Chapter nine

The night was cool and calm outside but in that rented room right there, the atmosphere was still a little tense. Kakashi leaned back against the headboard of the bed with his hands clasped behind his head, the moon was shining in through the window and onto the ball next to him. Sonea had curled in on herself and almost shut down completely as he dried her off earlier on.

She took the clothes from Kakashi and changed into them smoothly with her back to him, her whole presence screamed calm and stable but she was far from it. She turned back to Kakashi and ignored him as she went back into the bedroom, the same position as before, in the corner by the window, on knee pulled up against her chest as she leaned back against the headboard and stared out of the window.

She didn't move a muscle as Kakashi sat down next to her. She looked like she had completely turned off but there was something shimmering in those cool red eyes and Kakashi left her to it. In the evening she had curled into a ball with her back to him and proceeded to fall asleep but Kakashi couldn't.

He watched as the moonlight reflected off of her skin, giving her a dark glow to her pale yet tanned skin and hummed in thought. Her body shifted slightly at the sound, closer to him in a way until her back was touching the side of his thigh. Her skin was warm but there was coldness around her at the same time coming from her aura and Kakashi growled low in his throat as his brows furrowed. His growl soon stopped when a black tail flicked out and knocked him slightly on his chest and lay there and Kakashi smirked in amusement as he ended his growling. He wasn't sure how long he just sat there and watched her sleep but soon light replaced the moonlight as he absentminded played with the tip of her tail flicking lightly against his chest.

"The cat and the wolf…" He mused in a whisper thick with sarcasm.

"I'm not a cat." The body next to him mumbled sleepily as her tail flicked out of his hold and lay across her still curled up body.

"Well then, what animal do you want to be then?" He asked, lying on his side with his head propped up on his hand.

"I'm a wolf too since that is my spirit guide's form." She said, turning over and facing him. Kakashi noted the rings under her eyes still and her wounds were still little pink scars, her eyes glowed dully from the loss of blood and her eyelids hung heavy with exhaustion.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, a hand coming to her neck and rubbing a pink scar with his thumb, he didn't like to see such an ugly line on her perfectly flawless body.

"Tired… Sorry for scaring you like that, I didn't even know I had the fingernails to cause such damage." Sonea said as she also raised a hand to her neck and touched the scars carefully.

"By the amount of damage you did, I think you started clawing as you hopped up… I should have smelt the blood sooner, I'm sorry." He said, caressing her cheek with his thumb now. Sonea regarded him thoughtfully then flinched at the screeching laughter of the Jyuubi in her head.

"It's not your fault but the Jyuubi is laughing at me, it was probably just a cruel joke." Sonea said with sad annoyance as she looked down at her hands and fisted them into balls as she focused on her scars as they began to fade with some concentration from her.

"You shouldn't be using your chakra yet." Kakashi scolded her and she smiled.

"Not really chakra since it's a part of my clan ability, so don't worry to much besides, I still managed to hold my demon mode this whole time." Sonea said with an arrogant smirk and Kakashi sighed before flopping onto his back.

"You're going to kill me with worry." Kakashi said and Sonea curled up into his side carefully, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You did sign the contract with a kiss." Sonea said cryptically and laughed.

"I don't remember this relationship's 'contract' involving scarring your spouse half to death by bleeding everywhere." Kakashi groaned out.

"Well it did involve the worrying part." Sonea said seriously and Kakashi nodded with a hum of agreement. Kakashi heard her breathing pick up and the wavering of her chakra.

"Can you get me my bag that Star left?" She asked, her voice sounding heavier and the exhaustion seeping into it. Kakashi leaned slightly to the table and picked up the little brown bag Star left with her as well and passed it to Sonea after helping her to sit up without getting too dizzy. She took out some pills and swallowed them dry before placing the bottle back into the bag and passing it back to Kakashi before lying back down, curling up and in seconds she was asleep again.

Kakashi got up as soon as she was asleep and headed into the shower since he had a slight smell of blood to him and got dressed into a black sleeveless shirt with the mask and some track pants instead and found Tenzo reading in the lounge area as Kakashi came out, towelling his hair and then hanging it around his neck before sitting down next to him and picking up some tea Tenzo made earlier.

"Senpai." Tenzo said, closing his book and watching his mentor. "What was that smell of blood yesterday, I haven't seen you since yesterday morning." Tenzo asked with worry and Kakashi sighed as he leaned back against the couch.

"Sonea had a vision and she clawed at herself badly but she's fine, just tired so I left her to get some more sleep." Kakashi explained calmly yet seriously.

"I see. Did she say anything about what it was about?" Tenzo asked, studying his mentor.

