Midnight Memories

I don’t own Naruto nor do I make money from it



Warnings: vampires, drama, cursing, blood drinking, violence



A/N: OMG, It's an update. Just a few comments. Obviously, from now until the end, there won't be anymore major flashbacks. I can't say there won't be any but if there are, they will be short and not the main focus of the chapter as they have been in the previous chapters. Also, chapter length is likely to decrease a little bit. Instead of 20 page lengths, they will all most likely be around 15 to 20 pages in length so they will be a little shorter but not by much.



Midnight Memories



Chapter Eleven



The darkness shrouding him faded as Naruto blinked slowly awake. Even the dim light from the bedside table seemed to glare brightly, causing a grimace to pull across his face. The sensations rolling through his body reminded him of the time he’d ridden the rollercoaster at the amusement park for the first time. His stomach seemed to be making loops despite his mental attempts to calm it. His vision blurred as he eased into a sitting position on his bed, wondering how he’d gotten there to begin with.



His last memories were both bizarre and enthralling. They were a blur of fantasy and reality. He tried but couldn’t seem to grasp what was real and what was a dream. His thoughts were filled with the image of flashing red eyes like something from a horror movie. They seemed to pierce into his very soul, picking apart all that made him Naruto. The floodgates were opened, images forgotten from his dreams forced their way to the forefront of his mind. Memories he shouldn’t have were creating a maelstrom of confusion throughout him.



“Welcome back.”



Naruto glanced to the chair at his bedside. He hadn’t even felt his presence in the room. Not that he could do more than wade through the confusion brewing in his core. “Itachi…What are you doing home?”



A smile tilted one side of the thin lips, softening his normally hard features. “I suppose it’s good that I finished my business early. You would have died if I hadn’t been here.”



A memory flashed through the haze of his mind--pain mixed with pleasure. He’d felt his life draining away and he hadn't cared. He’d wanted it. His body had flared to life in a way he’d never experienced before. His life had flashed before his eyes--only it wasn’t his life but another’s. The experience was akin to watching a movie made of moments sewn together in a long flowing reel. He nearly lost himself in them once more until Itachi’s hand settled on his shoulder. “What do you remember?”



“Pain. Blood. Love. Hate. The emotions are so potent I can almost feel them now but I know I've never experienced emotions like these before. Itachi…what’s going on? Why do I feel like I’m not myself? This feels like the dreams I have--like I’m watching someone else live my life.” Naruto ran his hands over his face, trying to make sense of everything.



“It’s hard to explain and I’m not sure how to go about it.” Itachi pulled his chair closer to the bedside.



Naruto fixed his eyes on the man he‘d known all his life. “Try.”



“What I am about to tell you goes beyond what normal humans can even comprehend. There is no way I can hide it from you any longer. I don’t want to hide it. For millennia, my people have existed in the shadows. We are neither good, nor are we the monsters legend makes us out to be. I was born so long ago, I’ve lost count of the centuries. My parents were ancients, born before the time of the written word when the world was barbaric. By the time I was born, they were already growing weary of this world but obligations to our people kept them amongst the living for several centuries,” Itachi began. He looked deeply into Naruto’s confused eyes.



“Huh?” Naruto blinked a few times. It was one thing to dream about lives. The dawn always brought about the end. Itachi wasn’t talking about dreams, he was talking about life…and quite a long one. “What nonsense is this?”



Itachi snatched Naruto to his feet, his eyes bleeding to red. “Nonsense? Are your dreams of red eyes and experiences that border on nightmares nonsense? This world is full of beings which your mind can’t even begin to grasp. I warned Sasuke about you…or rather, your first incarnation. I warned him that trouble would come. He was always willful. He wanted everything and in the end was given nothing but a shattered mind and fragmented dreams. I warned him and yet I too am ensnared by your vibrancy. I want to say Sasuke‘s descent is your doing but I know it was his weakness that allowed him to be lulled into insanity. He could never come to terms with his lack of control. The harder he tried to keep you, the more quickly you slid through his fingers. Fate was working against him.”



