The Lineage

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.


The Lineage
By 11


Chapter 14
Lair of Beasts: Winning Approval

Dusk is a lot like dawn, it tastes like dust and sediment. Even if there is no sediment and dust remains collected by a breeze on the ground.

I stand across from Tsunade staring, the open ground are just a fancy term the training area, there’s a bunch of circles of flat earth here, and through a network of stonework each one is shaped a bit like a coliseum. Two of these flat areas would probably span a whole football field.

There are several boulders set up around here too, though I can’t guess at their use yet. They’re bigger than four times my size, if that means anything. Depends what this strength attack is, but if it is strength, I’m confident I can break any of these rocks with a few good hits, maybe only four or five.

“Ready brat?”

Glowering hazel eyes, I never knew that such a soft brown color could be so cold and harsh. Brown is a warm color you’d think, but it can look so much like a rusted knife.

“Whenever you are, grandma.” I bite back as politely as I can manage my tone to be. The air suddenly sucks in towards her, the temperature of the whole arena dropping at least twenty degrees.

Her arm extends and I watch as the skin seems to ripple as if there were fission of energy beneath the surface. Then with a speed I’ve only seen once before she turns, and strikes, her palm flat against the rock.

I hardly even see the bits of stone as it practically explodes at the contact. Bits of rock shoot out in different directions, as if a bomb were wound through the center and detonated. There’s a rush of air and the cold recedes.

The rock is totally gone, it’s totally clear there, no small fist-sized stones anywhere. I can barely make out the dust getting swept up by the evening breeze.

But she barely even hit it – what the hell?!! There was no force in that hit! It was barely a tap! Something like that wouldn’t even… WTF?!!

“So?” she asks me, smirking slightly, as she holds her hand out to show me. The skin is calm now and it looks totally normal. She didn’t do anything funky – there’s no explosive device attached to her palm?

“What did you do?”

“I just destroyed the rock, what’s it look like? Don’t tell me you can’t even do that?” She sneers at me. Bitch, she’s really enjoying this. She’s going to be no help as a teacher if she keeps up with this crap – shouldn’t there be a rule against that? Like she ‘has’ to help me? Or something?

“Yeah I can do it!” I mutter angrily, glaring at the rock. If I really push myself, maybe two-three hits, but one? With the same amount of power she had?

I could do it.

Fine, right. You could.

So let me do it.

No. This is my fight.

Fine. Bitch.

Jerk.

“I’m waiting?” Tsunade grins. Sadistic old hag, she’s enjoying this!

I have no clue what I’m doing. Fine you do it.

Thank you.

I launch my strike at the nearest rock. My arm feels like its being soaked into hot welded metal. My skin is tearing off. The flesh and muscle is charring to bits of paper and fluttering away. My bones are bleached and thinned, crumbling away to nothing.

Then it’s gone and the flames recede, my interal organs seems to spasm as it draws back inside me. Every other nerve feeling the shockwaves of the flames… but the thing is I don’t even think it’s flame anymore.

It’s more like… just pain. White hot, so hot it’s freezing cold and my nerves can’t even process it properly.

The rock is pretty much crushed, though it annoys me that I can still see sizable bits of stone and rubble tumbling around. Same thing. Knew I could do this in a week.

“So?”

Tsunade just stares at me, not in awe or shock mind you; it’s more like a “you smartass, what the hell do you think you’re doing” kind of stare.

“Well I did it?!”

Why did that come out as a question? Tsunade scowls, “I don’t know who you think you’re making jokes for, but you didn’t even ‘attempt’ the technique.” She snarls at me. “But if you don’t mind execution, that’s fine. I don’t fucking give a rats ass about you.”

“But it’s destroyed just like that one was!” I protest.

“Maybe you forgot what the challenge was: you have to master the technique. You didn’t even attempt to use the tool I showed you.” She spits words like poison. Then turns on her heel to go, “You don’t want to learn? Fine! You can figure it out on your own!”

“Hey! Wait!” She’s already gone though. I seethe internally, figures. It’s the technique I have to master, not the action of destruction itself. This is going to be such a pain! I’m losing a day now!

How the hell do you destroy something with minimal non-forceful contact, at that speed and to that degree of decimation?!

Well?

How the fuck would I know?

You said you could do it! How’d she do it? What do I have to do?

I don’t have a fucking clue what she did or how. I don’t fucking care. I don’t need ‘technique’! I’m a goddamn powerhouse, moron! You do the fancy footwork stuff.

WHAT?!

Stop yelling at me. You’re the twat who argued with her and made her leave. You’re the idiot who only gave himself one fucking week to learn this fancy-shit ‘technique’. You figure it out!

With that my parasite curls in on itself and I feel the lead weight of it on my insides. But his thoughts are completely shut off from mine.

Hey! HEY!!

I can shout at him internally as much as I want. He’s not answering. Stupid, leeching parasitic thing is ignoring me. Geez! What am I supposed to do now? I don’t have a clue how she did it!
Giving up on my parasite, I go ahead over to one of the rocks. I’m alone, so it shouldn’t matter much if I wind up embarrassing myself.

I glare at the stone, willing it to obey me; but chances are it won’t. I stand beside it like she did, and steady myself. Almost as fast as she did I whip my hand out and strike against the stone.

SHIT!!

Okay, my hand fucking hurts now. This is stupid. This is just freaking stupid! My hand’s all red and stingy now. I hit it with the same amount of pressure she did though, roughly. There must be something else to it. The stance?

OW-FU---!!!! MAARGH!!

No, that didn’t work either. Maybe it’s the angle she hits at?

OW!! FU--!!

NO! No. That’s not it, and my hand is really sore now. It’s a ‘technique’ so it probably has something to do with vampire stuff or something… I haven’t learned all that yet.

How am I supposed to figure something out blindly if I have no base information other than, blood, mist, bat, wolf… stuff. Changing forms is useless here, maybe it’s something to do with her blood that lets her-? No. It’s something I can learn. But it might be a trick quiz…?

I don’t know! Tsunade’s a jerk – and I’m stupid for putting myself in this situation. I really want to blame her, and I probably could get away with it. But I know deep down, I’m the reason for where I am right now.

I decided to come here, against my master’s better judgment, I was a snotty kid to Tsunade who’s probably bitchy on a regular basis so that’s not entirely her fault – BUT NOT MINE EITHER!!

I’m the one who boasted I could do it in a week, and I’m also the one that tried to get around actually doing the technique.

I stand in front of the rock. It’s possible that her pressure only seemed a small amount to me, but may have been a large amount for her; so I probably really do need more strength. With this thought in mind, I tackle the many boulders across the area one at a time.

I must have tried a hundred times or so, the sky is already almost black as pitch. There’s a full, no, a full-ish moon almost center sky too. My hands are already so red and sore that they’re numb. I can’t feel the stinging anymore.

It doesn’t matter how much strength I put in though, they never seem to burst and explode like Tsunade’s did. I’m totally stumped, and there’s probably nothing more I can do today.

I’ll find Tsunade tomorrow… apologize… and then try and get her to help me get this stupid thing. Once I understand it, I’m sure this learning process will go much smoother.

With that in mind, I get up and head inside. I’m so tired, and I haven’t seen anyone else this whole time. Inside the tunnels, it’s swarming with other vampires.

