Naruto 1. The Beginning

Heya! I'm here with a new fanfiction, this time a multi-chaptered one! So far, I've planned up to Chapter 13 so it's going to be quiet long.

It's a SasuNaru fanfiction, so no flames about the boy on boy action please!! It's also a vampire fanfic, but it's quite deep on many levels: I've tried to really explore different relationships on all levels between lots of characters. I also hope to shock people (I hope it works ) and produce evil cliffhangers!! Hehe! This is mostly a setting up chapter; the real action starts in the next chapter!

This is based on the concepts of the 'Night World' books by 'L. J. Smith'. I'd recommend any of her books!! Therefore, the Night World does not belong to me.

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto :( who drew yaoi :) and the Night World belongs to L. J. Smith.

Thanks to my two Beta readers!

And so, it starts!

_EDIT: Revised 30/3/07_

* * *

**The Night World: Immortal Affliction**

The Night World isn't a place: it's all around us. It's a secret society of vampires, witches, werewolves and other creatures of darkness that live among us. They're beautiful and deadly and irresistible to humans. Your high school teacher could be one, and so could your boyfriend.

The Night World laws say it's okay to hunt humans; -it's okay to toy with their hearts: it's even okay to kill them! However, there are two things that you can't do with them:

_1) Never let them find out the Night World exists  
2) Never fall in love with one of them_

This is a story about what happens when the rules get broken.

* * *

**Chapter 1 - The Beginning**

**--**

He was running. He wasn't sure what he was running from, but he could feel the presence that had been stalking after him for some time. It made the hairs on the nape of his neck stand on end, a shiver move down his spine as the atmosphere around him had become thick and had made it hard to breathe.

He knew, no doubt, that he was running for his life.

It was dark and it was raining, the harsh drops of water clouding his glasses as he ran through the backstreets of Konoha, a town that didn't seem so quaint anymore. It was getting closer. He could almost feel the bloodlust. He brushed his dripping wet silver bangs from his face and hastily cleared the condensation on his glasses as he ran, stumbling slightly as he turned swiftly into an alleyway.

A dead end. He cursed, clenching his fists and turned around to go the other way.

It was in front of him.

Before his eyes could widen and his mouth could open to scream, he was pushed up against the wall of the alley, his head smashing into the brickwork, the warmth of his own blood dripping down the back of his neck, awakening him.

His glasses fell from his nose as he faced his pursuer: a man.

His face was in shadows, but the moonlight lit up the paleness of his skin. The skin was smooth, not marred in any way and was eerily translucent. His hair was dark, long bangs falling down the sides of his face to his chin and short spikes sticking up at the back. Though his vision was blurry, he knew that his pursuer's hair had a slight blue sheen to it. Holding him tightly against the wall, one strong hand was bunched up in his soaked sweater, the other slowly fingering his neck. He could not move as odd sensations began making him unwillingly crane his neck.

But it was the eyes and the mouth that signalled to him that he had been right; He would die.

And that the man, no, the teenager in front of him, was not human. It was an unearthly beauty.

Blood red eyes. That was all he could stare at. Odd black spots twirled within them lazily, but the effect was almost hypnotising. They were so cold. So dark. So very hungry. Heavy eyelids and eyelashes framed them perfectly, making them seen so very lustful.

His breath hitched in his throat, fear choking him as he glanced at the mouth once more. Blood red lips that were plump and shaped to perfection within a chiselled jaw. There was a small flash of silver that he realised was a lip piercing. Not a ring, but a small silver stud that protruded just below his lower lip on his left side. But it was not this that made him whimper as the non-human pressed closer to him, dark hair tickling his neck.

It was the two sharp upper canines that were elongated within his mouth. It was the way in which he could feel them as his attacker trailed them along the skin on his neck, teasing him with fear. He heard a hiss and he closed his eyes, his hands limp at his sides. He could do nothing.

Except maybe beg, "Please…"

He received a dark chuckle in return that was surely accompanied by a smirk. He felt a smooth tongue lather his skin on his neck before he spoke for the first time, "When you beg, it just makes me more excited."

His voice was quite deep and husky, filled with a coldness that could make water turn to ice. There was no way he could survive; it was all over. He didn't want to admit defeat or give up, but there was no choice. Not when you're in the grasp of something unhuman that should only exist in books.

"You're…you're not real; I'm hallucinating."

He was buying time and the teen that held him knew it. There was a feral hiss on his skin before the cold voice once again floated into his ears, "You wish it wasn't real. You wish this is all a dream and I'm not sorry to tell you that this is harsh reality. No matter how much you're now wishing that you had taken that taxi home, you can't turn the clock back. Hn, I should know."

He could practically feel the hungry gaze bore into his neck before his pursuer continued, "Hn…humans are so weak. They live their lives and complain about the silliest of things, saying that they're not happy for the silliest of reasons and are sad just because someone might have said something rude to them. They're arrogant and selfish. They don't live in the real world. They don't know what pain is."

He froze, his eyes once again locked with the redness of the eyes of the teen that held him.

The next thing he knew was the show of teeth from a smirk and the indescribable pain of two sharp points stabbing into his neck, his own blood being sucked against his own will, dripping onto his clothes and to the floor to mix with the rainwater, his mouth opening into a blood-curdling scream.

* * *

Naruto yawned. He couldn't help it. It was late, after midnight and it was raining. All in all, it was dreary. And it had made Naruto tired.

"Stupid Ero-Senin…" he muttered, pulling his hoody tighter over his head. It did nothing to stop the water from seeping through. It was rather thin and a bright orange colour, but it was his favourite item of clothing.

Jiraiya had made him stay extra late at his bookstore, helping him shelve the extra stock. They had drank some tea and had watched some extreme sports. Naruto smiled slightly. Although he was a bit miffed that he was walking home late when he had school the next day, he was happy that he had spent some time with Ero-Senin, as he liked to call him. He was almost like a foster father, looking after his expenses and making sure that he was well and looked after, even if he was 17 years old.

He was the closest thing he had to family.

He side-stepped a puddle, his flame designed converse poking out from his ripped jeans that dragged the floor. He glanced at his watch, frowning at the time once more and the rain that continued to seep down. He began to move faster down the back streets (after all, Jiraiya's shop sold adult books…) when a small noise startled him.

He stopped, immediately glancing to his left, his blond locks flicking into his eyes beneath the hoody. His bright blue eyes looked at a trash can and the accompanying bin bags that moved slightly before a bright orange fox jumped out from between them, its fur soaked.

Naruto smiled as the fox did not run away, but rather looked at him quizzically and stopped in front of him.

The blond teen knew that he was different. He knew he was special in a way and had known this since he was very young. He could _understand_ the fox. He knew from looking at it that it had just eaten for the first time in a few days and that it was a young fox that lived with its brother not too far away beneath the old bridge.

_I'm cold_, it was telling him, _but I like the rain_.

Naruto thought he was like those people who could see ghosts or those psychics who could talk to the dead. Similarly, he could understand the emotions of animals, though he connected greatly with foxes. It seemed to somehow lift his loneliness enough for him to make it through the day. No one knew about his gift except himself.

He watched forlornly as the fox bounded away along the dark back streets, out of sight. Sometimes, they followed him home. This was not the case this time. He sighed, stuffing his hands into his jean pockets and continuing on his way until he heard a scream.

Naruto immediately perked up, looking around frantically to pin point which direction the scream had come from. He began to run forwards, not caring about the puddles on the ground anymore. Someone was hurt, someone needed his help. The scream had cut through his body like a knife, signalling just how much pain and fear was infused within it. As he turned a corner, he could hear more stifling noises of pain and desperation that indicated he was going in the right direction.

He didn't care that he could easily meet a murderer or a group of thugs. Naruto knew what pain felt like, perhaps more mental rather than physical, but he wouldn't let someone go through unnecessary pain. Other people's lives were worth more than his. He was selfless and if he couldn't make his own dreams come true, he'd make someone else's.

He slowed down and stopped in a puddle, the rain still falling heavily as he turned to his right and froze.

At first, he thought that he had come across two men in the throes of a sexual act: the way in which one held the other against the wall, their legs virtually entangled and how the one against the wall was perhaps receiving a hickey from the smaller man, who seemed to be sucking at the taller man's neck.

Naruto was ready to blush and turn away, thinking that he had found the wrong source of the scream when the moonlight that had temporarily broken through the clouds shone against the wall, highlighting their features.

It was the way in which the taller man's neck was flopped to the side, his eyes wide and dilated, and his mouth open with nothing but throatless rasps escaping; the way in which he seemed boneless and that the smaller man was holding him up effortlessly.

The blood that Naruto could now distinguish and clearly smell that dripped down the taller man's neck and onto the floor.

Then he heard the hiss. The smaller man's face removed itself from the crook of the neck and in an instant, turned and locked eyes with Naruto's. Ruby red eyes on pale, alabaster skin with a pink glow on the cheeks met bright blue eyes on a tanned, whiskered face that was white from shock.

There was blood all around his mouth and Naruto couldn't move as he watched the teen step back slowly from his prey, letting the twitching victim fall to the floor with a groan, and proceed to lick his swollen lips, elongated teeth glinting.

Naruto wanted to run, but he found himself incapable of moving. This was not real, he found himself thinking as the teen (he could clearly see that the _thing_ in front of him looked around his age) stepped out of the alley way towards him. A whimper of something escaped his throat before the blond fisted his fingers and willed his body to move. Whatever was in front of him was unearthly.

He couldn't see exactly what this thing looked like. It was too dark, too murky: it looked like a shadow. All he could make out was the bloody mouth, glinting teeth and the red eyes. A memory began to unravel in his mind when movement suddenly quashed it.

It was around a foot away from him now and Naruto saw that he was the shorter of the two by only a couple of inches. He wondered fleetingly how the thing in front of him had managed to move so quickly towards him with a grace that only a cat could possess. Naruto could imagine the sinewy muscles beneath the dark clothes the shadow figure wore. Shouldn't something like this only exist in horror books?

The red eyes glowed and then he spoke.

"It's a shame that you've come here when I'm full…"

The voice was deep and rich like coffee, with an air of smugness and danger. It was husky, throaty and it sent a shiver down Naruto's spine that he had never felt before. Danger radiated off the teen in front of him in waves in his satiated state. He seemed invigorated and satiated. He fully expected the voice to be very cold, but he could pick up tones of something in there that inexplicably told him that this thing could easily live in the human world.

The words then registered in his mind and his eyes widened.

Suddenly, all he could see was the redness of his eyes as they began to spin and spin and spin until it was all he could see. His mind was hazy, darkness threatening to overwhelm him, his mind telling him that he should know _something_ and the last thing he heard as he slipped into darkness was his voice once more.

"…Because teenage blood always tastes nicer…"

* * *

He felt a strange sensation flicker across his body, which told him that he was about to wake up. The cobwebs of his sleepy mind cleared and he groaned as he opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was white and then he realised that only one place he knew had that particular light on its ceiling.

He was home. In his bed.

Naruto immediately sat up, his breathing unsteady as he gripped his blankets which were wet from his clothes. He frowned, trying to arrange his memories into some form of semblance when his bedroom door opened.

"Gaara!" he exclaimed as his red haired friend entered holding a glass of water. It wasn't everyday that one of his strangest friends visited him.

They had become friends when he had first entered high school. Naruto had seen the strange and inquisitive looks that Gaara had given him during their first week and had been stumped when the red head, who seemed to have strange social skills, had walked up to him and had told him simply, "I want to be your friend." That and the odd tattoo on his forehead.

It was strange. Many people were quite wary of Gaara because he held an air of mystery and danger, giving glares to many people for no apparent reason. However, he had wanted so desperately to be friends with the blond. Naruto had seen how they were quite similar and very different in others. He also knew that what other people thought of him was just his odd exterior. Inside, he was a wounded soul who didn't understand a lot of the workings of the world. Naruto had also laughed when Gaara had told him that he wanted to train to be a vet. He had then told him that as one of his best friends, he would help him in any way towards his goal.

Gaara was also strangely protective of him- always looking out for him and making sure that he was eating healthily and keeping up his exercise. A brother of sorts.

But that didn't explain why Gaara was in his apartment. It was early, Naruto deduced, glancing at his radio clock which showed 5.30am.

"Hey, Gaara, what are you doing here so early in the morning? And why am I all wet?"

He accepted the glass of water as the red head sat down on his bed in his usual jeans and trench coat. He drank, wondering why he was so thirsty and at the same time wide awake as Gaara spoke.

"You don't remember?"

Naruto frowned, "I dunno, it seems all a bit fuzzy."

Gaara looked at him intensely, "I've told you before not to walk around the back streets too late at night, Naruto. I found you passed out in a puddle on the ground near to Jiraiya's shop after midnight."

Naruto bit his lower lip, taking in the information, "So I was out cold in the rain. Now that you mention it, I do remember leaving the shop late, stupid Ero-Senin, and walking back…hm…yeah, that's about it. I must've passed out or something as I was walking."

He placed the glass down next to his radio clock and smiled, "Thanks, Gaara, for not leaving me out in the cold. What were you doing at the south of town at that time of night, anyway?"

Gaara smirked slightly, ignoring the question and placing a serious expression on his face as he stood and stretched, looking directly into blue eyes as he walked to the door, "Be careful, Naruto."

He made a move to leave, his hand grasping the doorknob before Naruto took in the seriousness of his words, "Wait, Gaara…what do you mean? Don't worry about me fainting again! This was a one off, I swear."

Gaara paused, turning to meet his friend, his green eyes intense, "Just be careful, Naruto. See you at school."

And then he was gone. Naruto heard his bedroom door close, the walking of steps and then his front door close. It was then that he realised that Gaara had been talking more about something other than his fainting. He pondered on it for a while before grinning to himself.

"Breakfast Ramen!" he said as he vaulted out of his bed. He then realised that he was still wet and scratched the back of his head like he did when he was nervous, "I guess a shower first before I freeze."

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha opened his eyes, squinting as the bright sunlight of dawn hit his sensitive retinas as he sat on a random rooftop. He wondered why the Elders of the area didn't keep the area overcast more than they already did. Sunlight did nothing to his kind's body, but it was still harsh and diminished their powers slightly. If he were any more powerful, he would use his power to ensure that it remained cloudy most of the time. His clan, a strong formidable lamia vampire clan, had once been at the fore front of the Council, but that had ceased long ago.

He dragged his black jean-clad knees closer to his body, his arms wrapped around them loosely. A swift breeze rustled his obsidian locks across his vision before they settled in place once more. It had stopped raining an hour before, leaving a wet sheen across the town of Konoha that he could see from the rooftop he was sitting on.

He could feel his blood rushing through his veins, his muscles aching with excitement and the urge to release his energy. He felt overloaded with haemoglobin and it felt good. He had not feasted like that in a long time. He left himself a mental note to thank that damn vampire hunter Hyuuga for edging him into a beastly mood.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden presence of another Night World being behind him and he hastily turned around, preparing to change so he could attack, when he saw who it was.

"Kakashi …" he muttered.

He was still the same as he had left him four months ago: his silver hair skewed across his head, a small folded bandanna that looked liked a headband that covered his left eye and the mask that covered his lower face. All that was visible was one eye of a speckled grey-ish blue. His clothes were dark and covered all of his skin. The book in his hand was different to the one that he had last seen him holding. The glowing aura that he seemed to be freely emitting told Sasuke that he had recently eaten.

Said man sat himself down next to him, "Ah, so you're still dropping the 'sensei' honorific. It's taken me months to track you."

"Hn, I'm not an Uchiha for nothing."

"Which doesn't mean that you can go off the rails and run across the country. Orochimaru went berserk, calling upon the witches of Circle Midnight to track you down," said Kakashi, scrunching up his nose and closing his book.

"I can go where I please; you're not my guardian and Orochimaru most definitely isn't. And you still insist on following me around on a promise to a dead man," Sasuke spat.

Kakashi's visible eye narrowed, his head turning sharply to look at the other vampire, "Sasuke…you shouldn't disrespect the dead like that. And you know full well how much I respected him."

"He changed you into a vampire. Shouldn't you hate him because he entangled you into the world of everlasting life and made you dependant on human's blood? Hate him because you had to watch as the people around you left as time passed and the world changed?" Sasuke challenged. His mood was still not stable even after having a filling meal, "I don't even know how you survived the change. Anyone over the age of nineteen dies when they are turned."

Kakashi sighed, "Harsh as always. You lamia vampires seem to think that you're the high end of the vampires when you're no different to us made vampires. You stopped physically growing up a long time ago, Sasuke…but you're stuck in a mentality of one who has still to see a lot of things in this world. You still pursue the path of vengeance and seek to avenge your clan. I've told you that you should forget about it, as it only brings more pain and death. I know that myself."

"Don't patronise me," Sasuke replied, his body tensing and his eyes threatening to turn into their red hues, "no matter what you say, you can't sway me. I will find Itachi, the one who dared to kill his own kind and his own family and turn him into ash. No doubt about it."

Kakashi looked at him calmly, seeing the frustration clearly in obsidian eyes, "You should know I'm always here to help you then."

"I don't need your pity, Kakashi. Just…just leave me alone."

There was silence afterwards in which the sun had now fully risen, casting its unwelcome morning glow onto them. Kakashi observed his student, although it had been a long, long time since he had really taught him anything. He had often wished that Sasuke would be more willing of his offers of help, but the lamia vampire was proud and his mind's roots ran far deeper than what he showed on his outer expressions. And even though Sasuke had made him feel unwelcome in their first meeting in four months, Kakashi knew that Sasuke somewhat appreciated that he was there.

He was not as stable as he let others to believe and Kakashi knew it too well. After all of these hard, long years, he knew how frustrated the teen felt at being no closer to Itachi, his older brother and vampire genius. A rogue vampire was not easy to track, especially one as powerful as Itachi. It had been too long since Sasuke had felt any type of peace. Kakashi wished more than anything that Sasuke could just live a normal life. As normal as any vampire could live in the Night World.

"You've overfed, Sasuke," he commented.

"And?"

"That's very unlike you. I mean, you always take more than you can survive with, but this time you've taken much more. You're practically giddy and glowing."

Sasuke smirked, standing up, "The more blood, the more Power. I can also use it to train to my full potential. Now, leave me be."

"I hope you left the human somewhere he could be found."

"As always," he replied, "Anyway, I was interrupted. I erased his memory."

Kakashi also stood up, analysing the words he had heard, "Ah. You know how easy it is to mess up someone's memory when you're pumped with as much blood as you were last night."

Sasuke stopped his descent down the slope of the roof and looked over his shoulder to the other vampire, "That's why I'm going to make sure that it worked when I track him down later. I'm certain he goes to the high school in this area so I'll follow him home. He'll be a good evening meal. He was ever so scared…"

Kakashi recognised the predatory look in the teen's eyes and smirked to himself. He himself knew the adrenaline one got from seeing the fear in someone's eyes before they drank their life essence. He briefly remembered a time when he had drank only animal's blood instead of humans due to his disgust at his inability to control his lust for human blood. It had not lasted long.

In the world that shared both the Human World and the Night World, the creatures of the darkness were the ones that actually ruled. And that wasn't ever going to change.

* * *

Naruto stretched his arms above his head, happy that the school day was over. He was tired from his lack of sleep the night before and wanted nothing more then to sleep.

"Ne, Naruto, wanna come to the arcade?"

The blond turned in his seat, watching as one of his other best friends walked over to him.

"Nah, sorry Kiba. I'm shattered. I'm going to eat some Ramen then sleep until tomorrow."

He stood up, slinging his bag over his shoulder, loosening his already loose red and black striped school tie, which complimented an untucked white school shirt, a black blazer jacket and his still damp converses. Kiba snorted as they exited the classroom, making their way through the crowded corridor as people emptied their lockers for the day.

"How's Akamaru, Dog-Boy?"

Kiba smiled, "Better, Feline! My sis healed him all up. I should be able to go for a walk with him by tomorrow."

Naruto smiled, glancing at Kiba. Their nicknames for each other were well earned. Kiba's shaggy brown hair cut, odd tattoos, his slightly pointy teeth and his love for dogs (which Naruto found quite adorable) instantly earned him his nickname. Kiba, not wanting to be the only one with a silly name, called Naruto 'Feline' due to the whisker like birthmarks upon his cheeks. They had been friends since before high school and had always played pranks when they were younger. Not that they had necessarily grown out of that stage.

"That's great," nodded Naruto as they continued to walk, "though Gaara was hoping he could take a look at him, you know, with him aspiring to become a vet."

Kiba's smile dropped, his eyes narrowing before he sighed, "Sorry Naruto, nothing against you, but he's not going near Akamaru."

Naruto frowned before smiling, poking Kiba in the ribs with his elbow, "God, you've got to tell me what you've got against Gaara one day. You've been like wary of him since we first met him. You just tense up and like growl when he comes near you."

Kiba shrugged, giving his best friend a gentle noogie, the black ring on his middle finger nudging into his head, "Nothing important, Feline, I just do. But I can put up with him for you. You're still cheerful, though you said you were tired. Oh, look, there's Sakura."

Naruto looked to his left to see Sakura emptying her school books into her locker, her blossom coloured hair secured by a cherry red headband, her school uniform similar to the boys except that she wore her own denim jacket and had on a grey tartan kilt and what Naruto liked to call, 'killer shoes and socks.'

"Sakura!" he called. He smiled as she turned towards him, green eyes friendly and warm. They had been friends the longest. Naruto could just briefly remember asking her to play in the sand pit with him when he was in nursery school. They had instantly clicked and were best of friends, as close as male and female friends could be.

"Hey, Naruto. How are…woah!!" she cried as she tried to balance herself as he glomped her, his arms going around her neck. He was happy to see her.

Naruto grinned, letting her go and steadying her as she said hello to Kiba, "Sakura, where have you been all week? I called you but there was no answer."

She smiled, closing her locker, "My mum grounded me and took my phone. I've got it back now though. You know how she is. I've been a little under the weather so I took it easy and slept."

Naruto pouted, "Lucky, I hardly slept yesterday night. Early night for me tonight! I'm glad that you're better. You missed so many lessons, but it's not like you need them. I'm still unsure as to why you're so clever."

"Baka," she snorted as they all walked towards the exit doors, "I've told you that all the sugar you're eating is not doing you any favours. You're lucky that you don't put on any weight. You're as skinny as ever."

"Why?" teased Naruto, winking, "Checking me out, darling?"

She squatted him across the head and Kiba laughed at her usual antics. They both bid him a goodbye as they parted at the school gates as they were both heading for the arcade.

Ten minutes later, along the quietness of the road with the pretty houses that he always liked to admire, Naruto stopped and his eyes widened, "Damnit! I forgot to meet Gaara!"

He bit the inside of his lip and shrugged his shoulders, deciding to call him later. He continued to walk along the road, turning into his street. His apartment block was at the end of the road, backing onto the east of the town centre. He whistled a nameless tune, his hands in his pocket, bag across his shoulders before he felt the hairs on the nape of his neck rise.

He stopped. For some unknown reason, Naruto knew that he was being followed. He turned, but the street was empty as well as the pavement.

He frowned and continued to walk in his original direction. He entered the middle section of the street where there were parked cars on his left and a steep grass slope that rose to a small wall on his right. He could still feel an ominous feeling within his bones and he quickened his steps, glancing around him as the only noises he could hear was the distant sound of the traffic from the centre of town and the rustling of the leaves upon the trees.

It was then that he noticed someone sitting on the wall a little on front of where he was walking. As he got closer, he realised that it was a guy, a teenager around the same age as him. He was dressed all in black, dark hair covering his face and he was leaning on his hands, his elbows on his knees as he stared into the road. Naruto decided to ignore him and within a few seconds was about to pass directly in front of him on the pavement. The only thing that separated them was the three to four metres of the grass slope.

But something called to Naruto. He felt a tight feeling in his chest and a weight on his shoulders as he walked past, and he knew that the mysterious person on the wall was staring at him intently as if he was going to disappear or something.

Naruto couldn't resist turning his head to look. It was an impulse that he couldn't quash, a tightness that he couldn't ignore and something that he couldn't explain made him turn his head to the right as he passed in front of him. He took a quick glance to see if he was in any danger.

Naruto didn't mean to slow down. He didn't mean to stop. He didn't mean to completely turn to stare at the strange teenager that sat on the wall.

His heart thudded deeply, the dull sound of the contractions of his heart resonating throughout his body along with a feeling of constriction that he could not put a name to. Deep sapphire eyes met onyx black eyes, his eyes taking in the face structure, the dark hair and the overall look of the person who he had locked eyes with on the wall.

Naruto's eyes widened in recognition and his mouth opened.

"…Itachi?"

Perched upon the wall, his eyes directly locked with the blonds', Sasuke's eyes gleamed dangerously at being called the name of the person he so desperately wanted to find and destroy.

--

**End of Chapter 1

* * *

**

And so it begins. Why can Naruto communicate with animals? Who are the lamia vampires? How are they different to the made vampires? How does Naruto know Itachi?

You'll find out soon enough!

An important note: the next chapter will not be up for at least a month, maybe a bit more. I am swamped with coursework and exams until June 20th, and it is only then that I will be able to write full time. I have almost finished the 2nd chapter and will hopefully write the third so that I can reduce the time between updates. After June 20th, I will continually write and finish this fanfic hopefully before I go to Uni in September!

Molest that review button (smiles) hehe. Let me know what you think!


	2. The Prey

So this website is being so silly and the support website has disappeared, so it's taken a lot of aggro to get this chapter up! But I'm so glad that I managed to somehow get this updated without an error message.

Anyway...my rant is over! Thanks very much for your reviews! They helped me to push forwards and complete this chapter faster than I expected. I redid a lot of paragraphs too, so hopefully it's much better now I'm really grateful! The first chapter was more like an introduction, whereas this is where the action starts. Plus, a hated cliffhanger, hehe!

Disclaimer: Don't own...mournfully

This hasn't been beta'd so please feel free to point out any corrections etc. I use British spellings.

* * *

**The Night World: Immortal Affliction**

The Night World isn't a place. It's all around us. It's a secret society of vampires, witches, werewolves and other creatures of darkness that live among us. They're beautiful and deadly and irresistible to humans. Your high school teacher could be one, and so could your boyfriend.

The Night World laws say it's okay to hunt humans. It's okay to toy with their hearts; it's even okay to kill them! There are two things that you can't do with them.

1) Never let them find out the Night World exists

2) Never fall in love with one of them

This is a story about what happens when the rules get broken.

* * *

**Chapter 2 - The Prey**

**--**

_"Aniki…why can't I play with the boy who lives by the sakura tree grove? You always see that girl, Hana." _

_He tugged at his brother's hakama causing the katana attached to his belt to clink slightly, a frown on his lips as his brother looked down at him, his expression plain. _

_"By all means, go and play with him. Set your sights on the vein in his neck and feast while there is terror in his human eyes. Let him see how different we are and how we can crush them." _

_"But Aniki," he frowned, "Mum and Dad told me that he can't find out our secret and that's why I can't play with him. But aren't we the same but we only eat something different?" _

_The youngest flinched with a small laugh as his elder brother tugged his hair playfully, "Sometimes I wonder whether anyone knows how the food chain is supposed to be in this world…"

* * *

_

Sasuke had easily tracked down the teenager from the night before using various contacts he had established since he had entered the town 2 weeks prior and from his own keen sense of smell and tracking skills. He had watched from quite a distance thanks to his vampire eyesight as the teenager had leisurely walked from his home to his high school and he had now returned as the students were all exiting the school.

His eyes flickered over the only exit of the school looking for his prey. He bit the back of his lip piercing as he waited, easily distinguishing between the human students and the Night World students. A trio of girls walked past the tree branch he was occupying and he could easily tell that all three were witches, most probably a part of Circle Twilight as opposed to Circle Midnight as they seemed to be integrated into the human society much more easily and Sasuke could practically feel the 'calm' enchantments that they had cast.

Sasuke wasn't exactly hidden in the tree so they had also spotted him, their eyes also instantly seeing that he was a vampire. They smiled but he did not smile back.

A vampire passed, his hand entwined with a human. Sasuke smirked.

More humans walked past and a few more vampires also walked past, catching his eye and nodding in acknowledgement. He nodded back. He bit the inside of his cheek as a male werewolf adult, who he thought must be a teacher, with numerous burn scars across his cheek and nose walked past. Sasuke growled to himself. Werewolves smelt and were never the best company.

More humans, a lone shapeshifter, a few more witches - both male and female - and more humans.

Finally, his prey walked past alone on the opposite side of the road. Although he had better than 20-20 vision and high night vision, he hadn't seen the exact features of the teenager who had interrupted his feasting. He had seen the blond hair and the light eyes, but it had all seemed a bit grey in the rain.

At least now he could see exactly what his next meal was like. He followed at a distance behind him, seeing that he had spiky blond hair that shone in different hues and tones in the sunlight. He also walked with a calming grace, completely relaxed and at ease with himself, something that Sasuke had never done.

He had to check whether his Power had fully wiped the memory of his prey of their meeting the night before. And so far, it didn't seem as if the teenager was particularly disturbed. He just had to make eye contact and he could be certain.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow as he saw shifts in the blond's temperament. He was shifting and as he began to look behind him, Sasuke moved from sight. Within a few seconds, he was positioned on the wall, looking lazily as his prey spotted him and chose to walk past without taking notice of him.

But Sasuke knew; he knew that someone could not simply walk past a vampire and not look back; not wonder what force was making them turn and look and promptly wonder how any being could be so perfect. And his prey did just that.

He did not expect, however, the feeling that gripped at his chest the moment blue eyes connected with his.

His eyes quickly took in the appearance of the human in the daylight. Exotic, bright blue eyes that swam with emotion and the light of life; the type of eye colour that swam with warmth and hope. He had not seen a colour so vivid in such a long time. These perfect eyes were complemented by the locks that fell over a tanned forehead in gentle spikes that flowed freely across the eyes as a gentle breeze blew.

The tanned colour continued down a small nose and strong jaw, accentuated by a mouth with a full lower lip. It was slightly parted and rosy in colour. Sasuke could practically see the tiny capillaries that lined the sensitive skin of his lower lip and it excited him. Finally, his eyes raked over the prominent whisker marks that could only be scars or perhaps strange birthmarks that emphasised his rosy cheeks.

He could only be described as innocent; as something gorgeously _different_ and ever so tempting.

Something about the human called to Sasuke. For a split second, his body relaxed, his eyes widened, he expelled a hasty breath and he _felt_ when he looked into his blue eyes.

And it was shattered the moment he heard the word that slipped from the blond's mouth.

"…Itachi?"

A million questions flew through his head at this point.

He knew Itachi? Had he mistaken him for Itachi? If he knew Itachi, was it recent knowledge? Did Itachi know this person as well? Was Itachi in this town right now?

Everything had suddenly taken a large turn. It looked as if this teenager would be more than just prey.

* * *

Naruto frowned slightly as the teenager who sat upon the wall stood up abruptly and it was then that he realised that it was not Itachi at all. There were definitely similarities, but this was a different person.

He breathed a little sigh of relief. He did not like his encounters with Itachi: he had always been a little strange…

Before he could even blink, he found that there was a dark blur in front of him and before he could even gasp, he had been pushed down onto the slope of the grass on his back with force, his eyes blurring before the dark blur materialised into the Itachi look-alike, who was on his knees on top of him, his hands pushing down into his shoulders.

Blue eyes widened at the force and speed at which he had been pushed down and was now being held down with before he growled, struggling, "Hey, bastard, get off me!"

He attempted to kick, but the teenager on top of him was positioned in such a way that he was unable to move. The hands were digging painfully into his shoulders through his blazer jacket now so he began to struggle once more, wondering why it was almost impossible to move his upper body, "Oi, I said get off! What's your problem?! I called you the wrong name: big deal!"

It was quiet, he realised all of a sudden. He stopped moving, finally looking directly at the person who was holding him down with an insane strength. Naruto saw how he had mistaken this teenager for Itachi. Their facial structures were quite similar, though the one above him had a slightly weaker jaw and his brow was thinner and more delicately arched. His skin was just as pale and his hair was just as dark, though it had a tint of blue and was in a different style.

And it was those eyes. They were not Itachi's. Itachi preferred his crazy red contacts. It was these eyes that made Naruto fully relax into the hold that was upon him and his face to heat up. They were onyx in colour and deep, bottomless pits; the type of gaze that was easy to fall into and drown. And they were looking at him with a mixture of such intense anger and urgency that it sent a pleasant chill down his back. He gulped.

It was weird, but Naruto felt warmth travelling from the teenager's grip on his shoulders between his shoulder blades and into his stomach. He found his gaze wondering to his lips, which were slightly parted and sculpted to perfection, the silver stud that graced just below his lower lip on the right hand side catching his eye repeatedly.

He was gorgeous. Those dark intense features, the lean yet lithe body that was dressed in all black and the eyes that screamed danger; yet Naruto seemed unwilling to break the gaze he held with him.

Naruto was shaken out of his stupor by the grip on his shoulders relaxing before his eyes widened as his shirt collar was gripped and his head and neck was lifted from the floor as the dark teenager leaned in close.

"How do you know Itachi?" he growled mercilessly.

His voice sent a shiver through Naruto's limbs and he could hear the anger; the malice in his voice. This person obviously did not like Itachi. And personally, anything Itachi was involved in was not something he wanted to be involved in. Not after last time…

"I said," he repeated calmly yet with agitation, his voice deep and smooth, washing over Naruto like a spring breeze, "How do you know Itachi?"

He stayed silent until he was jerked, his neck clicking uncomfortably. He raised his hands to grip at the others, digging his fingers into wrists which were covered in fingerless gloves, "Let go of me, bastard!"

"I will if you answer."

"Well, no such luck! I'm no pushover, especially to the likes of you."

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows and struggled once more, never breaking eye contact with the stranger who had pinned him in the middle of the street upon a grassy slope. The indescribable feeling that he'd felt when he had first looked into those eyes had disappeared. Instead, he felt the seemingly unexplainable feeling of excitement course through him due to the danger he felt himself placed in. He deduced that he was going crazy.

The dominant teenager leaned close, his hair tickling the sides of Naruto's cheek. It once again set aflame the delightful shiver that flowed down his back and the redness returned to his cheeks when he felt warm breath fan over his own mouth. But the excitement of the danger only tripled. He was not afraid.

The teenager above him smirked, speaking lowly, "You shouldn't make me lose my patience, idiot. I'm capable of a lot more than you think. So, tell me. How do you know Itachi?!"

Naruto internally flinched as the deep voice increased in volume and anger towards the end of his sentence. His grip did not loosen on his collar. How strong was this guy? He ignored his gut feeling that was telling him to flee, but even that was becoming impossible.

"I can kick your ass, pipsqueak! Go glomp someone else who gives a damn," Naruto retorted, his blue eyes shimmering with a fiery will.

The teenager above him narrowed his eyes and a smirk took over his mouth, his facial expression turning into one of resignation yet something akin to…thirst. He talked, slowly yet assuredly, "Then I guess I have no choice."

Naruto felt his heart jump into his throat in the fear of something unknown when the teenager above him leaned even closer, a deep noise that was a mixture of a sigh and a hiss escaping the stranger's throat, the grip on his collar squeezing tighter as he moved closer and closer.

Suddenly, he pulled away and turned his head to the right. Naruto did the same on instinct and he saw his red-haired friend running up the path of the rood towards him.

"Damn, 'shifter scum," Naruto heard the teenager above him say before the grip on his collar was gone and Naruto felt the softness of the grass beneath his head. He breathed heavily and sat up, and then his eyes trailed over the teenager who had pinned him down.

Seeing him now, tall, slim and dressed all in black that was skin tight yet casual, he felt his heart pound once again. Their eyes locked and Naruto glared at him for everything that had just happened. So, he was scared of one other person: he couldn't take both of them on.

Naruto didn't want to admit that he was glad with relief that Gaara had appeared. And that he somehow thought that the teenager who had taken him down could somehow take them both down.

"This isn't over…" the teenager muttered before he gave a small smile and ran across the road. A car drove past as he reached the other side and then he was gone. He had disappeared. His parting words echoed.

Before Naruto could even utter a surprise, he felt Gaara beside him. He looked to his friend and saw a look that could only be described as murderous, the hand that had gripped his shoulder digging in uncomfortably.

"Gaara…"

Green eyes were suddenly upon him and the grip on his shoulder loosened, "You didn't meet me after school."

Naruto grinned, standing up as he scratched the back of his head, his fingers sinking into blond tresses, "I forgot…you know me!"

"I told you to be careful."

"It's not my fault he decided to jump me," Naruto replied, picking up his schoolbag, "There was something about him though. He…he made me feel very uneasy. A stubborn prick too. Damn! I should have at least hit him or something…"

Gaara was silent. And Naruto didn't really know what to say anymore. They walked to his apartment in silence, his shoulders still hurting where the mysterious teenager had pushed him down onto the soft grass.

* * *

They hadn't spoken about the incident when they had arrived at Naruto's apartment. They'd played a few video games and did their maths homework together with Ramen: Naruto's desire to sleep had vanished.

Naruto was glad for Gaara's company and when it was dark, Gaara prepared to leave.

"See you tomorrow, Gaara!"

The red head stopped at his door and searched within his pockets before pulling out a ring. Naruto looked at him quizzically.

"Here. Wear it."

Naruto took the ring, noting how heavy and thick it was and raised an eyebrow, "You've given me a lot of things but this must be the weirdest gift ever."

"Wear it for your protection."

"Protection? But…"

The look on Gaara's face was clearly serious and Naruto frowned before sliding the ring onto the middle finger of his right hand, "Okay, okay, I will if it makes you happy. There's like a one in a million chance that I'll be attacked again. And I'll be ready this time!"

Gaara replied, "Just in case. See you tomorrow."

"Bye!"

Naruto waved and shut the door. He then instantly breathed deeply and unbuttoned his shirt as he walked into his bathroom. His eyes widened at the dark purple and green bruises that had appeared on his tanned skin around his shoulders, just from the grip the mysterious teenager had given him.

He grimaced as he poked them and then he stripped and showered.

As he was towel drying his hair, he recalled how he had mistaken his attacker for Itachi. And then he had been pushed to the ground in anger. He had obviously known Itachi and it seemed as if he wanted to find him desperately. Naruto smiled to himself as he remembered how he had refused to tell him. Maybe he was a family member or something, but as far as Naruto knew, Itachi was alone.

He found himself calling Sakura, although the last thing he wanted was to talk about Itachi. Anything Itachi was involved in was not something he wanted to be a part of.

"Hello?"

"Sakura-chan, it's me," he smiled. Her voice was enough to brighten his thoughts.

"Heya, Naruto…aren't you supposed to be sleeping?"

Her voice was suspicious and Naruto grinned, "Um, well, I bumped into Gaara and I didn't end up sleeping at all."

"Baka-Naruto! Abandoning us for him? Ha, don't worry. I'm joking! Anyway, what's wrong? You never really call unless you need some advice."

Naruto sat down on the floor against the wall and twirled the cord of the phone in his hand, "Sakura…you speak to Ino; does she know if Itachi is in town?"

There was silence and he could hear her increased rate of breathing and the crack of the phone as she squeezed it. He wondered what was wrong, "…Sakura?"

"Naruto…you've seen him, haven't you…"

"No, I haven't. You know I don't like to be around him, but someone was asking about him. He seemed pretty desperate."

There was silence again and Naruto grew worried, "Sakura, are you okay? You're…quiet."

"No…no, I'm okay. I'm just thinking. I doubt he's in town. Ino…would have said something."

"Yeah," Naruto mused, "I don't know why she likes him or wants to know him, you know…?"

"I…" he heard her begin, "yeah, he's not in town. Itachi…yeah, I know. I…I've got to go. Talk to you tomorrow, Naruto."

"Wait, Sakura…"

But all he could hear was the dialling tone. He replaced the phone, wondering why she had seemed so distant. He knew that she didn't really like to talk about Itachi, but he was still unsure why to this day. She had been there for him when he had last encountered Itachi and he thought that perhaps it had affected her in some way.

He didn't call her again, trusting that she was okay and if he did call her, she'd tell him that he was fussing.

Before he knew it, he was asleep.