“S-Sasuke?”



“You know him. He’s followed your soul through the ages. You are his addiction. You met him downstairs today…what was left of him.” Itachi released Naruto, walking towards the window to stare into the night. Dawn was fast approaching, not that it mattered. His kind might have evolved to walk in the sunlight but they never lost the ability to sense its approach. To a weakened night walker, walking in the sun could be a deadly experience.



“I don’t…you’re a vampire!” Naruto’s eyes grew wide. Who would have thought Kiba would be right about something? Blood pounded in his ears as his mind attempted to wrap around what Itachi had said. Vampires weren’t real. It wasn’t possible. His dreams were just a figment of his overactive imagination but to be told flat out of the existence of creatures of the night went beyond his scope of understanding. Surprise gave way to fear and then to wonder. He wanted to yell at Itachi to stop joking but knew deep in his soul that he was not lying. The truth stared at him through eyes of pitch.



“We prefer the term nightwalker. Does it bother you?”



The question came as a bit of a shock to him. Naruto considered his answer for a moment. He wasn’t really sure what to say. He wasn’t sure what to believe. He’d seen Itachi’s eyes. It wasn’t a trick of the light or some fancy contacts. It was real. A person’s eyes didn’t turn red like that. The sclera could become bloodshot but not the iris. “I…should it?”



Itachi chuckled, shaking his head--whether in disbelief or not, Naruto wasn’t sure. Laughter softened the strained appearance reflected in the window, making him realize just how young Itachi really looked. He’d never thought about it, only assumed Itachi just aged well but seeing him now, he didn’t look a day over thirty. If he wanted to be honest, he didn’t look a day over twenty-five. His skin was a smooth cream, holding only the fewest of lines around his eyes. His eyes. They gave away his true age. They were weary, yet still carried the glimmer of hope.



“You are taking this quite well. From what I gather, you always did.” Itachi turned to face his ward, a small smile gracing his face.



Naruto nodded his head sagely, a smile creasing his face endearingly. “I think I’m in shock…or this is another dream.”



“It’s no dream.”



“Can I ask you something?” Naruto edged closer to where Itachi stood. “The dreams I have…they aren’t just dreams, are they?”



Itachi closed his eyes before whispering, “No.”



“Why?”



“Who knows. Even I’m not so arrogant to believe I know everything in this world. I’ve asked myself many times why you were reborn time after time. Was it something Sasuke or I did to upset the cosmic universe? Were we too arrogant? Were we cruel to some sorceress? Is this punishment to me or Sasuke? I don’t know and I doubt I ever will.” Itachi flung his arm out dramatically, his eyes shadowed by his suffering, which some might say was just as torturous as Sasuke’s. He was forced to watch, practically unable to do anything as his beloved brother was destroyed.



“What am I?” Naruto whispered, a bit of fear trickling into his eyes.



Itachi calmed his face. Placing a hand on Naruto’s shoulder, he released a breath. “You are the only soul I’ve had the pleasure to know in 10 different incarnations. What draws you back to this existence, I’ve no clue. Sasuke seemed to have figured it out until the last century or two. He lost himself in his search for you. I promised him I would see you were safe. I just didn’t want to believe he’d gotten this bad. He hid it well.”



“Couldn’t you have turned me into a vampire so I didn’t…you know…die?”



“If only it was that easy,” Itachi chuckled. “If such a thing was possible, I’m quite sure Sasuke would have long since turned you. Our kind aren’t made, we are born. Children are rare in our kind as I’m sure you can understand. It wouldn’t do to have a world full of night walkers and no way to feed. We can only feed upon each other in cases of emergency. Our blood doesn’t nourish each other as well as a human's would.”



Itachi took a moment before continuing. “There is nearly a thousand years between Sasuke’s birth and my own. I‘ve lived for a long time and I‘ve yet to see a creature such as yourself. Rebirth was only something talked about in religious centers…places I‘m sorry to say, we are not welcome. The feeding on blood is not looked on kindly.”



