Naruto blinked as he walked into the room.
He could hear.
That gagging, screaming, wailing sound… Why isn't anyone else noticing it?
He couldn't tell who was screaming. There were too many. Women mostly.
No, something else entirely was haunting him.
He could hear the numerous, high-pitched screams of…
…Children…
Mom… help me!
Don't… don't kill me!
Brother…!
"…Gasp!"
Naruto covered his ears; blue eyes open with newly-found terror.
"Naruto? Hey, Naruto!" Neji patted his companion's shoulder.
Kakashi turned, noticing the ex-vampire's discomfort. "Hmm?"
"Stop…. That sound… stop it!" The blonde boy gasped, his hands curled up over his ears defensively.
"What's up with you, kid?" Kakashi walked over and tried to lift up the boy's face, resulting in the boy turning away violently, frightened by his touch, and shaking Neji's hand off.
Temari took up her fan, and Shino stopped, interested.
"Akamaru? Akamaru!" Kiba's rough voice came from the corridor outside the room. "Hey!"
There was a whine. Akamaru did not want to enter the room. The dog leapt into its owner's arms, shaking and curling up into a ball.
"Ah!"
Naruto gasped again, edging away.
The screaming, shouting, yelling was combining into one sacred melody which became louder, louder, and louder.
He couldn't see. And he wanted whatever was screaming to shut up.
Then the finale came. Naruto looked up. It was an instinctive action. His brain did not tell him to. He just did.
And he heard a male voice, along with the other voices which were emerging from the ashes that was the First…
"Naruto…"
It was calling his name! Him!
Everything came into place. He knew who that person was.
Naruto's eyes then turned blank and snapped shut.
-
Sasuke paused for a moment, his hands hovering above Sakura's shoulders about a centimeter.
Then those hands went down hard on her. He felt her shoulder bones vibrate violently as he pushed her away.
Sakura fell to the ground, and she yelped softly in pain.
Sasuke heard her whimper. He tensed for a moment, a little worried. Had he hurt her?
But steely green orbs stared right back at him, and his worry dissolved.
"…Sakura." Sasuke's voice was almost inaudible. He didn't really want her to hear his words.
Sakura picked up his quiet voice instantly. The corridor was silent for a moment.
"…I'll… kill you one day…So… don't get involved in this… Go back to the life you're used to… Forget all this…"
Sakura opened her mouth. Sasuke saw the incoming protest and held up a warning hand.
"…Don't get involved..."
He turned to walk away, and Sakura reacted fast. She stood up and grabbed hold of Sasuke's shirt, her hand trembling.
"Can you listen to me? Please?" She pleaded.
The accumulating tears in her eyes made her hard to focus on the image before her. Sakura bit her lip, unlocking the stubbornness in her brain.
The stinging, salty, hated watery substance which, to her, signified weakness-- broke free from her eyes, dripping down steadily from her eyes as she spoke.
Her tone was struggling to stay stable. No. She won't let him know. He wasn't looking at her. He wouldn't know.
"… I… This is not the time… but… I don't know when I'm seeing you again!" She half- shouted, her tug on the navy blue fabric tightening.
"…" Sasuke held up a hand and touched his jaw lightly.
That's right… School is the only place where we could meet.
He was a little surprised by her statement, but she was correct. Sasuke didn't care much for school, and no one would certainly worry about education when they are in the danger of losing their personalities completely.
Obviously.
"I don't know when it started. I worry about you. I think about you all the time, so much that it's… it's bothering me! Ever since you saved me… I…"
Sakura swallowed. Her tears are making it hard for her to talk.
"I just"— Her voice cracked.
Sasuke choked. His eyes were starting to glow again. No. Don't!
"I"—
Don't! The monster was coming back to the surface. The violent entity was strong, and it was pulling him down.
You don't want to hear her say the next word, do you?
The fragile latch broke loose. It sounded mentally in Sasuke's head, and he was whizzed into nothingness.
The figure turned. The girl released her hold on Sasuke's shirt, fear suddenly instilling itself in her.
