a/n hey friends, welcome back and sorry for the long wait! Thanks first of all for your nice lil' reviews and such:)

Good news! I published a giftfic for JOHNXgambit, the winner of my lil contest. It's a Naruto Souleater crossover called "Scrabble" and it's up at www dot fanfiction dot net/s/8036578/1/SCRABBLE (or check out the link on my profile:)

Only two more chapters left after this! Oh boy!

Enjoy;)

Chapter Ten: Hyuga Vrs Hyuga

Your jaw drops in shock as Hanabi stares at you with red red eyes. In a moment, she is joined by Karin, Suigetsu, Sakura, and at least fifty other vampires you don't recognize.

You can't feel your extremities—everything goes cold and dark and hopeless, because you failed, and now—

"Forgive us, Konoha!" Neji cries from a nearby rooftop. "We are under coercion and are fighting against our—" But Neji can't complete his sentence, for he drops to his knees in pain.

"You'll fight and you'll like it, you pussy!" Hanabi snarls, her voice ringing. "Now go!"

You watch as Neji runs with jerking movements and engages with his old sensei, as the other branch family members are forced to fight their own comrades.

You turn to your sister, your eyes wide. "Why…how…how could you?" you whisper.

"Get over it, bitch," Sakura replies, gnashing her teeth at you.

Beside you, Naruto has lost even the ability to speak. His mouth hangs open; this is the first time he's seen Sakura since she's became a vampire.

Hanabi smirks, which twists her cold features; she no longer looks human. "Sister dearest. Really. You couldn't have possibly believed that the Moon's Eye was real; we planted that garbage on Itachi."

Your eyes widen with horror, but there is no time to reply, because Hanabi flings herself at you, while Sakura attacks Naruto with a roar. Everything is a blur of red chakra, of claws and of fanged teeth. You fight with desperation—because you know, now, that if you or your teammates are caught, the vampires will not hold back, they will turn you into one of them, dear gods, no—

But though you fling everything into your attacks, Hanabi deflects you effortlessly; though your defenses are wrought of cold-hard fear, though you are desperate and fight with your last ounce of strength, it is not enough.

You hear horrible cackles, the sounds of metal on metal, metal on stone; you smell jutsu that sears the air, that burns, that tastes like ozone after a lightning storm. With your three-hundred-and-sixty degree vision, you can see Kakashi struggling against Suigetsu, and a wave of other Forest members fighting with innumerable vampires. You are lost amidst an ocean of fighting, and you are falling down under Hanabi's unrelenting hands.

Just as you are about to give up, you hear Naruto's voice ringing clear over the clanking of metal and the smacking of fists: "I will never give up on you, Sakura-chan! I'm going to do for you what I couldn't do for Sasuke—I'm going to kick your ass, and then I'm going to bring you home! I swear it!"

Sakura's reply is drowned out by the sounds of fighting, but Naruto's words give you a strength you didn't know you had; your heart fills with love, with determination. Your hands glow red and your chakra channels burn—it is the Kyubi's chakra that flows from Naruto and fills you.

Barring your teeth, you open yourself to the malicious chakra, though it burns, burns, burns your fingers and your chakra vessels. You throw yourself at Hanabi and this time, your fists hit flesh. You pummel her, one hand after the other, until you and Hanabi are a flying mass of fists and feet. Her chakra is black, malicious; but your chakra is red and blue, and it beats back at hers, until the darkness frays and tears and your blue and red chakra shine through.

Your lips echo Naruto's words: "I won't give up on you, sister! I'm going to beat you into a bloody pulp, and I'm going to save you! Even if it kills me!" you snarl. Your canine teeth are elongated, and your fingernails are long claws that rake the air with blue and red light.

Hanabi throws back her head and laughs. You lunge at her, but this time, a dark form drops down beside her; you barely have time to leap out of the way as the new foe attacks you, his chakra as black and vile as Hanabi's. He laughs, a low, rumbling sound, like a crumbling mountain. You pale: it is your father, Hiashi.

"Hanabi," he snarls, "allow me the pleasure."

"Of course, my Lord father," Hanabi replies evenly, though you can tell from the set of her eyes and the taunt lines of her mouth that she is irked at having lost the match against you.

Then Hiashi is attacking you, his long teeth flashing like silver knives in the darkness, his eyes white and cracking with immense power. You've never won a match against your father—even without his vampire powers—and for a moment, your heart falters. But then, you feel your own chakra, flowing like a river of light in your veins, and you think to yourself—I can't lose. If Naruto can fight Sakura, then I can fight my father.

You leap into the air, screaming your defiance, and you are a mass of whirling light, of jutting blue-and-red hands. You take a perverse pleasure in this fight; you will not win, but you will fight well. Your heart flies along with your fists, because finally, finally, you are kicking ass.

Even if you will die trying.

There's no doubt in your mind that you are losing; for every blow you land, Hiashi lands two more; every time you score a hit, your fathers fists burn you, shatter you; his chakra sears your tender pressure points, one after the other. Your heart lurches from the impact.

But you don't stop—you can't stop—for you are numb to the pain; you are red, you are burning with anger not wholly your own, and you lash out at your father with claws, with animal screams, with determination and strength. Yes, you are dying, you can feel the limp beats of your heart, irregular, fading; but you force chakra into your heart, you force it to keep beating. You will fight with your last dying breath, and your father will say of you that you died a worthy opponent. That is enough.

The light in your eyes fade, until your father is a hazy blur of black light; but you do not stop, you cannot stop, you will not stop. Your fist meets bone, thwack, crack; you have fractured one of his ribs. Your feet lash out with scarlet light, with fury; you score a hit on his legs, which buckle beneath him.

But now Hanabi is coming at you as well, a blur of fangs and claws, and you are dying, your strength is leaving you, your heart is whimpering from the damage you've taken—

That's when you feel something rising, from your stomach to your throat. You retch, but what comes up is not bile, but a crow with two white, pearlescent eyes. Panting, you look at the crow with your fading eyesight. It opens its beak, and Itachi's voice calls out:

"Now, Hinata. It's time to break the seal."

It is if you are ensorcelled; without thinking, you unleash as much chakra as you can into the crow, thin blue chakra laced through with crimson. The bird caws once, beats his wings in the air, and then his eyes are alive, burning with the silver light of a thousand full moons. With the last of your sight, you see the Hyuga vampires fall, unconscious at your feet—it is over.

You sink down to your knees, then slump over onto the ground. Your heart beats once more, then stills. You shudder your last, dying breath and collapse in a numb heap. Blood trickles from the side of your mouth, but your lips are drawn up in a smile.

You hear Naruto cry out your name, and then everything is blessed darkness.

Please review:)