The Lineage

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.


The Lineage
By 11


Chapter 25
Finality: Purity of Blood

“What are you doing here?”

Jiraiya – the one I once called master. It feels strange to see him again as if it’s the first time. He and Sakura stand in the interior halls – discussing ‘something’ in vehement whispers before I waltzed into their perfectly placid lives.

I barely got out of here 48 hours ago now I’m back. Why am I here anyway? If they catch me I’m dead right? Let them try. There is an order to this and I want to be sure in my actions. Not that it’s possible for me to fuck up!

“Naruto – what the hell is this?!”

I can’t help smiling at Sakura, though her jaw sets and she rears back from me as if I tried to bite her. “No… what?”

“No, it’s not Naruto.” Jiraiya regards me perceptively, and I turn to him kindly – I love this man like my own flesh. I did before and I still do.

“Wrong. It is Naruto.” I tell him with a genial laugh, my voice, the same and different, I’ve never really heard it before. “But you’re also right, I’m not Naruto.”

Jiraiya’s red eyes harden and for a moment, but he must be aware now. “Why are you here?”

“Just an errand,” I shrug, “The Order is moving tomorrow night, with the Hunters. I know I’m right, won’t the Regenerates be moving then too?”

“What do you know about the regen movements?” Sakura growls regarding me with suspicion.

“I was with them until recently – I know the lair, I’ve seen it. I know their plans. I know what they know about the Order. I know it all inside and out.” I tell her grinning, and watch listening as her still cold blood begins to curdle in anger.

“Regens can’t be made indiscriminately. They were outlawed to protect the vital families, the blood limits, and humans as well. If they become more than food, too many regenerates running loose at any one time results in mass destruction.”

“Isn’t that why they kept their numbers in the tunnels back then?” I ask him idly, but he scowls at the question. “To keep them away from the rest of the world until the year was up?”

“But some got loose and killed – that’s how we found out about the infestation.” Sakura growls, her hands twitching toward her broadswords. Yet based on those killings the Order suspected a much ‘much’ smaller number. Effective. “You escaped your execution – if the rest of the Order ever found out – you--!!”

“We wouldn’t do a thing.” Jiraiya states calmly cutting Sakura off, and I notice his eyes roving the marks across this body. “Fight with us, at victory you would receive a great place of honor within the Order.”

I laugh – a stupid concept; why the fuck would I fight with these maggots? “Your war makes little sense either way. Their version or yours.” I inform them. “I’m not siding with them, but there’s no way in hell I’m siding with the Order, either.”

“ ‘The Order’ – that is those farting bastard excuses for vampires – tried to kill me, remember?” I fix my eyes on my once-master, “You included.”

“Damn you – you arrogant jerk!!” Sakura lunges for me. I catch her arm – sword just above. She screeches rearing back. A dark red burn marks her arm where I caught her blow. “If you’d just done the third trial like you were supposed to!!”

“Or if the Order didn’t have their noses up their asses?” I muse, and she grits her teeth again, darting towards me.

I don’t bother to raise my hands this time – I already see it – she stops right in front of me. Then eyes might register she disappeared.

I can see her clearly behind me – sword drawn. The hard end drags sharp toward the back of my head.

Silly Sakura. Should have used the sharp end. Then maybe this would have lasted a few seconds more.

One quick movement and I’ve seizing the blunt end –her hand tugs back from me. A sharp intake of breath – she realizes I’ve caught her – she can’t regain control of the blade.

I turn and strike outward with my hand. Palm connects hard with her wrist. She yelps and leaps back. Her sword released – slides out across the stone floor.

With a growl she strikes toward me again – a feint with her fist – her leg slams upward. A powerful kick – it’ll never connect.

It only takes a slow second, and I’m behind her – her arms yanked back behind her. My fingers tight at her wrists. She screams out as my skin sears into her and my foot plants her back holding her down – keeping her from thrashing.

She’d only hurt herself.

“You BASTARD!!” She snarls, still wriggling beneath my hold – worming from my grasp slowly but surely. If I held her any tighter though I might rip her apart. “Bastard!! Bastard!! Jiraiya!!”

The sound of her screams echo through the stone. I can hear their movement; others are on their way – but I still have plenty of time. “Regen bastard!! I knew you were a regen!! I should have killed you long ago! I’ll kill all you bastards!!”

I smile down at her sadly; she still doesn’t understand. Jiraiya does, but she does not. Her hands are almost wormed free.

“No matter how many regen you kill it won’t bring your family back. Why do it?” I wonder, “You’re so lovely – why let hate make you so ugly?”

She stiffens and stills for a moment before with a wild cry she redoubles her efforts – I am forced to release her. In a moment I’ve trapped her in my arms again and she cries out in agony – but I know I’m not burning her that much anymore.

Jiraiya still stands unmoving, hard eyes fixed on me. I plant my lips against her neck and the sound dies in her throat – because now I’m inside her blood, I’m in her body and mind.

