Chapter CIII

The Call of the Full Moon

A freezing wind rose despite the warmth of a summer night, and a sinister fog accompanied the arrival of the night breezes. The moon illuminated the Hidden Leaf Village plunged into darkness. While tranquility rocked Konohagakure, a ghost-like entity spread anguished darkness and a biting cold wherever it went. Near it, the hairs on the back of the neck stood on end and hearts started racing; fear assailed anyone who was in its path. A shiver of dread slid down the spine and paralysis petrified them on the spot when they recognized it.

With a slow and staggering gait, but straight, Kakashi wandered without any real goal. Both his eyes were open. His gaze was so piercing and sharp that he could kill with it; meeting the pupils devoid of light froze the blood in the veins. The coldness that Kakashi projected blended harmoniously with the wind, which seeped under the skin of his victims. His bare feet were indifferent to the hard and rocky ground, on which they landed one step at a time. He walked silently, as if he had erased his presence; the absence of noise tore out starts and fleeting panics. This was the reason why he gave the impression of being a ghost haunting the streets.

The Copy Ninja blindly obeyed his instincts, which dictated the path to follow. He sought what he desired, although he did not yet know the object of his desire. He was in a trance; he didn't see the others around him, just as he didn't realize that he terrified them with his mere presence. Kakashi ignored the life forms that moved aside to let him pass. He remained impassive to the many gazes on him, both bad and terrified. As long as he was left alone, he did not care. As long as he was left alone, they could stare at him as much as they wanted.

At each intersection, Kakashi stopped and thought. He looked at the different paths offered to him. He sniffed the air. He didn't know whether what he wanted had a smell or not, but it was necessary to trust his nose. When he felt lost or faced a dilemma, he would look up at the moon, as if asking for advice.

Electricity flowed through his veins. His body was invigorated by the powerful lunar shards. He felt the rays penetrating his flesh, which absorbed them. They gave him a titanic burst of energy. The pain had left him, and fatigue no longer existed. For the first time, Kakashi felt like he could move mountains and run without stopping. For the first time, he received the gift of the moon. She watched over him like a caring mother devoid of malice. Kakashi was her child—a nocturnal creature who had finally found his place in this world.

The fingers of his left hand itched. Kakashi clawed at the wall of the building next to him. This strange gesture disconcerted the people around him. They did not take their eyes off him, for fear that the Copy Ninja would attack them. He was apparently possessed. His unusual and almost macabre gait made him look like an undead straight out of the grave. In their eyes, either Kakashi was indeed a demon like Naruto, or he was under his influence. Also, a blue glow emanating from the back of his neck reinforced the rumours that he was one of them, one of those demons…

Kakashi finished scratching and made a decision. He ventured into the street to his left. The villagers moved aside, imposing a safe distance to avoid trouble with the latter. Without even giving them a glance, he continued on his way. He scanned the surroundings—a hope of finding what he was looking for.

Slowly, Kakashi moved away from the crowded roads and found himself alone. He walked along the wooden palisades that surrounded him. He felt as if these walls were suffocating him. Unable to endure them or see them any longer, he moulded a tremendous amount of lightning chakra into his arm and smashed the wall to his right. The wood shattered into pieces under the force of the impact. The palisade massacred over five metres now had a gaping hole in its core. Kakashi felt much better; he no longer felt like he was suffocating.

He continued on his way as if nothing had happened … but once again walled up in this narrow corridor of dead wood, Kakashi moulded his chakra… However, something caught his attention. He approached the fence, on which there was a poster. As a result, he forgot the narrowness of the road he was on. Intrigued, the Copy Ninja tilted his head to the right. Sure, it wasn't what he was looking for, but it was an object of his desire. He arched his head to the left and slid his fingers over the paper. This poster announced the release of a collector's box set of all the volumes in the Make-Out series. Kakashi stopped blinking, continued to slide his hand with desire. He wanted it; he desired it. This treasure rarer than all the jewels of the ocean was calling him. Invisible hands caressed his cheeks to force him closer. He had to get his hands on it.

Kakashi stared at the sky and began to think. "Where do we find books...?" he wondered. His heterochromic irises saw nothing but emptiness and nothingness. His thoughts were too disordered to care about the visual information translated by his brain. Long minutes passed. He frowned. He was annoyed at not having the answer to his question. The need to acquire the object of his desire was too strong and took precedence over him. He had to find it, seize it and take it safely to the nest.