Usually in groups of two to three or more, the ones by themselves usually walk so fast you don’t even notice that they’ve passed through, they must all be heading somewhere specific.

I’d like to find Sasuke, so he can fill me in on other vampire stuff, maybe there’ll be a clue on how to do this, I dunno.

Oh yes let’s find darkeyes, I am so horny right now.

My parasite uncurls and my blood instantly heats with his presence flooding through me, his desires flowing seamlessly into mine. I’m hungry too… but something tell me we don’t have blood packets around here… where does everyone get food? I assume that they all go out.

That would make sense I guess, even though if memory serves the High Lair is out in the middle of nowhere and the nearest town with people is over 300 miles away. But that’s only about a half hour away I guess. Still, how am ‘I’ supposed to get food? I only do packets…

I mean there was the one time but that was purely because I was at the point of starvation and such. Though I’d probably drink a… no I’m pretty sure the only vampire I ever want to taste is Sasuke – I’m pretty sure it’d ruin the memory otherwise.

A coldness hisses in my ear. “You’re going to die.”

I turn to glare, I already knew who it was by the scratching sound and odd clicking in his throat – it’s insane that I’m getting used to the way this guy sounds. Shino is such a creep.

“What are you doing here Naruto?” Sakura asks, her voice complete irritation, she walks up behind Shino, two others are with her, one with short dark hair and another with almost-white hair in a pony – don’t know them.

“I’m looking for food actually…” I mutter sounding a bit annoyed, more with myself, maybe Sakura can tell me where I can find Jiraiya so he can get me food – or does the old fart go primal whenever he visits here?

“You aren’t training? You realize after today there’s only 6 days left?”

No Haku, I am in fact incapable of rudimentary arithmetic. Of course I know I only have 6 days left after this!! I just… can’t bring myself to care right now.

My potential ‘execution’? It just feels too unreal. And I’m getting comfortable with things here, even after the crap yesterday. Guess none of it’s really sunken in yet. Or maybe I’m becoming desensitized.

“Food? Go hunting then, it shouldn’t take you long.” Sakura quips, still irritated with me by appearance and tone.

“Where? Hunt what?” I ask her, not quite managing to contain my own frustration. She frowns considering my question in some incredulity before she shakes her head.

“You’re never been hunting, I’ll go get you something.” She sighs, “You like girls? Guys? Doesn’t matter?”

“I’d love it if you’d just go raid the nearest blood bank.” I tell her, in as much honesty as I can manage.

“You eat that stale crap?” the guy with the pony-tail pipes up. “Why?”

“Because eating from the human and the corpse afterwards kind of makes me want to retch.” I retort, glaring at him. I don’t know this guy! What gives him the right to talk to me! At least Sakura and Haku have both tried to kill me at one point!

“You can’t retch you have no stomach.”

I have no- what?!

“We don’t have stomachs?” I repeat to Sakura.

She snorts, doubling over in a short burst of laughter before straightening to regard me with a mirthful expression not entirely unlike Sasuke whenever he thought I asked a stupid question.
Where is Sasuke? I miss him.

“Vampires do not have stomachs, we absorb the blood directly through the throat into the veins.” The white-haired freak speaks as if reading from a textbook. “We do not eat ‘food’ generally and thus do not require the vestigial structure of a stomach, therefore making it impossible to vomit.”

I probably could have guessed that, or asked Sasuke, would have given me a great excuse to go find him too; but no this freak decides to talk to me more. I don’t really care pony-tail head!

“Other vestigial structures exist as well, such as the angular jaw, the multitude of other teeth we generally don’t need as well as genital organs.”

“Which are fully functional!” Shino chirps.

“In large part these structures have been left in tact for the last 10,000 years, I assume, because of their similarity to the structure of our prey,” the freak continues. And I’m really not listening at this point, just sort of staring and wondering when he’ll stop, if ever. “Without which we may be considered unattractive to our prey and thus impede our ability to hunt among their numbers with relative ease.”

Like I care. “So blood packets?” I ask, turning away from the freakazoid.

“Lord Jiraiya might have some blood packets with him?” Haku suggests, and turns to the dark haired guy. He has a really sad face. His eyebrows are thick and his brow hoods over his eyes – he looks like something described by lord byron actually. “Go get some.”

The eyebrow-guy’s eyes sink deeper at Haku’s order and he glowers in the general direction of … everyone and everything. He turns to go muttering as he does. “Always me, no ‘please’s no ‘thank you’s always do this and do that, and ignore me when it’s convenient.”

“I should feed myself to the wolves is what I should do, no one would care. Or slit my throat and let my body bleed out, would any of you care then? Would anyone even notice? How long would it take? A week? A month? A year? A century? Longer than that I’m sure, it’s not like anyone cares to begin with…”

I can’t hear the rest as he trudges away. Really not sure I’d want to.

Depressing. I feel like his bad mood’s rubbed off on me already. “Is he always like that?” I wonder to Sakura and Haku.

“Lee is always manic depressive; rumor has it he does it intentionally. Some say he suffered a great loss due to his family’s demise and his lost bloodline ability, too corrupted with regen blood.” That stupid pony-tail head is talking again. But to who?

“He used to be a part of the clans, now he’s just a low-rank member of the lair, with no line or blood limit to speak of.” No one was talking to you! Least of all me. Yes I’m being rude, but only in my head. So there!

“This is Kabuto, by the way, any questions you have he can answer in depth.” Sakura introduces us. Well that’s nice but I’ve already decided I don’t like him.

“You are Naruto, you made quite a commotion at the last council meeting of the Order. I’m curious, Shino says that yesterday you met the lady Hinata?” He says, speaking in a calm voice unblinking.

This Kabuto guy strikes me as one of those creepy doctor types saying ‘oh this won’t hurt a bit’ all sweet and calm and then there goes the needle and a bucket of pain.

“So?”

“What did you make of her I wonder? Did she inspect you?” Kabuto wonders. I feel Shino and Sakura’ eyes boring into me, something deep in their concentration. Do they remember yesterday?

Or just not entirely? I need to find Hinata too when and if I have time at some point. I’d be very interested to know what she makes of me.

“She seemed nice.” I try not to strain my voice with the lie, “I don’t really know what you mean by ‘inspect’ but I’m sure she’ll have time for that later.” I leer for affect, mostly to try and scare Kabuto off. He only looks vaguely ruffled though.

I guess it’d take more to scare him when he hangs out with freaks like Haku and Shino. Oh and this Lee guy… who just decided to show up back here. “This yours then?”

“Yeah. Thanks.” I say taking the packet, and he shuffles away… still muttering. But it’s shorter this time.

“Yeah sure, you say that now. What about tomorrow? Or the day after? Will you even remember? Will you even care? I bet you don’t actually mean it when you say that. You’re just laughing at me, secretly mocking me, I know it…” He trails off and falls into place behind Kabuto sulking.

Fine! Sulk your measly guts out – you want to be like that. Geez.

“So what happened with Tsunade? You can’t have mastered that technique already.” Sakura starts back in on me, all traces of mirth gone.

“Did she take off her first layer to show you the move?” Shino asks tilting his head grinning. “I hear the layer under it is see-through.”

