A/N: Hola, ..."Look! omg its a new chapter!" i know its amazing, after all this time i finally updated. Of course with the help of my awesome Beta MunkeeMunkee.

Chapter 14

"The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread."

It seemed that my messenger boy was back. It was sooner than I had expected.

"How nice of you to return," I said. The only part of my body moving was my lips.

"You're not even going to deny it? That boy must have really changed you." He spoke casually, in a voice that suggested he was contemplating something.

Not responding I grabbed the hand that was holding his blade and twisted. It was risky enough; if I made a wrong move my jugular would have been sliced. But my movements were precise and his wrist snapped.

"Next time you speak with me I suggest you do so with respect." He was stupid to believe I would continue to play like a doll while he held a blade to my neck. I was not a weak human who gave in at the slightest possibility of death.

"Now, I believe you have delivered my message correct?" I asked as he held his wrist carefully.

"Of course, Lady Amai," he hesitated.

"Well?"

"He was not at all pleased. He wishes for you to come to him of your own consent in one week or he will send someone to bring you to him." As he spoke a small smirk had worked itself on his face. "I think it would be better of you to come, I wouldn't want to meet whomever he sends for you."

I ignored his last comment. "I assure you I have no desire to meet your Master. If he wishes to speak to me he may come to me, and if he sends someone after me then I'll just have to dispose of said person."

"I wouldn't say that if I were you."

"And who are you to tell me what to do?" I asked coldly

"It's nothing, but the master also pointed out that if you do succeed in dispatching the person sent to retrieve you, he will have no choice but to convince you." he articulated the word carefully.

"Convince me? And do, pray tell, how he would go about such a measure?"

"He has discovered a weakness of yours." My eyes narrowed. "It's a certain human, or humans if you count the child." He spoke with a fake nonchalance, which was in no way believable. I was sure by the slight fear in his eyes he knew he was going to endure some form of hurt, either from me, or his master if he failed.

"They are no weakness of mine. If you are depraved enough to believe that I would care about something as lowly as a human you are quite mistaken." Each word was accompanied with an underlying plate of steel. If I had been a lesser person I may have been convinced by my own words.

"Do you think we don't know? We've been watching you. We know all about your relationship with the Shukaku boy. I must say though, he is beneath you. I never thought a woman of your heritage would sink so low."

I narrowed my eyes at his last comment. Who was he to assume he knew me so? When he had spoken he said "your heritage", I narrowed my eyes further. He knew something about me.

Before he had time to blink I was behind him with a kunai at his throat, prepared to take off his head if he moved. Visibly he didn't move, but there was a light contracting of his muscles that showed he was tense.

"Now, what of my heritage?" I said softly into his ear.

"Ah, that's right. You forgot, didn't you? Oh how the noble have fallen, such a pity."

"The only pity there will be is from the poor villagers who find your corpse in the morning. That is, unless you tell me what I want to know." I pressed the blade closer to his throat until a small trickle of blood escaped from under his skin.

Instantly he reverted his tone to the one of respect that he had used the last time we had met. "I would, if only I could. I have no such knowledge that would interest you, Lady Amai. To get your answers you would have to see the Master."

I hissed lowly between my teeth. This vampire was useless, but he was the only one I had had contact with so he was my only connection to this 'Master' he spoke of.

"Tell me more about your Master." I said coldly, removing my blade from his neck so he would be able to talk more easily.

"Of course." He rubbed the spot on his neck where the cut had already healed. "He, as I said, is my master, but not just mine. He is the master to many of our kind. His name is Gaidoku, the oldest living vampire. He is also the head of our clan, the Shouyou, the greatest clan of vampires. "

I almost couldn't believe it – there was a whole clan of vampires. I had lived years believing I was the only one and yet there was an entire clan. It was absurd; they had to be well hidden for me not to have found out about their whereabouts in some way or another.

I forced down my mixed feelings of relief, irritation and curiosity enough to let out a few cold words. "And tell me more about these Shouyou."

His eyes shifted nervously for a second "I'm not very inclined to answer that, you see. As most clans we are more private about matters that the outside world needs not know."

So it seemed that almost in the same way as our last meeting I had him slammed up against the wall before he could blink. Even though he was not human I could tell he had the same fears and conceptions as them. He valued his life more than information that would be useless to him if dead.

"Seeing as I am also a vampire, it should make little difference to your clan if I am told these matters or not." I almost enjoyed the extra trickle of fear that fell into his system as he weighed the outcomes his choice would have on him.

