Composition by Derek and Brandon Fiechter.

Chapter Twenty-One

Scarlet Rose

He unleashed the demon inside of him, and he kept it on its leash all the time, but on rare occasions did he go full out if those he loved were threatened...and this time Hanaru was involved. These animals who lay in scattered limbs and unidentifiable muck - there would be more of them to follow very soon if they didn't act now.

He saw what his words did to her when it was over, and more on the way. He'd been cruel unnecessarily, and he would have to find a way to make it up to her if they got out of this cleanly and alive together. And the way she looked at him, she never saw this side of him before, and he swore he would never make this mistake next time.

But he had to deal with those human dogs out there who went under Madara's orders, and what did he promise them? Immortality? As to expect.

He turned his back to Hanaru and spoke into his earpiece he just turned on, contacting her grandmother right away. "What did you do to those men?" Tsunade demanded quietly.

"Slaughtered them like cattle. I lost control, but they intended to kill not only me, but your granddaughter as well," he answered honestly. "Not one in the room is left standing. But I believe the senior officials of the local police are under...Akatsuki control after all." And in the past, this town used crooks and terrorists to get what they wanted; how irony flipped on them. Innocent humans got in the mix. There was no question that humanity was no more or less monster than Itachi, his family and even his enemies were.

"Lady Tsunade, I am going to do all of this for you and Hanaru. I await your orders to take down these dogs who don't know the difference between right and wrong."

Just pull the trigger, my mistress - Tsunade Senju.

There was a long, dreadful pause that felt like an eternity - before it was all shattered with piercing screams that didn't rattle his eardrums, but it would do so to Hanaru if she were listening at the moment.

"No one dares to question my resolve! You want your marching orders, soldier? You GOT them: DESTROY THESE MONSTERS! Crush them all if they resist! Senju has never showed mercy any less than our enemies, so be sure to leave as much blood as you must!"

The blood in his veins all but raced with a frenzy as his pupils became the pinwheel of death.

~o~

They never got to finish their investigation because Madara Uchiha was on their tail now. What else was he going to pull on them next?

Itachi really set her aflame, pushed her buttons in the right place, so after he and her granddaughter were threatened, there was no more mercy. Madara Uchiha and everything and everyone in both hands were going to pay no matter the cost. On the other hand...

"Have I made the right decision, Shizune?" Sometimes in her lifetime she asked herself that, and no matter what, there was no right or wrong. Only what would happen either way.

The girl lowered her eyes for a moment, before replying quietly that it wasn't her place to judge, which was hardly helpful, but then Shizune said heatedly, "I personally say we never run, because running is for cowards."

True, too true. And now I could use another batch of sake.

~o~

The way Itachi carried himself as he stood before all those men, seemingly unarmed, but when they opened fire on him, he withdrew not only his Crow, but his old semi-automatic...and flaunted all of them with controlled grace which left a trail of crushed bones, torn flesh and rancid blood in its wake.

The outside had not once heard from the inside until they eventually saw the explosive massacre: some of the corpses flying out the windows and gaining all the attention it could. But Itachi didn't come out after them...but on the first floor he did encounter the one who gave the orders to all these men, but they didn't belong at all to the commander himself.

His name was Kisame Hoshigaki. And with those scars on his face, he had the appearance of a shark. What he did confess was this: he admitted indirectly that he took advantage of idiots who believed in immortality...but Itachi said there was no such thing. You could only live so long.

"They served their purpose," Hoshigaki said, teeth leering like a true shark grin. "And as for why we are here: Akatsuki gave us the task to bring you in, but also to eliminate anyone present with, such as that human girl."

My cue to hide again.

So she did, and she watched the fight between Itachi and the shark man who had an impressive piece of weapon behind his back: a strange sword that was spiked, the mouth looking like a shark, and it unleashed pistons of needles towards Itachi who deflected them by turning into crows and taking flight, reappearing behind his opponent and then causing him to fire shots on his own men...

...and Itachi ended up taking blows to vital spots in his body. They weren't even silver or mercury, but they did paralyze him momentarily and have him bleeding so much she wanted to scream out to him, but held herself back. But a shark sword like that? It's interesting. And those spikes on the outside can no doubt cut you to ribbons...

