All I can say is that I'm sorry for the huge wait for this chapter; had lots of things going on that pushed into my writing time (work, uni stuff, work, chores, work, Amecon convention (does Itachi cosplay dance XD)). But what is good about this chapter is that it's the longest chapter yet!

Also, lots of glomps and thank you for the review response last chapter! I didn't expect so many, so as I said before, this is a long chapter to you guys! Though you'll probably kill me at the end of it...

And a few reviewers were concerned about adding my OC, Hana, but I'm going to say, stick with this fanfic, because it'll be worth the shock factor (I hope hehe)

Disclaimer: If it was mine, all the yaoi fans would know about it!


The Night World: Immortal Affliction

The Night World isn't a place. It's all around us. It's a secret society of vampires, witches, werewolves and other creatures of darkness that live among us. They're beautiful and deadly and irresistible to humans. Your high school teacher could be one, and so could your boyfriend.

The Night World laws say it's okay to hunt humans. It's okay to toy with their hearts; it's even okay to kill them! There are two things that you can't do with them.

1) Never let them find out the Night World exists

2) Never fall in love with one of them

This is a story about what happens when the rules get broken.


Chapter 8: The Revealing

--

Sasuke felt the sunlight on his eyelids and his eyes furrowed in his sleep before he awoke with tired, obsidian eyes. Turning over in his futon with a yawn, his child body snuggled under silk sheets and he peered out of the opposite window. He could see over the veranda, pink sakura blossoms falling from the trees that lined the Uchiha gardens of the outskirts of Kyoto. He instantly sat upright and stumbled out of his futon, securing his yukata as he ran from his room through his open screen door, his bare feet thudding against the tatami mats as he ran through his home.

His aniki was coming home today!

He entered the kitchen to find his Mother, dressed in her kimono, kneeling down with a glass of blood placed in front of her on the table. He smiled and she returned the gesture, standing up to reach for a jug and another glass for him. Sasuke knelt down by the table, a smile on his small face.

"Here you go, Sasuke," Mikoto spoke, placing a glass of warm blood in front of her son, running her fingers through his hair in affection, "This will keep you going until we go to hunt tonight. Did you sleep well?"

Sasuke slurped at the blood, which was still warm and nodded brightly, "Hai Okachan!"

She smiled, "I'm glad. Your Father said that he would make time for some katana practice with you today."

Sasuke nodded, pleased, and then placed his finished glass on the table, feeling his eyes return to their normal colour and his teeth retract, "Is Itachi home yet? Why has he been away for so long?"

She shook her head, "Not yet, but he will arrive soon. Your brother is almost sixteen years old; he has a lot of responsibility to the Clan."

Seven year old Sasuke's dark eyes brightened and he excused himself, stumbling back to his room to change into his own hakama kimono, before exiting his home and running along the streets of the Uchiha district. He said hello to the Lamia clan members he passed, most not awake as they preferred the night to the day. Sprinting into the Uchiha forests, he found the secret pathway his aniki had shown him and followed it until he reached the witch barrier which prevented humans from entering the Uchiha compound on their own.

He walked through it and found himself exiting the forest into one of the back streets on the southern side of Kyoto. Sasuke wasn't allowed into the human part of the city by himself, even though many Night World inhabitants lived in the city. He was too young to talk and hang around with humans, especially those the same age as him.

'They can't know our secret,' his parents had told him, 'so play with the lamia Uchiha children, okay?'

He would most probably be seen by an older Uchiha, but his aniki would stop him from being scolded.

Sasuke ran towards the main gates, his sensitive nose picking up the delicious smells of human blood. He exited the main gate, ran over the bridge to the river so that he could wait for Itachi at the crossroads. He caught sight of a teenager who was around his brother's age sitting on the rock at the crossroads, dressed in a beautiful red kimono, a parasol in her hand.

Sasuke smiled. It was Hana. He liked Hana; she was kind and pretty and always nice to him. She was a human and was always around Itachi. Sasuke hoped that when he was older, he would be able to hang around with humans just like his aniki. He had seen Itachi feed from her before as well by putting her into a trance so that she would not know anything that happened to her and she would not find out about the Night World. Itachi had told him that she was one of his favourite blood donors when there was a need for blood and he didn't feel like hunting and using the human slaves the clan kept, but Sasuke was sure that there was more than that between them.

"Hana-san," he called as he reached the rock and sat down beside her.

She turned towards him, a smile on her face, her just above shoulder length blonde hair swaying in the slight breeze.

"Ohayo, Sasuke-chibi. Are you okay?"

Sasuke smiled, "I'm good! Do you know when aniki will be back?"

"Anytime now," she replied, twirling her parasol, "did you miss him?"

Sasuke nodded, his sensitive eyes squinting from the harsh sun, "Lots and lots. I've been bored."

She laughed, "Itachi told me that Shisui would look out for you."

"Yeah," Sasuke nodded, "shh, keep this a secret, but Shisui–"

"But what?" a new voice interrupted. Sasuke and Hana both turned away from looking at each other and looked towards the road. Itachi stood a few feet away from them, the katana in his belt glinting in the sunlight.

"Aniki!" said Sasuke, slipping off the rock and running towards his older brother, his small arms wrapping themselves around a strong waist, feeling his brother hug him back, long fingers ruffling his hair in affection, "welcome back!"

"Otouto," said Itachi, their dark eyes connecting, "I hope you behaved while I was away."

Sasuke nodded, a small blush staining his cheeks, "Of course I did! I've got lots of things to show you! I've been practising."

Itachi nodded, a tiny smile upon his face before he took Hana's hand and gave it a small squeeze.

