DISCLAIMER: I own NONE of the original characters of the Manga/Anime series Naruto – they belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I only hold ownership of this plot and characters unfamiliar to the original Naruto series.
Summary: Long ago, humans had to be cautious of their own being, but now, not only would they have to beware of their own, but the other forms lurking in the dark and even walking amongst us. Fighting against these supernatural beings are the members of the Dark Coven. What will happen when Sakura Haruno, one who greatly despises the supernatural, encounters Sasuke Uchiha, one of the Blood Demons? Pairings: Sasuke/Sakura with an equal amount of Neji/Tenten. Other pairings are included. Enjoy!
WARNING: Vampire Fiction! Please discontinue reading if mild violence, sexual content and aggressive language seem inappropriate to you or is not to your liking!
NOTE: 'Inner Sakura'
'Thoughts' Flashbacks
Narrator's POV
~ The Dark Coven ~
Chapter Two: The Dark Coven Headquarters
Sakura woke the next morning, only when she felt the sun beams on her skin. She was told that when the atmosphere felt cool, less noisy; when the crickets sounded there presence – that was night. And only when she could feel the sun's warm kisses on her skin in a still cool atmosphere, that would be called the morning.
Sakura brought herself to a sitting position on her bed. Stretching her arms upwards, she yawned. She took a moment to rekindle herself and her thoughts, and that was when she remembered that today was the day she would meet with the infamous Tsunade Senju.
'Does she even know that I'm blind?' Sakura questioned in her head, 'Kakashi must have already told her…'
Sakura walked over to where the towel rack was supposed to be and felt around for the soft material. Then she made her way to where she remembered the bathroom was.
After her short bath, Sakura headed downstairs where she met Kakashi. Judging from the types of movement she heard, it appeared that Kakashi was handling the luggage.
"Good morning, Sakura," he greeted.
"Morning," she replied, dully, "I take it that you've also taken care of my luggage?"
"Yes…it's organized," he answered.
"How long will our travels be?" She asked.
"Well…depending on the traffic – two hours for the most, by car," he answered, "By the way, there's a sandwich on the counter near the sink for you."
He watched her as she moved to the counter, exactly where the sink was located and thought of how amazed Tsunade would be when she saw Sakura's actual skills. He was certain that Tsunade had never come across any disabled person like Sakura – blind, yet still able to work freely without having to use any assistance. Kakashi had taught her well. He showed her that being blind was no disadvantage. He showed her to see the world differently. She was able to vividly see through deception; her fighting skills, deadly.
Kakashi was amazed by how fast she recovered from her parents and friend's deaths. He believed that it gave her something to live for – a purpose in this life.
"I'm done," he heard Sakura announce, "Let's leave."
"Yes," he agreed and took hold of both suitcases.
The ride was almost exactly two hours long. They only met a little traffic as the entered Seattle. Kakashi pulled into the parking lot of Dark Coven HQ. When the car came to a complete halt, and the sound of Kakashi, pulling up the hand brake was heard, Sakura realized that they had finally reached their destination.
"Sakura, why don't you go on head and wait for me in the building?" Kakashi said.
Sakura's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. What was he up to?
"Fine…" Sakura answered without question, nonetheless.
"To the left of the position you are currently sitting at, is the main entrance. Once you've entered the building, go through the elevator to your right. Go to the top floor, and wait for me there," Kakashi said to her.
Sakura gave a curt nod before opening the car door.
"And Sakura," Kakashi said, causing her to halt, "speak only when spoken to; do not state your reason for being here to any random person…"
"I understand…"
When she entered the building, Sakura listened for the sound of an elevator which was supposed to be situated to her right. On hearing an audible 'ding', she walked over to the right and entered only when she heard footsteps walking into the elevator.
In the mobile cubicle, she heard the giggling. She counted the different laughter – there were two other females in the elevator. Sakura did not know what they were laughing about; she did not care.
"Excuse me," said a proud-toned voice, "I don't mean to be rude, but I'm curious as to whether or not the color of your hair is naturally pink…"
It was then Sakura realized that she was being spoken to, having been told countless times that her hair color was unusual.
"And Sakura," Kakashi said suddenly, causing her to halt, "speak only when spoken to; do not state your reason for being here to any random person…"
Thinking back at Kakashi's last words to her, Sakura assumed that his warning did not apply to the woman's question.
"Yes, it is," Sakura answered bluntly.
"Really? That's awesome!" another girl exclaimed.
"Thanks," Sakura replied, trying to hint that she was uninterested in a conversation with them.
"My name is Ino, by the way – Ino Yamanaka," said the first girl.
"And mine is Temari Suna," said the other girl, who thought Sakura's hair was cool.
"Sakura Haruno…it's nice to meet you both," Sakura introduced.
