Oh my God. :checks own pulse: No way! I'm ALIVE?! When did this happen?! Why wasn't I informed?! Okay, humour aside, I know it took me a while to get this out, but hey, here it is. The new multi-chapter XD And just in time for Halloween (wow, I cut it close…)
I STRONGLY advise people to READ THIS A/N because I explain quite a lot in it. If you don't, and get confused later, I'll just refer you to this author's note. We'll get to the warnings in a bit, but there's too many, and I need time to think of them all. Right now, I'm going to explain something else. I used this fic as a sort of experiment… kind of. With this fic, every other chapter will be a flashback on how everyone either met or got together, or any other important parts in the past. This also means that if I leave you at a cliffhanger—which I will, being the evil person I am—you will have to wait TWO days for the answer to said cliffhanger. I know, I'm horrible, but hey, you'll live.
Also, again before the warnings, I replied to all the reviews I got during my somewhat hiatus due to exams, but FF dot net was having review problem at the time (between 27th and 29th of October) so I don't think any of them sent, but you should get then eventually. If you don't, I'm really, really sorry, but it's not my fault :( I tried.
Now, warnings… I hate this part :sigh: cause this is when y'all start swearing at me.
- YAOIYAOIYAOIYAOIYAOIYAOI – in case that wasn't clear, YAOI! There is nothing explicit, but there is definite boy x boy love (NARUSasu, by request).
- Het couple – OLDER Sakura and Kakashi. I'm sorry, I couldn't handle another KakaIru; I needed a break.
- Character death – yes, I am evil. Yes, I am horrid. Yes, you all hate me. Yes, there will be character death. Yes, I will move away as soon as I finish this to avoid being killed. You have been warned.
- Those of you who've read Blood and Tears... this is darker. No, there's no rape. :thinks: no, there's no rape. But it's still dark. Again, you've been warned.
I think that's it…
On a brighter note, I am slowly converting the world into Genma-lovers, one pervert at a time XD
And also—don't worry, I'm okay! I know, there were concerns when there was a lack of angst, but I promise, I'm okay. I'm back, no more fluffies. Though you'll wish otherwise :evil laugh:
DISCLAIMER: Naruto and Sasuke begged K. Masashi to be mine, but he showed them all my other fics and they changed their minds.
I'm done now, honest. Enjoy.
Creatures of the Night.
A blond man aged twenty walked leisurely down the street, his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his black coat. People who passed by him didn't know whether to stare, or move quickly out of the way.
The man was intimidating due to his height and size. He was easily pushing six feet, and even though he wasn't buff to the point where he looked like a wrestler or weight-lifter, he was still visibly muscled. He wore black cargo pants with clunky combat boots. A mesh shirt covered his black muscle shirt, and a long ankle-length coat was worn overtop it all.
As the blond continued on his way down the dark street, he listened intently to everything around him. He knew full well he was being followed, but he wasn't concerned. He just wanted to get away from everyone to ensure nobody got hurt in the crossfire.
Slowly, he looked around, acting calm and collected. After a few seconds, he turned down an empty alleyway, keeping his strides long and slow, his hands still buried deep in his pockets. He sensed the one following him turn down the same alleyway.
Both continued walking in silence until the blond hit a dead end, stopping. He stared at the wall, retaining his relaxed posture. He waited until his stalker stopped a few steps behind him.
"Can I help you with something, Kiba?" he asked, his voice smooth and devoid of emotion.
"I was sent by Leader."
"Aren't you always?" he asked Kiba Inuzuka, finally turning to lock crystal blue eyes with dark brown.
"He wants you to reconsider." the brunette before him said, his upper lip curling in disgust.
"Doesn't he always?" The blond man sighed, running one hand through brilliantly light hair. "This has been going on since I was born. I grow tired of my encounters with his lackeys."
"You must understand, Uzumaki," Kiba jerked his head to the side, flicking brown locks from his eyes with the action, "he'll never stop until you join him."
"Not interested." Naruto Uzumaki narrowed his eyes hatefully. "Leave, before I lose my temper."
"I was told to return with you, or not at all." Kiba insisted as red bled into his eyes.
"Then I apologize that this will be our final encounter."
Both acted at once. Kiba launched himself at Naruto, fangs bared. Naruto shrugged out of his coat, his left hand closing around the grip of the gun on his back. Pulling the small Magnum Research Desert Eagle from its holster, he aimed and fired.
Kiba let out a horrified shriek as the bullet slammed into his right shoulder, sending out a pulse before his entire right arm turned to dust.
"Ah! You son of a bitch!" Kiba hollered, clutching the gaping wound where his arm used to be.
