Important Note (Maybe): So I've been reviewing this story and thinking of giving it a solid pairing since I'm already unsure about The Burning Mines – and I decided to make this one officially GaaNaru – meaning GaaNaru will be the main pairing, buuuuut there will be … A LOT stuff that might make readers doubt that. So this is my message to you: No matter what happens (and things WILL happen) – this is a GaaNaru story – all right? I can't promise happy-endings or loves at first sight, or a perfect solid relationship – but this is officially a GaaNaru story... with instances of Naruto with other people...
Danse Macabre
VII: Effluvium; Part II
They'd taken him to a dark car that Naruto hadn't realized was parked right outside the building. All the windows were tinted so dark that the transition from black paint to tinted glass was seamless. Sai had rushed inside, complaining about the sun, and Sasuke had been the one to hold onto Naruto's arm and calmly shove him inside. Deidara had lingered outside, arms spread and head looking up at the sky as he'd collected the raindrops.
Naruto had thought about what Sasuke'd said before – something about Kankuro actually being able to stand the sun—
But there was no sun out. The star was covered by rain clouds.
But, Naruto thought, eyes dimming, the suns rays were strong enough to pierce the clouds weren't they? Even if he couldn't tell, the sun was still shining somehow, and perhaps Deidara would not have been able to stand out here during the day, even on a rainy one.
When Deidara had finally stepped inside the vehicle – it was about ten minutes later. The car looked like a regular cross-over on the outside but had been shaped like a limo on the inside, with seats that elongated across the vehicle, allowing everyone to have a easy view of everyone else.
Deidara had looked positively giddy when he'd come inside, and tapped at the window that led to the driver's seat. "We can go now." He'd called out.
And then they'd driven.
Deidara had talked and talked and talked – but of nothing important, and nothing that Naruto could understand. Sasuke and Sai responded to him at times, but it was mostly a one-sided conversation.
So far they'd been driving for at least forty-five minutes. But it felt like days to Naruto. He couldn't see out the windows, and he sat between Sasuke and Sai who he knew would hurt him severely if he tried anything tricky.
"We don't know for sure what this is about or what Gaara's like, but I guess I'll prep you the same way I'd prepare anyone meeting Kankuro-summa." Deidara sighed, and brushed his hair back. "You keep your head down at all times, respond when he speaks to you, do whatever he says, yada, yada, ya—"
"W…wait," Naruto took a chance and looked at the other blonde. "Yo…you don't know what he's…like?"
Deidara chuckled. "Well, Sasuke does, a bit. I've heard stories, though. Like everyone else. But no, not really. I've never met him."
Naruto's eyes widened. "Th-then why do I—"
"Kankuro fucked up monumentally when he kept you a secret, and I think he might have pleaded with Gaara to not kill you." Deidara said thoughtfully. "Truthfully I'm not so sure it was Gaara's idea to see you. All I know is that you are required to be in his presence today."
Naruto swallowed, taking that information in.
"If you want to know a ballpark estimate of whom you're dealing with…" Deidara began, putting a finger on his chin. "Gaara can have the entire human race extinct in a matter of hours – if he wanted."
Naruto gripped his knees with his hands. "Why doesn't he." He whispered.
Deidara's face turned solemn, but he shrugged. "His mother was a human." He murmured non-committedly. "Besides there are other bothersome species of people he needs to take care of first. More bothersome than humans, believe it or not." Deidara chuckled, before he nodded once. "Right. We're just about there. But first. Sasori?" he called out, turning to face the front of the car. A window pulled down, but Naruto couldn't see the face of the man driving the car.
"Yes, Deidara-summa?" said the light voice in front of the wheel.
Sai snorted. "You're having him call you Summa?"
Deidara smirked and shrugged. "I am Summa to these no-breeds, aren't I Sasori-nemi?"
"Of course, Deidara-summa."
Deidara laughed aloud. "Alas, Sasori is a good little Malésem. Never seen one with as much control as him. I think I'll keep him permanently. Anyway," the blonde snapped his fingers. "Sasori, be a dear and put the window down just a crack."
"As you wish, Deidara-summa."
In the next moment Deidara's window was being pulled down, leaving only a slit of the outside.
That mere slit made Deidara recoil so far backwards that the other three in the car recoiled with him, cautious of whatever could have come at him.
"Close the fucking window!" And Naruto had never heard the other blonde scream so shrilly. The window was closed in the next moment, and Naruto saw Deidara gasping against the door, and clutching his smoking head with both palms. "Fuck." He spat, and spit literally flew out of his mouth when he cursed. "Fucking, shit!"
"Forgot what it was like to burn already—"
"You shut the fuck up!" the blonde roared, and in a movement that Naruto barely caught with his eyes, the man had Sai by the throat, cutting his laugh short and choking him. Naruto had his hands raised, eyes wide, and back flat against the chair of the vehicle as Deidara's body reached over to strangle the brunet.
They stayed there, glaring at each other, with Sasuke looking bored with the whole ordeal. Finally Deidara moved back in his seat, huffing and glaring at them savagely.
"To be fucking expected, I guess." Deidara said scathingly, turning to Naruto. "Your shit's only temporary."
Naruto raised his eyes in confusion. It was as if Deidara had a different voice all together. His voice no longer sounded condescendingly formal, but like…a street-condescending instead. Much like any adult he over-heard on the daily bases.
Had…the man been pretending or something?
And his forehead. It was bright red. The skin of his flesh had pealed off in the instant it had taken to put down the window, and was now searing.
"We're here, Deidara-summa." said the driver.
"Finall—"
There was a knock on the car door.
It was quiet for a full five seconds in the car.
Then Deidara shook himself, and straightened the coat he wore. "They're fast," he murmured, still looking ruffled.
"It's safe now, Deidara-summa." said the driver.
"I know it's fucking safe now." The man growled, moving in his seat and opening the door.
Naruto flinched, remembering how quickly the light outside had affected the other blonde, but when the door was opened the inside of the car was only met with darkness.
Deidara was outside first, followed by Sai.