“Yeah she did, but I wasn’t paying attention.” I tell him. Sakura’s hand collides hard with the pack of my head, and nearly spit back into the packet. “WHAT?!”

“You didn’t pay attention?!”

“Of course not! I don’t care if her shirt’s see through!” I state pointedly.

“Not that! You didn’t pay attention to the technique?!” Sakura rages, her fingers curling into my scalp gripping my hair like a vice. SHIT! I knew her grip was strong, but on my head it freaking hurts! More than usual! “What did you do? Why aren’t you out there learning it now?”

“She got pissed at me and left!”

“What?! What did you say to her?!”

“Nothing!”

“Nothing?! Then why’d she leave?!”

“I destroyed the rock! I just didn’t do it in her fancy-pants way!”

“You IDIOT!!”

I can’t keep from hissing as her grip tightens. It feels like she’s going to peer my skin off by my hair! “You didn’t even TRY to do the technique?! You didn’t ASK her first?! You didn’t even ATTEMPT to understand the mechanics of what was at WORK?!!”

“I’m sorry! Okay?! I’ll find her and try again!!”

Her hand releases me and she stands back glaring. Her emerald eyes all fiery with death-fire and flame. “Too late. Once she’s gone for the day, she’s gone. You don’t let her go tomorrow!”

“I won’t.” I bite out bitterly, rubbing my head and trying to soothe the burn along the nerves from her grip. She flexes her hand and looks it over where it’s slightly pink as opposed to porcelain pale. She frowns and glances up at me. Then shrugs and tucks her hand against her side.

“Think she’ll shag you?” Shino wonders absently.

“She wouldn’t even if he were the last living thing to shag, Shino.” Haku mutters back. And I have officially given up trying to understand creeps.

“So what’s going on outside my ‘test’ or whatever?” I wonder, glancing at Shino and Haku. I’m still ignoring Kabuto. And Lee is just depressing – has he ever even followed through with any of those suicide attempts he was talking about before?

“Not a lot, just the war.” Shino shrugs. “News lately is that the hunters group is rampant all over.”

“They’re interfered with over 240 regen nest purges, and are said to be circling near the High Lair’s boundaries.” Kabuto adds, “A few of the council members are worried that the hunters have somehow managed to learn the location of the High Lair.”

Shikamaru?

No. It was one phone call, and we barely talked. Didn’t he mention something about that before though? Even so… the call lasted barely a minute. Enough to lock on a signal location? Not quite.

He’ll call again.

“You listening? I mean you asked.” Sakura asks me in some irritation. I nod, in affirmation and she continues. I wonder if these guys would gut me here and now if I told them about Shikamaru? Probably, and I’m not stupid enough to tell them. I don’t care about their war either, so it makes no difference to me.

Besides that almost everyone here is a jerk! Sakura’s not really… some of the time. And… I’m sure Shino’s nice deep down, and Haku… is probably liked for something other than his winning personality.

Sasuke is awesome of course, and I need answers from Hinata. Other than that, the rest of them can go to hell and I’d throw a party. Oh we’re still talking about the war.

“--I agree. If things continue like this it’s very possible that it will result in a three-way war.” Kabuto finishes a thought.

“There’s also the wolves.” Haku brings in.

“Ah the wolves… geez, almost forgot about those nasty buggers. They not extinct yet?” Shino giggles in that strange grating way he has.

“Wolves?” I wonder, turning to Sakura.

“Werewolves.” Haku corrects, “A bunch of slobbering bastards too.”

“They’re a bunch of filthy beasts, they’re huge, they’re nasty,” Sakura makes a sour face, “and they smell hideous.”

“Hinata has one in stasis somewhere too.” Shino muses, standing upright. Hadn’t even noticed he’d hunched over.

“Where is Hinata anyway?”

“Somewhere. Not in her labs though.” Shino sighs, “I went looking for her earlier. She’s probably at the main house. But we’re not allowed in there unless we’re part of the clan you know.”

“House?”

“Well cave-section technically, but not everything as unfurnished as the halls. It’s just no one cares about the roads enough to make them any more homey.” Kabuto shrugs.

I frown. “Would Sasuke also be at the ‘main house’ for his clan?” I wonder.

“That or with Lord Orochimaru. Why?” Sakura wonders.

“He doesn’t usually come to the tunnels to socialize, only when there’s some sort of gathering or other special event, he’ll usually be there,” Kabuto elaborates. “But otherwise, Prince Sasuke is a very reticent being. Which is why I find it puzzling he spent so much time previously with you.”

Funny. I feel very abandoned now. I haven’t seen Sasuke in over 24 hours since I first met him I’ve never gone this long without seeing him. I wonder if this will be a pattern now that he’s back here and back to being a ‘prince’ or whatever. Now he’s too good for me, or something?

I miss him, I miss his blood, just the feel of his presence near and evasive, a fluctuating pool of darkness that sweep me in like the rest of him. I miss his eyes, I can still remember the feel of his skin under my hand, my mouth.

He was so cold, but I felt him burning under me. And his voice, normally so controlled, so precise, losing control as his body no longer worked as he willed it.

So soft, and yet firm. His muscles moving beneath the skin, burning through, as if I could feel the heat stemming from my own body into his.

It fed the noise, the heat, the blood coursing into my mouth, the taste of his skin thickening under my tongue, and everything fed into itself. The more he writhed the more I wanted, the more I wanted and took the more he moved and shuddered against me.

And it ended, so abruptly. I really hate Haku…

`

“No more cheating?”

“No more cheating.” I echo back. Even though it wasn’t ‘cheating’, she’s just being a stingy bitch. But I’m not mouthing off today! I’m going to get this stupid technique. Once she tells me how to do it – I’ll have it down instantly! I’m sure of it.

Her body twists in a smooth motion, as her hand strikes out toward the stone. Like before the rock crumbles instantly to little more than dust. But there’s nothing out of the ordinary in her, no feeling of expelled power, just a gust of wind, and nothing. She stands back again.

“Well?”

“I have no idea how you did it. Explain it to me?”

“Show me what you’ve tried so far.” Tsunade stops me short, not answering my question. Bitch – if she just told me, this would be over with by now!

I breathe slowly, to avoid another outburst like yesterday, and focus on the nearest boulder. I push my feet apart like hers were, and raise my hand. This is going to hurt.

I slam my hand out against the rock, and wince as the stone jars its edges against my hand. Stone has no give, why couldn’t I be destroying cushions or squish-balls or something?

“Your stance is incorrect to start with.” Tsunade barks as she stands beside me, the speed of her movement not even registering; given that everyone moves like that when they want to. She nudges my thigh and I move it accordingly. They she turns my palm over to look it over.

Her eyes narrow noticing the redness. “Your hand is red.”

Thanks for stating the obvious. “That happens when you hit a rock, I imagine.” I grit out, trying very, very hard not to be too terribly snide.

Hazel eyes turn to glare at me harshly. “For a living creature perhaps.” She grits back, anger hanging on every word. She drops my hand and turns away in a huff. She turns her palm towards me and flexes with a small amount of concavity. “Position your palm like this.”

I copy her hand, “And you’re not misting at all.”

“Why would I mist?” I wonder at her angrily, I mean how else do you destroy a rock than by dematerializing? That works!

She turns to glare at me again. “I’m teaching you, you want to question why the sky is blue as well?”

