Necropolis demon

Disclaimer: Sigh…after weeks of fantasizing Itachi's resurrection and finding out in each and every time I check the manga he's dead, I have come in terms with the fact that I sadly do not and will not ever own Naruto.

Necro: So sorry for the extremely late update, I've been gone for like 6 months haven't I? I've grown irritated with the latest Twilight craze, gawd…Things have been really screwy here so I shan't keep you waiting with this author's note.

--o00o--

Bloodlust

My nights went on and on with Sasuke tending to my every need, albeit reluctantly, finding me live prey and treating my wounds which remarkably healed at an amazingly fast rate, so fast in fact that after only a fortnight under Sasuke's care I had lost most traces of external injury. The burns had disappeared and only a few more of the deeper wounds were left to heal. My eyes on the other hand were kept tightly closed, Sasuke had been adamant that I keep myself blindfolded for the time being so as to allow my eyesight ample time to return, perhaps if we waited for a few more nights my eyes might heal themselves as well, Sasuke thought.

So there I was, a lone Vampire feeding pathetically on rodents, a houseguest for those nights, though blind as I was I still managed to maneuver myself effectively throughout the house, only once or twice bumping into something which I knew caused Sasuke to stifle his mocking laughter and roll his eyes. Ah well, two could play it that way…and so I had proceeded to irk my gracious host by playfully bumping into him instead, knocking him down and lingering on top of him for a few seconds too long just like how I used to when we were younger, a smirk of triumph on my face every time I sensed the annoyed air that surrounded my sweet otouto.

He was simply so much fun to taunt.

Once every few days visitors would come to the house and chat with Sasuke, this I knew since I managed to overhear voices from the other room whilst I slept during the day. We were like this for a while, Sasuke entertained his random guests during the day with his poems and calligraphy and his ever present wit while making sure nobody entered the dark room at the far left which was sealed from the inside. The guests I knew were mostly old folk, come to tell tales of their youth or to simply bask in the presence of my brother and give him all sorts of trinkets and money for his time, after all it was Sasuke who could match them in talk of politics, but as the days progressed those who came to visit became curious of the sealed door, my room, sometimes opting to sneak a peak of its contents instead of asking their host.

Sasuke of course always caught those who attempted to peek in whilst I slept protected from the harsh sun's rays, and every time Sasuke caught someone sneaking around their suspicion rose even more, for what could a young educated man such as Sasuke have to hide?

Such things were starting to be an annoyance to me as well, the constant patter on my door by the curious and that sound of heavy breathing when their anticipation for discovering the truth was at its height…

After a month of this I decided it was about time I did something about such distractions.

o00o

One late afternoon when it was about time for the sun to set Sasuke was entertaining a small group of young men roughly around my mortal age who wanted to invite him to something, it had been a cloudy day and for the entire afternoon the skies were threatening to darken into a blanket of rain clouds. Sasuke was busy serving some hot tea, though not the same one he normally drinks, when one of his guests quietly strayed from the group huddled in the other room and began making his way down the dark hall towards my forbidden room. For a moment the young man hesitated upon arriving at my door, nervous yet anxious to know what secret he would soon behold. As quietly as possible he kneeled in position and laid his ear against the flimsy screen door trying to hear anything inside but after moments of silence he drew back and opted to poke a small hole through the thin sheet of paper framed with wood that Japanese doors are so often made of. But before a hole could be made the door slid open to the right with a loud bang…

At the sound the other occupants in the nearby room silenced, the young man crouching low outside my room was quiet and still, too embarrassed and afraid to look up at whomever his snooping had so clearly disturbed. Footsteps pounded towards us and in a few seconds Sasuke was in the hallway outside my room slightly panting, the other guests trailed after him with little delay.

All eyes were on me, I felt their stares directed at my form, probably scrutinizing every inch and thinking 'Who is this person?'

Of course I did not just reveal myself unprepared; I had fed aplenty earlier and was looking very much a human by any standard albeit a little bit paler and sadly blind. I still fashioned the white blindfold that Sasuke wanted me to cover my eyes with and was dressed in a fresh white yukata.

Finally the one who had disturbed me looked up and immediately got up and backed away towards Sasuke who was none too pleased with him.

"I-I'm sorry! I-I did not mean to disturb anyone Sasuke-san! I-I had no idea that you had someone-"

"Silence please, you're making my head hurt with your stuttering, it would be prudent for you to be more considerate to someone as…incapacitated as I." I said in that authoritative yet somewhat polite although meant to sound slightly irked tone that just seems so natural for us Uchihas.

In the silence that ensued I could practically hear the gears in Sasuke's head turning, formulating some alibi for our predicament.

The moment was broken of course after a few more seconds.

"Um…Sasuke-san, you didn't tell us you had company," said one of the others.

