The Lineage

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.


The Lineage
By 11


Chapter 13
Lair of Beasts: The Council

Am I dreaming or not?

I really can’t tell, my head is strangely fuzzy, and a lot happened the last few hours. It’s night now but I’m sleeping because Jiraiya and Sasuke recommended it before we took off – some of the other younger soldiers are required to rest first too. But we’re supposed to be leaving around a little after the night sets in if we can manage it.

I think I’m dreaming now. I really think I am, because Shikamaru is here again – must be because I thought I saw him today, he’s even dressed in those dark robes and carrying those steely swords like the hunters.

“Naruto? You’re awake aren’t you?” he asks me.

“No, I think I’m dreaming again.” I shake my head and sit up anyway, the dizziness seems to intensify and I wonder if in a dream I can feel like falling back again. I felt so alive before now, now I’m so drained and groggy – so it must be a dream. “Too much has happened.”

“Like what?”

“I’m going to the High Lair.”

“You’re a vampire?”

“No? I don’t know. I guess, maybe; but we’re saying I’m a half-breed,” I shake my head and try to clear it, maybe then I can look closer at Shikamaru see if I remember details any better than my last dream. “That’s so they won’t kill me, they hate regens – sired vampires, I think that’s probably what I am, but then things don’t make sense and I don’t know. Why are you asking me.”

“I had to make sure.” Shikamaru draws his sleeve up and his glove off, like a plumber about to plunge his hand deep into the network. He reaches out beneath the rips in the fabric of my shirt. His palm rests against my chest.

I start a moment to wonder what the hell, but then I remember this is a dream, it’s not supposed to make sense and it probably won’t anyway.

“Good, you are still human.”

“How’s that?”

“You have a heartbeat.”

“I do?” I feel it myself once Shikamaru’s hand is drawn back and he returns the glove to the appendage. I feel the beating pulse against my flesh and skin, and I know it’s in my hand as well, a beating nerve, the travel of blood all through me.

Makes no sense again, but this is a dream – it’s not supposed to make sense.

“You’re not a vampire yet, Naruto.” Shikamaru sighs, “I’m sorry I abandoned you before, I was confused I didn’t know what I could do. I was selfish, I only thought to save myself.”

That was so long ago; I thought the same thing more or less. I lean back and smile at him; he really does look just like I remember him. Same hair, but the tail seems bushier, his hair is a bit coarser I guess.

His eyes are harsher too, and his body looks more defined. It has more character to it I guess, like he’s seen more than he had before, that he’s matured to comprehend it and to face it. Again it makes no sense.

Why do dreams only make partial sense? “Don’t worry about it.”

“No, I’m not running this time.” He tells me, thin brown eyes bearing into me with a solidity that forces the haze of my mind to clear for an instant. “I’m going to save you, Naruto. I’m getting you out of here.”

But he can’t? For one… this is a dream.

“But I’m a vampire Shikamaru,” I tell him, “I drink blood, and that thing inside me can talk now – it talks, did you know that? I didn’t.”

“Thing inside you?”

“That part of me that always wanted to collect weird stuff, the thing that made me go down those creepy stairs… the thing that told me what to do when I fought whatever.” I shake my head. It doesn’t make sense when I explain it – because I’m dreaming still.

What an odd dream, though I haven’t dreamt in a while.

“But you’re sane Naruto. And you can go in the sun – I saw you.”

“So you were there, I thought I smelled you. I couldn’t track it in the blood – glad you’re alive.” I mutter, still grinning, I can feel my mouth tire from stretching, and I want to fall over and finish sleeping – but I’m already sleeping. It makes no sense.

“The facts don’t make sense, no matter how you look at them.” Shikamaru shakes his head, “You have a heartbeat. You’re not dead Naruto. You are not a vampire. It’s a physical impossibility, your heartbeat proves you’re not a sired vampire, or one at all.”

“Half-breed?”

“A physical impossibility. Believe me, I know.” His eyes darken and he looks so distant. “I’ve seen.”

“I can’t leave though, they’ll know I’ve gone… I don’t know if they’ll track me down or not – but the Order’s legions are here… so?” I mutter, I don’t know.

If it’s a dream I want to go with him, just to see what happens. But if this is a dream I want to bring Sasuke with me, if it’s a dream maybe he’ll answer my approaches with something other than distance and repelling appreciation.

Why aren’t I dreaming about darkeyes anyway? I haven’t dreamed once about him, and I want to… a good dream.

“I know. I can’t take you now, but I will, at some point.” He produces a metal rectangle and places it in my palm. Metal thing… no, I know what it is; it’s a cell phone. It’s got a built in charger too, how convenient. How strange dreams are.

“Keep it safe and charged,” he tells me as he draws his cloak about him, “Since they’re taking you to the high lair we’ll have to remain in contact.”

“I will save you.”

“You’re with the hunters right?”

He pauses, hesitates, and answers, “Yes.”

“Do you know where the high lair is?”

“No.”

“But you want to know.”

“Yes.”

I feel a laugh bubble up through my chest, “Yeah that’s fine.”

“It’s a location the hunters have been searching for, for a long time. Since you’re going there anyway, and that’s where I’ll have to come get you.” He starts to explain but I cut him off with a shake of my head and tuck the phone someplace safe.

“It’s fine. I know.” I tell him with a grin. Last time I thought of telling the dream him there was no need, that I was fine here; but I don’t know anymore, which is probably why I’m having this dream. “Be sure to come save me.”

This sure is a weird dream.

`

Don’t blame me. I almost fell asleep since I could barely stay awake when we went flying – I still hate bats though. It’s really fun for maybe the first hour or so, then it just gets cold and it’s a pain. Seriously! And why did it have to be all the way up in some kind of mountains anyway?

I don’t even know where I am anymore, you give me a map I get lost somewhere around the swamps and then I don’t know which mountain range we’re at or what.

I don’t know, I don’t care, I just want to lay down and crawl under a blanket and shiver till I’m warm again – though technically I suppose I’m room temperature (currently: ready to ice, and I want to thaw).

“Prince Sasuke, Lord Jiraiya; how was your journey?”

What I don’t get a greeting. I’m freaking cold over here! I want a thermal so bad…

“Izumo.” Jiraiya acknowledges with his eyes before sweeping past. Kakashi, Sakura, Sasuke – I fall into step beside him. Shino’s still a few steps back; I don’t even know why that guy creeps me out so much.

I risk a glance at darkeyes. “So you’re a prince?”

“Hm.”

That’s barely a response, what the hell? Can’t associate with a ‘commoner’ now or something? Come on! Whatever.

Sasuke’s a prince and Jiraiya’s a lord, figures. I’m surprised that Sakura isn’t some kind of princess – they’re all so arrogance I wonder why I didn’t guess that before. Hmph.

What? Jealous or something?

My parasite yawns within me. Yeah, while I was fighting to stay awake and flying, this guy napped the whole time – lucky jerk or what?

Well you don’t need me to fly idiot? What the hell do you think I am, your life force or something?

You’re not my consciousness, that’s for sure, stupid parasite.

He coils up inside me, bristling unsually annoyed with me – what’d I say to upset the little body-leech this time?

Parasite, parasite… is that the only thing you can call me?

Sorry it upsets you. I muse, almost sarcastic - he annoys me too, not like he uses my name.

