Chapter Seven: Two Hundred and Fifty Dark Stars, Part One

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Trinity Blood, or the awesome song I borrowed the title from.

Caterina looked through the port window of the ship bearing them home, watching the clouds pass them by. A knock at her door, however, jolted her from her reverie and she called back her permission to step in. Abel stepped in first, holding the door for Sakura.

"Ah, yes," Caterina smiled, "I've been meaning to speak with you two. Please, take a seat."

They did as she asked and she poured two cups of tea for them before pushing a basket of scones towards them. Naturally, Abel dug in, more interested in food than politics. But Sakura just politely sipped at her tea while waiting for the Cardinal to continue.

"I apologize for having you two run the gauntlet that you did. It was never my intention. However, you did succeed in securing some political and military aid for us, and for that I thank you. But, now onto the business that we'll soon have to deal with in Rome."

"Business?" Sakura asked; they were agents, so it was uncommon for them to deal with most of the red tape nonsense that Caterina worked around on a regular basis.

"Yes, it seems that the Inquisition is going to be holding an Instatement Ceremony this evening for their newest second in command. I thought it prudent that the AX be there."

It had become second nature to assume that if the AX was functioning in the field, they were going to clash with the Inquisition. And even more so now that they lacked Francesco. At least a human could be reasoned with to an extent. But now they were operating, essentially, as a stand-alone agency under the Vatican's name but without a direct branch to report to. That made them especially dangerous.

"But, Duchess Milan, what good will that do?" Sakura asked.

"For all intensive purposes, nothing. However, I want to make sure that they know we're watching them. Given they don't have their superior's name and reputation to worry about anymore, they'll likely only get more and more dangerous." Caterina replied.

"Is there no negotiating with them, Caterina? Perhaps we could absorb them into a branch under your control."

"I believe that would be unwise, Abel. It's reasonable to assume that some of them are still bitter over my brother's betrayal. They could very well reflect that upon us. If they were under my command, it isn't unreasonable to assume that they would deliberately perpetrate my downfall, and, consequently, that of the AX."

Sakura sighed; it seemed incredibly counterintuitive to their purpose as a church to have formed factions within itself. A house divided, she thought, cannot stand…But the fact of the matter was they had no choice but to stand. And, even worse, it was hardly that one of the parties was putting on a façade for public opinion; they all genuinely believed they were carrying out God's will.

"In any event, from now on, we have to operate under the assumption that the Inquisition is actively trying to force us into a poor political or religious corner. I believe the instatement of their newest operative is to provide them more numbers in a Papal vote. The Holy Counsel is eager to appoint a new head to their organization, but Petro may be beginning to suspect the entire church is corrupt. If that's the case, he'll fight to keep his agency a stand-alone. Please, keep that in mind during your operations from now on. I have already spoken with the other agents, and they are aware of the situation."

They nodded, agreeing to her proposal and the logic behind it. She smiled at them, refilling their tea cups before adding, "Now, about your attire for the event. It's crucial we put on the proper type of show. The Inquisition is cunning and any slight, even an imagined one, will be magnified. It is absolutely imperative at this time that we maintain at the very least the veneer of cooperation and oneness within the Vatican."


Sakura adjusted her formal attire for the third time that week. And instead of ebony silk with white lace or blue silk with gold accent, she was wearing a dress…It was a ridiculous number: a strapless crimson silk dress with a sweetheart neckline and empire waist accents in white gems. It had a trumpet skirt adorned with white flowers in the same type of crystals that fell asymmetrically to reveal the white and gold skirt beneath it.

"For people who don't give a damn about public opinion, they sure demand a lot." She huffed to herself as she slipped on her black heels.

She knew that they were all going to be similarly dressed, but it didn't help her mood at all. The Inquisition had never cared about opinion or appearances. That much was clear from their prayer alone, which called for the death of any 'heretic', be it man, woman, or child.

Sighing, she adjusted her hair and stepped out of her room.