The dark space of perception – she stands naked before me. Her eyes wide with awe and terror – here she perceives my true shape. “No… that can’t…”

She knows what I’m about to do – it’s what she already is, whether she was aware or not. I bridge the gap and my hand pierces her chest, but she doesn’t cry out in pain. Her eyes water and she moans in discomfort as her blood responds back to me.

It swells, moves, and stills at my command – this blood belongs to me, it was always mine. Sakura is one of mine. I draw back from her entity and my lips leave her neck. She shudders in my arms but doesn’t fight it.

A small spiral shape mark burnt onto her neck. She is marked – this same mark I bear on my own body. I release her and she sways a moment before allowing herself to crumple to the floor.

“Alright Sakura?” I ask her, although I already know the answer. She’s not weakened, her blood is burning through her and stills again.

Even if she fights it, by tomorrow she and everyone else will accept it – what is to be. I turn back, Jiraiya’s bloody eyes fixed on me. I step toward him – and he doesn’t move away. He already knows he’s next.

“You no longer belong to me.” it’s a statement, but it almost seems like he’s asking me – I smile in confirmation.

“What am I?” I ask him, though I know he must already be aware.

“Back when I bit you – I truly tried to turn you.” He tells me, “But when I did, I was unable to infect your bloodstream. When you woke up I thought that must have been my mistake. But there always was something off about you.”

I grin, “So you already know.”

“You never did belong to me.” He mutters darkly – his calm face and steady tone belie the sadness I can so clearly see and smell from him.

“No,” I shake my head, a whimsical memory not really my own but mine the same, “At one time I really did consider you my master.”

My hand tangles in long white threads. My nails scrape lightly against his scalp. He releases a growl at the back of his throat. But makes no move to pull away.

My forehead meets with his and he hisses at the contact, I revel in the chill. “But now I do not belong to you.” I confirm, and raising my head from his I move closer, dropping my lips to his ear. “Now, you belong to me.”

My lips touch to his skin – and he submits entirely as I rush into him. His blood given freely over to me. He greets me calmly enough, but there’s an unsteadiness beneath the carefully held surface.

Here his crimson eyes cannot hide his wariness, his resistance. A blank and burning rapture, as I move through him, leaving my mark here buried deep inside, dragged to the surface.

Then just as quickly I withdraw – the others are getting closer, a small group, but big enough that I wouldn’t want to be seen just yet. I turn to go but Jiraiya’s voice follows me – “Naruto! You are-!!”

“Shh.” Cut him off softly, turning and putting a finger to my lips. The spiral mark burnt clear into his skin. Sakura stands on her legs and looks back at me – bitter and furious. But she’ll forgive me.

I grin, “I won’t stay – I wouldn’t fight on your side anyway.” and then I’m off. I encounter others as I spin through the corridors – fast enough that they don’t see, and it’s just a single contact and I’ve burnt my self in them.

I can see them when I’m gone as they touch the mark confused – but they’ll all understand soon enough.

Hinata is in her labs and she starts when my mouth clamps tight on her throat – but then I’m gone and she examines the mark carefully and clinically. Puzzling, then turning back to her current work.

I leave a bite on Tenten’s shoulder, the mark below her ear – sorry doll, it would never have worked between us. Then a thousand more - so many and so few – Lee, Shino, Zabuza, Tsunade, Haku…

The names, bodies and blood of thousands and I’ll remember them all. They don’t even notice me. But I’ve already planted myself inside them – because I was already there.

Whether they are aware or not, they all belong to me. All of them, they always were mine; I’m just waking them up. Though they won’t open their eyes until it’s time.

Outside the dawn is just breaching the horizon sending threads of gold and fiery orange through the sky. The thick of the forest is good enough for now – I can feel Shikamaru and the Hunters farther to the east.

Farther southeast I know the regen caves. There are other shoots around there too though – that one cave wasn’t the only one. I can’t feel Sasuke there anymore but I know he’s not in the mountain left now far behind me.

Sasuke. Fucker. A growl comes involuntarily to my throat, thinking back on darkeyes. But I know there’s a lot more to it – something I’ve yet to confirm, and I will – because he’s also mine.

The wind picks up and I lurch my gaze toward at a familiar scent. Someone I recognize clearly and distinctly. Then I’m rushing past hills and trees – closer, closer – and I hear his blood pick up. He knows I’m here too.

I stop landing my feet on gravel and stone meeting just between. Across from me stare emerald orbs from russet fur – flashing white jaws bared open – and the roar is an excited shuddering through the earth and trees vibrating inside of me.

“Hello brother.” I grin gleefully – and then I’m buried in flesh and fur. My hands grip hard into slender bones beneath. The mass of fur sheds at my skin and his burning body falls into me.

Hard teeth clashing against mine, searing lips at mine, iron arms wound around me, and my claws grip him back – for now. My hand twines harshly in crimson hair and tugs back, he bears his neck thrown back in furious laughter.

“You’re finally awake!” he breathes, facing me again, vicious eyes glittering with controlled lust.