Well you’re not worthy to know my name! All you ever call me is parasite – you ever considered that this should have been my body and you’re inconveniencing me.

I was here first.

“We’re here.”

Izumo bows out of the way, a stiff nodding of his head and slight angle with his upper body. Large doors stand polished dark wood, and steel outside, with heavy brass knockers I doubt anyone even uses.

Inside it’s a like a- no it really basically is a cavern. We’re on the inside of a mountain, all they did was carve out a couple thousand seats worth of bleaching all along the inside walls.

All of our group filters to the sides; Jiraiya is met by Kakashi who leads the old man, upwards toward the center and back. They’re heading toward a very high type of podium that juts out a little ways – VIPs only of course.

Sakura follows them up, and few higher rank soldiers with them, most of the lower rank dispersing near the bottom.

I follow after Sasuke but a powerful arm blocks my path. I glare over and- oh great, it’s the skeletal-laugh freak…

“You don’t go with them.”

Yeah, I’m ignoring you, freak. I look back at Sasuke, he’s turned to look back at me. “Don’t worry, it won’t last long.” He only mouths it. I can’t even hardly hear him among the dull murmurs around.

How am I supposed to not worry? Looks like I’m sitting down here with the skeletal-laugh and androgyny. Great how that works out….

“Lord Jiraiya, welcome back!” I can make out a few cries, from the multitude when especially loud. Jiraiya makes his way to the center palanquin – the two already there stand to greet the group.

Only Jiraiya, Sakura and Sasuke enter the palanquin though, the rest join the guard surrounding. The other two within greet with difference expressions. One is a gently smiling gentleman in a suit, with long dark hair pulled back and ivory skin. His eyes seemed turned at the corners and the straightness of his nose suggests something nearly reptilian.

The other is a busty woman with long blond hair that falls over her shoulders and across he breast and down her back. Her waist is thin and pulled in tight by a dark cloth belt, her low cut blouse is white and her thin muscled legs clad in dark pants.

She wears a stern and angry expression out of place on her pale, and otherwise motherly, face. She snaps something angrily just as the gentleman bows his head slightly, smiling in greeting.

Jiraiya greets them stiffly and as they sit more mutters are exchanged between my master and the blond woman. Other than the obvious mutters the affair is very formal and stiff concerning those two – only the pale gentleman seems entirely at ease up there.

I try to ignore the skeletal laugh just beside me. “That’s Lord Tsunade and Lord Orochimaru up there. You can tell Lord Tsunade doesn’t much care for Lord Jiraiya. She was the one who made a commotion about things when Lord Jiraiya left too.”

“There were several rumors that they had attempted to engage in mammal reproduction activities, word is that’s where Jiraiya got those marks under his eyes after Tsunade gave him two nearly permanent black eyes.”

Don’t know what that means, and I don’t really care. Wait ‘Lord’ Tsunade?

“Lord or Lady?” I wonder, can this guy also not tell genders apart or are those fake.

“What?” he asks totally confused.

“Is Tsunade a guy with sex-change or a girl, in which case it should be lady?” I may as well lay everything down for him, this guy is obviously short on brain cells.

Oh shit, and he’s laughing again and creeping the fuck out of me. Oh hey Sasuke and that reptile gentleman are talking, Sasuke and sitting in there with him, Sakura is standing at the back of Tsunade’s chair, how interesting. Jiraiya looks so lonely in comparison.

“Lord Tsunade is a woman,” So he finally finished laughing with his lungs, huh? “It is said her chest expanded five sizes when she first came out of her egg and that for the longest time she starved herself so her body would finally be able to support her breasts.”

I did NOT need to know that!

“And it is always lord, whether male or female, the only distinction in gender there applies to the princes and princesses, primarily for alliance purposes.”

I nod pretending to understand, if only so he’ll shut up. In fact I won’t look at anyone else so he won’t feel the need to start whispering to me again with his creepy level voice.

“Sasuke is a prince right?”

“Yes. There’s a interesting story about his clan you see-”

“Yeah, so is Sakura a princess or?” I cut him off, I do not want to hear anything else creepy and weird he wants to say; just a yes or no answer would be good. And yes, he’s laughing again.

This is just weird, I’m getting used to that grating sound like a cat dying as a laugh. Hope I don’t sound like that after a while.

“No no no!!” he laughs some more, his mouth twisted at an odd angle as he attempts to quiet himself, the council is being called to order. “She is Lord Tsunade’s student and right hand, her protégée of sorts. Sasuke is something of the same to Orochimaru, after the event-”

“You’ll be quiet unless you want to be bled again Shino.” Haku hisses from a seat down sending a meaningful glare towards dark lens covered eyes. Shino falls silent as the hum of conversation dies.

“There has been an addition to the agenda for deliberation which is of immediate concern.” Tsunade speaks standing from her seat, and she immediately locates me with her eyes.

A sharp hazel color almost harsh and brittle they stare into mine with something I only feel as contempt. My parasite bristles inside me and seems to glare back with me, though there is no burn behind my eyes.

“Jiraiya – call him.”

“Naruto, come forward.” Jiraiya orders from the height. Shino nudges my arm, and I feel my pulse jump in horrible jolts as I force my body to rise and go to stand in the middle of the huge room with thousands of eyes staring down at me from the darkness.

Tsunade’s mouth curls and refuse to focus my attention anywhere else, if I stray even a bit my legs might buckle and let me fall – and that is not an acceptable action!! Not in this den of beasts.

Damnit!! That’s the pressure I feel, I don’t care about crowds, but all these are staring at me like I’m meat, or sack of blood to be more accurate. But I’m one of them, or maybe they can already guess the debate and look forward to tearing me apart if they decide I’m a regen.

“So this is the brat?” Tsunade huffs, arrogance coating every word as she stares down at me. I glare upwards, does being that high on her stupid platform make her feel so superior. She’s nothing special, I could rip her up if I wanted, and if I was close enough – I know I could… at least I sort of want to right now.

“For the record state the name you call yourself.”

“Naruto Uzumaki.” I give my name. And the cavern fills with murmurs. I scowl, what the hell did I do now?

I see Shino at the side of my eyes, he moves slightly so his glasses reflect at my eyes. I glance at him and he shakes his head mouthing words – address her as Lord Tsunade or your honor. What?

“Impertinent brat!” Tsunade glares down at me harsher than before, her gaze feels like a solid weight pressing itself against my shoulders.

How the hell am I impertinent? I answered her damn question! I’m not calling her any fancy names, I never called Jiraiya lord or anything! Did I? I think at some point I may has called him master… but not to his face? Maybe… well doesn’t matter, he’s… the creep who dragged me into this world – though I will admit I was the one who really wanted to come. Where the hell was my head at?

You just didn’t want to be alone with no one for company but little old me. A terrifying concept, wasn’t it?

Not really. If this is how things are going to be, I’d almost prefer to have stayed back with you… oh but Sasuke. Well this can’t last forever can it?

Or can it?

“I asked you a question maggot!!”

“Yes ma’am!” I snap back. “What was the question?” I didn’t mean to ask it so meanly, but with her tone it’s impossible not to respond with some level of hostility.

Her mouth twists into an odd smile, and she snorts, as if amused and mocking at the same time. I’ll just ignore that. “When did you come into contact with Jiraiya?”

See! She calls him just Jiraiya!

She’s his rank too.

Shut up – you’ll distract me again!