"No but the Jyuubi did laugh at her. She said it was a cruel joke so if she's not worried about it then I don't think we should be… She knows the beast and herself better than we ever could even if we spent a lifetime with them." Kakashi explained calmly as he got up and put the cup into the sink and leaned back against it with his hands holding the counter. "I'm going to get some air today if you don't mind holding down the fort for a while Tenzo, Sonea should be sleeping for a while so just check on her now and again." Kakashi said with a wave and left the hotel room with his hands in his pockets. Tenzo nodded with a hum before turning back to his book to read some more.

He looked up from his book and noticed he had been reading for nearly five hours and decided to check on Sonea before his senpai got back and scolded him. He put his book down on the table and stood up, stretching a little before walking over to Sonea's room and knocking. He stepped in and left the door open as he walked in towards her still lying on the bed with her back to him as the sunlight bounced off of her. He stepped up to the side of the bed and reached out his hand and everything happened in a flash.

He found himself lying stomach down on the bed with his arms being held behind his back uncomfortably as he tried to struggle out of the hold to notice Sonea was the one holding him down and sitting on his thighs so he couldn't move even if he tried. He craned his neck to the side to look at her and saw conflict in her eyes that were glowing dangerously as she growled from her slightly pulled up lips then he noticed the extended canines and knew he was screwed if he didn't find something to do so be began to focus his chakra for his wood release.

"Back down Shadow." Kakashi's voice commanded from the doorway. He had returned to the room with no Tenzo there but Sonea's door wide open and he carefully crept to her doorway to see actual fear in his partner's eyes as he saw Sonea's conflicted emotions as she held him down. Tenzo felt her body flinch as she slowly and unwillingly let go of his hands and crawled off of him quickly to curl up in the adjacent corner in a ball, hiding her shame behind her knees that were pulled up to her chest.

"I'm so sorry Tenzo." He heard her whisper out with guilt and restraint.

"Tenzo… Can you leave us for a few minutes, maybe make us tea?" Kakashi asked coolly, his eyes glued to Sonea's cowering form.

"Right Kakashi-senpai, I'll be in the lounge." Tenzo found himself saying, already heading past his senpai and closed the door behind him as he headed into the kitchen and his hands shook, it was one of the most terrifying positions he had ever been in… She could have killed him with a finger if her single-handed hold on his now bruising arms were anything to go by.

Kakashi watched as Tenzo walked past with a shake to his voice and whole form, screaming out fear and he closed the door as he returned his gaze to his girlfriend in the corner across from him. He walked across to her making enough noise as she flinched harder the closer he got, grabbing her bag on the side table and pulling out the blood replenishment pills along the way before stopping in front of her and making a small cut on his wrist and getting on his haunches.

To Sonea, this was the whole hospital 'incident' all over again and cringed every step. Then the glorious sound of blade cutting flesh caught her vampirism attention and the irony yet satisfying smell of blood hit her nose and she looked up into Kakashi's grey eyes with guilt written on her face. She watched as the blood from his wrist followed the crevasses of his hand down to his fingertips where it began to drip off of his fingertips and swallowed her burning throat.

"Take mine." Kakashi said coolly and held out his wrist to her. Sonea decided to leave out the 'blood is sacred' speech as he had heard it enough. She took his wrist in her hands and licked the wound, the irony taste filling her senses, making her body tingle with anticipation as she watched the wound close up and leave no scar. Kakashi was confused but then she reached up to his mask and pulled it down to his collarbone and moved her face to the crook of his neck. He heard a whispered 'I'm sorry' before he felt her fangs pierce the same place they did once before.

He got light headed after a short while and popped one blood replenishment pill into his mouth and swallowed it as he felt her retract her fangs from his neck and her tongue across it to heal it up as she rested her forehead against the crook, breathing heavily with slight sobs. She began a mantra of 'sorry' as her hand wrapped around the nape of his neck and held him close as she focused on breathing again.

Her hand was falling limp against his neck and the mantra slurring as she began to fall asleep again as she finished healing and repairing the damage. He picked her up and laid her in bed again, covering her with the blanket before standing back to look at her as he readjusted his mask back on. She seemed less pained than before and there was a cute flush on her cheeks as she breathed deeply, her mouth slightly pouted and open as she expelled her breaths. He needed to check on Tenzo so he left her to sleep as he sat across from his friend and partner who was staring down into his cup that was shaking with his hands and looking slightly paler than usual.

"She really did want to eat me didn't she?" Tenzo questioned, not changing his gaze.

"There is a reason her clan was named after blood… She feels extremely sorry and guilty about what happened. She'll be back to normal when she wakes up and I'm sure she'll want to apologise in person." Kakashi said coolly, examining his friend.

"I read her file before we left… I shouldn't have been so careless so it's partially my fault. I will apologise to her too. There is one thing I want to ask senpai?" Tenzo asked, looking up at Kakashi, seeming to be a bit calmer now.

"What might that be Tenzo?" Kakashi asked with some curiosity.

"Why didn't she attack you this morning when you were with her?" Tenzo asked and Kakashi sighed before getting comfortable on the couch, it could be a long explanation.

