Chapter CXXII
The Last Hours
I can't really say how or why, but judgment day is today. I feel like a prisoner on death row, awaiting his fast-approaching fate, still hoping it will be postponed or miraculously cancelled. Alas, there's nothing I can do. With this darkness within me, this full-moon night … they'll hurry things along. I try to remain calm so as not to worry Naruto; his ignorance protects him from this threat looming over us. But anguish won't leave me. Besides, I'm feeling a little depressed.
The festival opens its festivities tonight. The entire village is plunged into a picturesque excitement. The preparations took three days, and everything is almost ready. This hustle and bustle have made Naruto rather anxious, especially when we walk near the neighbourhoods affected by the phenomenon. There are fewer people than usual this year. Although Konoha has reopened, the number of tourists is limited. A certificate is required to enter the village.
I'm saddened to note that I won't be attending this year…
I'm convinced that I'll end up locked up for who knows how long…
Dawn has long since broken. Lying in bed, I contemplate my pretty pearls, which I tirelessly slide between my fingers. I think back to that discussion with my darkness. It chose the right moment to summon me. I was about to get it myself, ready or not. I want to give it a chance. Since that discussion, that veil of mutual distrust has dissipated; that invisible tension has evaporated. It wisely keeps its place in the depths of my mind, as if it doesn't exist. However, if I send it signals, it responds instead of ignoring me now … although it gets angry when I call out to it for no reason.
Stop waking me up for no reason, it complained, hissing at the fifth time.
As for Naruto, he fumes in the corner. I bought him another puzzle, and this time I chose one of the hardest. He hasn't made much progress in two nights; he can't find the solution; it's driving him crazy, to the point where he has to refrain himself from throwing it with all his might. It keeps him busy, and saves me from having to play with him too often.
Sadly, I couldn't feed him; my body no longer has chakra and is drawing on the last of my strength to heal my wounds. I'm breathing normally, and the gashes on my arm are no longer painful, but I'm hungry … and I'm exhausted… If it hadn't been for my worst nightmare, which is approaching like a hurricane soon to be upon me, I would have gone to bed right away.
I'm jolted out of my thoughts when I feel a familiar presence approaching my home. Naruto does the same, putting his puzzle aside. I carefully stuff my pearls into my pockets after wrapping them in their protective cloth. I wait for Sakura to knock on my door before getting up, with the blond on my heels.
"Yo!" I greet her, waving my hand.
"Good morning, Kakashi-sensei. You too, Naruto," she says happily. She shows a smile … but it's fake. It must be related to my impending summons.
That said, a touch of curiosity overwhelms me. The teenager keeps her hands behind her back; she's hiding something, and I wonder what it is…
To my surprise, Naruto looks jovial and raises his palm to greet his comrade, just as I did. As Sakura returns the gesture, clearly delighted by his greeting, the sapphire-eyed boy grabs my injured arm and holds it out in front of her, pulling up my sleeve and exposing my arm, which is covered in numerous bandages…
"Don't worry, Naruto," I sigh. "I was gonna ask her…"
He lets go of me, letting out a silent laugh. Despite his irritation earlier, he seems in a good mood today…
For now, though…
"Are you injured? What happened?" she asks worriedly.
"There was a little … accident during one of our training sessions," I explain with a laugh, one hand behind my head. "You don't have to worry. I'm in a little pain, but nothing really serious."
Suspicious, Sakura pouts.
"Maa! We'll look into that later. In the meantime, to what do I owe the honour of your visit?" I ask, pointing at what she's hiding behind her back.
She flashes a genuine smile and lands her emerald eyes on Naruto before handing him something. My eyes widen. It's a medium-sized box, finely wrapped in gift paper.
"This is for you, Naruto," Sakura specifies.
Surprised, Naruto forgets to blink. Uncertain, he points to himself, asking if it's really for him—something Sakura confirms with a nod. Naruto focuses his eyes on me, seeking validation from me to be sure.
When I nod in turn, his black tail wags with excitement. He grabs the gift and tears open the wrapping, with a smile on his face. Clearly, Naruto hasn't forgotten what a gift means. He opens the box and reveals its secrets. Inside, I see a blue fabric with lighter blue stripes. Intrigued, he sniffs it, then cautiously feels it between his fingers. He takes it out and unfolds it. It's a traditional kimono.
"I know Naruto probably has some at home … but I modified it so he can wear one despite his tail," Sakura explains.
Naruto curiously observes and analyzes the garment from every angle. Judging by the playful movements of his tail, he's interested, and his face is radiant.
"If you had any doubts, I can assure you that he likes your gift." I pause. The reality that clings to my skin catches up with me. "Hoping he gets a chance to wear it tonight…" I murmur darkly.
Sakura easily guesses what's going on. A brief silence falls; the atmosphere is heavy. Naruto is so overwhelmed by the kimono that he doesn't react.