"Get out." And that was Sasuke, putting a hand on Naruto's side to push him forwards. Naruto did as was told, and stepped out of the vehicle.
He was right about the darkness. They were in what looked like a very, very dimly lit parking lot. Warm lights were at each corner of the open space, and several vehicles lined up every few parking spots.
"Ah, Matsuri!" exclaimed Deidara, extending his arms towards a girl that didn't look much older than Naruto. Said girl looked unimpressed, and had her arms behind her back. She glared at the four of them.
Her eyes locked on Naruto. "He's the one?" Her voice was light, like a young girl's, but her tone was frigid, like a mature woman's.
Deidara stepped behind Naruto and grabbed his shoulders the way a father would a son. "He's the one," he confirmed, squeezing Naruto's shoulders and pushing him forwards.
The young girl barely spared the blonde another glance. She put her left wrist to her mouth as spoke into a contraption. "They've arrived." she said simply, before she nodded at Sai and Sasuke, who stood slightly to the right of the two blondes. "You will take the boy and follow me – I only need one."
"Of course I would have no trouble—"
"Preferably the one who can read minds." Matsuri clarified, cutting Deidara off and looking from Sai to Sasuke.
The Sasuke visibly tensed. "I'm the one." He confirmed, bowing his head curtly at the young girl.
"Then let's go—"
"H-hold on," Deidara called out, smiling nervously. "S-surely Kankuro would rather I be the one to—"
"Summa's orders were clear." Matsuri interrupted, turning her head to glare at him. "He wants the boy with the fancy blood and the mind reader. The rest of you can go. You can't stay here." She began walking again, ignoring Deidara when he sputtered angrily.
"W-what am I, a chauffeur?! You can't be serious!"
Naruto took a small step away from the angry man, but had to keep going further when he found his arm being pulled by Sasuke. Together they followed the girl who was walking towards what looked like a tunnel so dark and expansive the blonde doubted he would be able to see at all in there. All the while Deidara cursed behind them.
Just as Naruto thought, the tunnel was dark. It reached up at least ten meters from what he could tell of the entrance, and felt wide, because wind kept whooshing and bouncing against walls.
And it was quiet. No skittering of mice, no echoing drops of water. Just their unsynchronized footsteps, and Naruto's heavy breathing.
He was about to ask where the hell they were going after at least seven minutes of walking in the tunnel, when he saw that they were approaching a light. Several more steps and Naruto could make out an elevator – quite similar to the one at the 2K Club. Surrounding the elevator was a little bit of light that revealed the foundation of the tunnel they were in. It was something manmade, which explained the how quiet it was. The floor was made of some kind of hard dark tile, and the walls – or at least the ones beside the elevator, were glassy and shone with light colored stones.
The Matsuri girl pulled something out of her pocket when they were directly in front of the doors, and from where Naruto stood it looked like a black card. She waved it over a contraption that glowed beside the elevator before she stood back. The doors opened then, faster than he'd ever seen elevator door open, and she stepped aside to wave the two of them inside.
Sasuke, quite unnecessarily pushed him inside the thing, so hard that Naruto actually slammed against the wall of it, before following him inside.
When Matsuri was inside she pressed a button that was in some language Naruto didn't understand and turned around to look at Sasuke. "You've met Gaara before." It didn't sound like a question, but Sasuke nodded his head like he was answering one. "So you'll know how to behave yourself in his presence?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You'll know how to keep him in check?" she nodded at Naruto.
"…Yeah." Sasuke replied. "Wait…am I supposed to be there too?"
Matsuri turned around when the elevator had begun to move. "I'll be putting you two in the waiting room while I inform the Summas of your arrival personally."
"Don't they already have slaves for that—"
"Listen Kid," Matsuri warned, turning around to face the brunet. "I'm giving you a chance to educate that thing, so he isn't killed on the spot if he breathes wrong." She hissed. She turned to Naruto then. "I heard what you can do," she whispered. "And there's no way I'm going to miss my chance of stepping into the sun because you don't know how to behave in the presence of authority."
Naruto moved further back into the contraption and swallowed.
The young-looking girl glared at him once, before she turned back around. "We're here."
As if on cue, the elevator doors opened to reveal darkness on the other side. But not complete darkness. Naruto could see the tall walls that led to a tall ceiling, and the chandeliers that swung, but were unlit.
There were no doors and no windows. Just a few cushion benches against the walls.
"I'll come for you in a moment. And he'd better be ready." She warned, stepping aside and waving them out.
Sasuke stepped out without preamble, pulling Naruto along with him. And before the blonde could turn around and ask how long it was going to take, the elevators were slamming shut, and the Matsuri girl was gone.
Naruto yanked his arm away from his companion and glared at him. "What the fuck is going on here?" he demanded, trying to keep the fear from making his voice tremble. "What have you people gotten me into?"
Sasuke looked like he didn't appreciate the blonde's tone. "We've explained it to you already. How many times do we have to say i—"
"You can't honestly expect me to suddenly be on board with whatever the fuck you freaks have been saying just because you've explained it once!?" Naruto screeched disbelievingly. "That sick asshole fucking broke my legs, and I could walk again after two minutes. Those other assholes tore me to pieces, and I fucking regenerated – what the fuck is going on?!" Naruto felt himself becoming emotional again, and turned around, putting a hand to his mouth and closing his eyes. "I just want to know," he said again, after a while. "I want to know what's happening to me."
There was silence on Sasuke's end from some time. Before – "You wouldn't believe me right away, even if I told you…"
"I think I'll be willing to listen, considering all the shit that has happened already." The blonde countered angrily, turning to face the other teen again, not caring if he saw the glassiness of his eyes. "I already know you guys are some sort of…supernatural freaks—"
"Unnaturals."
"What?"
Sasuke cleared his throat. "Unnaturals. That's what they call themselves. Ourselves."
Naruto blinked once, before standing up straight. "That's…what? Unnaturals?" He asked. "How…original."
Sasuke glared at his sarcasm. "There are different kinds. Of Unnaturals." He clarified. "The people you should be worried about right now, are the Soulless."
