Necropolis demon
Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine…yeah, life sucks.
Necro: I'd like to thank my readers especially those who reviewed, I'm glad to be a source of entertainment for you guys. Hehe.
--o00o--
Bloodlust
Watching Sasuke grow as time passed was both my greatest joy and most painful days, not a day went by that I did not think of the course of our fate. It was mortifying to know when I was going to die, but what was more heart-wrenching to me was the fact that I would never have the opportunity to see my brother become a man. Ten years old would be the eldest I'd see him, and after that I would have to forever disappear from his life.
I cannot count the sleepless nights I spent contemplating this…
The years flew by all too quickly for me that it seemed futile to remember, though there were some events I noted for the sake of memories. I recall a few civil wars that had sprung in the West, moving slowly to the East during my three-year wait. There was also that rumor about a government official's wife being murdered for some treacherous act she'd committed against the government.
But on a lighter note, there was that one time when Sasuke played his flute with me for a ritual dance.
I remember that at age nine, Sasuke developed a liking for juicy tomatoes, why this was so I never figured.
I witnessed how he grew to love reading and how he liked quiet afternoons by the pond…
…how he hated having to sit and listen to Father's long discussions that came randomly…
…how he enjoyed helping Mother with her chores every other day…
Now…you might think that nothing eventful happened to me during this gap, well, let me tell you a few things then…
I matured into a fine young man of average height and build. I thought I looked much like my stern father and often said to myself that in a few years, if given such time, I would be his very image.
But that's not very important now is it? Well…there is one other thing you might find interesting.
When I was fourteen moving to fifteen I had a dream…now, it is not the dream that I consider eventful since I cannot even remember what it was, but that night as I lay asleep in my bed, I dreamt of the pleasures of the flesh and woke up to find myself breathing hard, drenched in sweat and covered with my virgin seed.
That was the night I became a man.
Shortly after this, my Father arranged for me several meetings with distant blood relatives. It turned out to be some sort of nefarious plot to have me marry one of their daughters. Autumn of my fifteenth year, I met my betrothed who was a rather shy and unexciting girl but was considered to be the best they could offer.
Sasuke was not very happy during these days, choosing to secretly watch over me and my fiancé though I always knew he was there hiding behind some screen door or behind some trunk of a nearby tree.
It was rather amusing to see him in such a distressed state. He was quite adorably envious of the amount of time I spent with my future wife, although this bonding time was forced mind you.
On my sixteenth birthday, of which there was no celebration since I was as you call it the 'black sheep', I told Father that I refused to marry the woman they had chosen for me. Outraged, my father slapped me across the face and told me how much of a disgrace to the family I was. Mother wept as she held my brother close…they both witnessed how Father threatened to disown me, saying that I was no longer fit to be his son and that I had gone down the path of dishonor the very day I killed Shisui.
To tell you the truth, I was tired of this. You can picture how dreadfully difficult it was for me to keep silent after all these insults and of him bringing up that wild accusation.
I was about to strike back but Sasuke came up to me with tears in his eyes, mouthing 'no' to me…
That one look of desperation from him was enough to break me down, I hugged him close and listened to him sobbing quietly…Father just looked at me one last time and left the room. Mother followed him shortly.
All right, now that we are done with that part of my mortal life, let us move on to the beginning of my immortal one shall we?
o00o
Shisui's death anniversary was a silent affair, on this day we always visited his grave which was dug somewhere in our family's cemetery. Every year since his death, we would come on this very day and offer flowers and prayers. I received many scathing looks from family, except Sasuke, on this day every single year since they all blamed me for his death. I didn't want to attend these things but as part of the clan I was expected to.
Another reason I didn't want to attend this year was because this day served as a reminder of my deal with the Devil. That specific day, on my sixteenth year was worse…
…my time was inevitably close.
One week was all I had left.
I spent most of my time thinking of life and how it would be had I not met Orochimaru. But it was unavoidable, this predicament of mine. My parents noticed the change in my behavior that week, however subtle it might've been. Sasuke was the one who brought it up to them, saying how little I ate and how often I stared blankly at the sky as if waiting for something.
That night, exactly a week after the anniversary, we all sat for dinner much like we did all those years ago when I had given them no shame. We ate silently as if nothing was off until finally my Father spoke.
