"I'M COMING, I'M coming..." Sakura grumbled, hefting the tray of food higher up. Heavily laden with plates of steaming food, it was a hassle to carry to through the crowded restaurant. She was one of the few waitresses that could manage it, but today it was an ordeal even for her.

Exceptional balance hadn't always been her thing. When she first hit puberty her legs shot out, long and gangly, before she had any idea what to do with them. She tripped over her own feet, and often fell to scar her then-knobby knees forever. Sakura glanced around, the memory of the scabbing knees evident as she thumped her leg off of a chair that had suddenly been thrust into her line of motion. Miraculously, she saved the tray of food, despite the throbbing that was now spreading.

She set the tray down on the collapsible support table, and started handing out her dishes. Of course, it had to be the wrong table. Sakura hurriedly apologized and ducked her head as she slowly lifted her things. Embarrassed as she was, she could not rush with the process, lest she spill the mill.

Sakura paused to brush her bangs out of her eyes, and sighed with relief as she recognized the people at her table. "Hey, guys. Sorry 'bout the mix-up. Busy day, ya know?"

The wife and her husband just laughed, and their little children giggled. Sakura loved Cloe and Jeremiah to death, but she couldn't stand their kids. Her mother used to say that they were as evil as Satan himself. Sakura repressed a pained grunt as Jessa, the youngest of the two, kicked her square in the shin. Sakura strained to maintain her vow of "Friendly Service With a Soothing Smile," though in truth the grimace was more terrifying than soothing. Since when did servers need to sooth their patrons, anyway?

In Sakura's experience, if anyone need soothing, it was the waiters and waitresses. Probably the most overlooked public servants next to the sanitary works, waiters and waitresses control your food. A good rule of thumb when dealing with servers in the food industry: Don't fuck with the people who cook your food.

Sakura smiled and licked her lower teeth in a manner most irritated. Jessa giggled in response, her dark eyes flashing mercilessly. Cloe shot Jessa a glare and she hastened to apologize to Sakura. "I'm sorry, hon, I don't know what gets into her! I'm so sorry!"

"No worries, Mrs. Calliers. If she's a good little girl through dinner, I'll get her an ice cream. On the house. How's that sound, Jess?" Sakura squatted down to the deviant's level to make one final attempt at peace. When the little girl nodded, she smiled.

Sakura finished passing out plates, and even opened the straws for the children. Jessa smiled a big smile and took a hearty swig of her chocolate milkshake. Her round cheeks lifted as she smiled around the straw,and Sakura paused to smile and pat the girl on the head. Sakura picked up her tray and stand, waiting patiently as another server tried to tip-toe past. Jessa made a big show of fumbling with the cup, making a 'valiant' attempt at catching it. Her shot seemed mislead, and ended up landing the milkshake right on Sakura's ass.

"Uh-oh. Sakura, did you have an accident?" giggled Jessa, covering her mouth with both hands. The forgotten cup smashed to the floor, breaking into hundreds of little pieces. Sakura, frozen in place by the severity of her anger, stared at the scattered, shattered pieces.

"Cloe? I can't do this right now... I'll- I'm just-" Sakura spun on heel and marched back to the bar, slamming down her tray and stand. "Tally- you're on table seventeen. I can't, and I won'-"

"Sakura, how can you give up on them like that? I'm sure it was just an accident! Y-" Sakura laughed and bit back a sob of desperation.

"Yes, Ash. This is an accident, huh?" Sakura spun around and pointed to her rear-end as one might showcase an item for sale. "That's a first class accident right there." Sakura lowered her eyes, realizing that people were being to stare.

She'd known them all her life; Raulen Point wasn't exactly a big town. In fact it was so small that there had never been anyone to move into the town since Sakura was six. That had been Naruto, and they'd hit it off right at the start. Sakura was the average small town girl: desperate wishing for all she was worth to get out of there and break the mold, but completely broke of any devices that might help her achieve that.

Sakura couldn't lose her cool in front of them; she'd never live it down. Her town was big on church, family, and faking kindness for the "Greater Good." Sakura believed in God as much as anyone in her town, she didn't feel the need for all of God's teachings and meanings to be lathered and layered throughout the various levels of life. Trying to live a perfect life by God's standards would mean... well, it would mean not living a life at all.

