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: 'Azami'
'Thoughts' Flashbacks
Narrator's POV
~ The Dark Coven ~
Chapter Nine: Existence Was Nothing But a Curse…
When Tsunade was informed of Sakura's situation, the group was ordered to abandon their mission and immediately return home. Sasuke was not pleased and disagreed with Tsunade's decision greatly, commenting that it would do nothing but delay his goals. For all they knew, Madara Uchiha could have been residing beneath them and they were a hair's breadth from fulfilling the Prophecy; from avenging the Uchiha Clan and the other Pureblood clans that were killed as a result of his treachery.
For most of the journey, he kept to himself and continued to stay away from the mate he had acquired under a very taxing circumstance. Though, however far he kept his physical being from her, it did nothing to stop his thoughts from lingering on the little, unwanted emotions that stirred within him…even if they were there for just a moment.
He blamed everything on the bond – the outraging lust; the uncharacteristic possessiveness. It was the truth: because of the bond's seal, Sasuke was expected to feel something for his mate and he accepted that without complaint. But that was only because he knew those feelings were false; lies…merely side effects. And those side effects annoyed him to no end.
Currently the team was approximately one hour away from the Headquarters. Owing to Sakura's condition, they rarely made any stops in order to shorten the length of their journey; but whenever they did, it was merely to forcibly feed Sakura. Sasuke hated it as much as Sakura did, however it was to his disliking merely since at the end of each session, his desires were always left unquenched. It was almost as if he was being tortured. But Sasuke put up with the torment as he knew it would only go on for a month. After that, he was certain that Sakura would be physically strong enough to live off of the blood provided by the hospital with very occasional feedings from him. For now, he strove to work on patience.
As he drove on the highway that led into the city, Sasuke took a glance up at the rear view mirror to see an unconscious Sakura whose head was resting against Kakashi's shoulder. Vampires hardly slept, however the first stages of Metamorphosis required a great deal of rest.
Sasuke willed himself to take his eyes off the female's sleeping form before any thoughts of her crept into his mind, and drew his attention to the road ahead…
Sakura was awoken at the feel of gentle nudges and when she opened her eyes, the bright light she still needed to get used to, entered her eyes. Her eyes felt strained for a moment, but the sensation subsided almost as soon as it came.
"We've arrived," Kakashi informed her as he opened the door of Sasuke's car.
She did not need any assistance exiting the vehicle. As she did, Sakura looked around her. Behind her were the sounds of cars and other vehicles. At some point during their journey, Kakashi told her about the different types of automobiles, and now she was able to distinguish the appearances among sedans, SUV s, convertibles, trucks and such. She also learnt about buildings, road signs and even colors as well as all the human races.
Sakura always thought that the main human necessities in life were the only important things worth knowing of when she possessed sightless eyes. But now, as she looked at the outside world; now, as she saw the outside world, Sakura understood the importance of knowing every little detail. She comprehended the purpose of the little things such as the white lines on the roads; why the traffic lights had different colors. The world was not black; it was extraordinary. It held things that were powerful enough to keep her mind off her miseries.
"This is the hospital…" she muttered to herself, gazing up at the huge building. She was able to recognize her environment through the sounds she usually heard whenever Tsunade called for her at the hospital. Though, she could only put names to the objects that moved and emitted sounds. Words were unrecognizable along with certain images on the signs.
"Tsunade is expecting us," she heard Sasuke say to her and the rest of the team. She looked to her side and was instantly met with his gaze. His eyes reminded her of the darkness she always knew when she had been blind. It was not a painful memory, but merely a reminder of her transition; of the fact that she was no longer what she used to be. And even though she was not happy with that transformation, Sakura did not waste her energy upon fretting about it as she knew it would change nothing at all.
Sakura broke out of her thoughts when Sasuke shifted his gaze and began to walk ahead of her. It was the first time their eyes met since she was last forced to drink his blood, hours ago. She was entirely clueless as to what he was thinking and she could not begin to read what his eyes held.