Caterina took her seat, her fan folded in her lap over her gown: a deep emerald silk with off the shoulder sleeves that extended to her wrists and belled below them. The front of the full skirt was split straight up the middle to reveal a panel of white brocade. She wore a number of delicate chains and bracelets and a choker of gold filigree twined around several emeralds.

She glanced at Abel and Sakura as they took their seats beside Vaclav and the Professor. They all smiled back at her, silently lending her strength. And she returned the gesture, silently assuring them that she did in fact have the situation under the best of her control.

The music began to chime and the ceremony began; the lights dimmed until only the center pavilion was lit. Petro stepped forward, reciting a number of prayers before he gave his speech-a lengthy monologue on the great expectations he had for his newest recruit. It concluded with their deceptively benign mission statement to "Purge the enemies of God."

He turned around, straightening his spine as his hand rose in a salute. The curtains that hid the back pergola lifted…

And Sakura felt like she had just been slapped in the face; her hands came down on the edge of her chair, her nails biting into the unfinished wood as she fought to keep herself seated. She couldn't believe what she was seeing…

One the stage in front of her stood a man not more than six feet, his long chocolate brown hair pulled back, his pupil-less lavender eyes staring into the crowd…Hyuga Neji…was the newest second in command for the Inquisition.

"Sister, are you alright?" The Professor asked, leaning over to glance at her. Her face was entirely too white and she looked almost as if she was in pain.

Sakura shook her head, "I'm sorry…excuse me…I…I need some air." She stood up abruptly, walking past them with as much dignity as she could until she turned down the hall. She walked along it until she came to the Vatican gardens.

She quickly realized the cool air was doing nothing for her nausea and found a place to sit. She stretched out against the marble bench, staring into the sky. Wide…empty…She was hit by a sudden attack of vertigo and quickly drew her arm up and over her eyes.

"Sister? Are you well?"

She pulled her arm up slightly, glancing up at the man kneeling beside her. She nodded, "I'm fine, Vaclav. I'm okay." And she didn't know if she was trying to convince him or herself.

She tried to sit up, but he gently pushed her back down. "Take a moment. You look pale."

She waited for a moment, letting blood return to her face and head before she pushed herself up into a sitting position. She wiped a cold sweat away from eyes with the back of her hand.

Vaclav sat down beside her, "You know him, don't you?"

"Better than I'd like to admit." During the brief span of time she had been a chunin, she had worked closely with Neji on several A-class missions. She was often the only medic both available for deployment and capable of keeping up with a jonin squad. He had always had a certain intolerance in his personality, but his strong sense of morality usually off-set it.

"I am sorry, then, that you had to meet under these circumstances." The green-eyes priest replied.

Sakura stood up, brushing herself off and composing herself as best she could, "I haven't given up on him, yet."


Neji walked through the door, closing it behind him. His eyes narrowed and he sighed, "I should have known you'd be here."

Sakura's green eyed glance was narrow and she didn't immediately respond. Her arms were crossed over her breasts, her back pressed against the wall, the flat of one heel pressed against the same wall.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"What are you doing?" She replied.

"Taking my place."

"Your place among…"

"Watch your tongue." He interrupted.

Sakura felt a shiver of fear race down her spine; was he telling her that they were being tapped? Was he warning her…or threatening her…?

"What place?" She finally hissed.

"My place as a skilled combatant among other warriors." He replied.

"Their creed, by their own admittance, calls for the death of children!" She cried.

"Only heretics, Sakura. Why do you care if blasphemers and sinners are destroyed?" He said.

"God would want those people to come back to him. Not their destruction."

"And what is your excuse for the vampire plague? They destroyed our homeland, Sakura," He replied icily, "I would consider you a traitor for not following my example."

Sakura drew herself up to her full height, finding his eyes with her own. She chose her words carefully, the burden of Caterina's fate weighing on her shoulders. The AX…all of them were counting on her to not force them between the enemy in the church and the enemy lurking outside of it. "Consider me what you will. I've never betrayed anyone."

