Okay, so I've had this chapter 3/4ths done for about a month, I really have NO IDEA why it's taken me this long to post. Mehhh my laziness as a high school senior whose finished her college crap has leaked into my fanfiction work.

Anyhoo, I'm sorry! I hope to get back on track, and that this long chapter makes up for the long wait! Havent edited, so forgive me for any typos! I am, alas, too lazy to fix them, as I just want to get this chapter OUT THERE, y'know? Y'all have been kept waiting long enough!

Leave a review if you want more, or if you have any little tidbits of happiness and sunshine you want to give my bored soul.

Disclaimer: Blah blah - Do not own Naruto or True Blood - blah blah - Purely for my own entertainment and the enjoyment of the common fanfic reader - blah blah - Something hopelessly witty and clever - BLAH.

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Chapter 9: Separation

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Hot water rained down onto Sakura's shoulders. She let out an inaudible sigh, her entire upper torso hunching inward as if she was releasing heavy gust of air. Sakura's hair clung wetly to the skin of her shoulders and lower back, and she automatically pushed it back from her face. The shower stall was large, and from the looks of the tile, had been scrubbed rather recently. Bottles full of what appeared to be shampoo and conditioner rested on a ledge that was at shoulder-height. A bar of white soap was positioned just beneath the bottles – it smelled fine, albeit a tad strong for Sakura's taste.

Sakura knew that she shouldn't be wasting so much water, but couldn't find the resolve necessary to move even an inch from her current position under the spray. It was her first shower in nearly two weeks, and seeing the dirt and grime swirl down the drain on the floor filled the kunoichi with a deep, feminine satisfaction. If she was going to take a shower, then dammit she would make sure that it counted!

Her hair was completely and utterly clean, and she delighted in the feeling as she combed her fingers through it. Lashes dotted with water fluttered as she tilted her head to check her watch; waterproof, of course. It was 11:30 – the team had gone to bed a few hours after dawn, and consequently the two were still sleeping. Sakura wished that she could join them, but she had a job to do, and the prospect of doing something useful easily outweighed her desire for more sleep.

Sakura gave her body a few more seconds in the hot water. Then, she reached forward and shut off the tap. The water ceased its flow, and the young woman was left standing in a cloud of steam, wishing that she was back home and allowed to take as long of a shower as she wanted. The rational of her scolded the whiny side, slapping away the ungrateful urges and kicking her butt into gear. The kunoichi reached for one of the large white towels hanging just outside the stall, and dried quickly and efficiently, wrapping the fluffy whiteness around her hair before pulling on a set of clean clothes from her pack.

She would be given a uniform when she and the Stackhouse woman reached the bar, and Sakura temporarily lamented the fact that she couldn't at least attempt to dress smartly. Meeting the owner of the restaurant, and her new boss, felt oddly important, and Sakura always made an effort to look presentable when those moments of importance arose. But, since she was without her closet of clothes and box of make-up, all Sakura could do to improve her appearance was meticulously brush her hair and scrunch it with her fingers – to give her natural waves a bit more curl. She generously applied her chapstick, which made her lips a tad shinier. It was all Sakura had, and so she refused to feel insecure as she strode from the bathroom. The house was completely and utterly silent, and Sakura instinctively branched out her chakra, making sure that all was as she had left it.

It was, and so she allowed herself to relax. Her hair was drying painfully slowly, but Sakura always hated to use blow dryers, and so she did not spare the wetness a thought. She silently crossed to the bedroom she and her two teammates were sharing, and peeked inside. The two men were still deeply asleep, and Sakura smiled at the relaxed expressions slumber adorned them. Naruto looked almost twelve again, without a care or fear. Kakashi's expression was more startlingly different, because it made him look much less like the lazy, effortlessly powerful jounin he was, and more like an ordinary man with no shinobi background.

Sakura knelt down to arrange her pack for the day, locating her deodorant (unscented, as scented items were strictly forbidden on elimination missions) and applying some before continuing her packing. Her kunai and shuriken case went inside, along with several scrolls that held her basic medical supplies – bandages, cleaning alcohol, needles and thread, etc. A single water bottle went in, along with several energy bars, and with that Sakura pulled the drawstring so that the bag closed, and stood.