“I can’t believe any of this.” Naruto tried to wrap his mind around the concept. Vampires were real. Kiba had been right all along. If he ever found out, the mutt would never let him live it down.



“Let me show you.” Itachi extended his hand to Naruto, leading him through the halls and down towards the once forgotten basement. The light from the kitchen shown down the stairs into the dust caked interior. Unlike before, the room was unhidden. The glass littered floor crunched beneath his feet--nervousness springing up from his very core. He felt both anxious and elated. Something was calling to his very being with such force, he knew he would fight tooth and nail to remain within. He also felt a great sadness. The source was unknown but it beat at his very being, misting his eyes with unshed tears.



Itachi paused, waving his hand to light the rows of candles. Light illuminated the room to reveal the sole occupant.



The man laying peacefully upon the bed looked to be sleeping. Dark lashes fanned out across pale cheeks. The tone body hinted of powerful muscles hidden beneath the jeans and shirt. Naruto’s fingers itched to run through the seemingly soft hair framing his near perfect features. His beauty rivaled Itachi’s but in Naruto’s eyes, there was none more perfect as the sleeping face. Some part of his very soul pulled him towards the man laying quietly. “Sasuke…”



“Yes. I had to put him to sleep again. It won’t last. A day at most. I needed time to make sure you weren’t injured.” Itachi sat on the bed, resting his hand on Sasuke’s limp one. “You feel it, don’t you. The pull to him. You can’t explain it or understand it but he pulls to you. It has been the same for nearly a millennia. You are drawn together by some unfathomable force.”



“He’s sleeping?”



“For now. I don’t know what to do. He’s been skating a very thin line with the council for a long time.” Itachi stroked back dark bangs from the pale face. “They‘ve been watching him for several years.”



A vague memory worked its way to the surface. The council? He remembered seeing elegant men and women gathered around Itachi. He’d always thought of Itachi looked like a king holding court. He never realized how close to the truth that image really was. “What can they do?”



“Destroy him. For now, he’s safe but it’s only a matter of time. He’s emotionally unstable. I have little doubt he will devour the first human he comes across. He hasn’t fed in over twenty years. Other than what he took from you.” Itachi glanced towards Naruto when he heard the snarl.



“You would let them do it?” Naruto’s lips pulled back in a grimace to reveal white teeth.



“It’s not that I want it. I have nearly given up everything to protect him. He has destroyed himself and I am left to pick up the pieces. When you die again, there will be nothing left of him if there is anything left now. You will die. It is only a matter of time. I can feel your body dying. You are a human after all.” Itachi scoffed, trying to hide his own fear in harsh words.



Naruto remained silent for a moment before speaking. “I know that. Everything dies.”



“We don’t.”



“You don’t have to sound arrogant about it.” Naruto grumbled.



“I’m not. I simply state the truth. Death for us is more complicated. Time is relative. For humans, you are granted a hundred years if you are lucky. I have never known one of my species to die of old age. Most choose either suicide or eternal sleep,” Itachi explained.



“But you can die?”



A smirk crept along Itachi’s lips. “Plotting to kill me?”



“What? No!” Naruto shook his head violently. “Itachi…can I ask you a favor?”



“A favor? I would give you anything I could. You are precious to me even if I cannot have your love.” Itachi ran his hand over the scarred cheeks, remembering the day the boy had been ushered through his door.



“Can I stay with him?” he asked, expectantly.



Itachi blinked a few times in surprise. A look akin to hurt flashed across his face before it was hidden once more in his passive expression. “I have no control over him. If he wakes up, he could very well kill you.”



“I feel like I have to. Have you ever wanted something so deeply, you weren’t sure if you could survive not having it?” Naruto asked quietly, his eyes never leaving Sasuke’s face.



“Yes,” Itachi chuckled mirthlessly. “I was never jealous of Sasuke…until now.”