"I'll think about it on the way," Kakashi resolved as he turned back. One thing was for sure: these books were human creations. If he returned to where the buildings overlooked the land, he would find what he was looking for. However, his search was in vain. What he was looking for was not yet on sale. He had stopped reading almost immediately. The kanji were the same in a pod to hundreds of others that his mind had learned; his brain got its wires crossed a bit. Out of patience, he had chosen to linger only on the pictures.

- XxX -

Kakashi spread fear wherever he went, and the same pattern repeated itself: civilians pushed aside to let him pass. He seemed lost and wandered, wandered and wandered. They didn't know if they should warn someone or if it was better to do nothing. After all, Kakashi didn't seem aggressive or dangerous, as if he was immersed in his own world.

Two shinobi hanging around the neighbourhood noticed Kakashi's lugubrious gait as he walked towards them. A shiver of terror slid down their spines when they met the coldness of the heterochromic eyes. Seeing him approach, they remained on guard. Fear swarmed under their skin. Closer, the one nicknamed the "demon charmer" wasn't in his normal state at all, and the silence he displayed was beyond comprehension. That said, that wasn't what worried them the most. Naruto was always glued to him in a disturbing way. Yet, he wasn't with him and following him like his shadow. One never went without the other.

The more Kakashi reduced the gap between them, the more paralysis took over them. Their throats tightened, and their voices choked in their trachea. Less than a metre away, they felt like that their hearts stopped beating, that time was extending into eternity. The air was heavy and suffocating close to him, even toxic and harmful. A pestilential odour burned their nostrils. A thick and dark veil shrouded him and followed him, ready to swallow them in the darkness in which they would surely perish…

Then, they were ignored, and the Copy Ninja continued on his way. This strange feeling vanished immediately. Perplexed, the two shinobi exchanged a glance before analyzing Kakashi. A soft blue glow shone from his neck; his silver hair and the back of his mask hid what was causing the glow; this supernatural brilliance intrigued and stressed them. They decided to act despite their bad feeling. One of them stood in front of Kakashi, a bit more than a metre away, and Kakashi stopped.

"Kakashi, what's going on? Are you okay?" he asked cautiously.

Kakashi did not answer. His face was impassive and devoid of all emotion. He stared at the man who stood in his way. Since he had stopped moving, he had not made the slightest movement—something that sent shivers down the spine. It was impossible to decipher the depths of his thoughts.

"Kakashi, can you hear me?" he asked again with a trembling voice.

No response. His words elicited absolutely no reaction from him. The other shinobi placed a hand on Kakashi's shoulder, and the effect was immediate. In a flash, he was swept away by a powerful blow that ripped the breath out of him; the speed of the blow was so fast and sudden that he hadn't seen anything coming. The man was thrown against a stall, which collapsed into pieces. Screams rang out; the safe distance from Kakashi increased. The slightly dazed shinobi groaned in pain.

Kakashi glared at him. He couldn't stand being touched anymore; he didn't want to be touched by anyone anymore… Only one person had the right to do that. Being touched by someone other than him brought back traumatic events that he was trying to forget. Despite his anger, he had held back the force of his blow. It was a warning. If he had wanted to, he would have killed him. But Kakashi wasn't there to kill. He just wanted to be left alone.

Slowly, he turned his head and glare at the one blocking his path. Without an ounce of hesitation, the shinobi moved aside, and Kakashi continued on his way as if nothing had happened. Once again, he ignored the others around him. As long as he was left alone, they could follow him and stare at him as much as they wanted.

After several minutes, Kakashi stopped. On his right, he saw a window, behind which were shelves. He approached. A few inches from the transparent wall, Kakashi tilted his head to the right. The shelves were filled with books. He arched his head to the left, slid his hand over the glass with desire.

"A place full of books is a place where books are found," Kakashi thought uselessly. Logically, what he wanted should be inside.

Kakashi examined the surface, feeling it with both hands. The transparent wall was fragile … but there was a risk of injury if he broke it. He didn't want to hurt himself. Kakashi looked up at the sky to think. He observed the magnificent glow of the moon. An idea crossed his mind. He looked at the glove that adorned his hand. "This should be fine," he decided.