"Yes, who is This? And…why is he in one of your bedrooms?" came another, smug, this one…apparently jealous, an annoyance….yes, his blood was very tempting.

"I would much appreciate it if you would not refer to me as 'This', it is very rude to do so when the person referred to is in the vicinity. I'm sure you are aware." I said, again with an agreeable yet intimidating air that made the guests feel like scolded children, I enjoyed making them squirm uncomfortably…a pity I couldn't see it, though I'm sure they were squirming…like the little maggots they really were.

Sasuke was still glaring daggers at the fool who had revealed my presence to these people, highly irritated that such a lout would dare invade his privacy and succeed but more likely he was angry with himself for not being able to prevent the whole fiasco.

There were still several curious pairs of eyes watching me, waiting to know who I was.

"Sasuke-san?"

Sasuke replied, "Well, I suppose it's about time for others to know who my mysterious houseguest is, I've been taking care of him for a while since as you can see he is visually impaired and unable to care for himself…"

"But who is he?"

"…This is Itachi, he is…"

"-An old acquaintance" I interrupted, "I've been traveling for months in vain looking for Sasuke, it was most fortunate that I was able to run into him in this very town just when I thought that I had lost him forever. But please, I must insist that we continue this conversation in the other room where we may be seated, I grow weary of standing like this in the hallway."

Effortlessly I walked on ahead of them, moving like any normal person would though a bit too graceful and sure for a blind man. By then the sun had set and it was dark enough for me to move about freely as I pleased without worry. We all moved back to the other room and sat somewhat more amiably now that we were settled more comfortably. Sasuke shot me a few suspicious looks, wondering as to why I had come out into the open like I had, obviously he knew to leave everything to me and decided to let me spin whatever tale I so desired to cover up his sheltering of a Vampire being.

"So…Itachi-san…tell us about yourself, what did you mean when you said you were in a search for our honored Sasuke-san?" spoke the smug one. But I could hear his heart beating, thumping wildly against his chest, it was very clear to me that he was extremely intimidated by my presence as were the rest of the group.

"I am an old friend of Sasuke-chan's" -a flinch from Sasuke's direction and a surge of more jealousy from the guests-, "I've known him for the entirety of our childhood together, we were quite close you might say, practically siblings." I smirked at the irony.

A pretend sip of my tea, then I continued.

"There was a fire…a small boat on a river drifting away…Realize that I don't remember everything that has happened to us and more so to myself, I've lost patches of my memory during my travels I'm afraid or perhaps the trauma of that fiery hell we were in has made me forget, at one point I hadn't even the foggiest idea of where I was, places seem farfetched to me back then. I was lost in my search for answers. But that was until I came to this village purely by chance and found Sasuke, or rather he found me that I began recalling things more vividly when before there were only flashes of Sasuke's face and of fire." -another pause to take a pretend sip of my tea-, "I'm sure you are all curious about Sasuke's origins but I'm afraid I can scarcely provide you with anymore than what you and the rest of the village already know; that he is orphaned, very bright, and a blessing." I finished.

Feigning memory loss was the safest alibi…after all, I did not now the entirety of what the villagers knew of Sasuke and his life or what Sasuke may have revealed about himself to the villagers, it was better for me to be vague if not careful lest they clamor for more information.

"Itachi-san…I-I seem to recall seeing you in this village a month ago," spoke the one who had been spying at my door earlier, obviously he was trying to continue a civilized conversation with me but was too tense, "I think…I think I saw you at a local restaurant at which I am a regular customer…yes, the waitresses there made a bit of a fuss about you in fact. Saying things about your looks, quite superficial of them to take notice of your aristocratic jaw and wine-like eyes that…oh…oh dear…" his eyes widened in realization at my physical state, "I-I apologize…speaking of your eyes like that-" he said quickly, panicked.

"There is no need for apologies. One does tend to forget such trivial things as eyesight, why even Sasuke forgets I'm blind sometimes. This is quite recent…my eyes were very able a little over a month ago when Sasuke and I were reunited. Unfortunately my vision began fading soon after Sasuke found me, an old ailment of mine I'm afraid. He has been caring for my eyes in secret for weeks, taking up an interest in medicine along the way thus the reason why I kept to my room in utter silence. I needed much rest and treatment."

"But why the secrecy? Why not go to a physician for treatment?"

I sighed, "I personally asked him not to take me to anyone…I have grown distrustful of the world ever since the fire. Sasuke as I have known him very rarely fails in his endeavors. I expected that he could aid me and wanted me cured before he told anyone of my presence, though he is very young he has grown in our years apart, I am very aware of what he can and cannot accomplish."

…Triumph. It was all too easy conjuring lies for these imbeciles, it wasn't even a challenge. It wasn't hard for them to believe that a prodigy like Sasuke could very well possibly treat my eyes effectively. Truly.