The young woman moved to the door, quietly slipping into her sandals, and took one last look back at her teammates. Kakashi was watching her silently, both eyes open for a change. The Sharingan swirled slowly, and the silver-haired man closed it with ease, leaving only his dark gray eye visible. Sakura did not speak, instead smiling in farewell. He didn't need to say anything; she knew to be careful, and she knew to keep a low profile. In order to appease his unspoken worry, Sakura put her hands together, and preformed the illusion technique.

Kakashi's main suggestion had been to change her hair color, as it was much too memorable, and he wanted her to be able to melt into the crowd with ease if the need arose. When she was done molding her chakra so that the changes would stay without her constant focus, she did a little spin, and Kakashi blinked to show his approval.

Sakura now had wavy, pale blonde hair – it was easier to keep her natural hair texture and length, as it drained less chakra – just a shade darker than Sookie Stackhouse's. Sakura had also altered her skin so that it had a sunny glow. With the hair and the skin, people would be more likely to think that Sakura and Sookie were related, which would justify them spending so much time together. It would also give Sakura a believable back-story. More believable than the truth, that is.

Sakura was heading over to Sookie's house early in order to establish said back-story, and so she gave Kakashi one last wave before turning and exiting the room. She jogged down the stairs, grimacing at the horrible creaking sound that was the result. Okay, new rule, no running down the stairs.

The air smelled of moldy, rotting fabric, and Sakura's nose crinkled at the pungency of it. If Jessica's initial words had been anything to go by – "This place smells like shit, Bill." – the vampires had particularly keen senses, and so they had to notice it as suddenly as Sakura had. How could they stand it?

Sunlight darted into the room when Sakura pulled open the front door, and the golden brightness was so welcome that a smile couldn't help but spread across her face. The area around Bill's house was illuminated and beautiful, large willow trees guarding each side of the building and creating waving lines of shadow on the grass. The soft breeze carried hints of mulch and dry woody spaciousness. Sakura recognized the smell from her years out on missions, and the familiar scent made it possible to imagine that she was coming home from a difficult assignment, that in no time at all she would see the village gates and know that she was home.

Willing away the thick feeling in her throat, Sakura made her way down the stairs, her sandals making soft clacking sounds on the aging brick. Her bag hung on one shoulder, the weight warm and steady, and she spotted the faint depression in the grass that signified a well-worn path. Bill had said that the path would lead straight to Sookie's house, and so Sakura followed it. The afternoon sunshine made it impossible for the graveyard to appear ghostly or eerie in any way, and the sound of rustling leaves lent the place a rather contented air. It was nothing like the cemetery back home, but perhaps that was because scattered among those particular grave markers were the names of her dearest friends.

After a few minutes, Sakura spotted a pale yellow house. The porch was a faded white, the paint chipping away and revealing the warm brown wood underneath. Sunset-hued roses grew below the porch, reaching up to cradle the railing with bright fiery clusters. The windows were shiny and clean, revealing glimpses of a bright kitchen and cozy living room. Sakura walked around to the porch steps, noting that while Sookie's house looked to be as old as Bill's, this house had a prominent sense of vitality that the vampire's house severely lacked. Sakura squared her shoulders, and rapped her knuckles on the front door. After a few moments, Sakura heard feet padding down what she assumed were stairs, and the delicate white door swung open to reveal Sakura's charge.

Sookie was dressed in a white shirt that had Merlotte's Bar and Grill stamped on the left breast, along with black shorts. Sakura was surprised to find that Sookie – who had looked so tiny compared to Kakashi and Naruto – was a few inches taller than herself. A confused, but still polite smile was on the blonde woman's face, and Sakura gave Sookie a smile of her own. She only just managed to keep the smile from appearing too proud.

Sookie didn't recognize her, of course, thanks to Sakura's advanced transformation technique.

"Hello, Miss Stackhouse. I'm one of the three strangers you met last night. I'm the one with pink hair," Sakura clarified, and Sookie's eyes widened in recollection, her smile becoming slightly more genuine. Sakura felt a slight push against her chakra, and looked closely at Sakura. That strange energy – somewhat like chakra, but much less evenly structured – was flowing through Sookie's skin, like a beacon. Was this "magic"?

