Nightwalkers

Disclaimer: Don’t own Naruto and probably never will.

A/N: Here’s the long awaited next chapter. Enjoy everyone!
Warning: torture scene ahead! If you do not want to read it I’ll give you notice when it is over, so look for a phrase in ().

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 2

(Naruto’s POV)

I awoke to the knowledge that I was different. Something inside me had changed. I felt first that I could not move my limbs. The helpless paralysis was accompanied by heaviness in my extremities, as if I was weighed down. I shook my head to clear it and I saw, as I looked down that I was bound and naked. A meaningless panic swept over me with sweat and battering me with convulsive terror. Whoever had done this to me meant, I felt sure, to kill me. I realized that I did not know what death was, unless it was something like being pulled away from everything and chained to a wall, helpless, unclothed, and afraid.

The bite mark on my neck burned letting me know that my captor was close. The doors to my cell opened, and in stalked the woman from the cemetery. She glided with unnatural grace towards me, her red eyes burning into my blue ones. She stopped a foot away and reached up a hand to run her fingers down my chains. I shuddered and tried to move away from her touch. My companion snarled in my mind. And I snarled at my captor in response, my blue eyes flashing lavender. My wolf was very upset and I let her know it. She wisely backed off. She moved over to a corner in my cell just out of my eyesight. I froze as I heard her grab something. I had a bad feeling. I instincts were right; she came back towards me holding a black leather whip in her hands. I snarled and again tried to break my bonds, but the chains were too strong. I could only watch in frozen terror as she stalked towards me with a purpose.

CRACK!

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!” I cried out as an immense pain shuddered through my body. Again and again the whip struck my back. After what seemed like hours but in reality were only minutes I was allowed a respite. I slumped down in my bindings trying to work past the pain coursing through my system.

She moved to stand just in front of me, she smiled and said softly, “I will break you or I will destroy you, the choice is yours.”

I looked at her in disbelief and terror. She said she will destroy me. I could not believe it, but the cold glint if her inhuman eyes assured me that she intended me evil.

She ran a hand over to hilt of the whip and I watched in anticipated terror, knowing what was coming and dreading it at the same time. She raised the whip and brought it down lashing at my helpless body.

And then, IT came, the monster that invaded my body and threatened to tear me to pieces, eating me from within, holding my brain in ITS hands and shaking it. I wasn’t myself anymore. I was IT. I was a living, throbbing, dying monument to pain. I couldn’t think. I didn’t even feel the pain. I was the pain.

It stopped, and I hung limply, supported by my chains. My eyes ran uncomprehendingly, over the bruised, bloody, and scared thing, which was my body, hanging in the chains.

She watched me with obvious pleasure as I hung there bleeding from my many wounds. Again she raised the whip and I did not even care. I was no longer even capable of enduring the torture of anticipation. I experienced nothing and desired nothing. I was only tired.

She glided towards me and I didn’t even move. I was too tired to back away. She stopped and her warm breath breathed over my throat. She sunk her fangs into my neck piercing deep. I cried out my voice hoarse with all my screaming. She drank her fill and then backed away. I hung there limp, wanting only to sleep and heal my wounds. She smiled again and then turned and left my cell.
Sweet relief flooded my body and I closed my eyes and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Three years later) (Normal POV)

Sasuke walked the city streets with his brother at his side. It’s been three years since Naruto disappeared after that concert, but the two brothers never gave up searching for him. He was, after all, pack, and pack was family.

Suddenly the silence of the night was broken by the sound of a gunshot. Sasuke looked at his brother, and then headed toward the sound. Itachi was right behind him.

When he arrived at the clearing he froze, his eyes trying to take in the peculiar sight. There, surrounded by what appeared to be six men, all of them carrying hunting rifles, was a pure white wolf. The wolf stood, his hackles raised as he snarled a warning. One of the hunters raised his gun and just as he was about to fire, Sasuke shoved him, knocking him down and sending the gun flying. The man regained his balance and turned to meet the new threat. Sasuke shifted his weight and waited for the hunter to make the first move. The hunter reached behind him and grabbed the revolver in the small of his back and aimed it at Sasuke. Time seemed to stand still as Sasuke stared at the gun pointed at him. The hunter cocked the gun and tightened his finger around the trigger, just as he pulled the trigger a white figure leapt between Sasuke and the gun taking the bullet in his side.