Hoshigaki had told Itachi that there was a place in the deepest pits of hell waiting for him, and it caused the Uchiha vampire to do something that made her bones chill: his icy exterior melted and allowed a low, rumbling laugh to escape his throat. It sounded like he was amused by all of this. And this person was no one he faced before, right?

Now Itachi pulled out the needles - each and every one of them - and shouted at the top of his lungs: "The Akatsuki can come at me for all I care, but you - you're interesting and one of the better matches I've had. Even more than that dog food scum. And now it's your turn..."

Make him squeal like a pig, Itachi. Show him no mercy.

The more she saw Itachi kill an opponent with such controlled savagery, the feeling of throbbing arousal in her body would return, and she wished she could feel ashamed as well as embarrassed because she was living and he was in between that and death. But she couldn't help it!

Just as she could no longer stand by and let her vampire protector - the man in her dreams - face this scumbag alone. She raised her gun from her hiding place and fired right for that shark sword.

As she wanted: she knocked it out of his hand and allowed Itachi to go for the attack.

She had been sick in the penthouse, but now she enjoyed every bit of the sight: her protector deftly cutting through an arm to sever the limb and render the victim the loser...and then he took Kisame Hoshigaki and bit into his neck, just to see what the man knew. And what he found was groundbreaking.

A war really is coming...on the eve of the spring solstice.

Just like Shiro Kokoro - the younger of the two brothers who attacked Senju Headquarters on Akatsuki orders - before, the shark man burst into flames because he had given away secrets...or rather, who he followed orders on.

Hanaru had run up to him, yelling and demanding if he was all right, and he was grim but otherwise well. Then he turned his gaze to her, a soft smile gracing his blood-streaked features.

"You did well...Hanaru."

Considering it was just to get his weapon out of hand! But the compliment made her so happy, and she forgot all about her earlier anger, frustration and sorrow.

They never would have gotten out alive if not for Yūgao blowing up the nearby encampment, whilst in disguise, and killing many alone in her wake, which proved just how GOOD she was, and of course mentioning it was one step closer to earning her paycheck.

~o~

Yūgao and the helicopter weren't enough to get them and their possessions away from Iwa, his coffin included, so the Prime Minister of Suna sent them a private jet to get them to safety as soon as they were away from the hotel and the shattered penthouse.

"Well done, Itachi," Tsunade told him as soon as he and the girls were home. As soon as they touched down on Konoha soil, Hanaru said she wanted to just go back home to Temari, but she also wanted to have some "girl time" with Yūgao and get to know her more. That likely meant some tea time and introducing her to other finer things that the purple-haired captain hadn't experienced in a long time.

But besides the congratulations for the efforts, it was a failure to find Madara, his freak chip factories and destroying everything and everyone inside. He was still coming.

"Although, there is going to be a gathering between Senju and Konoha right after National Foundation Day," his mistress said, taking a swig of brandy. "Irony, after a day of celebration, it will be back to real business, but I guess we could use that day after everything." Then she smirked.

"Makes me wonder what of you she came up with this time."

And knowing it was before she knew who he was, it wouldn't take much to guess. He wouldn't be surprised if it was something that bordered closer to the erotic side that would push the limits of last time...

~o~

Making your brother his favorite ramen was just what he needed when his aneki came to see him. And when she set it down on the table, taking the tupperware lid off and putting down the plastic fork - plastic just to be safe when you had a demon you were still controlling inside you - he wasted no time digging on in.

"You're not eating?" he asked after a loud slurp of noodles.

Laughing, Hanaru shook her head. "No, I ate an hour ago before I came. I figured you haven't had this in ages." She sat across the table from him and watched him dig in.

"Kidding me?" he answered back. "Granny Tsunade makes sure I get this. But she also says I need to eat more vegetables, so I do have them with this." Good, doing my job for me. "I feel rigorous and excited for training each day; it's better exercise than just at the dojo!"

That had always been Naruto: overexcited, but this time it was toned down a little, except for that sparkle in his eyes. Sometimes she wondered how he could be so positive about everything. But knowing he was coping well in his absence, though having no idea what he went through exactly - and wasn't sure she wanted to know, for her sanity's sake - made her smile. This was still the brother she'd known all her life.

But she did want to know what happened the night he was taken from her, Grandpa Jiraiya and their friends.

When she asked him this question, his face fell a little.

