I've decided to come back and fix this chapter, my Freaky Darlings.
I have a clear goal of what I want to happen, and I intend to follow it now. As one person said, I've diverged too far from the central theme of this story; unintentionally, it seems to be the constant struggle the Naruto has with walking the line between Human and Monster. Well, I can gladly say that he won't long walk the line.
Please note the I wrote this very late at night, so there may be a few grammar issues. Please don't bitch.
Now, Let's get this show on the road...
Disclaimer: I do not own Hellsing or Naruto. Whedabra is mine.
Naruto sat quietly on the lid of his coffin, half-staring at the candle that sat on the table before him. It was a small thing, and seemed even smaller given the fact that it was alone on the table.
His eyes shifted down to the candle in his hands; to the burnt wick.
Part of him was running over the events of the last few days in his mind, questioning what he was to do.
Itachi's return as a prisoner had been kept secret, and those present had been forced to swear an oath of secrecy regarding said prisoner as well as Naruto's own secret and mission. Currently, the "No-Life Prince" was waiting in the cells near the Interrogation room; standard procedure.
Hinata, having seen what Naruto truly was when fighting, seemed a bit more withdrawn, particularly about her vampirism and emerging sexuality. To his understanding she had done something rather rash and foolish prior to their departure for the mission. Kiba seemed frightened of the beast that Naruto became when in combat; they had little interaction since the mission, but he could tell that the Inuzuka was somewhat disturbed. Perhaps they had been acting the night after the fight, or maybe they were just too scared to call him out.
He was again reminded of the argument that he and Itachi had, and once more he looked to the lit candle.
"I walk the line, and I suffer for it.", he muttered to himself, knowing Whedabra was upstairs with her lovers and thus too far to hear his mutterings. "I am no monster, and I am no human."
Perhaps things might have ended differently in Suna had he picked a side.
He had been sent as a "Diplomatic Envoy"; Tsunade's way of saying that he was to examine the minds of the Suna council to make sure they weren't working with Orochimaru, given the upcoming exams. They hadn't been, or at least not intentionally. After all, Orochimaru was a good actor and with the real Kazekage dead there was no one to call him on his act... until Naruto showed up and began to scan the minds of everyone in the room.
It had caught his off guard, to actually feel the twisted genius in Orochimaru's mind, and the moment was all the snake needed. Apparently, though Naruto had no idea how, Orochimaru had made a seal that radiated a sort of light that had the same effect as a powerful sunlight.
He activated all of them, blinding and, much to the nosferatu's surprise, burning him slightly. The snake them slashed him multiple times with the Kusanagi before fleeing. The burn from the blade came from it's silver blade, though Naruto clearly felt that there was also a blessing within the metal. How he had made any of these was beyond him, but Naruto knew it had been a test of his little inventions... a test they had passed.
He hadn't even been able to give chase; Even if he had gotten out of the chamber in time, it was still midday in a desert. It had been a blow to his pride that he had to flee from the room and into darkness to lick his wounds until nightfall, and then return to Konaha with a report of Orochimaru's failure. It also seemed that Suna would be refraining from the Exams, as Orochimaru had set off numerous explosives as he fled, tearing up most of Suna's West half and they needed to repair the damage.
"He's put some thought into this...", Naruto muttered, looking back to the burnt wick in his hands.
Tsunade already had a plan in place by the time he was done reporting. Team 8 was to refrain from the Chuunin exams this year, with Hinata and Kiba staying with their Clans. Naruto was to alter his appearance and tail Sasuke as an Anbu, attacking Orochimaru when he arrived. The rest of the village was to be prepared for war at all times.
"But what does it take to kill him?", he wondered aloud. "Alucard says it takes a man to kill a monster... but what of a monster? What of me?". He reached out and sent the other candle by it's lit counterpart. "Do I become a man to kill the monster, and die? Do I become a monster to kill a man, and live?"
There was no room for indecision in this battle. He would walk from it as either the legacy of Seras Victoria, or the Legacy of Count Dracula..