“I suppose I am,” I grin back, and meet his mouth again – too eager tongue and teeth ready to devour me. My claws press harder to hold him back enough – the only thing about Gaara he always lacked, just a bit of restraint.

His tongue enters me harshly – attacking my own with a fury and violence that burns at my insides. I growl into him and my claws scrape harder into him, and his body shudders to me. Fuck I love him, but can’t control his body at all.

I hiss enduring the tearing of my skin as his talons draw blood and his teeth knock hard against me again. He can’t control the burning either, and it starts to blister against my skin.

That asshole’s body would be cold at first, but he’d warm up – and he wouldn’t burn at me this badly. Fucking jerk.

Gaara’s hips press hard to mine and his length rubs furiously into mine – an uncomfortable burning. I wish he’d just take his time a little more. Then his claws grip hard on my ass. As fucking if! Stupid fucking little brother…

I release snarl in the back of my throat before I drag him arm’s length from me. Glaring hard – and Gaara’s eyes darken, irked. “Fucking tease… always were.” He snarls at me.

“You don’t know a tease till you’ve seen how Darkeyes plays,” I growl, “Besides I’d never let you fuck me – it’s always the other way around.”

He snorts, “I’ve seen the false prince’s game. You only fucked him once, right?” he bites out, hand drifting to massage his arousal – fuck I envy him.

Gets to go around naked… but without clothes I’d get cold. I’m stronger than him though… Pfft – some trade off.

I can hear the thundering approach of his pack, never far behind – aw, he took off just to come see me? Gaara, I’m so touched! Literally I guess.

“How goes the war then?” I wonder noting the hardened look in his wolves, even through the fur I can tell where their muscle mass has increased. “Still fighting with Darkeyes?”

“You know I can’t say no to a good fight – and war is the best kind,” he grins his voice a poignant snarl. “It was my choice, and a deal was made.” He points out, “And you? Where will you go, Naruto? What will you choose?”

What will I ‘choose’? Sides? As if I ‘have’ to choose? A laugh bubbled through me and my body shakes with it – the absurdity of such a question – as if I have to fucking choose anything!!

“I don’t have to choose.” I finally tell him, I mean wasn’t it obvious?!

Gaara hisses and flicks his claws to the side – the barest stain of white, and I’m vaguely reminded of my own hardness.

“I beg to differ, one way or another the war is happening. Don’t you want to influence the outcome?” He wonders with a snide grin, “For your kind there’s only two sides, and nothing short of divine intervention will stop either one.”

“If that is so then I will crush both sides.” I growl back. He smirks and drops his eyes to my confined length, then looks back into my eyes, a tongue swiped across his lips.

He’s doing that on purpose! I fight back a hiss - shit, I’m horny! But I’ll live… “I could help you with yours?” he suggests, a low snarl.

I glance toward his pack waiting not too close, some wondering if they should go – if I asked him to suck me off, he probably would. At least half of this pack would stay to watch. Exhibitionist that I am, I’m sorely tempted…

But a disturbance bores into my mind like a power drill and with a hiss I turn back towards the mountain – anger, frustration, shock; something has happened.

“That’s alright,” I tell him, my voice grinding with frustration – because fuck it’s been a while! “Looks like I have to check up on the maggots.”

“Back to the Order?” Gaara wonders with a snort, lifting his senses to try and tap into the same, but he can’t. “So something’s going on? You’ll be alright?”

Alright? I’ve matured – I grin back at him. “Nothing can happen to me; I’m the Deux Ex Machina. I’m a fucking god.”

Then I’ve taken off and my brother’s presence slowly fades from my immediate senses and I’m inside the mountain.

My body gone in a drifting stream of particles through the halls – the air – through my marked and in a moment I know what has occurred.

Orochimaru has been discovered as a traitor – he’s fled the Order – Karin has also been discovered missing though no accusations have been made – Sasuke’s absence is called to question – the council is upset – movement has increased.

The clans and leaders are anxious – the air is thick with fear and uncertainty – Jiraiya has been named a general again. Tsunade is in control of her own army faction as general – Sakura will be with her as commander.

I curse and fly back out of the mountain – but I can’t scent Gaara anymore. Fuck! If I’d known it was just going to be that I’d have stayed and gotten some!

Fuck this shit.

The war will begin, and then the storm.

Turning back to the task at hand, I still can’t immediately tell where Darkeyes went. But he’s mine, and I always know where my own are. Just a trace is necessary and I already have him – his memory, his blood, his presence, all of it inside me.

Reach out. A few more steps. I can find Darkeyes, no matter where he goes – his blood is mine. He already belongs to me.

Another cave. Deep inside. Dark and cold. Regen – mark them all – mine like all the rest. All belong to me, part of me, created from me. Each will my own.

He’s awake. He’s aware of me – even before I solidify before him. Dark eyes locked on me. Calm, unwavering. He doesn’t speak. Neither do I.

Let him sweat it out. What am I here for? Didn’t I escape? What do I want? Wonder Sasuke. Wonder and tell me.

Fuck but he’s a pretty piece.

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