But it’s so easy to do.

Shush! “A little over six months I think.” I give the same answer I gave Sakura. It’s still strange to think it’s only been such a short amount of time too.

Tsunade’s brows arch slightly, skeptical – I recognize that look. She doesn’t believe me, she continues her questions anyway.

“And when did your bloodlust begin?”

“I guess five months ago?” I wonder, I’m pretty sure I spent a long time before I was turned, but if it was six months then only one month must have been that eternity, since I spent much longer in that dazed state and then after with Sasuke in training.

A steady hum of murmurs starts again, and I stare levelly at Tsunade as her lips spread back and she turns to Jiraiya in triumph and arrogance. “So he is a regen!!”

The murmurs increase in volume and I hear a short shout clearly – something about extermination. For the sake of pinto-beans, I have already been through this crap!

“I’m not a regen! I fought regen – older than me in bloodlust!” I start at her angrily. I mean seriously, are these psychos really so without reason? “They lost their minds – how do I still have mine then? Plothole – bitch? You just looking for a quick verdict or something? What the hell did I ever do to you!”

My parasite’s laughter fills my head and sends small trills through my gut and internals; I’d laugh too at the ridiculousness of this situation – but that blondie is staring down at me in unabashed fury now.

Damn she’s got one cold gaze, if she could kill with her eyes she’s probably gut me right now. Thankfully she’s far away and on that palanquin – the way she’s gripping the side banister, it looks like she wants to rush me and rip me apart. Too bad for you Tsunade!

“You!!” She finally hisses when she seems to trust herself not to spew obscenities or who knows what. “You disgusting maggoty rot-face bastard!! Speaking out of turn – for that disrespect I should kill you now!!”

“Leave him be for now Tsunade,” Jiraiya sighs, reluctant to speak at all, but he does so on my behalf. Luv you master, I think we share the same sentiments concerning this woman. “He’s new, it’s his first time here, he doesn’t understand procedure. He’s only defending himself you know.”

“Go ahead and speak brat, I give you permission.” Jiraiya leaves me, much to Tsunade’s chagrin.

My eyes catch Sasuke’s briefly, dark pits that suck me in. His mouth never moved, but I hear the words as clearly as if spoken into my ear; “Half-breed. Remember?”

I force all tension from my body, and level my gaze at Tsunade refusing to scowl or glare however much I instinctively want to.

“I’m a half-breed. The facts speak for themselves I think. Ask me anything you like, I am no regen.” What else am I supposed to say? That sums it up; weird, it feels like they were expecting some lengthy speech.

It’s totally silent, and risking a glance around slack faces crowd across my vision. Shock vaguely registered in light and dark eyes all around the perimeter. Tsunade however is unmoved.

Her face splits into a grin and she laughs loudly enough that it echoes around the cavern. I refuse to be baited. “You,” she breathes, “are a liar.” She spits the last word, still smiling with poisoned sweetness.

“You want to use your sanity as a point? Obviously you must have been turned earlier! You’re lying about the time you met Jiraiya and when you were turned! ”

“If I may speak with permission?” Sakura cuts her off fluidly, seamlessly. I don’t know if I could have picked a point to cut in – the woman sounds like she was about to go into a lengthy rant.

Tsunade turn to stare at her ‘apprentice’ I guess? Then she turns back and folds her arms, mouth shut for the moment. “It is an impossibility to say that, as we both know it is impossible.”

“A little less than seven months ago, I went under your orders to check in on Jiraiya, at that time he was entirely alone. There were no traces of another vampire, regen, pure, or half.” Sakura elaborates for the sake of the surrounding council. “He is not lying about the time span.”

Hmph, yet she accused me of lying that time as well. I wonder why she gave me such a hard time about that before then?

“Are you done?” Tsunade inquires. Sakura nods, and the woman’s eyes fix on me again. “Now I suggest you tell the truth.”

What is her problem, seriously? Does she have some kind repressed sexual frustration about Jiraiya that she’s just taking out on me, or what? Seriously! “I already told you the truth.”

“Stop lying!” She demands angrily, her voice hissing in an echo around the cavern all other sounds totally silent.

“I’m not lying! What is your problem with me?!”

Hazel eyes glared down and she turned away from me as she returned to her seat. Shino motioned to me, apparently I was to return as well, as the cavern was quickly filled with hushed murmurs and overlapping conversations too disjointed, too loud and too disrupted and distorted to be heard clearly.

“If you wanted to die, so much I could have killed you.” Haku mutters to me in obvious contempt glaring from beneath a veil of dark hair.

“He could too,” Shino agrees, both ignoring my glare and obvious expression of ‘please don’t talk to me I’m being pissy right now and I have a good reason’.

“She might request you to do it if you ask her for permission before anyone else. If you let on how much he dislikes you she might seriously consider it as well.”

Why are they talking like they’ve already decided my execution? Okay, so maybe they have – but I wasn’t that out of line – that woman wouldn’t listen to anything I freaking told her!! Why am I on trial anyway?! What did I do?! I’m not a regen, so what the fuck?!!

“You seriously want her to bleed you out though don’t you?” Shino wondered completely blank faced, tone level. “Is that erotic for half-breeds or something?”

It is possible, although I’d prefer to bleed someone else.

Ignoring. “I know it’s not a good idea to piss her off, but she’s baiting me, she’s looking for a reason to hate me!” I spit back, still angry about the whole thing.

Do I have sit here the whole time while they sit up there hissing at each other on their platform? “Honestly, any idea what her problem is with me?”

“You’re a liar and a prick.” Haku volunteers.

I object, androgynous filth!

“Repressed sexual lust for Jiraiya.” Shino responds, “and she’s taking it out on you. If you’re not careful she’ll do the execution and fuck you when she does it.”

I will never understand how he can say that kind of garbage without expression or sarcasm or any outward sign that he knows he’s being offensive and nasty.

“What do you think they’re talking about?”

Haku leans forward and his irises turn and twist, the pupil larger then narrow; like a zoom lens on a camera. He grins, “I move to have him extinguished.” Haku mimed in a high pitched girlie voice – and by girlie voice, I mean girlier than his usual one; which is pretty darn girlie.

“I move to eliminate that course of action.” Haku continues, deepening his voice and wrinkling his nose in imitation of Jiraiya. I glance up at the platform – is he just guessing or is he…?

“Orochimaru – your thoughts?!” Haku imitated Tsunade’s demand and I watch as Haku mimes every word only a split second after their lips form to make the correct sound.

Holy… binocular eyes and lip-reader, Haku if you weren’t a shit-bastard I’d say you were cool.

He is pretty, and something tells me his bouncing ass isn’t just for teasing purposes.
Shut up – not in the mood.

You never are. Are you a male? Do you have a dick?

Just shut up.

“I’m afraid I’ll be taking Sasuke’s advice, dear Tsunade,” Haku’s voice sinks to imitate a silky drawl for Orochimaru.

“I also motion to keep the half-breed alive. It is a new specimen after all, and from what I’ve heard his abilities are up to par. Don’t you think he’d be more use to us alive?”

“I can testify to his battle skill, and-” Haku imitates Sasuke but cuts off wrinkling his nose in distaste before continuing, “-he will be able to affirm my testimony. Any of the others in the squadron who were present would tell you the same.”