Not that she had ever or would ever or would ever share that idea with anyone in Cadence county. Averting her eyes, she rushed into behind the counter and into the worker's quarters of the restaurant.

She spent the rest of the night there. Sakura fell asleep on the couch in the lounge where all the waitresses came to relax between tables. She didn't remember even sitting down, but she assumed she must've.

It was late, a little bit past closing. Everyone was closing up. Sakura straightened her clothes and wandered out into the kitchen. It was empty, which was odd.

There was the loud echo of plates clattering to the floor, and a muffled squeal. Sakura jogged to the door, her heels forgotten beside the stove. She could never run in those things anyway.

NARUTO SIGHED, TAPPING his fingers on the steering wheel as he maneuvered his car down the exit ramp. He had twenty miles of back-roads until he got to the Piggly Wiggly.

He was back from his trip with his foster father, and was going to surprise Sakura with a night of "lovin'" after he picked her up from work. He and Sakura were already engaged to be married, but a little fun before the wedding never killed anybody.

Pulling into the parking lot, he smiled. He hadn't seen her in nearly a month, and he couldn't wait to kiss her. It was such an innocent thing that it surprised him. In high school he'd never been the one to get all romantic with a girl. He'd been an 'in and out' kinda guy- both literally and metaphorically. He glanced into the rear-view mirror as he fixed his hair. Who said a guy couldn't care about his hair?

HER VISION WAS blurring. She could feel the blood exiting her body through the two small holes near her shoulder. Not to mention all the other matching little pairs. Blood, blood, blood. Why did there have to be so much blood?

Her hair stuck to her forehead, the blood serving as a sickly adhesive. The tall, dark-haired one had bite her. His teeth had elongated, he's paused before biting to show her. His dark, dark eyes... they'd been as black as his hair, and just as cold and unfeeling as the floor of the freezer beneath her. She'd resisted, not caring if he tore through her skin. She didn't want to make it easy for him!

She'd only hurt herself more by aggravating him. He made multiple bites, but the one near her collar bone was bleeding the worst. He told her he could've bit the femoral arteries, near the apex of her thighs, but that he'd at least didn't feel right leaving her to look like a vampire's whore.

Turning her head, she stared out the door of the freezer. The door was open but it was still so cold... Would anyone help her? Did she even have enough time left? Her once blonde hair, now stained a deathly dark pink, was frozen in some places. A small smile came to her lips as she realized it was too late. It was a bit of a relief, you know, to not have to wonder if help would come. To know that it wouldn't, and silently resign yourself from the worries was a major relief that she didn't expect.

Her blood was freezing to the floor. She could see it getting slightly cloudy as it froze over and congealed. It looked odd. The blood on her skin looked and felt especially odd. It no longer felt warm at all, but cold and icy. She moved her fingers slightly, the blood that coated them cracking as it was forced to move.

There was a sound at the door, and a body appeared in the frame of it. She could hear the wild intake of breath and wondered absently who it was. It was... her friend. Her alive friend. Why wasn't she dead, too? Did she have-

"Oh my god... Ino, what happened to you!?" breathed Sakura, her own pink hair hanging down into her face. All thoughts of betrayal left her mind, and she smiled up at Sakura.

"We match..." Ino breathlessly mused. Sakura couldn't stop the tears that came. Even Ino knew she was too far gone to have a chance.

NARUTO PULLED THE door wide as he strolled into Sakura's place of work, immediately noting the strange smell. It was thick and smooth, with a salty smell that he could taste. The taste it left behind was most peculiar. He scraped his tongue against his teeth in an effort to rid himself of the taste, but it didn't go away.

"Yo, Sakura!" Naruto glanced around, looking for her. He peaked around the corner of the bar, ignoring the spilled ketchup on the floor. The place had really gone down hill since he left.

"Geesh, guys. Can I get some decent service or what?" He joked loudly, expecting a swear of response from one of the waitresses. The lack of response made him feel a bit nervous. Where the hell was everybody? He was half expecting that they knew he was coming back and were either messing with him or getting ready to jump and surprise him with a welcome home party. "You guys still here?"