“Itachi…”



“Even now you are drawn to him. I can sense it in you. I could take you…spirit you away to some far away country but you would always want him.” Itachi sighed, lifting the stone dangling from Naruto’s neck to gaze in the facets of the gem. “He’s at the point of no return. Another step and he will plummet. He will no longer be reachable. I can’t do that to him. Not even for you.”



“I don’t understand…” Naruto frowned. He’d never known Itachi liked him in that way. He felt a keen disappointment that he could not return the feelings. While he found Itachi physically attractive, part of his very being was drawn elsewhere. Even as a youth, his attraction to Itachi was nothing more than a physical lust. He cared for the man, but not in the way both needed.



“Do as you feel you must. I will keep you from him no longer. Call out to me and I will come should you need me.” Itachi stood with a last glance at both, he exited the basement.



Naruto watched the man he’d looked up to for nearly his entire life exit, leaving him alone in the candle lit room. He wanted to go after him, to apologize. He’d hurt him but was unable to offer comfort. Why had Itachi brought him here if he knew Naruto would be drawn to stay? Did Itachi understand the emptiness he'd always felt? Is that why he’d brought him to Sasuke? He didn’t know the man laying before him and yet he did. Memories not his own continued to swirl through him. As if watching a home movie, he saw Sasuke’s descent. He saw the acute pain and eventually the lack of love. It hurt. Knowing Sasuke had stopped loving him in favor of the need to possess him and being driven insane when Naruto was taken from him. Naruto’s eyes traced the lines of the body sleeping before him.



Who was the true Sasuke--the arrogant noble he’d been in the beginning, or the insane monster he’d become? He seemed so angelic laying quietly under the soft glow of the candlelight. He felt the draw of the other but not the feelings swirling through his memories. They seemed distant like the dreams they were. Shouldn’t he feel something more than an undeniable pull? Shouldn’t there be a great over bearing feeling of completion? Of love?



For long minutes Naruto stood quietly, unable to do more than stare at the man from his dreams. He had questions though he knew there were no answers to be found. Itachi, himself, had said he didn’t know everything in the world. He wanted to help Sasuke, to make him what he was. “What am I supposed to do?”



“A good question.”



Naruto jerked to stare into the shadow filled basement. The voice coming from the room swirled over him. It held a slightly monotone texture, pulling him in. “Who’s there?”



A ginger haired man stepped from the shadows. Silver piercings gleamed from his dispassionate face. His deep gray eyes seemed to measure Naruto, looking with a gaze as sharp as any Itachi had given him. “Who are you?”



“I’ve had many names during my existence.” A flash of silver appeared as he spoke, revealing yet another piercing through his tongue. Naruto wondered where else the man was pierced.



“How about you give me one of them before I call for Itachi.” Naruto hissed, standing defensively between the stranger and Sasuke’s sleeping form.



“Would my name truly matter? I could tell you that once upon a time I was called Archeleus. Would that matter to you? Would you understand the person I was then? The person I am now?” A small smile curved the stranger’s lips.



Naruto flushed a bit. “I just want a name I can tell the police when they arrest you for breaking and entering.”



“You may call me Pein. It’s as good a name as any but do you really think I can be arrested by your police? I am standing undetected inside the home of the lord of all night walkers. Do you really believe that threat means anything to me?” Pein’s lips twitched a little in amusement.



“What do you want?” Naruto’s eye twitched. And he thought Itachi was an arrogant bastard. Itachi had nothing on this guy.



“Ah, we come to the heart of the matter. What do I want? If I said I wanted you, what would your answer be?”



His lips pulled down in a frown. The other was toying with him and it was pissing Naruto off. “I’d say hell no and for you to get the fuck out.”



“Of course you would. You don’t even know what you are. You haven’t finished coming into being yet. I only wanted to meet you officially. We’ve been watching you for a long time. You’re special, even more so than your lover could have possibly known. It's rare for one of us to be so connected to a night walker. It‘s a bit straining for our ‘other’ to handle as you can see.” Pein extracted a cigarette from his pocket. Long slender fingers brought it to his lips, lighting it on one of the candles dotting the room. He exhaled the thick smoke while keeping his eyes on Naruto. “You’re almost ready. Things happen for a reason. You just don‘t know what those reasons are yet.”