"You're an old friend, Kiba." Naruto said, gun still aimed. "Before you were turned, you were my best friend. I don't want to kill you, so please don't make me."
Naruto knew it was too late. The bloodlust was taking over, and everything he said fell on deaf ears.
As Kiba charged him again, Naruto whispered a small prayer before hitting Kiba in the chest with a UV round. With a horrifying shriek, Kiba exploded in a shower of ash, his remains blowing away slowly in the night wind. (1)
With a sigh, Naruto replaced his gun before bending down to retrieve his coat. He brushed the dirt off it before pulling it back on. Shoving his hands deep in his pockets, he exited the alleyway, walking down the street among the throes of people, waiting for his next stalker to appear, just like every other night.
Sasuke Uchiha sighed as he leaned back in the dentist-like chair he currently occupied, staring at the ceiling. He brought his hand to eye-level, glancing at his watch, and winced.
"They're late." he stated.
"They'll be fine. Just like every other night." Kakashi Hatake insisted from his seat in front of his computer. "Don't worry."
"Don't worry, the man says." Sasuke grumbled. The raven's head turned towards the elevator as he heard it ascending.
"See? Don't worry." Kakashi repeated as he closed the porn site he was looking at before getting to his feet. Sasuke just stayed where he was, watching the elevator doors nervously. Naruto. Naruto. Naruto, he chanted in his head.
The doors opened and a whoosh of air escaped from Sasuke's lips as the tall blond exited the lift, nodding a greeting.
Sasuke watched as he headed towards him, pulling his coat off and dropping it across the back of a chair. He stopped there briefly to pull off his sweaty mesh shirt, his muscle shirt soon following.
Sasuke watched the muscles in his back shift and stretch as he moved. His eyes then traced the tattoo that adorned the blond's back, always loving the sight of it. Tattooed on Naruto's back was a huge angel. The body of the angel itself was relatively small, but the wings stretched from Naruto's shoulders all the way down to below his waist. Naruto called it his guardian angel. She watched over him wherever he went.
Kakashi walked up to Sasuke, swiping a cotton ball with alcohol over the inside of his elbow.
"How many tonight?" Kakashi inquired, his back to the blond.
"Twelve." Naruto replied as he plopped down in a chair similar to Sasuke's, located right beside the raven. He got a faraway look in his eyes for a few seconds. "One of them was Kiba."
Kakashi froze in mid-turn, his hand hovering in the air. Sasuke winced and looked away, not knowing what to say.
"I'm sorry we weren't able to help him." Kakashi finally said.
"Me too." Naruto whispered. "How many for you, Sasuke?"
"Eight." the raven replied as Kakashi rubbed the alcohol against the inside of Naruto's elbow. The silver-haired man inserted a needle into his vein and Naruto grunted. Kakashi smirked.
"Sorry. I always forget you hate needles."
"Yeah, right." Naruto muttered as Kakashi stuck another needle into Sasuke's arm, a tube connecting the two men. Kakashi opened a valve and Naruto's blood began to slowly make its way through the tubing, entering Sasuke's veins.
"God, I hate this." Sasuke hissed as he clenched his fists.
"Not as much as me." Naruto grumbled.
Sasuke didn't know whether this was true or not. All he felt was indescribable power coursing up his arm and headed for his heart. He hissed as he felt the raw power make its way up his neck, clenching his fists even more.
"God, I really hate this!"
"It's only once a week, Sasuke, suck it up." Kakashi insisted.
"Easy for you to say." Sasuke groaned, gritting his teeth.
All heads turned towards the elevator as it ascended and then descended once again. A few seconds later, it stopped and the doors opened.
"Thanks for your concern, guys." A pink-haired girl pulled off her black gloves before throwing them aside, not particularly caring where they landed.
"We were concerned!" Naruto insisted. "But Sasuke couldn't go back out there because his super-strength wore off."
"Whatever." Sakura Haruno fell into the closest chair, crossing her arms angrily.
"You know very well that these transfusions last longer for you." Sasuke stated calmly, unconcerned with Sakura's anger.
"Hey!" Sakura bit out. "It's not my fault his powers dissipate after only a week for you, when I can keep them for a month, pretty boy." Sasuke scowled. "Must be 'cause I'm a girl."
"Am I supposed to be jealous?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Becau—"
"Sasuke!" The raven's eyes snapped towards Kakashi as the grey-haired man bolted for Naruto. Turning to look at him, Sasuke noticed the blond seizing.
"Shit!" He leapt out of his seat, the blood transfusion uninterrupted, and helped Kakashi hold Naruto down as they clamped manacles around his wrists and ankles.