"Oh! Won't you come in?" she trilled, stepping back to admit Sakura into the house. "What did you do to get it like…" Sookie trailed off, gesturing to the blondeness that was Sakura's hair.

Sakura reached up to finger the wavy tresses. "I used chakra to manually alter the pigment of my hair." Sakura pushed on before Sookie could ask any more questions. "I don't know how much Bill told you, but–"

"Sakura, right? That's your name?" Sookie asked, and continued when Sakura nodded. "Bill told me that you three weren't human, and that you're trying to get back to another dimension. That's pretty much it, so you'll have to fill me in as we go. Also, I've never had a bodyguard before, and I'm not sure if I'm completely comfortable with it, so I apologize in advance if I'm a bit short with you at times."

Sakura smiled at the woman's spunk. "It's perfectly fine. I'm used to it, seeing as it's my job."

Sookie was looking down at Sakura hesitantly, her eyes focused so solidly on the kuniochi that her entire body seemed to have frozen so as to avoid any bodily distractions. Sookie looked sad, and after a moment she unfroze, speaking rather quickly.

"If I may ask…how old are you?"

Sakura blinked, surprised at the question. "Twenty-one, Miss Stackhouse."

"So young…and please, call me Sookie," Sookie added sternly, and let her visage relax into a smile, though she still looked slightly disconcerted.

Sakura nodded. "Okay, Sookie, we have to come up with a back-story. I changed my appearance so that I look somewhat similar to you, and so I think it'd be logical to say that we're related. Do you have any distant relatives that would be likely to have a daughter?"

Sookie put a finger to her lips, brow creasing in thought. "Well, you're obviously not from Louisiana, cuz of your accent. All my family's pretty much gone, 'cept for my older brother Jason. Hmm…my dad's sister Linda moved away when she was old enough, out to Missouri. She died a few years back, but I think I'm the only one around here who knows that. You could pose as her daughter, so, you'd be my cousin."

"Would I tell others that my mother's dead, and that I'm staying with you? What about my surname, wouldn't that have changed?"

Sookie scowled. "Shit, that's true. Umm…" The woman glanced at the clock hanging on the wall – it read 12:09 – before going on. "I can't remember what her husband's name was; he emailed me about Linda's death. So let's just skip it, okay? I'll just introduce you as Sakura Stackh…ugh, that sounds awful!"

Sookie grimaced, and Sakura had to agree with her, though of course no such feelings made themselves outwardly known. The thought of having such a ridiculous last name tacked on to her real name made Sakura want to pout and kick her feet like an indignant child. Sookie looked thoughtful, her bright blue eyes scanning Sakura's face carefully.

"You look like a Micaela, how's that sound to you?"

It sounded horrendous. The only positive aspect to the name was that it had a similar rhythm to her real name (Mih-kay-lah vs. Sah-koo-rah) but in favor of making things easier, Sakura forced a smile on her face, and nodded.

"That'll be fine."

Sookie was looking at her closely, and the magic – or at least, Sakura assumed that's what it was – pressed once more, stronger than last night. The pressure grew to such a degree that Sakura felt that she was obligated to reveal the fact that she could feel Sookie's attempts.

"Are you trying to read my mind?" Sakura asked, none too gently. Sookie blinked; shocked that she had been caught in the act. The pressure disappeared, and Sookie looked embarrassed, looking anywhere but at Sakura's face.

"I…I can't get a good read on you. I tried reading the other two, but they were the same. I asked Bill about it, and he told me it was probably because you're not completely human."

Sakura was intrigued. "What can you get from me?"

"Just colors and some flashes of emotion, like I get with shifters and werewolves. Just now, you were feeling irritated, and I wondered why, so I…" Sookie shrugged, meeting gazes with Sakura once more. Sakura itched to ask Sookie if she could perform a full body scan – it would give Sakura so much more insight on what Sookie was, exactly – but there was no time. Sookie seemed to notice this as well, because she snapped to attention.

"Should we go?" she asked, and Sakura nodded. "Do you want me to pack you a lunch or anything?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Sakura replied politely.

Sookie reached down to retrieve her purse with a hesitant smile, and led the way out of the house. Sakura waited while Sookie locked the front door, and followed the curvy blonde to a smallish yellow hunk of metal. Sakura paused a few feet away, eyeing it warily.