“Then why don‘t you tell me?”



“You’ll see. When it’s time, you’ll see. I’ll see you around, Naruto Uzumaki. Give my regards to Sasuke.” Pein bowed his head in parting before fading into the shadows once more.



Naruto searched the room but could find neither hide nor hair of the ginger haired man. Only the remaining odor of cigarette smoke floating through the air gave testament to his presence having had been there. The day had started off normal. He’d gone to bed with all intentions of sleeping but from the moment he’d laid down, the events seemed to have been removed from his control. Life wasn’t supposed to be this strange.



“Sasuke…Itachi…Pein.” What forces were connecting him to those three men? He stood over Sasuke’s sleeping form, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest.



Naruto’s heart jumped in his throat as dark lashes fluttered open. Dark orbs stared at him, giving him a glimpse of who Sasuke really was. It was only a glimpse before dark bled to red and the real Sasuke was eclipsed once more with the mad creature.



“Stay away from me!” Sasuke screamed, crashing from the bed and into the corner. Red eyes darted back and forth as if searching for demons in every shadow. “You aren’t real. I killed you. You aren’t real.”



“Sasuke…”



“Don’t talk to me!” Sasuke’s hands lifted to press over his ears. “Naruto’s dead. You aren’t real. Stop haunting me.”



“I’m real.” Naruto reached for him only to have claws swipe across his arm.



Blood dripped from the torn skin to splatter on the floor. Naruto cried out and stumbled back clutching at his injured arm. Sasuke’s eyes changed from terrified madness to something much darker. His hands dropped from his ears, curling in claw like motions.



“Sasuke…I know you’re hurting. I can feel it. Please, let me help you.” Naruto backed away slowly so not to entice the other to attack.



Naruto jerked as the pale hand latched on his wrist. Long fingers dug into the torn skin, bringing fresh blood to the surface. Naruto jerked his arm, attempting to free himself from the painful grip. The action earned him a slow growl from the barely human creature before him.



Fangs peaked out as pink lips lowered to the sliced skin. A delicate tongue darted out to lap at the dripping blood. “Naruto.” Almost instantly tingles shot through Naruto’s skin. He watched amazed as the skin began knitting itself back together with each swipe of Sasuke’s tongue. Sasuke continued the treatment until only freshly healed skin remained.



“Sasuke?” Naruto pulled back his arm to run fingers over the sensitive healed skin. Only the faintest of scars remained on the previously unblemished skin.



“Please leave me alone. It hurts to much. I can taste you on my tongue. I can feel you in my veins.” Sasuke pressed against the wall, reverting back to the damaged creature of before.



“I won't leave you.” Naruto whispered, feeling even more enthralled by the broken creature before him.



Naruto dropped to his knees, staring at the man. He felt rather than saw Itachi as he approached cautiously from behind. “He’s awake.”



“Yeah.”



“I smelled blood.” Itachi paused behind Naruto.



Naruto nodded. “Yeah, mine.”



“I know. Sasuke?” Itachi’s eyes jumped between Naruto and his brother.



“Yeah…he healed me. He was just scared.” Naruto felt a twinge. The memories continued to bombard him. In them Sasuke was so vibrant. Here he was a shattered creature, lost in his own hell. Naruto wanted to find the real Sasuke again. He wanted to discover what their bond really meant.



Itachi remained silent for a moment before speaking. “You don’t have to remain here. Sasuke can’t leave this room for the moment. I’ve bound him to it until he’s stable.”



Naruto understood Itachi’s meaning. The word ‘until’ was hiding the word ‘if’. “He will get better. He’s lived this long.”