Naruto narrowed his eyes, remembering that word. "Soulless." He repeated.
"Yeah. Except the Sine-anima don't consider the Demis or the Desidemis Soulless. They call us Soullack, so they can protect their precious hierarchy blood politics."
Naruto raised his hand, urging the other teen to slow down. "Wait, wait. I…Dei…Deidara started talking about all this…weird crap about Demis being—"
"It's all blood politics. You don't need to get mixed up in that for your meeting with Summa—"
"But—"
"All you need to know," Sasuke raised a hand, interrupting Naruto. "…is that the Sine-anima are at the top of the Soulless food chain – actually the entire Unnatural food chain, ever since that damned Gaara became leader. The rest of us are just their minions doing their dirty work."
"So you're…" Naruto tried to grasp it. "You're not a Sine-anima?"
"Hell no, I'm not. I'm Desidemi and probably some other mixture of things. Born of human and Demi—"
"And what does that mean?"
"It means that a I am of human and Demi blood." Sasuke said impatiently. "But the important thing—"
"Are Demis different from Desidemis?"
Sasuke paused, giving Naruto a pointed look. "Yes. Demis are of human and Sine-anima blood."
"Then how—"
"No, listen." Sasuke growled, raising his hands. "I'll give you a whole damned history lesson later. That is…if I even ever see you again. But for now we need to go through the important things." He walked over to Naruto. "Kankuro is most likely going to be there, but you won't have to show him much respect since Gaara-summa will be too."
"How will I know…which one is Gaara?"
"Gaara-summa. Always say Gaara-summa. Or just Summa. Not sir, not mister, not Gaara – Gaara-summa. It should actually be Summi, since he's the head Sine-anima, but I hear he doesn't like to be called that. And you'll know who he is. Trust me. Even humans can tell the difference between him and the rest of us."
Naruto swallowed. "Is he…scary?"
Sasuke paused, looking into the blonde's eyes. "I…When I met him…he didn't do anything scary – he just has a…presence I guess. I suppose, going in knowing what he's capable, and his position…would make him pretty scary. But he is dangerous. He's an enemy to all of us – all the lowerbloods. Remember that."
Naruto hesitated with the information. "Why…did you have to meet him?" he had to ask. If Sasuke had to meet the man and was still alive then perhaps the blonde had a chance at surviving this whole ordeal as well.
"I was like you. Different. Not all of us can read minds, you know."
"Like me." Naruto stared cautiously at Sasuke. Had the brunet been through the same things Naruto had been through? Was that why he was nicer than the others?
"Don't tell Deidara – or anyone for that matter – that I told you this, but you'll probably find out soon enough anyway. Kankuro has a completely different agenda than Gaara does. Kankuro wants the title of Summi for himself. Only he doesn't know how to get it…" he hesitated. "The one who ruled before Gaara was his father, Kaze-summi. But Gaara—"
"How do you become Summi?" Naruto asked, the question coming out of him before he could stop himself. All of this was sounding really medieval right now.
"No one knows." The brunet replied. "The most powerful simply assumes power."
"…So did Gaara like…fight his dad…or something?"
"I said no one knows." The teen answered impatiently. "That's what I'm trying to tell you. A Soulless simply assumes power because they are the most powerful. It's the way it's always been done. One minute the Soulless answered to Kaze-summi, the next he was gone, and the allegiance switched. No one knows how. But Kaze is gone, and we know Gaara did something to him."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. This sounded like a classic, son-betrayal for the throne kind of thing. "He killed him. Obviously."
"No. You can't kill your kin. Especially not your father, your maker." Sasuke said seriously. "It's impossible. Also the reason why Kankuro isn't already dead – he would be by now if Gaara could kill him."
The blonde blinked. That was…interesting. "So…Kankuro…wants to…be king?"
"Summi."
"…Right. But he can't kill Gaara…so…"
"Exactly. You're not as stupid as you look."
A glare from the blonde.
"Gaara did something to his father for him to be able to assume the position as our Summi. Kankuro's been trying to find out exactly what he did for centuries. And my ability to hear people's minds…gave him hope." Sasuke's eyes dimmed. "I was just like you, except I already knew I was different since my brother…" Sasuke shook his head. "Anyway long story short they brought me to Gaara-summa, posing as one of their – slaves – hoping that I could read his mind. Kankuro was there, pretending to have a conversation. He kept bringing up their late father so I could probe his mind and find out. But…but when I looked into Gaara's head…"
Naruto was staring at the brunet with rapt attention. When he paused for a long time he hissed, "What? What happened?"
Sasuke shook his head, pulling his mind out of whatever daze he put himself in. "It was pitch black. And all I could hear was screaming – not," he added, when he saw the blonde raise an eyebrow, "not regular screaming. Like…like blood curling. It wasn't a man or a woman. Or a thing. Or multiple things. It was just an entity – screaming non-stop in his mind." Sasuke pulled back a bit, and crossed his arms. "I fainted."
Naruto blinked. "You fainted?"
"Yeah, I fucking fainted. Most of the Soulless are just as stupid and idiotic as any other human. All they think about is sex, their next meal, the next party they're going to, more sex – but Gaara?" His eyes looked a little wary then. "He doesn't…he doesn't think about any of that."
Naruto turned his trembling hands into fists. "What…do you think he thinks about then?"
Sasuke shrugged. "I don't know, and I don't think I want to. I just – there's something you need to know. About the levels of power. Malésems are scum to the Sine-anima. Born of human and desidemi, or Malésem and human – they don't live very long. They're all stupid and angry. They have to feed at least every hour to survive, and when they don't they turn into hideous mutations – deformed and bleeding with fungus coming out of their eyeballs." He shivered. "I think…" Sasuke squinted at Naruto. "I think the others think you're some kind of mutated Malésem. Which means they'll…they'll treat you like dirt, Naruto—"
"Why?" Naruto whimpered, and his voice teetered on a whine. "Why the fuck—"
"Because Kankuro saw who bit you. A Malésem. If you were normal, you would have just turned into one of them and would have probably been dead within the week—"
"But I didn't ask for this!" Naruto shouted, remembering the large man that had ruthlessly bitten into him at the party Kiba brought him to. "I don't even know—"
"Hey, hey," Sasuke said angrily, holding onto the blonde's shoulders. "No one asks for this – all right? Not me, Deidara – any of us. No one asks to be born. But I can guarantee," he warned, his voice getting low, "that if you try to fight, they'll make you wish you never were."