Naruto crept to the back of the restaurant, almost scared that no one was there. He didn't know why he was so nervous; he'd been here by himself plenty of times after hours all by himself. The feeling wasn't right, though... Something was definitely off.

Walking behind the bar and stepping into the off-limits-to-public part of the restaurant. He was in direct view of everything. And boy was it something. That everything was everywhere.

The inside of the freezer was practically covered in blood. He barely recognized the girl laying there in the pool of blood. It looked like someone that he knew, but he wasn't even sure anymore.

"Sakura?!" Naruto tiptoed out of the freezer, trying not to step in the blood. He'd always been squeemish about blood, which made this moment very awkward for him.

There was a slight chinking sound behind him, and he whirled around, prepped and ready for fight. He nearly socked the person, because he didn't know who it was at first. However, when he saw it was Sakura the anger died instantly. He yanked her into a crushing hug that she didn't reciprocate.

"Sakura, what the fuck happened?" moaned Naruto, rocking the both of them back and forth. Sakura mumbled something into his chest, and he pulled away. "What?"

"I... I don't know..." Sakura's eyes were glazed over and she looked half-asleep.

"Wha- how the hell do you not know?!" shouted Naruto, splaying his hands wide. "I mean, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what's happened! I- woah, Sakura, are you okay?"

She shrugged, and tried to sit down on the floor, but Naruto stopped her. "Jesus, girl, do you want to get her blood all of over you? Come on, let's go get Sasha, she'll know wh-"

"Sasha is dead." Sakura looked him in the eyes with that souless expression, and Naruto felt his soul quiver.

"Wh-what do you mean she's dead?"

"What do you think I meant, Naruto? She's dead. They're all dead. Every. Last. One..." Sakura closed her eyes and shook her head as if trying to rid herself of a bad memory. She pulled her arms free of his grip and wandered away from him. "It doesn't... make... any sense. Who would do this, I mean, I know we don't have great service, but... people wouldn't kill us for that, would they?"

"I dunno. We have some crazy-ass people out here, but I kinda doubt they'd kill everybody. No offense, Sakura, but why are you still..." Naruto trailed off hoping she'd get the idea.

"What?" asked Sakura, unsure of what he meant.

"Well, you know! Not, ... Dead." Naruto bit his lip and frowned when her eyes flashed angrily.

"Oh, what? Dead? Thanks, Naruto, thanks a lot. It's nice to know my fiance thinks I'm a fucking murd-"

"I never said that!" Naruto intervened, grabbing her into a hug before she could stomp off.

He thought she was mad at him. He'd never know that on this day, she was truly doubting the fact that it wasn't her. She'd been asleep, and when she woke up, they were all dead. And yet, miraculously, she was alive. It didn't make one lick of sense.

"WELL, WHAT SHOULD we do?" murmured a deep voice. Long, mahogany tresses hung over his face, falling into his eyes. Pulling his hair back into a low ponytail, he glanced over to his clan-member as he waited for a response.

"I say we kill them both. Witnesses equate to talking, which would equate to discovery. And we can't have that, now can we?" smirked his cohort. Neji eyed the dark orbs of his partner, taking in the dark humour. Noting the sly turn of the flesh colored lips, he smirked in return.

"No, we cannot." Neji licked his lips as they stared at their prey. He glanced over again, grinning a full-on grin. His fangs exposed he chortled, "Well, this should be fun."

"WHAT THE HELL do you want me to do, Naruto? I can't magically bring them back!" stressed Sakura. "We can't call the police yet- if we do... I mean... They'll think I did it, because if you did..."

"Sakura, I don't think you did it! But, I gotta be honest... the odds are kinda stacked against you here. I can try to help, but I can only do so much..."

"Gah! Mother was right! I should'a paid more attention in school! This is bullshit! I can't believe this happened! I should be mourning, not plotting out how to friggin' hide it!" Sakura raked a hand through her cotton-candy-colored locks and frowned.

"What if we just left? I mean, if we weren't here, then... they can't hold us accountable, can they? We've done nothing wrong!"