“I don’t think he wants to leave that place he’s in. He’s watched you die so many times. I’m surprised he didn’t join you in the afterlife. I wanted to blame you but in the end, I can‘t.” Itachi crouched beside Naruto to watch Sasuke.



“He knew I would come back.”



Itachi shook his head. “He couldn’t. That was always a fear he held. He asked me once what he would do if you weren’t reborn.”



“You said you were surprised. Maybe things happened for a reason. I don’t know what they are, but maybe some hidden part of him knew I would come back.” Naruto thought back to what Pein had said. Things happen for a reason. It was less an answer, leaving Naruto with only questions.



“I cannot speak for things I do not know. You should rest. Sasuke will sleep soon. The sun is rising and he’s very weak. Sleeping for so long has made him susceptible to the pull of sleep. Even now he’s fighting it.” Itachi reached to assist Naruto to his feet. The other shook his head in refusal.



“I’m going to stay with him.” Naruto leaned his head against the door frame where he knelt.



Itachi sighed, nodding his understanding. “As you wish. I would advise you to tread carefully. Sasuke is dangerous in this state. Even weakened in such a way, he’s still a very powerful night walker. Noble blood runs through his veins. I must rest as well. The trip exhausted me.”



“I’ll be alright, Itachi. I just want to sit with him.” Naruto turned his eyes back to the dark haired man crouched in the corner. Watching him, he tried to understand him. It was hard since they had never really had a conversation. Past lives didn’t count in Naruto’s mind. He wanted to find the Sasuke hidden beneath the cracked exterior. He was hiding in there somewhere. It might take a lifetime. It might take twenty life times but he would find him. He would find what he’d loved in the past. Then, perhaps he would be able to love him. He would be able to touch him without fear of breaking him.



Hours or minutes could have passed as they sat in nearly deafening silence. He continued to watch as Sasuke curled in his corner, glancing up every few minutes to stare intently at Naruto as if trying to ascertain if his presence was real or just a figment of his shattered psyche.



It was a gradual thing, Sasuke’s decent from consciousness. It began as a hooding of eyes. For a split moment, they would drop only to jerk open once more. His head began nodding as he drifted in a state of partial awareness. Naruto watched the events unfold slowly, intrigued by Sasuke’s seemingly passive attitude.



He found it humorous to watch the other nod off. Sasuke had slept for years yet he continued to doze. It was as if the years in sleep were not sleep at all but more of a suspended animation where no true rest was achieved.



Sasuke’s head dropped to his drawn up knees as he finally gave up the fight. Naruto’s lips turned up in a smile, his own eyes drifting shut as well. They weren’t touching. Their bodies were several feet apart and yet, they seemed to take comfort from the other’s presence. Sasuke’s body relaxed completely, resting a true sleep as the sun rose overhead. The semi-forced sleep allowed his body to gather its energy.



Naruto drifted, sleeping deeply despite his semi upright position, only awaking at the touch of a hand on his shoulder. “Naruto, your friends are here.”



“Itachi…what time is it?” Sleep called to him. He couldn’t have slept for more than an hour or two.



“Almost three in the afternoon.” Itachi smirked at Naruto’s disheveled appearance. “Your friends just arrived. They said you were going to study for finals together.”



“Fuck! I’m awake.” Naruto jumped to his feet, groaning as his bones cracked from being in a cramped position for so long. It didn’t feel like he’d slept so long. It only seemed like moments. He glanced at Sasuke‘s still sleeping form. “I’ll be back, Sasuke. I won’t leave you.”



“I’ll stay with him. I’ve neglected my duties to him.” Itachi took a position on the bed, watching his brother sleep in his place in the corner.



Naruto nodded, trotting up the stairs. It wasn’t hard to find Kiba and Sakura. Their voices carried with loud precision through the large house.



“There you are! Your vampire father said you were sleeping. Don’t tell me you’re trying to turn into a vampire too.” Kiba snatched a handful of Naruto’s hair, pulling his neck in a painful arch in search of the telltale sign of vampire infestation.



