Inverted Cross

Ayane Selznick

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Blood Coated Lips

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He slammed his hands hard on the desk.

Naruto couldn't believe that a trainee easily took his limelight. Not because he was jealous and prideful but he was more worried for the sake of the person. She could have died right there and then if Naruto wasn't there for distraction.

The blonde teenager knew that it was a girl. Based from the suit and curves in her body, he was definitely right about her being a girl.

Sitting in front of him, the one who owns the desk had a messy white hair. He had an eye patch on his left eye. They heard that it was injured during his fight with the vampires, which happened during the Uchiha glory days.

His right eye lazily looked back at Naruto. Even though it doesn't show emotion, they all knew that his patience would break later.

"After what happened it proves that she passed her training. Part of her test was sniping, I've seen her records and I've seen her in practice shooting. She's a great marksman."

"But Kakashi-san, we've agreed that no trainee would just popped in and back us up." He reasoned out.

The person with white hair, Kakashi-san as Naruto called him, massaged his forehead.

Naruto said was true. Part of the agreement mentioned that no trainee would just come in for the team's aide. The life of the trainee would be at stake, especially when he or she lacks experience in the field.

"Naruto, refer to my first statement."

Said person complied by re-stating what Kakashi said.

"You passed her because of what happened earlier. If it didn't happen then she's still a trainee!" The blonde boy shot back.

"Naruto what's done is done. Your tone of reasoning gives me a headache. Why don't you go home and sleep? It's…" Kakashi looked at his wristwatch before continuing, "Oh it's three thirty in the morning. Why don't you take a rest? Tomorrow will be another vampire hunting day so go get some rest."

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That morning, Sasuke almost fell to the floor when he saw Sakura sleeping on her desk again.

He told himself yesterday that once he saw her doing the same thing, he would wake her up immediately.

And so, he made his way to her chair, roughly shaking her shoulder.

"Sakura. Oi, Sakura wake up."

"Five more minutes…" Sakura grumbled the next statement as she resumed her way back to dreamland.

Getting impatient, Sasuke went behind her, hands threatening her sides then in a swift movement, he started tickling her.

"AHAHAHAHA!"

Her sides were also her ticklish spots, second to her ear.

"Uchiha-kun, Haruno-chan, what are you doing back there?"

Uh…oh. Both of them had the same thing in mind.

Sasuke was very sure that the bell hasn't ringing yet, but the professor standing there beside the door proved that the bell just rang.

Oh bugger…

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"I'm really, really sorry Sasuke," it turned into a mantra as soon as Sakura and Sasuke were sent out of the room.

Sakura heard him sigh.

"You've been apologizing for ten minutes, Sakura, I said it's okay."

"I know you're trying to help and it's all my fault when Iruka-sensei also sent you out with me, so I'm sorry."

Sasuke gave out a long lazy sigh hoping to shut his friend up.

"Enough, okay? Just be quiet." Even though they've been out of the room, Sasuke's eager to listen from outside.

Sasuke leaned his back on the wall near the doorframe. He crossed his arms ever so coolly over his chest. They let silence reigned them while listening to their professor's lecture inside.

Nightmares, as she called it, had been injecting too much insomnia to her. She opted to sit beside Sasuke, thinking it would be tiring to stand for an hour then her eyelids gotten heavy again. They threatened to close in a minute. Sakura blinked her eyes trying to be awake but the more she blinked the more she attempted to give in.

After blinking twice Sakura finally closed her eyes. It just took her seconds before she completely fall into a deep sleep. Unconsciously, her head softly bumped to Sasuke's leg.

He looked at her sleeping form and couldn't help but smile at her constant "sleeping inside classroom" syndrome.

Being the gentleman and good friend he was, Sasuke held Sakura's head for a while for him to sit down beside her. Then he positioned her head on his shoulder. Sakura groaned sleepily but then allowed her body to lean on that comfortable side, which happened to be his side.

Sasuke smirked, "your nightmare's getting us in trouble but," his smirk turned into a soft smile, "you're less annoying when you're asleep." Sleeping so quietly.

All of a sudden, Sasuke felt that something passed by. He narrowed his eyes.

What the hell are they doing in here?

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Good thing it was Friday.

Most of the students were done with whatever project they have at hand while some preferred to stay inside their club chambers to finish something. There were some who stayed to relax and chat with their friends before they go home and wait for Saturday to come.

Sakura stayed inside the Art room to apply finishing touches with her latest artwork.

The piece in her canvas was something that held her creative ideas. She expressed herself through artwork. Most of her subjects were nature, seasons and expressionism. She never tried portraiture, caricature or anything that had a person in it.