"Is this a car?" Sakura asked, feeling slightly foolish in the face of Sookie's puzzled stare.

"Well, yeah. Don't they have 'em where you're from?"

"No…is it safe?" Sakura asked, and Sookie grinned, which lit up her face and made her eyes sparkle. Sakura felt a spark of something as she stared at the blonde, and marveled at the essence of light that shone so brightly from her. The sun seemed to do strange things to her hair and skin, and Sakura chose to focus on the woman's words rather than investigate it further.

"Completely safe! How do you guys get around, if you don't have cars?" Sookie asked, moving to open the side door for Sakura. The kuniochi stared at the interior, branching out her chakra to make sure that nothing was inside, and slowly got in. Sakura waited until Sookie was behind the large wheel – for steering, Sakura deduced – before responding.

"We walk."

"Really?" Sookie exclaimed, her eyes wide, and Sakura couldn't help but laugh a little at the amazement in the woman's tone. It was obvious that Sookie wasn't aware of what was funny, but she laughed along with Sakura anyway.

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Naruto woke with a start, his eyes snapping open and his hand lunging for his kunai case before his brain could fully breach the wall between consciousness and unconsciousness. His heart was racing, breath coming in gasps, and then Kakashi was there. The jounin knelt beside Naruto, staring at the blonde with a blank expression. He did not attempt to remove the kunai from Naruto's hand, instead waiting patiently for Naruto to come to himself.

The fog was slipping away, and with a grunt Naruto fell backwards on his backside, letting his kunai fall back into the case. He put his head on his knees, hoping it would help the headache that was beginning to pound against his skull. Nightmares always gave him headaches, and so the feeling was one of commonplace. Didn't stop it from hurting like a bitch, though.

"Wha–" Naruto tried, but found that his throat was hoarse and chocked. He cleared his throat, and tried again, with much more success. "What time is it?"

"4:46 PM," came Kakashi's voice from somewhere to his right. Naruto, over the blinding pain behind his eyes, recalled going to bed at around six in the morning, so that was…

Ten hours. Naruto groaned; no wonder he felt so disoriented.

"Sakura's already gone," Naruto sighed, his hands moving to run through his hair. He knew that Sakura was gone without having to look; her chakra was not immediately present to his senses. "Shit, why did I sleep for so long?" he hissed, more to himself than to Kakashi.

It was rather strange; since he was a light sleeper, he usually got no more than five or six hours of sleep a night. The slightest hitch in his teammate's breath would jar him. The sound of footsteps was like a bullhorn in the stillest moments of night. And yet this time, he had not awoken, not even for the obvious sounds of Sakura leaving the house. It unnerved him, but before he could think more deeply about it, Kakashi offered an answer.

"We haven't had a good night's sleep since we got here, you were tired. Not to mention that you went into the full Nine-Tail cloak."

How Kakashi knew that last tidbit, Naruto couldn't say. The blonde nodded absentmindedly, and rolled to his feet, wincing at the pounding of his skull. A bottle of water found its way into his hand, and he swigged it. The water offered no relief, but it felt good to do something with his hands. Kakashi was fully dressed, as Naruto was, but it was clear by the cleanness of Kakashi's skin that the man had taken a shower. Naruto perked up at the thought of a shower, and, after asking directions to the bathroom, headed there to take one.

Five minutes later, he was done and toweling off. He changed into a clean outfit – a black turtleneck and gray trousers, leaving off his dark green vest – and glanced out the window. The sun was still relatively high in the sky, with at least a few hours until sunset. Kakashi was kneeling on the ground, his hands deftly organizing the bed rolls and sleeping bags. They wanted to be able to run at any time, and so preparation was necessary.

Naruto looked back toward the window, watching the bright green grass of the cemetery shiver slightly. He imagined Sakura walking through there, alone, her long hair blowing in the breeze…

"Are you sure we should be splitting up, Kakashi?" he asked curtly, tension making his tone harsher than he intended. Kakashi joined him at the window, and put a hand on his shoulder.

"No. But we have no choice."

Naruto knew that, but it didn't stop him from feeling nervous about the idea of Sakura being alone here in this house while Naruto and Kakashi preformed their individual duties. When would they have time to plan their next course of action? Staying in this world forever was simply out of the question; steps had to be taken to discover ways back to their own dimension…but Kakashi was right. Until they were knowledgeable enough to function at least somewhat independently, the three shinobi had to be patient and do what was asked of them.

