Bleh… I can't read the chapter today, so all that I can do is type. (I seem to say that all the time, don't I?) Well, I'm in a bad mood because I'm supposed to stay off of the Internet, so I won't talk anymore.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I wouldn't be throwing a tantrum because I couldn't read the chapter.
- - -
Sakura fought the urge to close her eyes and sleep as the bus jerked along the bumpy road to the place that Tsunade had described. There, all of the newly Turned who needed guides to the Castle would meet. An escort would take them there, and they might never return.
She shivered at the thought, running her tongue over her incisors – her newly sharpened incisors. Tsunade had given her a set of fangs upon her departure; she'd also had to teach Sakura how to use them.
"They won't wear out, and they'll let you suck blood as long as you need to, but you won't get any more nutrition from it than any other mortal. Make sure you eat," she'd commanded sternly.
Now Sakura mentally repeated the thanks she'd already given her mentor, narrowed eyes scanning the other occupants of the vehicle. Full vampires would not be comfortable in the blinding sunlight that came in through the windows.
Thanks to some paranoid part of her mind, every person who so much as shifted was a possible vampire. When a tall blonde with sunglasses placed a hand gently on her shoulder, Sakura whirled, teeth automatically bared.
Instead of recoiling like Sakura had expected, she merely looked slightly surprised before grinning to display her own set of fangs.
"Take it easy," she mumbled. "You were so jumpy that I knew you were one of us. I'm Ino." She instantly snapped her mouth shut, but not before the blonde had seen her teeth.
Sakura relaxed slightly at Ino's friendly, cajoling tone. "I'm Sakura," she offered timidly. "Are you going to the Castle, Ino-san?"
"Yes," Ino nodded. "Who Turned you?"
"Tsunade-shishou," Sakura answered. "You?"
Ino frowned. "I don't know his name. And he's dead now, so I guess I'll never know." She shrugged carelessly.
Sakura was saved from having to say anything as the bus stopped. "This is the stop," she said, standing. Ino followed her out, her cheerfulness completely restored.
"Where are you going?" she chirped, bouncing behind her new pink-haired friend. Sakura rubbed her eyes tiredly.
"I'm going to go eat something," she yawned. "Wanna come with me?"
Ino looked horrified. "Sakura-chan, you can't feed in the middle of the day! In broad daylight!" she cried, waving her arms frantically.
"Not feed, Ino-san," Sakura laughed. "I mean food, food!" She gestured towards a bakery.
"Oh. Okay, then!" Ino shrugged. "I haven't eaten this way in months!"
As they stepped into the small shop, Sakura inhaled the scent of sugar and sighed happily.
"Do you want anything, Ino-san?" she asked, indicating her selections. Ino shook her head.
"No, thanks," she replied, wrinkling her nose at the food. "You actually eat that stuff?"
Sakura gave a strained laugh, carrying her tray of steaming hot food to a table in a corner of the shop. She was painfully conscious of Ino watching as she ate.
As Ino leaned in to say something, a car screeched to a halt, and both girls looked up, startled.
"Kuso," Sakura muttered, standing and dusting off her hands. "We should start walking."
"Yeah," Ino agreed as they left the shop. "It's getting dark."
"We'd better get going, then," Sakura smirked. "We wouldn't want to get attacked or something, ne?"
Ino giggled. "Of course not! How are we going to get to the Castle if we get mugged?" Her sunglasses had disappeared with the sun.
"Are you going to the Castle too?" a male voice asked. "Do you need someone to protect you?"
Ino laughed as a blond-haired, blue-eyed immortal bounded up to them with a pale-eyed girl on his arm.
"An escort would be greatly appreciated!" Sakura replied, emerald eyes twinkling warmly.
"So, so, what are your name?" the boy asked energetically. Before Sakura could counter with her own question, the girl beside him tugged at his sleeve and whispered in his ear. "My name? Oh, of course! Thank you for reminding me, Hinata-chan!"
She blushed, stammering, "Y-you're w-welcome, N-Naruto-kun…"
"Well, then!" Naruto turned back to face Ino and Sakura. "My name is Naruto, and this is Hinata-chan! Hinata-chan is taking me to the Castle!"
"Actually, we're taking everyone," a deeper voice remarked. The speaker, a vampire who looked a little older than the other four, narrowed eyes similar to Hinata's. "Get your hands off my cousin, moron!"
Naruto laughed cheerfully, completely ignoring the older boy's venomous tone of voice. "My hands aren't on Hinata-chan, Neji-teme! Her hands are on me!"
Hinata squeaked and blushed furiously while Neji growled at Naruto. He opened his mouth to retort when another male voice interrupted.
"Oi, Hyuuga. How long are you going to take? I've already got the rest of the newbies." Neji glared at the dark-haired immortal who stepped toward them with two females behind him.
"Uchiha," the white-eyed immortal drawled. Hinata turned, eyes widening.
"S-Sasuke-san!" she exclaimed, bowing. Sasuke nodded at her in greeting, onyx eyes never leaving Neji's.
