A/N: Oh my god! Looks like I'm back, folks. But obviously, those who support Naruto don't know me very well as I'm new on the scene. I haven't written a fanfic in three years, but I suddenly got a burst of creative energy and planned this fic in two days. This will be an AU fic that will eventually sport a Kiba/Hinata pairing. I'm actually a huge advocate of odd pairings, but these two seemed to fit for this story design. I gained this idea from the movie "Underworld" and have utilised some of the ideas in that here - not all – and some of my own. Please refrain from flaming me about my portrayal of vampires and lycans. This is merely a fictional outlook and I'm going as close to gold as possible. I hope you enjoy my newest creation.

Blood Diamonds

Prologue

Midnight had passed by a mere moment ago, and the beating of the music was so angry against the residence's walls that anybody located within five metres of the building itself could hear its melody blaring along the quiet streets. The abode was stationed at the end of the road in a seemingly deserted area; the surrounding locale was decrepit and rundown; homes had either been vacated or the poorest of souls had shacked up inside them instead for lack of money or incentive to move out of the area. While most of the windows were blacked out, lights having been switched off hours before, curtains closed and feeble windows sealed tight in attempts to block out the noise, the club in itself raged on into the night. It demonstrated no signs of stopping the party, as was always customary for a Thursday night.

Police were very much scarce about the area because everyone was aware of how dangerous it was. No one had the gall to complain anymore. The people that had would often disappear without a trace. And because there were no complaints, there was nothing the law could do about it. Without incentive, they could not intervene. But the residents in the vicinity knew that there was something strange about the place. It seemed that only a certain type of character walked through its doors at night and the very same characters would vanish before sunrise. Some had likened them to gangsters; others had specified seeing much worse, but with no concrete proof and the inexplicable disappearances of normal folk scaring away any paparazzi, no one knew what to make of it all; no one knew what to believe.

But to those in the know, the club – The Black Sheep – was a place of sanctuary. It possessed no windows for outsiders to peer in at the insiders and only granted access to the elite. Bypassing the main entrance whereby two burly bodyguards stood on watch, its queues were often stupendous before the midnight toll. Young women beautified for the evening, some on the arms of men, their immaculately dressed escorts. Make-up applied on pasty-white skin; shoulders and legs bare as if unfazed by the evening chill. And once granted access, the floors were strewn with the masses, individuals rubbing shoulders with each other in avid union, music filling the air, pumping the room; and the sweet stench of fresh blood fragrant from behind the bar as its employees served the gathering. For as described by the tenants of the area, The Black Sheep was no ordinary nightclub. The Black Sheep was owned by creatures of the night. Its customers – the vampire.

"Dude, I'm so…wasted…"

Two brethren lopsidedly sauntered out through the doors of the nightclub and into the street. Both were in high spirits – intoxicated – one moreso than the other. Of the more sober of the pair, the dark-haired vampire was having a difficult time of holding his colleague upright. He held his friend's arm up over his shoulder and supported his body with his remaining arm, but needless to say, as both men were legless, the latter indeed appeared very comical at that. "How much did I have…to drink?" came the secondary slur. His cornflower tresses were somewhat distorted from how they had initially been styled.

"Come on…we're heading back…" The dark-haired accomplice spoke as he led his friend across the street. "Try to walk straight…dammit!"

The other did not seem to regard the statement however, as he tried to straighten himself up in his friend's grasp. A dizzy spell however, sent one of his feet tumbling over the other and both men slanted in their waltz to one side, both nearly falling rather painfully on the tarmac. The blond laughed.

"Fuck! This ain't funny," came the angry retort. "Toldja you shoulda taken it easy on the shots."

"Whatchu talkin' about?" The blond didn't seem to comprehend that his colleague was suffering with the additional weight – that or he simply couldn't see it through the slight blurred vision that his own alcohol consumption had caused, "Yer as drunk as I am." His body was hurled to an uneasy stand and the two men proceeded rather gradually around the next corner.