“Stop that you moron!” Naruto punched Kiba’s ribs, hearing the other yelp with great satisfaction. “Itachi isn’t a vampire.” He was really getting good at lying.



“He may not be a vampire, but you look like shit Naruto.” Sakura stepped forward to place a cool hand on his brow. “You’re pale and those bags under your eyes are huge.”



Naruto swallowed the thick lump forming in his throat. What if they guessed something was wrong? They would think he was crazy if he told them the truth. Not to mention, Itachi would probably kill him. It was always best to use the simplest answer. “I’m a college student. I‘m supposed to be pale with bags under my eyes.”



“Nice try. Have you been sick?” Sakura forced him to sit while she checked his pulse.



“Just a…stomach virus.” He was fucked if she kept asking questions.



“Why didn’t you say you were sick? I would have brought you some soup or came and sat with you.” Sakura clucked, releasing his hand. “Your heart rate is a little high. You should lay down.”



Kiba rolled his eyes. “Naruto, dude, don’t let her push you around. You’ve got to help me study for Ethics. I’m so going to fail the final if you don’t help me out. Naruto…be a pal.”



“You moron!” Sakura shoved Kiba’s shoulder. “If you hadn’t been an idiot and slept through the semester, you wouldn’t need Naruto to help you cram Ethics into your pea sized brain.”



“Hey! Stop with the name calling. I can’t help that Ethics is at eight a.m. I can’t get moving until like ten,” Kiba whined, rubbing his shoulder.



“If you would stop partying all night and actually get some sleep you might be able to stay awake. What’s going to happen when you get out in the real world? Your boss won’t like it if you’re three hours late for work every day.” Sakura crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “What are you going to do then, hmm?”



Kiba tilted his head in consideration. “Get a job that lets me come in at ten.”



Sakura threw up her hands in annoyance. “Moron! You are incorrigible.”



Kiba leapt towards her, pulling her in his arms and pressing a sloppy kiss on her cheek. “But you love me anyway.”



“Heaven only knows why.” Sakura shoved him away, turning her attention back to Naruto. “Are you sure you’re alright?”



“I’m fine.” He plastered a fake smile across his face, patting her on the back. “Let’s go study.”



“You know Naruto, you should really keep a couple of crosses and garlic around just to be on the safe side. If he isn’t a vampire…well, better safe than sorry but if he is, you are totally protecting your life.” Kiba was totally in Kiba Land by the time they reached Naruto’s room, blabbering on and on about the signs of Itachi’s vampire nature. Naruto would have laughed at the irony if he wasn’t so tired. He’d lost a lot of blood the previous night and was feeling it today.



“You idiot. He answered the door…in broad daylight. How do you explain that, Mr. Van Helsing?” Sakura asked as she dug her books from her bag.



“Sunscreen…you know, that SPF800 shit. That crap is like wearing a lead suit. My sister layers that shit on her kids. I’m telling you…that’s how he does it. Pretty smart of them vamps, huh?” Kiba snatched a bag of chips from Sakura’s hand.



“I take back what I said.” Sakura snatched back her bag of chips. “You aren’t an idiot. You are retarded. It’s amazing I didn’t see it before.”



Naruto’s soul lightened at the banter. These two were his best friends in the world. Even when they weren’t trying, they could cheer him up. “You two, stop fighting.”



Sakura gave a particularly hard punch to Kiba’s shoulder before turning to Naruto. “You’ve been a little down lately. I know you and Itachi have an…unusual relationship but if he’s treating you bad…”



“No! Nothing like that. I just have a lot on my mind. Next year is my last year of college and I still don’t know what I’m going to do with my life.” Naruto shifted to sit by Sakura, laying his head on her shoulder.



Kiba popped open an eye from where he was laying sprawled on the floor. “Pfft, what do you need to work for? Your vampire father is loaded. Just ask him to make you like honorary vice president or some shit. Collect a paycheck while you seduce the ladies in the Bahamas.”



“Do you think he’d go for it?” Naruto chuckled, playing along with Kiba.