By the way guessing from Sasuke’s lips – pretty but so far away – the omitted words were “-I’m sure if you consult Haku-“, Hm, so the jerk wouldn’t want to testify to my abilities. Fine! I don’t need it!

“If I may make a motion, I suggest we let the half-breed become officially apart of the sanctum.”

“I protest!” Tsunade snaps angrily, “I refuse to believe he is a ‘half-breed’, a physical fact of impossibility! He’s obviously sired!” she glares at Jiraiya as she says this last word.

“I can assure you,” Jiraiya glared back at her, “I fed from the boy myself – he is a half-breed.”

Tsunade’s eyes flash in anger, “I won’t accept that.” She gives a wry smile, “perhaps I should have a taste too, just to be sure.”

I feel my stomach drop and my parasite coils in irritation with the woman as well. I mean, gee, they could always just bleed me to death and let everyone and their whole extended family have a taste so they can all be satisfied I’m what I say I am.

Or rather, not what I say I am…

If they taste my blood will they be able to tell? I’ve tried my blood, it’s not nasty, but it’s not strange either. Sasuke’s the only other vampire I’ve tasted, mine is different from his, a bit warmer I guess when it first comes out. I think Sasuke’s tastes better myself.
Sounds like either way I’ll end up dead.

Psh! My parasite snorts at me. That’s a weak form of proof anyway! Blood tasting. You know that contaminated blood can’t be determined; and when you have nothing to compare it to and it’s not identical to anything you’ve come across before – it’s an easy fake for an abnormal or new creature, species, whatever.

I don’t care. I know your brilliant and whatever – now shut up.

If it was believed that every vampire whose blood was slightly different from everyone else’s and was based on contaminated blood there would be countless numbers of other species. Or they’d just call them regen spies and be done with it.

I said shut up! Haku’s still talking!!

He was just talking about the same thing I was, leaving out important facts you need to be aware of.

Hush!!

(Jerk.)

“I think it’s an interesting case,” Orochimaru’s drawl, “the fact is also that he was human less than a year ago? But his sanity does prove he’s not a sired. Delayed bloodlust of a Halfling maybe?”

“Likely!” Tsunade scoffs.

“Well even if he is a regen, he is sane, and has already been trained,” Orochimaru comments, “regen or not he’s still worth more to us alive Tsunade.”

“Well I can’t argue with his sanity, it seems to be the only point you harp on enough I can’t deny it!”

Actually I might question my sanity, given 1) my parasite/voice in head, and 2) this whole out of spectrum situation. But that’s just me.

“He’s a half-breed,” Jiraiya insists shaking his head at the busty woman. “It’s the best theory we’ve got.”

Pursing her lips the three fall silent for a moment before Tsunade stands, her voice booming out across the cavern. Haku falls silent, her voice is actually a lot rougher than the one Haku assigned to her.

“I call the council to recess, we sannin will retire to the inner chamber, the head of every clan should be present,” Tsunade announces, “In the meantime the ‘half-breed’-” that’s me! “-is to stay on the premises while we discuss his fate.”

She turns and the three of them followed by Sasuke, and some other filtering through, all disappear into a dark whole at the back of the platform – the inner chamber thingie.

Geez, archaic, I bet they haven’t renamed these places; it’s probably the same names they used a million years ago when they made the place. Blasphemy, yes I think the high lair, the council, the inner chamber, etc – anything these old jerks name is LAME!!

It should be the ‘rockey awesome mountain hideout bestest HQ ever’. Or something, I’m no good at names, they should get some fancy pants to name the place something unpretentious and slightly cool.

The Archanum?

What?

Well I just thought it might make a cool name. We should do a hostile takeover and rename it – then we can forget these sannin and council and whatever, be dictators and such. You get out of trial?

Right.

All you have to do is go to sleep for, oh about a week or so?

No thanks, I’m good. My life is in danger and they want to execute me, my body’s yours and you can eat every single bit of flesh here.

Really? Awesome.

Not a promise.

What?

But I will give you free reign until we can run away so I don’t die.

That’s no fun.

“Well I commend you on your interview.”

Thanks.

“You’ve really pissed her off now. She was pissed before, sure, but your attitude did not help.”

That’s nice.

“Really? I think she got really aroused probably.” Shino muses. “His balls are still going to be cut off though.” Oh wait – people are talking.

“Sakura – hey.”

“You just noticed I was here?” her green eyes stare me down. “Look no one stands up to Tsunade like that, she’s the heavyweight around here. Supposedly the strongest and most viscious of the sannin afterall.”

“Yeah and what are the sannin anyway, special palanquin and all.”

“The three great ones, they founded the high lair, as a sanctum for pure blood vampires.”

Of course. So they’re the ones responsible for the cruddy titles of everything and whatever.

“Yup, if the majority of clan heads don’t like you either,” Shino grins, “that’s it, you’re head’s going to be put on a spike and we all get to dine on your liver, heart, brain, intestines, and any other spare organs you may have retained. Wonder who gets your blood though?”

Thanks Shino, I really appreciate your optimistic view on this. “So where’s Sasuke? You’re here.”

“Sasuke is the head of his clan, he’s attending the deliberations.” Sakura says shortly, as if it was a stupid question to ask.

“Great, well since it’s my ‘fate’ as it were; should I be back there?”

“No you aren’t allowed. Tsunade would throw a fit if you got back in there, besides someone would knock you out cold before you got there.”

“Like who? No one’s guarding the door.”

“Not directly. If your tried, I’d put you down Naruto; I’d have to.”

Damn all these formalities, I can’t even attend my own sentencing? For something I am, am not; no real crime committed beyond questionable existence.

“And what do you think?”

“There’s evidence in both directions, as you know.” Sakura smiles an uneasy edge to her mouth as she glances away shaking her head, “You know, I’m not even sure you’re really…”

She shrugs, doesn’t finish. What was she going to say? She seriously believes I’m a half-breed and now is questioning that? What the? I thought she knew, she Jiraiya; Sasuke knows, Sasuke has to know – for sure.

“You know we could always just check inside your pants.” Shino suggests, “Half breed are supposed to have-”

“Something about double-genitalia; I know! It’s an unconfirmed rumor! What is wrong with you?!” I swear that was probably the first thing he mentioned when they talked about half-breeds.

“Then we could confirm the rumor.”

“No. I don’t want to see his sick-ass shitty piss-stick.” Haku growls at Shino. I’d say thanks if he wasn’t insulting my manhood – which is fucking gorgeous by the way; and there’s a very healthy number of 1 in total thank you very much.

“Then could we test by blood? I’d like the try.”

Idiot, now why would I give him any of my blood? No other vampire is ever biting me, ever! Except for those times before with Jiraiya, and if he wanted to anytime after I don’t think I’d be saying no – he’s already had some anyway.

And if darkeyes ever wanted to, anything of mine I’ll be glad to stick in him.

I didn’t think that, stop talking like you’re me.

I am you! And you were so thinking it.

Shut up.

Wuss.

“Haku.”

What kind of insult is that? Oh wait – hey, Zabuza…

“Let’s go, we aren’t needed her anyway, you can come back later if you want.” Zabuza and his men are trotting out the door, but he pauses noticing Haku being social – seems surprised, and our androgynous jerk is such a social butterfly too.

“You can suit off later if you want to.”

“No I was just leaving.” Haku turns to me, “I’ll see you around Naruto,” he starts toward the door, “that’s if you’re still animated.”