Quickly, my student waves her hand at me, telling me to come closer. Without hesitation, I lend her my ear.
"I need to speak to you in private," she whispers.
A cold sweat slides down my temple. This concerns Naruto, no doubt about it. Although he seldom listens to our conversations, she doesn't want to risk him hearing us and understanding what we're saying.
I nod and fix my gaze on the blond. "Why don't you try it on to see if it fits, Naruto?"
He nods in his own way with a hint of a smile. Then he disappears into the den. Since he's showing some difficulty putting on certain clothes, we should have enough time to chat quietly…
"I'm listening."
Sakura is tense and on edge; she can't hide it. "Master Tsunade sent me to give you these." She hands me two white and yellow pills. "These are sedatives for Naruto… You… You will be tried today and put in a cell while they deliberate…"
My suspicions are well founded.
It is indeed happening today.
This is my last moments of freedom.
"At least I'll get a trial…"
"These sedatives are very strong, enough to kill an ordinary man. You'll have to make sure his pulse doesn't drop too low, since we don't know the appropriate dosage for him. Such a dose should make him sleep for a good part of the day. This is to avoid him stress and a potential panic attack."
"I see…"
"They're designed to dissolve in any liquid," she continues. "They'll have no taste or smell. Naruto will have to take them within the hour."
I sigh. It is necessary. If we put him back in a cage… Naruto will fall into a state of unprecedented panic, even with me by his side. "I understand … hopefully they last long enough…"
I notice my student staring at me with pity; she's trying hard to hold back tears.
"Sakura. I don't think we'll be executed. If I get a trial, however small, there's still hope."
"You're probably right, sensei," she mutters, rubbing her eyes, wiping away the impending tears.
I put the drugs in my pocket and put a friendly hand on her shoulder, smiling. "Everything will be okay. I promise," I reassure her. My words soothe Sakura's torment … although I'd like to convince myself.
"Alright! How about we take a look at my injuries?"
The kunoichi nods. Grief is weakening her heart; she hides it behind a happy, deceptive facade.
"It's not just my arm that's worrying me," I add, lifting my shirt, which makes me wince in pain. "My rib is broken and I've been having trouble breathing for several hours…"
Sakura holds her breath when she sees the bruises marring the right side of my chest. She immediately begins treating me with her medical ninjutsu. With agonizing slowness, the pain eases. "It's definitely broken…" Sakura notes darkly. "It must have punctured your lung since it's damaged. You've also suffered internal bleeding… If it weren't for your new … chakra devourer regenerative ability, you'd be suffering from a pneumothorax."
That more than explains my pain…
"It's simply unbelievable!" she says aloud. "Thanks to your new gift, your rib has repositioned itself and is already healing. Sensei… What happened?"
"Naruto remembered something…"
Sakura gasps.
"That said, he's not ready to remember anything yet," I add disappointedly. "It caused a pretty severe panic attack. He pushed me away once with his claws, and the second time, he hit me without mercy. In that state, I couldn't reach him to snap him out of it…"
A silence settles in.
"He'll continue to cling to his amnesia," Sakura notes, disappointed in turn.
"I'm afraid so… But he'll remember who he really is one day. It's inevitable. The Naruto we know is still there and manifests himself in rare cases."
"Rea… Really?!"
I nod, and Sakura giggles with joy. She can't wait to see the real Naruto again. Despite my impending doom, imagining the return of my precious student, hugging him, and welcoming him back… An unspeakable euphoria consumes me entirely.
As she stops her technique and I offer her my arm, Naruto returns. It took him a long time, but he's managed to put on the kimono all by himself. There's an opening for his tail, exactly where it should be.
"It fits you like a glove!" Sakura compliments, bringing a beaming face to a smiling Naruto.
I don't know why, but I can't help but wander my eye all over him. A strange feeling comes over me, and my heart races for no reason; my stomach boils, as if it were invaded by hundreds of swarming insects.
This kimono fits him perfectly, and for a second, I thought I saw the real Naruto. Even though he's a nocturnal creature now, he's as bright as the sun. If it were just the two of us, I'd indulge that aching urge to hug him.
Happy, I smile. 'This kimono looks amazing on you,' I whisper to myself as a fleeting blush colours my face.
- XxX -
I can't help but sigh. I'm eyeing the sedatives I'm supposed to administer to Naruto. It'll soon be thirty minutes, and he hasn't taken them yet. I'm only delaying the inevitable; it's a direct order from Lord Hokage, and I can only obey her. Naruto will refuse to take them. He's suspicious of anything he doesn't know, and he will ask me to taste the contents to make sure it's safe. I've gained some resistance to medication, but I can't risk getting drowsy, especially if I'm facing a trial—one chance, if not the only one, to get us out of the hell that awaits us.