One of the girls with Sasuke rolled her eyes, striding forward and looking at Sakura. Her long brown hair was neatly bound on the top of her head in two buns. "I'm Tenten. Who are you?"
Sakura followed her lead, also ignoring the two glaring males. "I'm Sakura, and this is Ino."
"My name is Naruto!" Naruto shouted, joining them. "And this is Hinata-chan!" Tenten rubbed her temples as Hinata giggled.
"N-Naruto-kun, you d-don't h-have to b-be s-so l-loud," Hinata scolded gently. When Naruto apologized sheepishly, she pointed at Neji. "Th-that is m-my c-cousin, N-Neji-niisan, and th-that is U-Uchiha S-Sasuke-san."
"Nice to meet you all," Tenten said brightly.
"Same here," Sakura grinned. "But aren't they supposed to be taking us somewhere instead of staring at each other like demented lovers?"
"Sasuke-kun isn't gay!" the last girl, an immortal with purple hair, contradicted.
They all turned to stare at her. "Haven't you known Sasuke-san for like, three minutes?" Sakura asked skeptically. "Who are you, anyway?"
The girl puffed herself up pompously and took a deep breath. "My name is Ami, and I'll thank you to remember that!"
Ino rolled her eyes,
mumbling, "You're welcome." Ami opened her mouth to shriek, but
an annoyed voice cut her off.
"That's enough," Sasuke
growled in irritation. "Spread your wings and follow us."
"Wings…?" Ami looked puzzled. Neji rolled his eyes.
"Don't tell me you've never flown before!"
Tenten placed her hands on her hips, cocking her head. "And if we haven't?" she demanded.
"F-feel f-for your w-wings and f-force th-them to c-come out," Hinata advised, surprising everybody. Neji and Sasuke nodded.
Sakura concentrated as hard as she could until she found something that screamed "Wings!" in her mind. Pushing as hard as she mentally could, she felt them rip from her back and form feathers.
She pushed and pushed until they were finally the largest she could get them. By that time, all the others were finished and waiting for her. Sasuke gave her an annoyed look before leaping into the sky.
Well, excuse me if I'm not fully immortal, some part of Sakura's mind huffed indignantly.
Let it go, she sighed to her inner self, finding that taking off was much easier than growing wings.
Soon enough, though, maintaining her wings grew harder and harder. Ino and Tenten, sensing her fatigue, each took one of her hands and quietly urged her on for the rest of the journey.
Fighting to keep her wings – up, down, up, down – it was the part of her dubbed "Inner Sakura" that remembered to thank them for their support.
She was ready to collapse out of the sky by the time they arrived, but when the glittering Castle of obsidian and blood-red ruby appeared before them, Sakura's weariness fell away. Something in the presence of the Castle itself lent her enough energy to land safely – gracefully, even – without help from Ino and Tenten.
"Welcome to the Castle," Neji droned, as if he'd made the same speech many times.
"D-daijobu, S-Sakura-san?" Hinata inquired quietly. Sakura nodded, leaning against Ino.
"Weakling," Sasuke sneered, glancing contemptuously at her.
Something inside of her snapped. She marched up in front of the raven-haired immortal, wings retracting as she did. "Did you say something, Sasuke-san?" she asked softly. The temper she'd inherited from Tsunade was rising.
"I'm sorry, I thought I'd said that loud enough for you to hear. I said you were a weakling," Sasuke smirked.
"Why you - !" She threw a punch at him, only to be held back by a strong pair of arms. Her fist just barely grazed the hand that Sasuke had put out lazily to catch it, but he was thrown backwards almost ten feet. He got to his feet with a shocked expression.
"Tsk tsk, Sasuke. Are you really getting beaten up by a woman?" the vampire who was restraining Sakura asked in a mocking tone.
"Shut up, Itachi," Sasuke muttered as Sakura pulled herself free. She spun to find herself looking up into crimson eyes. A familiar chill ran down her spine, but she couldn't place her finger on its source. All she knew was that those eyes captivated her.
"So, this is the student of Tsunade of the Sannin, hm?" Itachi remarked, scanning her with his eyes. "You've certainly inherited her strength."
"W-we sh-should t-take th-them in," Hinata stammered, finally letting go of Naruto to tug Sakura away from Itachi.
"Hn." Itachi turned and swept away, his long black ponytail fluttering behind him.
As Neji led them in through a set of obsidian doors, Hinata whispered to Sakura, "Y-you sh-should p-probably t-try not t-to a-anger U-Uchiha-san. H-he and S-Sasuke-san h-have a lot of i-influence h-here."
"So basically, you're saying that I should avoid pissing them off because they can make my life a living hell," Sakura said dryly. Hinata winced at her choice of words but nodded. "Well, thanks for the warning. I'll try to remember it."
Sasuke turned to face them, and briefly Sakura wondered if he'd heard them. His expression never changed as he spoke.
"This will be your room," he said to Sakura, Ino, Tenten, and Ami, indicating a door. "You will find clothes inside; change into them and get back here in five minutes."