I have wondered… but that’s beside the point. “I’m just wondering how that is used to assist this technique.”

Tsunade shakes her head and stands back. “Fine. I want you to try what you tried yesterday on the ground. Go on, sometime today would certainly be nice.”

I scowl and turn my attention to the ground. I lash out, draw the burning up my arm and strike down. A small crater forms where I stood, the ground crumbly and cracked in places. Nudging my hand through the dirt, the distance down is about twelve inches or so.

The burning sensation lingers in my arm and I shake it off before I turn back to Tsunade. She moves to strike the ground as well, I study her arm, but the muscles stay in place, and there is no outer appearance of extra power gained from an outer flame or otherwise.

But the ground is vastly different where she strikes. First, the depth is about eight feet, and the whole surface of it crumbles away into the bottom of the large crater she made. It’s not a large radius, but I’m guessing that was intentional since otherwise it may have destroyed this arena area.

“You see the difference the technique can give when properly used, as opposed to simple raw power?” she asks me in condescension.


“I could do that too if I wanted.” I snapped back angrily.

Hazel eyes flash ice towards me and I glare back, “Power is supplementary to technique, if you’d showed me this first I could have done the same.” I already know I could.

“Not using the same level of power as you did. With little power more damage can be done by executing such a technique! Do you see the value of such a thing yet? Or are you just that pigheaded, brat?!” Tsunade snarls at me.

I shake my head. “Just tell me how to do it.”

Tsunade scowls and turns away, walking briskly, toward the exit.

“What?” I call to her, “I’m sorry! Come back! Just tell me how to do it?!”

And she’s gone… shit she’s a moody piece of work!

I huff angrily and turn back to the nearest boulder, lashing out my arm. I feel the burn prickle my skin and insides; as the stone crushes itself from the force before my hand even reaches it.

What was that?! Jerk! I didn’t ask for your power!!

I didn’t do it, idiot!

I flex my hand and glare inwardly at my parasite.

It seem we are merging. I can feel through you more myself.

Merging? What’s that supposed to mean?

Who knows, but it’s fucking scary where I’m concerned!

How’s that?

It’s possible there will be a point where neither of us will be ‘ourselves’ we’ll just be one person with the both of us. Except just one. I won’t be me anymore.


And me?

You won’t be either.

Hmph.

Well that shouldn’t happen for a while but still.

It was probably a fluke. No such thing as disappearing to make another person.

You’re right. … oh I smell something sexy…

The musky scent of winter and darkness reaches me and I turn in wonderment to the arena stands. I can hardly stop myself from tackling him to the ground where he stands. My feet barely touch on the marble steps beside him before I want nothing more than to sink myself into him.

Dark abyss-like eyes hold me at bay with careful contemplation. “Missed you.” I all but whisper. His mouth quirks up at a corner a single fine eyebrow arching upwards in response.

“It’s barely been a day.” He notes. “Where is Tsunade? I thought I’d try to help you train the technique if I could.”

“You know how she does it?” I wonder, bottling my lust and my parasite deeper in my mind.

“I’ve seen her use it once before, but I’m not sure of the mechanics.” He looks out over the arena ground at the destroyed craters and dusted boulder places. “Did she give you anything?”

I shrug. “She said I needed to focus o the actual technique, I can cause the same amount of damage though. She’s just being picky.”

Sasuke nods, and with a quick movement kneels next to the larger crater, lifting a palm-full of debris, examining the small stones. A moment later and I’m beside him, wondering what he’s trying to figure out.

He frowns, and turns the stones in his hand. “It seems almost as if there are tiny tunnels all the way through the rock, carved out.”

He puzzles something else over the mechanics, but most of it’s going over my head anyways, and I’m not all that interested in rocks…

Unless it’s darkeyes rock-hard ass.

Ew… bad mental image.

But we have a ‘live’ image, right in front of us, kid.

I didn’t even realize my eyes had already slid down his back, and were examining the dark cloth hugging his backside. I feel my face burn slightly, glad that Sasuke is too busy puzzling over rock fragments to realize I’m staring at his ass…

They’re really round, I could probably fit one in my hand. His thigh’s are thin and propped against his abdomen as he crouches too. It would be so easy to just step behind him, and reach under him to the other side and cup his crotch.

I’ve never actually put my hand there, though I remember the stiffness that pressed against my knee back at the regen nest.

He probably wouldn’t even notice until it’s too late.

Think he’d lose control so I wouldn’t have to deal with…?

Awkwardness? Nah! Give him a few hard squeezes, and start in on his neck; his head will be so fucked he won’t want to do anything but be fucked!

It’s wrong that I’m getting hard thinking about that, isn’t it?

Not in the slightest! Let’s do it!!

“Are you listening, Naruto?” Or are you too busy staring at my ass?

Sasuke asked, turning his head to look over his shoulder at him. My eyes snapping back to his face as soon as I possibly could, though my face still felt hot. And did he actually say that last part or was that me thinking lewd things again?

“Naruto! Sasuke?”

Sakura?!!

“Ah, Sakura.” Sasuke greets her politely.

“What are you doing here?” I ask her, attempting not to sound upset that she’s here. Of course in truth, she probably saved me from accidentally embarrassing myself horribly beyond belief.

“I came to try to help, since yesterday didn’t go well.” She states, annoyed at my tone, and glancing around, “So you chased her off again today huh?”

“No! Today, she just got pissy for no reason and stormed off!”

“What were you doing when she left?” Sakura asks, crossing her arms over her chest. She’s pretty buxom too, if she gets to Tsunade’s age, she’ll be huge too I bet.

“Uh… something about power difference, and I said I could do the same kind of crater, and she asked some dumbass question I kinda didn’t answer, because I just wanted to learn the technique and-” She cuts me off.


“You are a incurable idiot.” She snarls, and I have a horrible feeling that Sasuke’s the only thing preventing her from ripping my scalp off by my hair this very instant.

“Oh my gods!”

“So it is true…”

“Of course he gets all the attention. I’ve never been given a moment of attention since I was ‘born’. Not that anyone cares, no one ever cares.”

“Think they’re fucking?”

“Fuck you, Shino.”

What the hell is up with those freaks now? Haku, Shino, Lee, and Kabuto-freak all look absolutely amazed for some reason.

“What do you guys want?” Sakura snapped for me, glaring in the general direction of the four. Haku stalks out first, Kabuto follows catching up beside him, Shino and Lee just a few steps behind them.

They’re all glancing between Sasuke and me. What? Is it so amazing? Two people! Together! Talking! One possibly fantasizing about the other in very crude taste, but they wouldn’t know that part.

“I thought it was odd during the Order’s council meeting.” Kabuto notes idly. What’s odd? We hardly had any contact during that time, not directly anyway. “Prince Sasuke, you surprised us by meeting with Naruto briefly before the sentencing began.”

“Are you fucking?”

I wish!! … And for the record: I did not think that.

Leave it to Shino to ask the oddest questions. Honestly, though, why has no one killed him yet?

Haku rolls his eyes. “No.” Sasuke responds, “Not that it would be any business of yours if we were or were not in the first place. Any luck on shagging your beloved princess, yet?”