(Naruto's Mindscape)
Her life was, at this point, nothing more than one annoyance after another. First, it had been being sealed into a human, and an infant at that. The second had been her inability to break the seal and escape. Admitting defeat to the same human twice, and a dead one and that, had pissed her off to no end.
Then the idea to corrupt the child had come. It had seemed like a solid plan; muttered whispers when he had no other guidance would gently lead him down the path she wanted without alerting anyone till it was too late. As time went on, she decided on a plan of action after being freed; she'd finish destroying the village and then return to patrol her territory as she had done before the humans had angered her in the first place. Part of it was anger, the rest was some sort of maternal fury; she had never taken a mate, nor did she particularly desire one, and she certainly didn't consider the boy to be of any relation to her; still, she was angered by the stupidity of the humans and the beatings they gave unto a child.
When Naruto had found Alucard, the plan of corruption was ended. He became far too strong willed. Unsure of his direction at times, to be sure, but strong willed. In a moment of rage, luckily coming during a fight in which Naruto was losing and was open to any sort of help, she managed to flood Naruto with her own Chakra. The Berserker state had allowed her to see from his eyes, but the other senses had been muted due to the unfamiliarity of the state. After that, she had a new goal of tempting him into more Berserker states, which she might be able to use to escape. Even if she couldn't escape with them, they still offered a degree of freedom.
After a few years, though, he began to act very strangely though. It was, if she was not mistake, about a year after he had killed the woman who had given birth to his illegitimate daughter. His normal attitude to her had always been one of calm respect; he was very aware of her power, and also aware of the fact that she wasn't a threat to him unless he wanted her to be. Then, it had taken a rather odd turn; still respectful, but it had an almost inquisitive edge to it. Another year later, he began to take on an almost playful attitude around her, provided his own mood was good.
"And what did he mean by faith...?", She asked herself, wondering again what his words from the festival had meant. At the time, she had considered them to mean that she was his "Backup Plan". He had said it once again, however, when she had berated him after the fight with Orochimaru; it just didn't seem like the right definition anymore.
Whedabra, ever unhelpful, had made mocking remarks about it, like how obvious it should be. Such was usually followed up by something regarding how dark it must be with her eyes constantly shut.
Naruto, as of late, had become a sort of enigma to her. In many ways, she hated him. There were times she would daresay she was fond of him. Other times, she didn't know what to say of him. Were he a demon, and given the proper amount of time to mature and grow, he could have become a proper terror, and possibly a viable option for a mate. The offspring from such a Union would undoubtedly be strong.
She shook such thoughts from her mind, not liking their direction. It was much simpler, and easier, to just hate the nosferatu. Tsukiko did wonder, however, how he had found her name. Her FULL name at that.
"My my, you seemed to be rather confused, my dear.", a chilling voice called from the front of her cage. Tsukiko looked up and growled at the older Nosferatu.
"Alucard... what do you want?", she growled out, not fond of his presence.
"Straight to the point. I like that.", he replied, chuckling in his uniquely dark fashion. "Is it so hard to believe that I only want to talk? It does get rather lonely here...". He allowed Tsukiko another growl, and let another chuckle out. "I suppose there was no point in trying for humor."
"Why did you leave your little shell, vampire?", Tsukiko asked, not liking his presence in the least. The man shrugged, taking a moment to examine the silver gun in his hand while pretending to ignore the Bijou. "Little Bastard... if I weren't in this cage-"
"What? You'd kill a dead man?", Alucard laughed, looking at the fox over his glasses. Tsukiko growled at his humor. "If you did get out of the seal, what would you do?"
"Finish what I started."
"The only way you'll get out is with a collar, my dear fox. It's going to have a rather lavish leash connected, but it'll be in Naruto's hand.", Alucard chuckled. "What then?"
"No human can control me."
"But what of a monster?", Alucard asked, the look in his eyes frightening the Bijou. "What if he were a monster the terrified even you?"
"No such monster exists.", was the calm, albeit growled, answer. Alucard chuckled.