"Well, if you put it like that, it's a bit hard to decline." He kept his voice steady as he spoke, which I accounted him for. "The Shouyou are a clan of vampires. Not all of us were vampires originally, some were chosen because of their skill to be turned or just happened to be the result of another's recklessness. Of course those who were reckless are punished by death." He seemed to read my thoughts as he added, "only a vampire can kill a vampire and only our clan possesses the knowledge of how. I wouldn't know if we had any real goals, as I am only an underling. I'm sure that the master has his own intents and purposes. WE will follow that purpos when the time comes that he needs us.

"How long has the clan been around" I asked.

"Around a thousand years I would assume, but I'm sure sometime before that, the master is very old."

I stayed silent for a moment, contemplating what I had learned in the little he had said so far. It wasn't much, but it was more than I had learned in the last couple hundred years. I assumed that the clan was very powerful if they were selective enough to only choose people with special abilities and such. The head of the clan, Gaidoku – he was one to be wary of, I suspected.

When he saw that I had paused, he continued. "For the moment we collect jutsu and create new Vampires from those we deem worthy – some die in the process, though. It really is a shame. They are all so talented."

"And you? What is your special ability?" I asked. I did not want any unexpected surprises.

"I can control the shadows" he said simply.

As he said that I narrowed my eyes slightly. Was it possible that this man had the same abilities as I?

"How?"

"It was a Bloodline of my clan. Originally the Master had wanted the strongest girl of our clan, but it seems there was trouble so he settled for me and a few other members that remained." He threw me a look, which I could only decipher as smugness.

A clan with a bloodline? Impossible. He may as well be lying. If he had such abilities he would have displayed them in our last fight. I hissed lowly through me teeth.

"Tell me more."

"The master knows more about it than I. If you're interested he has all the information about the clans in his private library, as well as in his extended knowledge. You will have access to such information, I'm sure, if you go to see our master." He knew I was interested in the information, he was baiting me.

I growled lowly and warningly at him. He seemed to understand the message, because his attitude changed once again to respectful.

"I shall return in a week's time for your reply to the master's request. If you choose to deny it, then I have told you of the consequences if you do not respond favorably" He left quickly, scaling the side of the building and disappearing quietly.

When I returned to the house it was early morning, and a few early risers had started on their daily activities that would lead up to the crowded hustle of mid afternoon. I entered and welcomed the darkness of the house that had yet to have the shades drawn.

As I had assessed at the door, Gaara was sitting on the couch as if waiting for something. Once I had smelled him from outside my first thought was to find another way inside the house. But that would be cowardly to run from him, a human, so I opted to enter the preferred way.

He looked up as I stepped over the threshold. When he stood I assumed that he had been waiting for me. He wanted an explanation for the kiss, as was natural. I looked at him for a moment. I had no way to explain my actions besides to tell the truth. The truth was a very

difficult thing, most choose to lie instead of face it, and it was in that way that they were cowards.

Gritting my teeth I force myself to bow lowly, an action the clearly surprised him.

"I apologize for my actions on the mission. It was not my intent to cause you any discomfort." I made sure my voice and face were as neutral as possible.

He looked at me with an almost lost look in his eyes before he spoke. "Why did you kiss me?"

Was it wise to tell him? Did he really need to know the truth? I supposed not, but it wouldn't do me any good to hide it. It would just show that I was weak.

"I kissed you because it would seem that through unintentional circumstances I have acquired some…feeling towards you."

"Feelings?"

"Yes. Feelings are useless but it seemed that these compelled me to kiss you."

He looked at me for a moment longer before taking a couple of steps in my direction closing the gap between us to a few inches. I calmly kept my eyes on him. He was not posed to attack but I was to be prepared anyway.

When he slowly lifted his hand I almost flinched, but years of discipline kept my body in check. His soft pale hand touched my cheek briefly before he whispered, "I'm sorry."

When he had apologized it had surprised me, but what had surprised me more was when I wanted to lean into his touch. I wanted to have more contact with his hand, and feel his smooth skin brush mine once more.

When the shock had been overcome I managed to choke out, "why are you sorry? You have done nothing."

"I have made you hurt." he said simply.

Hurt? Not knowing what was happening or what to do only hurt my ego. I had lost nothing, yet seemed to lose everything when the kiss had occurred.

"Uzumaki Naruto. He showed me that bonds, feelings, weren't worthless. I want to create bond, I have told you. I want to become close, and have a precious person." He said it slowly as if thinking.