"Itachi, we have noticed a difference in your behavior these days. What has brought this on?" he asked. Somehow I wanted to hit him with my bowl for pretending he wasn't disgusted. I knew he thought that I was just causing trouble, thereby worrying Sasuke.
But I did not strike him. I simply sat there and looked at him then replied, "Nothing, nothing is wrong with me Father."
"You are clearly troubled. Seeing you like this not only affects us but your brother as well, now tell us what is wrong with you?" he said once more, this time a little more forcefully than needed.
Again, I went with denial and told him not worry about me.
My parents had enough with me and chose to leave me be, Sasuke on the other hand grew more concerned but knew better than to push me. I excused myself from the table and went outside without another word.
It…was time.
At first I thought of preparing my things, perhaps some clothes and such but decided not to. I would've looked like I ran away from home and I did not want to be remembered as the coward who fled dishonorably. Instead I just walked on towards my impending end, dressed in nothing more than my pristinely white yukata and my hair neatly tied back with a white ribbon of silk.
I must've looked like an offering to the demons that night to anyone who might've seen me, covered in white and all with a solemn expression on my face.
Well…that night I really was.
For several minutes I waited there on the exact same spot where the deal had been made, somehow I hoped to myself that the Vampire would not come, that he would forget our agreement and about us siblings…that he would just choose to leave us be.
As if on cue that vile creature appeared in front of me, crushing all dreams of freedom.
I will never forget that look of lust in his eyes as he looked at me, matured after three years of waiting. He licked his lips and beckoned for me to come to him, reluctantly I did. Standing in front of him, I could not help but feel like a helpless rodent being eyed upon by the vicious snake. His eyes scanned me thoroughly and piercingly, never breaking away.
"Itachi-kun, you've grown so much…" he said in that airy way of speech he uses, yes…yes, he was indeed a snake.
"Remember our agreement, you will not harm Sasuke."
"But of course." With that he grinned and I noticed for the first time the two sharp fangs he had. Without another moment of delay, he sunk his teeth into the unmarred flesh of my neck, bleeding me for all I was worth.
It was madness…this pleasure I felt, more wonderful than the feeling I had that night, years ago when I soiled my sheets with seed. Everything was a blur to me, the stars watching overhead faded from vision…I was in such rapturous ecstasy!
I forgot myself, forgot who was giving me this sensation…all there was for me was the pleasure…yes, yes, more!
"Ugh! Agh! Damn…" I was hot all over, blushing furiously as my excitement heightened even more.
For a second, I felt the pain and weakness of blood loss…he had stopped.
And I felt dizzy and dying, the whole world spun before my eyes…I felt cold, cold as death…
Then he spoke, "Itachi-kun, I've drained you of your blood and you are dying from this. Once I give you my blood, you will slowly become as I am…but for at least a full day, your body will be dead and cold, your heart will beat but it will be so painfully slow that whoever finds you will think you to be dead."
Rather interesting…this way of death…
"When they find you, you will be in a deep slumber but aware of everything around you. They will put you into your coffin and then bury you during the day, as soon as night comes and everyone has left you to your eternal rest, I shall come for you and together we shall flee. Do you understand?"
My head was too fogged but I understood and nodded.
He smirked once again, licking my blood off his lips. Then with his fang he bit down on his lower lip, drawing blood.
I was a lifeless body in his arms, I couldn't even move. Slowly he held me close and placed his bleeding lips upon mine.
It was then that I tasted it, this sinful taste of an immortal's blood.
My eyes opened wide at the sensation, this blood of his was calling for me, and so I came.
I kissed him brutally, and desperately…I wanted more of that taste! My once weak hands held him forcefully as I drank from him. Yes, yes…more, I wanted, no, needed more!
It was unbelievable, this impure blood.
So sinfully addictive…
With a gasp I released him, my heartbeat seemed gone but I could still hear it, it was slow but there. Looking up I saw the Vampire wiping the blood off his lips, his knees were buckling, weakened by my hunger for him. We eyed each other, gasping and taking in small breaths as we tried to pace ourselves.
Oh the internal turmoil I felt! Having lost my self-control…
The feeling was exhilarating at first, these initial moments of receiving the Vampire's blood, and then…I suddenly felt a wave of sickness engulf me.