The street here was a little broader than that that housed the club and on the opposite side, resided the local park. In the daytime, it was often a place of recreation for any of the neighbourhood kids, but past dusk, it barely homed any activity at all; no one brave enough to venture across its eerie pathways and tall shrubs alone at night. Both men approached the entrance with a meagre indifference; they had often crossed through the park together on the way to the club and knew their way back and forth, even in their inebriated state. The gates had been left wide open in an almost welcoming fashion and both characters began the slow haul through the empty terrace.

"…And that chick…whoa…she so wants me…" The more intoxicated of the two slurred. "D'ya see her right…what was her name again…I forget…but yeah! We're def'nately goin' back 'moro."

"Yeah! Well I'm not carrying you home tomorrow!" The other retorted. It seemed the work of towing his drunken comrade back home was gradually beginning to drain the effects of his own alcohol intake. What had started out as a decent evening between friends, had quickly turned sour when his blond accomplice had gotten into an argument with one of the bartenders. Needless to say, that had cut their evening short and before the security guards had gotten a chance to intervene, he had decided that the best option would be to take him home. Every now and again however, his own vision would blur, but frequent blinking coupled with the cold night air was gradually beginning to wake him up a bit. Clearly, however, it wasn't having the desired effect as quickly as he might have liked - because neither he, nor his colleague, seemed to sense the shadows that were closing in on them.

"Hey…," The blond screwed up his face somewhat as his friend dragged him along the pathway. "You smell that right?"

His associate cocked an eyebrow, but before he could respond, two figures seemingly leapt out of the darkness and cornered both vampires. It took the blond two seconds longer then his comrade to notice that they were no longer alone. One stranger was stationed directly behind them and the other ahead of them. Head lolled forward somewhat, the inebriated individual lifted his head and squinted at the figure in an attempt to decipher any distinct features.

"Who're you?" He barked. "Can't you see we're walkin'…here." The stranger demonstrated no signs of moving. Acquiring irritation at the stranger's standoffish appeal, he yelled at him again. "MOVE!"

"Shut up!" The words however, were not hissed from the intruder, but from the friend that held him upright. The blond tilted his gaze to the side and peered up at the profile of his comrade. Though his skin had always possessed a pasty hue, there was something apprehensive about his facial expression. It was as if his companion had finally sobered up and noticed something that he himself had not. "Just shut up, alright!"

"But…he's in the way," It seemed that he had yet to notice the additional candidate stationed directly behind them, but all it took was a small snigger to silence him.

"Trust you to find us a pair of drunks," The stranger stationed ahead of them beckoned. "They reek."

"Well as if you could do better," The second intruder responded, causing both vampires to glance behind them at the second figure, also, obscured by the lack of streetlights in the vicinity.

"As a matter of fact, I could, but a catch is a catch,"

"What is it you want exactly?" The sobered vampire retorted.

"Just a little piece of information," The first stranger responded. Both his arms were hung adjacent from his body, hands and body disguised in a long black trench coat. "You wouldn't happen to know about a gem called the Byakugan, would you?"

"The Byakugan?" questioned the blond vampire.

Still holding his friend in place, the second creature of the night sneered. "Even if I did, I wouldn't tell the likes of you," He derided. "I know what you are."

"Oh really?" The first intruder lifted a hand to his chin and stroked it with his thumb. "Well if that's the case…then you'll know that we can't let you live."

"Bring it on, lycan."

Her fingers stroked the pendant that hung as a centrepiece from the necklace around her next. Besides this, Hinata attempted to remain still in the Louis XV carved armchair, while a young woman, perhaps a mere couple of years older than herself proceeded to run a comb through her long blue tresses; all of this had been ordered by her father. Smooth as ebon silk, the brush glided through the strands with significant ease, but the young vampiress seemed very much indifferent to the woman who she believed was unnecessarily going through so much trouble to make her look suitable for the evening's events. Hinata had not seen herself in one hundred and seventeen years, but knew enough to know that – bar her growth from her childhood into the present day specimen – she had probably not changed all that much. And still she sat in silence, without protest, her crystal blue eyes plagued with sadness. She soon cupped her hands together in her lap and attempted not to twitch – it was not very becoming of a Hyuuga – as her thoughts wandered.