A knock to his door immediately woke him up. He'd never been a heavy sleeper. He grimaced to himself as he wondered whether he should answer it or not. Covering his head with his duvet, he once again sunk into the warmth of his pillow.

Then there were two bangs to his door. He was startled awake again. For someone to knock and bang his door like that must've meant that it was an urgent matter. He yawned as he rubbed his eyes and stumbled out of his bed, pulling on a t-shirt so that he wasn't just in his boxers. Eyeing his radio alarm, the red numbers showing 2am, he exited his bedroom and walked towards his front door.

He wondered if it was his neighbour again.

He slowly unlocked his front door, his mind fogged with sleep. He opened his door, rubbing his tired eyes.

No one was there. He looked to the right and then to the left: the hallway was empty. He sighed, too tired to moan about stupid prankers who liked playing pranks in the early hours of the morning. He shut the door.

There was warm breath on his left ear, "I told you that this wasn't over, Naruto."

--

**To be continued...****

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If you're confused about anything I've written about the different parts of the 'Night World', feel free to ask. Otherwise, I hope you enjoyed your SasuNaru interaction! I'm droping hints about different things all the time...

God, I love Kishimoto at the moment! Did anyone love Konohamaru's yaoi sexy no jutsu? I sure did! And the latest chapters are quite exciting too. The manga is heading into a good direction!

As for when the next part will be up, I'm not sure. Keep your eyes peeled!


	3. The Lust

Yay! I'm so happy with the reviews that I got (smiles) and the great responses they contained. Hopefully I managed to reply to all of them! You're all great so have some cookies! I think you'll all like this chapter! It's...well, lustful! And there's something different in here. You'll see what I mean when you read it. It's a common event of the Night World books.

I admit that this took longer than I expected, but good news is that I've finished all of my coursework so I'll have more time to update before my exams and during my revision breaks.

_Disclaimer:_ Maybe if I had a chance of marrying Kishimoto, I might be able to own half of Naruto. But otherwise, it's all his. Except Sasuke's lips piercing (glares) hehe and the concept of the Night World belongs to L.J.Smith!

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* * *

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**The Night World: Immortal Affliction**

The Night World isn't a place: it's all around us. It's a secret society of vampires, witches, werewolves and other creatures of darkness that live among us. They're beautiful and deadly and irresistible to humans. Your high school teacher could be one, and so could your boyfriend.

The Night World laws say it's okay to hunt humans; it's okay to toy with their hearts: it's even okay to kill them! However, there are two things that you can't do with them:

_1) Never let them find out the Night World exists  
2) Never fall in love with one of them_

This is a story about what happens when the rules get broken.

* * *

**Chapter 3 - The Lust**

**--**

_He slowly unlocked his front door, his mind fogged with sleep. He opened his door, rubbing his tired eyes._

_No one was there. He looked to the right and then to the left: the hallway was empty. He sighed, too tired to moan about stupid prankers who liked playing Knock-Down-Ginger. He shut the door._

_There was warm breath on his left ear, "I told you that this wasn't over, Naruto."_

Blue eyes widened and the cobwebs of his sleepy mind cleared instantly. He turned around in a spin and was face to face with him in an instant.

Dark haunting eyes, pale ivory skin and an unreadable expression on a chiselled face.

He felt that tugging in his chest again at the sheer beauty of the teenager in front of him that was enveloped in shadows and wearing all black. He seemed unearthly.

"What…how?!" Naruto found himself saying, wondering how on earth he had entered without him even knowing. He then wondered how the intruder knew his name. He paled, "How do you know my name?"

"I have my ways. Nice name: it rolls off the tongue easily," Naruto realised he was mocking him, "Name's Sasuke."

Naruto suddenly felt anger swirling in his veins at the person called Sasuke that had entered his home.

"You know what? Get out!"

A smirk flitted across Sasuke's face and Naruto felt his blood boil. Usually, he could control his temper for the smallest things unless they were truly annoying, but this was beyond small. This was taking liberties.

"Go? Why, I just got here," said Sasuke, "and I'm not leaving until the reason I came here is fulfilled."

"Look," sighed a frustrated Naruto, trying a calmer approach in an attempt to get the intruder out of his apartment, "I told you earlier that I don't know anything about Itachi, so accept that and leave before I kick your ass out of here!"

Naruto found his eyes locked with Sasuke's, who were narrowed and filled with mirth as he spoke in a tone that was husky, "You shouldn't make threats you can't keep."

Naruto smirked himself, taking a step towards the stubborn intruder, "Oh yeah, 'Sasuke?' You just took me by surprise this afternoon."

Naruto refused to acknowledge the thought of powerlessness he had felt when he had been pushed down on the soft grass by arms of steel.

"Well," began Sasuke, his eyes eyeing the small kitchen and dining table on his left and right from where he stood at the end of the hallway, "something we agree on. Aren't you going to tell me how you know Itachi, or will I have to get the answer out of you myself?"

A harsh, onyx glare was sent towards Naruto and he felt the intensity of it as it tugged deep within him. But he wasn't going to back down. This was his home and his sleeping time and most importantly, he did not give in, especially to someone who had intruded into his home in the middle of the night for something that he wouldn't give up on.

'_He freaking glomped me!'_

Naruto growled, pointing to his door, "Get out! Why are you stalking me? This is over and-"

He found himself unable to continue as his back hit the door and there was pressure on his shoulders again. His vision was filled by the teenager's face and the next thing he knew was a lump in his throat and the feeling of a fingerless gloved hand cupping his cheek and calloused, cold fingers stroking his whisker birthmarks in surprisingly smooth motions.

Then, they felt it.

Contact.

**Skin on skin contact.** That had not happened between them before.

Something happened.

_Hey, don't I know you?_

But that was the thing. Before today, neither had met the other. Naruto suddenly felt as if he should know Sasuke; that he should be close to him and be a part of him even though he wasn't. He also felt as if Sasuke's touch had touched his insides; like he had somehow reached inside of him and touched his spine with a live electric wire. It was hot, an instant flush rising to his cheeks. It was a pleasant feeling underneath the sparks that left him frightfully giddy. The room around him turned vaguely pink because of this dizziness that trembled within.

He was falling now; falling into the dark onyx depths of Sasuke. He couldn't see anything but his eyes: the thick lashes creating heavy lids that accentuated swarming dark eyes and his facial structure. He wanted to drown in that gaze like melting chocolate.

And then the feeling was gone as contact was suddenly relinquished and Naruto realised that he had not been breathing throughout the strange experience. He looked to the ground, sucking in glorious air as he tried to focus his thoughts. The touch from his face and shoulder was gone, but he could see how close the intruder was to him; could feel his presence.

Naruto's mistake was that then he looked up at Sasuke. The moment their eyes met once more, the same feeling from their contact jolted back to life, a delightful shiver tearing its way down Naruto's spine, goosebumps prickling his bare forearms. It wasn't as vivid as before, as if it was a remnant to what had started with their touch, but the feeling was the same.

But what made Naruto's breath hitch in his throat was the look on Sasuke's face. It was in shock; a look of astonishment upon his face, an expression that Naruto did not think he could show in the small time he had known him. It was then that Naruto realised that he had felt it too. Sasuke had also felt that unexplainable sensation of bliss and dizziness.

They continued to stare at each other while the room spun and remained pink.

Until Naruto couldn't take the tension anymore, "Who _are _you?"

"Who are _you?_" Sasuke replied in exactly the same tone.

They glared at each other. Naruto watched as Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his head physically shaking for a mere second as if to drive away the pink fuzzy atmosphere before he smirked and stepped towards him once more. Naruto felt his back impact the door again and then two hands landed on either side of his head, a pale face staring intently close into his.

Sasuke breathed heavily, his face tilting, "Nothing but a mere human and yet, you've caused me more trouble and excitement than I've had in a while."

"Human? What…I've told you, I don't know anything about Itachi, so just leave, you bastard!"

Naruto stood his ground but he felt uneasy. The differences between them were beginning to show, just how that afternoon Naruto had been unable to move from the grip that Sasuke had held on his shoulders. The pink haze was fading, yet he could still feel the tendrils of shivers in the air around his body. He felt nervous with Sasuke being so close to him, even though he was a touchy-feely person himself.

"Liar," Sasuke replied while smirking and Naruto watched the dark-haired teenager move his head towards his neck, feeling dark hair trailing across his skin, hot breath hitting him at intervals, "your pulse is erratic. I can literally feel it beneath your skin. Beating and beating with the essence of life… You should tell me what you know about that man, Naruto."

Naruto frowned and said in sarcasm, "Or what, you'll bite, bastard?"

He heard a dark chuckle at his ear and heat travelled across the blond's face in a flush as a tickling sensation coursed through his head and down his neck.

Sasuke's voice was extra husky as he whispered, "That's my original intention."

Sasuke slowly raised his head from his neck until their eyes were locked again and then everything changed.

Or rather, Sasuke changed.

Naruto's eyes widened, his mouth parting as he watched in a mixture of fascination and fear the physical changes happening to the teenager who still had his hands against the door next to his blond head. His body language changed, his muscles tensing and flexing slightly under his black jacket as if they held a lot more strength than they seemed. But it was his face that changed the most.

Onyx eyes swirled into deep red, his black pupil larger than any pupil he had ever seen. Three black spots were sunk within the crimson irises, spinning slightly to and fro with a gaze that was earth shattering and filled with a feeling that could only be described as hunger.

The mouth though! His lips were parted, shaped to perfection and in the moonlight that now streamed through one of the un-curtained windows, Naruto could see long teeth that were sharp and digging into a lower lip that was swollen with anticipation.

Naruto's breath hitched in his throat and he suddenly knew; he knew…that this was the reason why he had known deep inside that he had been overpowered in everything. Why he had always felt uneasy. The reason behind the power; the anger; the comments.

Sasuke's whole demeanour of how he held himself had changed. With a quick and graceful movement, long cold fingers had threaded into his hair on his right side and pulled harshly, a gasp of pain escaping frightened lips as his neck was exposed. Once again, the sparks between them flew as the cold fingers touched his scalp, a pleasurable feeling beneath the pain and harshness of physical contact and the mixture of the warm feelings against the coldness of the fingers.

"Hey, stop…"

Naruto heard and felt a feral hiss against the sensitive skin on his neck, the room spinning pink again as Sasuke spoke, "What happened to the boy who said that he'd kick my ass?"

Naruto found that he could only let out a small squeak of surprise, fright and intense pleasure escape his throat as he felt the tip of a surprisingly warm tongue quickly and lightly trace a path from his collarbone to his ear lobe, creating a pink, hazy sensation that travelled down his spine. He felt the feeling of helplessness bubble in his throat as childhood nightmares resurfaced from years of maturity.

The faceless monsters that were not supposed to exist; the terrors of the night that he had been told would never harm him: it was all real. Naruto could suddenly recall the warmth of someone who had died long ago with blond hair and dark blue eyes, holding him tightly and whispering words of protection and letting him know that there were no monsters under his bed or in the closet. They didn't exist. Cradling him tightly, long fingers stroking his forehead until he fell asleep.

But they were real. He was in the clutches of what could only be a vampire with sharp teeth and deep red eyes that he realised were almost exactly the same as Itachi's. The realisation was swept away as insecurity began to eat away at him. Who wouldn't be scared of someone who was supernaturally stronger than you yet physically not supposed to even exist or simply _be_?

Could anyone even fight back?

Naruto was brought back into his hallway by the feeling of a lithe yet incredibly strong body pressing up against his, hip bones pushing against his own and their bodies flush. A small gasp escaped his throat as his cheeks warmed with blood from their position, the tugging on his hair making him lean his head even more to his right as Sasuke brushed his cold lips along his beating neck, his lip stud cool against increasingly heating flesh.

Sasuke's skin was so, so cold against his own warm skin, signifying the lack of life flowing within his veins. But his breath and his tongue were blistering hot, as if conveying the need for Naruto's life essence.

Blue eyes screwed shut, a harsh breath escaping his lips as hips ground into his and nips pulled at the skin beneath his jaw, a sudden burst of will bursting into his mind which was overloaded with the sensation of Sasuke, a feeling of _knowing_ him and strangely, belonging, mixed with a pink dizziness and the delightful tingles of electricity that were fizzing along his back, neck and travelling down his abdomen.

"Let…let me go, asshole!"

His hands, which had been hanging uselessly at his sides were now fisted in the vampire's dark t-shirt, pushing and pulling him away and closer at the same time in indecision but Sasuke was not moving an inch anyway.

Naruto let out a pained moan as he felt a sting at the base of his neck that could only be caused by the point of one of the vampire's sharp teeth. It wasn't very deep, he thought, tensing and waiting for the stab, but he could only whimper in a fusion of pleasure and pain as the sharp tooth was dragged lightly over his skin up his neck, purposely missing the vital arteries which would kill him, breaking the upper layer of skin in a bumpy line in an intense feeling until cold lips and warm breath touched his ear lobe and pulled back with a sharp hiss.

The feeling of harsh tugs within his hair and a cold hand gripping his waist sent more shivers down Naruto's spine, his breathing increasing.

Hazy blue eyes opened to lock with intense red ones, his eyes immediately darting to a mouth where one tooth was slightly tipped in red. His eyes widened as he could suddenly feel the warmth of blood slowly flowing down his neck in small trails and the intense desire within Sasuke's face as his gaze followed the blood.

He spoke huskily and the blond realised that they were both breathing hard, "You're not going anywhere, Naruto."

There was another harsh tug in his hair and then a fizz of delightful sparks erupted behind his eyes and along his forehead as he felt skin and hair upon him. His eyes focused and Sasuke's forehead was against his own, their noses almost brushing. From the bottom of his gaze, Naruto swallowed defiantly and hardened his gaze as he watched the vampire flick his tongue over the tooth that was stained by his blood. It was undeniably sexy, but he pushed that thought away, pleasure clouding his judgement.

Their noses brushed and Naruto exhaled sharply at the sensation, but it was pushed away by a hand grasping his chin harshly, whiteness blinding him before he saw the spinning tomoes of Sasuke's gaze.

"Stop that!" Sasuke breathed, his voice wavering slightly. Naruto felt surprised by the anxiousness within the deep baritone, "idiot human, thinking that you can stop me with these…sensations."

Naruto breathed deeply and smirked, though his lips did not turn up, "F…fuck you, bastard…I…I'm just as confused as you are! Let me go, you freak!"

Sasuke chuckled, "Confused? Hn. I know what I want. I want Itachi and you're going to tell me where he is. But right now, I'm hungry and you're making me want you even more!"

Naruto groaned in pain and pleasure as he felt a sharp nip on his jaw line and the grinding of hips upon hips, rendering the awareness of teenage hormones and the hardness he felt from himself and against him. A sudden flare of desire coursed through him accompanied by fear. Excitement from bloodlust mixed with excitement from fear? He was unsure. He was not afraid of dying - which seemed like a huge possibility at the moment - but to be feeling such emotions when he was being attacked, feelings he had never felt before…this longing for more of this touch…

Another flash of pink haze and a sharp pain across his jaw with a deep growl of 'Stop it!' echoed in the hallway that was suddenly too small. Naruto noticed amongst the painful pleasure that Sasuke had not yet fully stabbed any of his arteries or veins and had not had a taste of his blood except for the tiny amounts that had stained his teeth. Was he just playing with him?

Another fizzle of delightful sparks and an angry hiss. They were _both_ trembling, Naruto noticed, feeling the ring on his finger that had given him no protection at all against Sasuke's hard clothed chest. Were the sparks supposed to happen amongst the pain of being attacked by a vampire? Something just didn't make sense. He felt so _close_ to Sasuke, each touch igniting something that he felt was impossible by human nature. No simple touch could render someone so defenceless and dependent on another person, could it? This was something different; something addictive.

He felt weak and tired all of a sudden, his breath harsh as lips, nips and teeth moved along his neck with bursts of sparks, dizziness and breaths of 'Let me go!' from him and 'Stop it!' from Sasuke until he was only supported by the hips of Sasuke from falling to the floor in exhaustion.

Suddenly, there were harsh breaths against his cheek beside his lips and blue eyes once again met swirling red ones.

"Tell me about Itachi," he demanded ferociously, lips and teeth digging into the smooth cheek just beside his dry lips, pleasure tingling along his cheeks.

Naruto growled with sudden anger, "N…no, basta-"

The blond had moved his head forward with a sudden burst of energy while Sasuke had gone to once again draw blood from his jaw…

…and instead pierced Naruto's lip with one sharp nip, blood welling up and escaping onto Sasuke's tongue in a flood; much more than the redness that had only just stained his sharp canines before. Naruto widened his eyes at the feeling of the sharp sting.

And then all Naruto saw was white as the dark hallway he was in was replaced as he sank into the depths of something indescribable. Within a second, it felt as if his mind had dived into a maelstrom of colours. Through his eyes within the strange place, he could see nothing except strands that tangled all around him and seemed to pulse with life. They absentmindedly reminded him of spaghetti. The strands were all dark in colour: a mixture of royal deep blues, reds, greys and blacks, but underneath all the dark colours were strands of bright yellows, blues and greens, as if light was covered by darkness.

Naruto felt lost within this strange place, loneliness spreading along his fingers and toes. However, for some strange reason, he felt as if he belonged here.

He felt light-headed and strangely calm as he floated in the multicoloured abyss, until images began to unravel and flash before his vision in succession, not making much sense yet drawing him in.

Everything went black, the maelstrom of colours dissolving into darkness.

It was suddenly very lonely.

He then visualised a person. No, it was a small child; a boy, who seemed to be a little younger than eight years old. He was running; his form in greyscale in the blackness of the world Naruto was observing. Wearing what seemed to be a yukata, his dark hair flapped around his face as he ran, shouting 'Aniki! Aniki!' into the darkness. Naruto watched as another person materialised in the black world, his back to him and the small boy, who had longer hair and a red and white insignia on the back of his own clothes that Naruto recognised of a Japanese style, a katana clinking at his side.

"_Aniki! Aniki, wait! Don't go…"_

The child was calling as he continued to run on small legs, but the other man did not turn around.

**-Get out-**

"_Aniki…"_

Naruto suddenly felt a well of emotion pour into his body and mind, causing a tight sensation within his chest as warmness washed over him. It occurred to him that he was feeling the emotions of someone else. His vision became blurry until all he saw was the little boy who ran towards someone he could not get close to and all Naruto could feel was desperation, inadequacy but most of all, admiration. Those eyes, the child's onyx eyes, so full of light and childish qualities, but with the most intense look of desperation Naruto had ever seen.

**-GET OUT-**

That admiration quickly morphed into extreme hatred, the kind that cuts like a sharp knife, as the sharp voice that was telling him to leave seemed to take shape and physically pull him away from the lonely, black world, the maelstrom of coloured strands and the small boy, whose dark eyes were suddenly replaced with red ones that were moving frantically that belonged to a pale vampire who was leaning heavily against him in his hallway.

Naruto sucked in glorious air as his eyes refocused, feeling frantic breath on his cheek as he looked at Sasuke. They said nothing to each other, the silence unnerving. Sasuke's eyes were wide and frantic, his face in disbelief and filled with suppressed rage as his pale fingers grabbed Naruto by the collar of his t-shirt.

"You won't supposed to see that!" he cried, his calm façade shattered, "Why did you pry?!"

Naruto realised that the little boy who had been calling for his brother he had seen was Sasuke. He now saw the resemblance: the uncanny facial structure and shaped eyes.

'_Was that a memory?'_ he thought, his head spinning, _'Just what is happening? What did I see? Where was I?'_

He felt mentally exhausted; pissed off too.

"It's not my damn fault," he breathed in reply, "you're the bloodsucker who must do this everyday…so you tell me what's going on!"

Sasuke breathed deeply, his knuckles cracking as he tightened his grip on the collar of Naruto's t-shirt, "Why is a simple thing like you getting under my skin? I've never killed anyone, but you will be the first!"

The threat was not empty: he was livid.

But the moment he grabbed Naruto's chin with cold fingers to sink his teeth into his neck, the sparks erupted once more. They were not as strong as before, but the shock was the same: an electrical wire fizzing in all the right places.

Naruto felt Sasuke's body and grip leave his and he swayed on his feet as he tried to catch his balance from the dizziness that came over him. Lifting his hand to his neck which was still bleeding slightly, he breathed deeply and looked up, catching Sasuke's bright gaze in the darkness of his hallway. He was still close.

Everything that had transpired seemed surreal. Who would've thought that the 'major glomper' as Naruto had dubbed him to Gaara, would turn out to be someone who was not even human, a vampire?

A frightful shiver ran up Naruto's spine as the red eyes intensified, but for the first time that night, there was not an ounce of fear within him.

Sasuke stepped forwards but Naruto did not move. He did, however, feel his mind shutting down as if he was on the verge of unconsciousness. At first thought, he thought that it was perhaps from shock and exhaustion, but if there was anything to go against it, the red eyes that were spinning increasingly faster were the root of the feeling.

As darkness began to overtake him, his legs starting to shake and his hands reaching out to balance himself on the wall, he heard the husky voice of Sasuke, saying, "You'll be receiving another visit from me soon, Naruto, but you won't remember this little encounter. And rest assured, I'll find out your connection to _him,_ one way or another."

Naruto could see a repeating image now: the little scene of the young Sasuke chasing an unknown figure in desperation within a world or utter loneliness. It looped, the small voice calling _'Aniki! Aniki!' _over and over again, resonating deeply within his mind as it blackened out, drowning his vision in darkness.

"…_but you won't remember this little encounter…"_

He could feel his mind starting to lose the images that were Sasuke tonight, in his home, biting him and threatening him; but that childish voice, so frail and _human_, he felt, he wouldn't forget for a long time.

And then he felt the softness of his carpet on his cheek as darkness claimed him.

* * *

"It's been a while since I've been here," the shadowed figure said as he looked upon the town of Konoha from the viewpoint from one of the mountains that encased its north side. 

It was cold, but no condensation rose from his mouth. The thin cloak he wore swayed in the night breeze.

Closing his eyes, he felt the currents of energy and Power that were infused in the wind that held the signatures of a being's name. He quickly recognised the first, the second, the third and then the fourth. He smirked. It was going to be interesting with so many beings he knew of both the Night World and the human world all in close proximity.

He opened his eyes, black tomoes encased in blood red and stated, "It's been 60 years, little brother; and I know that you're still that little child who followed me around. Not enough hate…"

He turned around and disappeared into the night with a final sentence, "It's time I finished what I started. We've lived in secret for too long…"

--

**To be continued**

* * *

Oooo, kinda cliche with Itachi's entrance at the end, but I couldn't resist XD hehe 

So something strange has happened between our two boys. You'll find out what it is exactly next chapter for sure! 'Til next time!


	4. The Decision

Yay, during a two day stint, I managed to complete this chapter, the next chapter and around a third of the chapter after that! That way, I can continue to update to some degree during my revision/exam time!

More of a slow chapter, this one, but it does have a lot of explanation about what happened last chapter between the boys and flashbacks to the past, and another two characters make an appearance! Thanks again for the reviews!

* * *

**The Night World: Immortal Affliction**

The Night World isn't a place. It's all around us. It's a secret society of vampires, witches, werewolves and other creatures of darkness that live among us. They're beautiful and deadly and irresistible to humans. Your high school teacher could be one, and so could your boyfriend.

The Night World laws say it's okay to hunt humans. It's okay to toy with their hearts; it's even okay to kill them! There are two things that you can't do with them.

1) Never let them find out the Night World exists

2) Never fall in love with one of them

This is a story about what happens when the rules get broken.

* * *

**Chapter 4 - The Decision**

--

"Damnit!" Sasuke cried as the moon shone down upon him while he briskly walked along the dark street away from the apartment block he had entered an hour before.

He sighed heavily as he took in his surroundings – a small park adjacent from a row of shops – and took resident on a small bench, leaning his head back to stare at the cloudless night sky.

"Why?" he muttered, "Why me?"

He recalled everything that had happened in the last hour. It was supposed to have been simple: enter the teenager called Naruto's home, scare the hell out of him and enjoy it, get the information about Itachi, feed and then leave.

He'd got as far as the second point, and even then, even though fear had radiated off of the blond, he'd still had the fight to argue and the will to try and escape. And then…_that_ had happened. In the end, he'd received no information.

He gritted his teeth and tutted, biting the back of his lip piercing; a habit he'd picked up when he was either nervous or agitated.

He could still feel the anger swirling in his veins from all that had transpired and the apparent inability to touch the human which he wished to taste the blood of and extract information from.

After so many years of aimless searching, he'd at last picked up on the trail of his accursed brother. He recalled the last time he'd seen his brother. It had been around sixty years previous across the sea in a country he could not recall, where snow had been frequent and the air was bitterly cold. Not that he felt any cold of course. He'd spent a couple of months in the general area after being tipped off. One moment he'd been in a small village talking to a male witch acquaintance who'd always passed on any information he had about his brother's movements since he'd arrived there, and the next, he'd met the red eyes of his brother in the outskirts of the village's forest. He'd attacked, driven by rage, hate and his desire for revenge.

It had not lasted long. They'd exchanged blows of Power, using the nature around them as their weapons. Wood was the greatest danger to a vampire: something as simple as a pencil stabbed in the right place could be fatal. Therefore, a confrontation in a pine forest was ideal. But just like their encounter ten years previous, Sasuke had been defeated; and it was as if Itachi had not even tried. Their difference in power had been too wide. Sasuke could still recall the wetness of the snow seeping into his clothes as he had collapsed from exhaustion and his numerous injuries, his crimson blood staining the pureness of the white snow before he had had a chance to heal itself.

Sasuke found himself trembling slightly as he continued to stare at the whiteness of the stars against the dark sky and remembered the warmth of his own blood as it had left his cold body in rivulets.

It had not been enough to kill him, but his older brother had not stopped there. Three days of mental and physical torture had followed in the darkness of a room he would forever remember the intricate details of. As he had been starved of blood, his life source, the hallucinations had started along with painful memories of the day he'd returned home to find his entire family and clan decimated and dead. He'd been on the edge of madness and back; on the edge of darkness and beyond, crying tears he had not cried for so long.

Emotions he had buried had been brought abruptly to the surface, slicing through his skin and heart as he had tried to escape the room that seemed to become smaller and smaller as each hour passed. His brother had talked to him, mocked him and said that he was weak and not something he wanted to deal with at that moment in time. Sasuke's own questions had remained unanswered. He'd been touched sexually, unable to stop his weakened body from responding to the maddening touches of his brother who he still loved and adored beneath all of the bitter hatred.

On the third day of the torture and Sasuke's living hell, the door had been opened, his wrist bonds cut and his brother had disappeared out of sight. Starved, the first human that Sasuke had encountered did not live. The absolute horror that had gripped him once his senses had returned to him, that he had drained completely the witch from the village who had helped him countless times with information and health remedies since he had been in the area: the first person he had trusted, albeit not completely, since his Clan's massacre and he had killed him; bled him dry for his needs.

Witches, though still part of the Night World, were connected the closest to humans as they were human themselves. There were two types of witches: those who had been raised as a witch from birth and those who found out they were witches as they aged because they had lost their connection to their witch family in their history.

Sasuke had never killed personally for blood. He had a cold, bitter nature but that did not mean he was completely ruthless. The cold eyes of the witch who lifelessly stared up at him in his horror had struck deep within his core. He had been turned into a murderer just as his brother was.

Since that day sixty years ago, he had not trusted another person. He had trusted no one as he had grown after the massacre and the first person he had, he had killed. That wouldn't happen again. He had built walls around his emotions and feelings, intending for them to never be knocked down. And since then, he had trained and searched desperately for his brother so that he could finally defeat him, watching as the world changed and developed, unaware of the existence of the Night World.

Sasuke was brought out of his past and into the present by sharp pains in his palm. He tore his gaze from the night sky and looked at his right hand, which was gripping the handle of the wooden bench. Relaxing his tensing muscles, he brought his palm to his gaze, viewing the various small splinters that had easily entered his skin.

Fisting his fingers, he reached into his inner pocket in his black jacket and took out a wooden kunai knife. It was the weapon he would use to kill his brother.

He suddenly recalled his Mother's face the evening she had found him carving the wooden kunai out of a thick branch. He'd been seven years or so and she'd taken it away from him, frightened that he might accidentally pierce his Lamia vampire skin. He'd been upset, but had taken on his Mother's wishes to stop.

He gave a small smile as memories of the one time he had been happy filled his mind. His Clan had been around for around a hundred years before he had been born. They were one of the major Lamia Clans: the more powerful vampire.

Lamia vampires were able to breed and produce vampire children in exactly the same way humans could. They could also decide when they stopped aging, unlike Made vampires, who were human and turned into a vampire through blood exchange, staying at the age that they were turned.

He'd been born in early 19th century Japan, the second son of the main house of the Uchiha Clan. He'd had a happy upbringing, learning the ways of samurai life and the rules of the vampires in the world they lived in: the Night World. A Mother's child who had strived for the affection of his Father, helping and talking to all of the people of his Clan and above all, trying his best to make his parents proud. He'd always been in his brother's shadow but had admired and adored him like no other.

And then it had all been shattered when he was no older than eight years old. He'd let his body grow until he was seventeen and had stayed that age ever since, living through the changing ages and travelling the world learning and searching for his brother.

Itachi had never told him his reasons for murdering the Clan. It was the greatest mystery that Sasuke wanted to know. All he knew was that it had something to do with the politics of the main Clans of the Night World: perhaps something that Itachi had heard would be happening and is his distaste had destroyed the Clan. The Uchiha Clan had been one of the most liked and well known vampire Lamia Clans with high positions in the Council; and the only vampire clan that eyes changed colour when they changed as they prepared to feed or attack. Other vampire clan's eyes and made vampires' eyes either stayed the same or became richer in colour.

Sasuke knew that the Shapeshifters of the Night World were also connected to Itachi's reason of killing the Clan, and as soon as Sasuke had found out, he'd gone to talk seriously to the First House of the Shapeshifters and they had ignored him, as if they knew something that would perhaps ruin them. Maybe they were partly to blame. Therefore, the Shapeshifters were the inhabitants of the Night World which he despised the most.

A breeze made his dark hair sway and he pocketed the wooden kunai. He was once again close to his brother and a human held the answers. A human that, when he touched, caused sensations unlike anything he'd ever felt before; when bitten, somehow allowed his mind to open and be explored…

It could only be one thing.

"Damnit," he swore, watching the hypnotic swaying of the park swing a few metres away.

It could only be the Soulmate Principle, where two Night World inhabitants, regardless of gender, were destined to be with one another: their equal and other half, sharing thoughts, feelings and being closer than any other two people could ever hope or dream to be. It had been most common hundreds of years ago, but had been slowly dwindling due to the changing times. Some Night World inhabitants went through their whole lives searching and finding their soulmate while others loved other people, never knowing who their soulmate was. Not all Night World inhabitants had one, though those that did were known to be lucky and more in tune with the supernatural.

But very recently, there had been stories about how Night World inhabitants had found soulmates in _humans._

2) Never fall in love with a human

It broke one of the cardinal rules of the Night World. The rules that Sasuke firmly believed in and one of his Clan's beliefs.

'_Soulmates…the human called Naruto and I?'_

After living for so many years and always avoiding any of the tough issues of the Night World, simply collecting Power as he wanted and needed, feeding off of humans for his own power driven and lustful desires and working towards his goal of avenging his Clan, something this…catastrophic had never happened to him.

Humans were nothing but food to him: inferior beings to the Night World race. He had never truly befriended one since his Clan's massacre: had always pushed them aside or ignored them if they ever approached him for something more than aimless chit-chat unless he needed them. No one could resist the allure of a vampire because they were _different_ in the eyes of humans for a reason they couldn't understand, and Sasuke had more than once used this to satisfy his desires and to find out information. All of his prey had always been frightened once they found out exactly what he was and begged for their lives in a weak manner, even though in the end their life would still be intact with either a memory blank or small subconscious psychological scarring. Humans were there to be used.

And now he was connected to one: a human, who he had thought he could control to get the information he wanted but instead had to flee because the wall that he kept within his mind had opened. A Soulmate would be nothing but a distraction, and long-lasting companionship; love, was not something he thought about, not after his heart had been torn in two after his Clan's massacre. He'd survived alone since that time and he could continue to. He felt so angry with himself for allowing something like this to happen, even though he had no control over something as powerful as fate.

It didn't matter how much, deep, deep down, he _longed _for someone to understand him and tell him that he had someone there for him. It was an unbidden thought that only came to the surface when he was broken, and that had last happened when he had been in his brother's clutches.

All the walls that he had built had been knocked down in a matter of seconds, and worse, Naruto had witnessed memories from his childhood which he had never trusted anyone with. If someone tried to talk about his early life with him, his anger took control and they were seriously hurt…but now, this human, this _outsider, _had seen Sasuke laid bare. It made him feel insecure that his deepest feelings had been shared.

Worse, Sasuke felt those old feelings and insecurities starting to affect his current coldness: breaking the mask of control and threatening to overwhelm him once more. Bonds were not needed unless they were for his own selfishness and if they were created, they were quickly crushed.

He hissed, trying to calm his raging heartbeat.

However, thinking about those bright blue eyes with a spark akin to fire within their depths, the rare marks upon his tanned cheeks that he knew were smooth beneath his fingers, the small, slim body and his fair hair…Naruto certainly was attractive in a unique, rough way. In fact, there was something breathtakingly beautiful about him. Sasuke had not been in close proximity with a boy as beautiful as him in a long while.

Sasuke remembered the sparks that had fizzed in the pit of his stomach and travelled down his spine at every touch. The first touch had struck deep within him and had felt as if this human could be the first the understand him, the one he subconsciously needed to help him feel finally secure…it was indescribable. The pleasure; it was simply more than any lustful bloodsucking had ever produced for him. Even the first time he had laid eyes on Naruto, he had felt his heart jolt with something he hadn't felt in a long time. The lust, the temptation, the need to dominate… He'd lost control, trying to stop the sparks and the pleasant dizziness and at the same time wanting more.

He had blamed Naruto for somehow enticing him to feel these feelings, recalling how he had demanded him to stop making him feel that way. It was only as he had left that it had become clear that it was something beyond both of their control, the Soulmate Principle.

Naruto's blood had tasted salty: a taste that was repeated on his skin, unlike most humans in the area who liked their sweets and sugar filled snacks. The small amount he'd tasted had been strangely addictive and he began to tongue his canines, feeling the familiar sensation in his jaw that he got whenever he was in need for blood. He'd used many a human just to satisfy his insatiable hunger for blood and this temptation was the same.

Sasuke stood up, feeling subtle shifts in the sir current around him that told him that the sun would soon rise. He needed to feed, but most of all, he needed a solution to his…problem. He breathed deeply, relaxing.

Naruto was the only connection to Itachi, but there wasn't a chance that he would go too near to him again if all he felt was the effects of the Soulmate Principle. He hated being reduced to a weakling and feeling vulnerable when he needed to focus on his revenge, and he didn't need a weak human that reduced him to a quivering mess, no matter how strong willed, determined and not particularly frightened Naruto seemed to be.

He didn't like exposing his vulnerability to anyone: the vulnerability he dismissed often and hid inside. And he would not and could not trust anyone again. Not after last time. And something as destined as the Soulmate Principle required ultimate trust and more.

A distraction wasn't needed; Sasuke's personal life didn't matter until his vengeance was carried out. And even then, he had no vision of what his future would be like. It was his pride as an Uchiha to never break the rules of the Night World.

He knew just the person who could help him. As much as he liked to work on his own, there was no other choice in his current situation. Problem was, she wasn't someone he particularly liked to deal with.

* * *

"Well, if it isn't Sasuke Uchiha. You're the last person I'd expect to walk into my shop and through my door." 

Sasuke gazed upon Tsunade, the leading Witch of Konoha and the surrounding towns and known throughout the Night World as the best healer of all Witches. She managed the two Circles, Twilight and Midnight, of the area and though she was over middle-aged, she looked as young as a twenty year old, which was certainly due to enchantments that she had cast.

She owned a famous shop, which from the outside looked like a simple herbal store but if you were a part of the Night World, it held ingredients for enchantments and lots of other mystical gems and trinkets. He quickly glanced around her office, which was haphazardly messy. She was still undoubtedly the same person he had last seen almost twenty five years ago.

"I wouldn't have come here if I had an alternative," he replied.

"Is this what it sounds like?" she smiled, "the missing Lamia needs my help? You're lucky that I don't owe Orochimaru any favours or I'd tell him where you are."

Sasuke ignored the question, eyeing the sake bottle and the poker chips that lined her desk amongst many documents, "Still drinking and gambling, I see."

She furrowed her eyebrows, "And you're still trying to go after your brother. You should leave it to the Council: they see him as a threat and know how to deal with him."

Sasuke snarled, "You've been talking to Kakashi."

"He stopped by earlier this evening: he's still the same, reading those damn books!" Tsunade laughed, "So, what is it you need? A healing serum? A love potion? It's about time you procreate; with a prestigious Lamia clan as yours I'm surprised that the Night World Elders haven't moved you to the Island and forced you to marry."

He tutted, "I'm not interested in any of those and you know it, Tsunade. I'm in a bad mood, so don't push it."

"I guess that all my girls in the Circles will be disappointed. You get new fans every generation," she smiled, seeing his frustration, "I've dealt with a lot of angry vampires in my time; lost a lot of money to them too. You're lucky that I have the patience to see you this early in the morning or you might have woken up with a nasty fungal infection, or perhaps with no hair."

He didn't dispute her threats. They were as real as rain was water. There was amusement in her eyes and Sasuke greatly considered walking out of here without a word, but an image of a blue eyed blond flashed in his eyes and he bit the back of his lip piercing and exhaled heavily, grinding his teeth.

She smiled, "Then what can I do for you?"

There was a pause and Sasuke answered, his expression neutral, knowing that he most probably would be laughed at in the face, "I need something to stop the effects of the Soulmate Principle without killing the person in question."

Tsunade's eyes widened before she chuckled nervously and poured herself some sake, knocking it back in a single gulp, looking directly at him, "You're serious."

It wasn't a question.

She shuffled some papers before leaning on her elbows, smirking, "Ah, this is rich! Sasuke Uchiha, the avenger, has a Soulmate!"

He clenched his fists, "It's a roadblock in my path that I have to get through. And it's not that uncommon; you had one yourself."

Her expression darkened and Sasuke, knowing that he had overstepped the mark, still stood his ground, unafraid. Her soulmate, a Werewolf called Dan, had died around a decade ago and he'd heard that she'd never got over it and probably never would. Just like he'd never get over the loss of his Clan.

She tutted and looked away, "I'll let that comment slide."

There was silence until she spoke once more, "So, tell me. Is it a pretty witch? Another vampire?"

Sasuke knew that whatever he told her would stay in the room, "A human."

Her eyes widened and she poured herself another shot of sake, which Sasuke scowled at. She gulped it down and smirked, "This is just getting better and better. But I have bad news for you. You can't stop something like the Soulmate Principle. If you don't want it to effect you, get out of town and try to forget about it. Or you could kill them."

He grinded his teeth, "Not possible. He has information I need…about Itachi."

She raised an eyebrow, "The first physical touch is the most intense, and though the pleasant effects will remain indefinitely, they are not as mind numbing the following times. I can't help you. If you really need the information from him, then grit your teeth and bear the feelings if they are unwanted. Just don't touch him too much or look too deeply into his eyes. Simple eye contact is fine. I'm sure you can do that."

"I'm used to physically getting information from someone."

"You vampires are all the same with your brash personalities and violent tendencies."

"It looks like," another voice said, "Sasuke will have to befriend this human to extract the information he needs."

The occupants of the room both whipped round to the window, where Kakashi was perched, his orange book open in his hand. He was dressed the same as before in dark grey clothes with a bandanna covering his mouth and another over his left eye.

"I told you earlier today to enter this room by the door!" Tsunade said.

"My bad, my bad," Kakashi answered, jumping into the room like a graceful cat, "I couldn't resist…eavesdropping and adding my own input."

Sasuke scowled, fisting his fingers, "I told you earlier Kakashi: it's my life and I can do what I please. I don't need you as a guardian so I can figure this out on my own."

His visible eyebrow raised and he turned a page in his book, "I was being serious. If you can't force the information out of him, you'll just have to let him tell you in his own time. That requires trust."