"I was still at the studio, as you know, with the guys, and then I was going back to the flat I used to share with Gaara, to change out, but the next thing I know, I was snatched from the streets. I wake up in a place I don't even know, and there's pain as well as these weird, glowing symbols over my stomach. I have no idea what happened, but it hurt like hell." Naruto grimaced. "I know the guy over me was chanting and calling something forth...and then I saw the big thing come from the floor at my feet. Was maybe twenty feet tall, had nine tails, and I did recognize it was a fox.

"That thing - I thought I was going to die, when the next thing I also knew, there was a horrible pain that caused me to see red, and I don't know what happened again. I can't believe that I was in and out without knowing who kidnapped me or what they wanted me for." He paused to take a few deep breaths, even slurping more noodles before belching and making her laugh again. Normally she would remind him of his manners, but hysteria was needed.

And when they sobered up, he carried on, swallowing once. "Itachi was there when I came to, and there was also Grandma Tsunade. They told me everything, and that I couldn't go back to you and the old man," he said sadly, his bowl halfway finished. She wondered if he lost his appetite after telling her the story.

"Grueling stuff I went through that I don't know if I should tell you about, and sometimes I thought I would go insane, I'll admit. All the while, I kept thinking about you and everyone else. But if Gaara wasn't here, I would have totally lost it."

Long story short: her baby brother was abducted, awoke and saw the Nine-Tailed Fox only for it to go right into his body where the seal was placed - that swirl inked into his flesh - at the same time Itachi burst in, having been at the right place at the right time and engaged Madara Uchiha before taking off with Naruto who by this time was struggling to overpower the monster.

The man who was a monster for over five centuries, in nature but not in his heart - he saved both her brother and his friend from the bloodsucker who destroyed all their lives.

She knew he secretly thought low of himself, but she planned to get through to him very soon. She was going to find time after the debut for that if it meant something much worse than him lashing at her in the penthouse.

But what if I won't be able to handle it...?

Hanaru had no idea how to tell her brother these feelings despite bringing up always seeing him in her dreams, painting his face even, and never knowing his identity until the time came. Naruto whistled, though, but he was also wary. Even stating that he hoped she wouldn't end up like those girls in literature and the media. "Seduction can also be bad, they say," he said.

But seduction also meant it was the best. Always go for it even if it was brief and followed by consequences.

~o~

This day was meant to celebrate the first emperor of Japan, who was revered as a god above all the people and even put him on the same pedestal as Amaterasu herself, which was entirely based on the unproven claim that the emperors were all descendants of the Goddess of the Sun. Parades used to be held, sweets handed out, athletic competitions and poetry reading, schoolchildren making portraits of the emperor...until many of these aspects were abolished after the country's surrender following the end of WWII.

That didn't stop the day of the eleventh of February from continuing to be hailed as an expression of love for the nation.

You would never believe it, but Hanaru's painting was something that took sensual desire to another level, probably not doing hentai alone justice. Tsunade could have had a nosebleed, admittedly, if it had been another man besides ITACHI in that painting.

Silhouetted against moonlight and darkness, showing only his upper body and the side of his backside and thigh, covering everything sensitive. Enveloped with pixie and fairy dust, hence deserving of its name: Mūnraitodasuto. Either way, her granddaughter was a genius.

"Oh, man, are you thinking what I'm thinking, Tsunade?" Jiraiya asked quietly, cheeks red.

She'd been dreading this, and of course she had to do everything in her power to make sure it didn't happen, but because Hanaru's gift was so strong - if you included this - that it also meant her granddaughter was the one who was suffering the most for something that she couldn't help. Tsunade knew that she couldn't keep their family servant away if she wanted to.

She was no fool to say Itachi hadn't been trying to shove it down. It was an internal struggle for him. That was enough to say that he...cared more than he let on besides duty. He was shoving it down but not only because he knew of her relations, nor what she was, but something else that didn't need explaining.

Itachi, you're a nobler man than you're given credit for.

However, she had to end up thinking about the long-term run between these two, because she wasn't going to be around forever.

He was there, but once more hidden because he didn't want people recognizing him instantly; that didn't stop his brother and sister-in-law from being there like before. Sakura back in her red dress she saved for special occasions was stifling some giggles and her mate simply narrowing his eyes.