Her father – Hyuuga Hiashi, leader of the Hyuuga coven – already thought very poorly of his oldest daughter. For over one hundred years, he had considered her a disappointment to the vampire species, to the coven and to the Hyuuga family name. Always soft of mouth, compassionate and humble, she had never obtained the striking resilience and superiority that was so fervent in not only her father, but in her cousin Neji and younger sister Hanabi. She had been grateful that upon the time of her birth, a law had been passed to protect the vampire and prohibit those of the coven from obtaining blood from a living human being; she knew that she would never have had the guts to venture out into the wild and kill another, no matter how desperate the hunger might have been. But it was because of these traits – these human-like traits – that her father seemingly despised her. When she spoke, she stuttered. When she observed, she could not maintain eye contact. And when she was nervous, she would fidget. All were signs of weakness to the noble Hyuuga.

The coven had been established some four hundred years prior, and along the line, twins had been born. As the older twin, her father had been marked the heir of the coven, but it had been also on this day the family had been divided into the Main Family and the Branch Family. The Branch were still considered Hyuuga, although to a lesser extent and while some – like her cousin – had remained inside the manor, others had scattered across the country. Most of those outside maintained businesses, some worked as spies, but all still served the Hyuuga Main Family. In all that time, however, the Hyuuga had come across many obstacles. Hinata herself had heard of the wars that her family had faced, but had never been faced with any of them. She was well aware that there had been a time when opposing covens – the Sound Four, the Akatsuki, and perhaps their most formidable opponent to date – Uchiha Madara – had attempted to establish dominance. She was well aware of a time when even the humans had gotten wind of their presence. And then there had been the lycanthrope; described as revolting slaves of their vampire masters. But all of that had occurred decades ago and such had been put to rest. The vampire had moved on and had soon been regarded as extinct, mere figments of the human imagination. And any nemeses that they had crossed paths with had been laid to rest.

These were, what her father had described as, times of peace; such had been the case for nearly fifty years, the vampire living in secret from the human world. Hinata was still well aware that her father conducted matters of business, but she was rarely ever - if at all - apart of such affairs. The chief Hyuuga preferred the company of his youngest daughter and her cousin as opposed to Hinata, who would merely surface during social events as some sort of jewel – pleasant to look at and yet not much else. Tonight however, was slightly different. Because though she would masquerade as that pearly trinket once again, the evening was being held in her favour. For though tonight was designated as yet another social event, it was also something of a business merger – the joining of two covens to be exact. Because Hinata was due to meet her betrothed that night. And the only thing Hinata knew of her fiancé was his name. Sasuke.

Many rumours had surfaced about him, but nothing too concrete. Her father had specified that she should feel honoured at such an arrangement. Hanabi, who had crossed paths with him in the past, had indicated that he looked strong. Most of the women of the household had stated that he was a handsome fellow, but the more she heard the hearsay, the more the reluctance grew in the pit of her stomach. Hinata did not want to marry this Sasuke character. She did not regard it as an honour, but knew that it was merely her father's way of disposing of her while still holding onto her ties as a Hyuuga. Her ties would make their coven stronger without her actual input.

Her bedroom door had been left ajar and the latter was met with a light rapping followed by a third presence. "Hinata," came the female voice. "You ready?"

As the brushing of her hair ceased, Hinata tilted her head behind her and took note of her coven brethren and long-term friend, Tenten, standing in the doorway. The brunette had her hair fashioned in two, her braids wrapped into two neat little buns. For the evening, she had adorned a slender black cheongsam with golden embroidery hand-sewn in the style of a dragon.

"She is now." The woman who had been combing her hair motioned next to the Hyuuga heiress and placed the brush on a nearby table. Her eyes were the same crystal blue as her own and she smiled at Hinata who offered her a weaker variant of the latter in return. "Gosh, you must be so excited." The woman progressed.