"She's had my blood before… So there is something called a blood bond that has been partially completed between us, meaning she had accepted me as a worthy mate, kind of like the Inuzuka clan. Maybe it's easier to control around a mate?" Kakashi wondered and Tenzo's eyes had gone wide.

"So you…" Tenzo asked and Kakashi nodded.

"It's apparently an inseparable bond that is why it's partially complete so I offered my blood like the first time, she'll be back to normal when she wakes up. This is as much as I'm permitted and comfortable explaining about and all you have to know. Please remember this for future situations Tenzo." Kakashi explained with warning and Tenzo nodded sternly.

"Yes sir." He said in his ANBU tone, feeling calmer he wasn't going to get attacked again as he drank his cold tea. The two men chatted calmly for the rest of the day before retiring for the night to the same room.

Sonea woke up feeling physically a hell of a lot better but conscience wise felt as guilty as hell. She remembered pinning Tenzo down and fighting back her natural instinct to replace her blood since her chakra was still hard to control but manageable to keep her demon mode and handle the Jyuubi. She got out of bed carefully and stretched a little and concentrating on walking. It was a day earlier than she was suppose to be from moving around again but she could feel the blood Kakashi gave her working and making her feel healed. Sonea stifled a yawn as she dragged her feet into the living room and then the kitchen. She was looking in the fridge when her tail caught a kunai that was flung at her over the counter without averting her gaze at the food in the fridge.

"That wasn't very nice Tenzo." She said tiredly finally deciding to eat a granny smith apple and passed the kunai back to Tenzo.

"I'm sorry, I knew senpai was still asleep and I didn't expect to see you up and moving so easily and so soon." He said, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, standing by the kitchen table while she leaned back against the fridge, one arm across her chest as well as her ankles crossed as he stood nervously and tense.

"I should be the one apologising Tenzo… For attacking you, I should have warned you earlier about my 'tendencies'." Sonea said, sitting at the table while Tenzo turned on the kettle.

"Senpai warned me last night so I'll be careful next time around, so don't worry, all is forgiven Sonea." Tenzo said, leaning back against the counter and his whole being was screaming apology.

"Hopefully there won't be a next time but thank you." Sonea said with a smile as she threw the apple core behind her and it landed in the bin. Tenzo finished making tea and sat down with three cups as Kakashi came in and joined them at the table.

"You shouldn't be out of bed yet." He scolded her and she just smiled cheekily.

"Yeah well we've wasted enough time with my illness, we need to get back to it ASAP." Sonea stressed, switching seriously again and they both nodded. "You've been slacking with worry which was proved by Tenzo and my 'good morning kunai' by him and a little bit of moving around one day before won't hurt especially with your little 'boost' again Kakashi… Thank you for that and for stopping me." She said with a smile and Kakashi eye smiled.

"What do you have in mind?" Tenzo asked, smiling at the familiarity of being back into the mission again.

"I want to find the spy in this town today plus you two need to get back into routine of training again while I stretch out my muscles to be used properly again." Sonea explained.

"Tsunade-sama said no training for another week." Kakashi reminded her harshly and she just laughed with malice.

"I don't call 'stretching' training now do I? Besides I want to get moving in the next few days and head for Yu no Kuni (Hot springs country) and stay near the boarders of Yuki no Kuni (Snow country) until we are ready to head into Kaminari no Kuni and get this all over with. We only have four more bijuu to find and we can return back to Konoha, what do you think?" She asked them.

"You need to take it easy, why not start next week?" Tenzo asked with concern for her health still.

"I'll be fine for some plain travelling plus I'm so board and as soon as we are ready to go properly again, we are right at our next targets. I thought it would be a smart move." Sonea stated with an arrogant yet carefree shrug. Tenzo sighed with defeat while Kakashi chuckled silently.

"You never give up do you?" Kakashi asked rhetorically with sarcasm to his voice.

"Believe it!" Sonea said with enthusiasm, making both her and Kakashi pack into laughter at their little blonde's favourite catch phrase.

"We'll see how your muscles and stiffness gets before planning further and get back into training before we find the next few jinchuuriki just to get back into the swing of things, what do you think?" Kakashi asked seriously after the laughter calmed down.

"Deal. We'll get dressed and ready then we can get going plus I have studying for you two that I completely forgot about." Sonea said with a grin and both men moaned with annoyance while her grin grew bigger. They let Sonea use the bathroom first then they went in afterwards.

Sonea had gotten dressed into her shorts and bikini top and began digging in her bag for the guy's study material and had things thrown across her unmade bed while she searched and organised her bag again. She finally found the scroll she was looking for and stroked over it with memories and love as it had belonged to Minato before hand. She had decided last minute that it would be a good idea for them to learn about seals because knowing their enemy, they would use seals to cover their presences especially if they had already obtained the body of the Jyuubi from the moon… She shuddered at the thought as she pocketed the scroll and repacked her bag.