The conversation drifted towards other lighter things, questions about my condition, inquiries of when I would be well enough to leave the house and go down to the village with Sasuke to be acquainted with the people in his new life. All these things I answered briefly with as much close truths as I could.

Pretty soon it was time for the guests to retire to their respective homes, they bade us 'goodnight' and left in an uneasy mood, a remnant of their discomfort in my presence. Once they left Sasuke's calm façade evaporated, he turned to me and glowered intensely as I waited for his outburst.

But there came no indignant cry, his voice was steady though you could hear the disapproval, "What were you thinking?" he started, "You could've cost me my new life had they discovered your secret! …and of all things…coming out at noon when the day hasn't even ended yet!"

"Come now Otouto, I timed my entrance quite accurately, it was dark by then. I say things went better than expected."

Raven orbs glared intensely at me, piercingly so, "Why didn't you consult me first? You inconsiderate ingrate!" he finally spat out with anger.

Ah…he was angry for not being made aware. Such trivialities.

"I'm sorry Sasuke, I thought only of how I could stop those who wander to my room. I didn't want you to have to keep me a secret indefinitely and be stuck here, unable to leave this house as you wish. If my attempt at restoring peace in the house angers you then by all means punish me as you will." I replied blankly.

He thought for a moment, looked at me, then softened somewhat, his disposition akin to what I would call befuddlement. For the span of my stay Sasuke had never once left the house, only having necessities such as food delivered so that he could tend to me always. Constantly at my side he was bound to me and my condition. I felt strongly about this…I did not want to cage him like a bird in this house that was once his sanctuary…I did not want him to be burdened by me and be tied down by my condition. It wasn't fair for him to be deprived of freedom. I must've been an insufferable annoyance to him.

I could tell that he felt lonely…

There was only silence on his behalf…the same with mine, then he stalked off abruptly, brushing away my sympathy with that blankness he'd acquired throughout the years, while I just stood there…listening to his fading footsteps. Noises…rummaging…from the other room, then that familiar scent of his tea came up once more, the smell still uncomfortable for me to deal with. Our conversation was over so I returned to my room.

…An hour later around dinner or breakfast for me, Sasuke came in, wordless, sitting cross-legged with me on my messy futon as he, for once, courteously handed me a live rat to feed on.

No words needed to be said, I knew he was thanking me…and I appreciated it.

I looked at him though blind as I was…and he looked at me, our souls locked together in a silent truce of sorts. The morsel squirmed in his firm grasp as it attempted to flee and I could feel the slight tremble in his posture as he held the disgusting creature…

…he really didn't like rats very much.

I smiled slightly, then reached for the rodent, my hands lingering a few seconds on top of his, then sinking my fangs into the rat as Sasuke reached into his sack to provide me with another one.

I was glad that I didn't have to run around to catch my food that night.

o00o

After our 'truce' if that's what you would call it, Sasuke was more amiable to me and a bit more easier to be around it, he didn't insult me as much nor did he resume with letting loose my meal, in fact, meal time became a routine for us with him handing me my rodents, sometimes rabbits if he was in a good mood, instead of leaving me to capture them. He still treated me with spite but at least I knew that he was only doing so out of habit.

Life was good, my health was improving, Sasuke seemed happier although he would never admit that, and though now there were people who came to the house not only to see Sasuke but also to meet me, the fuss was quite minimal. They never came in the day though, I figure Sasuke must have told them something about my condition, perhaps telling them that the day was when I often rested.

Not many people came, fortunately for me, most of them thinking that I was still in that delicate stage of mistrustfulness after the 'fire' and that I was still recovering from the psychological trauma, still…those who came were considerate, bringing with them all sorts of gifts to help my recovery and books for Sasuke to study. Once the local village doctor came to see if he could help, but Sasuke would not have any of it for who knows what the man would discover if he were to ever see my eyes, tinted not with mere blindness but by the demonic poison that flows within my veins.

Things were relatively peaceful…but as with all things in my life, there is the calm before the storm.

As I disillusioned myself with notions of living a peaceful life of semi-exile with Sasuke in the hopes of living out my existence in his presence, praying with each passing day that he would grant me forgiveness…turmoil floods my mind once more, haunting me and bringing me back from my dreams of contentment…taunting me as a I slept.

It called to me…Evil…called to me.

My thirst for human blood, after weeks of subduing it's call…came at last…

Not even Sasuke could prepare himself for it.

o00o

Necro: There we go, chap 14 up and running. Not much in this chap I admit, I wanted to put more but that stuff seemed to fit chap 15 better so yeah. I needed this one chapter to set Itachi up for the next chap which should have more of the juicy stuff in it, I'm still working on it. Read and Review please! Thank you so much for your patience guys. I will do my best to learn writing lemons!