Hinata nodded half-heartedly. "Y…yes," She lied.

"I've heard a great deal about this Sasuke," The Hyuuga female stated. "You're a very lucky girl." With that, she lowered her head in a partially respectful manner, before departing from the room. Hinata rose from her chair.

"Okay, spill it!" Tenten demanded. She fashioned a hand on her hip, her stance a little less than feminine. One of her slender legs appeared through the high slit in the dress.

Hinata's eyes widened. "H…huh?"

"I've known you for too long now, Hinata," Tenten approached her, a knowing look in her eye. "You're hiding something."

"W…well I…"

"It's this Sasuke thing, isn't it?"

"Err…"

"I can tell you don't want to go through with it."

Was she that obvious?

"So why don't you tell Hiashi-sama already?"

Hinata lowered her head somewhat. She opened her mouth and for a moment no words surfaced. "I can't,"

"Why not?"

"The Oto Coven has arrived," Another voice surfaced from the hallway. When both girls glanced in the designated direction, Hanabi's pale blues peered back at them. Like all of them, she was clothed formally, opting for a long black gothic frock with a high-rise neckline. It was well known that the youngest Hyuuga – albeit well over a century old – resembled her father avidly. And with nothing else needed to be said, she broke away from the doorway and proceeded along the hallway. Tenten followed suit and beckoned Hinata to follow as the Hyuuga betrothed progressed into the darkened hallway and along the lengthy velvet rug.

The Hyuuga household was luxurious. It was a large manor stationed on two upper floors with an outstanding lower level hidden from the outside world. The hallways were immaculately dressed; pictures of passed nobleman and Hyuuga hung along the walls and various structures and statues were positioned along the corridor. Accustomed to the latter, Hinata attempted not to drag her feet along the hallway as they approached the grand staircase. Such was narrower at the top and broadened outward upon connection to the ground floor and a lavish red carpet had been fitted into the exterior. Beyond them, resided the main entrance.

Situated at the bottom of the stairs were her father, Neji, and various other members of the Hyuuga coven. As Hinata reached the bottom of the stairs, a few of the family members turned to acknowledge her. One commended her on her dress – a fine piece made of navy-blue satin. Even Neji sported her a salutation in the form of a curt nod. The only person who did not turn to receive her was her father and Hinata shied away, shoulders hunched as she moved to position herself next to him. She tilted her head towards him and opened her mouth to speak, but found herself interrupted as the doorbell tolled. Two Hyuuga members stationed themselves either side of the main entrance and proceeded to pry the large mahogany doors open.

Hinata peered beyond the opening onto the darkened grounds of their household and took note of several figures standing across from the doorway. As they approached, their features became more discernible, but it was her father's voice that broke the brief silence as they entered into the abode.

"Orochimaru," Hiashi began. His features barely softened the greeting. "It's good to see you again."

The addressee was a tall, thin character with something of a menacing air about him. His face was gaunt and unusually pale, even for a vampire, and Hinata took note that the skin around his eyes was laden with purple kabuki. Like her father, he had adorned a long Celtic cloak for the evening; his was a deep indigo in contrast to her father's royal blue. He received Hiashi with a similar greeting, both taking their hand in the others.

"Always a pleasure, Hiashi," The vampire returned. His voice was a husky drone, almost as if it contained a permanent hiss. Their hands separated.

"I believe you've already met my nephew, Neji, and my youngest daughter, Hanabi." The Hyuuga leader gestured to the two aforementioned and both nodded their heads respectfully in a small mock bow. Orochimaru received them with something of a broad smile as her father continued. "Please, allow me to introduce my oldest daughter; Hinata."

The vampiress gulped. Even though she knew it was inevitable, she hadn't expected to be introduced so soon. She suddenly felt everyone's eyes sail in her direction and the metaphorical spotlight that shone down on her began to make her feel just that little bit nauseous. Needless to say, after a moment's hesitation, she stepped forward, hands clasped together and found her tongue. "Or…ochimaru-sama," She began respectfully. "It is an honour." Unlike her cousin and sister, she lowered herself forwards a little lower so that the tresses of her midnight hair sailed from behind her shoulders and forwards, obscuring her face slightly. She heard Orochimaru chuckle. The sound sent an unusual chill along her spine.

