Naruto could only see the battle in glimpses through his tumbling through the school halls. The black water carried them into the library, crashing against the bookshelves. He saw Shikamaru grab hold of a ceiling fan, pull himself from the water, and go airborne, a crackling of red energy sparking around him. Then the water took Naruto down in a horrible undertow, throwing him under one table, against a chair and up against a bookshelf. The force threw him up again, where he gasped for air. He saw Zabuza standing on the water, as confidently and as solidly as if he was standing on a marble floor. A wave crashed against Naruto and he choked on seawater, blinded for a moment.
The brine falling away he saw Shikamaru flying at Zabuka, a thin short sword having appeared in the younger man's hand. Zabuza, of course, held his gigantic zweihander. Shikamaru cannoned at the mist-ninja, and then the waters tore Naruto down again. This time he grabbed hold of the bookshelf and pulled himself along its edges, yanking himself out of the water and scuttling up onto the top of the shelf. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the flashing of blades and he heard the two weapons connect. Oh, and on the night of his first school dance in this place too.
"Where do you think you're going, guy?" Jugo said, swimming along the bookshelf, looking up at him. "Crazy water shit or not, we haven't forgotten about you."
"Priorities, Jugo," Shikamaru said, landing on the bookshelf next to Naruto, sword up, his shoulder and lower arm bleeding from two gashes. "I'd like to run and fight another day, if that's what it takes."
"What happened to all that ambition of yours?" Jugo snapped back.
Zabuza's rocketing form blocked out the library lights for a moment, and then his massive sword cut the bookshelf in two. Waves roared up, throwing Naruto up against the ceiling and then back down.
"Library's gotta have a back door, right?" Shikamaru said, soaked, clambering up what was left of the shelving unit. "Some way to get out if the entrance is blocked? In case of a fire-"
He turned, blade swiping out, parrying Zabuza's blows. He skidded back from the larger man's force.
"I see windows," Jugo said. "Out to the school courtyard."
"Yeah," Naruto said, picking up a heavy encyclopedia and hurling it at the window. It thunked off harmlessly. Good glass there.
Jugo's arm snapped out, and something exploded next to the window, shattering it outwards. The effect was immediate, the water falling out into the courtyard, dropping altitude.
Zabuza knocked Shikamaru down, raised the blade. Naruto grabbed another encyclopedia and sent it flying into Zabuza's head, throwing him back.
"Nice aim, kid," Shikamaru said, spinning around.
"Kid?" Naruto said. "What are you, maybe two years older than me?"
"Sure, but ask Jugo. I'm wise beyond my years. Anyone who wants to keep breathing jump out that window."
Naruto leapt from the bookshelf to the ground and saw movement out of the corner of his eyes. A lifetime of persecution by assassins like Zabuza had given him fairly good reflexes. He rolled out of the way as the huge sword shot overhead and imbedded itself into the wall.
"Yes, run, guys, run," Zabuza said, laughing.
The encyclopedia Naruto hurled at the window before on the ground to his right; Naruto snatched it up and held it in front of his face, protecting him from the remnants of glass hanging in the window. One moment in damp library, the next in the cool wind of outside. He hit the concrete ground of the courtyard, rolled, nearly slammed into the massive oak planted in the center.
He got to his feet and heard Shikamaru and Jugo land behind him.
"Damn," Jugo said. "That guy's got a big sword-- oof!"
Zabuza slammed him into the side of the oak and the tree shuddered.
"Thanks," Shikamaru said, moving between Zabuza and Naruto. "I've been wanting to do that to Jugo all day."
"What are you guys?" Zabuza said, turning towards him. "Atkatsuki or something? You've got the stench of the amateur all over you."
"That's my everyday complaint exactly."
Backing up, backing up, soon Naruto and Shikamaru would hit the far wall and they'd have very little to run to get away from Zabuza's epic blade.
"I could make a deal with you," Zabuza said. "How about you run off, let me gut the little guy here, and we call it a night?"
"Can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Do you ever read the papers?"