“Naruto!” Sasuke yelled, catching the white wolf as he fell. The hunter brought up his gun to fire again but again was tackled to the ground, this time by Itachi. The elder Uchia slammed his fist into the guy's face knocking him out. Itachi got off of him and turned to face the rest of the hunters.

The hunters looked at their fallen leader, then at the wolf. Without a word the five of them turned and left. It just wasn’t worth it. They were paid to take on one shifter, not a shifter and his pack.

Itachi turned to where Sasuke sat holding the injured wolf. The white wolf lay limp in Sasuke's arms, his white fur covered in blood.

The wolf slowly shifted and turned into his human form. The fur melted back into skin and paws turned into hands and feet.

Soon Naruto was back in his original form. He lay there in his best friend's arms covering the bullet wound with one of his hands. But the blood continued to gush from the wound no matter how much pressure was applied. Giving up on the human attempt to heal his wounds, Naruto used the skills taught to him by the b**ch that bit him. At least there were a few useful things that he learned during his captivity.

He concentrated energy on the wound and slowly it began to heal. After a few minutes the wound closed, but Naruto was completely exhausted. Blue eyes once again locked with concerned black ones, before they slid closed and sleep claimed him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Naruto's POV)

The first thing that I became aware of when I woke up was that I was on a bed, a familiar bed. The second thing I noticed was that my wound was completely healed. I threw the covers off and swung my legs off the bed. I then noticed that my tattered clothes were also missing. I looked around the room I was in and noticed that it was my own. I must be on the tour bus then.

I stood on somewhat shaky feet and headed for my closet. I opened the door and grabbed a pair of jeans and a red t-shirt. I got dressed and then headed out of the room. It was then that I caught the smell of fresh brewed coffee, and I knew that was where I would find Itachi and Sasuke, and I was right. They were both sitting at the kitchen table. Two pairs of black eyes met my blue ones as I headed for the coffee pot. I could see the relief in their eyes.

I knew that they had questions for me, and I would answer them... just not yet. I needed my caffeine first. I grabbed a mug out of the cupboard and filled it with coffee, and then I snagged the chocolate hazelnut cream and added some of that as well. That was the only way I could drink the coffee. I didn't know how Sasuke could drink it without the flavor. For me it was just too strong by itself.
On the way to the table, I also grabbed a couple of doughnuts as well. I sat next to Sasuke and began eating my breakfast. The brothers let me eat in peace. After I had my second cup of caffeine they looked at me with a question in their eyes. But it was Itachi that voiced what was on both of their minds.

“What the hell happened to you after that concert three years ago, and where the hell have you been!?” The older raven asked.

I looked at my coffee cup, the memories taking me back. Then my voice soft I explained what happened.

It took about two hours to explain what happened. They were both silent, letting me talk. If they had any more questions, they would have asked them once I was finished with my tale. After a long but comfortable silence, Sasuke was the one that spoke first.

“Did you manage to find anything out about Ayame's murder?” he asked. I shook my head. Itachi was about to comment, when the phone rang.

I left the table and grabbed the phone. “Hello?”

“May I speak to Uzumaki Naruto please?” a curt female voice answered.

“Speaking,” I replied.

“This is Officer Yuri Hiragashi of the Tokyo Police department. I am the officer in charge of your wife's murder case. I was wondering if I could ask for your cooperation in another case similar to yours.”

“What could I do? I'm not a cop.”

“You are correct, but you do have certain skills that my officers do not have, for instance, your heightened senses. I know you are a shifter.”

“What would you be having me do?”

“I need you to assist the detective in charge. You know; Gathering evidence, following leads, basic investigation.”

“You have to know that my pack will want to help out as well.”

“That is fine. I know how a werewolf family system works. You stick together. What concerns one concern all?”

“Is there a specific time you would like to see us?”

“Would you be able to come down to the station in a couple of hours? I would like you to meet the man you will be partnering with.”

I looked over to Itachi and Sasuke and told them about the conversation. Itachi nodded. “That's fine.” I replied.

“Then I'll see you then.” And with that officer Hiragashi hung up. I hung up my end as well, and then turned to the ravens.

“Looks like we better get going.” Itachi said, and then he left to let the driver know about our plans and destination.

******************************************************************************

A/N: So tell me what you think. Read and review. Ja Ne