Before they left Costin Town, Sakura had taken an opportunity to catch a good look at the vampire responsible for the loss of her identity. Out of all the persons she had seen, she found Sasuke's physical attributes strangely astounding. His hair was just as dark as his eyes, and hung over both sides of his face, framing his cheeks and stopping at his jaw line which seemed more well-defined than others. He had pale skin; she was told most vampires possessed that trait.
Sakura had enough time to observe the various physical characteristics of different persons on her way home, but to her, Sasuke's seemed…beautiful in a masculine way. The thought was absurd, she knew, but it was the best way for her to describe him, considering that her eyes were inexperienced.
At the end though, Sasuke's attractiveness meant nothing to her. The unwavering hatred she felt towards him was still present. It was…she was sure of it.
Then why did it seem as though she was trying to urgently convince herself?
The entire group sat in Tsunade's office, waiting with a great deal of patience for said woman. They were told that she had been conducting a surgery. Sakura guessed that the patient's case was critical since they had been waiting for nearly three hours. She was tired of staring at the objects in the office, most of them being files and papers and the faux skeleton on its stand at the corner of the room.
"Man…this is too much!" Naruto exclaimed, having lost his patience and completely bored, "I'm going down to the café or something. When Granny Tsunade returns, just give me a call…"
He got up to leave, but just as he was halfway across the room, the platinum blonde woman, entered, sighing very audibly in frustration.
"Where do you think you're going, Naruto?" she asked, her voice containing strong evidence of tedium.
"Finally!" he said, "My legs were beginning to hurt, Granny…so I decided to go for a walk…"
The woman ignored Naruto's honest excuse and greeted everyone before taking her seat at her desk. Sakura did not fail to note the size of Tsunade's chest area – they were by far the largest she had seen on any woman. Having heard much about the human body in her classes at school, Sakura did not further question whether such a feature was normal for women. Putting that aside, Sakura also found Tsunade to be quite beautiful, also having seen many women along her journey.
Her eyes were unusually colored, but whatever it was called it surely looked…rich. Her hair was almost as pale looking as her milky skin.
"Sakura," the woman began, her voice losing any sign of tediousness, sounding more leader-like, "I want to thoroughly examine you before you leave my office. Understood?"
Sakura nodded in reply. As usual, Tsunade got straight to business, not for once straying to anything that did not concern the important matters.
"Good. Now, before I take your reports, I'd like to have a word with Sasuke and Sakura…privately," Tsunade told everyone sternly, her eyes falling upon the mentioned individuals respectively.
Some of the members shot curious glances at one another, but Kakashi's stare did not waver from Tsunade's, looking almost threatening. Sakura could not comprehend the two people's communication and her curiosity peaked when Tsunade gave Kakashi a curt nod. They had made some sort of agreement, Sakura concluded. An agreement to what? Sakura longed to know, disliking the feeling she got. It was as though she was being kept in the dark again.
Tsunade waited until everyone was entirely out of earshot before beginning her conversation with the individuals whose presence she requested.
"I'm aware of what happened to you during this mission," she said to Sakura, "And I'm very sorry that it had to come to this…"
Sakura looked away at the walls to her right, although she knew Tsunade's apology was genuine. Her feelings about becoming a vampire were somewhat…bi-polar. One minute she was alright with just accepting what happened and the next she was loathing it. Even so, Sakura did her best in keeping her unsteady emotions to herself, locked behind a door she had hidden the key to.
When Sakura said nothing, Tsunade continued, this time, however speaking to Sasuke. She spoke to him with a higher level of seriousness than Sakura had ever heard before.
"I trust that you have obeyed every rule of this organization, Uchiha? I hope you did because failure in doing so will result in your immediate execution regardless of who you are…"
"Hn…"
"Good…it would've been a shame to lose you, with consideration of your skills. You are, after all one of the most elite this organization has."
Sakura listened very intently to the words Tsunade had spoken to Sasuke, and there was one thing she could not quite comprehend. When Sakura opted to join the Dark Coven, Tsunade had not explained any mandatory rules to her. So what was the woman talking about? Whatever the rules were, it seemed to be something taken rather seriously since Tsunade implied that Sasuke's failure to abide by them would result in his death.