Sasuke flinched before he glared at Kakashi, turned and exited the room. He slammed the door behind him and then punched the wall, feeling the white plaster crack beneath his strength, his eyes a deep red. He was frustrated but most of all, he was in a complicated situation. Because, Kakashi was right. From what he had seen of Naruto, there was no way that he would spill information if physically restrained. He was a stubborn human, almost as stubborn as he himself.

Was befriending him, his Soulmate, the right course of action? Sasuke would have to take Tsunade's advice about no physical contact and make sure that, ultimately, Naruto trusted _him_ enough to let him know about Itachi. Sasuke would also have to curb the temptation of drinking the blond's blood.

He listened intently as the conversation in the room beyond the closed door continued. He knew that Kakashi at least knew he was there listening.

"That boy," Tsunade chided, "could do with learning some more social skills of this day and age."

"He doesn't know it yet, but I'm going to enrol him at the high school where the human goes."

Sasuke's eyes widened, his fingers twitching in their position within the plaster of the wall.

"What? No way! Tch, Kakashi, he won't listen to you."

"He's desperate Tsunade. I've tried to make him see reason as to give up with revenge because it is futile, but I know he will never listen. He'll do anything to avenge his Clan, anything. In that case, I guess, I can only help him though protect him at the same time," said Kakashi, "By going to the same school, he'll ultimately spend more time with the human and therefore befriend him quicker and get the information he needs. Maybe Itachi will come to him if he spends enough time with the human, who knows. Plus, it will do him good to get some modern education and interact with teenagers and Night World inhabitants his age. He's grown up too quickly and at least needs to enjoy his life as other Night World inhabitants do. He's still young in vampire terms."

"If it's the high school in the east of town, the head teacher is a vampire so you'll have no problem with it; you could even see him now," she commented before there was a small pause, "You know more about this situation than you're letting on, Kakashi."

"Sasuke mentioned a few things about a human he scared and was going to follow. He restrained him in the middle of a road in broad daylight after the human mentioned Itachi's name. I did a little information digging myself and…"

Sasuke walked away from the door, hearing enough. As he exited the shop, the sun just peeking over the horizon, he thought about all that he had heard and his situation. He could easily challenge Kakashi and stop this supposed enrolment in a school. But thinking clearly, what other way was there to spend enough time with Naruto to get information?

It would be a challenge and not something he would enjoy. To integrate with humans, especially a Lamia vampire as aged, powerful and well known as he was, seemed degrading. He was a hunter. He'd have to be more wary, as he'd be around humans much more and he would have to control his primitive instincts. There would most probably be Witch girls who would likely cling to him and Werewolves he would have to put up with.

At a school, Naruto would have friends, which meant that perhaps they knew or had information on Itachi; maybe they were even more connected to Itachi than the blond. He could find out the information he needed in-avertedly. It was obvious that Naruto was also protected as he'd had a protection ring on with an enchantment cast by a witch. But it had been far too weak for someone like him.

It was too much of a chance to pass up. Kakashi was right: he was desperate. He would once again use a human for his own twisted desires, but this would be much more complicated: Naruto was not simply someone who would fall for his vampire charm and looks or the experience of danger he could promise.

He smirked to himself. He knew for a fact that the vampire hunter, Neji Hyuuga, who had chased after him with a wooden stake since he'd been in Konoha for the last four months, also attended that school. It would be amusing to rile him up in an environment where Neji wouldn't be able to attack as he wanted. Perhaps, he could even irritate Naruto and his fiery will. He had called Sasuke a bastard too many times and needed to learn his place: an interesting teenager indeed. Sasuke needed the information about Itachi or else.

Desperate times called for desperate measures afterall.

* * *

The conversation behind the door continued. 

"I never would have thought that someone like Sasuke would have and find his soulmate, and a human at that."

Kakashi nodded.

"You know," Tsunade sighed, "I just hope that his soulmate is someone who can endure Sasuke's personality. Sasuke having a soulmate…is a good thing. He…he shouldn't have to suffer alone."

* * *

Naruto felt himself awaken, vaguely hearing his alarm radio blasting out a random indie song. 

'_Funny,' _thought Naruto, his eyes still closed, _'I'm sure it's usually much louder than that.'_

He opened his eyes, straightaway seeing the blue of his carpet. He blinked and then sat up in shock, dizziness attacking his forehead from his fast movements. He gripped his head and rubbed his eyes, taking in his surroundings.

"What the hell am I doing in my hallway?!"

He frowned before he shrugged his shoulders, thinking that perhaps he might have sleepwalked or something. He got onto his feet, wondering why he was quite shaky and felt unbalanced. A hiss escaped his throat as a sharp pain worked its way from his left arm up his neck to his ear. He raised his hand to his neck, feeling bumps and scratches on his smooth skin.

Naruto frowned, and entered his bathroom while pulling his t-shirt over his head. His eyes instantly widened as he took in the small lines of encrusted dried blood on his neck, which was red and sore. The scratch lines seemed to criss-cross up towards his ear and that was when he noticed his lip was also swollen from a cut. He bit it and winced. Tilting his jaw, he gently prodded red marks that marred his tanned skin. He noticed that they continued down his neck amongst the scratches. It was weird: they looked almost as if they were love bit-

He flushed, his cheeks reddening and his ears heating up.

'_I did not just think that,' _he thought, _'No one molested me, it was…'_

What had happened exactly?

He sat down on the edge of his bath tub, recalling the day before. He'd gone to school, some random, gorgeous guy had glomped him on the way home... Okay, that was a major thing because it had been seriously weird and unexpected. Naruto remembered that he'd asked about Itachi and had then got scared off. In fact, he remembered all of that perfectly. He recalled eating some Ramen with Gaara and playing computer games, calling Sakura and then sleeping.

Everything was fuzzy from there, but it had to be because he'd been asleep. But that gave no explanation as to how he had received these wounds.

'_Maybe I did get them from being glomped by that guy…but that's impossible as I would've treated them straight away…'_

He stood up and looked at himself once more in the mirror, "I'm going mad."

Within forty five minutes, he had showered, dressed, eaten some Ramen flavoured breakfast cereal and had applied some salve to his wounds. He was grateful for his shirt collar and blazer covering up the worst of his injuries, though he knew he'd be asked numerous questions during the day regarding the marks on his jaw and his mini fat lip. Luckily, he was quite a fast healer, so they'd most likely disappear in a day.

He arrived in school early, not seeing any of his usual friends as they mostly arrived just as the bell was rung. Heading towards registration, he entered the room and sat at his desk, making small talk with Shikamaru who only raised an eyebrow at his wounds. He felt distracted and was therefore not in the mood to really talk. Covering his jaw with his hand as he leaned on his desk, the bell rang and Kiba, Sakura and Gaara all walked in late, unable to really talk to him.

Registration was done in silence or they'd face the wrath of Iruka Umino, their form teacher.

"Class, we have a new student joining today, though I'm not sure where he is right now... He'll be in our registration form so please be nice. Oh right, here he is…"

Naruto jolted out of his daydreaming by his form teacher's announcement, looking to the door as a tall, dark haired teenager walked in with smug confidence and an air of indifference.

His sapphire blue eyes widened, his hand falling from his cheek and flopping onto his desk as he silently gasped.

The teenager at the front spoke, "Sasuke Uchiha, that's all you need to know."

All hell broke loose.

--

**To be continued...**

**

* * *

**I don't know if anyone expected _that _to happen This fanfic won't lose its darkness because of this twist; we're in for a long ride yet! Yay, Tsunade and her good ol' sake. Also, the Soulmate Principle is a key feature of the Night World books and puts a real spin on things. Plus, it's going to drive Sasuke nuts with frustration, hehe. As always, I'm happy to answer any questions. 

Virtual cookies decorated with icing for anyone who gropes the review button (haven't said that in a while!)


	5. The Integration

0.o I'm sorry for the long wait, seeing as I had this chapter written for a while! I had to add more to it though and change a few things as Naruto's character was a shambles XD I'm much more pleased now! And my exams started yesterday, evil Eng. Lit. But they're all over next week, so yay for me.

Arigato gozaimashita for the reviews!! I love you all! And Sai agrees. He's been bugging me the past few nights to write him into this.

* * *

**The Night World: Immortal Affliction**

The Night World isn't a place. It's all around us. It's a secret society of vampires, witches, werewolves and other creatures of darkness that live among us. They're beautiful and deadly and irresistible to humans. Your high school teacher could be one, and so could your boyfriend.

The Night World laws say it's okay to hunt humans. It's okay to toy with their hearts; it's even okay to kill them! There are two things that you can't do with them.

1) Never let them find out the Night World exists

2) Never fall in love with one of them

This is a story about what happens when the rules get broken.

* * *

**Chapter 5 - The Integration**

--

Naruto was shocked to say the least, hearing gasps escape mouths across the classroom. Yesterday had been a surreal day and it now looked as if this day was going to outdo it before it had really started.

'_It's him, the glomper…' _Naruto thought, _'what is he doing here?!'_

He looked much taller wearing the school uniform, tight white shirt that was untucked from slim black trousers that made his legs seem impossibly long, a red and black striped tie hanging loosely from an unbuttoned colour with a black blazer jacket completing the look. He hadn't even started his school day and he was already breaking uniform rules, but all of the other students did anyway. He oozed a feeling of ease, but most of all, he was as gorgeous as Naruto remembered him. He felt his pulse in his ears and was brought back into the world of the classroom by whispers from other students.

The blue eyed blonde immediately felt anger and disbelief as he recalled how Sasuke Uchiha had pushed him to the ground without even a word. What right did he have to do that? Naruto felt the stirrings of humiliation and embarrassment at the way he had been subdued so easily by someone who was rude and demanding.

He stood up, not noticing that three others had as well. Ignoring the way in which his teacher was looking at him, he pointed at Sasuke, who had his hands casually in his pockets, "Hey you, glomper! What are you doing here?!"

Black eyes shifted across to him and the moment they made contact, a small shiver that fizzed slightly ran down Naruto's spine, making the hairs on his nape stand on end. Time seemed to slow as Naruto took in the piercing onyx eyes and the pale face that held an unreadable expression, unable to breathe.

His mind reverted to his discovery of the marks on his neck and jaw line and he felt his body respond in an unwelcome way, wondering why. He breathed, glaring right back.

It was an intense stare and Naruto observed as Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed for a long moment before he smirked, "Free country, Naruto."

Naruto blinked, wondering how he knew his name when he hadn't mentioned it when he had been glomped by him. He frowned and then grinned, "If you think you're gonna catch me unawares again, you've got another thing coming, bastard!"

"Naruto," Iruka began, "Stop the language and-"

He was interrupted by another student who had stood up.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Naruto listened as Gaara spoke, a ferocious glare in his green eyes.

Sasuke pulled his eyes away from Naruto and glared at the red-head, speaking calmly, "I don't like it when others get in my way."

Naruto instantly knew that he was talking about the previous day when Gaara had found him and Sasuke. They were glaring at each other intently as if trying to scare the other into submission. Naruto wondered why they seemed so hostile to each other, as what had happened between them wasn't that serious. Gaara's body language spoke differently though. It looked as if he was about to spring in anger and take Sasuke down.

Gaara then turned and looked straight at him, his eyes widening a fraction. Naruto realised that his best friend was looking at the marks on his jaw and his cut lip and he smiled sheepishly in return, mumbling that it was nothing. The red head then swung his head back to the front, glaring at Sasuke even more than before, his fingers fisting at his sides. Naruto wondered why. Did Gaara think that Sasuke had given him the marks? Naruto didn't even know himself how they were inflicted.

The blue eyes blonde smiled within. He always felt as if he was on cloud nine when he was reminded how much his friends cared for him. It was a touching reassurance after living alone for so long.

Sasuke ignored them both and began to walk between the rows of desks towards a seat, ignoring Iruka's bewildered look at the behaviour of his class. Naruto sat down, still reeling from what had happened and so did Gaara, but Neji, who had also been on his feet from the beginning, did not.

Sasuke approached him and Neji spoke, his face expressionless, "Uchiha."

"Hyuuga."

"You've got some nerve," began Neji, "coming here. There's obviously some ulterior motive. You're too proud for something like this."

Sasuke smirked, "I'd watch what you say in front of so many…people."

Naruto avidly watched the exchange of words as well as the rest of the class. From their body language, it looked as if they were rivals; no, more than that, enemies. The tension between them was very visible and the blond wondered just how far Sasuke was entangled with other students of the school. It seemed unbelievable that it was only yesterday that he had encountered him for the first time and now, he was attending the same school. Naruto had not heard Neji ever talk about him either.

Neji gave a small, sly smile, "Confident, aren't you? I guess fate is on my side for now. You'll have to watch your back even more now because I'm not letting this chance escape."

Sasuke shrugged, "Go ahead and try: it'll be the same result as last time, and the time before that, and the time before that. You don't have the strength to call yourself a Hunter, branch member Hyuuga."

Naruto's eyes widened as Neji's eyes widened in anger and made to move forwards and attack Sasuke, but he stopped himself as soon as he started, gritting his teeth and staring at Sasuke intently.

"Hn," Sasuke said, walking away towards a seat at the back, "Remember where we are, Hyuuga."

Neji sat down before he remarked, "Be quiet, Uchiha; I've got plenty of pencils to sharpen."

Naruto watched their heated exchange in fascination and confusion, wondering just how many people Sasuke was on the wrong side of. Glancing around the room, Naruto heard a small whisper of _'It's him, the Avenger!' _and other gasps of admiration from starry-eyed girls. Some were just staring intently. Kiba was growling and Naruto blinked at how real it sounded. Others were just ignoring the commotion that Sasuke had caused. Chouji was eating. Shikamaru was asleep. It was quite confusing.

Naruto turned his head and watched as Sasuke sat down in one quick motion, his movement fluid, leaning on his elbows and turning his dark eyes towards his. Naruto kept the eye contact for a few seconds, thinking about how interesting the day was turning out to be.

And thinking a little about how he was affected by him. Naruto had been attracted to many girls, but never a boy. He'd never really questioned his sexuality. But feeling this attraction now: it did not scare him or make him feel any different. It felt strangely right…even though he knew nothing about this person except that he was brash and a bastard.

Something inexplicable called Naruto towards the pale, dark-haired boy.

He felt dark eyes rove over the marks on his face, before Naruto felt blood rush to his cheeks and he turned away.

He turned towards Sakura who was sitting to his left and immediately frowned, concern for her rushing through his veins. He leaned towards her, their desks quite close and placed his hand on her arm, where she instantly jumped. Her wide, green eyes turned and focused on him and he felt the small tremors that swept through her body.

"Ne, are you okay?"

She gulped and opened her mouth to speak, but she faltered, her eyes glancing to the back of the classroom where Sasuke was sitting before meeting blue eyes once more, smiling and squeezing his hand reassuringly, "I'm okay, Naruto."

He didn't believe her and he knew she wasn't saying anything so that she wouldn't worry him, "Sakura…"

"Naruto, be quiet please. Everyone, calm down! This is a classroom!" Iruka raised his voice, "I've never seen such an entrance. Sasuke, could you please remove your facial piercing: it's not allowed in sch…"

Naruto turned to the front, giving Sakura's hand a gentle squeeze, and sighed heavily as he listened. Then, Iruka just stopped talking in mind sentence as he was berating Sasuke, his mouth half open and his face stuck in his expression.

He then shook his head and began to give out any notices. Naruto pulled a face, wondering why his teacher just stopped halfway through telling Sasuke to take out his piercing. It was extremely out of character and it looked as if his words had been taken out of his mouth…

Before he knew it, it was time for lessons.

* * *

Naruto sighed. Everyone was acting weird today, he deduced. 

Sasuke had been in all of his lessons so far and the atmosphere had been quite tense. The blue-eyed blond had felt eyes boring into the back of his head in every one of them, but he had refrained from turning around (although a number of his biro pens had been subjected to his chewing in his frustration). Sasuke seemed to take seats that were behind him, which Naruto assumed, was especially for this cause. But Sasuke never spoke to him, and Naruto, though annoyed, was more distracted by his friends' moods.

They had all instantly questioned the marks on his face after registration and he had acted none the wiser, ruffling the back of his head and had told them not to worry. They obviously didn't believe him, but they didn't push it. Gaara had stayed quiet throughout the whole exchange, his eyes strained and his body language betraying his calm façade to show anger underneath. Naruto thought that perhaps Gaara had come to the same conclusion that he had: that they were bruises and scratches from when he had been pushed to the floor by Sasuke the previous afternoon, even though Naruto was unsure himself.

It was clear though, that from Naruto's proclamation to Sasuke, that Kiba and Sakura knew that he had met Sasuke before. Naruto calmly told them about his run in with Sasuke the afternoon before and was surprised to see Kiba's eyes widen in what looked like realisation as he uttered the words 'damn Uchiha' and had then questioned whether Sasuke had inflicted the mark on him. Naruto had once again told them not to worry, but apparently it was all that Kiba needed.

And then, Naruto had been stunned to see Kiba and Gaara glance at each other, a look of understanding pass between them and then they had both nodded at each other. Hell, the world was ending. They positively disliked each other, and were friends with Naruto and Sakura but not with each other and it had been that way for a long time. Sakura had looked just as confused as he was, but didn't question anything.

Nothing else had been said during the subsequent lessons, but both Kiba and Gaara had been quiet and almost wary. Gaara stuck close to him in the school hallways between lessons and it was hard to not notice that they were somehow being protective of him.

Naruto felt as if he had missed something. He'd resolved to not question their actions, but he couldn't hold anything in anymore.

The only normal occurrence was the small conversation he'd had with the gerbil his Science teacher kept. Well, Naruto never talked back – as far as he knew, he could only understand them – but it was hard to not listen to the silly complaints the gerbil had of its less than adequate food when he sat next to its cage.

The bell rang and the noise of everyone packing their school bags for lunch break signalled the end of this thoughts and a way to fill his grumbling stomach. He stretched, quietly groaning in satisfaction as he felt something pop in his back, and proceeded to go to the dining hall.

Kiba and Gaara had already exited the classroom and as Naruto hurried to catch up to them, he heard the snippets of the conversation they were having.

"…attacked him again last night in his home once I left," said Gaara.

Kiba growled, "What a bloodsucking jerk…memory loss…next time it's a full moon and I see him, I'll…"

"…we have to protect Naruto, perhaps…Neji…our side…rip his guts out, turn him to ash…"

"Woah Gaara…Elders will have our heads…last Uchiha…scare him away…find out his true intentions…"

"…greed…insatiable hunger…" said Garra, "he shouldn't be around Naruto…ring did not help…"

"So, it's us two against him for the moment; differences aside until this is solved?" said Kiba.

Naruto gently pushed himself between them, saying, "Until what is solved? What are you guys talking about?"

Kiba smiled, "Ah nothing, Feline. Gaara and I are…just patching up are differences."

Naruto sighed and then began to whine as he flapped his arms around, "Guys, cut the crap; what's up? C'mon, tell me!"

Kiba smirked and shook his head, Naruto pouting and giving the brunette a playful punch on the arm.

"You've both been acting strange all morning," he said, fiddling with his bag strap, "I appreciate your concern but I can handle Sasuke on my own."

"We know," smiled Kiba, "but he's been eyeing you all morning, and trust me, you don't want to be on the receiving end of a look like that."

Gaara nodded and Naruto was about to speak again when they all turned the corner and almost collided with Sakura.

"Hey Sakura-chan," chirped Naruto, "You feeling better now?"

She nodded, holding her brightly coloured folder to her chest, "Yeah, a little better. I heard you challenged Konohamaru to another Ramen eating contest."

Naruto smiled, "Hell yeah, I'm feeling competitive! We're going Ichiraku's tonight."

"When are you not?" she replied, jokingly poking him in the ribs.

"Hey," he frowned, "your nails are like daggers."

"I thought that you were more macho than that," Sakura pouted.

Naruto grinned, raising his eyebrows, "I'll show you how macho I can be, Sakura-chan…"

They looked at each other for a few moments before Naruto burst out laughing and Sakura giggled, Kiba rolling his eyes. They quickly calmed down and Naruto gave a huge grin, "That cheer you up?"

She nodded and gave a small smile, "Yeah, much better, idiot. Thanks, Naruto; I needed that."

"Well, I don't like it when one of my best friends is feeling down."

Sakura nodded, "It's all a bit of a commotion down this way if you're heading towards the dining hall."

"Commotion?" questioned Naruto.

Gaara, who was slightly taller than the rest, looked down the school hallway and spoke evenly, "Hinata and Uchiha."

Kiba's eyes widened, "Oh great…"

He rushed off down the school corridor to the small crowd that was gathering.

Naruto sighed, "What's so bad about that? Is it connected to Neji; like family related? Sasuke might just be saying hello or something."

Gaara shook his head slowly, "Come on Naruto."

The red-head also began to walk down the corridor and Naruto looked towards Sakura, "It's not that bad, is it? I'm missing something here. Damnit, let's go have a look!"

They both hurried down the corridor and pushed through the small crowd of around fifteen that had gathered so that they could see properly.

Naruto saw that Hinata Hyuuga, the cousin of Neji was standing around a metre in front of Sasuke and they were both looking at each other. There seemed to be tension between them, but nothing like the tension that had existed between Neji and Sasuke earlier in the day. There were a few girls surrounding Hinata, their faces wary.

"Hinata Hyuuga," spoke Sasuke, his right hand extending out in a gesture. Naruto noticed that on his forefinger there was a black ring. Sasuke spoke once more, "I did not know that the current Hyuuga heiress resided in Konoha."

It was true that Hinata was an heir, as her Father owned a major industrial company, but it was odd to hear Sasuke greet her in such a way. Unless, he was referring to something else… It was well known that there was hostility between Neji and Hinata even though they were cousins. Neji had told him that it was to do with the business of the Hyuuga's but Naruto was sure that it stemmed much deeper than that.

Hinata, her wide white eyes which were bright and alert, fisted her fingers a couple of times before shakily lifting her hand to Sasuke's, a small handshake occurring between them, "S…Sasuke Uchiha. I…I heard that you had started here. I d…did not think that the main Hyuuga family w…would meet you once more."

Naruto noticed that Hinata had the same type of ring on.

'_Ah! Must be some sort of business relation. Maybe their parents work together, like they belong to the same sort of empire?'_ Naruto mused.

Sasuke tightened his grip on her hand before letting it go, "I've seen many branch members but I did not think that we would meet. Two people from two main houses."

She spoke calmly, "I s…see that you have met Neji."

Sasuke nodded and smirked, "We don't get on well for obvious reasons. I'm surprised that he hasn't tried to take you down yet, but of course, he's held back from the main family by the cur-"

"Enough, Uchiha," interrupted Kiba, suddenly stepping in front of Hinata, "now's not the time for these types of introductions."

Sasuke smirked, his dark eyes roving over the crowd. The moment they joined with Naruto's, the blond once again felt a small shiver work its way down his spine, leaving a pleasant feeling in its wake. Naruto was unsure as to what was exactly happening and what they were talking about (it was becoming a frequent occurrence) but he turned away from the gaze, his eyes falling to Sakura's face, which looked rather worried.

Naruto turned back and saw that Sasuke and Kiba were glaring at each other, before Sasuke smirked, muttered "Stupid lupus," and turned away, walking down the corridor and out of the doors to the outside.

"I'm glad that's over," began Sakura, smiling, "everything seems to be happening today."

Naruto nodded before bounding over to Kiba and Hinata, "Hey, Hinata! Don't worry about that Sasuke bastard! If you feel intimidated by him, just let me know and I'll kick his ass!"

Hinata flushed slightly, "Hello, Naruto-kun. I'm f…fine."

They talked for a while and Naruto teased Kiba, knowing that he held an attraction towards her. They all ate lunch together, Sakura sharing her own recipe cookies with them all, the tension filled episode forgotten. It wasn't long before the bell sounded and it was time for the last lesson of the day.

Their teacher had taken them out of the classroom into the outside grounds of the school, which was lush with many trees, in order to make the most of the sunshine after all of the rain they had been having and the warm, spring weather.

Sitting on the numerous picnic benches, they had then been put into groups in order to analyse a few poems. Naruto's current group was not one that he considered could get on and actually do the work they were assigned to do.

Reason 1: Sasuke bastard was in their group and was staring intently at Kiba and Gaara, occasionally looking towards him.

Reason 2: Kiba and Gaara were staring back just as intently.

And he and Sakura were in the middle of it all, just watching the staring unfold. And it was getting boring.

Naruto kicked Kiba under the table, seeing as his face slightly contorted in pain, "Hey, Dog-Boy, stop the glaring. You too, Gaara; you're both freaking me out!"

Sasuke smirked, twirling a biro pen between long fingers, "Dog-Boy?"

Kiba growled and Naruto chided, "You too, Sasuke-bastard. Are Sakura and I the only ones who want to pass this subject? I need to pass to get my Ramen allowance!"

Sasuke retorted, "But you're nothing but a dead-last according to a lot of other subject teachers."

"Hey you jerk! That's not true. If anything, you've done nothing but sit in lessons rather than do any work!"

Sasuke shrugged, his eyes intently looking at the marks on the blond's chin, "I'm not interested in school work, Naruto."

It was the way in which he said his name that made Naruto glare at him for a few seconds and then turn away, muttering, "Insane glomper."

"Moron."

"Please," began Sakura, cracking her knuckles, "Naruto's got a point so let's get on with the work or do I have to strike you all into starting?"

Kiba smiled uneasily, "Ah, no need for that, Sakura. I'm sure we can all get on for an hour."

Gaara nodded, his jaw set and Sasuke smirked, but they managed to begin their annotations in quiet talk until Sasuke aggravated Kiba.

"You're looking bored, Dog-Boy," he began, borrowing Naruto's nickname for him, "want me to throw a stick and say fetch?"

Kiba stood up and slammed his hands down, "You-"

"Enough," said Gaara, pulling Kiba to sit down once more, "we'll sort this out after school."

"Fair enough for me," replied Sasuke, "no distractions from…normal people."

His dark eyes looked at both Sakura and Naruto.

"Damn, why d'ya have to be so rude Sasuke?" groaned Naruto, running his hand through his hair, "that's my nickname for him, so don't go stealing it and you don't even know us or why I call him that so don't go assuming anything. We're all normal people."

"I've got a perfectly good reason for why I'm telling him to play fetch."

Naruto growled and Sakura rolled her eyes, saying, "Can we get through the day without anymore arguing? It's been a tough day as it is."

There was silence as they resumed their annotations until Naruto saw that Sasuke was looking at Sakura inquisitively before asking, "Sakura, huh; I think I've seen you somewhere before."

Her pencil stilled and Naruto watched as she gulped before placing her pencil down on her notebook, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear and frowning, "That's strange, I've never seen you before. Maybe…maybe we've passed each other in the street or something."

Sasuke trailed his eyes over her face before he answered, "I guess so."

The bell rang, signalling the end of the school day and Naruto was thankful that Sasuke didn't seem to follow him into the school where he headed towards his locker with Sakura.

* * *

Outside, Gaara and Kiba glared at Sasuke. They had all followed each other to the back of the school grounds where certain things needed to be said. And Gaara began as violently as possible. 

He grabbed Sasuke by his shirt collar and slammed him into the bricks of the science building, his body half changing as he did so. One eye remained green while the other changed shape and colour into a mixture of gold and black, that side of his face stretching and deforming into an animalistic shape. Two small ears appeared within his red hair and his fingers grew long, sharp claws.

Sasuke watched the half transformation with growing adrenaline. He knew that the Shapeshifter would show his true colours eventually, and he had only half transformed so that he kept his human features. It looked like Gaara was a racoon dog shapeshifter, a Shukaku, which was quite rare in this part of the world.

"Stay away from Naruto," spat Gaara, "or I'll rip you to pieces. Take your bloodlust somewhere else."

Sasuke hissed, changing himself, feeling the pleasant ache that came with his teeth lengthening and his eyes turning colour, Power coursing through his veins. He lifted his hands to Gaara's and pried them off of his shirt, feeling claws cut his skin and instantly heal with a burn. He threw Gaara off of him, the red-head stumbling back a few paces as Sasuke smirked at him, "I don't take any orders, especially from the likes of you."

Gaara growled but Kiba then stepped forward with intention on his face, "I'm telling you as well. You've already had a taste of him last night, so why do you keep looking at him in such a hungry way? I understand that you've gotta eat, but that doesn't mean that you can just enter his apartment in the middle of the night. Breaking and entering isn't a Vampire's thing; aren't they more the clubbing type? There's plenty of other humans walking around and pretty girls in the Night World clubs who wouldn't mind a bite or two. Hell, there are loads of willing donors as well! So stay away from him because the last thing we want is to find him drained of all of his blood."

Sasuke snorted, "You're a part of the Inuzuka werewolf clan, right? You both must be well versed in Night World history so don't think you can talk to me in that way when you know I won't listen and there's no Clan behind me to tell me what to do."

"Oh yeah, the Avenger," began Kiba, "although I feel sympathetic towards you about the tragedy of your Clan, the moment I laid eyes on you all I saw was a high and mighty, stinking Lamia vampire. Just leave Naruto alone and go after your brother. Don't get us all involved. I mean, what were you thinking making allusions to the Night World in the range of humans? Naruto is not that stupid and Sakura has a very analytical mind."

Sasuke smirked angrily, his crimson eyes spinning, "You know nothing about me or my reasons for being here. I can do what I like and only if you or anyone else interferes and gets in my way people will get hurt. Ignore me and let me be and you won't have to suffer the consequences. It's been a while since I've spilt Werewolf and Shapeshifter blood, so don't tempt me."

Kiba growled and Gaara, who had turned back to normal, looked fiercely at Sasuke, "If I find out that you have hurt Naruto in any way, directly or indirectly, I won't hesitate to carry out my threats, Uchiha."

"Same with me," said Kiba, flexing his fingers, "I really want to hit you now, but I know it'll be much more worth it for the next time you mess up. I don't want to see any more bites or marks on Naruto's face or neck."

"Whatever," shrugged Sasuke, relaxing and feeling his body change back, "stay out of my way and you'll just have to wait to see what happens."

Sasuke watched as Gaara tried to go towards him again but Kiba held him back and with final glances, they turned and walked away.

The dark haired vampire breathed deeply and ran his fingers through the hair on the back of his head, feeling no blood or injury from where his head had been slammed against the wall. He cricked his neck and began to walk towards the entrance of the school to track Naruto down, adrenaline still coursing through his veins.

It had been an interesting day, more so than he expected.

So many humans and so many different Night World inhabitants. A few vampires and witches had nodded to him in respect during the day and he'd had to fight off unneeded advances from human girls. The odd Night Worlder who had approached him, he gave small talk. He had easily manipulated the teachers' thoughts into letting him get away without doing hardly any schoolwork and just leaving him well alone, accept for those he could not manipulate due to them being a strong part of the Night World.

His confrontation with Neji had been amusing and he had not expected to see the heiress of a powerful Lamia vampire clan, Hinata Hyuuga, in the school. She seemed quite a docile vampire with a nervous disposition and he knew that she would not get involved in his affairs. Maybe her docile nature was why Neji was so highly strung. Those Lamia vampires born to the branch of the Hyuuga Clan were cursed into living a human existence so that they could be controlled and would not interfere with the politics of the main house. Neji had therefore become an accomplished Vampire Hunter in rebellion.

'_But he's still hasn't marked me with a scar once,' _thought Sasuke with satisfaction.

It was clear that two of Naruto's friends, Kiba and Gaara, did not know that Naruto knew Itachi. Therefore, they were useless information wise. They were protective of the blond, much more so Gaara, but that wasn't a problem. The adrenaline rush he got from their confrontation was still making him buzz.

The pink-haired human, Sakura. She seemed to be hiding something. He would extract information from her a little later if she showed anymore signs of nervousness. He'd seen her speaking animatedly to a human girl called Ino, so perhaps she could be useful as well.

But other than that, it seemed that Naruto held all of the information about Itachi. Sasuke's hypnosis had worked perfectly, as the blond did not remember any of the details of the previous night. It was strange making eye contact with him once again, feeling the small shivers that travelled down his spine to leave a feeling of pleasant haziness in its wake.

He ignored the feelings, instead concentrating on learning the character and personality of his prey. Naruto was a fighter and very stubborn. He argued back but on the other hand, could be quite calm and easily recognised another person's feelings. He seemed happy and carefree. Sasuke knew he had annoyed the blond by staring at him all day: he had seen the slight tension within his strong shoulders. He had been waiting for the human to snap, but he hadn't so far. He smirked; it was only a matter of time.

Speaking of which, there he was, walking along the path towards the school staff room. He remembered that the blond had to speak with a member of staff. The path was quite empty, a small wall with high gates on the left.

A perfect opportunity.

* * *

Naruto walked slowly, his bag swinging behind him on his shoulder as he made his way to the staff room. He mentally reminded himself to call Gaara and Kiba in the evening. 

"Naruto."

A shock of cold awareness washed over him and was immediately replaced by sudden warmth. That voice seemed a little deeper than he had heard around ten minutes previous. Perhaps it was the way in which his name had been said.

He stopped walking, looking towards his right to see Sasuke walking casually up to him. A small breeze blew, blue-black hair swaying around his face in the breeze, spring blossoms falling from a nearby tree over them both. The image was ethereal and blood pulsed in his ears, blocking out all sound accept his heartbeat and the sight of Sasuke.

The feeling was broken by Sasuke suddenly looking away and Naruto immediately faced forwards, blinking, and began to walk again. He saw that Sasuke was at his side. The pale face was free from expression, mouth slightly parted.

"What d'ya want, bastard?"

"You have a detention, dead-last?"

Naruto guffawed, "Ha! If anyone should have a detention, it'd be you for causing so much trouble."

"Hn."

There was silence, but Naruto felt the dark eyes which were focused on his face, and that spoke volumes.

That was it: he couldn't take the staring anymore.

Infuriated, he whirled around and dropped his bag to the floor, fingers flexing, "Look, you've been staring at me the whole damn day! You were right in Hinata's face earlier, and, what was with the glomping yesterday? What is your problem? You're seriously ticking me off!"

Sasuke smirked and Naruto become aware that it highlighted his strong facial structure, "She'll be okay. And I told you yesterday, idiot."

"Yesterday?"

Before Naruto had even blinked, he felt hands on his chest push him backwards so that he lightly hit the gates and sat down on the wall. He looked up to see Sasuke standing around a foot away from him, his eyes intent and focused on him, "That it wasn't over."

Naruto frowned before his eyes widened in remembrance.

"_This isn't over…" the teenager muttered before he gave a small smile and ran across the road. A car drove past as he reached the other side and then he was gone. He had disappeared. His parting words echoed._

Damn, he was going to ask about Itachi again. Naruto remembered how strong Sasuke had seemed when he had been pushed down and held there, and the reluctance to let him go until his questions had been answered.

"I told you then and I'll tell you now! I don't know who this Itachi person is, Sasuke. Nor do I know why you're so desperate to know."

Naruto kept eye contact until it became too intense, butterflies fluttering in his stomach as he glanced away. He did not want to talk about Itachi and his crazy cult…

"You're lying or you wouldn't have called me by his name, so let's just cut to the chase shall we? You tell me all you know about Itachi and I'll leave."

Naruto scowled and stood up, the distance between them suddenly smaller. Sasuke was taller by a few inches but Naruto was defiant, "I won't even give you the satisfaction, asshole. Is this why you came to this school: to stalk me for information? Well, no chance, I'm keeping tight lipped."

Sasuke smirked, "I have plenty of ways to make you talk, dead-last."

Naruto smiled slyly, "Bring it on, bastard. I'm not scared of you."

Sasuke's hand reached out and grabbed Naruto's tie, pulling him even closer, his voice deep and husky, "You don't know who you're dealing with."

Sasuke's scent invaded his senses, an earthy, natural smell of Birchwood that was neither overpowering nor imperceptible. The kind of scent which would pleasantly lull you into a sense of security as you walked through a forest on a spring day. It was strangely comforting in the midst of the pounding of his heart from the tension that was palpable between them.

It was intimidating to have Sasuke so close to him, but he did not back down. The stoic, hard eyes met his in a challenge where neither would back down. This close, Naruto could just about feel warm breath against his nose and he could see long lashes and the perfect, pale complexion that was Sasuke.

Naruto swallowed, his fingers twitching slightly at his sides due to a tight tingling sensation in his chest, "I've dealt with a lot worse."

Sasuke's smirk widened and the tingling feelings within Naruto increased, which was paralleled with Sasuke's sudden slight frown. With a deep, shaky breath, the pull on his tie was lessened and Sasuke's hand fell away, the distance between them widening, the pleasant feelings between them diminishing.

Naruto suddenly craved closeness and he flushed because of the feeling. He had felt _wanted _when he had been so close to Sasuke. Was that what true attraction was like? Sure, he could say that he loved his guardian, Jiraiya, even though he rarely saw him, and he loved all of his friends and would do anything for them, but to actually have someone that you truly connected with, that someone who was more than a friend…he craved that warmth; that security, that person-who-I-could-tell-my-deepest-secrets-that-not-even-my-friends-know.

Despite having been attracted to other girls in his lifetime, he could not deny that there was a connection – a spark – that he felt around Sasuke.

_I want to know more about you…_

But Sasuke was a bastard who cared for nothing except for his familiarity with Itachi. In just this one day, he'd felt more riled up than for a long time.

Those feelings: the hot shivers that raced down his spine, the delightful haze that accompanied it, the tingling in his chest…and all from a simple look. That surely meant something, right? It was all foreign, but it felt strangely _good._

His thumb twirled with the band of the ring that Gaara had given to him for 'protection.' And then this morning, he'd woken up with unexplainable marks on his face and neck. His lip was still slightly sore and he bit it gently, missing the dark eyes that flared with excitement.

He sighed, breaking eye contact with Sasuke and swooping down to grab his bag. Raising his body straight, seeing that Sasuke had his hands in his pockets and a small smirk on his face, Naruto turned away, fully intent on seeing his teacher and then going home so he could just push his face into his pillows and drift between sleep and daydreaming. For some reason, he felt out of touch and neither happy nor sad nor okay.

He took two steps before Sasuke's voice stopped him, "I always get what I want."

The blond stopped before walking on, a dejected tightness in his chest, replying, "We'll just have to wait and see."

He walked on.

* * *

That night, Naruto dreamed. 

At first, he felt warmth overtake him, his own body feeling under four years old. Strong arms wrapped around his body in a desperate embrace, shielding him from the terrors of the world. The person let him go, blurred fair features smiling and ruffling his hair with glee and pride. _That's my son._ Then, it was all ripped away when he was still very young by faceless hands, a hiss and the stench of blood as he grew up alone, pushing the subdued pain to the back of his mind and living a life of inner loneliness.

Images of his friends flashed before him and then there was darkness once more as a blurred outline filled his vision and a hand tightened around his neck, poisoning him with words and taking away all of the warmth he had gathered. Crimson eyes. A flash of pink; a dark veil.

Obsidian eyes. Pale fingers stroking his whiskered cheek. Shiver. Pale thumb caressing his lips. Sparks. Heat overtaking him as he ascended and descended into the black hole known as ecstasy. Closeness.

Blood. Obsidian eyes. Pain. Crimson eyes. Death. Pale figure reaching out but unable to grasp onto life.

Naruto woke up with watery eyes, clutching his chest for reasons unknown.

--

**To be continued...**

* * *

Weeeee, yep, so I've pretty much lined out where the characters stand within the world of this fanfiction! Quite a few guessed so kudos to you, yayness! Sakura and Naruto are human, Kiba a werewolf and Gaara a shapeshifter, well...hehe! And some back story has also been revealed (gasp)!

Next chapter will actually have some lovely moments between our two fave teens, as I needed to lay some ground work You'll soon get some of Naru-chan's blood Sasuke! Afterall, who wouldn't want to paw Naruto? hehe!

And I guarantee jail can be avoided from molestation of the review button.


	6. The Contemplation

(is shocked) by the number of reviews! Wow, guys, I can't thank you or glomp you enough! So instead, this is my fastest update yet and it's like super long!