The elevator came to a halt; Sakura heard the doors open and walked out as soon as possible, avoiding further conversation with the two girls in the elevator. She walked down what seemed to be a hall, judging from the directions the footsteps of others were headed. With the help of her hands, Sakura managed to find a bench where she sat and waited for Kakashi.
As she did this, she listened – she listened to her surroundings; the voices; the movements.
"Dr. Yuma, page Dr. Wakashi…we're gotta prep this man for surgery right away!"
'Surgery?' Sakura processed a thought.
She wore a confused expression. Was this not the Dark Coven Headquarters?
"Excuse me, are you Sakura Haruno?" said a female voice.
"Yes," Sakura answered, tilting her head upward to the direction of the voice.
"I'm Tsunade, Leader of the Dark Coven. Will you please follow me to my office?" Tsunade continued. Sakura noted that when Tsunade spoke of the Dark Coven, her tone was low, as if to keep what was being said a secret from certain ears.
Sakura noticed the hall had quiet down. There were not many bustling up and down the hallway as before, making it easier to follow the 'tapping' of Tsunade's shoes against the floor. Sakura began to wonder if Tsunade had known of her eyesight at all, considering that she had not offered any assistance from the beginning. Or was it that she knew Sakura had not needed them? Doors opened automatically.
Very soon, Sakura was seated at what seemed to be a desk. The room was quiet and Sakura could feel the sealing fan above her head, emitting cool breeze as it span.
"Okay. As you may already know, Kakashi submitted a video recording of your fighting skills and slaying abilities –" Tsunade began, but was then interposed by Sakura.
"He did what? I thought he said you were observing me…like spying on me or something. He never told me that his intention was for me to join this organization all along!"
"Yeah…sorry about that, but it was the only way I could have gotten you to give this a try," said a familiar voice. Sakura's head whipped around into the direction from which it came, frowning.
"It's nice to see you again, Hatake," Tsunade greeted the man.
"Likewise," was his reply, "Well, I'll leave you two to get acquainted…"
And with that said, Kakashi exited the office, leaving an inwardly fuming Sakura with Tsunade.
"Well, let's get straight down onto business. Like I said before, I'm impressed with your skills; and I believe that you will be of great value to this organization. So, I'm asking you to become an official member of Dark Coven," Tsunade proposed.
Sakura hesitated for a while. Tsunade could not begin to comprehend the thoughts being processed in Sakura's mind, from her blank expression.
"Name the conditions; privileges, etc," Sakura stated firmly.
"You will need to sign a contract once you've accepted. You will attend a school near DCHQ – all education expenses will be paid by DC. You will be required to follow all orders and cooperate with your co-workers. Sakura, I very well aware of your disability, by the way, but that doesn't change my mind one bit about having you here as a member."
Sakura waited for a while to ensure that Tsunade was finished talking, before asking, "How long is this contract?"
"The contract lasts for how long you want," Tsunade replied, "And by the way, if you haven't noticed, this Headquarters is concealed by the fact that the building is actually a hospital. This is to avoid trouble from government agents."
Sakura nodded in realization. Tsunade continued.
"I'm also the head doctor of this entire hospital…"
Sakura was surprised. She always thought that if she ever had to have a normal life, she would have loved to become a surgeon. And here she was, having conversation with a superior; a slayer that managed the Dark Coven HQ and a Hospital. Right then and there, Tsunade had become her role model.
"Okay, I've made my decision. I'll join," Sakura stated.
Tsunade smiled. If a slayer declined (which rarely happened), Tsunade was never moved – never disappointed. But here, she was more than content that Sakura accepted to proposal. It was as if she felt some form of connection to Sakura. Tsunade found herself admiring the girl from the moment she learned of her history – her parents' death; being born blind and unable to see the little beauty of the world. The fact that Sakura was still able to stand tall even though she had been through tough times, made Tsunade want to teach her.
Tsunade placed a pen into Sakura's hand and moved it onto the document. Sakura was only taught to write numbers and her name. At school, she would read only Braille and do her assignments in Braille.
Tsunade saw the familiar figure through the glass door. He was a member of Dark Coven she was not ready to introduce Sakura to. Tsunade turned to the pink-headed girl opposite her.
"Sakura, there are some things I need to see to now. In the mean time wait here while I summon one of the members to escort you downstairs," Tsunade said as she helped Sakura to one of the seats in the 'waiting-sector' of her office. Then she turned to the glass door and announced, "Come in…Sasuke."
Sakura heard the door open, followed by footsteps. Judging by the sounds of the footsteps, Sakura knew that the person who entered was a man (A/N: There are some Japanese names that can be for EITHER a boy or girl which is why Sakura didn't use the person's name to determine his sex). She said no word of greeting, nor did he. Tsunade spoke, in a tone of great authority.
"Do you have a report for me? I was told that you and your brother were investigating occurrences in Central."