"Sakura!"
"I'm on it!" the girl said to Kakashi, standing behind the two men with a tranq-gun aimed at Naruto.
Her hands shook as she trained it on him, Kakashi getting out of the way, but Sasuke not. This happened every time. Sakura was the backup plan in case Sasuke failed.
He never had.
"Naruto!" Sasuke cupped the blond's face in his hands, watching as red bled into the blue eyes before him and his canines elongated. "Naruto, listen to me! It's Sasuke! Focus on me! Focus on my voice! You can fight this!" A cry of pain tore out of Naruto's throat. "Dammit, Naruto! Fight it! You never let it take control before, so don't let it now! I'll never forgive you, you dumbass!"
Naruto's fists clenched as he grunted, his breath coming in short, harsh gasps. "Are you really that weak?! Fight it!" Sasuke watched his eyes carefully and let out a slow, relieved breath as his eyes returned to their normal blue colour. The fangs retreated, and Naruto was back.
Sasuke kissed him lightly on the lips, still cupping his face in his hands. "Are you okay?" He kissed him again twice before hugging him.
"Yeah." Naruto breathed, resting his forehead on Sasuke's shoulder and closing his eyes, his wrists still strapped to the chair.
Sakura let out a slow breath as she lowered her gun, and Kakashi silently thanked the heavens as he headed towards a fridge near the back of the large basement.
"Can I let you free?" Sasuke asked.
"Yeah, it's over." Sasuke undid the cuffs around Naruto's wrists before leaning down to free his ankles.
"Here." Kakashi said before throwing a bottle to Naruto. The blond caught it and stared at the liquid inside with disgust. "You have to." the grey-haired man reminded.
"I know." Naruto replied, annoyed.
Sasuke stood up and ran his hands up and down Naruto's arms. "You sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine, but I think we're done, now." Naruto motioned the tube that kept them connected and Sasuke nodded, getting back in his chair so Kakashi could remove the needles.
"I'm glad that's over." Sakura breathed as she fell back into her chair. "I hate your monthly visit."
"You make it sound like a period." Naruto insisted with a frown as he stood up, the bottle Kakashi had thrown him in hand.
"Well, it does involve blood." the pink-haired girl reminded, motioning the bottle of blood Naruto had. The blond looked down at it with a look of sadness on his face.
"You should drink that now." Kakashi warned as he pressed a cotton ball against the inside of Sasuke's arm so he didn't bleed through the small hole of the needle. "You'll have another attack if you don't."
"I know." Naruto spat annoyed. "God, you make it sound like this is the first time."
The blond turned his back on his teammates and headed for the elevator, entering it and hitting the button for the top floor of the huge mansion. He waited for the doors to close, staring out at his three friends, who all regarded him with worry. The last thing he saw before the doors closed was Sasuke's concerned face.
With a sigh, the blond ran his hand through his hair, waiting for the elevator to stop. He hated drinking the blood in front of them. The first time he'd ever done it in front of someone else, they'd almost thrown up, so he'd decided he'd never do it again. So now, he always went up on the roof to drink his monthly intake of blood.
The doors opened and he walked out into the hall, headed for the window at the end. He opened it and jumped out onto the ledge with the agility of a cat. Bending down, he leapt high into the air, clearing the edge of the roof and landing soundlessly on the hard surface. He turned and sat down, staring out at the horizon where the sun had begun to rise. He unscrewed the cap of the bottle in his hands and played with it for a few seconds.
The blond grunted as he felt the Need itch at his stomach, and he knew he'd have another attack if he didn't get this over with, so, sighing, he brought the bottle to his lips and took his first swallow. The metallic substance slid easily down his throat and he brought the fingers of his left hand to his forehead, pressing hard.
Memories of a woman flashed before his eyes as the blood began to make its way down. This was what he hated the most about drinking blood. He got the memories of the people it came from. Most of the time, the memories were horrible ones.
The blood they got for him was provided by a doctor at the hospital who knew Naruto's parents, and had connections with Kakashi. Her name was Tsunade Sannin, and she understood his condition, so every time someone came in critically injured, she would preserve whatever blood she could from the injury and bottle it. Sakura worked with her, as well, so it was easy to get the blood to and from the mansion. With a doctor and a nurse on their side, it made their lives a whole lot easier.
When Sakura brought the blood home, she would give it to Kakashi, and he would store it in the fridge in the basement.
Since the people whose blood he got were always injured, Naruto also got the memories most prominent to them when he drank the blood. Thus, he got to live all of their accidents. He'd never forget the first time he experienced it. He'd been absolutely terrified.