Thanks to **ShadowRat, SabakuKyuu17, ObsessedReader, Wolfgirl21, Red Asatari, Crystal Promise, tysonandkai, ellacrain, iloeme5895, HoshitheHorse, Nusku, Anonymous Sister of the Author, ErraticMovements, BloodyUchihaPast, blue-nuriel, thelunarstorm, FallenAngelKiya, lilioan, malulie, radders, steph, Mrs.NarutoUzumaki, Mallrats2007, coldfront, left-alone, erika, Shaay, losthimagain, Anastacia, chocolatelover1, threeBOWLSofRAMEN, Plot Bunny Stew, Ginger Heart, The Last Kitten **and **SpunkyHellKitty!** Also thanks to** Kae Caelum** for a tiny input in this chapter!

Oh yeah, who loves Sai? After he bugged me for so long, I finally wrote him a cameo! He's OOC because I wanted to have fun with him (he's, um, horny, hehe)!

* * *

**The Night World: Immortal Affliction**

The Night World isn't a place. It's all around us. It's a secret society of vampires, witches, werewolves and other creatures of darkness that live among us. They're beautiful and deadly and irresistible to humans. Your high school teacher could be one, and so could your boyfriend.

The Night World laws say it's okay to hunt humans. It's okay to toy with their hearts; it's even okay to kill them! There are two things that you can't do with them.

1) Never let them find out the Night World exists

2) Never fall in love with one of them

* * *

**Chapter 6 - The Contemplation**

**--**

Itachi slowly made his way towards the centre of Konoha, his booted feet silent against the concrete of the ground, his long cloak swishing against his legs, the distant sound of the central fountain invading his ears.

It was late, but there were still a few people swaying outside of neon lighted bars and laughing merrily. If he had not already fed, he would've had made a meal out of them. A girl whistled as he walked past, his crimson eyes never straying to glance. All of them were human; Night World inhabitants had their own clubs and bars, although it was not uncommon for them to wander into human dwellings for prey.

Many Night Worlders never came near him. His aura was powerful, spiked with darkness and intense Power. Those who did try to apprehend him, Itachi Uchiha the wanted Lamia, suffered in the same way that humans did.

Vampires needed human or animal blood to survive as they needed the haemoglobin present in the red blood cells in order to transport oxygen around their bodies, so they could also drink the blood of witches, werewolves and shapeshifters to survive. Vampires also drank other vampire's blood for physical pleasure or to show dominance, although they could not rely solely on it.

Then _she_ stepped in front of him.

He stopped, trailing his eyes up her form before he walked around her, knowing that she would follow.

Tentative steps followed him before he turned into a small roadway where there was light from an orange glowing street lamp. The steps stopped and he turned, speaking.

"I knew that you'd come eventually."

His face remained expressionless as she flinched at the coldness in his voice. She then fisted her fingers and walked up to him until she was a couple of feet away, her eyes narrowing, "Itachi-kun, you blood-sucking bastard."

He raised his bare fingers to her face, sweeping a stray lock of her hair away from her eyes and she turned her face away from his gaze, a small shiver running down her spine, eyes closing.

"Still responsive to my touch I see, Hana." He knew exactly how she would react.

She glared, her voice rising, "Don't patronise me, I…"

Itachi looked upon her, knowing that she was beginning to break inside. She trembled and then her hands grabbed onto the front of his cloak, pulling herself closer to him, burying her face into his shoulder as she trembled, her hair tickling his chin. His arms remained still by his sides.

His acute hearing caught the mumblings and whispers that escaped her mouth and after a few moments, with a silent and swift movement, he was out of her hold and a few steps behind her. She was not surprised.

"Why…" she began, turning around and facing him with anger and desperation laced into her features, "why are you here?"

Itachi had been expecting her. He had felt her presence the moment he had stepped foot in Konoha the previous evening and knew that she would eventually feel him too and seek him out. She looked the same as the last time he had seen her, her eyes haunted by the past.

"You do not need to know my reasons. Just know that you can't get in my way," he spoke clearly, his crimson eyes narrowing.

"Why are you like this? Every single time…you always push me away. It hurts. You're my Soulmate!" she said, sighing and an almost defeated expression crossed her face, "but that doesn't matter to you, does it… You know I can't fight you. As much as I hate you, I understand you."

Itachi advanced and pushed her into the wall of a building along the road they were talking in. The orange light of the streetlamp flickered and died, darkness flooding the road as he had willed it to. She did not move from her position and he raised a pale hand with a thick ring on his forefinger and trailed long fingers up her neck, knowing that she felt its effects.

He gave a small, sly smile, "You know that I have a strong control over my emotions that I do not feel any of the effects of the Soulmate Principle. You are nothing but a hindrance for me and I have shown you how much I despise you many times. You are powerless against me."

He trailed his hands down her sides, opening her jacket and slipping his fingers underneath her top to trace his fingers against the sensitive skin of her waist. She shuddered against him and she spoke in a whisper, "I know exactly how you feel. But can't I dream? I keep hoping that one day, I'll meet you as you were back then before you turned cold…why…why won't you take me with you?"

Itachi gave a small smile as he dropped to his knees as if worshipping her, his fingers digging into her hips as he leaned forwards, his teeth extending and his eyes swirling, "It's been a while since I've drank blood of your kind."

With precision, he broke through the soft skin of her hip, her blood instantly filling his mouth as he forcefully sucked the blood from her vessels.

She arched above him in pain and then threaded her fingers through his hair, trembling in pleasure. Whatever he did and wherever he went, she would continue to follow him; worship him; love him…even though she despised his dark nature. She would always give herself to him.

And as she fell into a light sleep, Itachi walked away, her form resting against the wall and her knees drawn up to her chest. He thought, _she'll be useful to me yet…_

She lived by fate: how tragic her future looked this time round.

* * *

Sasuke strolled into school late and any teachers who came to reprimand him were manipulated to ignore him. One tricky Lamia vampire teacher with countless scars across his face and head ignored him of his own free will. No one really wanted to mess with an Uchiha. 

The school corridors were mostly empty and the moment Sasuke turned a corner, his senses flared. His body immediately reacted, his hands flying out of his pockets, his stance changing as he moved his head to the left, his right hand coming up in a quick movement to catch a half-foot long wooden stake in the air that had been thrown at him, his teeth gritting as the sudden momentum of the wooden stake caused a burning friction in his hand. In less than a second, he had turned his wrist and had thrown the wooden stake in the direction it came from.

He smirked as it skimmed a cheek, a thin cut welling with blood and dropping to the floor as the sharp end of the stake imbedded itself in the plaster of the wall right beside a head of dark, brown hair.

"Nice try, Hyuuga, but that was never going to work."

Neji gave a small, sly smile, reaching up to take the stake out of the wall where it instantly broke into pieces. He dropped the pieces to the floor and wiped the blood on his cheek with the back of his hand, "Just checking to see if you were on guard. We wouldn't want education to soften you, would we?"

Sasuke glared at him, feeling the warmth of his blood against the cold skin of his hand where the wood had broken through his skin. He hastily rubbed his bloody hand on his black blazer jacket, breathing deeply as he felt his skin begin to heal itself. Neji was without his blazer jacket, a few specks of his blood staining his white shirt. Sasuke felt like ripping the black headband he wore around his forehead so that he could see the curse mark that adorned it and piss the Hyuuga off in the process.

Luckily, the corridor was empty so there was no need to erase any memories. The stared at each other for a few moments before the bell rang and they were immediately surrounded by students making their way to their first lesson. Neji walked away, giving Sasuke a silent promise that it wasn't over by a raising of his hand in a goodbye gesture.

Sasuke looked down to his hand, seeing that it was completely healed. Red lines crisscrossed with each other and slowly faded, all splinters dispelled from his skin. Flexing his fingers, he started on his way towards his biology lesson, knowing that he would be sitting next to Naruto.

His thoughts tangled within his mind. Last night, he had searched for food with a questioning Kakashi who had proceeded to enquire about everything that had happened during the day with his silly smile that Sasuke knew was beneath his mask. A small Vampire bar on the outskirts of town had caught their attention and feeling unexplainably irritated, Sasuke had settled for blood without the hunt. A chilled Blood-Bath cocktail had satisfied his needs, although Kakashi had annoyed him further by trying to convince him to try the vampire version of the Bloody-Mary cocktail, knowing full well that Tabasco sauce and Sasuke did _not _mix well. A toast to his first day in modern education, apparently.

The blood had satisfied his daily need, but the taste had been bland even with the lemon juice. It was not warm, nor was it bursting with life. But most of all, it did not taste like _his._ That small drop of blood that he'd acquired of Naruto's when he'd accidentally bitten through his lip had made him addicted. He longed to taste its tangy saltiness again as it pulsed into his mouth, warm, teeming with haemoglobin.

He desired Naruto's blood and felt stirrings of lust, and if the circumstances had been any different, he would have already drunk from Naruto and come back for more. An addiction that hadn't even begun.

But that was impossible because there was no way that Sasuke would open himself up like that again unless there were dire circumstances.

He had felt small stirrings of the Soulmate Principle in school when he had seen Naruto: small sparks in his gut whenever his eyes connected with glacier blue ones and a feeling of a craving for closeness when they had been near to each other. Sometimes, it had become far too intense with what he was comfortable with and he had to back away. It was strange really; just being in the same room had brought a wash of warmth and _security_. It was a foreign feeling: one long forgotten.

He couldn't think about that now; Itachi took precedence over anything. And once he had his information, he would leave and forget all about the blond called Naruto.

He walked into his biology class and sat down on a stool near the back of the room, the classroom slowly filling up with students. Sakura and Ino walked in, the blonde poking her friend out of her daydreaming with a few friendly insults. Around a minute later, just as the teacher was about to shut the door, Naruto slid into the room, his thin form coupled with agility Sasuke didn't know he had allowing him to quickly enter the room as the door closed, spinning on the spot and grinning, blonde hair tousled as he muttered an apology for his lateness.

He certainly seemed quite the free spirit.

Sasuke was not surprised when the grin dissolved into a frown when Naruto noticed that he had to sit next to him.

"I have a feeling that somehow, you're sitting next to me on purpose," Naruto said as he sat down, removing his school bag and taking out his textbook.

Sasuke replied, "I think it's more a case of my name being before yours alphabetically, dead-last."

For a strange reason, Sasuke felt his pulse race slightly at the emergence of an irritated and embarrassing flush that graced Naruto's upper cheeks. He thought it was his bloodlust again, knowing that the tiny capillaries of Naruto's cheeks were engorged with blood. Another thing that Sasuke immediately noticed was that the more intense side of the Soulmate Principle feelings were not affecting him. He could still feel that warm sense of security bubbling in his stomach and a desire to reach out for more closeness, but the sparks seemed to have dissipated.

'_Tsunade did say that I would get used to the feelings,' _he thought, and he did not know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. They had not touched since their first touch and the first touch was always the most intense. It still felt…uncomfortable to him.

Sasuke saw that Naruto split lip was all healed, and the marks on his jaw were also non-existent. Naruto was a fast healer it seemed.

He noticed that Naruto had not bitten back at his remark and was instead fiddling with his biro pen, "Cat got your tongue or are you accepting dead-last as your name from now on?"

Naruto's head whirled around, immediately out of his contemplations, "Hey, bastard, there's no way I'd accept that name. I'm just in a weird mood; I like had this dream last night where there was lots of blood and it felt real, so…"

He stopped and frowned to himself before continuing, flicking his textbook to the appropriate page, "…but I don't know why I'm telling you that when you're only interested in one thing."

Sasuke smirked, "Want to tell me how you know Itachi?"

"You must be joking."

He watched as Naruto wrote the date and the title in scrawled handwriting in his exercise book, his tongue escaping the side of his mouth. There was no doubt in his mind that Naruto most definitely knew Itachi and not just by name. At first, Sasuke felt that it was stubbornness that held Naruto back from telling him, but just from the short time he had known him from school, the vampire was sure that it was perhaps fear or some other type of emotion that kept Naruto from saying anything about Itachi. Naruto had not just met his brother, found out his name and then walked away, but rather, it seemed that in the past, he'd had perhaps a sustained contact with him.

There were many possibilities. Perhaps Naruto was one of Itachi's victims. The elder Uchiha was gluttonous and attracted to beauty and could have easily drank from the blond, but that wouldn't explain why Naruto knew him by name as Itachi would surely have killed him or left him so heavily scarred that he couldn't live in the real world.

There was no sign of that though. Naruto seemed happy and carefree, but was that just the exterior? Was there something that Itachi had done to him that stopped him from wanting to talk to him?

"_I've dealt with much worse."_

That was what Naruto had said yesterday. If Itachi had fed on him, Naruto's memory would have been wiped and therefore he wouldn't know Itachi at all. If Itachi didn't wipe his mind, Naruto would surely know about the Night World and was hiding this fact.

No, that wasn't a possibility. Naruto wouldn't have been so shocked when he had entered his house and had tried to get the information he needed through violence and showing his Night World identity. Naruto had been shocked at seeing that vampires were true to the world, and if he had known about the Night World or vampires, he would have attacked back with words or with the appropriate weapon. Seeing another vampire could have triggered a memory to appear, but that hadn't happened.

It was then possible that Itachi had spoken to or done something to Naruto that was nothing to do with the Night World, but had freaked him out enough to not say anything. But something still didn't add up, as Naruto was not one that was particularly frightened and stood up to anything to an extent and Itachi did not play with his food.

Sasuke breathed deeply. Perhaps force was not the way forwards. He could perhaps threaten someone close to Naruto and make him talk that way. As far as Sasuke knew, he lived alone and it would be difficult to track down other family members, if any.

Sakura. He could use her as she was precious to Naruto. There was something about her, Sasuke knew for sure. It was a question of interrogating her and then finding the perfect opportunity, when Naruto and Sakura were together but alone, and striking.

If that opportunity opened.

Gaara and Kiba kept a very close eye on Naruto; they were very protective of him. It was a hard concept for Sasuke to understand: how those of the Night World could become such good friends with humans. Wasn't it easier and better to just stick with your own kind? It was true that the Night World was integrated in the human world and both humans and Night World inhabitants were people, but it still seemed weird. At least one of them was with Naruto in his lessons and from their encounter the previous day, it was certain that the Werewolf and the Shapeshifter would make sure there was not a time when he wasn't alone on his way to and from school. Sure, he could break into the blond's home again, but that wouldn't work if Sakura wasn't there.

Looking out of the window at the sunlit grass, he vowed to not let any opportunity pass.

He turned back to look at Naruto who was chewing the end of his biro pen as he read the chapter the teacher had directed. It was certain that Naruto had noticed his resemblance to Itachi from his misguided name calling, but it had eluded him as to if there was a family connection. A sigh escaped Naruto, his face etched in concentration, eyes half lidded.

Then those eyes met his, bright blue that sent a shock into the core of his body from their intensity. Sasuke blinked and flexed his fingers. His eyes really were something.

"Hey, aren't you going to do any work?"

Sasuke shook his head, "It's boring. I know all this already."

"You're just lazy," said Naruto, pointing to the colourful textbook, "Then what's the significance of haemo…haemogl…glo…"

"Haemoglobin," Sasuke smirked in reply

Naruto pouted, "I knew that. Well?"

"Haemoglobin, which combines easily with oxygen in a reversible reaction, is present in red blood cells. In the lungs, it combines with oxygen to create oxyhaemoglobin and in the muscle tissues, reverts back into its two components," said Sasuke as if referring his name. He knew everything there was to know about blood for obvious reasons.

Naruto looked at him as if he had grown another head, "Well what d'ya know. The bastard is clever after all."

"It's simple biology; I'm surprised they teach it so late," replied Sasuke, moving back slightly as Naruto started to flick and wave his pencil about it exasperation.

"Simple?! What big-shot school did you come from? Did they major in glomping and stalking; you're pretty good at that."

Sasuke ignored his remark, "Stop waving that pencil around. I thought you said you knew all this stuff."

Naruto opened his mouth a couple of times before furrowing his eyebrows, "I do know it all! I just forget stuff, especially science. Ask me anything about history and I know it all _and_ remember it!"

"Hn," muttered Sasuke, his eyes watching as Naruto grinned and ruffled the hair at the back of his head, blonde spikes falling into his eyes. The feeling of warmth and security suddenly spiked when Naruto opened his eyes and there was a small, frozen moment in time where it was just the both of them in the room and they just looked at each other in wonder. Sasuke saw that Naruto's eyes opened to him, blue irises that swarmed with a multitude of blue hues and different emotions that called out to him.

Biting his lip stud, he turned away at the moment when Naruto removed his hand from his hair, looking to his textbook with confusion in his body language. Sasuke knew what he was feeling; knew that the feelings were against his will, no matter how alluring and gorgeous Naruto was, but the blond had no idea.

Sasuke hoped Naruto didn't get any _ideas._

And Sasuke did not like the lack of control he had.

"Ano…" Naruto interrupted his thoughts, pointing to an image of the cross section of a heart, eyes downcast, "at least you could help me with the rest of this work?"

Sasuke raised a brow and Naruto quickly said, a serious expression on his face, "Oh, don't think that I've forgotten about your threats yesterday. You said you wanted me to talk, but you haven't tried very hard."

Naruto sighed, absentmindedly doodling, continuing, "I…I might as well act nice to you while you're not acting a real bastard. It's in my nature, you know? And I don't know why, seeing as I haven't known you long at all, but I feel really comfortable around you."

Sasuke blinked, the words echoing in his mind, trying to alleviate the tightness that suddenly gripped his chest. These were words of comfort and words of possible friendship, words that no other person had known him well enough or cared for him enough to say in a long, long time. Naruto, he…he acknowledged anyone in his own personal way, even if that someone had acted in a non-friendly way. Naruto said that he was a bastard, but he still talked to him as if looking for the good.

It felt as if Naruto wanted to know him better; become friends, even after the questioning. Wasn't that the objective of this high school farce? If he became…friends…with Naruto, the blond would eventually open up. But that would take too long and that required trust, something that Sasuke did not want to deal with, even if it was one-sided. This was difficult; he was used to doing everything alone without the help of anyone else.

_Someone's calling out for you after so long._

Sasuke tutted to himself when his age-old insecurity was brought to the surface. He willed it away, though the sparks seemed to have returned, travelling down his spine as if racing with each other.

The blond had interpreted the warm feelings as comfortable, yet Sasuke knew from the other times he had seen or been in the company of him, Naruto had responded to the more intense feelings with a flushed face, hitched breath and racing pulse. Tonguing his retracted canines, he felt the stirrings of desire begin to interact with the hot sparks in his body.

He felt…claustrophobic. The feelings of wanting closeness and to reach out for security were claustrophobic. He drew in a deep breath, "Why don't you tell me what I need to know in exchange for some help? It would save you an awful lot of hassle, Naruto."

'_I can't act in that way,' _Sasuke thought,_ 'I can't pretend to be something I'm not; I don't feel confident enough to trust myself around these feelings and to allow myself this closeness which can control my thoughts against my will. I can't, even for the sake of finding my brother. There are other alternatives.'_

Naruto gave a smirk of his own, sighing, "You had to spoil it, didn't you? Whatever, I'll just ask Shikamaru later."

"Then how about I have a chat with Sakura?" Sasuke reiterated, feeling the warmth wash away, "You're close to her, so I'm sure she knows more about you than most other people do. I'm sure I could force something out of her, don't you agree?"

Sasuke expected dangerous eyes from Naruto and he got what he expected, blue hues dancing with anger, "Hey listen, Sasuke. You leave her alone."

The vampire squeezed the biro pen lid in his fingers, feeling the plastic bend effortlessly. This was where he'd find his information: this was the key. To enter the mind of Naruto, you had to hurt his friends, and this friend was a human called Sakura, "I'm serious. This is not something trivial. You've definitely seen Itachi before. In fact, I believe you somehow encountered him for a period of time and knew Itachi personally."

"Shut up!" cried Naruto in a muted tone as to not attract attention. He leaned forward towards Sasuke, eyes intense, flecks of purple bleeding into the blue in anger, "It's obvious that you want information on Itachi so that you can find him yourself. Why would you want to find someone as sick and insane as him anyway? Let me give you some advice Sasuke: I've dealt with worse than you. You don't want to go _anywhere_ near him. I've dealt with Itachi and learnt that the hard way. Truth is, I don't want to talk about him because he brings back times I don't want to remember and I don't want to tell you because I don't want anyone else to get hurt!"

Sasuke's eyes widened, his pulse racing as he felt himself being dragged closer to Itachi that he had been for decades. So Itachi definitely knew Naruto for a good amount of time and had done something to deeply unsettle the human. This was the key. Naruto had survived the wrath of his brother and there was a reason for that. So close, so close. A few more pushes and he'd know all he needed to know. Then, he could piece it together and take that step closer to once again finding his accursed brother after so many years of torment and sleepless nights.

Those sapphire blue eyes were close, half lidded, mouth parted with an increased breathing rate from agitation and desperation. Those whisker marks, etched onto perfect tanned skin, blond hair radiating numerous shades as it fell into those stormy eyes.

_I don't want to tell you because I don't want anyone else to get hurt…_

Closeness. _I need to know more about Itachi! _Comfort. _So close. _Visual perfection. _This could be the key to the end of my sleepless nights._ So, so warm…._ Lust/Desire/Want for his blood._ Those eyes... _Desperation. _Desperation...

As Naruto turned his eyes away, Sasuke on instinct and through need, grabbed onto his wrist, "Naruto–"

Sparks shot through his body like wildfire, the warmth deepening into red, hot pulses of pleasure, need and _belonging_. As if a protective blanket was thrown around his shoulders, Sasuke suddenly felt immensely protected and in a place where, somehow, everything could once again be alright. This was coupled by an intense feeling to devour the sight of Naruto, whose own blue eyes were wide spheres filled with emotion Sasuke did not want to decipher in fear of seeing something he did not want to. Desire and lustful thirst was the fuel to the ache in his upper jaw and he became aware that he was still gripping onto Naruto's warm wrist, his pale hand complimenting the tanned wrist that was trembling just as much as his own body was.

It was just like before, albeit not as intense. Letting go of Naruto's wrist, their fingertips skimming in each other as they pulled their hands towards their body, Sasuke felt those same feelings of _knowing _Naruto and, feeling at the same time, ease and open and vulnerable.

"Sasuke…" Naruto muttered, his voice low and heavy and Sasuke was brought back into the world of the biology lesson, the bell having rung and everyone in the process of packing their belongings into their schoolbags, though his pale skin was tingling. Naruto's expression was a mixture of bewilderment and awkwardness, with a small hint of contentment.

All of Sasuke's desperation was gone, his body completely calm as if Naruto's aura had soothed him. The sudden need to punch something and the need to _flee _from the one thing that he could not control overcame him and he stood, placing his battered biro into his pocket and facing the still sitting down Naruto, who was following his every move with his eyes. Those eyes…

"Going to stare all day, Dead-Last?"

Naruto blinked, glancing around the room before he too stood up, "In your dreams, Bastard."

Sasuke stayed still as Naruto placed his belongings into his school bag, slung it over his shoulder and headed straight towards Sakura and Ino, in view of the threat he had received. Sasuke followed at a small distance, his eyes boring into the blonde hair on his prey's head. In the midst of the crowded hallway, Naruto turned his head around to look back at him, his blue eyes standing out in a sea of black blazer jackets.

Those eyes were filled with a warning, but beneath the anger was that lingering emotion of confusion and a need that the vampire could not fully decipher.

The blue eyes turned back and they met up with Gaara and Kiba as they exited their own classroom. Sasuke slowed down to a stop, seeing no point in following Naruto to his next lesson where all his friends were in there and he was not.

He'd skip his second lesson and take some time to evaluate his current position. He also needed some time away from those warm, addictive feelings that had once again threatened to overwhelm him.

'_Why did I touch him?' _he asked himself, heading towards his locker to wait for the crowds to enter their classrooms. He breathed deeply, the spike of warmth and sparks that had overcome him still vivid in his memory and body. Sasuke had always felt desire for humans: to use them and take their blood, seduce them for his own pleasures and pastimes. But this desire was much more intense: it blew the other out of the window. If Sasuke desired something, he got it. He desired for Naruto's blood, but that was an impossible desire with what was at stake. He'd be open to Naruto, all walls broken and feeling the vulnerability he never wanted to feel again.

It was also those eyes; a richer blue then any other blue he had ever seen in a human's eyes. They showed so much emotion and expression, hiding nothing from the world except for his deepest and darkest pains, which Sasuke knew that Itachi had inflicted.

He pushed his thoughts away, revelling that although he was within dangerous territory, he was one step closer to getting the information he needed and leaving for good. If he was away from the desire, it could not harm him.

As Sasuke loitered against his un-used locker, he caught sight of a scrawny teenager who was staring at him intently in the almost empty school corridor as most of the students had now entered their second lesson.

He was a vampire; Sasuke could tell straight away. A Made vampire, only around five years old in vampire years. He was still in the stage of excitement, which lasted around ten years in itself as you found out you could live forever, hardly anything could hurt or kill you and you attracted more attention of the right kind than ever before.

"Sasuke Uchiha, hey?" the Made vampire asked casually as he walked up to him, extremely at ease with who he was and also very confident, "I've heard all about you but I never thought I'd ever meet you here. I'm Sai."

Sasuke remained quiet as he took in the personality of the vampire from his aura. From looking at his eyes, Sasuke could tell that his human life had not been a happy one and that his vampire turning had brought out a new side to him. Sai's dark hair was short and fell into thin, oriental eyes, his skin even paler than his own. A thin paintbrush was tucked behind his ear, a few red paint splotches on his white shirt.

The oriental eyes gestured to Sasuke, long neck inclining to the door behind him, and Sasuke found himself following Sai into the male bathroom. He needed a distraction from his thoughts.

Sai stretched, quickly making sure that they were alone, "You've been talking to Dickless, haven't you?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, his silence broken, "Dickless?"

Sai nodded, a wide grin on his features, "Naruto. Dickless. Same thing. It annoys him. So I call him it. You want to sleep with him?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, though gorgeous blond features and the connection that was their Soulmate bond opened in an image in his mind that was neither wanted nor unwanted, "You're not very subtle are you. I'm after him for several reasons."

Sai pouted, "That's not first on your agenda? He is gorgeous. Lovely eyes. There was that one time, the first time we ever met, where I groped him in the gym showers but he freaked out; I wonder why..."

Sasuke replied sarcasm, wondering just how this vampire had grown up, "Yeah…I wonder why…"

Sai did not notice the sarcasm, or rather, thought that he was being serious. He was certainly a strange character, this vampire.

Sai shrugged, "But I think that you're gorgeous too. What d'ya think…up for some vampire fun? I've got some tongue razors in my bag and I'm in no hurry."

Sasuke's smirked and with a quick movement, pushed Sai up against the tiled wall, "Desperate, aren't we."

"I'm horny," Sai replied indifferently, "and I like the more experienced guy. You must've have picked up some nice tricks the amount of years you've lived. Vampires last longer than humans. Rougher as well. What do you say, Avenger-Boy?"

Sasuke tilted his head and suddenly swooped in and nipped harshly at Sai's lip, his sensitive tongue picking up the vestige of human blood. He stepped back, Sai's eyes narrowed.

"I've got far more important things to do," said Sasuke, absentmindedly flicking his tie, "and I prefer it when my prey squirms. Humans taste nicer, anyway."

Sai bit his lip where Sasuke had bitten it moment before, before he grinned, eyes creasing, "Ah, it was worth a try. Anyway, want some Dust?"

"You've already started on that at your age?" asked Sasuke, leaning against one of the sinks, "No wonder you're so weird: you're high."

Sai ignored him, fiddling with the paintbrush behind his ear, "Do you want some or not? It's the finest: old English Oak from some place called Oxford. We could be Dust buddies instead of tongue play buddies."

Sasuke scoffed, wondering why he was still in high school when he should have graduated already, "I gave up that stuff a long time ago."

"Fine, whatever, just keep the humans out."

Sasuke did not move from his position and instead watched Sai close the toilet seat and place a book on top of it. He then dug into his pockets and pulled out a small, clear packet with a light brown powder inside, pouring some of it out and then using a debit card to line it up into a line.

Humans did a lot of drugs, like cocaine and cannabis, but as these human drugs were infused from nature, they did not affect the more powerful beings of the Night World, namely the Vampires and Shapeshifters. They could overdose and still not feel a thing. Instead, Vampires of both kinds got a thrill from their most dangerous source of fatality.

They sniffed _sawdust._

Just enough to become woozy, slightly out of control and receive guts to be able to do anything. It also caused hallucinations and gave Vampires a dreamy happiness. It was very addictive and the thrill gained was unlike anything.

Sai quickly sniffed the line before putting all of his equipment away and stretching his back. As he turned back to Sasuke, he noted that Sai's eyes were glazed. Within a few minutes, the Dust would enter his bloodstream and cause a delirious persona.

Sai smiled, "Now I can just dream away Maths and Science. Only Art has ever held my attention. See you later, O-Mighty Uchiha."

He skipped away and Sasuke shook his head, ignoring the comment. Really, the younger ones had no idea how awful the Night World could be. They were also the ones who would foolishly challenge older, more experienced vampires and lose spectacularly. There'd been a time when he'd tried to escape through Dust but it had created a Sasuke that was the lowest of the low and not in control.

Well, the younger generation were the future of the Night World. The older generations needed to create a Night World that was a secure place to inhabit. And although Sasuke cared solely for his revenge, his Clan had always looked to the future, regarding the Night World as something to be looked after and protected. That started with Sasuke destroying his brother.

He fisted his fingers and headed to a place he could wait out until last lesson which both Naruto and Sakura were in without Gaara or Kiba.

* * *

Naruto absentmindedly poked his pasta around his plate, the thoughts of his mind drowning out the conversation of his friends as they all ate their lunch. 

He'd woken up feeling awful, the dream playing on his mind and reminding him of his Father who had long since passed away among images of blood and utter pain and loneliness. He'd pushed his feelings to the back of his mind and had smiled all the way to school, noticing Sasuke's absence at registration. As soon as he had seen his friends, his mood was uplifted.

He'd entered late into Biology and was surprised to see Sasuke sitting in the space next to his assigned seat. Then Sasuke had both annoyed and embarrassed him by reminding them about the position of their surnames. Naruto had felt slightly warm when he had sat down next to him, strangely aware of Sasuke's presence beside him. The only way he could now describe it was that if he had turned away, he would've known if Sasuke was there or decided to move.

'_Meh, the bastard had to be clever,'_ he mused, spearing a sweetcorn with his fork and eating it.

That was when that strange feeling had resurfaced. He'd felt it yesterday in small undertones whenever he had looked at Sasuke and the feeling had been much stronger when he had been in close proximity with him after school. Those feelings: the hot shivers that raced down his spine, the delightful haze that accompanied it, the tingling in his chest…and all from a simple look. That surely meant something, right? It was all foreign, but it felt strangely good.

He'd felt comfortable sitting next to the 'glomper' who was a bastard and who had threatened him. He had relished in the fact of telling Sasuke this because he felt that everyone should aspire to say what they feel when they felt like it and taking every chance in life before the chance even came around. Naruto saw Sasuke's surprise at his words and was surprised how well he could read the dark-haired boy's body language. His already heavy-lashed dark eyes had darkened, his sculptured mouth breathing in deep breaths.

There was something strange about Sasuke that Naruto willed to discover. He was very closed off and he had felt hurt when Sasuke had ignored his words of, well, potential friendship. The warm sparks had stabbed his insides, fuelling his anger as Sasuke had threatened Sakura. That was when he had told Sasuke his true feelings about all the fuss around Itachi.

Itachi was dangerous: the end. True, it had been around seven years since he had last seen him and there was a notion that perhaps at his age of seventeen, he could now stand up to Itachi more, but it was the memories from the time he had spent with Itachi: the memory blackouts, the emotional pain, the threat of physical violence, the strength that Naruto knew was in Itachi's body, that deep laugh, those crazy coloured contact lenses that made his eyes red as Naruto refused to believe that red was his natural eye colour…he couldn't subject anyone to that man.

And even if he did tell Sasuke, it was years since he had seen Itachi last! Naruto had no idea where he was and did not care either; the further away he was, the better. All he could really tell Sasuke, was about the time he had spent with Itachi and all that consisted of was painful memories. He did not want to unload his baggage onto anymore people; Sakura was enough. He was eternally thankful that she had never been in contact with Itachi, although Ino had and hadn't seen his worse side. Gaara and Kiba did not know, as Naruto had kept it a secret from Kiba during their primary school days and he had not met Gaara until high school.

He felt a flutter in his stomach as recalled their physical contact, the way in which he had felt cut off from the world around him except for Sasuke, where a hot, pink spark had raced through his arm into his body, igniting his neurones with a delightful pleasure. For that small moment, which had felt like forever, that craving of closeness returned. He had the urge to move as close to Sasuke as possible, to once again smell that natural scent of Birchwood and feel safe and hot; where he needed something that he could not describe in words; where he felt he belonged.

He could drown in those obsidian eyes forever. And Sasuke's grip on his hand was tight, yet his pale skin was so, so cold. How could anyone who Naruto felt this strongly for survive with that coldness?

_I'll warm you up, Sasuke…_

Even when Sasuke's hand had retracted, Naruto had basked in the afterglow that lingered, wanting more; desiring more. He knew Sasuke had felt everything too, just by the way his eyes lit up and his body trembled just as much as his own. In that moment, Sasuke was more beautiful than Naruto had ever seen him.

Then, the feelings were broken and they had gradually faded as he had left the classroom, immediately walking with Sakura as he knew; he knew that Sasuke's threats were serious because that was what desperation did to people. That was what he had seen in his dark eyes.

Just what were those feelings? It didn't happen to anyone else he touched and Naruto was sure that even if you were attracted to someone, like he could now definitely say that he was to Sasuke, nothing that intense could happen. Was this one of those silly love at first sight things? He thought not, though he had heard Ino and TenTen say that butterflies always flew in your stomach when the love bug was around. Naruto had felt the incredible feelings before, he instinctively knew it. It was recent too, but when? He didn't know.

'_Sasuke's gone from being a stupid glomper into something…more. It feels like he's the one who will fit into that piece of the puzzle that's been always missing,' he thought, 'he's such a bastard, but…there's something about him; I don't know what it is, but…. Though his eyes and his demeanour are cold, I know that there's something there that makes me feel the way I do. There's some good in there and somehow, I just know…'_

He felt confused and his pasta suffered for it.

'_I want to know more about you, Sasuke.'_

"Naruto," asked Sakura, startling him out of his thoughts, "are you okay? It's not like you to not eat much."

Naruto frowned before smiling, "I'm just not very hungry."

Kiba laughed, "It's all the Ramen he's been eating; it's made him sick."

"No way!" cried Naruto, pointing his fork at Kiba who sat across from him, "It's just…damn, that Sasuke-Bastard! There's something up with him, I just know it."

Gaara frowned, "Has he done something to you?"

Naruto shook his head, "Nope, but he was staring at me all day yesterday and acting all high and mighty around you guys, and this morning, in Biology, I had to sit next to him and he was just so condescending and acting all bastard-like, and I tried to like get along with him and he was okay for about five minutes and then he just turned all bastard-like again! Geez, you'd think his parents would've taught him some manners."

Kiba shrugged, "He doesn't have any parents."

Naruto's expression fell, his eyes intense, as if something finally dawned on him, "…he doesn't?"

Gaara shook his head, "No family either."

Naruto placed his fork down on the table and bit on his lower lip, "He's…he's just like me then, an orphan. I don't think he has any real friends either, with the way in which he acts. He's…more alone than I am."

Only someone who once knew true loneliness, as Naruto had, could recognise when another was suffering in the same way. But wouldn't that make someone want to reach out for company?

'_That touch; that feeling…it draws you in, but he fought it and turned away. Is he frightened? I don't know…but why would you fight something as natural as that?' _he thought.

"Feline," began Kiba, drawing Naruto's attention, "I don't think you should draw comparisons like that; his life and his past are, well, very different from yours."

"How do you know that?" Naruto questioned, though he still believed that they were similar.

"Neji," Gaara lied, because all Night World inhabitants knew about the Avenger's plight, "You shouldn't talk to him too much; he's unstable."

"Yeah," agreed Kiba, "I'd say he's hazardous too with violent tendencies; after school yesterday told us that much."

Naruto opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, before smirking, "I think I can handle him, guys. Where's your faith in me?"

Gaara frowned, "You're more than 100 percent capable of looking after yourself, but you must listen to us."

"Yeah," Kiba nodded, "he's up to something and it involves you, and it's not going to be pretty."

Two sets of eyes, one a chocolate brown and the other a light green, were intensely boring into Naruto's own eyes. But Naruto knew all they did. He knew that the something that Sasuke was up to concerned Itachi and because Gaara and Kiba did not know this detail, they thought that it was something more serious.

If only Naruto knew the full truth.

Naruto knew that there was intent in his words to threaten Sakura, but that was due to desperation, wasn't it? Sasuke wasn't dangerous, Naruto was sure. Perhaps the dark haired teenager had severe mood swings, or if pushed, defended himself as any other would.

"Hey, um," said Sakura, "let's change the subject. We don't need any doom and gloom when we should be happy that it's Friday tomorrow."

Naruto grinned, though Sasuke was still in his thoughts. As Kiba got into conversation with Shikamaru who had passed by their table, Naruto caught Sakura's gaze.

She was looking at him with a grin on her face, but there was something in her eyes. She spoke softly, "Smile at Sasuke, yeah? I'm sure he'll understand, but be careful too, please?"

The look in her eyes: it was a mixture of understanding how Naruto felt concerning him and Sasuke's similarities and his desire to befriend him, but there was also a warning in her eyes mixed with desperation as if she knew something that he did not. She must have realised that it was Sasuke that had been asking about Itachi, as he had told her in their phone conversation after the first time he had seen Sasuke. She had most probably also figured out that Sasuke was still asking him, and knowing that anything Itachi was not good, she was worried. He decided against telling her about the threat he had received towards her. He would protect her.

He winked at her, "I'm a natural survivor, Sakura, so don't worry, okay?"

She sighed and noogied him, "Yeah, I know, Idiot."

He pouted and decided he'd eat the rest of his pasta. Naruto's feelings hadn't changed. He was attracted to Sasuke, who he thought was gorgeous and a bastard. He wanted to know more about Sasuke; wanted to reach for him and stop him from pushing away the people who stop his loneliness, from staying in the cold because he understood that loneliness too. He wanted to protect Sasuke by not telling him about Itachi; he wanted to know why Sasuke was so desperate…and Naruto wanted to know what those feelings were.

He wanted to feel that close to Sasuke again.

There was something up with the dark haired teen…just what was it?

'_I won't give up or give in, Sasuke. I don't know what you think of me, but I'll show you just how determined I can be as well.'_

Outside, it began to pour.

--

**To be continued...**

* * *

(le gasp) Itachi has a soulmate too and it's a girl XD Not to worry, fangirls (me included ) because Itachi is bi and will be smexy with a few male characters, you'll see, hehe! So yes, Hana is introduced. I've actually mentioned her name in a previous chapter. 

Also, some more development between Naruto and Sasuke. For those who are wondering when it's going to get hotter between them, ie. kissing etc. I'll say within two to three chapters because Sasuke's in no frame of mind for that right now XD It's also the fact that Sasuke has a weakness, which I've been dropping hints to in most chapters...

Review? (smiles)


	7. The Weakness

Sorry for the lateness of this chapter. My mum decided that I was being very lazy at home and made me work full time with her for the last two and a half weeks (cries) Otherwise, this would have been out much, much sooner. This chapter was kinda hard for me to put into words too. I ended up writing the dialogue first and then adding the detail!

Yay! In this chapter, we have Sasuke's weakness! Hopefully, it's realistic enough. And for any manga readers, I'm not taking into account the recent chapters regarding the hateful/spiteful relationship between two characters (you'll see what I mean). And lots of rain too XD This carries on straight from the last chapter; it might be worth skimming the last few paragraphs from the last chapter as it's been a while.

A massive thank you and tons of glomps and kisses are bestowed on the people who reviewed; I wasn't expecting so many! This chapter is for you! I'm also working on a smutty one-shot for you guys!