"Hn… The report is simple – the victims were all human, but the attacks were no where close to that of said race'," the man stated.
"So it seems that this case requires our area of expertise," said Tsunade as she fitted her fingers of her right hand into her left, propping her elbows on the desk.
Sakura continued to listen to the conversation, but her attention was more drawn to the man's voice. Words could not describe what it sounded like. Even 'God-like' did not seem fitting enough. His tone was so alluring that it would make any regular woman drop to her knees.
Then suddenly, she became curious to see the man who possessed such a voice. Was he as beautiful as he sounded? Then again, what did she know about the way a human should look like? She accepted what she had been told by Kakashi – a human is nothing more than a selfish being, believed to commit the most sins in the chain of living things in this world. They can be recognized by their physical appearance; humans were a race – they live, and they die. Sakura was told that vampires share almost the same appearance as humans, though they were totally different races. And vampires' abilities were far more enhanced than that of a human's. Completely out of the ordinary.
Her brows knitted together as another question surfaced her thoughts.
…What exactly was 'ordinary'?
Sakura clutched her head tightly and leaned over in her sitting form. Tsunade and Sasuke did not seem to notice until Sakura let out a throaty sob. Both heads whipped around. In an instant, Tsunade was at Sakura's side.
"Sakura? Sakura!"
Tsunade's voice echoed in the darkness…
"Sakura? Sakura! Listen to me, sweetie," her mother said in a shaky tone, wiping away her eight-year-old daughter's tears, "I need you to stay calm…c'mon, stop crying baby…Momma's gonna be right here with you…" Sakura's crying eased. She sniffled.
"Okay," her mother continued, "on the count of three, I need you to run straight ahead; no stopping. I'll be right behind you, understand?"
"Yes mommy," Sakura replied. The heat from the fire was increasing by the minute. The sound of the flames consuming the furniture and household appliances was heard clearly.
"Okay…ready? One…two…THREE!"
Sakura ran as fast as her short legs could carry her. She kept going straight, without stopping. She had no clue as to where she was headed. She expected that her mother was following behind her and was glad to know that her assumption was right, when she heard the footsteps behind her.
Then suddenly, she heard a door slam behind her. She stopped running, realizing that she had just exited one of the rooms of her house. She could no longer feel the presence of her mother anywhere near her.
A deafening scream echoed from the closed room.
Sakura ran back and stretched her arms out, feeling for the doorknob, but when she found it, she was unable to open the door. Her mother had locked the door from inside…
Soon enough, Sakura was able to calm down.
Gasping for air, Sakura nodded in reply.
Tsunade wanted to believe that what Sakura experienced, was a mere migraine, but the stubborn part of her forced her into not accepting that belief. However, she figured that it would be best to confront Kakashi about it instead. She turned to Sasuke.
"Sasuke, please escort Sakura down to the café and get her some water," Tsunade ordered, "I need to speak with Hatake."
Tsunade watched as they made their way out of her office. As stated before, Tsunade initially did not intend for Sakura to meet Sasuke so soon. She did not want Sakura to meet a certain group of slayers in the organization, to be more precise, considering the fact that their kind was responsible for the tragic death of her family.
The wind was strong on the roof of the hospital. Kakashi stood with his back against the wall. Tsunade leaned on the railings which prevented long, death-falls.
"What is it you wished to discuss with me, Lady Tsunade?" Kakashi asked.
"Sakura," Tsunade began, "It's about Sakura. Clearly you haven't told me all there is to know about her. Well, at least all the important things, Hatake. Just now, in my office, while she was awaiting her escort, Sakura seemed to experience a brief, painful migraine. She was holding her head in her hands, sobbing."
"Hm…so it seems there is no avoiding it after all," Kakashi began, "Sakura has…a sort of mental disorder…"
Tsunade's eyes widened.
"Disorder?"
"Yes…a disorder. Well, at least that's what her doctor classifies it as," Kakashi continued, "Were you interacting with Sakura in any way when she had the breakdown?"
"No, like I said, she was just waiting for me to page an escort for her," Tsunade answered.
"That's your answer right there. You see, Sakura needs to be occupied with something at all times while awake. The doctors said that because of her blindness, it bothers her whenever she can't seem to understand certain things, especially when it deals with knowing what something looks like or distinguishing something that required one to see the object or person's physical appearance."
"Oh…I see. But what I don't understand, Hatake, is why you chose not to inform me about this condition of hers," Tsunade said to the silver-haired man.
"The truth is, Lady Tsunade…the truth is that I never intended for you to know at all," he replied.
"And why is that?" Tsunade inquired, feeling the rage slowly build up inside her.
"I feared that you would cancel your proposal; that you would shun her because of this fault; that you would only focus on her disorder and look down on her like most people do when they find out that she's blind," Kakashi answered.
"Well you're wrong," Tsunade said, before making her way to the door, leaving Kakashi in solitude.