Releasing her hand, Itachi hoisted Sasuke onto his back. Sasuke clung onto his brother's neck with a sound of glee, before nipping the nape of his brother's neck affectionately with slightly elongated teeth. He smiled and enjoyed the motion of his brother's graceful steps, the warmth of the sun on the back of his neck, the feel of Hana's kimono as she walked beside them.


A knock sounded at Deidara's newly repaired door. He poked his head around the kitchen doorway and then looked at the time. It was late and it was still raining. He wondered who it could be.

He opened the door and blinked. She stood in the rain completely drenched, a jean jacket around her shoulders, doing nothing to prevent the water from seeping into the rest of her clothes. Her eyes were strong, her features pretty.

He was about to open his mouth when she pushed past him into his house. His mouth opened and he immediately shut his door, following her as she entered his living room and glanced around. He grabbed her wrist, the mouths on his palms nipping at her wet skin. She jumped slightly before she turned to look at him, "Where's Itachi?"

"Itachi, hm?" he replied. He studied her, trying to figure out who she exactly was. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught movement from Sasori, who stood up from the sofa.

"Leave her, Deidara," Sasori murmured in low tones, tilting his head, his shaggy red hair falling across his face, "she belongs to Itachi."

Deidara lifted an eyebrow and she pulled her hand from his grip, "Never knew there was another one in this town, hm."

"I'm not as giving as you are," she replied before she swung her head towards the door. A few seconds later, Itachi came into view. His crimson eyes trailed up her form before they narrowed. He looked towards Deidara and Sasori, his features serious, "Leave us."

Deidara sighed and began to leave the room, "Come on, Master Sasori."

"No," retorted Sasori, meeting Itachi's eyes, "this is my house; no Lamia is going to tell me where to go in my house. He already touches you, Deidara; I'm not letting anything else slip by."

Itachi's eyes flared, the pressure in the air changing, "My thirst for blood may be sated tonight, but that does not mean that I will hesitate to spill yours."

Sasori did not back down. Deidara took his hand, which made the red-head turn towards the blond, "Master Sasori, come on, hm."

Sasori looked at Itachi once more before smirking, squeezing Deidara's hand in a possessive grip and pulling him away up the stairs, a bedroom door closing.

Itachi ignored the stubborn display.

"Hana," he spoke, his eyes gleaming, "Two visits in two nights. You certainly wish pain upon yourself. Talk and then leave. I have much to do. I can entertain you another time, my dear…"

--

Hana spoke in a whisper, "But can't I dream? I keep hoping that one day, I'll meet you as you were back then before you turned cold…"


Naruto felt consciousness rise to the surface and he opened his eyes, seeing white paint and immediately recognising it as his bedroom ceiling. He blinked a few times and sat up feeling immensely groggy, morning sunlight shining through his window. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, seeing that he still had his school uniform on.

He saw the various spots of blood that stained his white school shirt and his eyes widened. He stumbled out of bed as everything from the day before circled in his memory. The blood, the pain, the mud, the intensity, the fear.

"Sasuke…" he whispered, shedding his blood and mud stained clothes in a rush as he entered his bathroom and put the shower on, stepping into the hot water to wash away the dirt and blood from his skin. He rushed and fumbled with the shampoo as he rinsed his hair, his thoughts elsewhere.

Sasuke had been seriously hurt. Naruto could vividly still see the look of pain in Sasuke's eyes as he tried to fight against the pain and the comfort that Naruto selflessly gave. The coldness of Sasuke's wet skin as it seemingly sucked the warmth that Naruto's hand gave him. He could remember the pain as it had gripped his own chest. He could remember his own shock when Sasuke had pulled the cause of injury from his shoulder blade, thinking how brave and stupid Sasuke was at the same time.

Naruto could remember how Sasuke had seemed to lose all energy as soon as the silver haired man had arrived on the scene. Naruto could remember blacking out.

'I must have been carried home. Damn, why did I black out?' he thought, rinsing the suds from his hair and body, 'I've got to hurry and go to the hospital. I've got to see Sasuke! I've got to make sure that he's okay!'

He got out of his shower, grabbing a fluffy white towel and drying himself vigorously as he briskly walked into his room and found some clothes to wear. After pulling some ripped jeans, a bright t-shirt and a black zip-up hoody on, he slipped his feet into a pair of his numerous converse and quickly ran his fingers through his drying hair.

He glanced at the clock as he exited his room, seeing that it was past midday. He'd missed school, but he didn't care. Sasuke was far more important.

He paused, wondering why he had just seen red and brown blurs on his sofa. Turning around, he gasped, "Kiba? Gaara? What are you doing here?!"

He blinked. Kiba was lounging around on his sofa, his school uniform still own, a blanket around his legs and a pillow next to him. Gaara sat on the floor.

"Hey, Naruto, we heard you wake up. You sleep okay?" asked Kiba, a grin on his still sleepy face.

Naruto flustered, his veins still pumping his feelings of desperation and adrenaline, "What? How?"

"Woah," said Kiba, "calm down. I don't know if you remember, but you fainted after school so we carried you home. We decided to stay here and crash on your sofa. You don't mind, do ya?"

Naruto blinked, "Um, no," and he found that he had calmed down slightly by seeing his best friends all sleepy looking in his apartment.

He saw that his cushions were all over the floor, and he raised his eyebrow in a smirk, "Wait a sec'…you both slept on the sofa…?"

Kiba blinked, a small flush rising to his cheeks, "Woah, woah! Don't get the wrong idea. I mean, we may be getting along better than we ever have done before but we're not that close! I mean, I still hate you Gaara–"

"Likewise," replied Gaara, a small spark of mirth in his pale green eyes.