Animate-? Oh, able to move, alive; and stuff…

Hey!

After they’re gone I take off out the same door the other direction of the troops. “Naruto?!” Sakura calls after me, she and Shino following me to the door, “Where are you going?”

“For a walk.”

I keep walking, stupid tunnels, anywhere there’s less vampires; too many of them. Course it’s the main hq – lair, coven or whatever – it’s be weird if it wasn’t swarming with them.

I have to move, be alone; this is just plain stupid. I didn’t do anything – why did this even come up? And so soon? I barely even ‘just got here’!

Hey where’d everyone go? This hall is totally empty. I turn to look behind me, a few turns back I guess I noticed there weren’t anymore groups of two-three vampires moving around in conversation and whatever. No more offshooting alcove den areas either.

It’s all just empty halls back here, clawed out corridors. I wonder how they made these tunnels to start with?

What’s with the nocturnal and being underground anyway? Even Jiraiya spent most of his time in the basement, that’s where he slept.

It’s so quiet down here. I feel like shouting just to see if my voice would echo; and hey, no one’s around. “HELLO!!!”

The sound reverberates over the walls and down the tunnels, behind and forward, left and right, and the sound bounces back from every tunnel, from every edge it strikes and redirects. Sound waves are awesome.

It seems like down a lot of the tunnels the light drops off, there’s this one to the left though where it seems to get bright though, so I follow that one just for a look see. There’s a smoothed alcove at the end, adjoined by – shock – more tunnels.

It’s all covered and sheeted in places with metal pads, and there’s open wires running across the floor.

Huge glass tubes line one of the walls, and in the center there’s an massive upcropping of wires and a series of boards glazed with metal and chromium scrapings, wires soddered onto some openings.

Small plastic covered fuse lights blinking in unison, and a soft whirring of a spinning disk somewhere inside metal casing. There’s a series of tubes and stands linked up, and a pool of dark liquid that initially was so smooth it looked like glass – but my breath alone causes huge ripples across the surface.

If I didn’t know any better I’d say I’m in a laboratory of some kind. My first guess, given that vampires aren’t artificially manufactured, I’d wonder if this is where the eggs are monitored before they’re hatched, but I don’t see an eggs, not even chicken-sized ones.

I turn to go and I swear, I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw this girl!

She’s all white an black, no color I swear, she could be a freaking ghost. Long black hair, black dress, white – and I mean paper white – skin, even her eyes stared back white irises, in white sclera, a completely black-less pupil.

I have no idea how that works. I first thought she might have been blind, before she cocked her head at me puzzled, “What are you doing here?” She smiles at me pleasantly.

“I was looking for the toilet…?” I meant to lie carelessly, easily – I’ve done it before – but something about her smile set me off somehow.

She seems to ponder that a moment before standing straight again, still smiling calmly. “What is your name?” She steps into the lab, and I suddenly have a feeling I should step back, or run or both. My parasite stills entirely inside me, and it’s skin seems to crawl beneath mine.

There’s something strange about her, I mean she looks funny, but she hasn’t’ done anything and her features… she looks too innocent, smiling. She’s like a child a parent would want to give candy to no matter when they asked. But there’s still a very strange feeling about her.

“I’m Naruto.”

Get out of there, brat. Get away from her.

“You are?” I ask her, my legs stiffening nerves becoming tighter as she steps closer to stand before me. She stops about two-three feet away too; totally non-threatening, right?
She smiles kindly. “Oh you don’t need to know.”

Her hand lashes out, shoves me, and my back strikes wall. I don’t even know what she did, before I can’t fall forward, and I nearly freeze – I’m in one of those glass containers. The girl turns towards one of the open screens, and starts pressing sequences of switches, buttons, and dials.

“I just needed to have something to put on your label.” She notes idly, still facing the freaky homemade ‘computer’ screen.

Label?! I’m a specimen or something? And she’s the crazy scientist? What the hell?

Then something hits me in the back of the neck from behind. Like a thin knife being driven straight into my spinal cord. I gasp and feel every muscle go limp, a coolness spreading in my body from my neck. Then more little metal arms are descending around me.

She turns to smile genially at me, “Don’t worry it won’t hurt a bit.” She tells me, still wearing that innocent looking smile. How could I fall for that angel face, she was obviously bad news!

I could have told you that.

Yeah, can you help now?

If you can get this morphine crap out of me before I get too fucking high?! Yeah, maybe.

“I think I’ll start by running tests for your species origin, hm?” the girl wonders over her devices while on the mechanical arms punctures my shoulder with a needle, that I can’t even feel thanks to drugs, - am I getting high now? I can’t think too good. – and draws about a liter of blood or so.

Maybe I’m exaggerating but from this angle that needle is just huge. Hey wait! “I can’t be here! I was at the council thing a while ago! I have to be back” I shout, but somehow it comes out garbled to my ears.

And my vision is getting funky. I hate morphine. “for my sentencing thing?”

“I know. I came in for the last few minutes actually.” She tells me, and her words swim in my head alone. Oh no, I can’t feel my parasite – this is bad, really bad. “I know there’s some question as to what you are. So I figured I’d clear it up.”

A prickle of pain, something peeling off part of my skin. “It’s just a series of simple tests and you’ll be free to go, somewhere; either the execution grounds or back into the tunnels. Doesn’t matter to me really.”

She sounds so chipper while she says all this, she’s not offensive, terribly?, but she still reminds me of Shino in some way…

I break my eyes open, and the lights feel like pinprick needles against my eye balls. I really don’t like this… She’s typing across the board, “I’m running your bloodwork now.”

Her fingers move so fast I can’t see, which figures since my eyes also pick her out as a singular shadow with white tree-branches for limbs.

The sound though is enough, she types fast, not that it means anything. How do I break out of here? I don’t know, I just want to pass out…

There’s a burst of clarity for just a moment my arm is burning, and the pain shocks my system awake, for just a moment.

NARUTO!!

Parasite? I couldn’t even hear you a moment, ago – oh god.

A fresh rush of cold seeps through my neck spreading to my blood.

Shit.

A whisper on my consciousness and then the pain can’t hold me to reality anymore, I slip away entirely, I can’t see I can’t feel. Oddly my ears still work.

I hear her gasp in shock. Then the sound of metal crushing and breaking, like its being snapped and twisted away.

I can feel burning now, vaguely, on the edge of my consciousness. I hear glass shatter and break, brittle bits littering across the floor. I can feel the fog in my mind clearing faster, and I’m aware that my arm is bleeding, and there’s an open gash along my back where the needle arm was ripped out. By me?

Sure, take my credit.

Thanks.

Don’t mention it.

I look up, expecting her staring back at me in some shocked expression, not having moved since she first gasped. But she hasn’t even turned away from the screen.

On a small square there’s a visual of differently colored cells vibration all over the screen, and she’s just staring at it, her eyes completely wide, her fingers frozen mid-type above the many keys.

What’s up with that?

Suddenly she blinks and turns to look at me, her brow creasing slightly when she notices I’m not in the tube anymore. So it took her that long to find I was out?! Some scientist!

“You’re leaving already?”

I’m not staying! I glare at her. Sure she’s cute and all with her doe eyes and pretty little mouth and all, but she nearly knocked me out with morphine!

Why is everyone around here so damn psychotic?!

“Naruto!”

Sakura? “Sakura, I’m here! What the hell is this person?!”