Naruto brought the bottle back to his lips and quickly drank as much as he could, letting the memories invade his mind. Half the bottle was gone by the time he stopped for a breath, looking out at the lightening sky. He licked his lips to catch any stray drops of blood, feeling the Need beginning to dissipate.
Naruto never drank more than he needed to, and it had taken a while to establish just how much was necessary. One 200 ml bottle was exactly right, so that was all he ever drank. Never did he drink from Sakura, Sasuke or Kakashi.
Speaking of Sasuke, the blond thought as he brought the bottle back to his lips to finish it, he's going to come up here if I don't head down soon. He tilted his head back to down the rest, letting the final drops drip into his mouth before he screwed the lid back on and licked his lips.
As if on cue, Sasuke's hands appeared at the base of the roof and Naruto heard the raven grunting to climb up. He had to smile. The powers Sasuke got from Naruto didn't kick in until he'd had a good night's sleep, so he always had problems coming on the roof during Naruto's attacks if they were the same night as a transfusion.
Pitying the Uchiha, Naruto stood up and grabbed one of Sasuke's wrists, hauling him easily up onto the roof, dangling him in the air with one hand.
"Show off." the raven grumbled, turning away with a slight blush on his cheeks. "You going to let me down, now?"
Naruto complied, easily setting the other man on the roof and letting his wrist go. Sasuke walked up to Naruto, inspecting his eyes before glancing at the bottle. The blood had left a coating of red throughout the inside of it, so he couldn't tell it if was empty or full.
"I drank it, mother." Naruto teased before falling flat on his back and sighing, staring at the sky. Sasuke lay down beside him, turning to rest his head against Naruto's shoulder, the blond wrapping his arm around Sasuke.
"Thanks." Naruto whispered.
"For what?" Sasuke inquired, watching the sky above him turning orange.
"For bringing me back. For always bringing me back."
"It's what I do." Sasuke kissed Naruto's shoulder. "Come on, let's head to bed."
"Yeah. I have to be up in four hours for work." The blond groaned as he sat up, Sasuke following suit.
"You had an attack tonight. I think you should call in sick tomorrow."
"Nah, I'll be fine." Naruto turned and grinned at him. "I always am."
He turned his back on Sasuke, the angel seeming to glow in the dawn light, before he jumped down. Sasuke stood slowly and made his way to the end of the roof, climbing down slowly so as not to kill himself.
Neji Hyuuga and his cousin, Hinata, entered the elevator before them, hitting a button marked 'B'. The elevator doors closed as the large lift rumbled downward before the doors opened again.
"I was beginning to think you had a death wish." Kakashi said to the two vampires exiting the elevator.
"We got held up by one of the Akatsuki members. Is Naruto all right?" the pale Hyuuga inquired as he walked towards the grey-haired man, Hinata in tow.
"He's fine. He had another attack, but Sasuke brought him back."
"Good." Neji and Hinata began to pass Kakashi, headed for their dark rooms, but his words made them freeze.
"He killed Kiba tonight."
"Oh no!" Hinata's hand flew to her mouth. "Is he all right?"
"Hard to say. You know Naruto." Kakashi leaned back against his desk.
"It's a shame we were not able to capture him and provide him with a soul, as was done with Hinata and I."
"Not all vampires can be saved, Neji." Kakashi shook his head, sighing.
"Should we go see him?"
"No, he's with Sasuke." Neji made a face.
"Definitely not going to see him. The last time I went up there to see if he was all right—he was all right until I got there and ruined his orgasm." Hinata giggled at the look of disgust on Neji's face. Kakashi just smiled slightly.
"He'll be okay?" Neji asked.
"I'm sure he will be." Kakashi reassured. "But it'll take a while. It won't go away overnight."
"Is he working tomorrow?" Hinata asked in her quiet voice.
"Last I heard." Kakashi crossed his arms. "Did you eat today?"
"No, not yet." Neji brushed his long black hair out of his face. "We'll get something before we sleep."
"Okay." Kakashi pushed off the desk, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I'm heading to bed. I'll come check on you when I wake up."
"All right. Good night." Kakashi lifted one hand in the air as a wave, the grey-haired man already headed for the elevator.
Neji and Hinata shared a look as the older man disappeared into the elevator. Once the doors closed, the two turned and headed for their rooms at the back of the basement. Their windows had been cemented in the day they moved in, and their rooms were pitch dark. They didn't sleep in coffins, they just needed the place they slept in to be dark. They also had the luxury of a fridge each, stocked up with blood. The basement was also dark, allowing them to wander around and watch television when they got bored.