"–and I'm still not letting you near Akamaru not matter how much you want to be a vet. Oh, and it's not like I'm against guys liking each other; that's fine by me because everyone's different and it's quite a common thing in the Nig…I mean, um, yeah."

There was an awkward pause until Gaara spoke, "In other words, Kiba hogged the sofa all night and I didn't sleep, but you know that's quite a common occurrence for me."

Kiba nodded, ruffling his sleep mussed hair, "And we thought that we'd like bunk school seeing as it's Friday."

Naruto gave a smile at his friends antics, before his smile faded as quick as a melting snowflake as his thought process rewound back to where it had been when he had woken up, "Argh, guys, why didn't you wake me sooner?! We've gotta see if Sasuke's okay!"

Kiba shrugged his shoulders, unsure whether the tall silver hared vampire from the day before had erased Naruto's memory, "Sasuke…?"

"Yeah!" Naruto nodded, "you saw how badly injured he was yesterday. Quick, let's go!"

Gaara said, "The Uchiha is most probably fine."

Kiba agreed, "You don't need to be so flustered. Come on, let's play Playstation or something."

Naruto's mouth opened, and closed a few times, his eyes wild. He could not understand what wavelength his friends were on, "What's wrong with you two? Of course he's not okay; he was bloody stabbed! You might not like him but that's no reason to just ignore the fact that it happened."

Kiba pulled a face, muttering quietly to himself, "Bastard deserved it anyway."

But Naruto heard what came from Kiba's mouth and felt hurt seep into him. This was a cold side that he had not seen of his friend and Naruto felt stunned and unsure of what to say next. He found himself looking towards Gaara, perhaps for support, but the red head remained quiet.

Naruto sighed heavily, fisting his fingers. Why couldn't they understand? Turning away from his friends, a bubble lodged in his throat, he grabbed his house keys and made his way to his front door, "Whatever. Stay here then, I'll…I'll go myself."

With that, he shut the front door with a resounding slam.

"Wait, Naruto," called Kiba, rising from the sofa, but it was too late, "Oh great. I stuck my nose into that one perfectly. I'm such an ass! Quick, let's go after him in case Sasuke follows him or something."

"No need," replied Gaara, "we'll leave him alone for now. Uchiha will stay away from him: his vampire pride is wounded. We should congratulate Neji on a job well done."

Kiba grinned, "He got him good! But I doubt that'll keep him away for long. But what's up with Naruto? He was calling him a bastard yesterday and now he's acting really weird. I know it's in his nature to care for anyone and everyone, but…damnit! This would be so much simpler if we just told Naruto how truly dangerous Sasuke is and that he's after his blood."

Gaara nodded, "There's something going on here; something we've missed. We'll find Naruto later. For now, let's go over everything that's happened so far."


Running along the hallway, Naruto reached the stairs and proceeded to ran down the four flights of stairs to the outside. He became impatient, jumping five to six stairs at a time, not feeling any burn in his knees. Adrenaline pumped through his body as he burst out of the apartment block doors into the spring sunshine, which was a god send after the downpour the day before.

'Please be okay, Sasuke.'

There was a kind of desperation flowing within his veins that he had never felt before. It was as if he couldn't breathe properly until he knew that Sasuke was safe and well and alive. He felt strangely claustrophobic. Yesterday seemed like a dream sequence. It had been raining, mud everywhere. The javelin had come out of nowhere and Sasuke had taken the hit…

for him.

Naruto had felt such a pull from Sasuke at that point of time. It was an incredible urge to just touch Sasuke and hold him close; to protect and to heal. His pale skin had been so cold. All the times they had touched, his skin had been cold. The moment they had touched, everything had heated up. The rain was no longer ice cold arrows beating down upon them. Naruto had looked into Sasuke's pained yet resilient eyes and had fallen.

They had been so close, both physically and mentally, and although Sasuke had tried once more to push Naruto away, he had been unable to. Naruto had gripped Sasuke's hand tighter, silently promising to never let go. Naruto had never seen Sasuke so vulnerable. He had seen the proud Sasuke with the harsh words, dangerous looks and smirks. The blond had seen tiny clues about his inner character on a few occasions, such as when Sasuke had turned away from him in their graphics lesson and when they had touched, that overwhelming feeling had overtaken them. But seeing Sasuke's eyes open with emotions that were easily read…Naruto had never felt so intimate with someone, as if he could feel absolutely secure within his embrace.

Sasuke was not dangerous; he was misunderstood. Naruto wished to unwind those misunderstandings and make Sasuke see that there was something there between them; that he and Sasuke had a connection.

At this moment in time it felt as if his chest was going to rupture if he didn't find out if Sasuke was safe and sound. He wasn't sure what would happen if he found out that Sasuke was gravely injured, or worse, dead…except that he felt as if he wouldn't be able to cope. These possibilities tugged at his heart.

Naruto was that far involved; had never felt his far involved…but he wouldn't have it any other way.

The hospital came into sight and he picked up his already speedy pace.

He barrelled through the swinging, hospital doors, almost knocking over a small child. He jumped around her in time and within a few seconds was at the front desk, his hands slamming onto the desk, breathing heavily, his eyes intense.

He ignored the startled looks the two nurses on the front desk gave him, "Sasuke Uchiha! Is he alright? I need to see him now!"

"Excuse me, sir, but–"

"Please," Naruto cried, his heart tearing up his insides as the strong smell of disinfectant invading his sense of smell, sickening him, "please, I need to see him to know that he's okay; it's so important, I…"

His voice choked and he broke off, feeling his eyes sting from desperation, "Please…"

One of the nurses smiled sympathetically, nodding. She began to flick through a book full of patients' names, "What was his name again, please?"

"Sasuke Uchiha! He would've come in yesterday."