Shino’s grin fades. First time I’ve seen him frown. He shuts up though; that’s pretty effective. So who is the ‘princess’ he wants to plug? I want to know how to make him shut up too!

“Inappropriate.” Sakura rebukes before turning her attention back to me. Something about how much I’ve learned already and how to not get on Tsunade’s nerves, and I’m not listening. Because oddly enough, Lee muttering is hard to ignore, even when I’ve got Sakura bitching at me.

“Well he certainly favors him. Of course, everyone else gets favors except for me. Prince Sasuke being ‘nice’ to someone! That hasn’t happened for at least several thousand years, nothing like that ever happens to me.”

Wow… that long? I’m actually that unusual? I suddenly feel very happy, even though we’re not alone. Maybe I can find a way to contact him too, so I don’t always just have to wait for him to find me.

“Am I so very un-extraordinary that it means I am little more than a bug squashed underfoot? I suppose so, no one notices anyway. I could go cut off my own head and no one would bother with even a glance at me… not unless its to say, take his blood we may yet feed it to the ghouls.”

Lee’s still complaining.

“But no, my blood isn’t even useful enough to fulfill that purpose. I’m so useless, that’s why no one favors me, or notices me, it’s all a big conspiracy isn’t it?”

I’ll just stop listening to everything now.

`

“You’re cheating.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re cheating.” I repeat, glaring at Tsunade. I’ve been thinking about the funnels in the rock that Sasuke mentioned yesterday. She’s rigged this whole arena so that what she destroys looks much better and thorough than mine because she messed with them earlier!

It’s the only explanation!

“Care to explain that theory you ignorant piece of filth?” She hisses at me, features creasing and darkening in a dark and icy rage that radiates from her limbs, as if restraining the desire to rip me to bits.

“There’s no other way that there could be all those tunnels through the rock, making it easier to break apart.” I tell her.

“So you noticed.” She almost smiled, “And of course there can be no other explanation than, ‘cheating’ as you put it.”

I glare. She’s mocking me now – but I’m right! She laughs at me, “Cheating indeed.” She shakes her head. “Well if that’s what you choose to think of it, there’s o point in me even attempting to teach you.”

I don’t even try to stop her when she leaves. What a bitch – she really did give me an impossible task!

“She’s not cheating.”

“Tch. Says you.”

“I learned it myself remember, jackass?”

I snap my head up to the voice, that I just realized did not belong to my own head. “Sakura.”

“You are a world-class asshole aren’t you?” She snarls at me, anger boiling beneath her relatively calm surface.

Oh, but she’s right. If she ‘learned’ it, it should also be possible for me to learn, which means it can’t be cheating… or…? “I don’t know, I give up.” I admit to her. She shakes her head and makes for the door after her mistress.

“I don’t even get a hint?” I call after her.

“It has to do with extending yourself into the attack.” Sakura calls back. “You make the tunnels during your attack.”

“What?” And she’s gone. WTF? And this helps me how? I still don’t know what she’s talking about! I can’t extend! The rock is in the way!

My legs crumple under me and I scowl as I think that over - I have to make the tunnels in the rock, but how? Tsunade also mentioned something about misting though. So… I can mist and that way tunnel out the rock so it crumbles like that?

I have a whole other day to do this, I may as well try it out! I hop up to my feet and face the nearest boulder. I flex my hand and test misting just my hand, then resolidify. It’s going to require a lot of force on a very small level. I think I can do it though.

Hah! And it’s only the third day. This is in the bag.

I have to do it quickly though. As I move my hand I let the molecules detach, and send them at the rock as fast as I can, ripping through, and as I strike my arm extends and reaches the stone.

It should be easy to rip apart now, but I can’t move my molecules. I pull harder, ripping straight through, a blistering pain that sears through every cell. My arm isn’t even fully materialized, but the skin is ripping apart on it’s own – an aftershock?!

I forget to cry out as my body falls back. The bloodied limb – unrecognizable as an arm – falls down across my chest, and I hold the half-solid appendage dyed red against me. Wishing I had fingers to flex.

It feels so distant, but when my back connects with stony ground and I feel dust settle into the open wound and sting unbearably a shriek lets loose, tearing up my throat.

My arm! My arm!! My ARM!!! Oh god, and I’m bleeding so much. I can’t calm my breathing, and my eyes… my eyes are blurring out.

Idiot!! What did you do?!!

I can’t even hear my parasite, he’s screaming inside me, in my pain, in anger, in shock. I didn’t think that would… oh god my arm! My arm!!

My arm! My arm!! My ARM!!! MY ARM!!!!

I can’t see! A blur of dark softness and pale skin hovers across dark inky skies as my sight dies. Sasuke?

Don’t die.

I don’t want to. Please let me wake up…

It’s just an arm! Get over yourself!

You’re right. Just an arm…

`

I’m not even fully awake, I feel like someone wrapped a cloud around my head and made it rain. My arm feels raw and stitched together. Maybe it’s been amputated? I can’t see yet. But it hurts still, so I’d like to assume it’s still there for now.

I’m lying on something hard and cold. Soft fingers are moving over my shoulder, a prick at the skin, a tug and second prickling – sewing the skin shut?

I squeeze my eyes shut and then try to open them, I shut them again at the fluorescent light, before a second try, turning towards the other working on my arm.

My eyes look over the long dark hair spilling over pale shoulders. Porcelain skin laid over a face so perfect and blank that she’s more of a doll than a person. Soft fingers maneuvering a needle through my open flesh, tugging the gashes shut. Pale ghostly eyes turn to me.

I know her.

Something snaps inside me, and before I can really think about it or stop it my bloodied arm lashes out, ripping the needle form her hand, shoving her body backward as my hand coated in cold red blood grips around her pale slender throat.

She starts and stares back at me, unafraid, merely in wonderment. “You can move it already?” She asks in wonderment, her voice small and choked by my hand on her throat.

Her muscles move under my hand in mechanical motion as she speaks. “That’s good, I still should finish with your shoulder though.”

“I could kill you.” It’s more of a statement than a threat, though I’m not sure it came out that way. ‘Hinata’ seems unconcerned though.

“You could.” She agrees, smiling, “But I’d still like to finish patching up your arm.”

I release her, and she picked up her needle again stitching through my shoulder. The skin is cold and numb to the touch, I wonder that I can still move it at all. My fingers are back where they’re supposed to be. All the other gashes have been sewn up too. “Thank you, Hinata.”

She starts slightly at hearing her own name, but quickly recovers, returning to work on the last of the stitches. Apparently she doesn’t know how to respond, so she just ignores that I spoke at all.

“Actually you’re just the person I wanted to talk to.”

She finishes the stitch, ties off the end and replaces the needle in some drawer or another. “About what?” She wonders, pale eyes focusing on me, in that strange observant way I remember from days earlier, a surreally calm smile on her face.

“What am I?”

The question I always wanted to ask, I now finally have!

“You mean you don’t know?” Hinata asks, in some surprise, her head cocking to the side, otherwise no indicator of her puzzlement.

“No. But you know don’t you?” I continue, “Sasuke did something so Shino and Sakura couldn’t remember, but you do. Please tell me?”

A sad look crosses her face, “But I have no idea what you are.”

“What?”

That’s it! What is with all these people and NOT answering the important questions I want answered?!

“But I don’t know.” She insists in some irritation.