Kakashi hit the window, causing a dull, high-pitched sound. The villagers nearby ran away. The two shinobi from earlier were horrified at the crime that Kakashi had just committed without impunity. The Copy Ninja removed the glass and tiptoed inside. He swept his eyes everywhere, and excitement took over. He could already feel the object of his desire between his fingers. His brain had perfectly memorized the object of his desires and without waiting, he began to search.

He inspected each bookcase, throwing the books to the ground. Each row suffered the same fate; their contents were ripped out and thrown into the growing mess. Kakashi fumed and growled since he couldn't find what he wanted. He was so focused on his task that he didn't hear the two shinobi approaching and ordering him to stop.

The duo decided to use drastic measures and use a chain to subdue him. Kakashi detected the danger immediately; the hairs stood up on the back of his neck and arms. He was threatened … and now angry. These two individuals were going to attack him while he was doing nothing wrong. Kakashi stopped his search. In less than a second, he roughly grabbed one of them by the throat and effortlessly lifted him up with one arm. He tightened his grip on the fragile windpipe, digging his fingers and claws into the delicate skin and blocking the esophagus. His victim gasped and struggled for air. His hands gripped the unyielding arm, and his feet kicked miserably in the air. The heterochromic irises screamed murder. Slowly, Kakashi continued to crush the man's throat, who struggled and fought for his life.

Kakashi saw the second one running towards him to help his comrade, weapon in hand. He didn't give him time to do anything, since he threw his victim with all his strength on him. The shinobi were propelled and crashed into the wall of the neighbouring building. The wall collapsed and raised clouds of dust. The wood injured them like sharp spikes; several pieces sank into their bleeding flesh. Coughing, they tried to recover from the violent repercussions … but they collapsed and lost consciousness.

At the same time, Shikamaru and Sakura arrived at the scene. Coming from the opposite direction, Hyūga Neji showed up. The kunoichi came to meet the unconscious shinobi. Fortunately, their injuries were not life-threatening. As for Shikamaru, he was having a hard time keeping his cool. The full moon was high in the sky, not hidden by the clouds. Naruto was sowing panic and chaos again. He was terrified that the blond was in full murderous fury. The slightest incident would lead to a definitive caging … but above all, he did not know where Kakashi was. He did not feel his presence anywhere. Was it possible that Naruto could have attacked him?

Footsteps caught the attention of the young ninjas. With anguish, they looked through the shattered window of the bookstore. In the dark, a silhouette was about to come out. The night glow illuminated the individual. They gasped when they recognized Hatake Kakashi.

Kakashi stopped after a few steps. Slowly, he observed and analyzed Neji, Shikamaru and Sakura one by one. His gaze was expressionless and as icy as a winter wind. His eyes were so dark that they felt like he was violating them with his gaze, that he was spying on them to the deepest part of their soul. Motionless, Kakashi seemed to wait while sizing up the youngsters.

"Ka… Kakashi-Sensei...?" Sakura stammered, stunned.

"What does that mean?" Shikamaru mumbled.

The trio scanned the surroundings, looking for Naruto who must be with them; it was inconceivable that Kakashi was alone. However, there was no other presence than the one standing there.

"Kakashi-Sensei, where's Naruto?!" Shikamaru asked cautiously.

He received no response or reaction from the Copy Ninja.

"Eh-oh! Kakashi-Sensei! Where is Naruto?!" he insisted.

Silence.

"Kakashi-Sensei, say something. What's going on?!" Sakura added.

Same. Kakashi remained silent and impassive.

"He looks completely possessed," Neji blurted out.

They agreed on that point. Kakashi was not in his normal state. He was turning a deaf ear and was in no way willing to cooperate; to that, no one felt safe around him. A real bomb that threatened to explode at any moment.

"Damn it! What the hell is going on?!" Shikamaru shouted through gritted teeth. "Where's Naruto?!"

"I don't know what's going on, but if Kakashi-Sensei refuses to answer, I'll find Naruto with my Byakugan," Neji declared, activating the power of his pupils.

Kakashi's face contorted, and his eyes widened. In less than a second, he was in front of Neji, his right hand filled with lightning and ready to kill. Before his Raikiri could fatally hit him in the heart, Kakashi froze in place.

Narrowly, Shikamaru had captured Kakashi with his Kagemane no Jutsu.