"What rules?" Sakura found herself asking and all eyes were on her. Both people watched her as though she had said something that was forbidden.
Sasuke was the first to look away, moving his eyes to a random area on Tsunade's desk; however, Tsunade's stare, still upon Sakura's became softer and a smile graced the older woman's lips before she spoke.
"I'm afraid it's not my place to tell you that," Tsunade said to her, "But soon, you'll come to know…I'm sure."
Sakura hesitated before nodding and muttering an unclear, "Okay", and Tsunade continued.
"Now I have a tight schedule ahead of me, so let's get back to business, shall we? Sakura, now that you've gotten your eye sight, there will be things you'll need to get adjusted to. So, starting from tomorrow you'll be meeting with an instructor who'll assist you with that at the organization's training grounds. This special training of yours should last a month and nothing more."
"Okay," Sakura said, indicating she understood the given orders and that she had no objections.
Then Tsunade said a few words to Sasuke before taking his report on the incomplete mission, after which he was dismissed.
Afterward, Sakura's medical examination commenced.
Tsunade checked all of her vital signs by taking Sakura's axillary temperature, testing her blood pressure, pulse rate and respiratory rate. The clinical was proceeded by a short eye examination which Sakura found to be very annoying since her eyes were not well adjusted to lights just yet.
"You'll get used to your eyes soon," Tsunade said, turning off the much loathed device Tsunade called the 'ophthalmoscope'.
"Your eyes are healthy. Your body temperature is…lower than the average human's – twenty degrees Celsius, to be exact," Tsunade reported and on noticing Sakura's shocked reaction of suddenly widening eyes, she added, "That's normal for a 'new born' vampire. In fact within a few days, your body temperature is expected to drop to fifteen degrees Celsius which is the ideal temperature for a vampire."
After Sakura nodded hesitantly, Tsunade continued to give the results of the tests, "Your systolic blood pressure is a bit high…and this will rise in the future since blood vessels constrict when the body is exposed to cold temperatures, increasing blood flow. The same goes for your pulse rate. But as soon as your body temperature stops increasing – that is, until it reaches fifteen degrees Celsius – your pulse rate should become steady as well."
Sakura was sure to take in every detail of Tsunade's report. Basically, it appeared that the inner workings of a vampire's body were conducted at a faster rate than a regular human's. It was not surprising to Sakura, though. They just made it even harder to believe that she was no longer human.
Her conversation with Tsunade ended with a reminder of her training session scheduled for the next day, and then Sakura left the office to meet the others who were waiting in the hallway outside…
Sakura arrived at the organization's training grounds promptly at ten, the next morning. The place was fairly large, consisting of several rooms surrounding a huge stadium for which, Sakura assumed, was used mainly for combat training.
Upon entering the building, Sakura was guided to her instructor's location by one of the assigned guards. Through the mesh fencing, Sakura caught a glimpse of a familiar figure, busy with sorting through the contents of her overly large suitcase. As she continued to walk along the fencing with the silent guard, Sakura wondered why on earth anyone would have a suitcase in the middle of a large, empty field…
But then her eyes fell on the woman. Sakura knew her from the last mission; she remembered seeing her when Kakashi's team had arrived.
"I'll leave you here," Sakura heard the guard say, breaking her not so distant thoughts.
"Thank you," she said to him with a smile before walking out of the shade from the hallway and into the sun's warm light. And as she did, the woman got onto her feet, dropping her suitcase before turning to reveal her face.
"Hey, good morning! You're just in time!" Tenten exclaimed, beaming so brightly, Sakura believed it was genuine.
"Good morning…I take it that you're my instructor?"
"That's right!" the vampire replied, showing an array of white teeth once again as she shot Sakura another stunning smile, "But I was only appointed for today's session. Shall we begin?"
Sakura nodded and Tenten knelt beside her suitcase once more, pulling out something long. Then she placed the object, firmly in Sakura's hand and closed her fingers around its thin body.