"Very rarely."
"There was this civil war that broke out in-"
Shikamaru went one way, Naruto went the other; Zabuza's sword barely missed them. Shikamaru glided to the side, rolled and came up, cutting Zabuza with his sword.
A zen moment: Shikamaru's momentum carrying him across the concrete, Zabuza titled forwards, black gaseous material spilling from his side, his sword held out ahead.
Silence. Pause. Then: a low growling laughter coming from Zabuza. "Nice one, swordsman."
The black gas cleared up and the wound closed on Zabuza's side. Shikamaru bit his lower lip, glanced away."Huh."
"Yeah," Zabuza said, turning around.
"Well, the solution to this situation is obvious."
They both turned and looked at Naruto, who looked like he had had an epiphany.
He had. "Zabuza here is after me. Not you guys. So-"
And then he was off, through the courtyard door and out into the school halls.
Zabuza sighed and adjusted his headband. "That kid sure can run."
"Apparently he practices," Shikamaru said.
"Right. Well. Time to give chase."
"Not if I have anything to say about it."
"What? Come on, kid, you've got to think about your own skin now."
"Well, here's the thing. I've watched you, seen your technique. And you know what? I think I can beat you."
"Really."
"Really."
"Heh. All right-"
ooo
A meditative moment:
It was autumn, after all, cottonseed and leaves and blossoms pouring through the air. The glow of the school rose into the night, an orange albedo, and it turned the air's compatriots glittering, a ballet of the season's tossed bits. Itachi felt like a trespasser in this beauty, just a black figure perched on a rooftop.
Sasuke. He was here for Sasuke.
Something spattered against his hand. The vampire shifted, looked up, where storm clouds were rippling overhead in the wind. Rain began to fall.
It was the mere exposure effect, that nifty bit of psychology that made it so probable that Sasuke would fall for Ino simply by Kabuto's manuevering them together -- Itachi chose Ino for several reasons; she was beautiful, they shared several interests, socially she was an optimal mate-- and with Ino in Sasuke's heart, it made Sasuke's heart pliable, and that was good.
ooo
Inside the gym, it was very dark, the spinning coloured lights sweeping the room with low glow. It was a slow-dance -- the competition was over, the judges gone to ruminate -- and Ino and Sasuke were in with the rest of the students, stepping about to the beat of the song.
Ino didn't know what to make of Sasuke as a dancer. It had been an exhilarating experience, sure, but she couldn't tell if he enjoyed it or not; he always seemed to be concentrating so hard on the dancing that it was like he forgot to just dance.
"Sasuke-" she said.
"Mhm?"
"What do you think of Naruto?"
"What? Oh, I don't know. He's interesting, that's for sure."
"He always seems so positive-"
"He is that."
"Do you find him attractive?"
Sasuke snapped his head up, looking at her. "What?"
"Oh." A smile. "I guess I shouldn't be asking you that, I guess. I don't know. You're a good dancer."
"He's better."
"Naruto?"
"Yeah. Boy knows how to dance."
"Really. Why haven't we seen him all night then?"
"That's a good question." They danced nearby Sai and Sakura, who sat at the sidelines. "Where's Naruto?"
Sai shrugged. "Haven't seen him."
No one ever asked Sai to dance and that was really the way he liked it. Every lone boy in the vicinity had asked Sakura to dance, though, but she held off, looking through the crowds for Sasori. Finally, she got up and moved through the dancers, looking for him. He couldn't not be here, could he? This was the dance that everyone went to. She'd even convinced Sai to come to the dance. How could Sasori not be here, and how could he not be asking her to dance?
She bumped into someone who smelled very, very nice.
It was his collar she noticed first, the kind of high Dracula-collar that appeared in old monster movies. She noticed the long black coat, and then the dark eyes set into the symmetrical, gorgeous pale face. The dark hair. The long bangs. He almost seemed to glow.
"Oh my," she said.
He touched her and leaned down to whisper into her ear, and his voice, masculine and quiet and powerful, drew her into his embrace: "Where's Sasuke?"