The blonde groaned as he remembered his own task. Look after the whiny teenage vampire. Why had he volunteered for that task, again? For the life of him, Naruto couldn't remember. He wasn't one to complain outwardly, however, and so he merely scowled before helping Kakashi pack up their things.

The silver-haired jounin was completely calm, but that was to be expected. Kakashi was always in control of his own emotions, it had been ingrained in the shinobi from birth. If anyone could appear perfectly and utterly content in the face of such an abnormal position, it was Kakashi.

Naruto moved to the door, and branched out his chakra. If he tried, he could sense the dormant auras of the vampires, situated underground. It was a real act of trust for the vampires to let three unknown people into the house with full knowledge that those three could end them at any time. A bit foolish, in Naruto's opinion, but appreciated nonetheless. It wasn't often that people placed any amount of moral faith in shinobi, and the fact that Bill Compton was doing so made Naruto feel a bit unnerved.

The stairs creaked deafeningly beneath his sandaled feet, and Naruto ran his hand down the dusty banister until he reached the floor. The air was thick with the smell of sunshine, and Naruto mutely wondered if that was Bill's intent – he had seemingly forgotten to close the first floor windows before going to his resting place. The room was so very different in the hours of light, and Naruto was almost reminded of the sitting room of the Third Hokage's mansion. Naruto had only been inside of it once, after the Hokage passed away, but he could remember it as clearly as if he had lived in it.

The living room of Bill's house had the same old, tired coziness, and the blonde allowed himself to relax ever so slightly. Kakashi came down the stairs, clad in his usual attire, though, like Naruto, he had left behind his green shinobi vest. His mask was still in place, and Naruto raised a brow.

"Kakashi-sensei, are they really going to let you keep your mask? I don't think it's as common a thing in this world…it might make you look suspicious."

Kakashi frowned, reaching up to finger the beloved fabric. Naruto smirked at his torn expression, and with a small jerk the jounin stripped the mask from his face, tucking the extra fabric into his pocket. The sun chose that opportune moment to glint directly onto Kakashi's exposed face, creating a sort of spotlight.

It was always interesting to see how lost Kakashi looked without the comforting shield his mask offered. Kakashi Hatake, contrary to popular belief, wasn't so hopelessly dashing that he was forced to wear a mask. He was a good-looking man, Naruto supposed – the young man had never had any reason to really think about it – but nothing special.

"I suppose so…" Kakashi murmured, and Naruto rolled his eyes at the lament present in his former sensei's voice. As the silver-haired jounin reached into his pocket for his handy eye-patch, the blonde moved into the kitchen, hesitating only for a moment before approaching the ancient-looking fridge backed up against the wall. Naruto knew better than to eat anything other than the supplies from their stash – Bill seemed trustworthy, but it was always better to be safe than sorry – and so this exploration was merely out of curiosity.

A dark dining table resided in the center of the large, circular room, and Naruto stared in silence at the shelves coated with grime, his feet shifting the light dusting of dirt that feathered the hardwood floor. Vampires didn't have much use for a kitchen, but it was just unsanitary to have this much dirt in a house. Why hadn't Bill's girlfriend – an ordinary citizen and a human – said anything? Did she come to this house enough to even know how filthy it was?

The ugly yellow door of the refrigerator opened with a hiss, and Naruto eagerly peered at the six-pack of deep red bottles – the only thing present in the icy storage space. The bottles were thick and sturdy, with the word TruBlood printed boldly on the side and on the cap. Naruto knelt down to pull one of the bottles free from the case, and examined it closely, nose wrinkling at the rusty metallic smell that radiated from the liquid sloshing around inside. It smelled somewhat like blood, but with a harsh undertone of chemicals that reminded Naruto of the intensive care unit of the hospital. He had been in there far too many times to count during and after the war – the hospital was one of the first buildings to be rebuilt after Pain's incineration of the village – and so the smell resonated strongly with him.

"What is that?" Kakashi asked, and Naruto gave the older jounin the hefty bottle, watching as the shinobi's nose – much keener than Naruto's – noticeably wrinkled.