“You’re both idiots.” Sakura slapped Naruto on the crown of his head. “But I love you both.”



“I was only joking,” pouted Naruto, rubbing the tender skin.



“I know. I only hurt you because I care.” Sakura smiled, rubbing the spot she’d slapped. “How about you start helping Kiba learn enough about Ethics to at least pass the class with a D and I’ll review my classes before helping you with your Chemistry.”



~*~



Sasuke blinked awake. Naruto’s scent was in his nose. His taste coated his tongue. “Naruto.”



His body ached from his cramped position in the corner. Scanning the room, he noticed a distinctive absence of blond hair. Anger rushed through him. He wasn’t there.



“Sasuke?”



Red eyes narrowed in on his brother. He’d taken Naruto from him. He remembered now. Itachi had wanted Naruto. He wanted to keep him from being with him. He wanted Naruto for himself.



“You took him.”



“What are you talking about?” Itachi frowned, approaching his brother.



“I saw how you wanted him. You want to keep him from me.” Sasuke’s voice continued to rise, his body slinking along the wall.



“Sasuke…” Itachi took a step forward, only to earn a snarl from Sasuke.



“Give him back!” Sasuke’s fangs were fully extended over his pink lips. “He’s mine!”



His mind lacked simple reasoning. Naruto was his. Itachi was a male. His mind connected the dots, assuming Itachi’s presence in place of Naruto meant he’d spirited him away.



“Naruto is fine. He’s upstairs with his friends.” Itachi reached out a hand to calm his brother, earning a slash of claws.



“No! You took him. You want him. I can smell him on you,” Sasuke snarled, his claws digging into the bricks lining the walls.



“Sasuke, you need to calm down.” The worry in Itachi’s voice could be plainly heard. The words were meant to calm but instead sent Sasuke over the edge, his already tenuous sanity discarded in favor of the violence rolling through him.



“He’s mine!” Sasuke lunged from his position against the wall. Bloodlust rushed through his veins. Itachi was trying to take something from him. He couldn’t allow that. Naruto was his!



Itachi’s quick movements were all that kept him from being impaled on Sasuke’s claws. Sasuke refused to listen to reason. Thoughts of Naruto in Itachi’s arms rolled through his shattered mind. Had he been in all his faculties, he would have known that Itachi would never have done such a thing even if he’d wanted it. Itachi knew this and attempted to remain in a defensive position.



“Sasuke, Naruto is safe. I don’t have him hidden away from you.” Itachi dodged another swipe of Sasuke’s claws.



“Lies!”



“You never wanted me to be with him. You wanted him only for yourself, that’s why you tried to keep me from going to him.” Sasuke screamed, saliva dripping from his fangs as he grew even more irrational.



Itachi bided his time, waiting for Sasuke to attack again. In such a state, Sasuke was sloppy with his attacks. He allowed his unsubstantiated anger to control him. It gave Itachi the perfect opening to force Sasuke’s claw tipped hands behind his back, making him defenseless. Sasuke screamed out, fighting to gain control once more. “Bastard!”



“He drove you to this,” Itachi answered in return. “No…you allowed yourself to become this. You are weak Sasuke.”



“Itachi.”



Itachi turned to see Kurenai standing regally several feet behind him. “What’s happened?”



“The council is convening. Sasuke’s fate will be decided tonight.” She said sadly.



“Why wasn’t I told? The council planned to keep this from me?” Itachi released Sasuke, rushing Kurenai. The woman gasped in surprise as she was pinned to the wall, boxes tumbled to the ground around them. “I am the king. You knew?”



“Itachi…” She gasped as she struggled to breathe around the hand crushing her windpipe. “I didn’t know…they knew…I am close…to you…that I…support you. I was…just told moments ago.”



Itachi snarled, his crimson eyes flashed furiously. His fingers tightened in their grip around Kurenai's throat before releasing her to fall gasping to the floor. “I’m going to destroy them.”



To be continued