"And what about Naruto? Sasuke?" He asked with a smirk.

"What do you know about that? You weren't even there." She replied. She was careful not to let her anger show in her words or on her face. He hadn't been there…He hadn't been the one to make the hard choice she did.

"More than you'd like to think." He said, his smirk widening.

"Enlighten me." She responded dryly.

"You advocated for their death. Not their salvation."

"They were already gone." Sakura said, unwilling to elaborate.

"How is that any different from what we do to the heretics?"

"I waited until there was proof. I didn't slaughter a village of innocents. People…are sometimes just trying to survive." She left the implication unsaid: Sometimes, the Vatican did fail. Sometimes, the church wasn't there. But it wasn't for lack of trying on Caterina's part.

"There is no difference, Sakura. You killed them. And we will kill the heretics, the vampires."

Sakura shook her head, turning around and walking away as she said, "I think your father would be disappointed."

She waited until she was outside to vent her fury; her fist slammed harmlessly against a metal door, bloodying her knuckles. Angry tears rolled down her face, curtained with pink hair.


"And you're certain he's your enemy?" Abel asked, his arms looped around her chest.

"He all but said it." She replied.

Abel frowned but didn't say anything. Sakura sighed, leaning against his leg. He was sitting on the edge of the bed and she was curled between his legs on the floor. His chin rested lightly on top of her head.

She stood up, glancing at him over her shoulder and asking, "Would you help me out of this thing?"

Abel reached up, taking the zipper and pulling down. The sheath of scarlet silk loosened, but she kept it pinned in place with her arm as she walked to the bathroom.

He turned away, looking into the flames dancing in the hearth of their room. The newest turn of events didn't bode well with him. And given Sakura's explanation of the young man's abilities, he felt they had just cause for concern.

The door of the bathroom opened, interrupting his thoughts, and she stepped out. She smiled at him as she sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning her head against his shoulder. His lips pulled up similarly as he remarked, "My shirt, I see."

"Of course." She replied. She often wore his shirts to bed. It was something about his smell that just helped her sleep. And she had a feeling she was going to need it.

"You…responded quite strongly today." He finally observed.

Sakura stiffened, pulling her bottom lip through her teeth before replying, "We…weren't a couple or anything…But he would have had access to those codes. I have no guarantee that he isn't a sleeper agent and, if that's the case, the entire Inquisition is suspect."

If not the entire church…She thought to herself.

"How many other people would have access to those codes?" He asked.

"Hundreds, maybe thousands." She admitted. "But…I don't know how many of them survived."

Abel nodded, "We'll have to wait and see."

"I know but…I'm impatient." She admitted.

"I know it's hard to wait, but we have eternity to do what needs to be done. God works in mysterious ways."

"Abel…that message was meant for us." She said, "The Angel of Death…it couldn't be anyone else."

"We destroyed him, Sakura." Abel replied resolutely.

Sakura had no rational reason to think otherwise but she couldn't shake the feeling that something very wrong was brewing.

"Get some rest, dear. The world isn't going to stop turning and in the morning we need to be ready to turn with it." He smiled.

She nodded, mostly to put an end to the conversation, and crawled into the bed they shared. She closed her eyes and heard the click of the lamp as he turned it off and slid in next to her.

And for the first time she was tempted to reach out to him and kiss him and let his hands wander across her body…she could almost feel his breath on her neck as he rolled over her, his eyes on hers as his slender fingers drew circles on her taut stomach…

She bit down hard on her lip to stop the fantasy before it could take on a life of its own. He could probably already smell her arousal and she knew he firmly believed in marriage before sex. Not because he believed in the strictest interpretation of the Bible, but because he needed the commitment and stability in his world.

"Abel…" She whispered.

"Yes?" He asked sleepily.

"I…goodnight."

"Goodnight, Sakura." He replied, looping his arm around her and pulling her closer.

TBC