“Shino.” The girl says as the youth dashes into the room with Sakura, stopping at the threshold and taking the scene in.

“Princess.” Shino rushes immediately to her side. “Are you hurt?” Sure, I’m not scarred for life or anything, I feel great. You should definitely be worried about freaky science girl ghosty over there.

Are they related? It would explain a few things.

“No not at all, Shino.” The girl says, her eyes never leaving me. Sakura steps over the glass and looks over the gash and blood on my arm.

Hmph, she hasn’t even seen my back yet. Feels worse than my arm, but probably looks worse than it is. My arm’s tons bloody, but it doesn’t feel too bad.

“What happened here?” Sakura asks me glancing at Hinata and then back at me.

Yeah, I feel super, thanks for asking.

“I was going to test him for his species, whether he really is a turned or a regen, and compare data,” the girl answers Sakura. “I just ran the blood work.” Her body suddenly spasms slightly and she turns back to the screen, watching the pulsating cells.

But that’s normal for blood right? I’ve never seen vampire blood, but if cells are supposed to be red and green with prevalent green membrane color then I should be totally normal.

She stares at it, both Shino and Sakura look puzzled anyway. What the hell did she find out? That I am a regen? Actually that wouldn’t make sense, but I don’t know what would make sense.

She turns to look at me, she looks disturbed somehow, deeply; it echoes in her eyes, staring straight through me, as if questioning my very existence right in front of her. “Quite amazing.” She breathes.

Well geez, thanks for breaking the suspense, I know everything about everything now! Fine, I’m leaving.

Good course of action. Let’s find darkeyes and fuck. I feel way too tense.

Go to sleep, do it in your dreams.

I’d prefer to feel through your flesh.

You can feel through my flesh?

Yes. Are you an idiot? Oh wait, of course you are. You didn’t bolt earlier.

You didn’t tell me to.

Yes I did.

Not early enough.

Do I have to tell you when to take a piss? No! You should know ‘some’ things you know!

I shake my head and choose to ignore him, I’m pissed off as it is, I don’t need my parasite reminding me of my stupidity along with everyone else’s questionable sanity.

I probably overlooked something with darkeyes – Sasuke! – too, he’s probably psycho in some way too I just didn’t notice. Great, now I won’t have anyone to talk to other than my parasite, which is completely deprecating towards me.

Grow a brain, maybe I won’t be.

I have a brain; you pollute it with garbage.

Sure blame everything on me! You know I-Hey!! It’s fuckable!

What? What is?

“Naruto? What are you doing back here?”

“Sasuke.”

What the hell just? I don’t know. I’m not even that far from the lab yet, but “I was on my way back to the council to hear the decision I guess. I just took a walk. Sakura and Shino are back there with this freaky chick though.”

I shrug, “Wanna walk back with me? Tell me what the decision is before it’s announced so I can run if they want me dead?”

Sasuke smirks, and seems to share that sentiment. “Unfortunately the heads of the clans left before the final decision is made by the sannin.” His eyes fall to my arm and his expression darkens. “So what happened to you?”

“That freaky chick back there,” I shake my head, I don’t even want to think about that shit right now. It was stupid, depressing and I think I may still have a bit of a morphine buzz going here. “She tried to turn me into her lab rat.”

“What did she do to you?”

“Tried to run some tests on me an-”

I cut myself off, when Sasuke suddenly just walks right by me, quick steps letting him journey down the hall so fast he’s about at the corner by the time I turn to look after him.

“Go back to the council. They’re ready to deliver their decision.”

There’s something about that order that’s vaguely reminiscent of the times Jiraiya would say something and I’d have to do it. It feels twenty degrees colder, and Sasuke disappears into the back area towards the psycho-lab.

There’s something in the coldness of the air he left behind. A kind of fury? A quiet one, that’s almost tangible. If it wasn’t for that on the air I might have done what he said and gone back the council and thought no further of the incident here.

I take back that you’re an idiot. Follow him.

So I took the advice of my insulting parasite and followed him.

We really need a name for me, because parasite is just getting repetitive and obnoxious.

Germ, infestation, voice in my head – those aren’t variation enough?

I think you should call me by name!

I never asked, I’m sorry, what is your name?

It’s ….

… When I remember I will tell you.

When you remember?

I think there’s still some morphine in our system. I can’t think straight.

Sh! It’s Sasuke.

In the time my parasite and I had both agreed we were still a bit high on forcibly injected drugs, we reached the edge of the corridor before it turned into the alcove of the lab. I could just peer around the corner by the slightest angle that I could see everyone but they could not see me.

Well not unless they turned around or happened to look up directly in my direction. Which there was about a 30% chance of that happening, but I’m okay with that risk percentage.

“What happened here?”

Sakura looks up from the screen that the girl had been showing both Shino and Sakura a moment ago, I would guess from positions. Sakura looks furious at Sasuke, “Did you know about this Sasuke?”

“Why don’t you tell me?”

“Naruto has a licor count of over 136 in his bloodstream!” Sakura spits, “What’s more, he’s still able to MOVE?!”

She breathes and when Sasuke won’t respond she continues in an angry tone. “His whole system is out of line with equilibrium! That’s only the case with something that’s still ali-!!”

She cuts off short, her eyes suddenly darken; I don’t know what it was but Sasuke did something. I don’t know what or how though. Sakura falls limp to the floor. I hope she didn’t get bits of glass embedded in her anywhere.

Her eyes remain open, totally blank.

In an instant, Shino had moved; a dark shadow that whipped around behind Sasuke, steel blade produced from nowhere aimed a straight flash down his spine.

A pale hand closed around his throat, catching his body, dragged him down, crushing his body to the ground with the single movement. Shino’s head snapped against the stone, the sunglasses fell from his face. All this in an instant.

Shino lost not due to lack of skill of strength, Sasuke was just much faster. Much, much faster.

I didn’t even see when he brought his arm up, caught him, and brought him down. A .5 second Shino was behind him, a .2 second and Sasuke had caught him and slammed him to the ground. Whole exchange was .7 seconds.

I don’t even know how I caught what happened there.

Shino’s brown eyes look straight into mine for a moment before looking up at Sasuke. His eyes instantly darken, and just like Sakura his whole body goes limp, eyes blank.

The girl has shielded her face from him with the backside of a metal screen, Sasuke’s face reflected in chrome metal.

I nearly gasp at the reed color bleeding through his ebony eyes. Red eyes?!
Don’t look!

My parasite burns through me and the nerves to my eyes are pinched shut. My grip on the stone wall tightens with my sudden lack of sight.

WHAT the HELL?!! Parasite!!

Don’t look idiot!

Why?!

He’s erasing their minds! Now stay completely quiet!

I hear the creak of metal as the screen in pushed aside, scraping footsteps.

“Your eyes won’t work on me! You know that as well as I do.” Her voice reads caution, and fear, anxiety obviously.

I grip the wall and wait for my parasite to let me see again, slowly it relaxes back into my gut and now I can see Sasuke and the girl on the far side of the room.

“What do you know, Hinata?” Sasuke addresses her coldly.

“You knew?” she laughs in wonder, a hysterical laugh. “You did, didn’t you?”

“If you brought this before the council, it would make their judgement against Naruto harsher.” Sasuke tells her. “He’s only a child.”