When Tenten stepped back, Sakura shot her a questioning look, still holding the object just as it had been placed in her hands. "What am I supposed to do with this?"
"Can you identify what it is?" Tenten asked the puzzled new born.
Sakura brought the item closer to her face, examining it with her eyes as she ran her index finger along the length. The object's make felt familiar. She wrapped her fingers around the end of it and as soon as she did, Sakura recognized what she was holding, immediately.
"It's a sword…" she muttered.
"That's correct!" Tenten said excitedly, "Now, can you tell me what type of sword it is?"
Sakura unsheathed the weapon and closed her eyes before whirling the blade around with peculiar twists, avoiding any accidental self-inflicted cuts from the action. The sword required an ample amount of energy to whip around; and with each twist, it cut through the air at a long range. It was not the type of weapon she was accustomed to wielding…
"This sword's blade is long…unlike my wakazashi, so I think that this is…a katana," Sakura concluded.
"Nice! Once again, you're absolutely correct…" Tenten remarked in awe, "Here…catch!"
Sakura immediately dropped the now sheathed katana and narrowly caught the tossed object between her index and middle finger.
"It seems we have to work on your reflexes," Tenten noted before instructing, "Tell me what that is."
"A…kunai," Sakura responded almost immediately and Tenten threw another weapon at her.
The session continued like that for another hour until Sakura was familiar with all bladed weapons. Then Tenten took Sakura to the middle of the large field where they worked on her reflexes. Sakura was proficient at dodging Tenten's attacks when blindfolded; however when the same practice was done otherwise, Sakura seemed to loose focus and avoiding the fast approaching weapons became confusing and formidable.
On understanding the situation completely, Tenten decided to take a more simple approach; to take things step by step.
Tenten began by throwing only one kunai at Sakura who managed to dodge successfully. Then she doubled the numbers and eventually tripled them until Sakura put her advanced perception to good use and the exercise was no longer difficult or terrifying.
They continued for hours on end, past the time that a regular human could last. Then, in due course they slowly became tired and ending their session was more than necessary.
Unable to move anymore, they both surrendered their weights to the ground, covered in smooth turf, their bodies parallel to each other.
"I…must admit…you're a…fast learner," Tenten said to Sakura in between deep pants.
"Thanks," Sakura managed to get out and after a few more breaths she added, "I don't know about you…but…I'm not walking back home…"
"Who said we were walking…"
And with that said, Tenten took out her small phone and contacted Kakashi…
When Sakura and Tenten arrived at the mansion, it was already dusk. The sun was almost no longer visible but left behind its hues of orange which had been rapidly melting away into shades of blue and purple. Tenten had already retreated to her room before saying her goodbyes and Sakura decided to do the same, thinking of a comforting warm bath.
"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Kakashi said, standing near the driver's side of his black Audi.
His concern was understandable. For all her life, Sakura lived under Kakashi's care and guidance. She had been his responsibility ever since he found her the night her parents died. They both developed a strong, sibling relationship and had both grown considerably fond of each other's company.
So, when Sakura made her first decision toward real independence – to stay at the organization's mansion like the other members – it was reasonable to her that Kakashi would want to ensure that she was comfortable with her choice.
"Yes. I'm fine with it. My feelings towards vampires are still…unstable…but I've thought about what Tsunade said to me when I first joined the organization. My job is to slay vampires…and that's the most important thing. It's my top priority, because when I do my job, I'll also be protecting the innocent, both the oblivious and the aware. And what's more, I'll also be protecting the people who matter to me the most. Everything else comes second – money, who my colleagues are and to which races they belong – these things aren't worth the worry. I can't change the way the organization is run…so I shouldn't waste my time fretting about it…"
"You have grown a lot, Sakura…" Kakashi told Sakura, smiling under the mask that concealed most of his face.
"I should go," she said lastly, "I'm dying for a bath…"
After muttering a quick 'good evening', Sakura hurried into the large house to be greeted by the thick aroma of melted cheese and baked chicken along with mixtures of other foods that would make any human's mouth water. Sakura felt no such desires for it.