Naruto exhaled shakily, and the wideness of his eyes looked crazed instead of fearful. "I already wish I was never born." He breathed.
Sasuke hesitated with that information. "Yeah." He agreed finally, stepping back. "I guess...having someone as sleezy as Deidara kiss you until you bleed would do that to you…"
"Uhm…what?"
Sasuke put his head down, and put his hands in his pockets. "And Deidara wasn't the first to do that, right?" he asked, his voice soft.
Naruto squinted, trying to understand the question. Was he asking if Deidara'd been his first kiss? "What? No. Deidara wasn't—" he stopped then, shutting his mouth and looking away. "Forget it."
There was silence on the brunet's end for a moment. Then, "I know." Sasuke's voice was still quiet. "About the first time someone kissed you…"
Naruto looked at him, raising an eyebrow. Wh—
"You were nine, right?" The brunet continued. "And that guy was like fucking forty—"
"What the fuck." Naruto hissed, startled into glaring at the teen. "How the fuck—"
Sasuke fidgeted, looking only a little embarrassed. "It's all you keep thinking about. Especially the other night when the others…tortured you."
Naruto's mouth opened and closed, and the only thing coherent about him was the anger he had in his eyes. "So – what?" he began angrily, "You can just – invade people's minds and—!?"
"Calm down." Sasuke urged, glaring at the blonde. "I can't help it. And don't worry I've heard worse things. Seen worse things. I won't tell anyone."
"You just – fucking stay out of head." The blonde growled, pointing an angry finger at him. His eyes were wide and accusing.
Sasuke raised his hands in surrender. "Look, I'm sorry I…violated your privacy or whatever – but we have other things to worry about. More important things."
"What the hell else do I need to know? You've already—"
"Just listen to me, all right? There are other things you need to understand before you can go." He took the blonde's shoulders again, but Naruto pulled away roughly, cursing at him to get away.
Sasuke sighed. "Look," he began, trying to sound patient. "If anyone there starts to…" he licked his lips. "Violate you, or scare you just – try not be scared." He advised seriously. "Your fear – it radiated off of you and made Kankuro and the others go crazy at the 2K Club – and once they had a smell of your blood…it just made them wilder. I think your fear made your blood taste…" he looked away. He murmured something that sounded suspiciously like "interesting".
"Are you telling me it was my fault I got hurt that time?" Naruto whispered, peering into Sasuke dark eyes. "Because of my fucking emotions?"
Sasuke had the gall to look exasperated. "I'm not blaming that on you. I'm just saying you don't know who's going to be in there. Keep your emotions in check, so you don't have a damn repeat of what happened to you at the Club." He hissed.
Naruto exhaled shakily. "Wi…will Gaara—" and his face was grimacing.
"Gaara-summa."
"Gaara-summa," Naruto corrected angrily. "Will he…try to eat me? L-like the othe—"
"Gaara doesn't eat."
"…What?"
Sasuke gave the blonde another exasperated look. "The purer the blood of the Soulless – the less they have to eat. Everyone has a cycle. A cycle to feed. To drink. We feed like clockwork – except some of the Sine-anima who probably eat every fucking day because they have humans at their beck and call."
Naruto blinked, pulling back a bit. "So…you guys really drink blood." He whispered, almost in wonder. "Human blood. Like fucking vampires."
Sasuke hesitated. Before he shrugged. "Yeah. Like fucking vampires. And it's not just human blood. It's the flesh. We're – carnivores."
Naruto twitched a bit, and his face moved like he didn't know what face to make. "You…wh-what's Gaara's…cycle?"
The brunet shrugged. "Centuries."
"A-and yours?"
Sasuke blinked at the blonde once, before he ducked his head a bit. "Four days." He said, finally. And he sounded ashamed. "Most Malésems are about an hour, though." He added, for comparison.
"So…You have to…eat…every four days?"
"…Yeah."
The blonde swallowed. He didn't really know what to make of all that information. He supposed he was glad Gaara wouldn't have whatever urge the others had…to feed him. But… "W-when was he last time you ate?" he breathed, narrowing his eyes.
"This morning." Sasuke's voice was clipped. "And even if my cycle was up I would never try to eat you. I'm…I have more control than that."
Naruto only took a step back. He sniffed, and had another awful scent hit him. He coughed. "You…all of you…you smell like – something. L-like – repulsive. I can't stand it—"
"Are you done?" Sasuke asked, sounding offended. "It's not like you smell like any human I've ever smelled before."
Naruto hesitated. "What the hell do I smell like then?" he asked after several seconds, looking away in disbelief. It was such a stupid question to ask when so much more important things were going on. Who cared if he smelled like shit to these vampi— Soulless. Whatever they were. When Sasuke didn't say anything for a long time he looked up at him. "Well?"
Sasuke looked uncomfortable. He turned around, so he the blonde couldn't see his face. "You smell like…"
Naruto saw his shoulders shrug.
"You smell like...dirt." Sasuke said lowly.
Naruto frowned a bit. So he smelled like dirt? Not as bad as—
"…dirt when it's still…wet." Sasuke continued, softly, as if he was testing the words. "When it's just been watered…by sprinklers."
"Uh…what—?"
"You smell like hot grass, when it's just been mowed. You smell like moist soil and ageing tulips." Sasuke turned to him then, looking solemn. "You smell like the daytime, Naruto. You smell like the sun."
Naruto hesitated. He smelled like the sun?
"The Sine-anima won't know what it is." Sasuke shrugged. "What you smell like, I mean. Because they've never been human."
"And you were?"
"Once."
"When?" Naruto asked, and his voice was a breath. As if he knew he was asking something private.