It was horrible…I vomited what little food I ate at dinner, surprised at my sudden heaving. My whole body then became rigidly cold, covered with sweat. As all this was happening, I fell under a dizzy spell and soon I was lying on the ground.
My chest stopped heaving…and that was it.
I was dead.
My lifeless eyes stared blankly at the night sky…the vampire kneeled next to me and gently wiped the blood off my lips.
…The world slowly faded into darkness as his fingers closed my eyes.
o00o
My body wouldn't move.
But I felt the Vampiric blood run through my veins.
I could hear the slow and weak sound of my heart beating. So painfully slow, only about a beat for every twelve or so seconds.
The outside world sounded so different to me…everything was dark since I had my eyes closed, but the sounds of the darkness made up for my lack of sight. Every single hum was amplified, the slow movement in the river, the sound of shuffling leaves, even the slightest breath of any nearby creature was clear to me.
It was much later on that night that I heard the distinct footsteps…I smelled alcohol from this individual although his movements did not seem sluggish. Perhaps he drank a bit, but not enough to be drunk.
The footsteps came close then stopped for a second, the man, I guessed, must have seen me lying on the grass with my yukata stained with blood around the neck.
I could smell the blood-stain…it was there on my collar…for a Vampire that Orochimaru was a rather messy eater.
Then a yell for help came. Footsteps shuffled back and ran towards the nearest person to be found.
In a minute or two, there came more people, more footsteps, more beating hearts…All of them men, I suspected by the way their movements seemed heavy.
They came towards me, with a lamp I'm sure…I could smell the oil used as if they had placed it so very near me which they had not.
Someone was checking my pulse…nothing. Then they listened to my heart, but after ten seconds there was still nothing.
…Some talking…about me, they talked about Fugaku's son, yes…he was murdered.
How? Someone stabbed my neck twice with a poisoned nail of some sort and hit a vital artery.
Vomit…I could still smell the vomit. So pungent it was.
More footsteps. More people.
Gasps of horror at the sight of me, on the grass with a peaceful expression they said.
They said I looked as if I was just sleeping. I could've laughed.
And then, at last, footsteps approached again, only this time I knew exactly who these people were.
"Itachi! My Itachi! My son!" came the first sobs of despair…from my mother.
My father just stood there, unmoving…then very gradually he opened his arms to my mother and embraced her, whispering things to soothe her pain. He must've been surprised to see me dead when only a few hours ago he was talking to me.
Mother's wails slowly died away as several men placed my body on a stretcher, covered me with a white sheet and carried me off.
They sent me off to somewhere and set me on a futon. Cloth wiped away the specks of earth on me and some gentle hands removed my soiled garments. They wiped off the blood and dirt then ran a comb through my hair and clothed me in something clean. A black kimono with the Uchiha crest on its back if I'm not mistaken as was what we wore based on tradition.
Later, the smell of incense entered the room; it was a priest of sorts. He muttered some sutra's for the dead and did other things to prepare me. I did not pay anymore attention to what was happening around at this point and instead chose to sleep and dream.
When my mind had awakened my body was as it was before, lifeless…but the blood was still surging through me though my eyes remained as they were. The sounds of lament were around me, I imagined I was already laid out for the clan.
"-not guilty after all-"
"-such a waste-"
"-the poor child-"
Ah, such whispers… only then did they realize the truth when it was already far too late. I ignored these cries, they meant nothing to me now…
…Except for one that caught my attention and made my supposedly dead heart ache with misery and guilt.
"Aniki…why?" then came a reluctant sigh. It was Sasuke, my poor distraught Sasuke, whose heartbeat was racing as he tried his best not to cry as I had once taught him not to.
Men of the Uchiha clan do not show weakness, we do not shed tears.
Try as I might to ignore him, his voice was all I could focus on…he never spoke of another word and for this I was very thankful. Had Sasuke spoken more and wept harder for me, I would not have had the courage to go on with this charade. I was so proud of him for being able to be in command of his emotions, but so very miserable as well for not being able to hold him close to me and whisper to him that I could feel his anguish.
Oh Sasuke, you've made me the even more confused than I have ever been.
But I'm glad I succeeded in what I sought to teach you to become.
o00o
Necro: There, the biting has begun. Writer's Block is an evil EVIL thing. Review please!