With a stroke of her hand, which held the brush, the blue oil color blended with the midnight sky. Pushing herself away, she stared at her nearly complete artwork, checking if she had to add or patch up something.

Gazing at her piece took a lot of her concentration but her senses caught a presence that snuck inside the room. He was fast!

Normal person doesn't have that kind of speed!

Her eyes caught its movements. Its speed never wavered. Sakura knew that there's something wrong with the intruder and she didn't like it one bit.

Sasuke's been sneaking inside this room a lot of times and I've grown familiar with his stealth. He doesn't have agility like this!

Letting out the breath she had been holding, Sakura resumed patching up her artwork as if nothing happened. If that intruder had bad objectives for her then she'll be up for a fight. She won't let him to take her down easily.

As she stroked the final touches, a hand reached out to her shoulder.

SWISH! GRAB.

"Stop playing prank on me." She warned the intruder while observing the hand that attempted to touch her.

The intruder groaned loudly, trying to get out from her strong grip. Sakura was done analyzing the attacker and she was sure she knew the owner of the hand so she quickly let go and watched the intruder walk out of the shadows.

"Wow that's quite a counterattack." He started finally walking towards the light.

When he showed himself, Sakura's eyes went wide.

"What are you doing here Sasuke?" Instead of a question it turned out as an annoyed greeting.

Sasuke gave her a quizzical look while massaging his aching wrist.

"I've been sneaking here for a lot of time and this is the first time when you suddenly grab my wrist trying to break it."

Sakura blinked. "Uhh… well that's… uhhmm…"

"Judging from your stammering, something's wrong." His quick dark eyes scanned the room, "isn't it?"

She looked back on his calculating eyes. She detected alertness and anxiety when he narrowed his eyes from one dark corner to another.

"Before you came, something's jumping from one location to another. It was fast." She narrated.

Noting that this kind of encounter wasn't any of the ordinary, Sakura immediately packed her things, leaving her wet paint on its stand. She followed his keen eyes on the darkest spot of the art room. She didn't even notice Sasuke's quickness when he grabbed a scalpel from the table.

"Just stay close to me Sakura."

"What's going on?" She didn't mean to show how scared she was but her voice bared her soul.

Sasuke almost crouched in an attacking stance when he located the target.

How in the world did it get in here? They shouldn't be around at this hour!

His knitted brows told her that something must have formed in her friend's mind and she really wanted to find out what he's thinking.

"Hey, Sasuke, what's—"

"DUCK!"

Sakura yelped when Sasuke's command entered her ears. She acted upon his yell and watched the zooming scalpel going towards the darkness. Sakura held her things on her arms, sitting on the floor with thighs apart.

When she looked at where Sasuke threw the scalpel she saw a human figure running from the other side.

"He's going over there!"

"I can see that…" Sasuke muttered still in his position to protect his friend but getting the upper hand by having the first offense. If only I have a gun…

The target stopped running and he continued teasing them while he laughs dementedly. Sakura hugged her things tighter. What's… going on?

Judging from his movements, Sasuke assumed that the target was walking towards a lighted area, natural light coming from the window. He squinted his eyes as he observed.

Then when the target came into view Sasuke already knew what it was. Due to pale skin and sharpened fingernails Sasuke knew it was a vampire.

But how…?

"Heh, you may be thinking why I'm capable of running around even while the sun is out there. Hehehehe. An improved substance was discovered to make us immune from sunlight. Hahahah… savvy isn't it?"

Sasuke's eyes grew wide. Discovered? Since when! He narrowed his eyes towards the target. "I don't care about discoveries and such. As long as you're a vampire I'm taking you down." He threatened.

While he was eyeing the vampire, he took his short dagger from his right leg holster. Sakura observed from behind.

He was able to get inside school and malls with that thing on his leg?

For years, regular people knew about vampires. To avoid being victims they usually have materials that can be a weapon against them. Garlic, holy water, rosary, and Shinto seals are what they thought the most effective tools against vampires.

For Cross members they use silver bullets, silver knives, silver katanas and anything could be a weapon against vampires. Before they use it, they dipped their weapons in a Holy Grail, which contained liquid known as Holy Water.

Sasuke's dagger was silver but it wasn't dipped from a holy water yet.

There's no chapel around here. Catholic church is kilometers away.

He gritted his teeth and chose to strike first before the vampire held the upper hand. Sasuke zoomed quickly only to reappear in front of the target. He tried his way to get an opening but the vampire was equally fast. But Sasuke didn't give up; he used his hand-to-hand combat skills to weaken his opponent's defense.