Sasuke handed the girl the bottle of water. She drank only a little of it and then screwed the cap back on.
"Thank you," she said, "Can I buy you something in return?"
"I don't eat or drink anything from this place," he replied coldly as he referred to the hospital's café. She nodded. It was understandable if he disliked whatever was available at the hospital's café. After that, nothing was said between the two. And by now, Sakura was beginning to feel awkward. Sasuke did not seem to talk much.
"Ah, there you are," she heard Tsunade's voice, "Are you alright now, Sakura?"
"Yes, thank you," Sakura replied. She leaned back into the chair.
"That's good. C'mon, I'll escort you to your car where I trust that Hatake would be waiting," Tsunade said to Sakura, "Tomorrow you will be starting your first day at Konoha High School of Seattle. You'll find that most of your classmates will be from Dark Coven; however the rest of the school knows nothing of the organization. The principal of the school is a very good friend of mine and he knows everything, so don't be surprised if you find him discussing vampire matters with Kakashi."
"Kakashi?" Sakura asked, confused, "Kakashi's going to be at the school?"
"Yes. Kakashi will be your Biology teacher. He decided that since he would be living in a big city now, he needed to have a job to avoid suspicion," Tsunade explained. She continued.
"Kakashi told me that you get along quite well with werewolves. Is that true?" Tsunade asked.
"Yeah. I don't know many of them on a personal level, though. What Kakashi means is that I don't have any problems with werewolves," Sakura explained.
They got into the elevator. The door closed. Sakura assumed that the elevator was empty when Tsunade continued talking.
"That's good because there are a few members – other than Kakashi – who are werewolves."
"Really? That's not surprising, but it's interesting though," Sakura commented.
"Hm. There are two werewolves besides Kakashi, who will be attending your school – Kiba Inuzuka of the Inuzuka Pack and Naruto Uzumaki of the Namikaze pack. They will be in Tenth Grade, just like you, so you'll meet them."
"How come Naruto Uzumaki is of the Namikaze pack?" Sakura questioned.
"That's a long story. I'll explain it to you when we have enough time. Or maybe once you start to know him better…if you become friends with that brat, you can find out from him yourself," Tsunade answered. The elevator stopped descending; the doors opened.
As expected, Kakashi was waiting for them by the car, in the parking lot.
The drive to their new home was short, so Sakura assumed that the place was situated very near to the hospital. She sighed.
"What's the matter?" Kakashi asked.
"Oh it's nothing…it's just that I have school tomorrow…" she responded.
Kakashi chuckled. 'Any normal kid would complain like that. It's good to know that at least some parts of her life would seem normal…'
Tsunade placed all the documents into their appropriate files, clearing her desk in the process. Sasuke sat in one of the chairs, busying himself with the packet of blood in his hand, sucking it dry.
"Uchiha, I gave you your day's supply of blood already. May I ask why you're still here in my office?" Tsunade questioned the vampire.
"That girl, she's the new member of Dark Coven, isn't she?" he asked, wearing a slightly angry expression on his face.
"Yes, she is. Is there a problem?" Tsunade inquired.
"Her scent bothers me. And from the looks of things, I can tell she's blind. You're losing your reputation, Tsunade," Sasuke answered.
"You haven't seen what she's capable of, Sasuke, so don't be so hasty on judgment," Tsunade snapped. There was silence. Tsunade moved over to her filing cabinet and placed her files in their respective places.
"Tomorrow she will have her first mission with you and a few others. I haven't told her about it yet, but I will. I must ask you a favor, though," Tsunade paused and turned to face Sasuke, making eye contact, "Please avoid having to interact with her for the time being."
"I wouldn't dream of it," Sasuke commented, stoically and Tsunade shot him a look of question that disappeared after a few moments. Sasuke did not bother to explain, so she decided to keep that query to herself.
Instead, she figured there was something else worth her knowing…
"Sasuke, what did you mean when you said that her scent bothers you?" Tsunade asked.
"Her blood…. If I had stayed any longer with her, there was no telling what would have happened…"
A/N: Okay! That's the end of Chapter Two! I can't wait to write Chapter three; but I have to update my other story "Quantum of Memory", first. A little more of Sasuke will be revealed in the next chapter. And soon enough you'll learn the races of each character (i.e. who is human; vampire; werewolf…)
THIS STORY IS NOT ANOTHER 'TWILIGHT' FICTION!
NOTE: I will be accepting Fan-Art for this story, so feel free to PM me if you're interested in drawing a scene, or drawing the characters! The art pieces will be posted on DeviantArt.
AND: 10 reviews are required for the next update. I like to get feedback; it's the only way I know if you guys like where the story is going or not…
Please excuse any errors you may find. Thank you!
NEXT UPDATE: Dec. 16th 2009.
- IzWinchesterDevil.