I’m a what-now?! Hey! Even if you’re over a thousand years old – physically we’re the same age! Jerk!

“Don’t try to pull that on me! Sympathy won’t work!” the girl snarls at him, “I know that’s not normal!”

Yeah she has no sympathy.

My parasite laughs, That’s it, can we go now? I want to see what the council has to say about you after that terrible interview.

Not yet, I want to know if they say anything. I want to know… what they think I am.

They won’t say probably. Can we just go? I’m bored.

I want to know!

“You know Hinata, you’re the only one of your clan that can’t use those eyes of yours.” Sasuke seems to laugh at her. “Black sheep of the family. A burden, a scar. These machines you build are your only way to be of vague use to anyone.”

Hinata’s eyes widen and she starts toward him even before he moves. But in an instant it’s done anyway. The crunch of metal the ripping of steel, the complete decimation of her main computer. The center of the room, the whole top torn off, the wires bent and mangled beyond repair.

“NO!” she shrieks, pushing past him to assess the damage. But he was thorough, the damage was total.

“Now you have no proof.”

“You killed him!!”

“Even if you told the council no one would believe you without your machines.” Sasuke reasons, “with all the evidence, you try to say anything and everyone will think you’re even crazier than before.”

“You KILLED him!!”

“You’ll repair him.”

“It’ll take me forever!” She glares up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks, “He won’t be the same!”

“So you’ll be quiet? Never mention this again?” Sasuke wonders, “To anyone?”

“You’re a sadistic bastard, Sasuke.” The girl spat at him, “Yet, you’re the only one who knows I’m not crazy.”

“I know. Pity isn’t it?” Sasuke seemed to smirle at her.

Smirle?

Smirle, it’s my new word for that strange smile that’s like a smirk and smirk that’s strangely smiley?

Say sneer, that’s a smile/smirk hybrid.

But it doesn’t give the right connotation.

I don’t care you are not using the world ‘smirle’! Or I will hang you from the tallest thing I can find with your own intestines after I gut you, fuck darkeyes, tear off your arms, fuck darkeyes, remove your spleen, rip out your eyes, fuck darkeyes, and permanently disfigure you. Not necessarily in that order.

All that for a word? Or you’re just looking for an excuse to ‘fuck darkeyes’.

Well there’s that, but honestly, don’t use that word; you’d be a total douche if you did.

Fine. Oh – they’re talking again!

“What will you do when Neji sees him?” the girl wonders, “If he uses his eyes, he’ll know too.”

“I’ll deal with that when the time comes.” Sasuke responds, “IF it ever comes.”

Sasuke turns to stalk out, and instantly I bolt! My parasite is laughing at me now, since I stuck around that long and didn’t learn a bloody thing, except that if this Neji person uses his eyes on me he should ‘know’ and be able to tell me what I am.

That sounds so dirty.

Do you think about anything other than sex?

Of course. I think about, blood, darkeyes, mindless violence, darkeyes, rutting, bits of lung and cardio nerves, - which taste great – darkeyes, fucking, old ruins quiet like graves, darkeyes and fucking, those old catacombs where I stored all those- well they’d be gooey and smelly by now but…

Never mind, just shut up a second so I can think. Thanks.

I reach the doors just as Haku comes out, shutting them behind. When did he get back – wtf? He looks disappointed when he sees me too. Hmph, so sorry.

“Pity you’re here. If you weren’t I would have gotten to go and drag you back.”

“Looking forward to have me tearing you up again?”

“Please,” he sneers, “You can’t hold a candle to my ability!”

“And what’s all this?”

“Sir.” Haku straightens, “the council has commenced, Naruto should be inside by now.”

“It was my fault we’re late. Let’s go inside shall we?” Sasuke offers, gesturing as the obvious and civil thing to do. I wonder what happened to Sakura, Shino, and that girl back at the lab.

Sasuke seems normal now, and his eyes are dark again; he’s still darkeyes. I allow some relief at that, but I did see them bleed red before – just like mine do sometimes. What does that mean?

Nothing, you probably saw a distortion of some kind – it was a chrome reflection. Something probably got in the way. My parasite suggests.

“Come on! Haku, open the door; lets’ go inside.”

Sakura, Shino, and the girl all step up behind Sasuke. Shino and Sakura look like they normally do, nothing out of the ordinary, though the girl looks pensive. What was her name? Hinata?

Her eyes catch mine for a moment, and I can’t help glaring at her – after what she did, I really don’t feel sorry Sasuke broke her precious monster computer.

“It’ll be okay.” Sakura smiles at me as Shino and Haku tug the door open for us to enter. Tsunade looks constipated as usual. Orochimaru looks pleasant and laidback, and Jiraiya just looks bored as all get out. That seems to figure right.

We take our seats. Jiraiya stands to speak this time, while Tsunade chews her tongue angrily.

“A tentative decision has been made, Naruto will be allowed under our sanctum, under duress of a trial from Tsunade.” Jiraiya begins formally. “The challenge set before you, Naruto,” So now I’m being addressed? Personally? Again?

“Is that within a month’s time you, under Lord Tsunade’s instruction, master her battle technique concerning strength.” An eruption of murmurs, “If you do not succeed you will be expulsed and extinguished.”

So they’ll kill me if I don’t do this? What the heck?! I hear Sakura’s breath hiss out of her, I look at her and she’s gaping, her jaws clenched, a tremor in her arm. I think she’s annoyed though.

“Sakura?”

“The strength technique? Even that took me six months…” She stiffens, and glares up at the palanquin. Aw! Sakura you don’t want me dead! Thanks! I kind of want to hug her but she might try to decapitate me.

“She really hates you huh?”

“At the discretion of several nobles, myself and Orochimaru;” Jiraiya continues, “Naruto, you can either accept these terms bearing full responsibility, or you can be transported from the High Lair never to return.”

The murmurs die out, silence, and Sakura elbows me, none too gently. I stand and glare up at Tsunade. This is one fucking bad ultimatum? Do this difficult ‘test’ but if I fail I die, or I can leave now and be a vampire by myself without Sasuke, without Sakura, or anyone.

That sucks.

“You’re a total bitch!!”

A round of gasps – like I give a fuck. She is! The rest of them are all just too pansy to say it to her.

“I’ll take your damn ‘challenge’ shit!” I insist, and I really should have bit my tongue at this point, but I was angry and my head was NOT very clear. “And I’ll do it in a fucking week! Got it?!”

Tsunade up until that point just looked plain pissed. But at that, she suddenly grinned like she’d already won.

Her whole body radiating triumph, and the murmurs started again in a loud eruption of outcries, and skeptical laughter and I’m not really paying attention but whatever.

Jiraiya looks like he’s choking on a lemon, and Orochimaru just looks shocked. Great. Well, council ended, dismissed – I’m leaving. Making my grand sweeping exit now!

I’m out the door, and too much shit has happened in less than three hours. I swear if I had a god…

“Naruto!!”

I stop and turn back, Sakura, Shino, Sasuke just behind me, the girl hanging back still, watching me oddly, she doesn’t look as upset though, just curiously blank.

“You have a death wish you idiot!!”

Her fist strikes me like a thousand pound brick! I swear to god, if this girl had managed to land a blow on me when we first fought – she’d have shattered my bone structure. What the heck?

She gets it from swinging those huge blades around I bet!