The attention was all on the four and their manager - Naruto and Gaara unable to attend because they couldn't be out in public to attract attention from Akatsuki. Unlike her friend Temari who was in the same leather-and-lace fit, Hanaru was wearing the same jewelry she loved, but this time with her hair half-held back and the dress being a gift from Tsunade because she felt it was the least she could do for the girl; it was natural-colored tulle with short sleeves and the front of the bodice gathered in a flirtatious bow.

That also attracted Itachi's eyes alone.

Add that Rasa Sabaku came all the way out after finding the time to see his daughter and her friends bring forth this new addition to their gallery, and Hanaru's story was brief but satisfactory.

"This is the very same Man in Red, and I honestly have no idea the inspiration," she said with a nervous laugh, avoiding eye contact with those close to her - especially HIM. "But isn't there anyone who isn't attracted to Gothic aspects and the forbidden stuff that tends to be the best kind?"

The best which also has the worst side effects.

~o~

He was hidden once again, because people would recognize him. His mistress knew that.

Hanaru was flustered - beautiful in appearance as always and flushed to her skin, because of her interesting new work of art that hit a nail on his own coffin and confirming it as far as he was concerned: this painting was a subtle, sensual and refined expression of repressed longing for HIM. She also had every minute detail of his body down to a tee, except the most important parts were to the imagination.

"...isn't there anyone who isn't attracted to Gothic aspects and the forbidden stuff that tends to be the best kind?"

He closed his eyes. He had been pushed over the edge, losing more control of himself and knowing that it couldn't be contained much longer. After tonight, he and her were going to have a conversation, it seemed.

Itachi wanted to approach gently, collected and calmly, and present her with a gift that was ravishing and common, but she might not expect it from him. No one ever gave her flowers who wasn't a friend or family member. And so he was bent on taking this someplace that wasn't her apartment, nor at Senju Headquarters, but someplace where it was just the two of them. The local motel was in order, and unlike most, it had no imperfections or vermin roaming about.

The great collection of two dozen roses rested in the middle of the small table, joined by lemon leaves and eucalyptus. The petals were lustrous red, going all the way into a heart so dark it was almost black. Seeing them and inhaling their rich, sweet perfume, he thought of Hanaru and sought to comparing her to a rose - a blue rose, because of her fondness of the dark, mysterious and emotional depths.

It made him think about the Gothic story of a vampire woman who thought to make her beloved immortal like her by giving him a single red rose she owned.

The door was knocked on. She had come. And she was in the same dress even as the hour was hitting midnight. She shrugged off her slim but warm sweater jacket to show herself off, and it was innocent but not so at the same time. However, she didn't look him in the eye; he wasn't going to pretend not to know.

"That was...even more masterful than last time. I appreciate your hands' work," he told her, starting slow. "I wonder where it came from, too..."

She swallowed. "I did it before I learned who you were. But I couldn't keep it from the public. And you already figured out what it meant," she answered, finally looking off in the direction where the roses were on the table, and her eyes widened. "Are they for me?"

He smiled. "Of course."

Hanaru smiled back, face lighting up and her embarrassment forgotten, and she went over to lean down and smell them. Watching her, he closed the door behind him, locking it and keeping the rest of the cold out. "They're sweet and amazing. Thanks." But as she reached to pull one out, she cried out a little and jerked her hand back. He hitched a breath; she'd pricked her finger on one of the thorns which were still there.

A dark drop of red blood formed from the pad of her forefinger. The smell reached his nostrils: sweet peach and spicy pepper in one. He felt his eyes thrum with blood as much as his throat pulsed and his heart got to pounding, going to the rest of his body. Growling, he turned his back to her so she wouldn't see his face.

He did NOT expect her question, nor did he understand why she would think to ask such a thing from him. "Itachi, I'm sorry. But do you want to -?" He had to stop her before she would end up regretting it as he was certain he would, especially here.

"No, Hanaru, not like this," he said firmly. "I refuse to have even the slightest taste of your blood, regardless of how tempting and intoxicating it is."

Well, well, well, Itachi smells the strong scent of her blood but won't taste it. Maybe not only the consequences that would follow, but something much more that can't be crossed... ;D

The story mentioned in Itachi's mind was based off what the composition by both Fiechter brothers is about: Emotional Gothic music about a female vampire who owns a beautiful magical rose that causes the young man she loves to become immortal and never grow old.

Next will be something else that has waited long enough, bring Kleenex and be prepared for dark secrets revealed!