"No. It does not.", he replied, tone unreadable. "But not even death is set in stone. Your monster may very well come into being; will you then dance with the devil, or will you cower in your cage like a frightened little girl?"
Alucard was gone before Tsukiko could lash out, futility of the action be damned. The depth of the insult struck deep; he had told her that the choice would ultimately lie in either acting like a frightened human child, or walking out to meet a demon that may very well put the previous No-Life King to shame.
"I am not afraid.", she scoffed, finding the idea ludicrous. She was the queen of the Bijou; the ultimate engine of destruction. She feared nothing.
Alucard chuckled as he shut the door to his little dungeon, already tasting the end. It was a sweet taste, perhaps made sweeter by the additional twenty one years he had spent in existence. He could already see what was to come, and it excited him. The Dark one and Demoness couldn't see it or sense the change in their master, but he could. The subtle turning of gears as eye opened to sights beyond that of mortal eyes.
Nothing could tell of the pain of being a vampire, and he knew that the two women were far from feeling what Naruto could; that would change. This battle would change everything. They would feel it.
"Clockwork. Pure, precise, and steeped in blood.", he chuckled, leaving them to their own devices until he was needed for the last time. "Children grow up so fast..."
(With Sasuke)
Akemi was enjoying herself, and for some reason that was beyond the Uchiha that was gently massaging her shoulders, that made him content as well.
"I was really terrified.", Akemi said out of nowhere, leaning her head back and resting it on Sasuke's shoulder. The Uchiha stopped and looked into his finance's eyes, confused. "When I stopped by the hospital for my usual exam, and the med-nin told me I was pregnant. It was really scary."
"I'm-"
"Don't apologize; if it hadn't happened, then you would have been a fading dream.", she cut him off, turning her head to awkwardly kiss his cheek.
"Don't worry; I refuse to fade. You're stuck with me.", Sasuke replied, trying to hide how awkward this felt for him. It was foreign water.
"Till death doth part us?", Akemi asked, suddenly serious. Sasuke was surprised by the sudden change, and couldn't place the familiar line for the life of him. After a moment, Akemi recognized his confusion and smiled softly. "You never really proposed; you know that, right?"
"Oh...Oh!", Sasuke realized, eyes wide. "Uh...n-now?"
"Not right now; I'm really comfortable, and I'd hate to have to move so you could take a knee before me.", she sighed, leaning fully back into him. "Just hold me, tell me you love me, and never let go."
"With pleasure.", he said, ease and comfort evident in the words as his arms encircled Akemi's waist. He kissed her neck lightly and leaned back slowly until they were laying down on the bed instead of sitting at it's foot. "I love you Akemi, and I'm never letting go."
"You need to work on how the never letting go part sounds, but still...", she playfully returned, rolling over in his arms and kissing him. "I love you too, Sasu-kun."
Sasuke held her tightly, remembering the conversation that he and Tsunade had the day he returned.
Flashback
"Why?", Sasuke shouted. Itachi was getting off without a death sentence, and he was pissed. Part of him, strangely enough, was glad that his brother would live, or at least continue his unlife or whatever he called it, but...
"Because we need him alive, both for information and for the upcoming war.", Tsunade replied. "He was a loyal ninja who left because of his own shortcomings. Perhaps he has changed, but he won't try anything with Naruto nearby."
"He killed the entire clan, and he's getting off scott-free?", was the indignant reply.
"No. He's aiding with the war, and then will be imprisoned to serve his term. We cannot kill him, so he'll have to serve a life sentence.", Tsunade replied, relaying the decision that she and the council had reached.
"He's already dead!"
"Sasuke, I would recommend you watch your tone.", Tsunade warned. "I am well aware of the fact, but this must be treated like a mostly normal incarceration. Itachi and Naruto hide their vampirism for the same reason Kakashi hides his regenerator tattoos; they value secrets like true shinobi."
"But Itachi-"
"Sasuke, I would be more worried about the people who cannot protect themselves.", Tsunade interjected. "Your fiancée, for instance."