Sasuke's eyes went dimmer, or rather, dimmer than they already were. Any light in them was gone now. "Not too long ago."
Naruto breathed slowly, and tried to understand the saddened look he saw in Sasuke's face. Then he remembered something. "D…Deidara said Gaara's mother was human. Doesn't that mean –"
"Gaara might have been human when he was a fetus in the womb." Sasuke began, growling. "But he was Sine-anima when he was born." he continued, glaring at the blonde. "There is no human bone in his body. He's a monster. Remember that."
"So then—"
Chhhh…
Naruto spun around, gasping a little. The elevator door was opening.
The same girl from before was there, hands behind her back. She didn't leave the elevator. "Both of you. Come."
Sasuke went passed Naruto without preamble, and pulled the blonde when he hesitated.
"I'm guessing you told him everything he'll need to know." She murmured when they were both inside. "I bought you more than enough time."
"Yeah." Was the only answer Sasuke offered.
Matsuri pressed a button, and the elevator began to move.
-Naruto.-
"Wh—"
-Don't! Talk. Aloud. Idiot.- He hissed.
Naruto bit his lip.
W...what is it?
-I forgot to mention something.-
What's that…
-Don't look into Gaara's eyes.-
Wh—
-He can't help his Allure – it radiates off of him like wildfire – most humans – most species – can't resist.-
Naruto swallowed. A…a-and what's Allure, s-some kind of death ray?
Sasuke gave the blonde a pointed look. -No, not a death ray, idiot. You've probably felt it before. The Pull. It's like…hypnosis. Soulless can make you do what they want if they say something with the intent to control you.-
I…I don't think I've…I've ever been controlled. I mean…sometimes… Naruto stared into the distance, squinting and trying to remember. Sometimes I feel like…someone is really speaking to me – like sometimes when Deidara says something I'll feel him in my head, and for a moment I actually want to do what he tells me but…but it usually fades away. Maybe it doesn't work on me?
-It doesn't matter how you've reacted before. Gaara's a whole other level. Trust me. He can control his own kind. That's unheard of. He doesn't even have to look at you to get you to obey, but once you've caught his eyes, you're done for-
How is that even—
The elevator doors opened.
"You will walk to the end of the hall. The last door to your right. They'll be waiting." Matsuri stepped out and to the side to gesture them outside of the elevator. She glared at Naruto. "If we were in the streets I would have torn you apart by now." She said lowly. "And I would have had a taste of the sun for myself, no matter how temporary. You owe me now." She declared. "For giving you time to prepare. I will be the first to taste you, if they have not killed you. But," she warned. "You'd better not die. Go."
Sasuke was out of the elevator first, pulling Naruto with him.
Naruto pulled his hand away. "Wa – wait." He stuttered, looking back, but the elevator doors were already closing with the young girl disappearing inside. He turned back to Sasuke, eyes wide. "I…I don't want to do this."
"You have no choice." Sasuke growled. "I'm sorry." He added, when Naruto looked a little more than devastated. "But like Deidara said. Your life is no longer yours."
Naruto's face grimaced, ready to cry—
"No." his companion hissed, getting in his face. "Don't. Fucking suck it up. Your fear will only make them…"
Naruto didn't need Sasuke to finish.
Eat you alive.
"What the fuck am I supposed to do then?!" he yelled, but Sasuke put a hand over his mouth and looked disbelieving from side to side to see if anyone was around to hear.
"You do what the fuck I told you to do." He insisted. "Keep you head down, keep your emotions in check, and address them the way they should be addressed. Gaara-summa. Kankuro-summa."
Naruto had to struggle to swallow. His entire face shook as his mouth was held shut.
"Tell me you understand."
Naruto blinked once, and tear fell from his left eye.
He nodded.
Sasuke let go of him slowly. "Wipe your face. We're going."
Naruto did as he was told, wiping his face almost violently. It was more for him than for Sasuke. No matter how afraid, he couldn't look weak in front of these people. He wouldn't give them that benefit…
But the thought of what happened to him at the 2K Club happening again…
Naruto shivered.
Sasuke was already in front of the outrageously large door and beckoning the blonde over. Naruto followed, but had to pause half way. The…
The smell.
What was that?
"Sasuke—"
"Come on." The brunet called out impatiently. He had his hands on the door, ready to push them open.
Naruto wanted to tell him that he was just about to collapse with the horrible stench, but fought through it and followed.
When he was directly behind Sasuke, the teen huffed once, before he pushed the doors open. It seemed to take a bit of strength, because he had to grunt a bit.
But the door moved eventually, like a straining metallic thing. Naruto held his breath as it did, and expected the same darkness on the other side he'd seen in just about every part of this place.
But instead there was light. It wasn't blinding like the sun or the way hospital lights would be. It was warm and almost welcoming—
Until Naruto saw the people inside.
"Uzumaki Naruto." Sasuke presented, bowing to the crowd.
The room was large. Incredibly so. Almost like the entrance of a palace. Staircases on both sides spiraled to an upstairs balcony. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling and emitted the warm light. And there were small –
Pillars.
Naruto didn't know how to describe them. Long, obsidian, carved, rectangular prism pillars circled the large room, and on each stood a person—
No, Naruto thought, swallowing and staring at them all. They weren't people at all – were they? They were…
Soulless.
Sasuke pushed Naruto to the center of the room, and like a torrent of wind Naruto felt the smell of the room nearly take him to his knees. It was like something was rotting in every corner. His knees buckled a bit when he found himself in the center, coughing.
"Welcome, Naruto."
The blonde's head whipped up to the very front of the room. Low and behold Kankuro was there, looking more than a little worse for wear. His eyes were a bright red color that Naruto didn't understand, as if he'd been crying or had healing black eyes. His once perfect skin was marred and ravaged with gashes that looked deep an exposed dark pulsing flesh. He wore a long cloak like thing and was hunched over.
Naruto winced as he looked at him. What happened?
Gaara manifested some of that sand and stuck an infinite amount into the bastard's ears and throat.