* * *

**The Night World: Immortal Affliction**

The Night World isn't a place. It's all around us. It's a secret society of vampires, witches, werewolves and other creatures of darkness that live among us. They're beautiful and deadly and irresistible to humans. Your high school teacher could be one, and so could your boyfriend.

The Night World laws say it's okay to hunt humans. It's okay to toy with their hearts; it's even okay to kill them! There are two things that you can't do with them.

1) Never let them find out the Night World exists

2) Never fall in love with one of them

This is a story about what happens when the rules get broken.

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Weakness**

--

The rain was relentless, so by the time Naruto and Sakura, who didn't have umbrellas, reached their last lesson of the day, Product Design, they were drenched. As Sakura proceeded to wring her hair out, they made their way to their drawing boards, the teacher not yet in the room. Naruto took off his soaked blazer jacket, shivering slightly in his dampened shirt and ran his fingers through his hair, water droplets shaking onto the floor, his blond spikes flattened and falling more pronounced over his forehead into his eyes.

The door opened again, drawing Naruto's attention and he watched as Sasuke walked in, his hair soaked and plastered to the sides of his face, droplets of rain falling down his pale cheeks. His lithe figure was emphasised when he took off his own blazer jacket and threw it to the side, his white shirt hugging his shoulders, unbuttoned at the collar, tie hanging loosely and the sleeves rolled up to expose strong forearms. Naruto heard lots of the girls in the room swoon and sigh at the sight, and the blue eyed blond could not deny that the sight was breathtaking. He turned away from the sight, feeling his cheeks heat up.

Sitting down next to Sakura on the back row, he was not surprised when Sasuke came and sat down on the drawing board next to him. Their business would remain unfinished for a long time still, Naruto knew. That warm feeling of comfort and belonging returned, and he briefly closed his blue eyes, silencing the noise from the classroom and seeing only black. His other senses increased and he felt the warmth increase, picturing Sasuke beside him with a look of concentration on his face. Naruto gave a small smile to himself, taking in a deep breath as he opened his eyes and looked at Sasuke. Feeling eyes on his form, Sasuke turned his head.

Naruto gave a smile as he joined eyes with Sasuke. The brunet blinked before turning away. Naruto frowned; it seemed Sasuke was in a bad mood, most probably over what had transpired in their biology lesson. But most of all, Naruto felt that once again, Sasuke was pushing him away. There had been nothing in his dark eyes that signalled that he had accepted his smile.

Why? It was as if he looked down upon people as if they were below him. But that was also a part of a front; Naruto knew this. Sasuke was misunderstood; and he could not see that there was nothing to living a life of loneliness. You couldn't live in that lonely coldness for too long; it warped your mind. This is what Naruto saw in Sasuke's eyes.

He sighed, sharpening his broken pencil as the teacher entered the room and asked them to set up their equipment. He accidentally dropped his pencil on the floor and leaned over to pick it up.

"Aw, damn, my pencil broke again," he muttered, seeing the broken lead on the floor and waving his arms in exasperation.

Naruto suddenly heard a hiss and whipped his head around to look at Sasuke, frowning as he saw that his broken pencil had cut into Sasuke's cheek from his waving around.

"Shit, I'm sorry," he blurted out, leaning closer to Sasuke to inspect the thin cut that he had produced on Sasuke's pale cheek. It was not bleeding, but it was a deep red as if it was about to. This close, his pulse rate increased.

Sasuke growled, lifting his hand to the cut, "It's nothing."

"I never knew a blunt pencil could actually cut; you must have some sensitive skin or–" Naruto's eyes widened as he looked at the cut, the deep red fading before his eyes into an ugly pink colour, the skin fusing and within a few seconds, the line dissolved into the pale skin of Sasuke's cheek as if it hadn't been there in the first place.

_There's something up with Sasuke…_. That's what Naruto had thought earlier and this only proved it. There was no way that someone's skin could heal that quickly; it was impossible. He blinked a few times in case he was seeing things, but the cut was definitely gone. Unblemished skin remained.

His mouth parted, but he was unsure of what to say. His eyes met Sasuke's, and the pale teen smirked, a dangerous gleam in his eyes, "Keep your mouth open any longer and flies will enter, Dead-Last."

Naruto closed his mouth before saying in disbelief, "You…you heal faster than me! I thought I had an extraordinary immune system, but you…you heal instantaneously."

Sasuke shrugged, fixing his gaze on Naruto, a cryptic look on his face, "It's in my blood."

Naruto frowned and was about to reply when his name was called by the teacher. After twenty minutes of lecturing, the class was set a task, which Naruto busied himself into, though his mind was only half in work while the other half thought about Sasuke. He glanced over to his other side at Sakura, who was staring out of the window, her hands absentmindedly poking her hip.

He was about to talk to her, when Sasuke's coffee laced voice infiltrated his ears.

"I see you're sitting next to Sakura then."

Naruto turned his head to look at Sasuke, who was fiddling with his set square. He replied in low tones, "Of course. I know to take your threats seriously."

"Good," Sasuke said in a muted tone, flexing his fingers, tendons visibly moving under his skin, "because the moment you turn your back, I'll have got to her."

"She doesn't know anything, Sasuke," replied Naruto, ignoring his work completely and quickly glancing at the now working Sakura, who was oblivious to their quiet conversation.

"Even if she doesn't, your friends mean the world to you," continued Sasuke, eyes intent, "The moment she cries out in pain, your mouth will open."

'_Damn! No matter how good looking he is or much I'm drawn to him, I really want to knock some sense into him!'_ he thought, feeling the beginning of anger racing through his veins. He bit his tongue, knowing that this was how Sasuke wanted him to become. He calmed himself, drawing in a ragged breath, "Don't be so high and mighty. If you want a fight, I'll give you a fight."

Sasuke gave a small laugh and Naruto found that he liked the way in which his dark eyes brightened, "You think you can protect her from me? You have no idea."

"You're that desperate, ne?" sighed Naruto, leaning on his desk, turning his eyes away from Sasuke and facing forwards, "Desperation does a lot to people; it's as if your life revolves around one sole purpose until there's only you left."

"Don't act like you know anything about me," Sasuke replied, his eyes dark.

"I know you're alone. Kiba and Gaara, they told me that you have no parents or family, which is exactly like me. We're the same…that loneliness; it eats away at you. I understand that," Naruto spoke calmly, turning his gaze to look at Sasuke, "I'm lucky; I've got friends who have become my family, but you…"

"Naruto…" spoke Sasuke, his voice laced with a deep tone of warning.

"…you push people away. Like this morning in Biology; I…" Naruto paused, feeling a small flush rise to his cheeks, "…I felt really close to you. I want to know more about you."

Naruto felt a sense of relief now that his feelings were out in the open in the simplest of forms. He needed Sasuke to understand; he wanted Sasuke to understand. He was not someone to ignore anymore.

"You have no idea about my life or what I need and want," Sasuke whispered harshly, "You and your friends don't know the half of it!"

"Well, if you talked to me–"

"If you told me the information I need," interrupted Sasuke, frustration clearly on his features, "Naruto, you like to help and protect people; you'll be saving a lot more if you tell me what I want to know. I don't care how little what you know is. Anything that has to do with _that man_ is enough. Then, I can leave and you won't have to deal with me anymore."

A few people in the row in front of them turned to look at them before turning away.

"So you're accepting that he's dangerous then?" concluded Naruto, holding a newly sharpened pencil, "Well good, you know I'm not going to say a word then because under the people I protect, you're one of them. I…I don't want you to leave, Sasuke. You're not someone I can just ignore anymore, and you know it. I don't like seeing that dark look in your eyes."

Sasuke tutted, "Who's ridiculously desperate now, eh?"

Naruto glared at Sasuke, who was nibbling on his lip piercing, and decided to reach out and touch him on a wanted instinct. His fingertips got extremely close to Sasuke's forearm, which was resting on his drawing board, but Sasuke saw what was happening and twisted his body to face Naruto fully, his arm now out of reach.

"Don't…" muttered Sasuke, his voice low and Naruto could hear an edge of venom within his tone. But there was something else in his tone. It was the way in which his voice had trailed off at the end of the sentence; the look in his eyes. It wasn't fear…it was as if Sasuke was saying that he didn't want anyone to reach out for him not because he didn't want the contact, but rather he couldn't, for reasons of his own.

'_Why does he pull away? Why does he only depend on himself?'_

Naruto's hand was left in suspension, his mouth slightly parted as he regarded Sasuke, feeling a strange emptiness inside. Sasuke tutted, looking frustrated with himself as he turned away from Naruto completely. The bell rang, signalling the end of the school day. Around them, students started to stand and leave the room, running in the rain out of school towards their respective homes. Naruto kept his gaze on Sasuke's turned away form, before Naruto too stood up, packed up and began to leave the room, Sakura beside him.

* * *

With ease, Itachi used the strength in his legs to jump up and reach the top of a 9ft wall. Within seconds, he was over the wall, landing silently on long, wet grass. His crimson eyes scanned the area: a rusty children's swing to his left, a waterlogged sandpit to his right and endless weeds littered the pathway. 

The rain was still pouring.

In front of him was a derelict house, a few windows smashed and drainpipes running along the walls. He came to the door, which was wooden and rotting, and he kicked it down with ease. Inside, the house looked lived in and the smell of paint hit his sensitive nose.

Walking through the kitchen into the next room, Itachi happened upon a striking sight. Candles were placed on every available surface and the curtains were closed, creating a glow around the small, cluttered room. On the floor, the candles had been placed in a strategic circle and chalk had been used to create intricate markings on the dark carpet between the candles in the circle. In the middle of the circle, a blond haired man sat in the lotus position, eyes closed, his palms facing upwards, the mouths on his hands open and their respective tongues hanging out.

"Give me one minute Itachi, hm."

After a few moments, blue green eyes opened and the man stood up, his hands extinguishing the candles in one quick movement. The room was bathed in darkness for a few seconds before the curtains were open and light dazzled the room.

"Deidara."

The man frowned, tying most of his blond hair into a high ponytail, a large portion falling over his left eye, reaching his chin, while the rest cascaded down the back of his neck, "Is that how you greet me after so long, Itachi? I'm hurt, hm. It's been six years."

Itachi moved his eyes down the length of Deidara. He was not the scrawny fifteen year old he had once been, but had grown into a lithe man with harder features and piercing eyes. Dressed in layers of red, black and black fishnet with dark jeans looped with a studded belt, he was the epitome of something who thrived in the Night World.

Deidara was a Night World mix breed: his father a Shapeshifter, his mother a Witch. He had been born with a defect, his Shapeshifter qualities showing on the outside of his body in the palms of his hands, meaning that he could not change into the shapeshifter animal he was born into. Instead, the blond had embraced his Witch heritage, joining Circle Twilight, the more extremist witch circle and training under Sasori, a somewhat violent red-headed witch.

"You've grown," stated Itachi, his eyes boring into Deidara's blue green gem eyes.

Deidara chuckled, "Master Itachi, I'm the same age as you now! You haven't changed, hm: you broke my door the last time I saw you."

Itachi didn't answer, shrugging off his soaked cloak, revealing black, skinny jeans and a dark sleeveless top, arms full of wristbands, nails painted a dark purple. A swirled tattoo graced his bicep and a shell necklace emphasised his collarbones.

"Where's Sasori?" asked Itachi, his eyes glancing around the room.

"Upstairs cleaning his puppets, hm," Deidara replied, his blue green eyes gleaming, "Master Sasori knew you were on your way; he wasn't very happy."

Itachi raised his hand, latching onto the thick choker that Deidara wore and pulled him close. The Lamia vampire was taller and with his crimson eyes, he searched the skin of Deidara's neck for signs of other vampire bites.

"Sasori has to understand that you belonged to me first. You've kept yourself away from other vampires?" Itachi breathed in a husky tone, his tongue trailing over Deidara's ear, seeing no sign of vampire bites, though the blond's neck had several red love bites.

"I'm yours, Itachi. No other vampire has touched me, hm," replied Deidara, his voice hitched and a small moan escaped his lips.

Itachi gave a small smile and trailed his lips against Deidara's neck, feeling his pulse, igniting his bloodlust, "Good. I'm back in town for a while; to finish what I started."

"With little Naruto, hm?" said Deidara in a low tone, arching his neck and raising his hands to wrap them around Itachi's neck, "he's all grown up too."

Itachi nipped Deidara's jaw and then pushed him onto the couch, his lust rising as he looked down upon his submissive's long limbs and green eyes. Itachi had select acquaintances and they all had their individual uses. As a Witch and Itachi's submissive, Deidara was a valuable asset, a good source of blood and he would do _anything _that Itachi willed him to. _Anything_…because Deidara worshipped Itachi; Itachi was his life, more so than Sasori, as Itachi willed it to be. As a submissive, he would _die_ for Itachi. All of his submissive humans and Night Worlders across the world would.

"Itachi…" he groaned as Itachi looked down upon him, "you've been gone too long, hm…my blood is yours."

Itachi's eyes gleamed as he straddled Deidara, his teeth lengthening with a hiss, the crimson of his eyes deepening and the shape of the dots changing and extending into a pinwheel shape, "Your body is mine."

Biting Deidara's warm lip, Itachi lapped at the blood as it dripped down his chin, feeling the gaze from green eyes boring into his face and the tongues on his hands caressing his sensitive neckline, as Deidara whispered, "Your eyes…they're true art."

The vampire smirked before fusing his cold lips with Deidara's, moving his lips harshly against the blond's with expertise, tongue swiping on his lower lip. The blond moaned as Itachi sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, piercing it with small, sharp stings and sucking the blood with a feral groan. Releasing the lip with a tug, Itachi moved back, pleased when his submissive mewled from the lack of contact and pulled harshly on his black hair to pull him back. Deidara's shapeshifter blood brought out his animalistic qualities, such as his like for blood.

With a hiss, Itachi sealed their lips once more, grinding down onto the blond's lap as his tongue thrusted into his mouth, relishing the smoothness of his teeth and gums. He sucked on Deidara's tongue, drawing his sharp canines over the strong muscle, blood spilling out of their bruising kiss. Deidara moaned and Itachi drew back, trailing harsh nips down his jaw line, feeling harsh breaths against his cheek.

In the shadows of the doorway, Itachi knew that Sasori was watching with heavy eyes.

Itachi's crimson, pinwheel eyes widened in arousal and bloodlust and the sight of Deidara's heavily pulsing capillaries. He sunk his teeth into the yielding blond, his thoughts a mixture of desiring the body beneath his and the image of deep blue eyes and whisker birthmarks.

* * *

It was still pouring as Naruto and Sakura exited their classroom. It was fifteen minutes after the last bell of the day had rung as their teacher had spoken to the both of them about an upcoming school trip. By the time the talk had finished, Sasuke was long gone and the school seemed quieter as most students had rushed off. They opted to walk across the grass towards their lockers as it was quicker, even though it was quite muddy. Naruto laughed as Sakura's boots caused her to slide along the mud, so she held onto his arm. They were both soaked again. 

Among the deafening noise of the heavy rain, Naruto picked up the sound of heavy footsteps behind them. Whipping his head behind him, his blond bangs slipping into his eyes, he saw that Sasuke was less than three feet away from them. Naruto stopped walking and Sakura steadied herself against him, she too turning to look at Sasuke with pale emerald eyes.

Although the rain and Sasuke's expression were cold, Naruto felt warm. Ice hit him like a ton of bricks the moment Sasuke spoke.

"Look at you both;" said Sasuke, a smirk appearing on his face, "you're all alone."

* * *

Neji's eyebrow furrowed as he viewed the exchange across the grass between Naruto, Sakura and the damned Sasuke. It was quite interesting really: the whole situation. The Vampire Hunter would have never pitched Sasuke as the education type, meaning that there was an ulterior motive. Neji had deduced this to be Naruto. He had found out from some of his sources that Sasuke was after information on his brother and this source was Naruto. This was a one of a kind chance for Sasuke. 

Therefore, it was clear to Neji that Sasuke would do anything to obtain the information; even go as far as to protect Naruto from harm.

Well, that's what Neji was betting on; what better chance to destroy the vampire than this?

He lifted the wooden javelin stake he had just created in his Materials class. He'd received some curious glances but no one had said anything against him. It was long, heavy yet incredibly sharp. It was a little thicker than a normal javelin, but that just made it more effective. He threw it up in the air a small distance a few times to test its weight and then wiped his soaked hair from his face.

Lifting it up over his shoulder, he aimed and judged the distance to Naruto, knowing that he was making the right decision. Although reduced to living a human existence, Neji still had half the strength of a vampire and his vision was to a good standard.

Focusing, he took a few running steps in the soaked ground and threw it.

* * *

Naruto glared at Sasuke, rain falling into his eyes, replying in sarcasm, "Oh, we're so scared bastard." 

Sasuke's black blazer jacket was nowhere to be seen, the pouring rain having soaked his white shirt, making it almost translucent. It stuck to his body, showing the lithe plains of his chest and stomach, his nipples hard from the cold rain and visible to Naruto's eyes. He found his gaze drawn to them, and then to the dark eyes that blazed with daggers.

Sasuke looked at Naruto's defiant gaze and then he turned his gaze to Sakura with a piercing gaze. Her green eyes flickered before they turned defiant, her throat swallowing and her body language changing.

He thought, '_This could be fun._'

He stepped towards them, and though they didn't move back, he could see slight wariness in only her gaze. His vampire blood was pumping erratically in his veins from his frustrations. There was nobody around; he could easily detangle Naruto's grip on Sakura. No more games; he'd had enough.

That was when he felt the change in the air current. His heightened senses caught the rushing of air particles, his nose picking up the smell of fresh, just carved wood and he gave a glance to his left, his eyes easily detecting the moving object and its trajectory.

His breath caught in his throat, eyes widening and he instinctively moved. He caught a flash of wonder from Naruto as he moved in front of him in a mere moment, before Sasuke pushed Naruto by his shoulders with force, sending him stumbling back a few steps and onto the ground, Sakura also moving away. Sasuke whipped round to face the other way, standing in exactly the spot where Naruto had been, but he did not make it all the way round, the stake right in front of him.

Obsidian eyes widened as a tremendous, sharp shooting pain shot through his right shoulder, a strangled gasp tearing from his vocal chords. His mouth remained half open, half breaths escaping into the atmosphere of rain.

There was silence.

Naruto groaned slightly as his eyesight refocused, and he became aware that he was on the ground, his hands sinking into the rain soaked ground. He was unsure of what had happened: one moment he was arguing with Sasuke, the next, he was on the ground. He glanced to his left and saw Sakura's muddy boots. He looked up; she was still standing, though there was a look of horror on her face.

That was the moment when sheer panic gripped Naruto's heart, his chest tightening, his breath shallow. Something was wrong…something was terribly wrong. He followed the direction of her gaze. The moment his eyes landed on Sasuke, he froze, blue eyes wide.

Sasuke stood in the lashing rain, the right side of his back facing Naruto, hair limp from the rain. Blue eyes zeroed in on Sasuke's right shoulder where his white shirt was slowly staining red from a gaping wound in his right shoulder. There was…there was a javelin sticking out both sides of Sasuke's shoulder where it had stabbed through and got stuck.

Sudden pain gripped Naruto's insides, each beat of his heart leaving a gaping hole. His breathing increased, his eyes widened, his vision became blurry: he only saw the sharp, wooden javelin or branch or whatever it was. The pain was physical; it hurt beyond belief.

_Sasuke…_ his mind screamed at him to move; to do something. Sasuke was hurt; Sasuke had been stabbed; Sasuke was going to die. Sasuke…meant a lot more to Naruto than he had ever imagined. Those warm feelings; those sparks; that _belonging_…they had twisted themselves into a throbbing ache filled with grief. Any threat that Sasuke had made was washed away because that didn't matter now. Sasuke had protected him. He had to reach out for Sasuke; he had to touch him. Naruto felt like he was going to break in two.

He had to…Sasuke…

Sasuke raised his hand to his right shoulder, his warm blood immediately staining his fingers as it was soaking his shirt. Feeling the warmth of his own vampire blood on his fingertips, he raised his hand to his eyes, watching his viscous blood drip to the grass as the rain water washed it away.

It was so very red and warm and red and thick and red…

Sasuke felt sharp pains shoot down his arm and through his chest as his body called for the foreign object to be pulled out, deadly splinters invading his bloodstream. Tensing his shoulders, more blood escaped the gaping wound, the stake moving slightly. His blood was warm against his cold skin.

His body began to tremble uncontrollably as he looked at the stake and his shoulder that was stained with the redness of his blood. It was all red; his vision was red. His blood. Red. Pain. Red. There was so much of his _own _blood…

Bridled memories were brought to the surface of his vision: his brother and his pinwheel shaped crimson eyes wielding several wooden kunai slaughtering all of the Clan in his path and then turning on him, the little brother, torturing him through precise cuts and stabs in his skin. Sasuke could still physically recall the warmth of his own blood as it had flooded his vision and body, staining his pale skin and trailing along the floor. Passing out. Waking up. Once again seeing all of_ his _blood all over him as he still breathed and all around him, his family lay, their bodies mere ash within their bloody kimonos.

That time he had last seen his brother, those sixty years ago…his warm blood had flowed then from his cold body, staining the snow covered woodland, rendering him immobile from pure panic. Now, once again, his blood was spilt. His one true weakness…the spilling of _his own blood_. It was perfectly alright if a little of his blood spilt, but it was when it was a serious wound, one that bled and bled and bled, that flooded his vision in shades of crimson, taking over his mind...it just reminded him of past failures and his own pathetic inability to save his own family although he had been just a child at the time.

"Fuck…" muttered Sasuke, grinding his teeth and holding onto his shoulder around the stake once more while trying to focus his eyes. His trembling increased, his legs became weightless and the rain felt as if it was beating him down.

'_Why? Why am I so weak? After so long, I'm still not over this…how…how can I defeat Itachi like this?'_

He fell to his knees onto the muddy grass, mud splattering up his form, the rain increasing, making his hair stick to his forehead and the sides of his face more than before. He fell to a sitting position, his knees in front of him sinking into the mud, swaying slightly. His sharp hearing caught the sounds of someone rushing towards him in the mud.

"Shit! Sasuke!" It was Naruto's voice. The next thing Sasuke knew, his vision was no longer filled with red, but with blond and blue.

The blurriness cleared and he saw that Naruto was in the mud in front of him, his hair plastered to his tanned skin, water droplets cascading down his features. His blue eyes were wide with fear, heavily lashed and glowing like gems in the rain atmosphere, his mouth parted in shock and his tanned skin pale from the coldness of the rain. Sasuke grit his teeth against an onslaught of pain, trying to control his breathing and his trembling against eyes that made him want to shut his own. Their locked gaze caused time to stand still. Sasuke found himself drowning; their faces close, his warm blood dripping and his body struggled to heal itself with the stake still imbedded in his flesh. It was not a fatal injury, but it would be a bitch to heal.

"Sasuke!" he heard Naruto say in a choked whisper.

"Naruto," he replied, swallowing and trying to control his trembling, sparks bubbling in his stomach, "stop…go–"

He didn't know what to say, except that he didn't want Naruto or anyone to see him like this: so weak and out of control. He needed to calm himself and move on, get up, heal himself and rest. Sasuke felt as if he couldn't move under that intense, sapphire gaze. It was no scrutiny in that gaze, only caring and comfort and it felt so unreal.

Sasuke's dark eyes widened as Sakura suddenly appeared beside Naruto, which caused the blond to stop his frozen, shocked gaze and act. A wet but warm tanned hand raised and cupped his cheek, instant warmth flooding his pained body. Naruto's other hand gripped his own pale hand that had sunk in the mud in a tight hold. Those bright blue eyes were filled with unshed tears of dread and worry and something inexplicable. Naruto was supposed to hate him and fear him, not rush to his aid. Humans were weak: they were supposed to have weaknesses. Naruto…he was crying for him…_him: _someone from the other side of reality…someone who didn't deserve _anything_ except for the duty of revenge which he accepted with his life.

Those eyes…right now they reminded Sasuke of his mother's. That meant_ so much _to him because no one had looked him in the eyes like that in so, so long. His old insecurities fizzed and he was suddenly overwhelmed by warm feelings of belonging, of love, of need. He hadn't felt those since he was a small child. Those blue teary eyes of loneliness…

_Sasuke, you're the same as me…_

The Vampire breathed, morphing his eyes to convey blankness in an attempt to stop the pull from Naruto's. He couldn't…he wouldn't!

"Sasuke…why?" Naruto cried, squeezing Sasuke's hand, his eyes flickering in panic, "Why did you protect me? I…I never asked you to!"

"Idiot…" rasped Sasuke, subconsciously tilting his head into Naruto's palm before reversing his actions, breathing heavily, "you're nothing but…a damn…stupid…I just…my body just moved on its own!"

Sasuke was blaming the Soulmate Principle, but he knew…he knew he had thrown himself in front of Naruto for more than just his own selfish reasons. It wasn't all about 'He knows about Itachi, so I must protect him,' but rather, seeing and feeling that wooden stake rushing through the air towards Naruto, the annoying idiot with a big smile and striking features; the one who tried to reach out to him when he didn't want it; the one who wanted to open up Sasuke… seeing and feeling that wooden stake rushing through the air towards the blond: it had sent a searing adrenaline through his veins urging him to move and _protect someone other than himself. _

It wasn't supposed to be that way. Sasuke was supposed to be stoic and selfish and concentrate solely on his brother. But Naruto had come under his skin without the help of the Soulmate Principle: that had just helped it along and made it more intensive. Somehow, Naruto had become more than just prey that Sasuke desired. And this realisation devastated Sasuke's cold state of mind, allowing it to shatter. Naruto's warm hands. His blue teary eyes. A human.

"Sasuke, hang on! We're gonna call for an ambulance," said Naruto in frantic tones, looking at Sakura for a moment as she had a phone before locking his eyes once more with Sasuke's, his hand gripping the vampire's more tightly than before as if confirming that there was still life. Naruto felt so much fear squeezing his insides, but he felt frozen and didn't know what to do. Why didn't he pay attention in that first aid class? There was so much blood…and Naruto felt drawn towards Sasuke even more than before, his thumb slowly stroking his smooth pale cheek, their breaths mingling because of their instinctive closeness, rain washing away any barriers between them, the darkness in Sasuke's eyes growing as the warmth grew.

"I don't need one…" said Sasuke, a wave of shivers taking over his form as his throat tightened against his will, his vision showing him a texture of deep red and bright blue. Naruto's hand…was so warm against his skin. His tanned hand was soft and fit his cheek perfectly, the warmth spreading: the feeling of belonging; of how _right _this felt increasing and threatening to shatter his already breaking façade. Those blue eyes were so close, and belonging welled up within his veins, overriding the pain in his shoulder.

He didn't feel the pain anymore: all Sasuke felt was fear that his walls were once again going to be knocked down. That he would be open once more and vulnerable. He couldn't. Itachi was all that mattered. He lived in the past, not the future! Desire also threatened to overwhelm him, but all his energy had left him as his body struggled to stop the fragments of wood from entering his body permanently. Naruto's lips had turned a little blue from the coldness of the torrential rain, the tiny capillaries on his lower lip turning a deep shade of purple, catching Sasuke's eye.

_Don't trust me…please don't trust me: don't look at me like that. You're nothing but a damn human who smiles and smiles even though he's met Itachi!_

As an ache suddenly spiked in his upper jaw, a jolt of pain shot from his shoulder down to the pit of his stomach and combined with his undefined feelings, his head tipped forward and then back to meet widened blue eyes, a sound of physical pain in his tone, "…I don't need an ambulance!"

Naruto frowned, "Huh? What? Sasuke–"

"I'm fine! Let me go!" For a split second, Naruto was sure he saw Sasuke's dark eyes flicker red. Sasuke turned his head away sharply, flinging the hand that was resting on his cheek away. Those dark eyes were so severe and it sent a wave of hurt into Naruto. It felt hard to breathe, but he didn't care. Only Sasuke mattered right now. His tanned hand gripped Sasuke's more fiercely, subconsciously conveying a message that said that he was not going to let go.

What a sight they made: both soaked to their skin, their clothes sticking to their lean frames and spatters of blood and mud staining them.

They were closer than ever before, the rain pounding them ruthlessly, their breaths colliding in the inches that separated them, eyes connected. Those beautiful dark eyes... Naruto found that he couldn't look away. Not that he wanted to; those obsidian eyes carried a lot more than he had first ever thought. There was not just coldness as that was just the exterior, and Naruto could see that even now, Sasuke was trying to pull away and fight against those intense feelings; that belonging; that perfection.

_Don't push me away…Sasuke…_

_Don't pull me closer…Naruto…_

There was a strange stabbing pain in Sasuke's stomach that collided with the pain that he felt within his shoulder. He groaned, his eyes blurring. Suddenly, Sasuke's eyes were drawn to light green ones as Sakura dropped to her knees besides Naruto in the mud, her expression almost professional.

"It's okay," she began, "Sasuke, we need to pull it out."

"What?!" cried Naruto, his tone full of panic, pulling his face back from its close proximity to Sasuke's, "you can't do that, he'll bleed to death!"

She looked at him, grabbing his spare hand to calm him, "It's okay, don't worry," she turned her eyes to Sasuke's, "I know what I'm doing."

Sasuke breathed deeply as her eyes moved to examine the wound and she once again repeated that they had to pull it out. Of course they needed to; he couldn't heal with it in the way. He scanned her form; she knew more than she was letting on. There was some sort of knowledge in her. Was she a Witch? No, there was no sign of that in her aura unless she was protected in enchantments. Everything about her screamed human except for a few instances when her composure had said otherwise.

It was those penetrating eyes. Some form of recognition began to surface in his mind, but it was swept away by a wave of pain from his shoulder. Sasuke needed to pull the stake out of his shoulder, regardless of the company he was in. His mind was starting to fog from his weakness so he needed to get a grip and fast.

He felt feminine probing fingers around his shoulder and he looked at Sakura sharply, "Leave it, I can…"

He ignored the blue eyes that he could feel looking at him and instead hit Sakura's hands away, also dislodging Naruto' grip from his hand, their fingertips brushing as the contact was lost, coldness engulfing Sasuke in a swift whoosh as if a part of him had been dislodged. Gritting his teeth, Sasuke enclosed his hand around the stake and with a swift movement, he pulled it out of his shoulder, feeling the roughness of the wood scrape along his skin and his blood spill all over the floor, his breath hitching and a guttural sound of pain escaping from his lips.

Naruto watched in amazement as the wooden stick was pulled free of Sasuke's shoulder. Blood splashed onto Naruto and he blinked. The next moment, he opened his eyes to a pale, soaked Sasuke with crimson splashes decorating his face, dark rimmed eyes oozing with sexiness and danger. Naruto's breath hitched and he scooted back in the mud slightly as Sakura moved forwards to look at the enormous wound on Sasuke's shoulder. He ignored the shooting pain that squeezed his chest; instead, his mind whirled on the entire situation. He felt unable to breathe, stricken between panic and disbelief and pain and desperation.

Warmth flooded Sasuke's shoulder and he felt the familiar burning sensation of his skin beginning to fuse and heal itself. More of his blood deluged from his shoulder; he could see it out of the corner of his eye and it made him want to throw up and scream into the soaked ground about how pitiful he felt. It wouldn't be long until he could once again latch onto the control over his body, but until then, he felt as if the exhaustion that was churning through his body was going to make him black out.

"Naruto!"

Looking over his shoulder, the blond saw Kiba and Gaara running through the rain with great speed towards them. Both Kiba and Gaaras' eyes seemed to widen as they got closer and Naruto deduced from their stricken gazes that they most probably thought the blood that was staining his shirt was his own. Naruto stood up as he realised that he had to use one of their phones to call for help; they couldn't just leave Sasuke there…there was too much blood…too much…

"Naruto!" began Kiba as he reached up to him, brown eyes glancing around the scene, "What's…"

Naruto grabbed onto Kiba's blazer jacket with reckless abandon, "Kiba, quick! We gotta help him! We gotta–"

Kiba's eyes narrowed, half hidden by his soaked hair, and he looked towards the sombre scene, taking in Sasuke's weakened state. Gaara stepped forward, his deep green eyes filled with a small tinker of satisfaction.

"It's okay, Naruto, leave him bleeding," said Gaara, before turning to look Naruto in the eye. "Are you okay?"

Naruto blinked, frustration welling up within him, "What?…I'm fine, but that's not the point here–"

"Everybody move out of the way."

The new voice came out of nowhere and the moment Naruto stopped talking and turned around, he stepped back. There was a tall man standing in front of him, his back facing Naruto. The only distinguishing feature was the fair, silver coloured hair that flopped to the side from the weight of the rain. The man turned his head to look at Naruto, one speckled grey green eye staring at him in mirth, his mouth covered in what looked like a mask.

He chuckled once at Naruto before his eye turned serious and turned sharply to survey Sasuke. The anonymous man also fell to the floor in the muddy ground, his hand resting on Sasuke's back, who was breathing deeply and facing the ground. That grey green eye quickly scanned the area; well it looked like that. Well, just in case there were anymore javelins flying around. The man's head turned with such precision and Naruto instantly knew that this newcomer was just as…different as Sasuke. The man's gaze fell to Sakura, who was quite still on the mud, her green eyes flickering.

The man's eyes lingered on her form for a short moment before turning once more to Sasuke. Naruto felt chaotic. Sakura was on the ground at his feet, Sasuke and Kakashi a little in front, Gaara to his right, Kiba to his left. Even Ino had arrived on the scene. Naruto's eyes landed on Sasuke's form, half hidden by the man that Sasuke had just called Kakashi, feeling everything begin to overwhelm him.

Blood red eyes flashed in his mind and he took a step back, Gaara and Kiba immediately looking at him in concern. He hardly heard them, his eyes trained on Sasuke. His eyes were drawn to Kakashi who was looking at Sakura who was still kneeling; she suddenly went limp and she swayed on her knees until Kakashi caught her. The same thing suddenly happened to Ino.

Naruto's breath caught in his throat as he tried to say something, concern for Sasuke mixing with concern for Sakura and Ino, and all of a sudden Kakashi was in front of him, that grey blue eye now shining intensely…

…until Naruto knew no more and darkness enveloped him.

--

**To be continued...**

* * *

I sure like making Naruto faint don't I. But he's not forgetting anything this time, which makes for some fun! Yay for Itachi's tattoo! I've actually got a variation of the anbu tattoo on my lower back (shows how mad I am) I thought I'd share that, hehe! Yes, so more is revealed along with Sasuke's weakness, some Deidara action because I just loooove him and lots of drama! Next chapter won't be too long hopefully, and yes, 'tis kissy time! (gasps) 


	8. The Revealing

All I can say is that I'm sorry for the huge wait for this chapter; had lots of things going on that pushed into my writing time (work, uni stuff, work, chores, work, Amecon convention (does Itachi cosplay dance XD)). But what is good about this chapter is that it's the longest chapter yet!

Also, lots of glomps and thank you for the review response last chapter! I didn't expect so many, so as I said before, this is a long chapter to you guys! Though you'll probably kill me at the end of it...

And a few reviewers were concerned about adding my OC, Hana, but I'm going to say, stick with this fanfic, because it'll be worth the shock factor (I hope hehe)

Disclaimer: If it was mine, all the yaoi fans would know about it!

* * *

**The Night World: Immortal Affliction**

The Night World isn't a place. It's all around us. It's a secret society of vampires, witches, werewolves and other creatures of darkness that live among us. They're beautiful and deadly and irresistible to humans. Your high school teacher could be one, and so could your boyfriend.

The Night World laws say it's okay to hunt humans. It's okay to toy with their hearts; it's even okay to kill them! There are two things that you can't do with them.

1) Never let them find out the Night World exists

2) Never fall in love with one of them

This is a story about what happens when the rules get broken.

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Revealing**

--

_Sasuke felt the sunlight on his eyelids and his eyes furrowed in his sleep before he awoke with tired, obsidian eyes. Turning over in his futon with a yawn, his child body snuggled under silk sheets and he peered out of the opposite window. He could see over the veranda, pink sakura blossoms falling from the trees that lined the Uchiha gardens of the outskirts of Kyoto. He instantly sat upright and stumbled out of his futon, securing his yukata as he ran from his room through his open screen door, his bare feet thudding against the tatami mats as he ran through his home._

_His aniki was coming home today!_

_He entered the kitchen to find his Mother, dressed in her kimono, kneeling down with a glass of blood placed in front of her on the table. He smiled and she returned the gesture, standing up to reach for a jug and another glass for him. Sasuke knelt down by the table, a smile on his small face._

"_Here you go, Sasuke," Mikoto spoke, placing a glass of warm blood in front of her son, running her fingers through his hair in affection, "This will keep you going until we go to hunt tonight. Did you sleep well?"_

_Sasuke slurped at the blood, which was still warm and nodded brightly, "Hai Okachan!"_

_She smiled, "I'm glad. Your Father said that he would make time for some katana practice with you today."_

_Sasuke nodded, pleased, and then placed his finished glass on the table, feeling his eyes return to their normal colour and his teeth retract, "Is Itachi home yet? Why has he been away for so long?"_

_She shook her head, "Not yet, but he will arrive soon. Your brother is almost sixteen years old; he has a lot of responsibility to the Clan."_

_Seven year old Sasuke's dark eyes brightened and he excused himself, stumbling back to his room to change into his own hakama kimono, before exiting his home and running along the streets of the Uchiha district. He said hello to the Lamia clan members he passed, most not awake as they preferred the night to the day. Sprinting into the Uchiha forests, he found the secret pathway his aniki had shown him and followed it until he reached the witch barrier which prevented humans from entering the Uchiha compound on their own. _

_He walked through it and found himself exiting the forest into one of the back streets on the southern side of Kyoto. Sasuke wasn't allowed into the human part of the city by himself, even though many Night World inhabitants lived in the city. He was too young to talk and hang around with humans, especially those the same age as him. _

'_They can't know our secret,' his parents had told him, 'so play with the lamia Uchiha children, okay?'_

_He would most probably be seen by an older Uchiha, but his aniki would stop him from being scolded._

_Sasuke ran towards the main gates, his sensitive nose picking up the delicious smells of human blood. He exited the main gate, ran over the bridge to the river so that he could wait for Itachi at the crossroads. He caught sight of a teenager who was around his brother's age sitting on the rock at the crossroads, dressed in a beautiful red kimono, a parasol in her hand._

_Sasuke smiled. It was Hana. He liked Hana; she was kind and pretty and always nice to him. She was a human and was always around Itachi. Sasuke hoped that when he was older, he would be able to hang around with humans just like his aniki. He had seen Itachi feed from her before as well by putting her into a trance so that she would not know anything that happened to her and she would not find out about the Night World. Itachi had told him that she was one of his favourite blood donors when there was a need for blood and he didn't feel like hunting and using the human slaves the clan kept, but Sasuke was sure that there was more than that between them._

"_Hana-san," he called as he reached the rock and sat down beside her._

_She turned towards him, a smile on her face, her just above shoulder length blonde hair swaying in the slight breeze._

"_Ohayo, Sasuke-chibi. Are you okay?"_

_Sasuke smiled, "I'm good! Do you know when aniki will be back?"_

"_Anytime now," she replied, twirling her parasol, "did you miss him?"_

_Sasuke nodded, his sensitive eyes squinting from the harsh sun, "Lots and lots. I've been bored."_

_She laughed, "Itachi told me that Shisui would look out for you."_

"_Yeah," Sasuke nodded, "shh, keep this a secret, but Shisui–" _

"_But what?" a new voice interrupted. Sasuke and Hana both turned away from looking at each other and looked towards the road. Itachi stood a few feet away from them, the katana in his belt glinting in the sunlight._

"_Aniki!" said Sasuke, slipping off the rock and running towards his older brother, his small arms wrapping themselves around a strong waist, feeling his brother hug him back, long fingers ruffling his hair in affection, "welcome back!"_

"_Otouto," said Itachi, their dark eyes connecting, "I hope you behaved while I was away."_

_Sasuke nodded, a small blush staining his cheeks, "Of course I did! I've got lots of things to show you! I've been practising."_

_Itachi nodded, a tiny smile upon his face before he took Hana's hand and gave it a small squeeze._

_Releasing her hand, Itachi hoisted Sasuke onto his back. Sasuke clung onto his brother's neck with a sound of glee, before nipping the nape of his brother's neck affectionately with slightly elongated teeth. He smiled and enjoyed the motion of his brother's graceful steps, the warmth of the sun on the back of his neck, the feel of Hana's kimono as she walked beside them._

* * *

A knock sounded at Deidara's newly repaired door. He poked his head around the kitchen doorway and then looked at the time. It was late and it was still raining. He wondered who it could be. 