Sasuke was taken aback by her words, and was unsure of what she meant.
"What does she have to do with this?", he asked, hesitantly.
"In some ways, everything.", she sighed. "Orochimaru isn't above killing her to manipulate you. If he can use her, and he could easily do so, he'll do it in a heartbeat. For instance, he might take on the guise of a powerful ninja and kill her, driving you to seek revenge and the power to obtain it. He'll offer that power, and you'd more than likely take him up on the offer."
For a long time, he was unable to respond to that. He knew that shinobi had no conception of a fair fight, but he just couldn't wrap his mind around what it would take to kill an innocent civilian.
"Wh-what...?", was the delayed response. He didn't care how foolish it sounded.
Tsunade sighed while her expression took on an almost grandmotherly quality.
"She and the other civilians will be taken to safehouses when the fighting starts; Akemi will more than likely be taken sooner, due to the fact she bears an Uchiha child. She may, as bad as it sounds, spend most of the Chuunin exams in one of the safehouses, in all truth."
"...", Sasuke was silent for a moment. "Will she be safe there?"
"Yes."
"...I...understand. When will she be asked to go?", he asked.
"In a little under week. The other villages will begin to arrive in one week, so no one, save for the shinobi council and myself, will know where she will be. Of course, the other civillians will join her once the fighting gets underway, but we will have an evacuation plan to make it as quick as possible."
There was a long silence in the room. It seemed an eternity before the younger Uchiha spoke.
"What... am I supposed to do then?"
"...Have faith.", Tsunade replied. "Have faith that Konaha will win, that Akemi will be safe."
"...and that Naruto will see Orochimaru to the gates of Hell.", Sasuke added, tightening his fists.
Flashback end
For the time being, Sasuke wanted to hold his love in his arms. Then, at the last possible moment, he would put his faith into the same kind of monster that his brother was.
"Or is it a different kind of monster entirely?", He asked himself, trying to keep a light smile for Akemi's sake. "Is he really a monster?"
(With Hinata)
It had been a foolish action that was totally uncalled for. Drinking blood so boldly before her sister was, for lack of better terms, stupid. Hanabi had been too scared to even be in the same half of the house as Hinata, and the elder sister was regretting it.
Hiashi had explained things to Hanabi, as gently as possible, he assured Hinata. She doubted that it had helped.
"Stupid...!", she muttered, kicking her coffin. It dented the wall. "Great."
She slammed the lid and sat down on it, letting her face fall into her hands. She had never been a brave person, or one to do the unexpected, so she couldn't put a finger on what made her want to drink blood in front of her sister in the first place.
"What's wrong with me?", she asked herself. Could it be the vampirism? Was it changing her? Did it change Naruto and Itachi as well?
"You're no different than you were before.", a voice called in response from the other side of the room. Hinata's head snapped up to find the source of the familiar sound. Her eyes only found the mirror on the other side of the room. Wait... she had used no chakra to summon up a reflection... and why was it sitting in a different position. "Hello there."
Hinata blinked a few times, rubbing her eyes when it didn't go away. Hesitantly, she stood. The reflection lazily did the same, taking more time and doing it with an odd grace.
"What... are you?", she asked quietly, unsure of the situation. Was she asleep?
"Oh you're awake alright.", the reflection said happily, words flowing from a lazy, albeit predatory, grin. "And what could I be other than you?"
"...", Hinata was silent, unsure of how to treat this reflection, or whatever it was.
"Come now, tap into what you are; summon up the bravado of a vampire.", it goaded, ever smiling.
"What are you talking about?", Hinata asked cautiously.
"The same thing that let you drink before your sister; what let you fulfill your desire to drink.", it replied. Hinata scowled.
"I did not want to drink. That's not who I am."
"Oh yes it is.", she replied, smirking. "I should know."
"I would have never done that before. I-"
"You were a shy little girl before. Now, you're a nosferatu. Powerful, fast, intelligent... a goddess to these mortals. Of course you're becoming brave enough to listen to your desires.", the doppleganger cut her off.