“Did Sasuke put you up to this?!” I almost snarl at her. “What is it he didn’t want you to tell me?!”

Hinata scowls, lips pulling back across snow white fangs. “No! I really don’t know!” She huffs, crossing her arms and legs, sitting back to regard me angrily. “It’s just strange!”

“What’s strange?”

“Your Iicor count, that is the amount of ‘living’ cells in your body, exceed 136,” Hinata explains, I think I heard something about that before too, “which is the highest level it has ever been for a vampire, and even then only regen vampires have licor levels over 117.”

“What does that mean?”

“Your count is higher than most sired vampires.”

“So?”

“It’s a strange account, considering that by that fact alone states that you are still human.”

Still human?

“But I can mist, and stuff.” I state clearly.

Hinata shakes her head, “That’s why I have no idea. Maybe if I ran more tests but… it’s not like I have any other unusual cases to compare it with, there’s never been a record for half-breeds.”

“I am not a half-breed. I know both my parents and they were, neither of them, vampires.” I assure her. She only nods.

“I’m sorry. I’d hoped that you knew, for sure.” Hinata frowns, pale eyes focusing past mine, though she seemed to stare intently.

“I’d let you run more tests you know. I want to know what I am too.” I tell her, “And I’m pretty sure Sasuke knows what I am, so if he can figure it out; I’m sure you can too.”

“I’d like my cousin to take a look at you with his eyes, and see what he can make of you, but that may be difficult.” Hinata puzzles, still staring through me. “Would you object to me examining the functionality of your vestigial organs?”

“What?”

“It would involve cutting you open so I could examine your stomach, kidneys, heart, and bowels as well as your reproductive organs,” Hinata stated simply, a serene smile in place, “with your permissions this time, of course.”

Hm, how can I put this as politely as I can? NO!! No cutting me open to check out my organs!! I like where they are and what they’re doing, if anything, and I’m very happy with it right now.

“So, what’s wrong with your eyes?” I ask, changing the subject, if she’ll let me. “Why would you have to use ‘Neji’s’ eyes?”

“He has the strongest blood limit of the recent Hyuuga clan generation.” She states simply, “Of the recent generation, there is my cousin Neji, myself, and my sister. Of the three I am the only one without the blood limit.”

“Blood limit? What’s that?” I ask her, curious. I wonder if Sasuke’s eyes going red that time, and mine burning on occasion have anything to do with that.

“A blood limit is the power of the clan passed down the line to the most recent generation of offspring in a pureblood clan of vampires. Sired vampires do not pass on their blood limits usually.” Hinata explains.

“What does it do?”

“It varies depending on the clan,” She responds, not blinking once through this whole exchange. “I couldn’t tell you much more as I do not have one. Instead I use my knowledge of machinery to collect data and information and to do battle when necessary.”

“Like in those spy-movies with all the high-tech gadgets?” I wonder grinning, “I’d love to see you fight! I’ll bet you’re awesome!”

She blinks and then seems to fight the upturning at the corners of her mouth. She bows her head, staring at the floor then, “I don’t really understand, but thank you, you’re very kind to say so.” The grin spreads and somehow comes out as a warped smirk of a grin when she raises her head again.

I take back about her being a creepy mad-scientist – not that she isn’t – but she’s really kind of cute right now. Even with that creepy grin, its almost endearing… or maybe I’m just spending too much time around Shino.

“Looks like you’re rebuilding your computer pretty well.” I note, looking over at the mechanical structure in the end of the hall, metallic coverings used like the one before.

Her smile fades and she turns to look at the construct, “Yes. But he’s not the same. Every time, he dies and I have to start all over, he’s never the same afterwards.” She sighs, “Twelve times now. I’ve known eleven different versions. It’s like losing 11 of my children.”

“It’s ‘alive’?” I wonder, or she just thinks it’s alive.

“In the barest sense yes, but they really were, are,” Hinata shakes her head, long dark locks sliding back over her shoulders.

“I made them from scratch, a thousand different matrixes to garner responses and collect data to input to themselves, and each time with the same program they’ve all been so different.”

Congratulations Frankenstein, you have discovered the secret to free will in the universe and personality stuff – good for you.

“Where’s the exit?”

Hinata shrugs, and hops off her chair, a distant smile still on her face. Her ghostly eyes are bright and pale in the florescent light. “I’ll take you, the tunnels have been changed around.”

I follow after her, picking up what’s left of my shirt from the chair she tossed it to when she started work on patching me up. I said ‘thanks’ right? Yeah, I did.

Hey wait. “Do you smell something?”

“Like what?” She wonders.

“Like… dog?”

Hinata stops a moment and turns her head down one of the tunnels, “Oh Kiba.”

Kiba? Don’t recognize that. “Who’s Kiba?” I ask her.

She turns to face me. “Do you want to meet him?” she asks jovially, and not even waiting for my answer she prances off down the tunnel in the direction of the doggy-smelly smell.

As we get further down, the walls are lined with glass and steel containers with various animals and possibly some other mythical beasts I don’t really recognize.

As we walk deeper, Hinata’s pace picks up and I can hear the scrape of claw on steel. Didn’t Shino and those guys say something about her keeping a werewolf down here? I don’t know how keen I am to meet a werewolf…

“Hello, Kiba!” Hinata greets happily bounding into the last alcove of the tunnel. There’s only one steel cage in this room, large enough for the … well he looks basically human right now, but he’s much, uh, bulkier, than me.

It would be a huge blow to my pride if I actually acknowledged that this guy had broader shoulders, was more ripped, and muscley than I am. So I’m chalking that up to some sort of genetic birth defect that results in enormity.

He’s probably also taller than me, not that most people aren’t already, but this guy is like human-hulk. Bleary eyes open up as we enter, and I recognize the filmy glaze for what it is – massive drug doses. A lazy grin comes over his face when he sees Hinata, but when those eyes finally settle and focus on me, his lips pull back in a horrible kind of grin.


He’s much hairier than I first thought too, because he bristles and a low rumbling growl comes form his throat. His muscles pull and work beneath the skin and I realize, that through the drugs he’s trying to get ready to attack.

Me? Why me?! Why not Hinata?! She’s the crazy chick who’s drugged him up so badly!!

Jaws open as his four limbs lift him up enough to bellow at me, a terrifying scream full of unspoken promise to rip tear and devour, to maul and mutilate beyond all recognition.

“Kiba!” Hinata says his name chidingly as she steps forward and – that crazy chick!! – stick her arm into the cage to touch his shoulder. Her thin pale hand, fragile like a bird over that rippling shoulder, so close to that gaping maw. “Kiba, calm down, please. Can you understand me?”

A louder roar ripples through him, and to my amazement he’s still totally focused on me, like a territorial animal facing an intruder – which in a sense I suppose is true, but he’s completely ignoring Hinata’s hand – in perfect mutilating distance!

Is he that drugged up right now or what?!

Hinata frowns as he raises his hand, nails jagged and torn in places, and grates the talons across the steel bars, until it sparks and the raw sound of his threatening growls and sound of claw on metal fill the small alcove.

Hinata withdraws her hand and turns to a side of the wall with a bunch of – shock! – more knobs, levers, and buttons!! The turns up a switch, and moves a knobs to a higher reading. I hear the machine – I hadn’t noticed – above the cage increase the flow of these tons of tiny tubes that go into the cage.