"Oh god," she said, quivering. She found herself pointing into the crowd, pointing in the direction of Sasuke. When the dark-haired man left her and went in his direction, her knees buckled and she dropped to the dance floor. She touched her hair with shivering fingers and found frost tinging her head. Oh god, she thought.
Sasuke.
Sasuke felt Itachi's presence before he saw him, and his heart froze a little. He grabbed Ino, drew her behind him as she protested, and stood his ground. He reached into his suit pocket, realized he hadn't brought any of his weapons with him. Surely Itachi wouldn't try anything in public?
Itachi appeared out of the gloom of the dance, and it was as if everyone else was dancing in slow motion, drifting along to their own molasses chill. "Sasuke."
"You get the hell out of here," Sasuke snarled.
"Sasuke," Itachi said, "my dear brother. I'm here to take you with me."
"Not going to."
"Ah but-" Itachi said, suddenly behind him, suddenly grabbing Ino and baring her neck to him. "What about her?"
"Don't-"
"Then come with me-"
This was wrong, Itachi thought. There was too much hesitation in Sasuke's eyes, too much thought going towards alternatives. He was thinking about saving the girl, not sacrificing himself to guarantee her safety, as he would with someone he was more attached to. Had Kabuto failed him? Had a single week been too short for two such compatible people to not find each other?
The doors to the gym opened, and Naruto appeared, soaked and tired, looking distraught. Sasuke turned to look at him.
And suddenly Itachi understood, saw the look in Sasuke's eyes, the sudden concern.
I have been wrong about everything, the vampire thought.
And then Naruto vanished from Sasuke's sight, the black fabric of Itachi's coat obscuring the doorframe as the vampire took the boy.
"Naruto!" Sasuke shouted.
"Sasuke?" Ino said, stumbling back. The dance was progressing at normal speed again. "Sasuke, what happened? I feel-- strange."
But Sasuke was already running.
ooo
"How did I not see it?" Itachi said, setting Naruto down in the center of the cafeteria.
"Right," Naruto said, scrambling back from the vampire, frightened."First order of the day: who are you?"
"My name is Itachi," the vampire said, turning to look at the boy.
At first, Naruto couldn't tell what he was looking at. He was looking more at a presence than a physical being. The force of Itachi's proximity was intoxicating. Naruto fought against it; he felt he was inhaling an aphrodisiac. He was reminded of mosquitoes, the way they injected anesthetic before drinking your blood. Get to Kakashi, he thought. That goddamn teacher would never explain why he knew about the shadows, how he knew how to get rid of Mizuki, but Naruto figured he knew how to deal with this thing, this beautiful thing.
"He'll be here soon," Itachi said, his black cloak like two dark wings closing in on Naruto. "Soon-"
Fangs, then. Naruto realized his chances of survival were plummeting, but the effect of Itachi's glance, the effect of his being so close, was quickly making Naruto stop caring. The fangs appeared, came towards his neck--
"Get away from him."
Itachi looked up sharply. It wasn't Sasuke, but some large ninja wielding some overexaggeration of a sword.
Zabuza showed teeth, grinning. "He's mine."
The vampire stood up to full height, black coat falling around his figure, staring at Zabuza darkly. The light in the cafeteria began to darken, shadows pouring in around Zabuza.
"Huh," Zabuza said, looking around. He took a step back.
"Leave," Itachi said. "Now."
"Can't do that, chief."
Where was Shikamaru? Naruto thought as he tried to fight against Itachi, tried to get up. Did Zabuza's presence mean a dead Shikamaru?
"Hey!" a voice shouted. "Vampire!"
Itachi turned. Sasori had appeared on the cafeteria counter near the kitchens, and he lifted a large mirror. Itachi flinched, raising his arm to defend himself, and the mirror shattered. Hissing, the vampire flew back, out of the cafeteria, into the darkness beyond.
"A mirror?" Zabuza said, musing. "Never would've thought of that, kid! Good on you!"