Watching incredibly, Sakura almost gaped in awe at Sasuke's unknown strength and speed. She had never seen this side of him before, particularly how he managed to easily point out that the intruder was a vampire.

Maybe just like her, Sasuke had his own deepest secret.

He tried to slash the opponent's midsection but failed when it dodged to the opposite direction. He spun to the left and successfully drove the target towards the opposite section with his blow. The vampire broke the driving force then held his momentum to get back to a fight with Sasuke.

As the vampire jumped towards his attacking stance, Sasuke placed both of his hands behind him. Quickly, he slashed his open palm with his dagger and dabbed the blade with his own blood. Sakura didn't understand why he just did that.

Getting in some distance, Sasuke dodged his claws and got in an opening. He pushed the dagger-coated blood towards the spot where the vampire's heart was. The opponent gasped and looked awfully at Sasuke's eyes.

"You…!"

Sakura and Sasuke watched the vampire's body quickly turning into ashes. With the help of the open window, the wind blew away the dark and white ashes of the dead. Welcoming a few seconds of silence, Sakura tried to fill in something to herself.

Wow…Sasuke can really fight against vampires. But… how did he do that?

As if reading her thoughts, Sasuke turned to face Sakura. He gave her a smile and asked if she was okay.

"You alright?"

Sakura just nodded while walking towards him. Sasuke watched her at her proximity to him. There was an obvious questioning look plastered on his face as he stare eye to eye on Sakura's green ones. Soon, Sakura's eyes landed on his dagger at hand and the wounded palm. She held his wounded palm and looked at it.

"How did you keep your dagger on your leg? Why did you injure yourself?" It was all too sudden when she asked him questions.

Sasuke hadn't intended to tell her that he had been a vampire hunter before he entered school; that he was working for Cross; and he had a vengeance on top of his list.

He didn't want to scare her off because of his dark intentions against non-human race. And he didn't absolutely want to make her feel that he's dangerous.

Their stillness wrought tense to one other. His pink haired friend and classmate pressed her other hand to the side of his wounded palm as though telling him that—

"It's okay if you don't tell me. But if you're willing to just tell me and I'll believe you." She looked at his eyes and added, "I'm your friend."

Sasuke solemnly looked at her in the eyes. Her eyes told him that she would believe him no matter what he said. Yes, he was kind of relieved but it's not the only thing he wanted to see, he also wanted to know that when he revealed himself to her there wouldn't be any changes in their friendship. That they would still be friends like they always was.

Releasing the breath that he held for a long time, Sasuke told her that he'll tell her everything while he treat his wounds. Sakura offered to help him.

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They sat inside the Art room. Sakura was on Sasuke's side, treating his open wound, which gladly stopped bleeding. He watched her carefully while she dabbed an ointment on his palm. Serious as she had always been, Sasuke learned that a part of her personality is being concerned to a friend.

"I'm working as an underground vampire hunter." He noticed that she paused then continued with what she's doing. "I don't kill people."

"Only dead people." She applied.

"Yeah. My brother and I were trained to slay vampires. We know everything how to kill them."

She stopped momentarily and looked at him, "You have a brother?"

"Didn't I tell you before?"

"…No." She scowled.

"Aa… well he's an elite and he had another job."

"Does your parents know anything about this?"

When Sasuke didn't reply, Sakura knew that she hit a sore spot. She was about to apologize but Sasuke beat her to it.

"They're dead. I'm just living with my brother."

"…I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay."

Silence prevailed as Sakura put on medic plaster on his wound. Done with her treatment, Sasuke unclenched and clenched his hand. "Thanks."

"I should be thanking you for saving me…"

Sasuke smiled. She's very down to earth as usual. He helped her get up and was about to leave when she pulled his wrist. Sasuke glanced at her.

"What is it?"

"Why did you wound yourself?"

He lifted his newly treated hand and showed it to Sakura.

"I have injected a vaccine that has an anti-vampire solution. It doesn't harm anything inside my body but it gives a nullifying effect from vampire's blood transmutation. So even if I'm bitten the vampires can't turn me into one."

Sakura looked at his hand then to his eyes when she asked, "How did it affect the vampire when a solution entered their body?"

As usual, she's very observant. Sasuke looked at her and smirked. "It burns vampire innards. It will start from bloodstream to skin." He stared blankly for a while then continued, "and the only spot that you should hit with the vaccine is the heart or through their mouth."

"Clever." She muttered. It was an expression when she heard something superb or unnatural.

He smirked once more then tugged her hand. "I'll walk you home."

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Uchiha Sasuke arrived at the head quarters at exactly one in the morning. He wasn't fully geared but he wasn't wearing pajamas. He walked towards the Weapons and Research Laboratory where their researchers and inventors create gadgets and weapons against their non-human race.