I have to break Naruto's trust… I disgust myself…
Meanwhile, the blond has changed and carefully put his new acquisition away. When he approaches me, I put the drugs out of sight. He lets out a yawn, then, smiling, extends both hands to me. I easily recognize this nonverbal request. Given the "late" hour, he wants to inject me with his sleep-inducing poison.
"Hmm… How about I make us some … tea before bed?" I suggest nervously, a cold sweat breaking out on my forehead.
Naruto lowers his arms and lets out a few taciturn laughs; at that, his tail makes numerous playful twirls. He's interested.
"Choose the herbs while I boil the water." While I'm busy filling the kettle and putting it on the stove, Naruto shows me a green tea, the one he unscrupulously stole a while ago. This isn't surprising, since he always takes that one when I let him decide.
"The 'stolen' one, I see…"
The blond sits down on one of the chairs and patiently waits for his drink, staring at me. He also uses his tail to pull the other chair closer, a few inches from his own. He wants to cuddle up to me while savouring his tea…
I have no choice but to show him my back. Once the hot water is poured and the sachets are plunged into the mugs, I stare at these malicious pills… Reluctantly, I add them to the mug I'll give to Naruto. Quickly, the pills dissolve, without making the slightest noise, not a single bubble. In the wrong hands, it's easy to drug someone's drink with these; it only takes about ten seconds to mix into the beverage, unnoticed.
Glancing behind me, Naruto lets out a sincere smile, his face radiating with happiness… He has no idea that I'm about to drug him… I'm starting to hate myself for what I'm about to do…
'I have no choice… It's for his own good…'
I take a deep breath to force these harmful emotions to a corner of my mind. Then, with a trembling hand, I grab the mugs and offer the contaminated one to my unsuspecting student. Without a hint of suspicion, he blows on it and brings it to his lips to consume it. His facial features don't change; he doesn't notice anything wrong.
Naruto hums his useless sounds as he clings to me. He rests his head against my shoulder, his tail snuggling my legs in a caring gesture. He's not helping me at all! He's making me feel even worse. Although he continues to drink his poison obediently, I feel like throwing up. I barely sip mine and force myself to drink it so he doesn't suspect anything.
'I'm so sorry, Naruto… Sincerely sorry…'
- XxX -
Silence.
I stare to the void before me to avoid looking at him. I feel like I've committed an unforgivable crime… Nevertheless, one thing is certain: the sedatives have indeed taken their toll on Naruto.
I turn my sad gaze back to an unconscious Naruto. He's lying on the table, his head resting on his arms. He didn't have time to finish his tea before the drug began to take effect. Drowsy, his upper body fell gently on the table, becoming permanently immobile.
I put two fingers on his wrist to check his pulse. His heart is slow, but his life isn't in danger. Carefully, I pry open the lids of one of his eyes. His gaze is blank and unresponsive; I'm willing to bet I could touch his eyeball without eliciting the slightest reaction. I sigh, running an undignified hand through his mop of blond hair. "Forgive me, Naruto…"
Exhausted, I put on my ninja outfit, omitting my weapons; they're going to be confiscated anyway. For a long moment, I stare at my forehead protector. More precisely, the leaf symbol, the emblematic symbol of Konoha. My thumb caresses the engraving… No matter the verdict, in my heart, in my soul, the Will of Fire still lives within me despite my recent uncertainties. With conviction, I tie my headband on my forehead before covering my Sharingan.
I may bear the mark of the chakra devourers, but I remain a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village! I will remain so until my dying breath!
My gaze fixed on the floor, I return to the kitchen… But the door to my front hall is suddenly open. I raise an arm to block the influx of light that assaults my retina.
"Hatake Kakashi, Uzumaki Naruto, you are both under arrest."
Once the sun stops blinding me, I can finally see four ANBU men, each wearing a white mask depicting a different animal with a colourful pattern.
"You're coming with us, and Kakashi… Don't make things difficult," he continues curtly. "If you make the slightest suspicious move, we'll have to restrain and handcuff you."
I can't help but sigh. I'm already treated like a criminal…
"Understood…"
As I work to hoist Naruto's limp body onto my back, making sure not to let his tail drag on the ground, I hear a few muffled coughs. One of them almost vomits. They whisper quietly to each other, too quietly to be heard… However, my now sharpened ears can hear them.
"It stinks in there… Is there a kennel or what?"
"It reeks of death… He must be hiding corpses…"
"I hope we don't have to search this shit…"
Got it! No need to add to it! I know the smell bothers you, bothers absolutely everyone. Even Sakura doesn't want to come into my house anymore. Somehow, I wish they'd search my apartment, which is filled with toxic air to humankind, although it infuriates me that someone would enter my den without my permission…
As long as no one sets foot in my bedroom, I should be able to control the anger already boiling in my veins.