The blonde blinked, remembering those words. It looked like Gaara did a lot more than just stuff sand inside the man…
And where was Gaara, Naruto thought suddenly, looking around. The pillars were far from the center where he stood but they had him surrounded. He looked at each of the people who glared down at him, eyes full of malice and…something else. Was Gaara one of them? he thought, narrowing his eyes at all of them.
"Before we begin."
Naruto's head whipped back to Kankuro. His voice was rasped, and low, but the acoustics in the room allowed Naruto to hear him despite the fact.
"I'm sure all of you remember Sasuke-demi." Kankuro continued, gesturing shakily towards the brunet.
Sasuke stepped up in front of Naruto, back straight and chest up like a soldier.
"Sasuke." Kankuro rasped. "Find the snitch." He commanded.
There was shift all around the room as Sasuke stepped forwards again, and did a once over around the room with his eyes narrowed.
"Kankuro what is the meaning of this?" asked a man to Naruto's left. He had his arms crossed and looked from Sasuke and Kankuro with distaste. "Are you letting that thing into our minds?"
"If you have nothing to hide then it shouldn't matter." Kankuro muttered. He coughed directly afterwards, making the remark a little less pointed.
Sasuke paused when he looked at the woman next to Kankuro.
Naruto had to squint at her before he recognized her. It was the woman who was always next to Kankuro. The blonde with the bright green eyes. She and Sasuke seemed to have a glaring contest, before the brunet ducked his head.
"It was Temari-summa." He confirmed softly.
There was a horrible choking sound from Kankuro, and the people around the room shifted and murmured.
"Temari?!" Kankuro rasped loudly. He turned to her, red eyes wide and betrayed. "You were the one who—?"
"I don't know what you expected." The woman sounded bored. "As if I would keep something like this from him."
Kankuro seethed. "You, bitch. After what I went through—"
"You deserved every bit of it."
The brunet bristled and shook in place. Long moments passed before he seemed to gather himself again. He turned his head towards Naruto again. "I'm sure all of you remember our friend here." He hissed, trying to get passed the newfound information. "You all remember what his blood did to us."
"It gave us the sun." someone whispered in wonder from behind the blonde.
"Exactly." Kankuro breathed, and he closed his eyes as if remembering it. "We're here today because my brother," he said the word with obvious distaste. "doesn't trust us with this kind of power."
"And he's right to feel that way." Temari murmured. "We tore the kid apart."
"And yet here he is, alive and well."
"I don't think the word "well" fits in here." The blonde woman lifted her head at Naruto. "He looks like he's seen better days."
And she was right. Naruto felt worse than he did at the 2K Club – he didn't know how he was holding up when that smell –
Moved in on him, surrounded him, suffocated him. He'd left asparagus to rot in the kitchen once. The smell had him sleeping over at Kiba's for a week.
But this was ten times worse – and he didn't even know where it was coming from.
Scratch that. He knew where it came from. It came from these people. But how? How could they smell this way—
"Well, Gaara?!" Kankuro shouted suddenly. Naruto thought he heard the man's throat tearing. "No more secrets. He's right there in front of you. Our key to conquering this infested world and winning this forsaken war—"
"It's just a shame we'll have to find our salvation from this human boy." Complained a woman from the side. She sucked her teeth afterwards, making her sound like any housewife Naruto would hear on the train.
"Salvation?" countered someone else, laughing. "This boy is hardly our salvation. Merely a gift given to us by Sol to use to abuse until we finally—"
"You don't honestly believe Sol would—"
"Of course I do! It can't be more obvious—"
"Listen to me," Kankuro interrupted, sounding annoyed, but the people around him kept bickering on and on.
Naruto looked around warily and tried to catch the eye of Sasuke but the brunet kept his head down like a good little soldier. Naruto took a step back, breathing shakily. These people weren't…scary. He thought. Not at the moment. Especially with their constant backtalk. They were more like a poncy group or book club. Or a political party.
And no one tried to eat him yet. Some were staring at him with wide and steadfast eyes, but others looked bored out of their minds, as if they were used to meetings like this.
He recognized a few of them from the party.
Naruto licked his dry lips and took a step back.
Something rock-solid stopped him from going another step.
And it was like someone cut everyone's voice with a knife. Everyone choked on their words, and stilled like someone struck a sword through their backs.
"Gaara." Temari breathed.
Naruto saw her eyes flutter, and her chest heave once. The smile on her face was unnerving.
But Naruto couldn't think about that.
Not when something so foul invaded his senses, like a venom that stabbed him at all sides, and made his eyes water.
Naruto choked when the feeling didn't subside but seemed to increase, as if hot smoke was blowing into every crevice of his face and turning his insides to ashes.
He was on the floor vomiting the very little food he'd eaten a second later, and every heave took a choked gasp of surprise from him as his hands shook on the floor.
"Look at that. Even the human knows when to bow to authority." Naruto couldn't tell who was the one who said that. And he didn't care. He has his forearms to the floor now, shaking as his body racked and heaved with the sudden stench.
He could see Sasuke's feet in front of him, and before he knew it he was looking at Sasuke's knees, because the brunet was kneeling in front of whoever stood behind him.
"Gaara-summa." Sasuke's voice was clipped.
Naruto stilled, eyes blinking hard behind the hot tears.
Gaara.
Of course. It was Gaara who stood behind him. It was Gaara who smelled like…like a vulture's breath after devouring a maggot-infested body under the sun.
"Now you have him. The one who'll give us the sun." Kankuro's voice rasped over the steady sounds of Naruto's heaving.
"Hmm."
Naruto felt that.
He didn't know why.
But he felt it.
It was only a hum.
But it was like the voice was right beside his ear, with lips touching the skin on the tender flesh.
Naruto gasped once, and turned his head.
Because the voice called him –
But the smell. It was worse when he turned around.
"G-uh!" he spat the remnants of bile that stuck to his lips. He could still feel his puke rising to his nose, but hanging in there.
"Acknowledge your superior, boy!" someone hissed, sounding more scared than anything, as if he was actually concerned for the blonde's safety.
"Half-breed! Have you taught the boy nothing?!"