"I would never want to drink in front of Hanabi!", Hinata shouted, clenching her fist and sending her sharp nails into her palm.
"But you did...", was the smug reply.
"Listen, whatever you are, I-"
Hinata was cut off by a knock at her door, which she whirled around to face out of some bizarre reflex.
"Hinata-sama, is everything alright? I heard shouting...", a maid asked from the other side of the door. It took Hinata a moment to realize she was waiting for a reply; she calmed herself and answered.
"I'm fine. I just stubbed my toe on the dresser.", she lied, feeling something other than air flowing out with her words. The suggestion power that Naruto had cautioned her about.
"Alright.", was the muted reply, though Hinata couldn't tell if it was because of the door or the suggestion.
Hinata turned back to the mirror to find her reflection gone; in it's place was her, or at least her clothes. Without the chakra, there was nothing there but a floating shirt and pants. The doppleganger's grin and words remained in her mind, however.
"I am not like that.", she muttered, turning the mirror around to face the wall in case the reflection came back to bother her.
It did irk her, however, as she walked back to her coffin and sat down. Back when she was a human, which seemed almost an eternity ago despite the short amount of time, she had been a shy little thing. She had never really been content with it, she supposed, but she had never really known how to be more assertive or even what to do if she was.
Part of her admitted that, had she the courage, she might have been a troublemaker in the academy; be it for attention or infamy. Maybe she would have been a more aggressive fighter as well. She had, after living through her mother's death, been slightly scared of death; her young mind had associated injury with death, and had placed the brave as the first to be injured. Becoming a ninja was expected of her, but she would have rather skipped it if she had been given the choice. If she had been braver, she might have embraced it from the beginning.
Would she have been somewhat like Sakura and Ino then? Would she have found a boy and gone after him? Part of her disagreed; something had always put her off about the boys. She remembered all the girls though.
Hinata screwed her eyes shut, and let her face fall to her hands again. She couldn't deny that vampirism had given her strength and speed, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to say that it made her brave. Brave enough to be someone she wasn't ready to accept being. Brave enough to accept what she wanted. Brave enough to be free.
"No... not yet.", she muttered to herself. Freedom was a nightmare that was far off, and she didn't want to think of it. Naruto's mind, though distant and walled off, was still a source of stability to her, and she doubted she could stand without it. He offered no direct help at the moment, and she could tell he was busy mulling over something important, but she remembered him saying that personal problems are best dealt with one at a time.
What were her problems? Being a vampire, being brave, and being gay seemed to be the top three that were throwing her life into turmoil, though the last was kept a guarded secret. It was more than likely the easiest to start with, however, and she figured it might not be a bad place to start.
She was reminded of only remembering the girls of the academy growing up; the boys were there, of course, but she only really remembered the girls maturing. In a way, it came from the fact she really only sat near the girls, but she took a small leap of faith and decided to take a moment to look at it as though she had been gay from the start.
Throughout the years, she supposed that no man had really caught her eye. Naruto had, in his own creepy and charming way, but she could tell that something was off; it might have been the whole "different species" flag that instincts might have been throwing up, but even after becoming a nosferatu he seemed to be wrong.
Almost being raped by a man was undoubtedly a contributing factor. There were a few she was comfortable with, but she still got a little shaky when she walked too close of a man on the streets. Deep down, she did want company in the intimate sense, but with the opposite sex cut off it made the choice fairly clear.
"Above and beyond the public opinion, I guess it wouldn't be so bad...", she said to herself. "And worrying about being gay is a little easier than worrying about being a vampire...". She giggled. "Baby steps, after all."
The chuunin exams were coming up soon, however, and she knew that she should be focusing on training. She had agreed to Tsunade's plan, and despite not taking part in the exams, she still wanted to be at the top of her unnatural game for the fight. Still her mind would eventually be idle, and she was rather glad to have something to think about.
"Being a lesbian, being a vampire, being brave.", she muttered, "That's the order I'll deal with them in.". To some it would be exceptionally odd; Hinata knew what the last item entailed, however, and the order she had set suited her fine. At some point she knew she would have to patch things up with Hanabi, which was far easier said than done.