Neji took several steps back, panting loudly. His heart was beating a hundred miles an hour. Kakashi was a hair's breadth away from murdering him in cold blood, and this realization shook Shikamaru and Sakura.

Without a doubt, the Copy Ninja wasn't conscious of his actions…

Kakashi stopped his technique and the lightning disappeared. Trapped in the teenager's spell, he could only remain motionless, although he frowned, visibly annoyed by his new current situation.

Behind him, Shikamaru noticed a familiar blue shine coming from the back of his neck. "You're fucking kidding me… Sakura, can you look at the back of his neck?"

The young girl jumped.

"Look at the back of his neck!" he insisted dryly.

Sakura was in shock, as it took her a while to understand Shikamaru's order. She blinked a few times and shook her head before setting her eyes on the back of her Sensei's neck. Her heart stopped when she saw it in turn. She nodded and cautiously approached Kakashi. Even though he was incapacitated, she didn't want to get close to him, much less touch him. A shock of static electricity pinched her hand. Ignoring the shocks like needles soaked in alcohol, she lowered the fabric to bare the back of his neck. The once ebony mark was azure blue and shimmered like eternal fires, much like Naruto's. Sakura distanced herself. "This… This is…"

"Like Naruto," Shikamaru said, clicking his tongue in his mouth. "He can also be bewitched by the full moon…"

A silence settled in.

Neji was the first to break the haughty silence. "Hey… Is that really Kakashi-Sensei?" he asked.

"What are you talking about? It's Kakashi-Sensei," Shikamaru replied.

A cold sweat slid down Neji's forehead, as he continued to analyze Kakashi's chakra circuit. "I've never seen anything like this. Aside from Naruto, this is the first time I've seen someone with so much chakra. Knowing Kakashi-Sensei's limited reserves, it's simply impossible. I don't know how his chakra veins didn't explode under the pressure."

"What?"

"That's not all," he continued. "His chakra is charged with a tremendous amount of lightning. It's as if his chakra circuit were high-voltage electrical cables."

Shikamaru and Sakura exchanged a look; they were thinking the same thing. Their theory that Kakashi had the same "instincts" as Naruto, something they now called "darkness," seemed to be true. Kakashi's diminished chakra reserves were not unknown in Konoha; it was his Achilles heel. As a result, it was inconceivable that he would end up with as much chakra as Naruto, who was known for having inexhaustible reserves. One thing was certain: the full moon had the same effect on Kakashi.

"If what you say is true, we can't let him wander in the village," Shikamaru said darkly. "He's already caused trouble. He vandalized a fence, broke in, beat up and knocked out two guys, and tried to kill Neji…"

"To be honest, I expected to find Naruto," Neji said. "My team split up to investigate when we heard there was a 'ghost' haunting the village."

"So did we. We were certain we'd find Naruto and not that idiot."

"In any case, Naruto's not here."

Shikamaru breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't know where the blond was, but as long as he wasn't causing trouble, he was reassured. Any incident would have landed him right in Danzō's clutches.

"What's that mark?" Neji asked.

"That thing is classified top secret. Basically, it's the reason why Kakashi-Sensei is all weird and possessed. So, keep that to yourself."

Neji nodded.

"What do we do now?" Sakura asked worriedly.

"You and I will take care of Kakashi and make sure he's no longer a danger. Neji, take care of the injured. Then report to the Hokage. Tell her we have the situation under control. This ghost story must have already reached her, and the alarm will be raised soon if we don't hurry up."

"What about Naruto?"

"Naruto is the least of our worries," he replied. "As long as he doesn't show up in the village, he'll wait."

They nodded. Shikamaru turned his attention back to the Copy Ninja, who hadn't moved or made a sound, as if he were frozen in time. He gave him goosebumps. This Kakashi … obviously "feral" terrified him much more than Naruto. While he could predict the blond's actions, that wasn't the case with Kakashi. A cold sweat beaded on his temple. With the help of his technique, he forced Kakashi to imitate his actions like a puppet.

Kakashi fought against the spell that enslaved his body. Alas, his body no longer responded to him. Nevertheless, he managed to turn his head to glare at Shikamaru.

"We're gonna have a little walk you and me," Shikamaru smirked.

Kakashi could only obey him and submit to his curse. Reluctantly, he imitated Shikamaru, who forced him to follow. The only thing he could do was growl as he was taken somewhere against his will.