Entering codes in the panel, the computer asked for his name to verify person.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

The computer analyzed him for a moment then let him proceed in the lab.

As he entered the lab, he passed the weapons chamber and gadgets room. Aware that most of the researchers had gone home or sleeping elsewhere, Sasuke knew that only one person stays inside the facility room improving their gadgets.

When he stood in front of the door noticed that it was half open. Strangely, the lights were out. He went inside only to see the brown haired teen scientist who's IQ is above everybody else, except his brother's.

"Over time?" Sasuke asked, walking towards Shikamaru computer table.

"Yeah. Troublesome vampires are quite rivaling." Shikamaru didn't even have to look back to see who came in. He continued typing, reading and analyzing in front of the monitor.

"Rivaling huh?" Sasuke inclined himself on the wall near the computer table, "I've encountered a vampire in school earlier. He was immune to sunlight and he said—"

"—it was an improved substance. Yeah, yeah I've heard about that." Shikamaru lazily butted in as he continued typing formulas for his theories.

On the other hand, Sasuke gave him an incredulous expression that said, "Who the fuck told you that?" look. Since Shikamaru was unaware of that look, he just followed up his instincts and started talking.

"The new recruit told me about it. She was here two hours earlier."

The recruit? How did she…?

Sasuke bid Shikamaru farewell at the same time walking out of the lab but his mind was in deep thinking, trying to find out who the recruit was and how come she knew about the vampire he just encountered.

Could it be, she's spying? Where was she then? And since when did she find out which school I'm going?

He squinted his eyes. Something at the back of his mind telling him that the new recruit was none other than the person who almost turned into a victim if not for his arrival. He stopped walking then glared at the white floor.

As if she can handle a gun. No way. It couldn't be Sakura. But who else could it be?

Massaging his head with his unwounded hand, he started walking towards Kakashi's office.

Kakashi hasn't introduced the new recruit yet. This time, I'm gonna find out who she is.

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Kakashi noticed that his office door has opened. He lazily turned his attention to his new visitor.

"Very nice of you to visit, Sasuke-kun." He muttered, earning a nod from his visitor.

When Sasuke neared the desk, he gave his superior a grim look. Kakashi was curious, why is this kid giving him a look?

"How may I help you?" He asked jovially.

"Did you send any spy or undercover agents moving as your eyes?"

Kakashi's eyes didn't blink, he just looked back at Sasuke's dark ones.

"Why would I do that? Paying your wage's costing me too much. Expenses for the lab resources, too. So why would I spend my money for unskilled spies?"

Sasuke shrugged, "Just asking."

Kakashi leaned forward, his elbows supporting him while his crossed hands cover his lower face.

"What are you getting at?"

The young Uchiha shot him a raised brow. "You said we had a new recruit. Where is she?"

Kakashi closed his eyes for a moment. Soon his chuckles turned out loudly. Irked, Sasuke had a twitching brow aimed at Kakashi's direction.

"Is that why you're angry?" Kakashi's chuckles toned down for a bit, "Why Sasuke, is she bugging you?"

"No." He sternly replied.

"Then why are you so interested?"

Sasuke breathed out his frustrated sigh, trying to calm himself whereas Kakashi had been getting on his nerves. If he continued this mind game then Kakashi would surely snap two or more of his nerves.

"There's a vampire out there who was capable of walking anytime he wanted to. He told us about his immunity against sunlight."

"Us? Who's the other?"

"My friend," He didn't want to say the name of his friend, what's important is— "Getting back to the topic, that means I'm the only one in this group who knows about it. What's bugging me is how did another member, particularly a new recruit, would know something about it? She has told Shikamaru before I did."

Now it was Kakashi's turn to sigh.

"You're thinking that there was another member from this agency that was sent out to spy on you then use the information to get on a higher level?" He chuckled, "Sasuke you said there were two of you—"

"It's me and my friend."

"And this friend of yours is?"

Before Sasuke could butt in, a female cheerful voice broke in. "Me."

That…that voice!

Sasuke turned his head to the side to look if his theory was right, when he did, his eyes widened.

What the hell?

Sitting on a couch near Kakashi's desk was a girl clad in training garment. Her thighs had belts that secured her guns. Slowly taking off the eye scanner, she revealed her beautiful, familiar green eyes. To top it all, her short pink hair gave out her identification.

"So Sasuke how many Cross members are there during that time?" Kakashi asked.

To be continued…

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Author's Note: Wow guys, thanks so much for the reviews. Somehow it gave me the drive to continue working with this one. The new recruit is revealed and your guess was right. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, too.

Read and Review please :3

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