"She is just as you described her," She heard him say as she lifted herself to a poised stand and stationed herself backward adjacent to her father again. Her eyes were cast downwards as always.

"Quite," She heard her father respond. The monosyllabic statement both peaked and diminished her curiosity.

"Well, then it is without further ado that I introduce you to my protégé," The guest coven leader spoke. He held out an arm in gesture. "Sasuke?"

When Hinata looked up next, she came face to face with the man that her father had chosen for her. Sasuke was indeed as the women of their coven had described him. He was tall and strapping with something of a poised and confident demeanour about him. He indeed looked strong and yes, he was most certainly handsome. But his facial expression disclosed nothing about him. His eyes gave nothing away and Hinata found herself unable to meet his gaze after a mere few seconds as his dark orbs were callous and aloof.

Sasuke side glanced Orochimaru momentarily. The spotlight was now shone on him, but contrasting to Hinata, he did not shy away from it. His lips tightened. Did she sense reluctance? Or maybe something else? He muttered a single word.

"Pleasure."

Hinata's heart danced into her throat as she awaited her father's reaction. From Sasuke's tone, it appeared as if he desired nothing more than to be absent as well. He had, however, been rather rude about it. It was Orochimaru who intervened however, his quiet chuckle surfacing once again.

"You'll have to forgive Sasuke," he began. "He's not the social type."

Hinata glanced at her father. The coven leader appeared indifferent. "Very well," He finally spoke, before gesturing towards the innards of the household. "Shall we?"

The night progressed as planned. Live music filtered across the formidable drawing room and all its members were partaking in some form of social ardour. Hyuuga Branch members sauntered about the room carrying trays empty or full of chalices to and from the kitchen, containing liquid thick residue. A few of the Oto coven members were engaging in conversation with his other members. Hiashi recognised one of Orochimaru's wards – Hozuki Suigetsu – speaking with one of the lesser Hyuuga women. Neji had returned with a chalice for Tenten, and Yakushi Kabuto – Orochimaru's second protégé – was in deep conversation with his soon-to-be-son-in-law, Sasuke, albeit Sasuke – as Orochimaru had described him – barely spared the other many words. And then, of course, there had been his daughter – Hinata, who had been very much a wallflower for the duration of the evening, had barely spoken to any of the Oto members. He felt the corners of his temple swell with disappointment. Hinata was a disappointment and he was subtly glad to be getting rid of her.

Currently, he was still engaged in a business discussion with Orochimaru. The dark-haired vampire incidentally excused himself, and at the same time, Hiashi noticed Hinata motion from her station at the far side of the room and across the floor in his direction. He glanced behind him and took note that an exit was located just there; he immediately put the two together. And just as his daughter meandered towards her temporary location, he spoke her name and she halted in her stead like a rabbit in headlights. He did not grace her with his vision.

"It has been nearly an hour and you have yet to even attempt to speak with your fiancé," he stated.

He sensed her flinch.

"You are an embarrassment," he continued.

Her shoulders slumped.

"Amend you behaviour."

"Hiashi-sama," A smooth male voice signalled the presence of another. Hiashi beckoned his daughter to leave him and she did so without a second thought, disappearing through the entrance like the coward she was.

"What is it?" Hiashi spared his attention on the Branch family member, who held an empty tray beneath his arm. In the other, he held out an envelope.

"This arrived," The lesser Hyuuga stated, to which Hiashi received the note and the Branch family member made himself scarce.

He had not been expecting anything like this, but dug a nail into the lope crevices and tore it open rather quickly and gracefully. Inside was a single folded piece of paper and Hiashi moved to retrieve it. He unfolded it and glanced at the writing that was scrawled across it – a single sentence. For the first time in over fifty years, his face contorted in horror.

TBC