He opened the door and blinked. She stood in the rain completely drenched, a jean jacket around her shoulders, doing nothing to prevent the water from seeping into the rest of her clothes. Her eyes were strong, her features pretty.

He was about to open his mouth when she pushed past him into his house. His mouth opened and he immediately shut his door, following her as she entered his living room and glanced around. He grabbed her wrist, the mouths on his palms nipping at her wet skin. She jumped slightly before she turned to look at him, "Where's Itachi?"

"Itachi, hm?" he replied. He studied her, trying to figure out who she exactly was. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught movement from Sasori, who stood up from the sofa.

"Leave her, Deidara," Sasori murmured in low tones, tilting his head, his shaggy red hair falling across his face, "she belongs to Itachi."

Deidara lifted an eyebrow and she pulled her hand from his grip, "Never knew there was another one in this town, hm."

"I'm not as giving as you are," she replied before she swung her head towards the door. A few seconds later, Itachi came into view. His crimson eyes trailed up her form before they narrowed. He looked towards Deidara and Sasori, his features serious, "Leave us."

Deidara sighed and began to leave the room, "Come on, Master Sasori."

"No," retorted Sasori, meeting Itachi's eyes, "this is my house; no Lamia is going to tell me where to go in my house. He already touches you, Deidara; I'm not letting anything else slip by."

Itachi's eyes flared, the pressure in the air changing, "My thirst for blood may be sated tonight, but that does not mean that I will hesitate to spill yours."

Sasori did not back down. Deidara took his hand, which made the red-head turn towards the blond, "Master Sasori, come on, hm."

Sasori looked at Itachi once more before smirking, squeezing Deidara's hand in a possessive grip and pulling him away up the stairs, a bedroom door closing.

Itachi ignored the stubborn display.

"Hana," he spoke, his eyes gleaming, "Two visits in two nights. You certainly wish pain upon yourself. Talk and then leave. I have much to do. I can entertain you another time, _my dear…_"

--

_Hana spoke in a whisper, "But can't I dream? I keep hoping that one day, I'll meet you as you were back then before you turned cold…"_

* * *

Naruto felt consciousness rise to the surface and he opened his eyes, seeing white paint and immediately recognising it as his bedroom ceiling. He blinked a few times and sat up feeling immensely groggy, morning sunlight shining through his window. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, seeing that he still had his school uniform on. 

He saw the various spots of blood that stained his white school shirt and his eyes widened. He stumbled out of bed as everything from the day before circled in his memory. The blood, the pain, the mud, the intensity, the _fear._

"Sasuke…" he whispered, shedding his blood and mud stained clothes in a rush as he entered his bathroom and put the shower on, stepping into the hot water to wash away the dirt and blood from his skin. He rushed and fumbled with the shampoo as he rinsed his hair, his thoughts elsewhere.

Sasuke had been seriously hurt. Naruto could vividly still see the look of pain in Sasuke's eyes as he tried to fight against the pain and the comfort that Naruto selflessly gave. The coldness of Sasuke's wet skin as it seemingly sucked the warmth that Naruto's hand gave him. He could remember the pain as it had gripped his own chest. He could remember his own shock when Sasuke had pulled the cause of injury from his shoulder blade, thinking how brave and stupid Sasuke was at the same time.

Naruto could remember how Sasuke had seemed to lose all energy as soon as the silver haired man had arrived on the scene. Naruto could remember blacking out.

'_I must have been carried home. Damn, why did I black out?' _he thought, rinsing the suds from his hair and body, _'I've got to hurry and go to the hospital. I've got to see Sasuke! I've got to make sure that he's okay!'_

He got out of his shower, grabbing a fluffy white towel and drying himself vigorously as he briskly walked into his room and found some clothes to wear. After pulling some ripped jeans, a bright t-shirt and a black zip-up hoody on, he slipped his feet into a pair of his numerous converse and quickly ran his fingers through his drying hair.

He glanced at the clock as he exited his room, seeing that it was past midday. He'd missed school, but he didn't care. Sasuke was far more important.

He paused, wondering why he had just seen red and brown blurs on his sofa. Turning around, he gasped, "Kiba? Gaara? What are you doing here?!"

He blinked. Kiba was lounging around on his sofa, his school uniform still own, a blanket around his legs and a pillow next to him. Gaara sat on the floor.

"Hey, Naruto, we heard you wake up. You sleep okay?" asked Kiba, a grin on his still sleepy face.

Naruto flustered, his veins still pumping his feelings of desperation and adrenaline, "What? How?"

"Woah," said Kiba, "calm down. I don't know if you remember, but you fainted after school so we carried you home. We decided to stay here and crash on your sofa. You don't mind, do ya?"

Naruto blinked, "Um, no," and he found that he had calmed down slightly by seeing his best friends all sleepy looking in his apartment.

He saw that his cushions were all over the floor, and he raised his eyebrow in a smirk, "Wait a sec'…you both slept on the sofa…?"

Kiba blinked, a small flush rising to his cheeks, "Woah, woah! Don't get the wrong idea. I mean, we may be getting along better than we ever have done before but we're not that close! I mean, I still hate you Gaara–"

"Likewise," replied Gaara, a small spark of mirth in his pale green eyes.

"–and I'm still not letting you near Akamaru not matter how much you want to be a vet. Oh, and it's not like I'm against guys liking each other; that's fine by me because everyone's different and it's quite a common thing in the Nig…I mean, um, yeah."

There was an awkward pause until Gaara spoke, "In other words, Kiba hogged the sofa all night and I didn't sleep, but you know that's quite a common occurrence for me."

Kiba nodded, ruffling his sleep mussed hair, "And we thought that we'd like bunk school seeing as it's Friday."

Naruto gave a smile at his friends antics, before his smile faded as quick as a melting snowflake as his thought process rewound back to where it had been when he had woken up, "Argh, guys, why didn't you wake me sooner?! We've gotta see if Sasuke's okay!"

Kiba shrugged his shoulders, unsure whether the tall silver hared vampire from the day before had erased Naruto's memory, "Sasuke…?"

"Yeah!" Naruto nodded, "you saw how badly injured he was yesterday. Quick, let's go!"

Gaara said, "The Uchiha is most probably fine."

Kiba agreed, "You don't need to be so flustered. Come on, let's play Playstation or something."

Naruto's mouth opened, and closed a few times, his eyes wild. He could not understand what wavelength his friends were on, "What's wrong with you two? Of course he's not okay; he was bloody stabbed! You might not like him but that's no reason to just ignore the fact that it happened."

Kiba pulled a face, muttering quietly to himself, "Bastard deserved it anyway."

But Naruto heard what came from Kiba's mouth and felt hurt seep into him. This was a cold side that he had not seen of his friend and Naruto felt stunned and unsure of what to say next. He found himself looking towards Gaara, perhaps for support, but the red head remained quiet.

Naruto sighed heavily, fisting his fingers. Why couldn't they understand? Turning away from his friends, a bubble lodged in his throat, he grabbed his house keys and made his way to his front door, "Whatever. Stay here then, I'll…I'll go myself."

With that, he shut the front door with a resounding slam.

"Wait, Naruto," called Kiba, rising from the sofa, but it was too late, "Oh great. I stuck my nose into that one _perfectly._ I'm such an ass! Quick, let's go after him in case Sasuke follows him or something."

"No need," replied Gaara, "we'll leave him alone for now. Uchiha will stay away from him: his vampire pride is wounded. We should congratulate Neji on a job well done."

Kiba grinned, "He got him good! But I doubt that'll keep him away for long. But what's up with Naruto? He was calling him a bastard yesterday and now he's acting really weird. I know it's in his nature to care for anyone and everyone, but…damnit! This would be so much simpler if we just told Naruto how truly dangerous Sasuke is and that he's after his blood."

Gaara nodded, "There's something going on here; something we've missed. We'll find Naruto later. For now, let's go over everything that's happened so far."

* * *

Running along the hallway, Naruto reached the stairs and proceeded to ran down the four flights of stairs to the outside. He became impatient, jumping five to six stairs at a time, not feeling any burn in his knees. Adrenaline pumped through his body as he burst out of the apartment block doors into the spring sunshine, which was a god send after the downpour the day before. 

'_Please be okay, Sasuke.'_

There was a kind of desperation flowing within his veins that he had never felt before. It was as if he couldn't breathe properly until he knew that Sasuke was safe and well and _alive. _He felt strangely claustrophobic. Yesterday seemed like a dream sequence. It had been raining, mud everywhere. The javelin had come out of nowhere and Sasuke had taken the hit…

…_for him._

Naruto had felt such a pull from Sasuke at that point of time. It was an incredible urge to just touch Sasuke and hold him close; to protect and to heal. His pale skin had been so cold. All the times they had touched, his skin had been cold. The moment they had touched, everything had heated up. The rain was no longer ice cold arrows beating down upon them. Naruto had looked into Sasuke's pained yet resilient eyes and had fallen.

They had been so close, both physically and mentally, and although Sasuke had tried once more to push Naruto away, he had been unable to. Naruto had gripped Sasuke's hand tighter, silently promising to never let go. Naruto had never seen Sasuke so vulnerable. He had seen the proud Sasuke with the harsh words, dangerous looks and smirks. The blond had seen tiny clues about his inner character on a few occasions, such as when Sasuke had turned away from him in their graphics lesson and when they had touched, that overwhelming feeling had overtaken them. But seeing Sasuke's eyes open with emotions that were easily read…Naruto had never felt so _intimate_ with someone, as if he could feel absolutely secure within his embrace.

Sasuke was not dangerous; he was misunderstood. Naruto wished to unwind those misunderstandings and make Sasuke see that there was something there between them; that he and Sasuke had a connection.

At this moment in time it felt as if his chest was going to rupture if he didn't find out if Sasuke was safe and sound. He wasn't sure what would happen if he found out that Sasuke was gravely injured, or worse, dead…except that he felt as if he wouldn't be able to cope. These possibilities tugged at his heart.

Naruto was that far involved; had never felt his far involved…but he wouldn't have it any other way.

The hospital came into sight and he picked up his already speedy pace.

He barrelled through the swinging, hospital doors, almost knocking over a small child. He jumped around her in time and within a few seconds was at the front desk, his hands slamming onto the desk, breathing heavily, his eyes intense.

He ignored the startled looks the two nurses on the front desk gave him, "Sasuke Uchiha! Is he alright? I need to see him now!"

"Excuse me, sir, but–"

"Please," Naruto cried, his heart tearing up his insides as the strong smell of disinfectant invading his sense of smell, sickening him, "please, I need to see him to know that he's okay; it's so important, I…"

His voice choked and he broke off, feeling his eyes sting from desperation, "Please…"

One of the nurses smiled sympathetically, nodding. She began to flick through a book full of patients' names, "What was his name again, please?"

"Sasuke Uchiha! He would've come in yesterday."

She flicked through a few pages, trailing her slender finger down the page of writing, a small frown appearing on her face, "I'm sorry, but no one by the name of Sasuke Uchiha is currently in the hospital."

"What?" said Naruto, shocked, "But…but that can't be right! Maybe he didn't give his real name! He was stabbed through the shoulder; the right one! He has dark eyes and hair and really pale skin."

The nurse flicked through a few more pages before looking at the in patients board, "I'm sorry, but the only emergency cases we had yesterday was from a car crash. No one was admitted with a stab wound. Sasuke Uchiha was never here."

Naruto stuttered a few times before nodding and thanking the nurse, turning away from the front desk and walking out of the hospital in numbness. The spring breeze greeted him as he exited the hospital, sitting down on the outside steps. He made a noise of frustration as he tugged on his hair.

How could Sasuke not be in hospital? He had been badly injured. There had been so much blood, a gaping hole in his shoulder. Only a hospital could fix that. There was no other hospital in the town; the next one being more than fifteen miles away. There was no reason for Sasuke to go all the way there, in much the same way that there was no reason for the nurse to lie.

'_Damn it Sasuke! Where are you?'_

Naruto felt frustration well up inside of him. There was no way that Sasuke could survive something like that without going to the hospital: there had been simply too much blood loss. It was too serious an injury. So where was he? The pale teenager had been so adamant of him not calling an ambulance…what exactly had happened after he had blacked out?

He suddenly vividly remembered the moment when he had scratched Sasuke across the face and his pale skin had healed itself within seconds.

"Sasuke," whispered Naruto, "just what is going on?"

He tugged on his hair some more, feeling powerless and out of touch. Sighing, he stood up. His only option would be to look for Sasuke, even though the odds were highly stacked against him. The town of Konoha was fairly large with a dense population. Where would he even start looking?

Trusting his instincts, he headed towards the town centre. However, after an hour of futile searching, he decided that he wasn't getting anywhere fast. Just what could he do?

He had a sudden urge to see Sakura, partly because he could clearly remember her fainting as well and because she would know what to do. She was far more rational than he was. She would be able to help him.

By the time he walked to her house, it was just after 3 o'clock. Time flew by when you were locked up in your thoughts. He immediately rang her doorbell. Her mother answered.

Sakura's mother smiled, "I'm afraid she's not back from school yet, Naruto. She left the house before I woke up this morning, so I didn't get the chance to ask if she was going somewhere after school. She even left her phone here."

"Oh…okay," he replied, "Thanks anyway."

He stepped back from the porch and she said, "Bye, Naruto,"

"Bye."

The door closed and Naruto stood looking at the closed front door, chewing his lower lip. He felt as if he was running out of options, and he hated the feeling. He found himself wondering aimlessly around the streets, keeping his eye out for Sasuke but not seeing him anywhere.

And as the sun set, his conscience lost and exhausted, he found his feet led him towards a large area of greenery on the west side of town. He travelled the familiar path before he stepped off the path onto the freshly cut grass. He stopped.

"Hey mum, dad."

Their gravestones were identical as he kneeled down before them. They were both a light shade of grey granite, each with a pearl coloured arch and cross above them. His mother's was slightly more weather worn as hers was older, but they both stood magnificently tall against the setting sun. They were both buried in the corner of the cemetery, behind a bed of flowers he had planted himself.

Their inscriptions read _'Nothing really dies when it's never forgotten.'_

Naruto gently placed the flowers he had bought at the entrance on their graves and used the lighter that was kept in the glass compartment of his Father's grave to light the incense sticks and candles that were under the arches. Breathing deeply, he put his hands together and said a short prayer, closing his eyes.

He opened them a moment later, looking at the photo of his mother framed on the headstone. _Uzumaki Kushina. _Her fiery red hair was long and highlighted her pretty facial features and her light blue eyes were shaped exactly like his own. She had died at his birth and in her memory, his father had decided that Naruto would take on her surname in remembrance. He could not remember her at all. But Naruto knew that she had been an extremely kind and feisty woman with a beautiful laugh, endless energy and a heart full of love: he could faintly remember the home videos his father had shown him when he had been very young and the way in which his father would talk about her.

Turning his eyes to the photo of his father, he met someone who could have easily been his twin. _Namikaze Minato. _Their facial structures and hair was similar, their eyes that same deep shade of sapphire. His father had raised him until he had been six years old. The night of Naruto's seventh birthday was the night when his father was murdered. Naruto had been there when it had happened; he had been found in the living room of their comfortable home unconscious next to the body of Minato, covered in his blood. He could not remember anything about it; it was one huge blank as if his mind could not take the pain and had decided to lock it away so tightly that it was forgotten. Now and again, he would see flashes of blood, but he put it down to his imagination.

As far as Naruto knew, the murderer had never been caught. Nor was a motive established for the murder. He had been placed in an orphanage; alone, hardly eating and scarred from the unknown until he had run away at age ten, living on the streets and then he had been found by Itachi.

Naruto shook his head to clear his thoughts, returning to the photos of his parents.

"I'm so confused," he whispered to his parents, hugging his knees to his chest as a cool breeze blew around him, "Life's been so great for so long. I have many friends who have become my family and I love them all lots; and though I've still felt lonely like something was missing, I think I've found someone who can truly understand me and help me rid of that suffocating loneliness. He needs it just as much as I do. There's something there between us, something so special, but I can't find him. I _need_ to find him."

He sighed, tugging at his hair some more before chuckling to himself, "Look how miserable I'm acting, telling you my silly troubles. Last time I came here, I told you that I'd smile lots. I have, and I'm going to keep smiling. I'll make Sasuke smile too. Well, after I give him a good punch!"

A breeze blew, scattering blossoms onto the grass and he smiled to himself.

Naruto got up, sighing, before placing his palms on his parent's individual photos, muttering a goodbye. Beginning his walk out of the cemetery, the moon now high up in the night sky, the darkness brought his thoughts straight back to Sasuke.

'_Why do I feel like everything is going to become so much more complicated even if I find you?' _he thought, beginning his walk home.

* * *

Naruto's eyes widened. _It was him. _The silver haired tall man from the previous day who had been there with Sasuke. He was sitting on the pavement, longs legs splayed in front of him in the road, leaning against an electric blue Kawasaki Ninja motorbike, an orange coloured book in his hand. A lone streetlamp fell over his form, lighting him up in the darkness. Naruto remembered his name as Kakashi. 

'_He'll know where Sasuke is,' _it dawned on Naruto and he moved his body forward with adrenaline, his steps heavy.

He was noticed pretty quickly, one grey-blue eye looking in his direction. He stopped in front of him and Kakashi closed his orange book.

"Ah, Naruto. That is your name right?"

Naruto wondered how he knew his name, but thought that Sasuke had perhaps told him or it had been told during the previous day's events. Kakashi's voice was quite deep in timbre and seemed wise; all knowing. There was something relaxed about him. A dark mask of sorts covered his mouth and a bandanna covered one eye.

He ignored the question in favour of asking the question that was burning a hole in his heart, "Where's Sasuke? Is…is he okay?"

Kakashi looked at him for a few moments and Naruto felt heavily scrutinised, worry gnawing at his veins, before the silver haired man's eyes held mirth, pocketing his book, "Sasuke? He's more than okay. A little quiet, but no need to worry."

The wave of relief that spread through Naruto's body felt like liquid warmth, chasing away the worry, desperation and fear that had overtaken him. Sasuke was okay. _Sasuke was okay._ The pain in his chest eased and he let out a shaky breath, biting back a slight sting behind his eyelids.

Whatever this man told him was truth; he could deduce this from body language alone.

Lifting his cerulean eyes to Kakashi, he asked, "Where is he?"

Kakashi stood up, stretching before pointing with his thumb to a doorway that was a little way behind him. Naruto looked at the black door, a small insignia of a black coloured rose etched into it. The building had no windows and there was only an old light hanging beside the door.

With no hesitation, Naruto stepped forwards towards the door, but he was stopped by Kakashi's voice, "You'd best wait until he comes out: it's not the most welcoming of places for someone like yourself."

Naruto frowned, looking towards Kakashi. He gave a smile, "That doesn't matter; I'm not scared. They can try and stop me, but nothing is going to get between me seeing Sasuke right now."

There was heavy conviction in his heart and just knowing that a healthy Sasuke was beyond these doors sent warm shivers through his limbs. He knocked on the door, seeing no handle, and a panel slid open revealing a man with a cigarette in his mouth, eyes dark.

"I'd like to enter," said Naruto, eyes defiant to the person who looked upon him.

"I don't think this so," was the answer and Naruto was about to reply when Kakashi spoke up.

"Let him in, Asuma. I'll deal with any trouble."

There was a moment's pause before the door was unlatched and opened. Naruto muttered thanks, entering through the door into a dark hallway that led to sweeping spiral stairs that looked as if they went down into a basement like room. Behind him, Kakashi entered. The blond wasted no time heading towards the stairs, his eyes taking time to adjust to the low lighting. The stairs looked as if they were made out of cast iron, which added to the dark atmosphere. Descending the stairs, he encountered a door, which he pushed open to reveal a large square room.

Large chandeliers with dimmed lights hung from the high ceiling, the walls a mixture of black paint and dark red brick. There were two pools tables to his left and the rest of the room was filled with various tables of different shapes with many chairs, stools and plush sofas, all upholstered in dark colours. There was heavy rock music filtering through the room from a far corner, though it was nowhere near loud enough to deafen. It was just loud enough among the chatter of the people in the room. There was a large bar in front of him, glasses and alcohol bottles lining the shelves behind it. There were numerous stools along the bar and on one of these, his back to him, was Sasuke. Naruto's heart thudded in utter relief.

Sasuke had not noticed him yet as he was facing in the wrong direction, but it seemed as if the rest of the people in the cosy bar had. It was as if someone had pressed a stop switch. Everyone stopped drinking and playing snooker, instead choosing to look at him with eyes that made Naruto feel like an outsider. The eyes were heavy, as if assessing him. Whispers began. The thought of him being underage to drink or enter a bar did not cross his mind as he looked at the types of people in the bar. Most of them were among the same age as him, around seventeen years old, but there were also some older people in a few corners and some young too, at the most around thirteen years old.

Naruto felt as if they were all giving off the same aura: a feeling of power, superiority. Everyone was beautiful, with striking features and glowing eyes. Some were even growling. Naruto would not back down though. He took a step forward and a group of three stood up. He faltered slightly and was about to move forwards once more, not caring about those in his way as Sasuke was all that mattered, when he felt something on his shoulder. His eyes blinked and he looked to his side, seeing that Kakashi was beside him, hand on his shoulder. Nearly everyone backed down. There was an illegible look in Kakashi's eye, but it changed the whole atmosphere into the room into what it was before Naruto had entered.

The moment Kakashi's hand fell from his shoulder, Naruto immediately looked towards the bar where Sasuke had not moved. He moved towards him and although everyone else in the bar had gone back to their previous activities, their eyes still remained on him.

Why was Sasuke in a place like this? It was simple.

'_It's like he belongs here,' _thought Naruto, _'There's always been something different about him, just like how the people in here create a strange atmosphere that I don't feel welcome in.'_

Despite actually seeing Sasuke in front of him, sitting at a bar and drinking, it didn't seem completely real. How was Sasuke okay? Sure, Naruto had seen first hand how fast Sasuke could heal from when he had cut his face from his blunt pencil, but still…to be able to heal from something that fatal? To see was to believe and his body couldn't deny the pull towards Sasuke he felt. Naruto moved quicker towards the bar. He wanted Sasuke to turn around and look at him with those obsidian eyes; to call him a dead-last and smirk at him. And when Sasuke tried to push him away, Naruto would take his hand and pull him closer.

The closer he got, the more those warm feelings intensified. He clung to them and pulled himself along to Sasuke, who had suddenly stiffened. The moment Naruto was less than two feet behind him was the moment Sasuke turned his head around, their eyes connecting.

It felt _so good_ to see him in flesh, breathing, not in pain, no blood staining his clothes or skin. Warmth rushed through Naruto, making his fingertips tingle. He felt the insatiable urge to touch Sasuke and feel his cold, smooth skin. But he felt unable to move, as if Sasuke would just pop and disappear. There was so much he wanted to say and to ask, but he didn't know where to even start.

Naruto heard Sasuke smirk, a small 'hn' as he turned around completely on the bar stool to face him head on. Naruto's eyes were drawn to Sasuke's shoulder, which was partly visible from the tight, dark blue sleeveless t-shirt he wore. There was no bruising or redness on the pale skin he could see, and Naruto's suspicions that Sasuke was _completely _healed was confirmed when the dark haired teenager lifted his glass with ease to his lips with the same arm which should have been in a sling. His throat choked.

'_Just who are you, Sasuke?'_

Sasuke knew that Naruto had found him the moment the blond had knocked on the front door above. A shiver had run down his spine and an image of Naruto had instantly come to his mind. He cursed silently.

He had not expected the sneaky Hyuuga to use such a devious tactic against him. And he had fallen for it. Looking into the mirror that was on the wall behind the bar, staring at his own reflection, he felt sick with himself. He was supposed to be strong and focused, but instead, here he was involved with a human who was a dead-last and weak, though gorgeous and insanely desirable.

Naruto had vital information about Itachi; the closest Sasuke had been able to get to Itachi in sixty years. It was all about the information. It was _all_ about the information…

He despised lying to himself. He had thrown himself in front of that javelin for _more_ than just information. And in his _stupid _blood weakness, he had been almost completely open and Naruto had been there, had touched him, had comforted him, had _worried _about him…these were things which had no place for him in his life of destroying his brother. They made him weak and dependent; which were not qualities which he wanted or needed.

Sasuke could still remember the warmth of Naruto's hand on his cheek, and the grip on his own hand. _So warm…_ which was completely different from the coldness of his own skin. He didn't feel the cold at all, but he had felt that pulsing warmth against his skin. And looking into those blue eyes that were filled with concern, he had almost accepted that warmth.

The Soulmate Principle, where two people were destined to be with one another: their equal and other half, sharing thoughts, feelings and being closer than any other two people could be. The feelings of the Soulmate Principle didn't make two individuals fall for each other. It provided base feelings and instincts; enabled a reaction to the other's presence.

The sparks and shivers that Sasuke had felt when Naruto had been so close to him, when he had felt Naruto's breath against his own cold lips…those feelings and thoughts were that intense and had such an impact because they were fuelled by inner desires. There was no way that Sasuke could say that he had leaned into Naruto's touch because the Soulmate Principle had made him. It had gone beyond that. Naruto had made an impact in his life that was almost as great as the one his brother had made upon him as a child.

He wasn't sure if he could control himself around Naruto anymore. He was torn. Would he continue his interrogation of Naruto and fight the feelings that Naruto evoked in him? Would he just use Naruto to satisfy his desires and be done with it?

Naruto was so…lethal in a way. Like a poison dart, his cheerful personality infected every nook and cranny of the inner body. And there was no getting away from it. He couldn't deal with this right now. A few more buttons pushed and Sasuke knew he would explode. He could already feel the inner instincts of his vampire blood taunting him to devour the blond. It seemed like a long time ago he had broken into Naruto's apartment and had indulged on Naruto's warm skin, when it in fact had been less than a five days ago.

He would not let himself get any closer to Naruto. By tomorrow, everything would be over. He'd straighten out his thoughts, send Naruto away from this Night World bar and then he would take Sakura from her home, bring her to Naruto's apartment and make her bleed enough for Naruto to spill everything he knew about Itachi. Then perhaps he'd have one large drink of Naruto's crimson life source and leave content, knowing he had made it through the annoyance of the Soulmate Principle and had taken one huger step towards finding his brother again.

He didn't even think about if he would be able to fight his growing feelings and the intensity of the Soulmate Principle. Or if he would be able to keep the lid on his inner longing of needing someone to understand him and tell him that he had someone there for him. It was an unbidden thought.

Naruto didn't expect Sasuke to speak first.

"Why am I not surprised." It was not a question. The tone was not icy, but was instead rather restrained. Naruto couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"You're…you're okay," he said and immediately wanted to hit himself for saying something so stupid and obvious.

"I'm a fast healer; you've seen that for yourself."

Sasuke turned around, distancing himself away from Naruto by facing the bar once again. Naruto frowned, feeling eyes on his back but he ignored them, instead standing next to Sasuke at the bar. He looked at him, his dark hair framing his face. It was as if yesterday had not physically happened, yet there was a mental block there.

They had been closer than ever yesterday. Their breaths had mingled and defences had been lowered. Naruto wanted that again: that closeness. He craved it. He craved _Sasuke. _And he wanted to make Sasuke see that there was something indescribable between them. Something special that was rare to have that shouldn't be wasted. He wanted Sasuke to tell him everything.

"Sasuke, I–"

"Leave this place, Naruto," interrupted Sasuke, looking at the bottom of his empty glass, "I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now."

Naruto blinked and he felt annoyance swell in his bones. Sasuke was so exasperating, "Leave? You bastard! I've spent all day looking for you because I was worried sick. When the hospital told me that you hadn't been there, I didn't know what to think. Damnit, I was scared for you, Sasuke! I'm not going anywhere, I need to–"

Those dark eyes turned to his, face set, "Be quiet. I don't…I don't want to hear that kind of talk."

Naruto's chest clenched, Sasuke's tone full of closure. It was the same as yesterday, when even during the time when he had been in the mud with a javelin through his shoulder, he had distanced himself from their physical closeness, as if he couldn't let himself get close to someone rather than he wouldn't.

'_He's driving me nuts!' _thought Naruto_ 'One minute he's thinking one thing and the next he's thinking another!'_

"Why, are you afraid?" began Naruto, his voice rising, grabbing the collar of Sasuke's t-shirt in his fist and tugging Sasuke closer. Sasuke seemed to let it happen, his body somewhat relaxed, but his dark eyes were filled with wrath. Naruto continued, his eyes intense, "You want me to leave now, but before, you needed information from me. You confuse me so damn much! What's happened, Sasuke?"

Sasuke grabbed his wrist, sparks tingling their skin, and tore Naruto's fist from his collar as he stood up. They glared at each other and Naruto became aware that there was silence in the bar as everyone looked at them. Even the music had stopped. Sasuke let go of Naruto's wrist.

"You don't give up, do you?" voiced Sasuke, his tone low and laced with the richness of coffee.

"Hell no, Sasuke," replied Naruto, "I need some questions answered. I'm not leaving at all, whether you like it or not."

Sasuke smirked and the next thing Naruto knew, Sasuke had grabbed him by the shoulders and had turned him around, pushing him towards the door. Sasuke's nimble fingers dug into his clothed shoulders as Naruto was pushed against his will through the gaps between the tables and chairs. His blue eyes widened and he locked his knees to stop the movement, but he found he was unable to. Sasuke was strong; incredibly so. His mind reversed to the time he had first encountered Sasuke, when he had been pushed to the ground and had been unable to move.

"Sasuke…!"

He flailed his arms and tried to turn around, but it was no use. Everyone in the bar watched the display; they even all moved out of the way. Naruto knew why; he could feel the anger and purpose rolling off Sasuke's skin in droves. It strangely _excited_ him.

He fell through the door as he was pushed through and ended up on his knees upon the cast iron spiral staircase. He fisted his fingers and turned his head around, half sitting on the second to last step. Sasuke was standing at the door and it closed behind him as he took a step forwards. His posture was strong, the darkness of the stairs making his dark eyes light up into a dangerous grey and his pale skin turn almost translucent.

It silenced Naruto.

Sasuke said, "Move up the stairs, dead-last."

Naruto's eyes sparked, "Make me bastard."

Sasuke did. Within a second, Naruto was hauled up and was once again being pushed up the stairs by his shoulders. He fought back, wriggling his arms and moving from side to side, but Sasuke pushed him on. He banged his shins into the steps a few times, knowing that it would bruise, but he ignored the sting of pain in trying to stop Sasuke. But he couldn't. It was relentless.

'_You're strong, Sasuke. Too strong…'_

He was at the top of the stairs in no time at all and he caught a quick look at the man named Asuma before the front door was opened and Sasuke pushed him through. He heard the door close behind him.

For a few seconds, nothing happened. There were no cars on the street and the only sound Naruto could hear was his own heartbeat. He stared at the houses opposite, as if in a trance. Sasuke's fingers still dug into his shoulders from behind, keeping him still. Although it was a spring evening, Naruto felt the cold seeping through his clothes.

Sudden warmth overtook him and he snapped out of his trance as Sasuke leaned his head towards his right ear. He felt the brush of soft hair against his neck and warm breath against the shell of his ear. He could almost _feel _Sasuke's smirk against his skin.

"Naruto, Naruto, Naruto…"

Naruto never knew the skin just below his ear could be so sensitive. Instant heat travelled down his neck, his eyes scrunching shut. That intense feeling was bubbling up in his stomach again, those warm sparks just beneath surface of his skin, threatening to spill over.

In fact, Naruto wanted them to overtake him. He wanted to feel that high, that closeness once again, that security. Sasuke was alive, Sasuke was okay and live and kicking and breathing, Sasuke was behind him somewhat holding him, _Sasuke was here. _

"Don't think you can just leave me here," began Naruto, turning his head towards Sasuke's and feeling a brush of skin against skin, both their breaths hitching, "You…you can leave me out here and go back inside, but I'll wait out here until you come out. And then I'll follow you home; follow you wherever you go."

He was suddenly pushed forwards, away from the warmth of Sasuke. He stumbled slightly but then stood up straight and whirled around to face Sasuke, their eyes connecting in a gaze of several meanings. Naruto took a step forwards and Sasuke spoke, halting his steps.

"You think you can follow me? You have _no _idea. And anyway, you should be grateful. This is the one time when I'm not interrogating you and instead, I'm letting you go. You should take this chance and run," he tilted his head, the moonlight highlighting his features as he walked around Naruto, "because it won't be pretty when I do catch up to you. Make the most of the time I've given you."

Those dark eyes seemed hidden in the darkness, but to Naruto, they were open wide. Sasuke was irate and was not as level headed as he was making himself out to be. Naruto knew that Sasuke hid his true feelings behind a wall. He hid and pushed others away, focusing on himself and what he wanted.

And Naruto suddenly couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't take the attitude or the infuriating personality, or the way Sasuke acted like he didn't give a damn about anything except Itachi. He couldn't take all the confusion surrounding Sasuke, how much in the dark he felt.

Something snapped inside Naruto, and with clenched fists, he launched himself at Sasuke, who was standing on his right, in a quick movement. His palms hit Sasuke in the chest, pushing him backwards (Naruto knew that Sasuke was letting himself be pushed) until his back hit the brick wall of a house harshly. Tanned fists bunched into Sasuke's collar and in his frustration, he shook him slightly and slammed his back against the wall once more with a resounding sound.

"God damnit, you bastard! Do you know how much you infuriate me sometimes?!"

Naruto couldn't see Sasuke's eyes as they were covered by the tilt of his head and the fall of his hair. He leaned closer to Sasuke, his fists shaking.

"Why did you take that javelin for me yesterday? I could've…I could've protected myself! And how have you healed so fast?! I just don't understand you, Sasuke. I haven't been this stressed in ages! You put me down and push me around. But…"

Naruto took a ragged breath, closing his eyes, his body shaking slightly. His heart raced; he was so desperate to get Sasuke to see what he saw and what he felt. His whole body reacted just at the thought of Sasuke. He continued in a quiet tone.

"…but I can't stay angry at you. I've told you before; I care about you. I feel as if I've known you since forever! But still, I want to know more about you; I want you to open up to me. Somehow, you've become important to me, Sasuke. But you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way."

At that moment, Sasuke began to chuckle hollowly. Naruto felt the vibrations of Sasuke's chest and he was startled at the sudden change in Sasuke. Those intense feelings that bubbled pleasurably beneath his skin began to fizzle into a deep, echoing pain.

_Sasuke…_

Sasuke taunting voice broke through the sound of Naruto's beating heart, "Care about me? Important to you? Why…do you dream about me at night, Naruto?"

Naruto blinked, "Sasu–"

"You shouldn't be _allowed _to dream about me!"

Wild eyes met Naruto's and he let go of Sasuke, blue eyes narrowing, "You arrogant jerk, stop acting like this!"

Sasuke took a step forwards, his stance intimidating and his eyes flickering in barely held restraint and all of a sudden, their faces were less than two inches away, strands of blue/black entangled with thick blond, breath warm and harsh against each other's lips. The sudden movement and flurry of emotions made Naruto instinctively take a step backwards and then he mentally kicked himself for doing so because he craved that proximity. The moonlight highlighted the blue tint of Sasuke's hair, made his skin look silver and ethereal, gave an edge to the shape of his sculptured mouth and made his lip stud gleam. Those eyes were so intense. Sasuke looked gorgeous and Naruto had the sudden urge to just _devour _him. The thought surprised him that he almost missed what Sasuke said next.

"Leave now, or you'll regret it!" said Sasuke, "You don't know what you're getting yourself into!"

"I already told you, I'm not going anywhere!"

They glared at each other for a few moments and the moment Naruto made a move to take a step towards Sasuke which would take them back into that intimate closeness, the Lamia vampire felt adrenaline pulse through his body and growled, "Tell me everything you know about Itachi now, or _I'll kill you!_"

Naruto faltered because the threat was real. Sasuke's eyes were hard and wild, his body tense and his face enraged. There was no doubt in Naruto's mind that Sasuke could kill him, though he was unsure about the details. But Naruto felt through instinct that Sasuke's words were a kind of defence.

"Who are you Sasuke? What are you?!" cried Naruto.

Sasuke didn't answer, but instead grabbed Naruto by his hoody and reversed their position from before. Naruto could feel the hardness of the bricks digging into his back, but he concentrated solely on Sasuke, who looked as if he wanted to say something, but instead stayed quiet. His pale hands gripped Naruto tightly, quivering slightly in suppressed rage. He lifted his sea blue eyes from the strong, pale hands to dark eyes, and he found his breath quickening as his heart began to palpitate. He knew Sasuke felt the same thing and was fighting back the urge to move even closer.

Naruto said in low tones, a small smile on his lips, "You shouldn't fight it."

And then Sasuke just couldn't take it anymore. Sasuke's powerful eyes allowed him to see all the tiny details of Naruto in the darkness and it caused desire to swell beneath his skin along with the warm, fizzy sensations that they're closeness was producing. His upper jaw was aching, his vampire urges fluctuating and urging him to snap. There was a small flush on Naruto's cheeks, highlighting his strange whisker marks. The blond's chest rose quickly under his grip. His lips were slightly parted, allowing for small glimpses of his dark pink inner mouth. His frustration had quickly climbed, clawing at his insides. How could Naruto smile when he had known Itachi? Sasuke could only feel pain.

Suddenly, he didn't care about the effects the Soulmate Principle would have on him for this one moment: that it would make him weak, defenceless and feeling emotions he shouldn't feel in order to avenge his Clan. He needed to make Naruto see that this closeness that the blond craved was in his opinion, damaging and flawed. He needed to teach Naruto a lesson for being so stubborn, so annoying, _so human._ Sasuke desired Naruto: his blood, his body, his warm skin. He needed to push Naruto away from him.

"I warned you, Naruto."

And nothing would ever be the same again.

Naruto's eyes widened. The only way in which he could describe it was that Sasuke _changed._

And suddenly, a lot of his confusion made sense. So much clicked into place that he felt himself choking on air.

_Sasuke was a vampire._

_--_

**To be continued...**

* * *

Ah, well, a lot more was supposed to happen in this chapter, but it just got so long as I was writing that I stopped there. And I know how eveybody just _loves_ cliffhangers... XD Well, doing this will make for an even better next chapter! 

So, let me know what you think and I'll give you a huge hug in return (smiles) And I promise a quicker update, because we're getting so close to some juicy revealings!


	9. The Kiss

Yay, thanks for all the reviews guys! You all make my day/week/month, so this chapter is dedicated to all you dear reviewers for your fabulous reviews! And an extra dedication for _chocolatelover1_ and you know why!

Yes, this chapter came out much quicker than the last! It just flowed from my fingertips. It really was an awful cliffie last chapter T.T so I hope this makes up for it! I've got a good vibe that you'll like this chapter... There's a small flashback from last chapter at the beginning as well.

Oh, Night World book 8, I do love thee so!

* * *

**The Night World: Immortal Affliction**

The Night World laws say it's okay to hunt humans. It's okay to toy with their hearts; it's even okay to kill them! There are two things that you can't do with them.

1) Never let them find out the Night World exists

2) Never fall in love with one of them

This is a story about what happens when the rules get broken.