"Sakura…" The boy who looked like Sasuke whispered, red orbs in his cruel, hard face shining brightly in the dim corridor.
The ancient-looking lamp which did little to light up the place broke, and Sakura could see, besides those red orbs…
It wasn't Sasuke. He had gone.
-
Shino winced slightly. His insects were uncomfortable.
Then he sensed a slight vibration from the floor. It wasn't coming from this room.
Kiba yelled. "People! I think Sasuke's awakened!"
Akamaru, who was still in frightened mode, became even more frightened and hid in Kiba's shirt.
Kakashi, being the senior, dumped the unconscious boy on the sofa, told Neji calmly to look after him, and sped off along with the others.
"I thought you were supposed to look after him!" Temari scolded Shino anxiously.
The boy adjusted his sunglasses, but didn't respond.
-
Sakura wasn't like any fragile, common girl who would probably start crying in the situation she was in. She was a girl who could think on her feet.
No, she wasn't going to try anything stupid like begging Sasuke to come back.
The girl swallowed, her heart pounding in her chest, and the option came into her head a split second later.
Sakura gritted her teeth, tears streaming down her face, and ran.
I've got to find the others.
They can do something about it. I can't.
She blinked furiously, hearing a soft groan coming from the back.
That's the only thing I can do…!
There was a sudden thump, and Sakura fell.
"OW!"
Get up. RUN!
She pushed herself up, grimacing when she felt the pain from her knee.
Thump.
Green eyes widened, and two pale, familiar hands shot out and shoved her hard back on the floor.
Sakura yelped a second time.
"Blood… Your blood…"
Red eyes stared right back into hers, and the boy that looked at like Sasuke gave her a crazy-looking grin.
The idea of resisting slowly faded away. The sight in front of her was just too much to take.
Even so, Sakura tried her best.
Is there nothing… I could do…?
-
Kakashi stepped in, two seconds late.
His eye widened.
Sasuke stopped drinking and looked up, his new vampire-red eyes flashing dangerously.
There was blood all over the floor.
Kakashi's eye flickered over to Sakura.
She needs a blood transfusion. Now.
He took out his stake and ran forwards.
Sasuke grabbed Sakura and leapt back, his red eyes traveling over to the window.
"NO, YOU DON'T!"
Sasuke turned as Kakashi appeared behind him.
Shino then came from in front of him, catching the uncontrolled vampire off-guard.
There was another flash of red, combined with silver.
Sasuke ducked the stake thrown by his teacher and, at the same time, blasted Shino out of the window.
There was the shattering of glass, and the vampire took the chance to leap out of the window.
Kakashi gasped as the glass pierced him, but ran forwards.
Suddenly, Neji leapt out, fangs bared, and slashed at Sasuke.
Sasuke grabbed Sakura tightly, possessively.
"You won't get her."
Neji's white eyes narrowed, and he stepped on the wall, vertically, for two seconds before pushing himself off.
"Let her go." He growled.
Sasuke bent down, took Sakura's blood with his hands and licked it, his red eyes glowing defensively.
Neji pounced, his eyes activated.
Target his heart.
-
…What… am I doing…?
There's… something warm and wet…
Sakura moved her arm slightly.
I'm… in the… air?
She opened her eyes a little, and realized that Sasuke was carrying her.
Sakura caught a glimpse of his face, and almost winced.
That terribly twisted look… Blood running down his mouth… stains on his hands…
He had bitten her.
Summoning all the energy she had, Sakura slowly clenched her fist.
"Wake up…" She murmured weakly.
Sasuke dodged Neji's attack, and looked at Sakura just in time for her fist to collide with his face.
"WAKE UP, YOU IDIOT!" Sakura screamed as he released her, startled from her punch, and causing her to fall through the air.
The wind whistled in Sakura's ears, and she looked on blankly, crying, hoping, trying, and willing Sasuke to come back. She was straining her vocal cords so much that it hurt.
Do anything! Scream for him to wake up!
The onyx returned, and Sasuke started to fall, too.
Sakura blinked, noticing the numerous drops of tears that were landing on her face.
They weren't hers.
Author: I AM BACK!