There was a shuffle in front of Naruto. Sasuke was shifting.
-Turn around, imbecile!-
Naruto exhaled shakily; it was hard to even think words to the other teen.
I…I can't.
-Why the fuck not?-
The smell…Sasuke I can't – he smells like—
-Forget what he smells like and fucking turn around before he squashes the both of us—
You told me not to look at him!
-Things have changed! Turn arou—! –
Sasuke stopped talking.
Naruto hesitated. S…Sasuke?
He risked putting his head slightly up, to look at the teen. He found him still on his knees, staring blankly ahead, with a lifeless expression.
Sasuke?
"He won't answer for the time being."
Naruto started, letting a small shriek escape his lips. His attention was so wrapped on his unmoving partner that he hadn't seen the soundless footsteps approach from behind to face him.
Dark boots adorned the feet in front of him, and dark pants that did not hang loose or look tight adorned the legs connected to those feet—
But Naruto didn't allow himself to look up any further. Because this time it wasn't just the smell—
It was heaviness. Like dark matter pressing down on him and choking him.
What was this man?
He put his hand to his mouth, trying to find escape from the smell in the small bubble of his palm. But it was like the stench was clinging to even his skin. His watery eyes blurred, and he put his head down, shaking all over.
"Look at me."
His resistance was like a feeble thread that snipped in half the second he tried to use it.
Something outside of himself raised his head for him, like soft hands caressing them upwards – before he found himself staring at the being who could end his life without blinking.
Gaara.
And Naruto had to swallow. Because the fear was sharing the space in his mind with another emotion –
Recognition.
This man. He was…
He was the third man to walk out of the car. That first night at the 2K Club.
He recognized the blood red hair. The pale skin.
But he hadn't seen his eyes.
Those eyes looked down at him now. Pupil-less. And Glowing. With colors that reminded the blonde of the ocean. The sea.
Cerulean tides. Glistening seaweed. Summer sky.
The man's eyes were savage.
And they were beautiful.
"What you're smelling…"
The sudden murmur didn't even startle Naruto. He shivered once, and the voice sounded different now – like something that caressed his cheeks and beckoned him.
"…are bodies that have been rotten for centuries."
A mouth was moving somewhere beneath those eyes. But nothing else existed for the blonde but the colors that danced in the orbs.
"Gaara," someone was saying. "See? If you could do that, then we can – somehow. We have the power to control him, to use him."
"You can't."
There was a tangible pause from the person who spoke. Naruto didn't know who it was. He didn't care. All he knew where the colors. Sea mint. Floral green. August jade.
"He's responding…and rejecting at the same time…" Was the next murmur.
And something in Naruto wanted to swoon. Wanted him to fall over and sigh and bask.
But something else tore at him from his core. Like knives on his insides, telling him to stop, telling him to look away.
"You can't use him. Not for long."
"And why the hell not, Gaara?!" Someone shouted. A man. "He can help us. He can help you! He can give us the sun!"
"Then why did you hide him from me."
The silent tension matched the frost foam color the eyes had suddenly become.
"Because…Because I knew you would be like this! Hesitant, and disbelieving—"
"I am this way…because you lied." The man replied easily. And the eyes never blinked. Never moved. They stayed steadfast and staring at the blonde.
"Well I'm not lying now. You've heard the other accounts. We walked in the sunlight—"
"I know what he's capable of." Gaara voice never raised or sounded brash. It was a smooth thing that simply placed itself above the others – inherently more important.
Naruto thought he understood what Sasuke had been talking about now. About the most powerful simply assuming power.
He could feel Gaara.
He could feel him floating inside of him, and slowly killing him. His stomach was aflame, and he should have been writhing in agony—
But the eyes. They were doing something to him. Holding him still. Convincing him not to panic.
"If you know what he's capable of then why aren't you letting us do this?"
"If you actually read a book instead of having parties to lure your little Malésem pets into your army, you'd know exactly what he was." The redhead replied, and for the first time his voice had a tinge – of something.
"Those Malésem pets are what won us the battle against those damned night rats—"
"At the cost of your entire army."
There was hesitation. Then, "Fucking listen to me, little brother." said the voice now, hissing with a voice was deep and low and vile.
And for the first time the colors of the orbs hiccupped, and Naruto found himself blinking and gasping, for some reason out of breath.
Gaara had blinked.
And he turned around now, looking up and facing the man he'd been speaking to the entire time.
Kankuro.
"I'm listening." The voice was light. But there was a threat in there.
Naruto had his hand on his heart, and was staring wide eyed from Gaara's back to the people around him. They didn't spare him a glance. Their attention was on the two Soulless before them.
Naruto could feel blood in his mouth. Like he'd been quietly vomiting bits of exhausted bile behind his teeth while he was stuck in that—
Trance.
He didn't know what else to call it.
But it had been the first time something other than fear clogged him. It was almost…calming—
"We lost the army because of Sol, Gaara." Kankuro was saying. Naruto turned to look at him, and his back stood straight now, but the blonde could see the way he shook with the strain of it. "The same way we lost the last battle to Sol, and the one before that. But with him!" he pointed towards Naruto almost violently. "If we give each forsaken Malésem just a pint of his blood, to survive the beginning stretch of sunlight, we can decimate our nocturnal enemies, and catch the ones who frolic in the day by surprise! How can you not rejoice at this opportunity?!"
There was silence from the redhead. "It won't take a pint." He murmured finally.
"Then a quart!"
"A quart of his blood. For your fifty thousand soldiers." The man replied flatly.
"He won't die, I told you. He's immortal – like us. Somehow. He will replenish."
"How can you be so sure of that."
"Because I am!" The eldest brother raised shaking hands in frustration. "Why do your refuse to see reason?"
"Because you're inept at military strategy."
Kankuro paused. "What? You're the one who won't—!"
"You have no idea…what he is." Gaara interrupted softly.
"And you do?!"
"Yes."
There was silence.
Naruto swallowed. He knew what he was? Then—
"What is he, then?" Even with his rasp Kankuro's voice sounded scathing. "Pray tell, all mighty fucking Gaara – what the fuck is he?"