"A precious person?" I couldn't read him. He was closed to me.

He nodded. "Do you not want someone to protect, and who would protect you in turn?"

"No." I said, regaining control. "Other people are unnecessary. It is simpler to take care of yourself and let others worry over themselves, as they are going to do either way."

"You are wrong. I know it. If others are useless, why do you feel for me, why did you kiss me?" His words sounded more urgent now, more piercing.

I said nothing. I knew why I had kissed him. I did not understand the feelings; I was not familiar with them. I was not stupid – I could understand the logic, but my logic was also true. People couldn't be relied upon.

"Amai." I looked over so we were once more making eye contact. He moved slowly, and placed his hand on my cheek. He leaned forward slightly and our lips met.

Unlike the other kiss, this was soft and unsure, not full of the desperate need I had expressed before. His lips brushed mine lightly, leaving a sort of tingle. Before I had realized, he had moved away and left the room.

I stood there for a second longer. I could have avoided the kiss if I had wanted to, but I had not. My body had controlled me for the moment, sticking me in one place. I had allowed Gaara's display of affection.

Remembering the other vampire's words I almost hissed aloud. Not only had I allowed myself to be drawn in, I had also put Gaara in danger and that caused a strange unsettling in the pit of my stomach.

I left quickly to my room, where I observed Tora sitting. He looked up as I entered the room and quickly latched onto my waist with the affections of a child. I nodded once, accepting his greeting.

"How was your mission?" he asked. I had forgotten that the mission had occurred only a little while ago.

"It was fine."

He cocked his head curiously. "Why was Gaara home before you?"

"I had business to take care of," I answered distractedly as my mind was on other things.

"What sort of business?" he was persistent on his questioning so I finally turned and look him in the eye.

"The sort that is mine alone and not yours to know." I told him firmly.

"Fine," he huffed, "will you tell me about your mission, did anything exciting happen?"

I thought back to my rash actions that had resulted in the kiss with Gaara. Very exciting indeed.

"Nothing out of the ordinary, the enemy tried to kill me, I killed the enemy." He knew enough about the job of a shinobi to know that these were the usual occurrences.

"Really? Why was Gaara upset when he came home?" he asked.

"He was upset?"

"Well no, but I could tell." he was perceptive as usual.

"It is no business of mine how Gaara is feeling. I suggest you forget about it unless directly involved in the particular affair."

"Are you upset as well?" He asked, looking up at me.

"No, I am not."

For the next couple weeks, nothing occurred. The other vampire hadn't returned and there seemed to be no threat to Gaara's or Tora's lives yet. I declined a few missions, much to the council's displeasure, to ensure no attacks could occur without my notice. Tora, perceptive, as usual, noticed my lack of missions and asked about it. I gave him a believable excuse and he dropped the issue, but Gaara was another matter.

Gaara and I got along well in the past weeks. Not much was said on the subject of our feelings; instead we just stayed in each others company when other people became tedious. At night we sat sometimes on the roof, staring at the sky. It was rather disconcerting, the amount of time we spent together; even Temari and Kankuro noticed it, though they didn't say anything.

Gaara had taken to keeping me company while I scanned the city for any signs of vampire activity. Of course he didn't know what I was doing.

He approached me about the subject very forwardly. "Why are you not taking any missions?"

"Reasons."

He glared at me, obviously not accepting that as an answer.

I sighed. "I believe we have both reached an understanding about our relationship, correct? I will acknowledge that I have feelings for you, and believe your actions you have feelings for me as well. Mutual affections between two people usually lead to a relationship. But for reasons that I will not reveal I am unwilling to enter into such an engagement. It is for those

same reasons I am not taking missions." I spoke in a level tone and slower than usual to give him ample time to process what I was saying.

He was silent a moment before speaking. "If you are having a sort of problem, I believe it's best to tell people. People are supposed to help their precious people with their problems."

If I could I would have smirked. In a round about way he had called me his precious person. It felt kind of nice, I decided. Too bad I couldn't take him up on his subtle offer.

"No, this is a problem that I would like to keep to myself," I said softly.

We did not speak anymore for the rest of the night, satisfied that the village was clear we returned to our residences. As I stepped onto the roof I realized something odd. Temari and Kankuro were not home. They had no missions, so they should have been asleep in their beds, but I could not hear their breathing. Swiftly I expanded my senses to search for Tora, he was there but he was awake and moving our way, fast.