"Do you think Naruto is okay?" Hinata asked her cousin worriedly.
"I don't know." Neji admitted. "But if he needs us, he'll let us know."
"Hm." Hinata played with her short black hair
"Don't worry, Hinata. Everything will be fine."
"I hope so. Good night, Neji."
"Good night."
The two of them entered their rooms, closing the doors behind them.
Ino Yamanaka let out a sigh as she fell onto her bed, letting her hair loose. Chouji Akimichi came into her room, watching her.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." she replied, looking at the scrape on her arm. "Is he back?"
"Yeah, he's in his room. You should get him to check that." the computer genius insisted. The blond let out a sigh and nodded, getting to her feet. She walked past her old friend before walking down the corridor and entering the room at the end, ensuring none of the rising sun entered it.
"Hello?" she inquired, unable to see because it was so dark. She jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"You're bleeding." a silky voice breathed in her ear, pulling Ino's blond hair away from her neck and breathing on it.
"Not today. I have to work." Ino said as she closed her eyes.
"Mm." She felt lips brushing against her neck and almost gave in. Almost.
"Come on, seriously. When I get back." She tried to pull away but arms wrapped around her waist, holding her in place. "Please, just heal me."
With a sigh, the vampire took a step back, releasing her, and took her arm in his hands, bringing the wound to his mouth. He ran his tongue over it slowly, savouring the taste of her blood. He rolled it over his tongue, closing his eyes and reliving everything that had happened to her in the last two hours.
He stared down at her wound, watching it seal up due to a substance in his saliva. It was the same as when a vampire got a willing blood donor—mostly only vampires with souls, such as himself. Every time he needed his fill of human blood, Ino was there, offering her neck. After biting into her, to stem the blood flow, he would swipe his tongue over the wound and something in his saliva would close it. Heal it over.
"Thanks, hun."
"You're welcome." He nuzzled her cheek and she couldn't help but smile.
"After work, okay, babe?" she asked.
"I'll be waiting." Shikamaru Nara took a step back and led her hand to the doorknob. She couldn't see at all in the pitch darkness, whereas to Shikamaru, it was as bright as day.
The blond touched his face with her other hand, finding his lips, and then kissed him before pushing him back slightly. The vampire retreated to the back of the room and Ino opened the door, exiting the room quickly.
"Sun's just about up." Chouji said from down the corridor. "We can't go in there again until dusk."
"Gotcha." Ino sighed as she walked towards her room, pulling off her shirt. "I'm taking a shower and heading to work."
"Okay, I'll see you later." Chouji said from his station at the computer.
Ino went to her room and showered quickly before getting into a freshly pressed suit. She left the house quickly and flagged down a cab. Once inside, she gave the name of the law-firm she worked for. She was a secretary there, and worked closely with one of the assistants to the top lawyer in the company.
Once she reached her building downtown, she rushed out of the cab and ran into the closest coffee shop to get the biggest cup of coffee she could find. She usually managed to get a few hours of sleep before work but today, she hadn't had the time.
She ran into her building balancing her coffee in one hand.
"Morning, Ino."
"Morning Genma." she called to Genma Shiranui, a security guard.
She got into the elevator and exited on the top floor, rushing down the corridor and falling into her chair before staring at her watch.
"One minute to spare." She grinned. The door beside her office opened and her boss stuck his head out.
"Yamanaka, is he here yet?" he demanded.
"I don't think so, Mr. Warner." Ino replied as she shifted files around on her desk. "He'd have come to you the second he got in."
Robert Warner closed his door and Ino sighed, shaking her head. Had she arrived a second later, he would've noticed she was almost late. She glanced at the clock and counted down on how many seconds left before work started. Three seconds away from start time, the elevator doors at the end opened, and her morning started just like every other morning.
"Hey hot stuff." Ino grinned as a tall man came towards her.
"Hello yourself, gorgeous." He leaned forward on the counter, smirking at her.
Ino brushed her blond hair out of her face, flirting with the man. After all, she couldn't very well say 'yes, I have a boyfriend. He's a vampire, but don't worry, he's got a soul'.
"Uzumaki!" The blond standing in front of Ino turned as his boss called him. "I need you in here."
"Right away, boss." Naruto turned back to Ino. "Have a good day, gorgeous."
"You, too, hot stuff."
As Naruto turned away from Ino, he couldn't help but note the bags under her eyes. The thing was, Ino had noticed the same thing about Naruto.
(1) I KNOW! I KILLED KIBA! AREN'T I CRAZY?!?!?!