Slowly the beast-man’s eyes blur and he slumps to the bottom of the cage in a weary dream-like state. If he wasn’t drugged up beyond all recognition before, he is now.

“Hm. I actually had to take his dosage up to 50 kilos this time,” Hinata notes thoughtfully, “I do believe he’s building up a resistance to the drug!”

Why does she sound so happy about that?!

“Careful, or you’ll OD him and he’ll die.”

“Oh no that’s impossible.” She laughs, way too lighthearted for the setting, what she is, and what she’s doing. Nevermind, she’s still creepy as Shino if not worse.

Are you sure? Shino’s be asking you if you wanted to fuck it by now.

True. What’s his obsession with that anyway?

Maybe he was denied, and now he’s got all that pent up sexual frustration. You’ll be just like him before long if you’re not careful.

I’m not sexually repressed. I think about it a lot.

Correction: I think about it a lot. You always deny me!

Well then, that makes you the repressed one – you’ll be Shino before long.

If only because you have no sex drive at all.

Do too.

Do not!

I do too!

Obviously not.

But I do!

“So what do you think?”

“I think I do!”

“Do what?”

Oh wait, this is Hinata. “About what?”

Hinata cocks her head at me, quietly evaluating. “You think you want to do Kiba?” she gives me a puzzled look. “I mean I suppose its physically possible, of course but I wouldn’t suggest it, and Kiba is a very important test subject, so I’d rather not emotionally damage him too much.”

“No! That’s not what I was! How do you come up with that anyway?!” I wonder at her angrily, more angry at my stupid parasite of course! I mean I’m human! Or I used to be, so of course I want to have sex! Shit I’m still a virgin too… that stinks.

And wait just a minute! That’s Shino and Hinata! Why is everyone here obsessed with sex?! (or only two people… but still.)

I’m obsessed with sex too.

I know you are. Now shut up before Hinata thinks I’m into furry or something.

“How can he be emotionally damaged anyway – he’s an animal!” I gesture to the poor drugged thing she calls Kiba.

“True, we’re all animals. But even humans can be emotionally damaged, you know.” Hinata explains as if I know nothing at all.

“But I mean… he’s not sane or anything.” I remind her.

“Oh no! He’s just really high right now! Normally, if I take him off the morphine, in just an hour or so he’s perfectly capable of conversation!” Hinata laughs at me, that’s right treat me like a mindless kid, “That’s how I found out his name was Kiba in the first place, since he was captured on a hunting expedition in the mountains.”

Right. Now to try and be vaguely intelligent. “So 50 kilos? Morphine?”

“Yes.”

That’s more than enough to kill a horse. “And no matter how high you go he won’t die?”

“Of course he will!” Hinata laughed. “But if it takes 100 kilos to kill a newborn regen, then 50 or 70 is nothing for a werewolf. But I don’t intend to test his limits. Werewolf specimens, live ones anyway, are very rare and valuable so I won’t be putting him in danger. His resistance to morphine just may mean I’ll have to switch to other depressant drugs to subdue him.”

“I see.” I am so very glad I did not become one of her ‘specimens’ for long. Who knows what she would have done to me!

`

“And you did this yesterday?”

“Yes.” I grumble to the blond woman angrily, “And I busted my arm royally in the process.”

“And you were stitched back together again, so stop complaining.” Tsunade barks back at me as she looks over the stone. It’s still completely solid – I’m not proud of my work. But she’s taking a fairly long time to examine it.

Suddenl she smiles and starts laughing. Woah, what laugher does for age – somehow she reminds me very strongly of Sakura. She’s almost pretty when she smiles like that. She’s still smiling when she stands back and looks at me. “You did good kid. Better than I expected for your 4th day.”

Huh?

“It’s already almost fully broken, come look.” She gestures for me to come stand by her. So I do, and looking through where I struck… it looks a lot like a termite hill, or ant mound opening, if the ants are the size of my fingertips. From my hit there’s a huge branching off of tiny tunnels through the rock.

“You didn’t break through to the other side though, and if you damaged your arm that means you tried to solidify again before you’d drawn completely back out.” She assessed, and her heavy hand rests on my shoulder. Hazel eyes stare into me with something like amusement and like reproval.

“Sakura told you the basic method didn’t she?”

There’s no way I can lie. But my eyes already give her my answer because she releases me and steps away. “Well your ability to extend the damage is farther along than I’d expected.” She continues in her curt brusque way. But there is a softness in her face that wasn’t there before.

“Alright then. I want you to try it again, but with minimal extension! I want you to penetrate only four-five inches. Got it?” She barks pointing to another boulder.

Wait! Wait! “I’m drilling?”

“Practice makes perfect, and you need to get all the steps in place if you want to be able to do it without hurting yourself. We’ll be doing this slowly, but you can use up as many hours as you want. We can go all the next 96 hours straight if you want to.” She grins.

This woman is going to try and kill me!

`

That’s the final one! AUGH!!

96 hours – straight! It’s the seventh day already and there’s still twelve hours left. I am so freaking tired! And I haven’t seen darkeyes, or Sakura, or anyone since then!

I have twelve hours left, and I need to put these stupid steps together to make that single attack. I an do it! Just so tired… I shouldn’t be tired, I’m a vampire! I need blood…

“I’m done!” I call back at her. Tsunade’s been sitting on the bleachers for a long time now, just watching.

“Not bad, brat,” she nods, and stands, leaping down into the arena beside me and looking at the last rock and the broken through ends. “You’ve got all the steps, now we’re going to speed it up. You may yet get this before the day’s up if you don’t faint first.”

“I won’t.” I promise, more to myself, than to her – stupid slave driver!

Tsunade nods, “I’m glad you made it this far,” she’s frowning though, “which is why I’m almost sorry to tell you that there’s a second portion to all this that you haven’t even been introduced to yet.”

It’s the seventh day… and there’s another portion of the test. My life depends on this! And you tell me about the second part NOW?!!!

“The second portion is the invisible weapon,” Tsunade states, “You already know how to force mist to tear through stone. But you can do the same thing over great distances.”

“As a long range weapon you can extend yourself and then pierce through an object a long ways away with the same attack you’ve been learning – just farther away. You can also use it to grab thing, and follow a moving target.”

I can’t believe she’s telling me about this now!! I stare at her blankly, and my life flashes before my eyes – pitiful as it was. I can pour all the time I have left to learning this second part, but I already know I can’t. I know myself, and I won’t master the second portion by tomorrow’s evaluation.

“I’m sorry.”

Fucking bitch!!

I want to scream and attack her! But something holds me back – she actually looks really sorry about it. But how can that save my life?

`

Darkeyes mentioned a plan B too you know.

Right.

And even if his plan B fails – mine won’t! We already know how this is going down one way or another!

There’s too many of them.

Psh! Maybe for you!

You know what?

What?

You may talk big, but the fact of the matter is you’re scared and anxious just like I am.

No I’m not!! Besides! You could be fine! You could miraculously pass it anyway!

Right.

And Sasuke talked about a second plan too-!

Right.

Stop cutting me off!! I’m trying to cheer you up to help you out so you do good and we won’t die!!