She flicked through a few pages, trailing her slender finger down the page of writing, a small frown appearing on her face, "I'm sorry, but no one by the name of Sasuke Uchiha is currently in the hospital."

"What?" said Naruto, shocked, "But…but that can't be right! Maybe he didn't give his real name! He was stabbed through the shoulder; the right one! He has dark eyes and hair and really pale skin."

The nurse flicked through a few more pages before looking at the in patients board, "I'm sorry, but the only emergency cases we had yesterday was from a car crash. No one was admitted with a stab wound. Sasuke Uchiha was never here."

Naruto stuttered a few times before nodding and thanking the nurse, turning away from the front desk and walking out of the hospital in numbness. The spring breeze greeted him as he exited the hospital, sitting down on the outside steps. He made a noise of frustration as he tugged on his hair.

How could Sasuke not be in hospital? He had been badly injured. There had been so much blood, a gaping hole in his shoulder. Only a hospital could fix that. There was no other hospital in the town; the next one being more than fifteen miles away. There was no reason for Sasuke to go all the way there, in much the same way that there was no reason for the nurse to lie.

'Damn it Sasuke! Where are you?'

Naruto felt frustration well up inside of him. There was no way that Sasuke could survive something like that without going to the hospital: there had been simply too much blood loss. It was too serious an injury. So where was he? The pale teenager had been so adamant of him not calling an ambulance…what exactly had happened after he had blacked out?

He suddenly vividly remembered the moment when he had scratched Sasuke across the face and his pale skin had healed itself within seconds.

"Sasuke," whispered Naruto, "just what is going on?"

He tugged on his hair some more, feeling powerless and out of touch. Sighing, he stood up. His only option would be to look for Sasuke, even though the odds were highly stacked against him. The town of Konoha was fairly large with a dense population. Where would he even start looking?

Trusting his instincts, he headed towards the town centre. However, after an hour of futile searching, he decided that he wasn't getting anywhere fast. Just what could he do?

He had a sudden urge to see Sakura, partly because he could clearly remember her fainting as well and because she would know what to do. She was far more rational than he was. She would be able to help him.

By the time he walked to her house, it was just after 3 o'clock. Time flew by when you were locked up in your thoughts. He immediately rang her doorbell. Her mother answered.

Sakura's mother smiled, "I'm afraid she's not back from school yet, Naruto. She left the house before I woke up this morning, so I didn't get the chance to ask if she was going somewhere after school. She even left her phone here."

"Oh…okay," he replied, "Thanks anyway."

He stepped back from the porch and she said, "Bye, Naruto,"

"Bye."

The door closed and Naruto stood looking at the closed front door, chewing his lower lip. He felt as if he was running out of options, and he hated the feeling. He found himself wondering aimlessly around the streets, keeping his eye out for Sasuke but not seeing him anywhere.

And as the sun set, his conscience lost and exhausted, he found his feet led him towards a large area of greenery on the west side of town. He travelled the familiar path before he stepped off the path onto the freshly cut grass. He stopped.

"Hey mum, dad."

Their gravestones were identical as he kneeled down before them. They were both a light shade of grey granite, each with a pearl coloured arch and cross above them. His mother's was slightly more weather worn as hers was older, but they both stood magnificently tall against the setting sun. They were both buried in the corner of the cemetery, behind a bed of flowers he had planted himself.

Their inscriptions read 'Nothing really dies when it's never forgotten.'

Naruto gently placed the flowers he had bought at the entrance on their graves and used the lighter that was kept in the glass compartment of his Father's grave to light the incense sticks and candles that were under the arches. Breathing deeply, he put his hands together and said a short prayer, closing his eyes.

He opened them a moment later, looking at the photo of his mother framed on the headstone. Uzumaki Kushina. Her fiery red hair was long and highlighted her pretty facial features and her light blue eyes were shaped exactly like his own. She had died at his birth and in her memory, his father had decided that Naruto would take on her surname in remembrance. He could not remember her at all. But Naruto knew that she had been an extremely kind and feisty woman with a beautiful laugh, endless energy and a heart full of love: he could faintly remember the home videos his father had shown him when he had been very young and the way in which his father would talk about her.

Turning his eyes to the photo of his father, he met someone who could have easily been his twin. Namikaze Minato. Their facial structures and hair was similar, their eyes that same deep shade of sapphire. His father had raised him until he had been six years old. The night of Naruto's seventh birthday was the night when his father was murdered. Naruto had been there when it had happened; he had been found in the living room of their comfortable home unconscious next to the body of Minato, covered in his blood. He could not remember anything about it; it was one huge blank as if his mind could not take the pain and had decided to lock it away so tightly that it was forgotten. Now and again, he would see flashes of blood, but he put it down to his imagination.

As far as Naruto knew, the murderer had never been caught. Nor was a motive established for the murder. He had been placed in an orphanage; alone, hardly eating and scarred from the unknown until he had run away at age ten, living on the streets and then he had been found by Itachi.

Naruto shook his head to clear his thoughts, returning to the photos of his parents.

"I'm so confused," he whispered to his parents, hugging his knees to his chest as a cool breeze blew around him, "Life's been so great for so long. I have many friends who have become my family and I love them all lots; and though I've still felt lonely like something was missing, I think I've found someone who can truly understand me and help me rid of that suffocating loneliness. He needs it just as much as I do. There's something there between us, something so special, but I can't find him. I need to find him."

He sighed, tugging at his hair some more before chuckling to himself, "Look how miserable I'm acting, telling you my silly troubles. Last time I came here, I told you that I'd smile lots. I have, and I'm going to keep smiling. I'll make Sasuke smile too. Well, after I give him a good punch!"