* * *

"_Who are you Sasuke? What are you?!" cried Naruto._

_Sasuke didn't answer, but instead grabbed Naruto by his hoody and reversed their position from before. Naruto could feel the hardness of the bricks digging into his back, but he concentrated solely on Sasuke, who looked as if he wanted to say something, but instead stayed quiet. His pale hands gripped Naruto tightly, quivering slightly in suppressed rage. He lifted his sea blue eyes from the strong, pale hands to dark eyes, and he found his breath quickening as his heart began to palpitate. He knew Sasuke felt the same thing and was fighting back the urge to move even closer._

_Naruto said in low tones, "You shouldn't fight it."_

_And then Sasuke just couldn't take it anymore. Sasuke's powerful eyes allowed him to see all the tiny details of Naruto in the darkness and it caused desire to swell beneath his skin along with the warm, fizzy sensations that they're closeness was producing. His upper jaw was aching, his vampire urges fluctuating and urging him to snap. There was a small flush on Naruto's cheeks, highlighting his strange whisker marks. The blond's chest rose quickly under his grip. His lips were slightly parted, allowing for small glimpses of his dark pink inner mouth. His frustration had quickly climbed, clawing at his insides. _

_Suddenly, he didn't care about the effects the Soulmate Principle would have on him for this one moment: that it would make him weak, defenceless and feeling emotions he shouldn't feel in order to avenge his Clan. He needed to make Naruto see that this closeness that the blond craved was in his opinion, damaging and flawed. He needed to teach Naruto a lesson for being so stubborn, so annoying, so human. Sasuke desired Naruto: his blood, his body, his warm skin. He needed to push Naruto away._

"_I warned you, Naruto."_

_And nothing would ever be the same again._

_Naruto's eyes widened. The only way in which he could describe it was that Sasuke changed._

_And suddenly, a lot of his confusion made sense. So much clicked into place that he felt himself choking on air._

_Sasuke was a vampire._

_

* * *

_

**Chapter 9 - The Kiss**

--

_Vampire…_

The word reverberated in Naruto's mind, echoing against the sound of his pulse on his ear. Images of vampires from films he had seen and books he had read surfaced in his thoughts, of vampires' supposed weaknesses like sunlight, garlic and crucifixes. Of their silly capes, medieval clothing and haunted castles. Their unnatural appearances and figures of speech. Naruto realised: those writers knew _nothing._

In one quick transformation, Sasuke had changed from supposed human into a whole new level of being. His body language changed, his biceps visually tensing and flexing slightly as if they held a lot more strength than they seemed. He took on a whole new level of raw power and though he was as tense as before, it seemed much more contained. But it was his face that changed the most and gave everything away.

Those haunting onyx eyes swirled into a deep red that was as red as blood, his black pupil larger than any pupil he had ever seen. Three black spots were sunk within the crimson irises, spinning slightly to and fro with a gaze that could only be described as predatory. These eyes were a powerful weapon, framed by heavy black lashes that stood out on pale skin that was paler than it had ever been. It looked smooth like whipped butter and the colour was free from any blemishes.

It was Sasuke's sculptured mouth that caught Naruto's eyes in a single moment. His canines elongated, curving and ending into delicate, sharp points which looked incredibly strong and could only be described as instruments of feeding and death. The moment Sasuke smirked, those long teeth dug into a lower lip that was swollen with anticipation.

Naruto's breath hitched in his throat and he suddenly knew; he knew…that this was the answer to a lot of recent happenings. The answer behind Sasuke's ethereal demeanours and the general atmosphere Naruto picked up around him. The reason behind the power; the anger; certain comments. It explained Sasuke's ability to heal instantaneously and to recover from large injuries in a far shorter span than any human. That javelin…it was made of wood! Of course! Was wood one weakness that authors had written correctly? It also added other implications as someone had obviously thrown that javelin with the purpose to maim Sasuke. This wasn't just one vampire on his own; hell, this wasn't just one supernatural being. Naruto had been drawn into the other side of the world: the unknown. The faceless monsters that were not supposed to exist; the terrors of the night that he had been told would never harm him: it was all real. He was in the clutches of what could only be a vampire with sharp teeth and deep red eyes that he realised with horror were almost exactly the same as Itachi's.

That was when his heart rate rose even further. Itachi didn't wear crazy coloured contact lenses, he was a vampire too. His pulse raced. That year he had known Itachi when he had been ten years old living on the streets: all the memory blackouts, the emotional pain, the threat of physical violence, the strength that Naruto had known was in Itachi's body…_a vampire. _It made Naruto think that it could have been much worse. He had never been bitten, which led to one question to float around at the forefront of his mind: _would Itachi come back to finish the 'job'?_

'_This is a feud. I'm in a feud. A feud between vampires…'_

Pushing thoughts of Itachi away, Naruto had another realisation. He had seen Sasuke like this before – he was sure of it – with teeth bared and they had both been in the same sort of physical position. His mind was foggy until the fog suddenly dissipated and he _remembered. _He remembered the moment Sasuke had broken into his apartment and had pushed him against his front door, had revealed himself and had then touched him. It was Sasuke who had left those marks on his jaw and neck!

'_Bastard!'_

But now was not the time to think of any of that. Sasuke was here right now and was still gripping onto him tightly, fangs glinting in the moonlight with _intent_. Naruto became aware of that insatiable warmth on the verge of spilling over. Those intense feelings must also be connected in one way or another to the fact that Sasuke was a supernatural being. Not completely, but partly, because Naruto felt too much of it himself.

There was movement from Sasuke and Naruto realised that his thoughts has taken up no more than a few seconds. Sasuke's face was inching forwards, his face tipping downwards slightly to meet with Naruto's slightly shorter height. An animalistic hiss escaped Sasuke's mouth, his eyes narrowing and it made the hairs on the nape of Naruto's neck stand on end.

Then Sasuke moved back a few inches but Naruto knew that he was not going to get away without being bitten. It was a ploy to test his reactions.

There was a little fear in Naruto's veins. Of course there was. A whole new level between them had opened up. But this was Sasuke: Uchiha Sasuke, the one that meant a great deal to Naruto, the one he had called a bastard too many times to count…the one who pushed away all warmth. Was that because of Itachi?

'_I've been ignorant.'_

Seeing Sasuke as he was now and knowing Sasuke's vampire identity, it was so painfully obvious that Sasuke had met Itachi before – most probably knew Itachi quite well – because the raw wounds that Sasuke carried (Naruto knew they were there just by the way Sasuke held back, drew away, fought back…and his eyes were almost like windows to his soul;) wounds that were even more severe and deeper than Naruto's own, could _only_ have been caused by Itachi. Naruto had seen small glimpses of Sasuke beyond his exterior. That was perhaps the real Sasuke, or perhaps, the Sasuke that had once been there. He had changed, but not into something truly monstrous. Sasuke as a vampire was, in Naruto's eyes, completely natural. Sasuke had never been as gorgeous as he was now, a predator in the moonlight, and Naruto wanted nothing more than to sew those deep wounds into fading, white scars.

Dislodging the boulder in his throat, Naruto muttered, "S…Sasuke…"

God, he wanted to _touch _him. Sasuke's voice stopped his movements as his hands rose up.

The Lamia vampire tilted his head, "You remember, don't you? The last time we were like this. I think it's time for a repeat performance, but I'll skip all the way to the good part."

Naruto's heart thudded in his chest, the sound travelling to his ears. Sasuke's words were said with a small smirk, the tone laced with utter seriousness. All that wild anger and frustration from before seemed more controlled in this state of his supernatural being, but Sasuke was still serious in his words. In the blink of an eye, Naruto's hands were pinned to the wall above his head in Sasuke's strong grip. The brick scratched at his hands and Sasuke's hands were cold against his own, though sharp bursts of molten heat began to worm their way through his veins from their contact.

"I'll give it to you Naruto," Sasuke continued, leaning closer to Naruto, who tried to loosen Sasuke's grip to no avail, "you're the most stubborn human I've ever met, and I've lived for a long time. Just think; if you had just told me what I needed to know, you wouldn't be in this situation now."

"Sasu–" Naruto began but he couldn't get a word in edgeways. It was as if all what was happening was following a strict structure.

"I wonder how much you can take before you break, Naruto? Will you even be able to fight back? After all, I'm faster than any human, stronger than any human, I can see much better in the dark and I'm much, much nastier."

Sasuke's voice trailed off into a husky whisper and he found himself almost drowning in Naruto's blue eyes, which in the moonlight were an assortment of colours. He had not realised just how expressive those eyes were, or perhaps he had forgotten.He could feel the more intense feelings of being so close to Naruto: the ones which were causing his pulse to race, his desire to rise, and his jaw to ache with an insatiable thirst.The look on Naruto's face was priceless. Sasuke drank up on the genuine shock that radiated from the blond.

His frustrations which continued to claw at his insides were urging him to devour the breathtakingly beautiful Naruto and for the second time that night, just as he had thought it when he had transformed into his vampire state,he didn't care about the effects the Soulmate Principle would have on him for this one moment: that it would make him weak, defenceless and feeling emotions he shouldn't feel in order to avenge his Clan. He thought, _'I can control these feelings,' _and he concentrated on how human Naruto was, how his molten hot blood and warm skin would taste, how the blond might fight against the inevitable bite and dig his nails into Sasuke's arms, back, scalp… His blood boiled pleasantly, his need for blood overpowering his senses.

Sasuke could fight against the invasion of his mind, he could keep his memories to himself and his mental wall intact: he was strong, he was level headed, he only needed to concentrate solely on his revenge. He tongued his elongated canines, hissing at the pleasurable feeling it produced against his tongue. The lust, the temptation, the need to dominate… he allowed those sparks, that warmth and those shivers to overtake him to the point where they couldn't control him. He pushed aside all the other emotions that assaulted him: that closeness, that belonging… he couldn't let those feelings turn him weak; he could do this! He had to find Itachi again! His clan massacre those three hundred years ago; the four times he had found Itachi since then including the last time, those sixty years ago where he had again been kicked to the ground in his own blood…he couldn't afford to let Itachi live anymore!

Naruto could only watch as Sasuke suddenly swooped in, eyes red hot with ferocity and wildness, the hand that wasn't holding his own tangling into his hair in a vice, almost desperate grip, pulling his head to the side to expose his neck. He could feel Sasuke's fingertips against his scalp and he felt momentarily blinded from the instant shot of fire that reverberated through his body. It all happened so quickly and Naruto's mind screamed:

_This is really happening, he's going to bite me_

…and then Sasuke was a hair's breadth away, hot breath causing an eruption of goosebumps against the sensitive skin of his neck, a strong yet lithe body pressing him urgently against the wall. And before another second passed, Naruto felt the sharp points of teeth, heard and felt the hiss from a sculptured mouth, felt Sasuke's mouth against his skin, his dark hair brushing against his ear and the unmistakable piercing of his flesh.

Naruto's eyes widened.

It _hurt._

Jets of hot, searing pain shot from the juncture of his neck and shoulder up along his raised arms and into his head, stabbing into the already tight grip Sasuke had on his hair. His mouth opened in an almost silent groan of pain. He could literally feel those impressive fangs of Sasuke push deeper and deeper into his neck, rivulets of warmth which he knew was his own blood escaping from his veins and capillaries dripping down his neck, soaking into his clothes and being drawn into the mouth of Sasuke.

He instinctively tensed to protect himself, his voice coming out in broken tones, "Sas…uke…"

His fingers twitched, his neck starting to ache and throb from being held so tightly in place and from its puncture. Suddenly, the mouth upon his neck began to move and suck the blood forcefully from his veins. A gasp escaped his lips, a sheen of perspiration beading on his forehead as his body temperature spiked…Sasuke's mouth was _so warm_ against his skin, which contrasted with the coldness of his pale hands tangled within strands of his hair and gripping his own hands. His lips were so _damn _soft, brushing sensually against his bleeding neck, and the feelings of pain abruptly morphed into bliss as Naruto realised just how physically close they were; just how sensual this had become.

A sweep of Sasuke's burning tongue against his puncture wounds made a small whimper breakout from his throat and he realised that if he fought against it, the pain worsened and took precedence over the pleasure that was beginning to swell within his chest. Everything became acute within him and he relaxed his entire body. An onslaught of emotion rushed through him, those warm shivers attacking his senses. Sparks fizzed in the pit of his stomach, currents of delightful electricity travelled through his limbs, a pink haze broke into his vision…

…and Naruto was drowning in Sasuke, a moan escaping his lips, his fingers fisting against Sasuke's grip as he literally merged with the vampire and the feelings of closeness and utter _belonging_ fused into one. He felt Sasuke shift against him, a heavy breath falling against his sensitive neck, and Naruto fluttered his eyes closed.

The world fell away as he sank into the depths of something indescribable. All at once, Naruto felt as if he couldn't support his weight anymore and he found himself almost leaning into Sasuke for support. He had no sense of the hard ground beneath his feet or the hard wall against his spine; the only solid thing to hold onto in the darkness was Sasuke. The darkness behind his eyelids exploded. Within a second, it felt as if his mind had dived into a maelstrom of colours. Through his eyes within the strange place, he could see nothing except strands that tangled all around him and seemed to pulse with life. They absentmindedly reminded him of spaghetti strands. The strands were all dark in colour: a mixture of royal deep blues, reds, greys and blacks, but underneath all the dark colours were strands of bright yellows, blues and greens: light covered by darkness.

Naruto felt light-headed and strangely calm as he floated in the multicoloured abyss, and it clicked that what he was seeing and feeling was the inside of Sasuke's _mind_. He was floating in it.

'_A form of telepathy_,_'_ a distant part of his mind whispered.

He had seen this before, the first time Sasuke had drawn blood from him in the shadows of his hallway in his apartment. Their minds were once again connected, the feelings of utter closeness that they had been feeling since they had first seen each other culminating in this realm of closeness that no ordinary human world or emotion could offer.

Those strands of colour were pulsing with life and tiny images flashed in front of Naruto eyes too quick to decipher, but he instantly knew that these coloured strands were the memories and personality of Sasuke. He urged his mind closer to Sasuke's, mentally reaching out. All at once, Naruto _knew _Sasuke. Those dark strands on top of the colourful ones gave off a pulse of loneliness, despair, hate, pain and all things dark. This…this was the cold exterior of Sasuke, he realised, and the tangled, dark strands were covering the brightly coloured strands, which meant…

Naruto could sense how frighteningly vulnerable Sasuke was under that frozen exterior. Those coloured strands, some unused, were strong and whole and beautiful. There was just so much _potential. _There was so much locked away, unused and covered with dust.

All of a sudden, he could feel exactly what Sasuke was feeling. He could feel his astonishment, his wonder, but also his anger at the thought of being invaded. Sasuke seemed completely open. The thoughts of his inner secrets being exposed, of his mind being surrounded and engulfed by Naruto's presence from something beyond their control but fuelled by their own individual feelings scared the hell out of the pale vampire.

Sasuke's inner mind was then flooded by a smokescreen, flooding the vampire's thoughts with visions of mists and clouds so that Naruto could not see.

_No, Sasuke, don't hide from me._

Naruto realised that he had spoken aloud in this space within their minds when Sasuke replied, his voice a ghostly whisper, _You're not allowed here!_

A jolt of pain racked Naruto even in this blissful state of mind. Sasuke was hiding once more, but Naruto could sense real fear behind this running and hiding. He watched in half fascination as ice began to form around the edges of Sasuke's mind, freezing all the warmth and physical contact. Naruto felt himself flow towards Sasuke, helplessly, hand reaching out to melt it all away. He could feel Sasuke's mind touching his and it felt so strange, so wonderful. It was a pleasure that he couldn't even have dreamed of.

Of course, Sasuke could see into his own mind. But there was no probing from Sasuke, as if this entire experience had frozen the pale teenager up. Sasuke could see anything within Naruto's mind as it was open. However, everything Sasuke ever wanted to know was locked up in Naruto's mind in its own mental block, but the pale teenager wasn't even trying to probe his way in. Before Naruto could put any more thought into it, he became aware of his own physical body. He could still only see this multi-coloured abyss, but he could feel that his blood was still being drawn from his body in a more languid way, Sasuke's mouth almost nuzzling his neck, though the grip on his hair and hands had increased.

He lost the feeling of being aware of his body and everything went black, the maelstrom of colours dissolving into darkness. This wasn't right at all; he should be somewhere deeper with Sasuke, where they could simply _be_ and bask in how perfect this felt. The place where Naruto knew Sasuke felt something for him.

Everywhere was pitch black, the ice from Sasuke closing in, putting distance between them. However, Naruto could see that the ice was melting, the drips creating puddles within this black world. It was impossible for them to stop this _beautiful _bond they had, but why stop it in the first place? No, Naruto was not going to let Sasuke hide away and continue on his path alone. Within the black world, he strode forward until he was touching the ice, melting it further until it was breaking into tiny crystals, allowing that warmth to filter through to Sasuke.

There was a sudden burst of light. A moving image opened before his eyes, taking over the darkness. He was within the images. It was unclear, but Naruto could see that he was in a forest of sorts, tall pine trees towering over him. There was snow everywhere and it was ivory white, almost blinding. The snow was disturbed though, as if numerous people had walked on it over and over again. Everywhere Naruto looked, there was more white, white, white, red–

Blue eyes widened. Red stained snow. Blood. He heard voices. He turned around and stumbled back.

Sasuke was slumped in the snow, covered in blood, the snow around him completely red. Naruto could see a fine trembling in his form as he rose to his hands and knees, coughing up blood.

This…this must be one of Sasuke's memories.

He was dressed all in black, the style of clothes unrecognisable. Just where was this? When was this? Sasuke was a vampire; this could have been _any _number of years ago.

Sasuke's vampire features were visible as he looked up, fangs protruding from a bloody mouth, sweat soaked hair sticking to his ever pale face, eyes that same crimson red colour with the unique pattern within them. He was intensely injured. Footsteps against the snow sounded to Naruto's left. He tore his gaze from Sasuke and immediately, his heart stopped.

It was Itachi. One thing stood out. _They had the same eyes._ It was just how he had thought: Itachi was a vampire too. That hair, that face shape, that evil mouth…it was exactly how Naruto remembered. Just how old was Itachi? Horror began to bubble in the blond's throat.

Naruto watched, frozen, as Itachi walked towards Sasuke and in one quick movement, had him by the scruff of his neck and had slammed him against the trunk of a tree. Sasuke coughed more blood, it dribbling down his chin in a stream.

Itachi leaned close, _"You don't listen to me, do you, Sasuke?"_

"_You bastard!"_ wheezed Sasuke, eyes wild and fingers digging into Itachi's grip, _"I'm going to destroy you once and for all."_

Itachi smiled and Naruto remembered that smile clearly; the one he could never decipher, the one that sent a chill down his spine, _"Every time I see you, you say the same thing. I've told you before, I've got no time for you right now. But as you're being so persistent, why don't I play with you for old time's sake?" _

Sasuke gritted his teeth, _"Itachi!"_

There was silence, and then Itachi leaned close and whispered in a low, husky tone,_ "Foolish otouto…"_

Time stopped. Sasuke and Itachi were now only two dark silhouettes against a white background, trees and clouded sky disappearing. His heart thumped. _Otouto. Little brother._ Sudden hate enveloped Naruto in a harsh wind, cutting into his flesh, invading his insides. _Such consumable hate…_ This was what Sasuke felt and under that extreme hatred was raw flesh that had been cut into pieces through pain, hurt and failure.

Something suddenly tugged at his body as if to physically pull him away from the world of memories and the maelstrom of coloured strands. Their connection broke with a reverb, a huge black hole manifesting until Naruto found his eyes refocusing and he saw that he was no longer in Sasuke's mind. He sucked in glorious air, realising that he had hardly breathed during the whole experience.

All was still and silent. A breeze ruffled the dark hairs against his cheek. Sasuke was not moving against his neck, but his teeth were no longer deep within his flesh and that predatory mouth was not sucking the blood from his veins. If anything, Sasuke was almost slumped against Naruto in the same way Naruto was slumped against the wall. Naruto's breath hitched in his throat when he felt frantic breath against his open wound and warm, spilled blood still dripping from it. He felt when Sasuke moved, their eyes connecting.

Sasuke's crimson eyes were wide and frantic, almost disbelieving. Blue eyes flicked to the pale vampire's bloodstained mouth but it didn't affect him. A sudden chill made the hairs on the nape of his neck rise and Naruto had never felt so icy and detached from reality.

_Such hate…against your own brother?_

He tore his eyes away from Sasuke's in shock, feeling a slight tightening on the grip in his hair and hands.

"He…Itachi, he's…" said Naruto in a tone of almost resignation, his eyes glassy and staring at a place beyond Sasuke's shoulder, "…he's your brother."

Sasuke stayed quiet and Naruto once again locked his own blue depths with his crimson orbs. His breath hitched within his heavy breathing because Sasuke had never looked so _defeated_. Sasuke was so secretive…and for something so personal to be revealed…

He continued, his voice stronger, "I could tell before, that you've been hurt and it clicked that it was Itachi. Your brother? No…no wonder I mistook you for him when we first met."

Sasuke drew a ragged breath, "Shut up!"

"He's that kind of person, isn't he," Naruto continued, unhearing, unseeing, "he's selfish, always has a hidden agenda and hurts anyone and everyone. I tried to protect you from him by not telling you anything, but he was already far ahead of me."

"You don't know the half of it," Sasuke rasped against Naruto's skin, his crimson eyes flaring with barely contained emotion, "don't try to understand!"

"You've…you've been alone for so long. And I thought that _I _was alone. I'm so stupid, Sasuke," Naruto cried, feeling his eyes fill with water, a few tears spilling onto his cheeks. He just felt so hollow, still feeling the vestiges of their deep connection and the raw pain and hate that Sasuke felt, "I'm such a fucking idiot!"

"Naruto…" growled Sasuke, his fingers squeezing into Naruto's hair and hands.

Naruto breathed deeply, continuing to look Sasuke in the eye. Utter solitude pieced his every pore. He could see that pain in those crimson eyes, could see the vulnerability and the insecurity and he understood Sasuke more than ever before. That bloodstained mouth and those fangs…they did nothing to change the _inside. _But Naruto still didn't know all of the facts; there were still so many blanks. Blanks he wanted to know and cracks in Sasuke's skin that he wanted to fill with his own feelings.

God, he disliked crying. It drained him, made him feel so _low._ He was such a positive person but to see others hurt just broke something inside, especially those who were important to him. Sasuke didn't want him to understand and it was true: it was impossible for Naruto to understand everything, _but he understood a lot._ Gaara had told him that Sasuke had grown up alone and to be a vampire must be a lonely existence…Naruto knew how it was to grow up alone and he knew how sadistic and manipulative Itachi could be. He understood; he could help Sasuke. He could...

"Sasuke…"

Breath was stolen between the small gap between their faces. Those crimson eyes which were boring into his so deeply in this almost suspended moment in time…Damnit, if there was ever someone who deserved some form of comfort in the harsh world right now, it was Sasuke.

And suddenly, the pale vampire fused his lips with Naruto's.

Sapphire eyes widened considerably. This had been the last thing he had ever expected, but he had no chance to dwell on this trail of thought as his eyes closed and he was swept away in a tsunami of heat, intensity, pleasure and pain. And Naruto _wanted _this.

Their lips clashed and Naruto instantly tasted his own blood, the crimson life source smearing around his mouth. He was dominated by Sasuke. His hands were still held above his head against the wall and his body was trapped between the wall and Sasuke's hard body, their hipbones almost aligned, legs tangled. Sasuke's other hand was still tangled in his hair, tugging half gently, half harshly. The blond felt dizzy, but he felt incredible safe and secure. He felt wanted. He felt desired, and those sparks broke through his skin and circulated around his body, creating intense warmth that surged through his nerves. Each touch made his body convulse…and he knew that Sasuke was feeling and responding to the same.

Sasuke's warm lips moved harshly against his, coaxing his own lips to move. Each fast brush of their lips caused tingles to spread down his throat. Just like Sasuke's mouth had been warm against his neck, the vampire's mouth was _burning_ against his lips and it contrasted with the coolness of his lip stud and the cold air around them, delightful dizziness overwhelming him. The moment Sasuke dug one of his sharp canines into Naruto's lip, not enough to bleed but enough to make it swollen and extra sensitive, Naruto opened his mouth in a low moan, his already weak body sagging against the wall, his hands which were held against the wall moved downwards, scraping against the brickwork. He instantly leaned more into the kiss and more onto Sasuke, who let go of his hands and instead gripped onto his hip, tangling their legs together, their bodies flush. Naruto's hands found purchase around Sasuke's neck, his fingers entwining in his dark hair in desperation. His hair was soft, thick and easy to run his fingers through and grasp within his hold.

The kiss was harsh and demanding. It was full of raw need, it was fast and insatiable, but he'd never felt anything so good. They clung onto each other as if the other was going to disappear. Naruto groaned in pleasure in the back of his throat as he felt a sharp nip on his upper lip and the grinding of hips upon hips, feeling blood rush to his groin in almost bloodlust excitement, Sasuke's hardness already pushing against him. The desire swelled with the haze that grew in Naruto's mind; of how good this felt, how right this felt and how much more he wanted. The sparks caused shivers to race down his spine and stars to blind his eyes behind closed eyelids.

A course tongue swiped along his lower lip and then Sasuke's tongue thrusted into his mouth, almost devouring him. That course tongue trailed along his teeth and gums, leaving pulses of pleasure in its wake. It brushed against Naruto's own tongue and he immediately sounded a groan in the back of his throat and thrusted his tongue back against Sasuke's, sparks erupting. He was unsure of what he was doing; it was his first kiss. But that didn't matter. Everything came naturally and Sasuke's lead was very encouraging, and the way in which their tongues brushed fiercely made Naruto cling only tighter to Sasuke, wanting to become closer still.

Sasuke was tugging his hair and digging his pale fingertips into his scalp so forcefully that it hurt, but the thrill of the pain only ignited Naruto further. He was sure Sasuke knew this because he could feel Sasuke's fangs now, strong and sharp against the inner skin of his lips. The moment Sasuke sucked his tongue into his mouth, those sharp tools of death were nipping at the muscle and Naruto tasted his own coppery blood. Something clicked in Naruto and he was suddenly almost biting against Sasuke's mouth, their kiss bruising with fizzing tingles of electricity, trying to kiss him deeper.

Naruto felt himself sliding against the wall, their mouths still connected and he suddenly slipped to the right. But Sasuke moved with him and caught him by pressing him against the wall even harder than before. It was a more awkward position, their knees and necks bent at a lower angle than before, but it didn't matter. They were the only beings in their world. The moment Sasuke withdrew his tongue and sucked his bottom lip onto his mouth, piercing it with tiny, sharp stings and sucking the blood with a feral groan, their lips still brushing…there was a force behind it, which made them fall again along the wall, hitting an empty trash can on their way, it falling to the ground in a hollow crash. It did not disturb them. Sasuke pushed him closer to the wall until Naruto was sitting in a slump on the cold ground against the wall, Sasuke on his knees entangled in-between his legs, one of his cold hands reaching underneath Naruto's clothes to touch the sensitive skin of his lower back, causing the blond to arch into his touch and those hips.

They were both breathing much more harshly now, the warm breath from their noses hitting each other's cheeks in decreasing intervals, warm nose brushing against cold, contrasting hair brushing against contrasting skin. Those lips disconnected with his and quickly trailed down his jaw, nipping along the way. Naruto exposed his neck so that Sasuke could have greater access, the grip in his hair tugging pleasurably and those sharp teeth sunk back into his bite marks from before, the feeling of his blood being drawn out of his veins again making Naruto release a whimper from his throat, his head tipping back against the wall and his fingers fist within Sasuke's soft hair.

After a few moments, Sasuke's warm mouth left his neck with a small sting and the hot shivers and sparks died down into blissful numbness. Sasuke's pale fingers relaxed within Naruto's blond locks and on his hip as he drew back almost attentively. Naruto blinked, his eyes still half closed in sated desire as their breath mingled in the night air, before Sasuke sat back on his knees and then stood up in a swift movement, detangling himself from their position. The cold night air invaded Naruto, and he looked up at Sasuke with now wide eyes.

Something unspoken passed between them, Sasuke's chaotic crimson eyes bleeding back into pitch black, muscles tense, fingers fisting, before he took a few steps back and disappeared into the darkness, Naruto's hand outstretched as if to reach for his form.

Naruto was left alone, wanting more.

He breathed deeply, raising his fingers to his tingling lips and he weakly smirked to himself. he didn't knwo what to think, his neurones zapped. Never in a million years could he have predicted this encounter with Sasuke. Never in a million years could he have imagined himself feeling this dizzy and lethargic yet so _happy._ Everything would be okay in the end. Yes, Sasuke had run away, and there were still issues with Itachi, but everything would be okay in the end. That kiss…those feelings…everything would be okay in the end.

"Bastard," he muttered to himself in lethargy, "running off like that…without even letting…me ask him if he's okay or ask him any questions about anything."

Naruto realised that where he was sitting, anyone exiting from the bar could have seen. He didn't particularly care if anyone did see, but what worried him more was if anyone of those vampires came out from the bar now, saw him as some defenceless human – which he was to vampires – and maybe drain all his blood. Vampires. It felt weird to even think of the word as connected to real people. Just how lied to was the world?

He wanted to go home. He wanted to lie on his bed, stare at his ceiling and think of Sasuke. He wanted to remember everything that had happened tonight between them; he wanted to burn it into his mind.

The same way in which he wanted to burn it into Sasuke the next time they saw each other.

He tried to stand but gave up as he felt too light headed. He decided to just wait until he felt able to move, but he was unsure how long that would take. It was then that he heard the sound of heavy boots on concrete coming closer towards him. Before he could even contemplate whether it were friend or foe, it turned the corner and in the moonlight and from the weak light above the bar door, blond eyebrows furrowed as Naruto saw that it was Kiba and Gaara.

What the…?

"Ha! I found him," said Kiba as they quickly approached, "Told you my nose is like no other."

"Right outside the Black Iris bar as well…" replied Gaara, trailing off as they reached him.

Naruto was unsure why Gaara was looking at him with such a shocked expression on his face, green eyes wide. He'd never seen such expression on his face before. Then it clicked. Here he was, sitting on the floor with swollen lips, a red stained mouth and a bloody neck. Shit, how was he going to explain this one? The morning's disagreement between them had disappeared.

"Hey…guys," said Naruto, trying to stand but instant dizziness making him slump back. He didn't have a clue what to say, "what…what're you doing here?"

Kiba blinked, moving forwards, "Looking for you. Damn, Naruto…"

The next thing Naruto knew, he was on his feet and being supported by Gaara. Stars danced in front of his eyes, his vision slightly blurring. He groaned.

"Shit," muttered Kiba, "It's Uchiha alright; I can smell it. We should've got here quicker! The bite wound is deep; he's taken far too much blood, the leech!"

The air turned cold around Gaara, "I'm going to kill that vampire when I see him next."

"What?" said Naruto, his mind suddenly alert, Gaara still supporting him, "Vampire? You…you knew? What's going on? Why?"

Kiba sighed, nose twitching, "We'll talk later, Feline. You don't feel like you're going to faint, are you?"

Naruto blinked, "No, but–"

"We need to get out of here," interrupted Gaara, "we'll go see Temari. She's at Tsunade's."

"Oh damn," cried Kiba, "not your crazy sister."

Gaara sent a death glare to Kiba, who ignored it with a growl of his own and Naruto felt as if he had once again been dropped into a whole new universe. He'd known Gaara for six years and…

"Gaara," rasped Naruto, clearing his throat and blinking the dizzy stars away, "you have a sister?! What the hell is going on?"

They began to walk quite slowly, Kiba flanking the rear as Gaara replied, "Now is not the time for an explanation, Naruto."

The blond opened his mouth but then closed it. His thoughts were in turmoil, his body still hot from Sasuke's touch…he just needed to stop and sort everything out; think everything through. His head was still reeling from the night's revelations.

And somehow, he knew that the revelations were not over yet.

* * *

Kakashi rubbed his non existent beard through his mask. He was perched on the three story high roof of the bar, having taken an alternative exit to view the events that had taken place. 

It was certainly interesting.

Not in _that_ way; his books were more than enough!

Sasuke and Naruto were definitely soulmates as Sasuke had said; he had seen enough to deduce that. He knew Naruto would mentally be okay with their bond and the revelations revealed as Kakashi's sensitive hearing had allowed him to pick up their conversation almost clearly, but he was concerned for Sasuke.

It had been a long, long time since anyone had shown any sort of that type of longing and love for Sasuke. That bond had last been felt when the Uchiha clan had been alive. Kakashi had been a tough, reckless human living in Kyoto when the Uchiha clan had been alive. As a ninjutsu sensei to some of the younger members of the Clan, including Sasuke, he had been unaware of the existence of the Night World until his best friend revealed his true identity as a Lamia vampire of the Uchiha clan and had turned him into a vampire in order to save his life the night a fire had devastated the southern side of the then capital. He shouldn't have survived the change. Only teenagers could survive the change, their bodies already in the midst of change and the hormones needed for the change already in the blood. At the age of twenty six, he had survived and from then on, had become known as the only human to have survived the change into a Made vampire so late in human life.

Also, his change had a flaw which Kakashi put down to his age. In his vampire form, his blue/grey eyes should merely be more intense and highlighted, but instead, the Uchiha clan's unique crimson vampire eyes had bled into his left eye permanently, which was why he wore a bandanna as a headband to cover his eye, partly to hide his identity and partly to stop its dizzying effects.

In telling Kakashi all about the Night World, his best friend had been destroyed. He had broken one of the cardinal rules. Kakashi had hidden before they had destroyed him too and had escaped, and therefore had witnessed the massacre of the Uchiha Clan; had seen it go down in Night World history; and on his own promise to his dead best friend and to the memories of the clan who had respected him as a skilled human, he had decided to look out for Sasuke. He had been doing so ever since, though it was hard to keep up with a young Lamia so engrossed in revenge. By the time he had found Sasuke after the massacre, it had been over ten years and it had been too late to bestow a family bond.

Sasuke had always hidden behind his need for revenge and had always turned away from any type of contact. The Lamia had used humans for his own desires such as blood, information and fun, but had never opened up for anyone. Itachi had taken everything precious away from Sasuke at such a young, delicate age. Sasuke had witnessed _everything: _a truly terrifying ordeal. Who would want to open themselves up to emotions when they had seen how fragile they were and how easily they could be taken away?

Kakashi half sighed and half smirked. Whether Sasuke knew it or not, the pale vampire had fallen hard and fast for the blond called Naruto, a kind and bubbly soul who saw good in almost everyone. And to Kakashi, this was the best thing he could ever have hoped for. Naruto was the only one who could make Sasuke see that to be truly strong, you couldn't just continue to exist on hate which left one hollow and alone, but on the kind of strength one could draw from another…a strength which was warm, filled with hope and it did not matter if you had insecurities or vulnerabilities because that person pushed you into becoming a better, stronger person. Vampires may not have the genetic makeup of a human, but their hearts beat just the same.

He thought, _'I'll leave Sasuke to his own devices for a while,' _and observed as Naruto was taken away by his two Night World friends. It seemed as if Naruto may just well learn about the Night World tonight and as long as he kept quiet and kept all of it secret, he and his friends would not be in any danger of having broken any rules.

His vampires senses suddenly jolted and he whipped his head around to look across several low level roofs. There was no one there and all was silent. His one visible eye furrowed.

There was a bleak coldness in the air which he disliked. It promised dark things to come.

He turned back, seeing that Naruto and his friends had gone. In a quick movement, he leapt over the edge of the three story high roof and landed silently on his feet, feeling no pain or strain from his jump, hands in his pockets as he walked away, unaware of the burning crimson eyes that watched his retreating back.

Those crimson eyes had been watching since before Kakashi; had seen Naruto and Sasuke argue, fight, bite, feed, kiss and run.

Uchiha Itachi had seen everything.

--

**To be continued**

* * *

Must be the longest kiss scene I've ever written. But it was the chapter I was dreading writing the most and I'm suprised how quickly it was produced. From here, Sasuke's going to act like a idiot for a while (damn you Sasuke! Just love Naruto already! Tie him to your bed! XD) and procrastinate. Only a few more chapters until Itachi acts!!! 

Quick question, are there any characters people are interested in seeing in this fic?

Please Review!


	10. The Explanation

Firstly, sorry for the long mega wait. I started University and I've been swept away in its delights. It's amazing and I'm loving the experience to bits, so it was difficult to find time around socialising and lectures/labs to write. Also, this chapter was sooooooo long. I wanted more to happen in it, but that's gonna have to wait until nect chapter, which will be much more interesting than this one, I asure you. Just lots of explanation in this one! And I can't write Temari to save the world, lol.

Secondly, thank you all so much for the immense number of reviews!! Seriously, I've never received so many before and I'm so happy and grateful! Muffins for all! And much love!

Last chapter quick recap: steamy kiss between our two boys, exploration of soulmate principle, Sasuke left Naruto on the floor XD Gaara and Kiba found him and are bringing him to see Tsunade, Kakashi saw what happened and Itachi saw everything!!!

* * *

**The Night World: Immortal Affliction**

The Night World isn't a place. It's all around us. It's a secret society of vampires, witches, werewolves and other creatures of darkness that live among us. They're beautiful and deadly and irresistible to humans. Your high school teacher could be one, and so could your boyfriend.

The Night World laws say it's okay to hunt humans. It's okay to toy with their hearts; it's even okay to kill them! There are two things that you can't do with them.

1) Never let them find out the Night World exists

2) Never fall in love with one of them

This is a story about what happens when the rules get broken.

* * *

**Chapter 10 - The Explanation**

**--**

The tiny store room that she was locked in had become quite the claustrophobic place, Hana decided. She disliked wearing watches so she had no actual idea of how long it had been since Itachi had had enough of her and had locked her in the cupboard because she had refused to leave.

She recalled how she had entered the house the night previous and as the sun had risen, she had been locked in the cupboard. Her internal clock told her that it was night now, so she had been here for all of the day. She had not been quiet though. She had banged on the door for a couple of hours, completely annoying Sasori to the point where he had threatened to give her gangrene from a few choice charms. Deidara had just laughed at the whole situation, but had made sure that Sasori hadn't let her go because Itachi would not be happy. Well, Sasori certainly didn't take Itachi's threats seriously, but he'd concede to Deidara for a few choice favours.

Next, she had tried to pick the lock from the inside, but the moment she was about to open the door, Deidara had placed some of his damn clay into the lock. She had looked through the small cupboard for anything she could use, but there was only a few cleaning materials. In the end, she had sat on the floor and had rested. She was hungry and thirsty, but she had survived much worse in her past.

The moment she had sensed Itachi in town, she had sought him out. How long had it been since she had last seen him? It was around the time of time of the Vietnam War, just over thirty years ago. He had looked the same as ever: eyes dark, fingers cold and mouth malevolent. Not like how he had been before he had turned cold and bloodthirsty. Back then, so very long ago, he had been humane and a good brother. Then she had found out he was a vampire. Then, he had killed his clan, leaving his younger brother as a witness, before Itachi had turned on her. She closed her eyes, fingers digging into her thighs.

By their joined bond that intertwined their lives, the bond she had learned was the Soulmate Principle, they had continued to meet in the same places throughout time. Their meetings had mostly ended in bloodshed, and it would not be long until this one would end the same. He was merely toying with her for now. But she wasn't going to accept that. She wouldn't let Itachi hurt anymore people.

Not now. Not anymore. She had found out that Sasuke was in town and a confrontation between the brothers was now inevitable. _Sasuke-chibi. _That was what she used to call him. She wondered what he would do or say when he found out she was alive. As far as he knew, she had died along with the rest of the Uchiha Clan. For the longest time, she too had thought that she had been the only 'survivor' (if her current living state was any proof of survival) until Itachi had told her that Sasuke was alive and blooming into a hateful, avenging machine. Now, he was here and they would meet again as _Hana_ and _Sasuk_e. There were too many coincidences for them not to meet.

She wouldn't let Itachi hurt him. She wouldn't let Itachi hurt _him. _She wouldn't let Itachi hurt _anyone._ As much as she loved him, she despised him as well. She was powerless against him, but she wouldn't give up. She was wiser than Itachi; cleverer than him; had suffered more than he could comprehend; was a stronger person within than he was.

He could push her against a wall, bite her, suck her blood, kiss her, make her cry because she loved him…but he'd never break her will, even if her heart was long gone. She was one of the small few who were not afraid of Itachi.

Her thoughts were disturbed by the cupboard lock clicking. The door opened, the light from the kitchen flooding over her and momentarily blinding her sight. Her vision returned and Itachi was looming over her, a smirk on her face. She grit her teeth and she stood up, reaching forwards and grabbing him by the collar of that dark cloak he almost always wore.

"You refused to answer my questions before, so I'll ask again. Why are you here? It's not like _you _to chase _after_ Sasuke. You're here for–"

"Hana."