Sakura sighed, observing the earnest look on Naruto's face. He actually had a good idea for once... She nodded, and tried to hold back the bounty of tears that attempted to surge forward. "I guess that's all we can do. I mean, I was with Ino when she... well, died. She didn't yell at me, so it couldn't of been me... And I- well, let's go. We've wasted enough time. We're going to go to your place, alright? I don't know if I can-" Sakura broke off, thinking of the apartment that her and Ino had shared. She couldn't go back there, not now, not ever.

THEY BOTH WATCHED as the pair exited the building, their eyes reflecting what little light there was that night. The venom flowing through the passages in their fangs seemed to be overflowing by now. They'd just eaten, but where they came from meals didn't come every week. And when one found a meal, one enjoyed it. Gluttony might have been sin, but they were already dead, so what did it matter?

Itachi lowered his eyes to the feet of the girl, a smile worming its way across his features. That was the blood of the blonde one, he could smell it. The smell of it brought the taste of it back to mind, and his salivations increased. Why did blood have to taste so damned good?!

Neji elbowed his comrade, trying to keep him at bay until the moment was right. They'd never outrun them, but he wasn't in the mood for a game of cat and mouse. He wanted them, and he wanted them now.

As they stepped under one of the spotlights, the blonde boy held a hand up over his eyes to hide his sensitive eyes. Itachi snickered under his breath, finding that side-note highly ironic. He bared his fangs, letting himself come out of hiding. Sakura visibly flinched back when he opened his mouth to speak.

"Do you like our work?" Itachi chuckled as they both jumped, wrapping their arms around themselves. The outlines of two tall, willowy men moved a step closer to their skittish targets. They both laughed outright as they scrambled backward. "Oh, come now. Why make this harder than it has to be? You want to go out fighting? If you're going to die anyway, why make it more painful?"

Naruto closed his eyes and took a few short breaths as he tried to calm himself down. Itachi rolled his eyes with impatience and then leaped forward. Naruto shrieked and moved to cover his face. Sakura was frozen in place by her own fear, only her facial features contorting to show the emotion. Naruto cried out as Itachi fangs gently grazed his flesh. Yelping as the taller man nipped, he flinched and quivered with fearful apprehension.

"Why are you- what are you?" squeaked Naruto, his eyelids fluttering as Itachi licked the skin.

"You don't get it by now?" chuckled Neji, his long fingers wrapping around Sakura's arms. He turned to look at Naruto. "We're vampires. We are because we can." Neji retracted his fangs and popped them out again, finding a sick sort of humour in their recoil.

"Didn't I tell you not to play with your food, Neji?" Itachi questioned playfully before sinking his fangs into Naruto's flesh. Sakura screamed and made a motion to grab at Naruto, but Neji held her back.

"Please! Let him go! You can take me, but just don't hurt him! He's not even supposed to be here! It's not his fault!" Sakura's breath became shorter and more unsteady as Itachi continued to suck. Itachi pulled away a few seconds later, and he licked his lips.

"I've considered it. I think we shall leave him. Let me fix things up here. Go with Neji." Itachi growled when she didn't move.

"I'm not leaving until I know he's safe!" protested Sakura, trying to stamp her foot. Neji's eyes bored into hers and she found herself unable to move, or even breath out of rhythm.

"Thank you, Neji." smiled Itachi. The tone was so cordial and pleasant that it made Sakura want to throw up.

Neji carted the girl away, her still imobile body tucked carefully under his strong arms. Sakura tried to call out to Naruto, to tell him that she'd be fine, but her body wouldn't listen. However, even as her body betrayed her, Naruto shouted out to her that he'd be all right. Which, of course, was more than the opposite of the truth. He wouldn't survive this, not by a long shot.

The question was: Would she? Had she just wasted her only chance at life, for a person who was going to be denied life already?

Author's Note: Yes, I'm more than aware that the first chapter of this story is timid and strained at best. :P But bear with me. :P This chapter is the hardest to write, because I don't want to give too much away, but I want to be able to get on to the next chapters. :P Forgive me!

You don't get to know the pairings yet. :) YET. :D But if you look at things close enough, you'll find out. :)

Now, let's see who gets this right! :D Do you think she'll make it? Do you think Naruto will make it? Do you think someone else will come along and save her? Or will her fiance do it?

Let me know what cha think! :D

Lauren/Mellokai

Be warned. Kai is back. :P But not for a WHILE.