A breeze blew, scattering blossoms onto the grass and he smiled to himself.

Naruto got up, sighing, before placing his palms on his parent's individual photos, muttering a goodbye. Beginning his walk out of the cemetery, the moon now high up in the night sky, the darkness brought his thoughts straight back to Sasuke.

'Why do I feel like everything is going to become so much more complicated even if I find you?' he thought, beginning his walk home.


Naruto's eyes widened. It was him. The silver haired tall man from the previous day who had been there with Sasuke. He was sitting on the pavement, longs legs splayed in front of him in the road, leaning against an electric blue Kawasaki Ninja motorbike, an orange coloured book in his hand. A lone streetlamp fell over his form, lighting him up in the darkness. Naruto remembered his name as Kakashi.

'He'll know where Sasuke is,' it dawned on Naruto and he moved his body forward with adrenaline, his steps heavy.

He was noticed pretty quickly, one grey-blue eye looking in his direction. He stopped in front of him and Kakashi closed his orange book.

"Ah, Naruto. That is your name right?"

Naruto wondered how he knew his name, but thought that Sasuke had perhaps told him or it had been told during the previous day's events. Kakashi's voice was quite deep in timbre and seemed wise; all knowing. There was something relaxed about him. A dark mask of sorts covered his mouth and a bandanna covered one eye.

He ignored the question in favour of asking the question that was burning a hole in his heart, "Where's Sasuke? Is…is he okay?"

Kakashi looked at him for a few moments and Naruto felt heavily scrutinised, worry gnawing at his veins, before the silver haired man's eyes held mirth, pocketing his book, "Sasuke? He's more than okay. A little quiet, but no need to worry."

The wave of relief that spread through Naruto's body felt like liquid warmth, chasing away the worry, desperation and fear that had overtaken him. Sasuke was okay. Sasuke was okay. The pain in his chest eased and he let out a shaky breath, biting back a slight sting behind his eyelids.

Whatever this man told him was truth; he could deduce this from body language alone.

Lifting his cerulean eyes to Kakashi, he asked, "Where is he?"

Kakashi stood up, stretching before pointing with his thumb to a doorway that was a little way behind him. Naruto looked at the black door, a small insignia of a black coloured rose etched into it. The building had no windows and there was only an old light hanging beside the door.

With no hesitation, Naruto stepped forwards towards the door, but he was stopped by Kakashi's voice, "You'd best wait until he comes out: it's not the most welcoming of places for someone like yourself."

Naruto frowned, looking towards Kakashi. He gave a smile, "That doesn't matter; I'm not scared. They can try and stop me, but nothing is going to get between me seeing Sasuke right now."

There was heavy conviction in his heart and just knowing that a healthy Sasuke was beyond these doors sent warm shivers through his limbs. He knocked on the door, seeing no handle, and a panel slid open revealing a man with a cigarette in his mouth, eyes dark.

"I'd like to enter," said Naruto, eyes defiant to the person who looked upon him.

"I don't think this so," was the answer and Naruto was about to reply when Kakashi spoke up.

"Let him in, Asuma. I'll deal with any trouble."

There was a moment's pause before the door was unlatched and opened. Naruto muttered thanks, entering through the door into a dark hallway that led to sweeping spiral stairs that looked as if they went down into a basement like room. Behind him, Kakashi entered. The blond wasted no time heading towards the stairs, his eyes taking time to adjust to the low lighting. The stairs looked as if they were made out of cast iron, which added to the dark atmosphere. Descending the stairs, he encountered a door, which he pushed open to reveal a large square room.

Large chandeliers with dimmed lights hung from the high ceiling, the walls a mixture of black paint and dark red brick. There were two pools tables to his left and the rest of the room was filled with various tables of different shapes with many chairs, stools and plush sofas, all upholstered in dark colours. There was heavy rock music filtering through the room from a far corner, though it was nowhere near loud enough to deafen. It was just loud enough among the chatter of the people in the room. There was a large bar in front of him, glasses and alcohol bottles lining the shelves behind it. There were numerous stools along the bar and on one of these, his back to him, was Sasuke. Naruto's heart thudded in utter relief.

Sasuke had not noticed him yet as he was facing in the wrong direction, but it seemed as if the rest of the people in the cosy bar had. It was as if someone had pressed a stop switch. Everyone stopped drinking and playing snooker, instead choosing to look at him with eyes that made Naruto feel like an outsider. The eyes were heavy, as if assessing him. Whispers began. The thought of him being underage to drink or enter a bar did not cross his mind as he looked at the types of people in the bar. Most of them were among the same age as him, around seventeen years old, but there were also some older people in a few corners and some young too, at the most around thirteen years old.

Naruto felt as if they were all giving off the same aura: a feeling of power, superiority. Everyone was beautiful, with striking features and glowing eyes. Some were even growling. Naruto would not back down though. He took a step forward and a group of three stood up. He faltered slightly and was about to move forwards once more, not caring about those in his way as Sasuke was all that mattered, when he felt something on his shoulder. His eyes blinked and he looked to his side, seeing that Kakashi was beside him, hand on his shoulder. Nearly everyone backed down. There was an illegible look in Kakashi's eye, but it changed the whole atmosphere into the room into what it was before Naruto had entered.

The moment Kakashi's hand fell from his shoulder, Naruto immediately looked towards the bar where Sasuke had not moved. He moved towards him and although everyone else in the bar had gone back to their previous activities, their eyes still remained on him.

Why was Sasuke in a place like this? It was simple.

'It's like he belongs here,' thought Naruto, 'There's always been something different about him, just like how the people in here create a strange atmosphere that I don't feel welcome in.'