Ah so you do have a selfish reason.

Of course I want to live! Even if you don’t deserve to live, I do!!

And you can’t escape on your own, which is why you’re scared.

I’m not scared!!

I internally laugh at him. He’s talking too fast and he’s repeating his excuses for why we’ll still live. He knows he can’t save us even if I gave him full control. I am so dead after today. I wonder if I should run away find a cake and veg – find Sasuke and kiss him again before I die or something.

This sucks.

“Naruto, step forward.”

It’s the same area that Tsunade and I practiced in the last few days, this time the bleachers and surrounding stadium is full of vampires, and even in the growing moonlight I can see there are less of them here than there were in the cavern on the interior of the mountain.

Tsunade, Jiraiya and Orochimaru still sit in that huge-ass palanquin though.

I see Sakura, stony-faced a kind of forced calm though fiery green eyes betray her anxiety. Tsunade’s lips pressed close together, hazel eyes fastened on me in a similar kind of apprehension.

Jiraiya just looks chagrined, Orochimaru curious and somewhat blankly inquisitive all at once. The rest blank faced, slightly curious, or bored.

They all, like me, already know this is how I’ll fail. The only thing worth waiting around for is the execution – and I will put up a fight, even if it’s in vain. Where’s Sasuke? Sasuke’s not here, I can’t see him at all.

That’s discouraging.

Even more so is that the executioner is waiting in that dark mask just a short ways away, standing in the corridor to the interior. So no one expects me to make it at all.

No. You can do this. The second part is the same as the first, just with distance. You can do it. You know the first part.

I know.

So don’t give up just yet! Idiot!

You really know how to encourage someone.

Deep breath, and the closest rock beside me is just within arms length. I flex the molecules in my hand and arm, and when I’m ready I lash out and strike. I feel my molecules extend and crash through the stone an intricate wiring to make it crumble away completely.

My first instinct is to pull myself back together immediately, but I have to wait, and hurry. Wait and hurry, and then all of me is back in place – solidify and the wind does the rest.

The stone crumbles away, just like Tsunade’s that first day – nothing is left, the cloud of dust disappears in the gust.

There is no sound to my accomplishment, though I can physically feel the stir of movement through the crowd, turning to face the arena, or straightening their backs. The barest intake of breathe around the arena.

I haven’t mastered the second part of it. But I do know the basics. I know I should attempt it anyway, a last ditch attempt, and hope for a miracle.

The next boulder is farther away. It’s too far I think. If I stretch my molecules that thin I won’t have the same amount of force to force through to make the necessary tunnels.

If it was flesh it would be less difficult, but cutting stone from this distance is just…

Don’t be a baby! Idiot! You can do it! Don’t you dare wuss out!

Again, you know the just to thing to get me raring to go, don’t you?

You’re welcome! Now do it!! You can do it, and if you don’t then I’ll freaking kill you myself!

Good to know.

I’m aware of Tsunade’s hand tightening on the banister as I raise my arm towards the rock. Deep breath, just have to try. No pressure, none at all.

I feel my molecules disengage and with the quickest speed I can manage I force them towards the rock. They hit and I can feel them tunneling through!

But it’s taking too long. I’ve already failed.

My molecules snap back together and my arm falls to my side. Silence, and all eyes are bound between me and the unshattered rock. It’s already been done, and my fate is sealed.

The tunnels have already penetrated the first eight inches or so. But the rock still stands. The crowd remains hushed. Then a slow murmur goes around. It’s clear enough I’ve failed.

Now I stand, for the last few moments pondering my demise and hopeless situation before I’ll be erased from existence. The executioner straightens, and hefts his weapon of choice – a scythe of course – and waits for me to retreat as I must.

A defeaning stillness, if I run, could I go up? No matter where I go there’s a ton of them waiting for me. Looking up… Sakura just looks pissed. WHAT?!

“Seven days.” Tsunade laughs. And in the stillness she is clearly heard. She stands and smiles down at me, not a crocodile smile about to tear me to bits, or even the triumphant smile as if she’s won some great prize.

Her smile is genuine and prideful, “Who would have thought you could manage this much in seven days?”

She shakes her head. “You have already mastered the first part, and I’d dare to say in seven more days you could have mastered the second portion as well.” All are silent, though they are all waiting on her word. Hers was the one that condemned me, and only she can save me.

“I can see why you like him so much.” She glances at Jiraiya as she says this before turning her attention back to me. “Welcome to the high lair Naruto. It seems you’ll keep your head today.”

No sound. Just the quiet rumble of voices bursting into conversation, and the movement as all stand to move about their lives from here, to spread the news, to do whatever had been planned for this night.

As for me, I’m not even aware of the world around me more than a few moments because my legs must have been disembodied under me as I fall.

I think I saw my master move, he wasn’t in the palanquin as my eyes closed. I think I could recognize the arms that supported and lifted me from the ground. I had now been in intensive training and physical stress for over 98 hours straight.

My mouth lolls open the skin dry and raw and aching for the metallic flavor of life, I don’t even care if it’s a live human anymore. But this rawness is tearing through from my throat to my belly to my limbs and I can’t even move anymore.

I don’t recognize the chilled lips that seal over mine, of the bloody muscle that presses to my cheek. I don’t recognize the cool liquid that slides down my throat. I swallow, and it reminds me of wine – age and metal, and beneath a musky depth that expands and contracts as if alive.

Thick and viscious I swallow again and my mouth greedily latches onto that tongue. It’s not Sasuke, I’d remember Sasuke, that knowledge saddens me in a way, but I can’t bring myself to care as I suck out the red and crimson smeared over my inner skin and laved across my teeth and tongue.

He pulls back and my eyes refocus. Turning away he tears a blood packet open with his teeth, and I watch the muscle along his neck pull and contract as he swallows it down.

Turning back to me ruby eyes stare back at me, pale coarse hair on a face too young to be truly old – but still it’s the old man. Jiraiya… his blood is not nearly as sweet as Sasuke’s but still…

Another blood packet is put into my hands and I force myself forward enough to drink it.
I don’t even remember how many packets I drowned in me, but he let me until my throat was wet again.

“Fucking bitch, didn’t even feed you during the training period?” he shakes his head, muttering darkly. I wish he wouldn’t though, Tsunade’s the reason I’m still alive now too; even if it’s because of her that I was in danger of death to begin with.

“I am so glad to be alive…” I breath leaning back onto the floor, not really caring for my current weakness in front of my master.

Jiraiya shakes his head and me and drink another packet himself. I never realized how young he really was, he’s old but not that old. Jiraiya’s damn attractive, “Why aren’t you and Tsunade going out?” I wonder aloud. Crimson eyes turn a stare to me, and I can only blink up at him.

“We used to, in a way.” He says whistfully, “A long time ago, we are too different, and we knew that at the start. So things stay.”

I don’t get it.

“Naruto, how would you feel about becoming my apprentice?” Jiraiya asks me then, “As Sakura is to Tsunade.” Just like Sasuke is to Orochimaru? Where was Sasuke anyway?

“Sure.” I meant to exclaim it – I think I’d like that. But my voice is still recovering even though my insides are finally slicked again.

He grins, pearly teeth glinting by the moon’s gleam. “Then by sharing my blood, boy – you already are.”

---

Review.