She stood up and opened her coffin, deciding that sleeping for a few hours would do her good. She got inside and pulled Moriko from her spot beside the pillow and hugged the plushie to her chest before reaching up and shutting the lid. She smiled at the stuffed wolf in the darkness and let her eyes drift shut.
(With Naruto)
"What are you up to, oh wielder-o-mine?", Whedabra asked, walking down the stairs for once. She was rather surprised to see Naruto having a staring contest with a pair of candles.
"Riddling out the secrets of unlife.", was the muttered reply.
Whedabra descended the rest of the stairs and crossed the room at a steady gait, sitting down beside the nosferatu. Her face was one of calm curiosity. She had spent quite a while with her lovers, and she was starting to question if she should have left him alone this long.
"Naruto, is there something you want to talk about?", she asked.
"...", Silence. For a long time, it remained that way; then, a change came so abruptly that the words almost didn't register. "What is the price for saying your name?"
Whedabra sighed when the words caught up to her.
"If you say my name, I take the life of the speaker.", she replied calmly. "If you said it, I'd kill you and keep your soul. The way I do it affects the undead as well."
"Then it seems you and I will be getting better acquainted soon.", He admitted. "It's unlikely that I'll be able to fight Orochimaru without calling on you. I'll call your false name, and then your true name if that isn't sufficient."
Whedabra was quiet at the calm proclamation. She was rather hesitant about discussing this.
"Naruto... I would rather you not.", She replied, tone quieter than normal.
"It seems that I will die either way. I'd rather it be by your hands.", he replied. In a rare moment that caught the spirit off-guard, he leaned over and gently kissed her. Even in this form, Naruto could feel her poisonous saliva burning his lips while she felt his icy skin chilling hers. He pulled back after a few moments. Whedabra's eyes were shadowed by her hair, and her expression was otherwise unreadable.
"...I have half then, don't I?", she asked, barely a whisper. It was something she wanted, but she didn't want to have to kill him herself so soon after getting it.
"In a way you've always had half. She'll receive the other, and more than likely tear it to shreds.", Naruto replied, looking back to the candles. "So make sure you hold on tight."
"Naruto, if I make myself older, will you hold me tonight?", she asked, form flickering. The nosferatu shook his head.
"Not tonight. After I've decided what I am, then I will.", he replied. Whedabra seemed slightly sad as her form solidified again.
"I...suppose it's impossible to walk the line forever.", Whedabra remarked, readjusting herself on the coffin. She had chosen her side after walking the line for years, and she was content. At times she regretted it, but the pros of her life outweighed the cons. "What happens if she doesn't shred it? What if we both hold halves?"
"Then my choice between human and monster will be the least of my worries.", Naruto replied, a poor attempt at humor. Whedabra allowed herself a small giggle, knowing that the choice was bothering the nosferatu.
"You never really know how things will turn out. Expecting the unexpected will only make something completely random happen, just to throw you off. Trust me.", she shrugged, regarding her wielder from the corner of her eye a moment later. "Just go with it. What happens, happens..."
"...Thank you, Whedabra.", Naruto replied. He reached forward and took the unlit candle in his hand. He hesitated for a moment before lighting it with the other. "You can't end a fire with a match.", he muttered.
"But a bonfire will consume the match, and grow stronger because of it's flame.", Whedabra countered, not sure where he was going with this. He rarely started philosophical debates for the fun of it. The bemused grin that spread across his face spoke volumes, however.
"Well then, here's to hoping that I'm not the match in the upcoming inferno."
And there's the revised Chapter 9. I'm not making any promises for chapter 10, because I don't know just yet. But this is proof I'm not dead.
Just to throw this out there, Kakashi has tattoos over most of his body with healing jutsu sealed inside. So he's a regenerator in most regards. Not quite like Alexander Anderson, but that general idea. I just didn't want a three-man vampire squad.
Ja Ne, my freaky Darlings.