Despite actually seeing Sasuke in front of him, sitting at a bar and drinking, it didn't seem completely real. How was Sasuke okay? Sure, Naruto had seen first hand how fast Sasuke could heal from when he had cut his face from his blunt pencil, but still…to be able to heal from something that fatal? To see was to believe and his body couldn't deny the pull towards Sasuke he felt. Naruto moved quicker towards the bar. He wanted Sasuke to turn around and look at him with those obsidian eyes; to call him a dead-last and smirk at him. And when Sasuke tried to push him away, Naruto would take his hand and pull him closer.

The closer he got, the more those warm feelings intensified. He clung to them and pulled himself along to Sasuke, who had suddenly stiffened. The moment Naruto was less than two feet behind him was the moment Sasuke turned his head around, their eyes connecting.

It felt so good to see him in flesh, breathing, not in pain, no blood staining his clothes or skin. Warmth rushed through Naruto, making his fingertips tingle. He felt the insatiable urge to touch Sasuke and feel his cold, smooth skin. But he felt unable to move, as if Sasuke would just pop and disappear. There was so much he wanted to say and to ask, but he didn't know where to even start.

Naruto heard Sasuke smirk, a small 'hn' as he turned around completely on the bar stool to face him head on. Naruto's eyes were drawn to Sasuke's shoulder, which was partly visible from the tight, dark blue sleeveless t-shirt he wore. There was no bruising or redness on the pale skin he could see, and Naruto's suspicions that Sasuke was completely healed was confirmed when the dark haired teenager lifted his glass with ease to his lips with the same arm which should have been in a sling. His throat choked.

'Just who are you, Sasuke?'

Sasuke knew that Naruto had found him the moment the blond had knocked on the front door above. A shiver had run down his spine and an image of Naruto had instantly come to his mind. He cursed silently.

He had not expected the sneaky Hyuuga to use such a devious tactic against him. And he had fallen for it. Looking into the mirror that was on the wall behind the bar, staring at his own reflection, he felt sick with himself. He was supposed to be strong and focused, but instead, here he was involved with a human who was a dead-last and weak, though gorgeous and insanely desirable.

Naruto had vital information about Itachi; the closest Sasuke had been able to get to Itachi in sixty years. It was all about the information. It was all about the information…

He despised lying to himself. He had thrown himself in front of that javelin for more than just information. And in his stupid blood weakness, he had been almost completely open and Naruto had been there, had touched him, had comforted him, had worried about him…these were things which had no place for him in his life of destroying his brother. They made him weak and dependent; which were not qualities which he wanted or needed.

Sasuke could still remember the warmth of Naruto's hand on his cheek, and the grip on his own hand. So warm… which was completely different from the coldness of his own skin. He didn't feel the cold at all, but he had felt that pulsing warmth against his skin. And looking into those blue eyes that were filled with concern, he had almost accepted that warmth.

The Soulmate Principle, where two people were destined to be with one another: their equal and other half, sharing thoughts, feelings and being closer than any other two people could be. The feelings of the Soulmate Principle didn't make two individuals fall for each other. It provided base feelings and instincts; enabled a reaction to the other's presence.

The sparks and shivers that Sasuke had felt when Naruto had been so close to him, when he had felt Naruto's breath against his own cold lips…those feelings and thoughts were that intense and had such an impact because they were fuelled by inner desires. There was no way that Sasuke could say that he had leaned into Naruto's touch because the Soulmate Principle had made him. It had gone beyond that. Naruto had made an impact in his life that was almost as great as the one his brother had made upon him as a child.

He wasn't sure if he could control himself around Naruto anymore. He was torn. Would he continue his interrogation of Naruto and fight the feelings that Naruto evoked in him? Would he just use Naruto to satisfy his desires and be done with it?

Naruto was so…lethal in a way. Like a poison dart, his cheerful personality infected every nook and cranny of the inner body. And there was no getting away from it. He couldn't deal with this right now. A few more buttons pushed and Sasuke knew he would explode. He could already feel the inner instincts of his vampire blood taunting him to devour the blond. It seemed like a long time ago he had broken into Naruto's apartment and had indulged on Naruto's warm skin, when it in fact had been less than a five days ago.

He would not let himself get any closer to Naruto. By tomorrow, everything would be over. He'd straighten out his thoughts, send Naruto away from this Night World bar and then he would take Sakura from her home, bring her to Naruto's apartment and make her bleed enough for Naruto to spill everything he knew about Itachi. Then perhaps he'd have one large drink of Naruto's crimson life source and leave content, knowing he had made it through the annoyance of the Soulmate Principle and had taken one huger step towards finding his brother again.

He didn't even think about if he would be able to fight his growing feelings and the intensity of the Soulmate Principle. Or if he would be able to keep the lid on his inner longing of needing someone to understand him and tell him that he had someone there for him. It was an unbidden thought.

Naruto didn't expect Sasuke to speak first.

"Why am I not surprised." It was not a question. The tone was not icy, but was instead rather restrained. Naruto couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"You're…you're okay," he said and immediately wanted to hit himself for saying something so stupid and obvious.

"I'm a fast healer; you've seen that for yourself."

Sasuke turned around, distancing himself away from Naruto by facing the bar once again. Naruto frowned, feeling eyes on his back but he ignored them, instead standing next to Sasuke at the bar. He looked at him, his dark hair framing his face. It was as if yesterday had not physically happened, yet there was a mental block there.

They had been closer than ever yesterday. Their breaths had mingled and defences had been lowered. Naruto wanted that again: that closeness. He craved it. He craved Sasuke. And he wanted to make Sasuke see that there was something indescribable between them. Something special that was rare to have that shouldn't be wasted. He wanted Sasuke to tell him everything.

