigues me. I tilt my head to the left. Their dark colours are an invitation to run my hand through them to make them collide with each other. I tilt my head to the right. I love the sound they make as I love seeing them dance in front of me. I could spend the whole night looking at the pretty marbles.
I pull the piece of white fabric out of nowhere. I rub my fingers over this softness full of tenderness; it's a unique and silky fur, with which I'd like to wrap myself with my entire being. When the mesh of the curtain stops, I gently sweep it with my hand, each time paralysis strikes it. Between each abstract dance, I linger on the fabric that I caress with desire. Their texture fills a void, and I feel less alone. I'm so tired… I want to continue … but I miss Naruto's closeness… I want to take refuge in his arms and snuggle tightly against him… Nevertheless, I want to enjoy the beauty of these magnificent ornaments, to brush my fingers against these precious jewels.
I am living a lucid dream.
A dream where everything makes sense.
And I stop thinking.
When the marbles stop, I reach out my hand to shake them like a gentle breeze… However, I freeze on the spot. My heart is stabbed, my breath is knocked out. I grab my burning chest and get on all fours. A powerful electric current spreads through my body, through my chakra veins that are overheating with agony. I let out a muted scream as I slam my hands on the back of my neck, from which a strange and excruciating pain proliferates throughout my being. All my limbs go numb, tingling swarms under every inch of my skin assailed by incessant electric shocks. My veins … all my veins are electric cables about to explode under the influx of immense energy. I'm submerged in an ocean of stones, under which I'm crushed mercilessly.
I feel like every sensation is magnified a thousandfold, like my brain is going off the rails, absolutely exaggerating every single sense. My head is going to explode … my body is going to implode… It's too much for me; I scream and scream without a sound, without a noise, nothing. I have no more air in my lungs to expel it in cries of help…