{Dream 006 - First, Do No Harm}
Warning: Blood and gore.
You kill Kakashi-sensei.
You don’t know how, but you do.
There is blood everywhere. You slip in it as you approach. It coats your hands, viscous and sticky, as you place them on him (you think it’ll never be out from under your fingernails). It runs down his face, so much of it that you cannot see his left eye. He's unconscious. It’s too easy to slip your healing energy in, like breathing, but something is wrong because he jerks in pain. Writhes, when your chakra probes and tries to seek out his injury. (You can’t find it, why can’t you find it?)
He dies under your hands.
It’s not supposed to work that way. You have hands that heal precisely to prevent that.
You stand up, back away. Your mind cannot process this.
Beyond Kakashi is Naruto.
He’s recognizable only by the shock of blond hair, like the sun, because the rest of him is covered in burns; charred, bleeding and grotesque. His skin is curled like blackened paper in places. Three years ago you would have vomited at the sight of him but there isn’t time for that; you’re on your knees already.
The instant your chakra touches him, Naruto yelps like you put a brand to him.
No!
This isn’t right.
In desperation you apply more, just pour it out like a river of green because he can’t die, he can’t, you won’t damn well let him.
The burns don’t heal. Naruto’s hands find your wrists and tries to push you away, but he’s too weak.
This isn’t how it’s supposed to work!
He loves you and look what you're doing, you're killing him, but really you're trying to fix him but it's going all wrong. He shouldn't be screaming like he's being shredded apart when you're trying to mend.
But the screaming is better than when he stops.
Goes silent.
Still.
“No!”
You find his heart. It’s frozen in his chest. He died of shock.
No.
You killed him.
You surge up, reel blindly away, and stumble over another body. Breathing, just barely.
He’s face down in the dirt. Dark hair standing straight up like a standard, and your stomach just drops. There are four parallel gouges in his back, like he’s been ripped open by monstrous claws, beating lurid red paths across his pale skin.
Your hands tremble as you grab him and turn him over. His eyes are open, which shocks you, and are Sharingan-red, but it’s not his Sharingan; it’s different.
But it’s Sasuke. Who else could it be? It’s Sasuke.
Sasuke, who looks like Madara.
Sasuke, who is Madara.
Madara, whose lips curl into a perverse mockery of a smile. Madara, who wraps his hand around the back of your neck and pulls you down, who takes your mouth, takes your mind, takes your everything, and you’re powerless to prevent him.
The Sharingan spins and leaves you with nothing.
Your stomach feels like fire. He tastes like ash.
[A hand flies out, grasps the Hitomi, and crushes it between strong fingers. The feed cuts off.]
You kill Kakashi-sensei.
You don’t know how, but you do.
There is blood everywhere. You slip in it as you approach. It coats your hands, viscous and sticky, as you place them on him (you think it’ll never be out from under your fingernails). It runs down his face, so much of it that you cannot see his left eye. He's unconscious. It’s too easy to slip your healing energy in, like breathing, but something is wrong because he jerks in pain. Writhes, when your chakra probes and tries to seek out his injury. (You can’t find it, why can’t you find it?)
He dies under your hands.
It’s not supposed to work that way. You have hands that heal precisely to prevent that.
You stand up, back away. Your mind cannot process this.
Beyond Kakashi is Naruto.
He’s recognizable only by the shock of blond hair, like the sun, because the rest of him is covered in burns; charred, bleeding and grotesque. His skin is curled like blackened paper in places. Three years ago you would have vomited at the sight of him but there isn’t time for that; you’re on your knees already.
The instant your chakra touches him, Naruto yelps like you put a brand to him.
No!
This isn’t right.
In desperation you apply more, just pour it out like a river of green because he can’t die, he can’t, you won’t damn well let him.
The burns don’t heal. Naruto’s hands find your wrists and tries to push you away, but he’s too weak.
This isn’t how it’s supposed to work!
He loves you and look what you're doing, you're killing him, but really you're trying to fix him but it's going all wrong. He shouldn't be screaming like he's being shredded apart when you're trying to mend.
But the screaming is better than when he stops.
Goes silent.
Still.
“No!”
You find his heart. It’s frozen in his chest. He died of shock.
No.
You killed him.
You surge up, reel blindly away, and stumble over another body. Breathing, just barely.
He’s face down in the dirt. Dark hair standing straight up like a standard, and your stomach just drops. There are four parallel gouges in his back, like he’s been ripped open by monstrous claws, beating lurid red paths across his pale skin.
Your hands tremble as you grab him and turn him over. His eyes are open, which shocks you, and are Sharingan-red, but it’s not his Sharingan; it’s different.
But it’s Sasuke. Who else could it be? It’s Sasuke.
Sasuke, who looks like Madara.
Sasuke, who is Madara.
Madara, whose lips curl into a perverse mockery of a smile. Madara, who wraps his hand around the back of your neck and pulls you down, who takes your mouth, takes your mind, takes your everything, and you’re powerless to prevent him.
The Sharingan spins and leaves you with nothing.
Your stomach feels like fire. He tastes like ash.
[A hand flies out, grasps the Hitomi, and crushes it between strong fingers. The feed cuts off.]