"Sasuke, I–"

"Leave this place, Naruto," interrupted Sasuke, looking at the bottom of his empty glass, "I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now."

Naruto blinked and he felt annoyance swell in his bones. Sasuke was so exasperating, "Leave? You bastard! I've spent all day looking for you because I was worried sick. When the hospital told me that you hadn't been there, I didn't know what to think. Damnit, I was scared for you, Sasuke! I'm not going anywhere, I need to–"

Those dark eyes turned to his, face set, "Be quiet. I don't…I don't want to hear that kind of talk."

Naruto's chest clenched, Sasuke's tone full of closure. It was the same as yesterday, when even during the time when he had been in the mud with a javelin through his shoulder, he had distanced himself from their physical closeness, as if he couldn't let himself get close to someone rather than he wouldn't.

'He's driving me nuts!' thought Naruto 'One minute he's thinking one thing and the next he's thinking another!'

"Why, are you afraid?" began Naruto, his voice rising, grabbing the collar of Sasuke's t-shirt in his fist and tugging Sasuke closer. Sasuke seemed to let it happen, his body somewhat relaxed, but his dark eyes were filled with wrath. Naruto continued, his eyes intense, "You want me to leave now, but before, you needed information from me. You confuse me so damn much! What's happened, Sasuke?"

Sasuke grabbed his wrist, sparks tingling their skin, and tore Naruto's fist from his collar as he stood up. They glared at each other and Naruto became aware that there was silence in the bar as everyone looked at them. Even the music had stopped. Sasuke let go of Naruto's wrist.

"You don't give up, do you?" voiced Sasuke, his tone low and laced with the richness of coffee.

"Hell no, Sasuke," replied Naruto, "I need some questions answered. I'm not leaving at all, whether you like it or not."

Sasuke smirked and the next thing Naruto knew, Sasuke had grabbed him by the shoulders and had turned him around, pushing him towards the door. Sasuke's nimble fingers dug into his clothed shoulders as Naruto was pushed against his will through the gaps between the tables and chairs. His blue eyes widened and he locked his knees to stop the movement, but he found he was unable to. Sasuke was strong; incredibly so. His mind reversed to the time he had first encountered Sasuke, when he had been pushed to the ground and had been unable to move.

"Sasuke…!"

He flailed his arms and tried to turn around, but it was no use. Everyone in the bar watched the display; they even all moved out of the way. Naruto knew why; he could feel the anger and purpose rolling off Sasuke's skin in droves. It strangely excited him.

He fell through the door as he was pushed through and ended up on his knees upon the cast iron spiral staircase. He fisted his fingers and turned his head around, half sitting on the second to last step. Sasuke was standing at the door and it closed behind him as he took a step forwards. His posture was strong, the darkness of the stairs making his dark eyes light up into a dangerous grey and his pale skin turn almost translucent.

It silenced Naruto.

Sasuke said, "Move up the stairs, dead-last."

Naruto's eyes sparked, "Make me bastard."

Sasuke did. Within a second, Naruto was hauled up and was once again being pushed up the stairs by his shoulders. He fought back, wriggling his arms and moving from side to side, but Sasuke pushed him on. He banged his shins into the steps a few times, knowing that it would bruise, but he ignored the sting of pain in trying to stop Sasuke. But he couldn't. It was relentless.

'You're strong, Sasuke. Too strong…'

He was at the top of the stairs in no time at all and he caught a quick look at the man named Asuma before the front door was opened and Sasuke pushed him through. He heard the door close behind him.

For a few seconds, nothing happened. There were no cars on the street and the only sound Naruto could hear was his own heartbeat. He stared at the houses opposite, as if in a trance. Sasuke's fingers still dug into his shoulders from behind, keeping him still. Although it was a spring evening, Naruto felt the cold seeping through his clothes.

Sudden warmth overtook him and he snapped out of his trance as Sasuke leaned his head towards his right ear. He felt the brush of soft hair against his neck and warm breath against the shell of his ear. He could almost feel Sasuke's smirk against his skin.

"Naruto, Naruto, Naruto…"

Naruto never knew the skin just below his ear could be so sensitive. Instant heat travelled down his neck, his eyes scrunching shut. That intense feeling was bubbling up in his stomach again, those warm sparks just beneath surface of his skin, threatening to spill over.

In fact, Naruto wanted them to overtake him. He wanted to feel that high, that closeness once again, that security. Sasuke was alive, Sasuke was okay and live and kicking and breathing, Sasuke was behind him somewhat holding him, Sasuke was here.

"Don't think you can just leave me here," began Naruto, turning his head towards Sasuke's and feeling a brush of skin against skin, both their breaths hitching, "You…you can leave me out here and go back inside, but I'll wait out here until you come out. And then I'll follow you home; follow you wherever you go."

He was suddenly pushed forwards, away from the warmth of Sasuke. He stumbled slightly but then stood up straight and whirled around to face Sasuke, their eyes connecting in a gaze of several meanings. Naruto took a step forwards and Sasuke spoke, halting his steps.

"You think you can follow me? You have no idea. And anyway, you should be grateful. This is the one time when I'm not interrogating you and instead, I'm letting you go. You should take this chance and run," he tilted his head, the moonlight highlighting his features as he walked around Naruto, "because it won't be pretty when I do catch up to you. Make the most of the time I've given you."

Those dark eyes seemed hidden in the darkness, but to Naruto, they were open wide. Sasuke was irate and was not as level headed as he was making himself out to be. Naruto knew that Sasuke hid his true feelings behind a wall. He hid and pushed others away, focusing on himself and what he wanted.