"I will show you to your room," Neji said, looking at Naruto. He had barely finished his sentence when two objections were voiced.
"I'm not staying with them!" Ami pouted, batting her eyes at Sasuke.
"N-Naruto-kun w-will st-stay in m-my r-room," Hinata stated softly. Neji looked outraged.
"Hinata-sama – "
"I am th-the one wh-who T-Turned h-him," Hinata cut in firmly. "Y-you c-cannot d-deny me m-my r-rights. H-he will st-stay w-with m-me." Her decision was final.
Neji reluctantly turned to Ami, who was obviously hoping to share Sasuke's room. Sakura shuddered at the thought of sleeping in the same room as one of the Uchiha brothers.
"Because we have an extra room," Neji sighed, "you may move into that room instead." Ami looked disappointed, but nodded nonetheless.
"Thank the gods," Tenten murmured under her breath. "Can you imagine having to share a room with her?" Ino giggled, pushing open the door.
Inside the room, they found three beds, a closet, and a bathroom. On each of the beds was laid out a black shirt and a long black skirt. Sakura took one look at her clothes and decided to wear leggings underneath. Tenten followed her lead, but Ino shrugged and slipped the skirt on.
As soon as they had finished dressing, there was a knock on the door, and Sasuke's voice called, "Are you finished yet?"
Sakura stuck out her tongue at the door before opening it and stepping out into the hallway. Five humans stood before them, observing them with unsurprised eyes. Ino and Sakura glanced at each other.
"We feed them and take care of them, and in return they give their blood," Neji's voice answered the unspoken question. "You may feed, but be careful not to take too much blood. Tomorrow you will go hunting."
In stepped directly in front of one of the humans and sank her fangs into his unresisting neck. Smelling the blood, Sakura was suddenly ravenous. She and Tenten approached their "meals" at the same time. Carefully gauging how much blood she could take, she tasted the warm, metallic liquid in her mouth. But when she stepped back, letting the human sink silently to the ground, her stomach was no fuller than it had been a minute ago.
She remembered Tsunade's words with a sight, but before she could do more than begin to wonder if there was human food in the Castle, she, Ino, and Tenten had been hustled back into their room.
"It will be morning soon," Neji said gruffly. "Get some sleep; someone will wake you up when the moon comes up."
They all mumbled a quiet goodnight to him before shuffling to their beds. He shut the door, throwing them into darkness, and left. Sakura – and, no doubt, the others –heard the distinctive click of a lock closing as he did.
"Well," Ino began, "I guess we're stuck here." She focused intently on Sakura's face. "How do you feel? After all that flying, you must be hungry." Before Sakura could say anything, she'd pulled out two pieces of bread and an apple and thrust them into their hands.
"Ino-san, what – "
Ino cocked her head. "I hope I read the signs correctly," she mumbled, fiddling with her hands nervously. "You can eat human food, and you had trouble with flying, so I thought… The vampire who Turned me told me why I should never try to Turn anybody. And I just saw it lying there for one of the humans to eat, so…"
Sakura smiled gently. "No, no, you were right, Ino-san!" she assured her anxious friend. "I was just – Thank you."
Tenten watched in confusion as Sakura devoured the food. "Aren't you full from feeding?" she asked. "And how can you eat that?"
Ino sighed. "Promise you won't tell anyone?" she demanded. Tenten nodded as Sakura finished the last piece of bread. "When the child of two vampires Turns a human, the human becomes a full immortal. But when a vampire who was Turned tries to Turn a human, the human becomes only half-vampire."
"So you – " Tenten stared at Sakura, who nodded as she finished the apple, core and all.
"Hai," she answered shortly, reluctant to give out any more information. "So, how did you become an immortal?"
Tenten's face darkened, and Sakura wondered if every Turning had a dark story behind it. "My mother died when I was young. My father didn't take it too well, and soon after that he was Turned. As a newborn, he went crazy for blood, and every day he would send me out of the house to lure some unsuspecting person in so that he and the vampire who had Turned him could satisfy their hunger. Sometimes they gorged themselves on more than one person. This went on for two years.
"Finally, I had had enough, and I tried to escape. He – not my father; the other one – heard me leaving while they were feeding and came after me. He Turned me, and then he abandoned us, leaving me with my father's body in my arms."
Ino gasped. "How horrible!" she cried. "Newly Turned vampires can't stand being without the one who Turned them!"
Tenten shrugged with a grim expression. "He knew that. He was torturing me in the worst possible way. Eventually, I found my way back and… I killed him."
Sakura looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry for asking," she whispered. Tenten shook her head.
"Nah, it's all right. I'm glad to finally be able to pour it all out," she smiled. All three of them jumped when there was a sharp rap on the door.
"Shut up and go to sleep," Neji ordered.
Rolling her eyes, Sakura slid underneath the covers and dozed off.
- - -
So, Inner Sakura makes an appearance, albeit a very lousy one. I'm trying to keep her like she is in the series – a part of Sakura's mind that reflects what she is actually feeling, instead of what she seems to feel on the outside. Off to my beta, now!!! …My foot's asleep…