"I think it's that synthetic blood that Bill was talking about," Naruto murmured, and accepted the bottle when Kakashi handed it back to him, placing it gingerly back into the cardboard case. Kakashi stared at the TruBlood, and then closed the refrigerator with barely a sound. Naruto glanced at his companion, wondering what the man was thinking about. The expression on Kakashi's face was neutral, so expressionless that Naruto almost forgot that the man had removed his mask – something that usually assisted the jounin in hiding his emotions.

But of course, as Naruto had mentioned earlier, Kakashi was a master at keeping his composure, and so he couldn't tell if the look Kakashi gave the synthetic blood was one of disgust or one of morbid fascination. Heck, it could be both, for all Naruto knew.

Kakashi turned away from the fridge, checking his watch. When the jounin didn't make the time known, Naruto took a peek at his own clock, noting that it was 5:24 PM. Naruto walked over to the unwashed window, and looked outside, seeing that the sun was nearly touching the horizon of trees. If he had to take a guess, Naruto would wager that the sun would set in about half an hour.

"Sakura should be back soon, right?" Naruto asked, and Kakashi nodded solemnly, stretching his arms above his head before moving to pick up his small pack – he had placed it in the entryway before following Naruto into the kitchen. The jounin slung it over his shoulders, and the two shinobi strode out into the dying sunlight.

The area was alight with gold and dusky orange; the tombstones much paler and brighter, the grass a faded green in the face of the fiery sunset. The sun in question was steadily sinking lower and lower, and the two men stared at it silently. On the wind the rich scent of trees and roses was swept across the lawn, along with the seemingly ever-present smell of chemicals – from the nearby highway, no doubt. Along with the smells and heat of the summer air, there was also a deep hum of magic; at least, the shinobi assumed that it was magic. It was strong and stifling, like the sudden release of chakra in a battlefield. Naruto knew the sensation very well, and his heart saddened as the memories swarmed in. Suddenly, the grave markers didn't seem so ethereal, instead weighing down on his mind like the carved pieces of stone reality proclaimed them to be.

Kakashi looked at Naruto for a second or two, and then put a hand on the younger man's shoulder, looking deep into his eyes as he did so. Naruto's ability allowed him to sense emotions, and so it was no surprise when Kakashi's came flooding into his senses. Usually, Naruto was able to block it out – he had been doing it since the war – but Naruto's frayed nerves severely weakened his wards.

Frustration. Intense protectiveness. Heavy twinges of worry.

Kakashi was usually so secure in keeping his emotions hidden from Naruto, and so the Jinnchuriki knew that Kakashi was purposely allowing his innermost feelings to be picked up by the blonde's technique.

"Keep your guard up," Kakashi cheerfully ordered, and Naruto effectively fought back the urge to respond with indignant anger – he was twenty-one years old and a highly ranked jounin; he knew to be careful. Kakashi only meant well, and so Naruto nodded in affirmation, putting his own hand on Kakashi's shoulder.

"Only if you do the same, Kakashi-sensei."

The two remained linked for a few long moments, staring off into the distance, finding a sort of comfort in the familiarity of each other and marveling in the strange world they had been thrown into. It had only been a few days, and already one of the team was separated from the others. And now, just as that member returned, another left to face the perplexing world alone.

A world filled with metal creatures that were powered and driven by humans, a jarring deficiency of chakra in said humans, and an overwhelming amount of a wild and unpredictable energy known as magic. Two creatures that fed on human blood were to wake in less than thirty minutes. A human that could read minds – without chakra or any obvious hand signs – would probably made an appearance before the night was over.

With a slight nod, Kakashi disengaged. Then, in a flash of silver and black, he disappeared into the approaching night. Naruto stayed there on the porch, his bright blue eyes scanning the grassy lawn for any signs of a familiar kunoichi. The sun, giving one last burst of dull radiance, submerged into the vividness that was the horizon of trees, so endlessly dark against a pale twilight sky.

Naruto heard the sounds of two presences stirring in the house behind him; he could smell the earthy tang of their bodies and could hear the blatant lack of a heartbeat and the shallow sounds of their breathing – an unnecessary action on their parts, no doubt.

The jounin gave the surrounding area one last inspection before turning to retreat back inside, where the two vampires were sure to be waiting.