Temari hit Kankuro from the side with an impact that Naruto could hear from his position on the ground. Kankuro's body tipped a bit, but his expression stayed on Gaara like nothing that happened.
"You will treat him with respect—"
"Well?!" Kankuro shouted, interrupting the woman.
Gaara was silent for very long moments. Finally, "You'll come to realize the faults in your plan sooner rather than later." His feet shifted and turned around. He faced Naruto again, and the blonde found the feeling again, attacking him all at once – the heaviness that descended on him, the strange thing that pulled him towards the redhead, and the coiling in his stomach that repelled him backwards.
"You're allergic to me." Gaara said, eyes so dispassionate at the blonde that they looked almost like glass.
Naruto's breath hitched. A…aller—
"Allergic?" Kankuro called out from the pillar he stood on. "What is that? Is that what he is? An Allergic?"
Naruto turned to Kankuro, blinking. Did he not know what meant?
"More so to me, than the others, I suppose." Gaara murmured, ignoring his brother.
Naruto's head whipped back to the redhead who was still staring at him. And it was strange – because although the pain was insufferable – Naruto felt it like a dull ebbing sensation at the same time.
Gaara raised his hand then, slowly. Naruto's instinct was to shove himself backwards – but he couldn't. Because the eyes—
Gaara's hand was right above his own lips. Then his pale thumb was wiping something there, never taking his eyes off the blonde.
Naruto hesitated, before he brought his own thumb to his top lip, and did the same.
Dampness.
He pulled the digit back to stare at it. Blood. He whimpered something, before he brought his whole hands to nose and wiped. Blood, blood, blood—
"Severely allergic..." the redhead was murmuring, before he turned back around to face his brother.
"Tomorrow night." He said. "We all know how negotiations with the Lycans end up. You'll use him then."
Kankuro's eyes widened. "You're serious? You'll let us use him—"
"You'll use ten of your Malésems." Gaara interrupted.
"Ten?! We'll need at least a thousand—"
"You don't bring an army to a negotiation." The Summi murmured, and he almost sounded patronizing.
"But they'll bring theirs!" Kankuro shouted disbelieving. "They'll arrive just before the sunrise and attack us once—
"Ten Malésems to test your theory and have the boys blood." Gaara repeated, ignoring his brother." And three Sine-anima."
There was a sudden shift in the room. The mostly quiet others began to speak all at once.
"Allow me, Gaara-summa—"
"No, no, allow me—"
"Myself and my brother." The redhead announced simply. "I'll choose the third tomorrow night."
His voice sounded final, like he was preparing to leave. He passed a hand over Sasuke's head, who was to his left, and the teen gasped suddenly, and collapsed to the ground coughing.
Naruto resisted the urge to call out to him.
"For now give our guest a room. No one touches him until tomorrow." The tenor of his voice left no room question.
He turned around then, and faced the blonde. Naruto blinked rapidly back at him, prepared for the strange tugging and pushing feeling again. But before it could happen Gaara—
Disappeared.
Naruto blinked.
More like—
Evaporated. Into some kind of—
Mist.
A grainy mist.
Sand.
What the fuck.
There were shouts in the room then, with all the Soulless bickering and arguing and sounding like a damned debate team, but Naruto couldn't concentrate on them.
All he could think about was the man he'd just seen.
No. Not a man.
Soulless.
Sine-anima.
He shivered once, remembering the eyes, remembering the colors – and remembering what Gaara made him feel –
Or rather what he didn't make him feel.
Afraid.
End of Chapter
Authors Notes:
Eeehhh, not so happy about how this chapter came out, but I'm sure it has its good parts as well as the bad parts. And 0o0oh dear, Gaara's going to let the ravaging, raging Malésems take Naruto's blood for the battle in the next chapter!? I wonder how they'll go about extracting that blood… mhwahaha. .
Uhh, Questions:
1. Do you like Gaara so far?
2. Was Sasuke's explanation of the whole Desidemi Sine-anima (pronounced (by me anyway) SIN – ah-nee-mah) confusing and seemingly just like a boring list of facts? (Malésem is pronounced MAL-ay-sehm, btw).
AND Okay, so a lot of people have been PMing me and asking me questions about this story because I guess it's confusing and I'm not making things as clear as I should. So here's a little break-down of what we've learned so far to clear things up:
1. Naruto was sexually abused by a friend of Jiraiya's when he was young (hence his whole solemn view on rape). The small snippet at the 2K Club with Naruto (the not so touchy blonde) thinking about the man coming into his room was indeed a flashback/memory
2. All the supernatural monsters in this story are called Unnatruals. There will be different kinds. The ones who are like vampires are called Soulless (that's what Sasuke, Gaara, Deidara etc, are). There are other Unnaturals like Lycans, Werewolves, and some other names that I will make up.
3. The Hierarchy of power is: Sine-anima purebloods, meaning they were born Sine-anima and both parents are Sine-anima (there are some exceptions, like Gaara (which will be explained in future chaps)).
4. Next in line are the Demi, which means one parent is Sine-anima and the other is Human. They are looked down on by the Sine-anima.
5. Next in line are the Desidemi, which means one parents is Demi and the other is Human. They are looked down on by the Sine-anima.
6. There's a whole birthing process but I don't want to explain it yet.
7. The more pureblooded you are, the less you can handle the sunlight, which is why Sasuke can stand it more than others, because as implied, he has mixed blood (not just Soulless).
8. Naruto apparently has special blood that when ingested allows the Soulless to temporarily walk in the sun. They believe it only works when he is in pain, because his blood exudes a certain smell when he is hurt, or afraid etc.
9. Deidara tells Naruto that he's pretty much going to be a slave to the Soulless. When he says he's Desidemi, he accidentally reveals that Demis/Desidemis want to overthrow the Sine-anima one day so Demis/Desidemi can rule the Soulless. The reason for this will be revealed in a later chapter.
SO that's that. I just hope it clears some things up. Some.
Till next time. And still working on LFFB so no worries.