I revised Chapter 4. And there was much rejoicing. Yaaay.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, anyone from Naruto, and I didn't create the idea of vampires either.
Kisei: I do however own the order I chose to put the words in!
Sasuke: Yeeaaahhh….
Kisei: Well… I do . ;
CHAPTER FOUR: "Thinking"
I never knew where Tsunade went, how long Naruto stayed in the hospital, or even if Tsunade was right to kill me. They left me in the cell for another week after she condemned me, and I suspected they meant to starve me to death. I spent my time sitting on the cold stone floor of my cell and contemplating my sorry little existence, and I knew I could never be what I had dedicated my life to.
I lost my chance to be a shinobi. I would never have another. My ninja days ended the night a vampire bit me in a small village with a cozy inn. I never liked it there; I couldn't stand it. Maybe a part of me realized I would die there.
Too much thinking hurt everyone, drove you mad with possibilities, memories, words, and pictures. That explained why Shikamaru lost himself in the clouds, why Naruto hollered and ran everywhere, why Chouji ate, why girls chased boys, why Kakashi read, why Itachi killed, why I lost myself completely in my training to gain enough power to kill my brother. Thinking was bad for you.
So I sat in the cold, dark cell Tsunade left me to rot in, and I thought.
I though about my father always favoring Itachi, never praising me, but I always wanted him to acknowledge me. I thought about Itachi's former kindness, but then he killed everyone I loved. I thought about becoming part of Team Seven, and when we finally became a true team. I thought about fighting Haku and Zabuza. I thought about the chuunin exam and Kabuto, Neji, Gaara, and Lee. I thought about Orochimaru and the curse seal he left on my neck. I thought about leaving Konoha, and Naruto finally bringing me back. I thought about Sakura's tears, Naruto's eyes, and Kakashi's hidden smile. I thought about the cold front I showed my friends. I thought about how weak I let myself become, how weak I always was. I thought about what I'd done to Naruto.
I bit him. I knew it took more to sire someone, though I wasn't sure how. Naruto would be fine. He just needed more blood to replace what I took, what I stole. I remembered the light leaking from his eyes as he passed out, the dullness that replaced it. He closed his eyes then.
I fought most of my life to avenge my loved ones, only to nearly kill my best friend, my only friend. I drank his blood. I knew I deserved to die, to avenge my friends for all the pain I'd caused them.
A light appeared in the doorway, blinding me long enough for someone to enter my cell while I blinked furiously. Once I regained my sight, I found Kakashi standing over me, frowning through his mask. I sensed his anger and… disappointment.
"I convinced them not to kill you." He spoke, his voice completely flat, but he showed no sign of regretting it.
"Why?" I tried to kill Naruto.
"I can't really explain," he furrowed his eye brows and squinted at me in the darkness. "But you're still… you."
I turned my eyes red, red without the sharingan, but with slit pupils. "Am I?"
His frown deepened. "You still think like Uchiha Sasuke; you question everything I say like Uchiha Sasuke; and even though you don't always sound like him, you definitely do when you're around Naruto, which makes you even more like Uchiha Sasuke."
I turned away, my eyes black again. "But I have fangs and a demon's eyes, sunlight hurts, holy water burns, and I have no reflection. I'm dead. Uchiha Sasuke died, so how can I still be him?"
He looked down at me, and for once I couldn't read his expression. "Because you want to be."
"But I can't." I stared at the dark stone floor. "Uchiha Sasuke wouldn't have killed Naruto. I remember I even tried once but couldn't."
He grabbed me by the front of my shirt and lifted me to my feet. "He's not dead. So come on, Not Uchiha Sasuke, we need to get home before someone sneaks in and steals my favorite book." He smiled through his mask, but it never reached his eye.
I rolled my eyes and followed Kakashi home.
He left me in the same room I'd stayed my first night as a vampire. Kakashi watched me most of the night rather than sleeping in his own room, across the hall and to the right. He presented me with a familiar silver thermos, and I thankfully found that the pig's blood left me completely sickened and disgusted.
I hadn't known that I could still be thankful.
I fell asleep completely exhausted, but I still managed to thrash, turn, sweat, and scream in my sleep. I nearly leapt out of bed when I woke, and I found Kakashi sitting in a comfortable chair beside me. I panted, he watched, we waited.
He finally spoke when I managed to lie back down. "Have you had that dream before?" His soft voice didn't disturb me as much as usual right then.
"Yeah…" I mumbled, drained.
"When?"
"The first night after…" I didn't know why I couldn't say it. I had before.
"It was the same one?"
"Yes."
"Have you dreamt it other times too?"
"No."
"What…" He hesitated and licked his lips. "What's it about."
"Nothing."
"It has to be about somethi—"
"No." I cut him off impatiently. "It's about nothing. I see, feel, touch, smell, and hear nothing. There's no light, no ground, no people, no animals, nothing. I don't even really exist in the dream, at least I don't think I do." I glared at him. "It's about nothing."
He looked thoughtful, and his visible eye gleamed in the moonlight. "That's an interesting thing to dream about."
"Interesting?" I laughed, dark and painful.
"What is it then?"
I closed my eyes and leaned back onto my pillow. "Terrifying."
Kakashi woke me by chucking a book at my head the next morning. Then he dragged me off to meet the Hokage. She looked down at me, displeased and arrogant. She obviously still wanted me dead.
She withheld all emotion from her voice when she spoke. "Uchiha Sasuke, you were charged with the attempted murder of Uzumaki Naruto. But since you are not a living citizen of Konoha, we are at this time unable to determine a suitable punishment."
I hadn't meant to kill anyone, but I kept my mouth shut.
Tsunade took a deep, calming breath before continuing. "Until such time as we determine a suitable punishment, you will live under guard with Hatake Kakashi, who has offered you both his home and your chance at life.
I smirked. Kakashi confused them by reminding them I was dead, and that they can't send a corpse to death row. I never realized before how devious my sensei could be.
END CHAPTER
Kisei: Sooo, ya like?
Shikamaru: If not… you can always watch the clouds
Ino: HEY! How come I'm not in this?!?!?!
Kisei: -hides- -hates Ino-
Sasuke: You know, if you stop reviewing… she'll leave me alone…
Kisei: -wacks Sasuke- I WANT REVIEWS! And I won't leave him alone, I'll just stop posting it. Five reviews for a new chapter! That's my rule. :)