She froze, his hand rising to grip her chin. She shuddered, feeling shivers run down her spine. Those crimson eyes…they looked so malevolent right now. She breathed deeply, fisting her fingers in his clothes before pushing him away. He let her and he stumbled back, smirking to himself.

It stabbed at her gut, that smile.

He continued, "I saw something very interesting tonight."

She faltered. Things rarely hit Itachi's buttons. She remained quiet as Itachi shed his cloak, his muscular arms rising above his head as he stretched like a cat, utter glee evident in his eyes. For the first time in a long time, a sliver of fear cut her in two.

"Sasuke-chibi," mocked Itachi, purely to get beneath her skin. Sasuke was a plaything in Itachi's eyes and it sickened her. He continued, eyes trailing over her form, "I know that you know he is in town, so I thought you'd like to know. He has a human soulmate."

Human? Soulmate? Her eyes widened.

* * *

It was a shop. Naruto blinked, staring at the board above the shop. It looked like a simple herb shop, but he was sure it held a lot of answers that he was seeking. His vision became blurry and he closed his eyes, shaking his head. He had felt dizzier and dizzier since he had been found by Gaara and Kiba and walking wasn't helping, but it was expected as his blood count had most probably significantly decreased. It sure felt that way. He pushed on. He needed answers, but his best friends were adamant on going to see someone called Tsunade and Gaara's sister, Temari, who Naruto assumed and hoped, could answer his questions. 

They bypassed the front door, instead walking down a small alleyway beside the shop, emerging beside an inconspicuous back door. Kiba knocked a few times before the door opened on the chain and latch, so that the person who opened the door could identify them.

From the darkness around and the dim lighting of the room beyond the door, Naruto could just about make out a girl who was a little older than they were with sharp, dark outlined eyes. Those eyes widened.

"Temari," Gaara said.

The door immediately opened and Naruto was able to see her more clearly. She was tall and slim, dressed in black and purple, her curly blonde hair tied back in several bunches. Her eyes were a deep teal, eyebrows finely arched. The impression that Naruto received from this first glimpse at who he had discovered as Gaara's sister was that she seemed like a strong-willed, independent woman who took nothing from anyone. That and she looked almost nothing like her brother.

"Gaara!" she exclaimed, her eyes roving over them all. Her eyes locked with Naruto's, and the teal irises darkened considerably as she assessed him. Well, it was not surprising as he was covered in blood from the mouth down. She did not look completely surprised though, as if this was a fairly normal occurrence, "What's happened?"

"He needs medical attention," replied Gaara, cutting all family greeting, "and some powerful wards of protection."

She narrowed her eyes slightly, looking around behind them as if to see if anyone was around, before opening the door wide, letting them enter quietly. Glancing around, Naruto was able to make out that they had entered the shop behind the sale counter. It was dark, the shelves looking slightly oppressive.

The door clicked shut behind them and Temari turned to look at them, "You haven't seen me in a couple of months and that's all you say?"

"This is more important, Temari."

She crossed her arms, her head tilting to the side, her eyes examining Naruto and once again locking with his own blue eyes, "It's only a vampire bite; nothing too serious that can't be healed by the body's own defences."

The way in which she replied was as if this was an everyday thing. Also, she was the same as Kiba and Gaara: she knew that it was a Vampire bite, she knew they existed.

"This isn't that simple," replied Gaara and Naruto could feel the redhead's muscles tensing beneath his clothes.

Instead of answering her brother, she turned her attention to Kiba, "No welcome?"

Kiba stuttered, as if caught in headlights, "Oh…hi, Temari."

"So warm Kiba," she replied, a smirk on her lips, "How is Akamaru, by the way?"

Kiba's eyes flashed and there was a sudden sense of almost hostility in the dark room, "He's absolutely perfect."

They stared at each other for a few seconds, as if daring the other to say something more, before Temari gave a quiet tut and faced her ever increasingly frustrated brother, "You've picked the wrong time to be here."

"It's serious enough," said Gaara, moving forwards towards an open door, Naruto being brought along in an almost sway. Kiba followed and so did a reluctant Temari. The open door led into a wide corridor, rooms branching off to the side. It was bigger than it looked from the outside, as if it was more than just a simple herbal store. Everything at the moment seemed bigger than it was and it was quite a frightening concept to accept. But Naruto didn't think that anything could shock him anymore than finding out the fact that there was supernatural in the world. He'd had his suspicions that there was something around, but to have that actually confirmed was beyond astounding.

They stopped in front of a large door and Temari, who had been following behind them, stepped to the front, her right hand resting on the door.

"You sure you can handle her, little brother?" she asked with an almost teasing tone to her voice.

A glare was the answer and Temari gave a small smile.

'_Handle who, exactly?' _wondered Naruto, _'This Tsunade woman?'_

Temari knocked on the large door and there was the sound of shuffling from within. Whoever was inside seemed pretty important, Naruto gathered. An almost gruff voice answered back, as if just woken up by the knocking at the door, "Who is hell is it? I'm busy here!"

"Some people to see you who won't take that you're busy for an answer."

There was more silence and then more shuffling and illegible noises before they were told they could enter. Temari opened the door for them and they moved forwards.

Naruto's eyes instantly fell upon a woman who was sitting at a huge desk which was covered in a multitude of paper piles. Strong mousy, brown eyes were framed by thick lashes and thin eyebrows, her long, blonde hair tied in two loose bunches at her shoulder. She looked young, but a deep feeling within Naruto's gut squeezed and told him that she was quite wise beyond her years. This could only be Tsunade, the one that Gaara and Kiba had brought him to see.

"Gaara," she said as she stood up, her voice half annoyed, half hiding a slither of mirth, "the last time you were here, you promised never to come back."

Kiba snickered at Naruto's side, mirroring Temari's smile.

"Tsunade," began Gaara, ignoring the previous comment and gesturing towards Naruto, "he needs to be healed and also needs some strong protection wards."

Her brown eyes narrowed, walking up to them and gesturing to the sofa. Naruto felt instant relief within his muscles the moment he sunk into the plush chair. The room stopped spinning now that he was not concentrating on his legs. He felt thoroughly exhausted but determined to listen to every word said. Gentle fingers touched his forehead and he raised his eyes to meet Tsunade's, her words directed at Gaara, "You need me to heal him? It's dangerous to bring him here, you know. I don't treat just anyone. There are normal hospitals with the rightly informed nurses, you know."

Gaara remained standing, "He's in too deep already. Uchiha is after his blood and tonight he got it. It won't be long until he tries to drain Naruto completely."

Tsunade blinked and her eyes rapidly moved to rest on Naruto, "Sasuke…he's been following you?"

Those eyes were sincere and could be trusted, though there was an edge of surprise within her tone. He immediately picked up on the fact that she knew Sasuke by name, his heart squeezing. His voice was lodged in his throat and after a few swallows, he replied, "Yeah."

"I see," she smiled, her eyes gleaming. Her hand lightly rested on his shoulder on the side where his neck had been bitten, "Naruto…Uzumaki Naruto?"

He blinked, feeling humid warmth spread from her hand through his neck, his skin tightening, "How…how did you know?"

How did she know? It seemed as if she knew far more than she was letting him know. Could Gaara and Kiba have told her that his name and that Sasuke had been following him? It was a possibility, but Naruto had not stressed the fact that he had been followed by Sasuke nearly every single waking minute of the past week or so. This woman called Tsunade, her brown eyes boring into his own with an indescribable look on her face; he felt his eyes begin to droop from the warmth that cascaded around his neck from her touch. Was she healing him? Or…

"Ah, so you're his son, hey?" she spoke wistfully, her fingers rising from his neck to his cheek, nails lightly poking his whisker birthmarks. She gave a small smile and Naruto blinked as her words hit him. She…she knew his Father?

Her touch receded and she stepped away from him, turning to the others in the room, leaving Naruto's mind spinning and not giving him a chance to reply, "Now I know why you're so close to him, Gaara. No need to worry; he won't need a blood transfusion or anything like that; he'll be just fine after a good night's sleep."

Gaara nodded and Naruto saw how his friend's tense form relaxed in the tiniest of movements. Sapphire eyes drifted to Kiba, who was looking away, half at Gaara and half at the floor. Naruto blinked, his mouth opening and closing a few times. A wet cloth entered his line of vision and he accepted it wordlessely, wiping his blood from around his mouth and his neck. He felt a little better, his vision no longer as blurry as before and the dizziness had disappeared. She _had_ healed him. And looking at his two best friends and Tsunade and Temari, he felt even more out of the loop than before.

"You knew my dad?" he asked, her eyes turning to his as she picked up a few papers from her desk.

"Don't worry yourself over that right now, brat," she smiled, creating a space on the edge of her desk for her to sit on.

"But–" began Naruto, not satisfied with the answer. Before he could continue, Gaara spoke.

"He'll need some protection wards as well…"

Naruto couldn't take it anymore. Her answer was not an answer and nothing had been explained since he had entered the shop. Everything was always later; another time; hold on. He couldn't live not knowing because he was a part of this now, whether his friends wanted him to be or not. As much as they wanted to protect him, he could look after himself as well.

He stood up and all eyes faced him, his legs still feeling a little wobbly, but he ignored it.

"Just what is going on?" he voiced, frustration evident in his tone, "Everyone keeps giving me half answers and its impossible now to just know half the story. Tonight, I found out that vampires exist. Freaking vampires! Of all people, Sasuke…Sasuke is one. My head's still spinning from…from the shock. Gaara, Kiba…you both knew about Sasuke being a vampire. How? Why? I just don't understand and argh, this is so damn frustrating! Please, tell me, what's going on? You can't just not tell me anything."

There was silence for a small moment, Kiba and Gaara both looking at him with heavy eyes, Tsunade remaining still on her desk. Temari began to smirk. She moved to sit down on one of the chairs as if she knew how interesting this was going to turn out and it caught Naruto's attention, his eyes almost imploring her to say something.

Anything.

Gaara moved forwards, saying, "Naruto–"

"The Night World."

All heads swivelled to Temari, who had spoken. Gaara glared at her. She turned her eyes away from him, confidently meeting Naruto's blue orbs. In the background, Tsunade sighed.

Naruto swallowed, "The…Night World?"

Just saying the phrase brought almost a cloud of darkness over him. Testing the words on his lips, he felt a small shudder jolt through his bones, as if this phrase, whatever it was, held something so deep, so secret that it would change the way in which Naruto looked at the world forever. Not that he wasn't already half way there, but still…he itched to know what exactly they were starting to explain to him. The Night World. It sounded so _ominous._

"Yes," replied Temari, "it's–"

"Woah woah woah!" interrupted Kiba, moving forwards to stare at Temari, eyes wide, "First thing's first. We really gonna tell him?!"

"C'mon Dog Boy," said Naruto, almost whining and moving forwards. He was so close to everything becoming a whole lot clearer, "you can't just stop her there!"

Kiba's eyes turned to his, "But…"

"Kiba…" voiced Gaara, before once again turning his attention to Temari.

Tension rose within the group and Naruto was in the middle of it. He wanted to interfere as Kiba and Temari bickered with each other, Gaara silent but holding definitive glares between the two, especially his sister, who would back down only to start up again.

To his left, Naruto heard Tsunade sigh once more. He turned towards her, his voice emotive and full of desperation, "Please…I really need to know."

Tsunade looked upon the teenager known as Naruto. He was taller then her, slightly pale in the face from blood loss, his blue eyes hard with anxiety, though soft around the edges, almost childlike. Uzumaki Naruto, the soulmate of Uchiha Sasuke. She had put two and two together quickly enough; Sasuke had talked to her about a human soulmate he had that held the information about Itachi, and this person could only be Naruto. Sasuke wouldn't have attacked anyone else in this way. She could see that the soulmate bond between them was strong: Naruto's eyes held that spark that one with a soulmate could only have; of knowing that inner deepness and connection. It looked as if the bond between them was really formidable, something she could see was wanted and longed for.

She could see that he was a loudmouth but underneath he was ever so confused. He needed to know and Tsunade _would_ tell him. Not everything, because there was so much he was not even remotely aware of and there was plenty of time for explanations of that kind, but enough. From Sasuke's words, Naruto knew Itachi. She thought about how remotely possible this was and decided then and there that she had been stupid as to not look into any of this sooner. Perhaps if she had been more aware… She inwardly shook her head. It was useless feeling regret and stupidity now.

She gave a small smile, "We can trust you to keep this a secret, can't we?"

The bickering in her room stopped and she was thankful, otherwise her stress levels would have elevated even more which would have led on to certain consequences. All eyes were upon her.

Naruto nodded seriously, keeping his eyes locked on hers, "Of course!"

Her eyes were heavy upon his form for a few seconds, but it felt like forever. All that confusion, agitation, the thought of not knowing…it all boiled down to this moment in time. He would finally know _something_. Answers. He'd never felt more relieved at knowing he'd be receiving some.

She gave a glance at the other occupants in the room; Gaara's eyes hard, Kiba's disbelieving and Temari's satisfied. She began.

"Vampires are real. Don't think that you'll wake up tomorrow and this'll all be a dream. It's not," she spoke clearly, seeing that Naruto was listening to her every word, "Humans share this world with vampires, but it's not just vampires. There are many creatures of darkness that live in this world: Witches, Shapeshifters, Werewolves, the odd mix breeds of these supernatural kinds here and there…they live among humans in a secret society known as the Night World. The Night World has been in existence since humans were cavemen and have evolved alongside humans, numbering almost a third of the Earth's population. Humans don't know they exist and for good reason. Your teachers at school could be a part of the Night World, so could your best friends…"

_Creatures of darkness. Witches, werewolves, shapeshifters. Supernatural. Secret._

Naruto's world tipped on an angle of which he scrambled to hold on to.

"Not just vampires?" he spoke after a short moment, not struggling with the concept of what he had just heard but rather the extremity of how huge it was.

Tsunade nodded, "Just as there are different species of mammal, there are different species that form the supernatural community on this Earth. All are unique in their own way, but we all share a common entity. We are a part of the Night World. We thrive in the night, we know its dark secrets and can walk unharmed in its obscurity. We can recognise our own species from human. We live our lives in secret as to not cause war or open bloodshed."

Naruto nodded, understanding completely but not at the same time. How could something so large have been kept secret for so long? All those horror books that existed; the fear that some people held of the supernatural…there was all good reason for it all. The people he talked to at school; the people he passed on the street: for all he knew he could have passed or talked to someone who was not human. How _close_ it all was; how tightly knitted within the world of normal human beings.

Witches: did they create spells? Were they all female and, well, old? Werewolves? Naruto remembered dressing up as a werewolf at a Halloween party the year before. They were _real. _What were Shapeshifters? Could they change their bodies into objects, or perhaps other people? It felt so unreal, but it could only be truth and reality.

All those beautiful people that had been in that bar: Naruto had _felt _something different about them, had sensed their otherworldliness. They had all been a part of the Night World, having their own fun, along with Sasuke.

_Sasuke._

Naruto's eyes fell to the floor. He understood Sasuke more than ever, had accepted the fact that Sasuke was a vampire. Sasuke as a vampire was, in Naruto's eyes, completely natural. But he had no true idea about the world that Sasuke lived in. The Night World couldn't be all that _green. _Within any world there was suffering, just as he and Sasuke had suffered under Itachi. But still…

'_Just when I feel closer to you than ever before, something else opens up and widens the gap.'_

No, Naruto had told himself that nothing would faze him, would drag him down, would make him turn his back on all that had happened. The Night World, a society full of people who were essentially human but much more.

"_We thrive in the night, we know its dark secrets and can walk unharmed in its obscurity. We live our lives in secret as to not cause war or open bloodshed." _Tsunade had told him.

Hold on a second… 'we?'

He looked at Tsunade in almost wonder. He had to be correct. Why hadn't it clicked before? She smiled at him and he said, "You're…you're a part of it."

"Brat, you're looking at Tsunade, Head Witch of this area's witch circles," she nodded, crossing her arms, "I keep them all in line. I have a mean punch from putting up with some of the bigwigs of certain Night World Clans, extraordinary healing power, and I know charms that could give you gangrene or save your life."

Naruto didn't know what to say, but it all made sense. She had told him everything, so of course she had to be a part of it if it was all a secret from humans, unless she was a human that had found out, but that was less likely. A Witch, huh? That warmth that he had felt when she had touched him: a healing touch; the wise spark in her eyes.

Naruto looked towards his friends who were looking at him almost anxiously. It was funny how everything seemed to now click into place. Gaara and Kiba had both tried to warn Naruto about Sasuke as if they had known how _dangerous_ he could be; they had found him easily tonight as if driven by a force that Naruto could not fully understand…and countless other instances were suddenly brought to the surface and Naruto couldn't help but smile, which reached his eyes.

"You two, you're a part of it as well?"

Kiba smiled nervously and Gaara stayed silent, light green eyes boring into Naruto's. Temari, who had stayed mostly quiet until this point, stood from her chair and stepped forwards, swinging her arm around Gaara's neck, who shrugged it off almost violently. She smiled, "We're from a small family of Shapeshifters, and Kiba here is–"

"Hey," cried Kiba, his head whirling around to face her, "let me introduce myself!"

He turned and grinned at Naruto, clearing his throat, "I'm a Werewolf. The Inuzuka Clan are one of the most powerful Werewolf clans around here. Um, yeah, guess this all explains a lot."

Naruto's eyes widened and he grinned, his gnawing worries leaving him and his energy seemingly returning, moving forwards and playfully hitting Kiba in the shoulder, "I knew it you Dogboy! All that damn growling you do and your obsession with dogs. A Werewolf? That's just…woah. So, you like howl at the moon? And transform? C'mon, tell me! I've got loads to catch up on."

Kiba blinked and then he laughed, feeling at ease, "It's not all fun like that. We've got to survive and stuff, but yeah; it has its major quirks!"

Naruto smiled, immense joy welling up inside him. He couldn't describe how he felt, except that seeing the light in Kiba's eyes as he told his true heritage made Naruto so proud to have such close friends. Now they could be open to him, without fear or worry. He wouldn't judge them and he'd learn all about their lives and culture.

He turned his attention towards Gaara, whose green eyes were looking directly at Naruto, almost apprehensively. It was a weird emotion to see in Gaara, so Naruto smiled even more, letting Gaara know that everything was okay, "So Shapeshifters…um, what are they like?"

"We can transform into an animal at will and control certain elements," said Gaara, glancing to look at Temari who was smiling widely before tuning back to look at Naruto, his features more relaxed, "We can only change into one animal form though, the one we were born as."

Everything was just so _fascinating. _He present worries faded because he was surrounded by the lives of his friends. Naruto asked, "So there are lots of different animals?"

"There are hundreds of different clans," replied Gaara, "Therefore, the species runs in the family, or more rarely, is influenced by environmental factors."

"You're making it sound so boring, you two!" voiced Temari, moving some of her hair out of her eyes, "You want to know more, right, Naruto? The Night World is an exciting place that is ruled by Elders, Clan Heads and stuff like that, but the teenage generation influence most of the culture of the Night World. Endless parties, underground societies, bars and clubs and much more. Also, think about this for a second. How much history have you been taught that is not real? For all you know, famous figures in history might have been a part of the Night World. There are many of them. The Salem Witch Trails is all a big cover up in the history books. Also, even your favourite movie star or author might not be completely human. Strange, isn't it?

"There is also our integration within the human world, which requires careful monitoring. Not everyone wants it to be kept a secret. I work for Tsunade as a spy of sorts you could say, on certain Night World inhabitants to keep everything in check. Once school was over for me, I wasn't the type to go into the human world of work."

'_It's like a whole new world,' _Naruto thought, _'Somewhere new to explore and learn about.'_

He thought that perhaps that it'd be a bit difficult to get his head around, but everything was sinking in quickly. It seemed natural, as if he'd just stepped into a different country with a different culture or something. There was so much more he wanted to know; so many questions that came to the surface of his mind.

"I've just thought, is it because of your Night World identities that you two have never really been friends?" asked Naruto, his head tilting to the side.

Kiba coughed, glancing at Gaara, and shrugged, "Well, werewolves are sometimes viewed as the 'underdogs' of the Night World and it was the Shapeshifters who first called us as such. They also tried to wipe us out about four hundred years ago, so the antagonism has stuck through history. I don't trust Shapeshifters much so that's why I wasn't going to let Gaara look at Akamaru when he was injured."

"But Gaara wants to be a vet; he loves animals!" exclaimed Naruto, wanting to just _poke_ Kiba into sense, "He _is _almost an animal!"

"I know," replied Kiba, "but…"

Gaara intermitted, "It might be hard for someone like you to understand Naruto, but that's how it is. I dislike Werewolves too. But at least our kinds aren't at each other's throats anymore. We can tolerate each other, that's enough."

Tsunade nodded, "There have been too many wars in the past and no one being in the Night World wants another."

Naruto frowned and nodded understanding. It was certainly different looking at this from the outside, just as it was certainly different for someone from the Night World to look upon humans, except that they had been doing that for years.

"You," Kiba began, jarring Naruto from his thoughts, "…you don't think any differently of us?"

Naryto's breath choked in his throat. They didn't need to ask even though he knew it was coming. Damn, he loved his best friends, "Of course not!" He looked at them both, "You're…both of you are my best friends, whatever and whoever you are. Nothing will ever change that."

Kiba smiled, his pearly white teeth almost glowing and Naruto laughed. There was the tiniest of smiles upon Gaara's lips as well.

"Damn, this is an odd night," voiced Kiba, leaning against Tsunade's desk, "never in a million years would I have imagined you finding out about any of this, Feline."

Naruto nodded, "Tell me about it. It's been a weird week."

Gaara nodded and Naruto felt compelled to ask a question that his mind had brewed within the last few minutes after he had learnt all about the other creatures of darkness that belonged to the Night World.

"What are vampires like? I've got a good idea but I'm sure there's more to it."

Gaara grimaced, as if knowing that Naruto was asking about Sasuke. Kiba spoke up.

"Only some of the stories and tales that humans know about Vampires are true. Yes, they drink human blood and they do have a lot of strength, agility and intelligence. Garlic doesn't hurt them and neither do Christian crosses and the like. They are immortal if they are not slain. They can go out in sunlight, but you know that already because of Sasuke. Bright sunlight can hurt their eyes though; it's one of their most sensitive parts of their body. That's why, if you go to a town where a powerful Vampire or Vampire clan resides, it's most usually always overcast as they have the power to will the weather to change. They feed on human blood for sustenance, but also to charge their 'Power' which is like an internal energy source that they can use when they fight or attack someone. They're also good hypnotists and can erase memories–"

"Which the Uchiha has done to you before," interjected Gaara, revulsion clear on his face of having to say Sasuke's name.

Kiba's eyes narrowed, "It's awful to be under their hypnotism; it's almost as bad as Witch spells and can be just as powerful. Their hypnotism can also sway a being to act a certain way. Yeah, it's not just humans it affects; Witches can go under their spell just as easily as humans, and although it is harder for a Vampire to hypnotise Werewolves and Shapeshifters, it can be done by the more powerful ones. And there are many powerful Vampires out there. Vampires sort of rule the Night World; there are more of them and they were the first as Werewolves and Shapeshifters evolved from them."

Vampires were powerful, fascinating creatures. Sasuke was the embodiment of a perfect Vampire, Naruto deduced. Dark, strong, hot headed, stubborn and intelligent. Sasuke was able to do _so_ much. Physically, Naruto didn't stand a chance. But he knew he could get to Sasuke emotionally by constantly reaching out to him.

"And their eyes change colour?" he asked.

"Only the Uchiha Clan's eyes change colour, a trait unique to them. Most other Vampires' eyes become darker or lighter in colour, or their eyes change shape. It depends on the Clan or their individual blood traits," replied Kiba, "Oh yeah, another thing. There are two types of Vampires. Those that were once human and turned into Vampires are the Made Vampires. The other kind are those who have been Vampires from the moment their born. They can conceive so therefore they experience childhood and adolescence and then they can decide at what age they want to stop growing. They remain that age for the rest of their Vampire life. They are called Lamia Vampires and are the most common and more powerful in political terms."

"So," began Naruto, "is Sasuke is part of a Clan, he's a Lamia Vampire then?"

Kiba nodded, "He chose to stop aging at whatever age he is now: seventeen, eighteen? Whatever. He's quite old as well."

Naruto nodded though it was strange as to think of a vampire conceiving. The idea of a Lamia Vampire explained a lot actually. Naruto remembered the first time Sasuke entered his apartment and they had been swept up in that world where their minds connected. He had seen an image of a young Sasuke running after a dark figure. So Sasuke had had a childhood and had then stopped aging. Just how old was he? How much of the world had he seen and experienced?

A thought occurred to him and he asked without hesitation, "Wood can hurt them; the javelin that was thrown at Sasuke was made of wood so someone was trying to hurt or even kill Sasuke."

"Yeah," replied Kiba, a small smile on his face, "he deserved it."

"How can you say that?" said Naruto, eyes widening and body language changing, his voice rising slightly, "I know you've warned me away from him and now I know it's because he's a Vampire, but why would you want him injured, or worse, dead?"

Kiba sighed slightly and Gaara answered for him, "Uchiha Sasuke is quite known throughout the Night World for various horrendous reasons. The moment I saw him, I knew who he was. He's bad news, especially when he goes after one of my friends. He attacks you and then comes to school like some high and mighty Lamia who thinks he can do whatever he wants to whoever he wants. He's dangerous and I despise him. Too bad Neji didn't kill him."

"What? Neji?! "

Kiba nodded, "Um yeah, Neji is a Vampire Hunter. That's why there's been tension between them. But Gaara's right: Neji should've aimed better and finished Sasuke off; it would have been one less Vampire to worry about. Vampires are tricky creatures, especially Sasuke. I dislike him, his arrogance and Werewolf jokes…it's better without someone as powerful as Sasuke being around."

Naruto was astounded, hardly believing what he was hearing from his two best friends and as he was about to retort back, Gaara spoke, his voice deep and almost menacing.

"He attacked you, Naruto. We warned him not to touch you; for him to leave and go about his life quest and not look at you with that unmistakable bloodlust in his eyes. But he didn't leave: he bit you and almost left you for dead. I don't like it when my friends are hurt. The next time I see him, I'm going to _kill him_."

Kiba half nodded, perhaps thinking that to kill him was a bit to the excess, but agreeing anyway. Temari watched in enthrallment and Tsunade left the room.

Naruto couldn't take how cold Gaara's eyes had become, the threat of death and wanting Sasuke dead. It was all misunderstandings; they didn't understand Sasuke like Naruto did and everything was getting out of hand. Gaara had said about Sasuke's 'life quest' and Naruto realised that this was about Itachi. His friends didn't know as much as he did about Sasuke and they couldn't possible understand, but he didn't want bloodshed or fighting between them all for something Naruto himself had to sort out with Sasuke alone.

"Just stop talking like that!" he cried, grabbing all of their attention, before his voice calmed, "Don't talk like that; it's not like you guys. I know that you're both very protective of me and I'm so very thankful for that; I love you guys! You're my best friends! But don't wish death on others, that's too far. Just leave Sasuke alone, Gaara, for me?"

"How can you say that?" replied Kiba, confusion lining his features, "He hurt you for god's sake! You're acting like it's not even a big deal. He's dangerous, Naruto. Only we can do something about it. We don't want you hurt."

"Of course it's a big deal," said Naruto, though it was a big deal for lots of reasons he wasn't going to disclose to his friends, "I didn't want to get bitten by him and yeah, it did hurt and he is a bastard. But I don't think he's as bad as you're making him out to be; I think you have like pre-conceived misconceptions."

"You're mad," Kiba replied, shaking his head.

"Please, just drop it?" asked Naruto, almost desperately, "I doubt we'll be seeing Sasuke anymore anyway. You said he looked at me in bloodlust, well, that's been satiated now, so…thanks for your protection, for everything! But I'll be alright now, okay?"

There was silence and Temari smiled, "Well, you heard him bro. Calm down, your hair is bristling. You too, Kiba."

Gaara breathed deeply before giving Naruto a small nod, although the blond could tell that it wasn't completely over, but he was fine with it being this way if it made Naruto happy. Perhaps this was one place where the Night World and the human world could not be fully integrated.

"Can we like beat him up instead?" joked Kiba, lightning the tension filled mood of the occupants of the room.

Naruto gave a small smile, wanting to just hug his best friends now, his voice filled with contentment and mirth, "Dogboy, you idiot. Oh, whatever, if you can take him on."

"Of course I can," replied Kiba, pointing at his chest and grinning widely in glee, "I'm stronger than _any _Vampire!"

Naruto smirked and Gaara shook his head.

Kiba smirked too, before he half frowned, half looked at Naruto in wonderment, "God, you must have some tasty blood or something Naruto for freakin' Uchiha Sasuke to be after you. Unless there's more to it…"

Naruto stayed quiet and before he could even think of whether he should say anything at all, Gaara spoke.

"There is something else, I'm sure," he added, eyes almost calculating and focused on nothing, deep in thought, "What does Sasuke want from you, Naruto?"

He couldn't say; he just couldn't. This was between him and Sasuke, something he personally had to sort through. He couldn't involve his friends in something so complicated and potentially dangerous. Luckily, before he could come up with something to say, Tsunade re-entered the room.

"Enough about that for now," interrupted Tsunade, stance filled with authority, returning from her store cupboard with a bag, "I just need to check a few things, Naruto, concerning your health."

Naruto turned from Gaara's inquisitive features to Tsunade, "But I feel fine."

"That's not the point," she replied, "I just want to check a few things out."

He realised that she was bailing him out of his awkward situation, as if she knew more than she was letting on. He decided the best thing for him was to go along with what she wanted for now.

"Okay," he said and she nodded, turning towards the others in the room, "Temari, it looks like everyone's staying here tonight so sort something out for them. Also, I need that report finished. Come on, Naruto, this way."

Naruto smiled at the others and then followed Tsunade out of the room through another door. It led into a series connecting rooms, one with a doctor's bed of sorts, which she pointed for him to sit on. He did so, saying, "Um, thanks for that."

"Hm, it's no problem. Now let me listen to your lungs."

Naruto pouted, "I feel fine; really, you don't need to check anything."

Her eyes flashed, her mouth in a small smile, stethoscope in her hand, "It'd be wise to just listen to me, you know."

Naruto opened his mouth and then closed it, sighing and letting her get on with the check-up she wanted to do, wondering why she wanted it done exactly.

As she flashed the small pen light into his eyes, she spoke, "You're a brave brat, taking these revelations in as if it is an everyday thing."

Naruto saw white stars for a few seconds as the pen was retracted from his vision and then he could focus on her, "Well, stranger things have happened in the last few days, especially today. I was bitten by a _vampire. _I'm still trying to get my head around that. Sasuke is a Vampire. It makes a lot of sense now though. I've always known there was something out there and that there was always something different about him."

Tsunade smirked, replacing her pen light into her case. Naruto's eyes were half glazed in deep thought, fingers twitching in concentration. She smiled as he asked her the question she was waiting for.

"Hey, you mentioned his name beforehand, you know him?"

His blue eyes were wide and inquisitive. She nodded, sitting on the bed next to him, "Oh, everyone knows him. As Gaara mentioned before, he's quite well known throughout the Night World."

Naruto paused, "Is it because of Itachi?"

There was no answer, though she looked at him more closely from her relaxed position. He felt as if she was looking at him as if he knew too much. If Tsunade had said that Sasuke was well known throughout the Night World, was Itachi known even more? Itachi was a dangerous being and was capable of hurting his own kin and therefore his own kind. Naruto was only human and he felt in the middle of two brothers, because although he had not seen Itachi for seven years, his mind was still haunted by those chilling, crimson eyes.

Was Sasuke's suffering known? From what Naruto had deduced of Kiba and Gaara's feelings towards Sasuke, there was hate and agression. There had even been a clash with Neji the moment they had laid eyes on each other in the classroom. Tsunade had just said that Sasuke was well known throughout the Night World, and Naruto was sure that Gaara and Kiba had not met Sasuke before he had come into contact with himself, so it was as if there was a known persona of Sasuke among Night Worlders, a stereotype. Did no one see the other side to Sasuke? Had anyone seen the other side to Sasuke? It tugged at Naruto's insides.

"It's something like that," she replied at last, jarring Naruto from his thoughts. She continued, needing Naruto to hear what she had to say, "I'll let you know though; he came to see me at the beginning of the week. That's how I knew your name. From that meeting and what I've seen tonight, your friends don't need to worry. Sasuke won't bleed you dry. But you know that already, don't you…"

Naruto blinked before he gave a small smile, his eyes almost misty as he whispered, "Yeah…_I know_."

She smiled, seeing in Naruto what she herself had felt when her own soulmate had been alive. Nothing should get in between a bond that close, that special…not misunderstandings or conflict. She strove to protect any bond of that kind, especially this one. Sasuke needed someone like Naruto and it was clear that Naruto needed someone like Sasuke, "You've felt it, haven't you Naruto?"

Naruto instantly knew what she was talking about and a million questions flooded his mind but he was unable to ask any as her finger silenced his lips. He gave a half frown and she smirked, "Just ask Sasuke about it when you see him, okay?"

She removed her finger and he smiled, "Nah, the bastard won't tell me anything."

She laughed, "I'm sure you can persuade him. He's…a tricky brat and been through quite a bit. He'll come round soon enough."

He smiled, "I hope so."

* * *

"We didn't tell Naruto the rules of the Night World," said Kiba to Tsunade a few hours later as they sat on the sofa in her office. Temari had gone to show Naruto the room he would be staying in and Gaara was looking out of the window. 

Tsunade took a sip of her sake, needing it after everything that had happened, "It's no problem. He won't tell anyone the secrets of the Night World."

"And the other rule doesn't apply to Naruto," added Gaara, turning from the window to sit on the edge of the sofa, "I'm still going to damage the Uchiha for what he's done."

Tsunade tutted, "Enough of that kind of talk for now."

As she downed the rest of her sake, she thought of how far from the truth Gaara was. The other rule:

2)Never fall in love with a human.

The penalty was death for the breaking of this rule. But Tsunade thought that this was unreasonable and she certainly wasn't going to uphold a silly rule like that. No one had control of who they fell in love with and something as powerful as the Soulmate Principle was too intense to ignore. It was the best thing that could happen to anyone. She was sure that Sasuke would say something about it eventually, but she only hoped that Sasuke wouldn't push Naruto away.

They could be something so perfect, so great, so powerful together if only they let it take its full course.

Naruto was so, so strong. He was the only person who could take Sasuke off the path of self destruction he had been on for the last two hundred and fifty years of so.

Her musings were interrupted by Gaara, who asked, "What's happening to Neji. He attacked the Uchiha in open daylight in front of humans."

"He's being reprimanded by the main branch of the Hyuuga Clan. They hate the fact that he's a Vampire Hunter , but they let it slide. Now that he's attacked a member of the Uchiha Clan, in daylight as well and in the presence of humans, they're not happy. I doubt Sasuke will retaliate against the whole Clan though, just Neji."

She still found it hard to believe some of the customs of certain clans in the Night World. Those Lamia vampires born to the branch of the Hyuuga Clan were cursed into living a human existence so that they could be controlled and would not interfere with the politics of the main house. Neji had therefore become an accomplished Vampire Hunter.

Gaara nodded and Kiba smiled. Pouring her self one more glass of sake, she thought how quickly everything had become complicated.

Temari entered the room, "He's settled."

"Good," Tsunade nodded, "I need you to find Kakashi and see if he knows anything about the events of tonight."

She smiled, tightening the bunches in her hair, "Roger that. I'll be back soon, little brother."

Within a few seconds, her eyes flashed a deep blue as she winked and she disappeared from the office in a swirl of wind and sand.

Tsunade sighed in frustration, "Argh! No matter how many times I tell her not to do that, she still leaves a mess on my floor!"

Kiba snickered and immediately sobered his facial expressions when Tsunade glared at him. Their attention was turned to Gaara as he outstretched his hand and the small coating of sand on the floor and surfaces was drawn to his body, disappearing.

The redhead looked at them both and Tsunade considered hiring him as the clean up job after his older sister. It wasn't long before they all went to settle down and sleep.

* * *

After everything that had happened tonight, the last thing Naruto wanted to do was sleep. He had been told to rest and his body did feel exhausted, but his mind was wide awake as if it was an insomniac. There was no time to sleep for Naruto. His thoughts whirled around his head, providing new possibilities, new ways of living and a whole new way of looking at the world. Nothing would ever be the same again. 

The Night World, huh? A place that housed creatures of darkness. No, that was the wrong way of saying it. Naruto shook his head against the warm pillow and tugged his duvet tighter over his form. The Night World was a place for the different species that inhabited the world; for the _other_ part of the _human race. _Because to Naruto, they were still human and nothing could change that. Kiba and Gaara would always be just as they were before to Naruto, except that they could be more themselves and they could perhaps talk and joke about silly werewolf things and about shapeshifter species. Perhaps they'd even show him how they live the other parts of their lives. He wished Sakura was here though; he had a craving for her presence. There were so many things he wanted to tell her but he knew that he couldn't.

He sighed to himself, hearing the heavy breathing of Kiba in the bedroll beside him. Gaara had gone somewhere else because he didn't sleep. Must be a shapeshifter quality or something.

The dark clouds parted and the moonlight streamed in, falling onto Naruto, turning the room around him into various shades of grey. It reminded him of when the moon had made Sasuke into a mere silhouette as the dark haired _vampire_ had pushed him against the wall and bitten him, drank his blood and had then proceeded to kiss him until he was practically asphyxiated. Naruto could still feel Sasuke's cold, cold hands gripping his hair in pleasurable tugs and playing with the skin on his hips underneath his t-shirt; could still felt the almost sinful touch of Sasuke's cold lips but burning mouth moving against his own in a tense feeling of acute desperation; could still feel the lithe yet strong body of Sasuke against his own, pushing and desiring more; could still smell that unique Sasuke scent of earth and all things natural; their trembling…

He threw the duvet cover off himself, his body suddenly burning and his pulse racing. He absentmindedly raised his fingers to the wounds on his neck, his breath hitching at their almost painful sensitivity from the healing process.

'_Sasuke…'_

He felt so _happy, _even though Sasuke had run off for God knows what reasons, leaving him confused and wondering if Sasuke was alright, because Naruto knew that he probably wouldn't be as…accepting as he was at this whole situation. He was stubborn and proud on the outside, almost burnt when touched. It was ironic considering the surge of feelings and emotions that burst through and between them when they were so close to each other and when they touched.

Naruto felt strangely alone in this moment of time after all the intense closeness he had felt earlier. He wondered if Sasuke felt the same. Gaara had told him a few days ago during lunch at school before the javelin stabbing incident that Sasuke was all alone; that he had no family. Yes, Itachi was his brother, of all people…but from what Naruto had seen and felt, there were definitely no brotherly feelings between them. Sasuke felt such utter hate towards his brother, such unprecedented hate. How could Itachi hurt his own brother so much? What did he do?

Vampires; they live forever…and still there was no one around Sasuke. Why? He wanted to know.

What he wouldn't give to hold Sasuke right now. Being that lonely must be an awful existence and he wanted to chase it away because he knew he could. He could give Sasuke that warmth of having someone there. Naruto craved it too, so, so much; there was only so much you could get from your friends. There was so much he understood about Sasuke now, but there were still so many questions to be asked.

It was just a matter of time and finding him. Well, Naruto was sure that Sasuke would seek him out; that was the general pattern. And when they connected, that was it: Naruto was not going to let go. He'd tell Sasuke that he knew about the Night World. Perhaps…perhaps he'd even tell Sasuke everything he knew about Itachi; open up his past once more.

He sighed. Only morning would bring about a new day and a new way to look forward. With that in mind, he fell into a dreamless sleep, Sasuke's name on his lips.

--

**To be continued...

* * *

**

GYAAAH. OMG, who's seen the new opening to Shippuuden?! It's sooooo amazing. Sasuke, I do love thee so. The connotations to SasuNaru in the new opening are so squeeable. My God, I must've hit the roof in excitement when I saw it! Also, the new ending is so fangirling for Sai fans. So great; I can't wait until they animate his penis jokes hehe.

Review?! Yayness!


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