"Yes," Sasori said. "Deidara, you there?"
One of the ceiling panels burst open and Deidara landed beside Naruto. "Right here, boss!"
"We'll be taking Naruto with us," Sasori said, leaping off the counter to the floor.
"You kids really take the cake, you know that?" Zabuza said.
"Uh huh," Deidra said.
The explosive missile of clay struck Zabuza in the chest, and the effect of immediate, practically half of the cafeteria exploding in a sea of fire. Naruto cried out, watching the ceiling cave in and the walls pinwheel out into smoke and flame out into the school courtyard. Who were these guys?
"Why didn't you tell me you could make an explosion that big?" Sasori said.
Deidara's mouth fell open, surveying the destruction. "I messed up!" he cried. "Arg, that was supposed to be a work of art! It was supposed to be a tiny statuette of Aphrodite swooping towards him to kiss him on the mouth! It was supposed to be poignant!"
"Uh huh."
"Sasori!" Naruto said, getting up. "What is all this? Why are you here?"
"Shut up," Sasori said.
The smoke cleared and Shikamaru came through it into what was left of the cafeteria, coughing. His head was bleeding on the side. "Wow," he said. "Look, Jugo, it's the Mysteriously Missing Moron Twins. Where the hell were you two when that lunk was hurling us into walls?"
"Strategizing," Sasori said.
"Uh guys," Jugo said, looking around the wreckage. "Shouldn't there have been a body?"
"That wouldn't have killed him," Naruto said. "I don't think the shadows can be killed, really."
"I told you to shut up," Sasori snapped.
"Yeah, let's not listen to the guy who probably knows what he's talking about," Shikamaru said. "Good plan, Sasori, I guess that's why they pay you the big bucks."
The cafeteria doors slammed open. Naruto turned to look, expecting the worse, and saw a fierce figure -- Sasuke, angry as hell, eyes locking on Naruto. "Naruto!"
"Not another one," Sasori said. "Deidara, get rid of him."
But Deidara was hitting the floor, Sasuke planting two feet into him. Sasori was next, Sasuke slamming him into a table hard enough to crack the wood. Another tumble, and into the air again, this time driving Jugo down into the wreckage of the cafeteria. Sasuke came up, still moving fluidly, spun and-
Shikamaru caught his ankle, Sasuke's foot inches from his face.
"Let's not and say we did, okay?" Shikamaru said.
"Naruto!" Sasuke said. "Run!"
"I'm not going to leave you, if that's what you mean," Naruto said. "I think the two of us could handle him-"
"What do I have to do, you idiots?" Shikamaru said. "Do I have to hand out my resume to everyone who thinks they can fight me? Then everyone can see my credentials instead of having to find out through trial and error? Jesus Christ."
Naruto came at him anyways. Shikamaru got Sasuke in between his shoulder and his arm, hard enough to incapacitate the boy, then slammed Naruto in the stomach, doubling over, came back, got Sasuke in the throat, turned, got Naruto in a lock, twisting his arm back and throwing him into Sasuke, sending the two boys tumbling into the wreckage.
"There," Shikamaru said. "Can we put an end to his let's fight Shikamaru crap now?"
The wind began to bring the pouring rain into the cafeteria. Lightning flashed once, thunder boomed, and the power in the cafeteria shut off, whump, plunging Shikamaru into darkness. Well, he thought; I'm surprised it lasted this long, with the explosion and all.
"Now," a voice said.
Lightning flashed again, and Naruto, picking himself up in the wreckage, saw an Itachi-shaped silhouette form itself in the darkness.
"It's all over," Itachi said.
"Sasuke," Naruto hissed, turning over and finding his friend. He shook him. "Sasuke, we have to go now!"
But Sasuke could only turn over and cough and cough.
"Sasuke, now-"
In the darkness, he heard Shikamaru cry out in pain. Naruto turned and saw the vampire step out of the cafeteria into the storm.
"Sasuke," Itachi said. "At last."
Oh no, Naruto thought.