And Naruto suddenly couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't take the attitude or the infuriating personality, or the way Sasuke acted like he didn't give a damn about anything except Itachi. He couldn't take all the confusion surrounding Sasuke, how much in the dark he felt.

Something snapped inside Naruto, and with clenched fists, he launched himself at Sasuke, who was standing on his right, in a quick movement. His palms hit Sasuke in the chest, pushing him backwards (Naruto knew that Sasuke was letting himself be pushed) until his back hit the brick wall of a house harshly. Tanned fists bunched into Sasuke's collar and in his frustration, he shook him slightly and slammed his back against the wall once more with a resounding sound.

"God damnit, you bastard! Do you know how much you infuriate me sometimes?!"

Naruto couldn't see Sasuke's eyes as they were covered by the tilt of his head and the fall of his hair. He leaned closer to Sasuke, his fists shaking.

"Why did you take that javelin for me yesterday? I could've…I could've protected myself! And how have you healed so fast?! I just don't understand you, Sasuke. I haven't been this stressed in ages! You put me down and push me around. But…"

Naruto took a ragged breath, closing his eyes, his body shaking slightly. His heart raced; he was so desperate to get Sasuke to see what he saw and what he felt. His whole body reacted just at the thought of Sasuke. He continued in a quiet tone.

"…but I can't stay angry at you. I've told you before; I care about you. I feel as if I've known you since forever! But still, I want to know more about you; I want you to open up to me. Somehow, you've become important to me, Sasuke. But you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way."

At that moment, Sasuke began to chuckle hollowly. Naruto felt the vibrations of Sasuke's chest and he was startled at the sudden change in Sasuke. Those intense feelings that bubbled pleasurably beneath his skin began to fizzle into a deep, echoing pain.

Sasuke…

Sasuke taunting voice broke through the sound of Naruto's beating heart, "Care about me? Important to you? Why…do you dream about me at night, Naruto?"

Naruto blinked, "Sasu–"

"You shouldn't be allowed to dream about me!"

Wild eyes met Naruto's and he let go of Sasuke, blue eyes narrowing, "You arrogant jerk, stop acting like this!"

Sasuke took a step forwards, his stance intimidating and his eyes flickering in barely held restraint and all of a sudden, their faces were less than two inches away, strands of blue/black entangled with thick blond, breath warm and harsh against each other's lips. The sudden movement and flurry of emotions made Naruto instinctively take a step backwards and then he mentally kicked himself for doing so because he craved that proximity. The moonlight highlighted the blue tint of Sasuke's hair, made his skin look silver and ethereal, gave an edge to the shape of his sculptured mouth and made his lip stud gleam. Those eyes were so intense. Sasuke looked gorgeous and Naruto had the sudden urge to just devour him. The thought surprised him that he almost missed what Sasuke said next.

"Leave now, or you'll regret it!" said Sasuke, "You don't know what you're getting yourself into!"

"I already told you, I'm not going anywhere!"

They glared at each other for a few moments and the moment Naruto made a move to take a step towards Sasuke which would take them back into that intimate closeness, the Lamia vampire felt adrenaline pulse through his body and growled, "Tell me everything you know about Itachi now, or I'll kill you!"

Naruto faltered because the threat was real. Sasuke's eyes were hard and wild, his body tense and his face enraged. There was no doubt in Naruto's mind that Sasuke could kill him, though he was unsure about the details. But Naruto felt through instinct that Sasuke's words were a kind of defence.

"Who are you Sasuke? What are you?!" cried Naruto.

Sasuke didn't answer, but instead grabbed Naruto by his hoody and reversed their position from before. Naruto could feel the hardness of the bricks digging into his back, but he concentrated solely on Sasuke, who looked as if he wanted to say something, but instead stayed quiet. His pale hands gripped Naruto tightly, quivering slightly in suppressed rage. He lifted his sea blue eyes from the strong, pale hands to dark eyes, and he found his breath quickening as his heart began to palpitate. He knew Sasuke felt the same thing and was fighting back the urge to move even closer.

Naruto said in low tones, a small smile on his lips, "You shouldn't fight it."

And then Sasuke just couldn't take it anymore. Sasuke's powerful eyes allowed him to see all the tiny details of Naruto in the darkness and it caused desire to swell beneath his skin along with the warm, fizzy sensations that they're closeness was producing. His upper jaw was aching, his vampire urges fluctuating and urging him to snap. There was a small flush on Naruto's cheeks, highlighting his strange whisker marks. The blond's chest rose quickly under his grip. His lips were slightly parted, allowing for small glimpses of his dark pink inner mouth. His frustration had quickly climbed, clawing at his insides. How could Naruto smile when he had known Itachi? Sasuke could only feel pain.

Suddenly, he didn't care about the effects the Soulmate Principle would have on him for this one moment: that it would make him weak, defenceless and feeling emotions he shouldn't feel in order to avenge his Clan. He needed to make Naruto see that this closeness that the blond craved was in his opinion, damaging and flawed. He needed to teach Naruto a lesson for being so stubborn, so annoying, so human. Sasuke desired Naruto: his blood, his body, his warm skin. He needed to push Naruto away from him.

"I warned you, Naruto."

And nothing would ever be the same again.

Naruto's eyes widened. The only way in which he could describe it was that Sasuke changed.

And suddenly, a lot of his confusion made sense. So much clicked into place that he felt himself choking on air.

Sasuke was a vampire.

--

To be continued...


Ah, well, a lot more was supposed to happen in this chapter, but it just got so long as I was writing that I stopped there. And I know how eveybody just loves cliffhangers... XD Well, doing this will make for an even better next chapter!

So, let me know what you think and I'll give you a huge hug in return (smiles) And I promise a quicker update, because we're getting so close to some juicy revealings!