“You’re suicidal!! You can’t do that in a week!! Why would you say that!! Tsunade’s going to make it tough on you anyway!! Now you’ve got a week!!”

“You might have had a chance with a month!! But you!! YOU!!” Sakura’s practically screaming at me, green eyes shimmering like a dragon as she bears down on me.

Wait… no, she’s going to cry? Sakura I love you!! Don’t cry!! But yes, it is official I am an idiot. What was I thinking?

Probably something along the lines of ‘I want to show up that bitch Tsunade!’, idiot.
I know. What now?

Deal with them, I’ll think of something. Either plan A or B will work. A is flawed, B is foolproof.

What’s plan A and plan B?

“Your friend is very courageous.” A deeper drawl than the one Haku gave him, it’s more fluid and velvety. “Or perhaps he’s just silly. I’m not sure yet.”

“Lord Orochimaru.” Shino steps back, dipping his head slightly, he’s about to continue but bites his tongue, literally, I see the blood seeping out. Sakura tilts her head as well, turning away from terrorizing me a moment.

“It’s alright,” he smiles at her, gesturing that they don’t need to be so formal. Others from the council area are streaming out as well. I’ll probably see Tsunade and Jiraiya too in a while.

“So?”

“He certainly seems to be everything you said he’d be.” Orochimaru smiles, genial, normal, in Victorian gentleman anachronistic way. The two share a conspiratorial glance.

They’re awfully friendly I guess, for Lord – apprentice-person. Sakura and Tsunade don’t seem to share any heartfelt love, but I’m probably reading too much into that glance. Probably…

“Well I’ll leave you then. There’s another meeting in an hour and I do love my sun-naps. I wish you luck on your trial Naruto, my vote was to let you stay without test of mettle.” He excuses himself and seems to slither away, in a strange slinking way.

The guy seems cool, but like everyone else he is slightly unnerving. Oh, did I say slightly?

“You’re an idiot.” Sakura hisses at me again for good measure after Orochimaru interrupted her rant and she had time to cool down.

“So I’ve been told.” I acknowledge. “What do you think of all, this anyway? I mean earlier there was… you…”

I turn to her but I can see Sasuke his eyes suddenly very cold radiating towards me. She shakes her head. “I don’t care. If you’re a half-breed or what. You could even be a filthy regen I guess…” she still spits the word like poison though, “But you’re… you.”

She looks up again, “You are more useful to us alive.”

I grin, “You were going to say something else, weren’t you?”

Her brow furrows, “No. What do you-?”

“You like me.” I singsong to her, and I’m being a bit of a jerk probably, but Sakura is awesome, and I don’t think she’ll get angry enough to hit me again unless start in on sex jokes or something.

She gives a fake flirty smile, “Of course I do. You’re such a stud! Perfect breeding opportunity! And possibility of double genitalia.”

Shino sniggers, wiping away the blood from before.

“Oh you like that! I’d hate to disappoint,” I purr at her, I feel like cracking up, and judging by her expression she’s also thinking this is incredibly childish. Even though the conversation really isn’t. “Want to go somewhere more private.”

Shino sniggers, and Sasuke stares, totally blank, watching, not really any indication of expression on his face. The girl stands back and she looks a bit disgusted at us. Prude.

Are you going to fuck her?

… No. What the fuck?

Well she is hot, and I get to stare at her, but you’re not going to screw her!

Not like she’s let me.

Oh I think she would. Can’t jump her right away though, she’d claw you to pieces, but she’s definitely fair game; and likely more open to prospects than our ice cube hot ass darkeyes.

Yeah. Right. We’re just flirting here, that’s it.

“You’re flirting with it?”

Now there’s a constipated growl I recognize. Sakura and I both look up. Just who I thought it would be – Tsunade. The bitchy bitch.

“Just teasing him.” Sakura responds, her smile dwindling down to nothing.

Tsunade’s frigid gaze leaves her apprentice and moves to me as she sweeps by. Smiling like a crocodile, “Your week starts tomorrow, I’ll be at the open grounds. We’ll see what you can manage in one week.”

Then she’s stalking on. Guess I’ll have to find out where the open grounds are. Jiraiya gives me a pensive look, and shakes his head. “It’d be better if you’d never come here.”

It was my decision. I’ll live with the consequences of every action I take. No one is responsible except for me. Everything that happens to me should be all my choice.

“So what does the council have in an hour? Something to do with the war?” the girl asks in mention.

Sasuke shrugs, “It concerns the territories and increasing activity in the Hunters group encroaching on our battles more than everyone likes.”

“There’s talk they may launch their own front into the war. Probably when organization peaks again.” Sakura adds.

Don’t know what that means, I probably don’t care so much,

She nods, pursed lips; as if to say ‘of course, and I’m the last to know as usual‘. She turns and Shino goes with her heading past the crowd down one of the winding halls. I want to go after her though, but I can’t, Sakura stops me.

“Naruto, there’s still some things in the Order you need to know before we let you run off.” Sakura says, “Firstly – you do understand your current situation? And you’re likely dead in seven days?”

“Yeah.” I understand perfectly that Sasuke knows what I am and I don’t, and he won’t be telling me anytime soon.

I also understand that the only other person who I know knows is this Hinata girl who is getting away, and I need to run after her and ask her but Sakura’s not letting me! “I do, can I go?”

“No, I don’t think you understand at all.” Sakura shakes her head, “This is only the first stage, we need to mingle and make contacts for you as soon as possible!”

“Everyone knows you’ll fail, you’re expected to.” Sakura starts in on what I already know.

“Now you know that the council of the Order is comprised of the clans heads and the sannin, their opinion is weighted the most, but that doesn’t mean that a good chunk of the clan heads can’t outweigh theirs on a mass scale.”

Yes I do already know that. Can I go? Shit! I can’t see Hinata anymore!

“Even after the trial, you still have a slim chance to avoid execution. If the final toll mounts so that at least three fourths of the clan heads vote in your favor, you can still live. If not, well…” Sakura looks away.

“Then plan B.” Sasuke mutters.

How does he knows about plan B? I love this guy!

I know you do, you and me both; or us… as one thing I dunno.

Don’t confuse yourself, you’ll just kill brain cells.

I’ll keep that in mind.

“Why is it all so damn bureaucratic?”

Sakura blinks at me, my words drawing a few glances from others in the vicinity. Sasuke snorts, shaking his head. “It just is.” Sakura responds crisply, then grabs my arm and starts off down one of the corridors. “Come on.”

Sakura escorts me to one of the closed off deeply buried alcoves. Thank goodness we don’t have to sleep in coffins, I’ve always loved beds myself, and this one is much better than the one Jiraiya had me using – that was a cot, this is a bed.

It’s been a long day, a really long day, and the blood on my back and arm finally crusted over and healed up. I’ll be perfectly fine again in another hour or so.

I curl up under the covers. I don’t even bother to remove my clothes. My parasite curls inside me and falls to the drift faster than I did. But I wouldn’t be getting to sleep.

I say that because that’s when my pants started vibrating.

It was a cell phone of course, but it still freaked me out. I was groggy enough my parasite only stirred before settling back into sleep. The caller ID tagged the caller as… wow.

I flipped the phone open, in surprise. I mean the conversation, conversations?, those were dreams, the cell phone? But I’m not asleep yet. I know I’m not.

“Shikamaru?”

A familiar crackled voice comes over the line.

“Naruto.”

---

Review.