"NARUTO! Put that back!" Sakura heard Ino shouting in the kitchen.
"But I'm hungry! Believe it!" she heard Naruto protest.
Sakura shook her head. It was in Naruto's character to do things that would annoy Ino to no end. Kiba almost had the same personality, but for some reason, Ino seemed to be more lenient with him.
"I said no!"
"Why not?"
"Because we have to wait on Sakura, you dumbass!"
"Oh…right…"
At Ino's last statement, Sakura stopped walking. Why had they been waiting for her when they all knew she could no longer enjoy human food?
She began walking again, this time with a little more speed despite her dreariness. And when she entered the dining room, everyone had already been seated…including Sasuke and his brother. Even Hinata and Tenten were there.
"Oh she's here!" Ino squealed, rising from her seat and making her way over to Sakura. "Come on…have a seat next to me…"
Sakura said nothing as she was guided to the table, one question still plaguing her mind. Why were the vampires at the table, ready to eat human food?
She kept her questions to herself, though as she sat at the large table, knowing that it would be rude to ask such a thing.
Once everyone had begun to eat, Ino, who had been sitting to Sakura's right, decided that now would be the best time for everyone to properly introduce themselves to Sakura. Surely she had already become acquainted, to some extent with the members who attended her school. But now, at least she knew what they looked like.
Without question, Sakura let herself indulge in the deliciously prepared dinner which consisted quiche and casseroles. Though she had no desire for what she ate, the scrumptious taste remained the same. The simple act of eating made her feel that nothing about her had changed; that she had not lost her identity…she was still the same Sakura.
Everyone had been so comfortable around each other as they talked and shared jokes. Even Sasuke seemed to let loose by tolerating Naruto's 'funny' remarks about him…though he did not laugh. He simply smirked and continued eating his small portion of casserole.
Suddenly Sakura understood why the vampires were having a human meal together with the humans. It was not the food they looked forward to, but the company they shared. They were all like one big, warm family – something Sakura thought she had lost forever. But here she was, sitting at a table surrounded by chattering and laughter over an inviting dinner…
"Ino this was delicious," Temari complimented.
"Yeah! Believe it! I think I want more," Naruto added.
"There's more on the kitchen counter," Ino supplied, "Oh and I know it's getting late and all, but before you guys go off to bed – tomorrow's Italian Monday, so what will you guys like for dinner?"
"Chicken Parmesan…with spaghetti!" Kiba suggested and Ino agreed before anyone could voice their own opinions. Sakura had come to learn that the members had assigned each day of the week to a particular country's foods. On Mondays, Italian was served; on Tuesdays, they had Japanese; on Wednesdays they ate something originating from France; on Thursdays they enjoyed Spanish meals while Fridays were left for Lebanese cuisines and Saturdays they relished the flavors of Indian cuisine. Sunday meals – like today's one – were decided by Ino, since she did most of the cooking during the course of the week.
Sakura decided to clear the table while everyone busied themselves with other chores in the kitchen. Temari and Tenten had already left the table to clear the kitchen counter while Itachi packed away a few drinks into the refrigerator. Hinata was helping Ino wash the utensils that were used to make dinner.
Sasuke was still at the table, seemingly listening to Naruto's rants about some Xbox 360 game.
When Sakura's hand became full with plates, she took them over to the kitchen counter for Hinata to wash, and returned to the table to collect the remaining ones. When she returned to the dining room in the next minute, Naruto was gone, leaving her alone…with Sasuke.
Sakura breathed in deeply before proceeding. She felt his unwavering stare on her as she cleared Naruto's eating area first. She felt on edge as she tried to hold the dishes firmly while keeping her eyes from falling upon his unreadable gaze.
Why did she feel this way? It was a foreign feeling…almost as though she was unconsciously trying to prevent herself from doing something she could not quite put her finger on. Ever since she returned from the mission Sakura felt that there was something dormant that would be suddenly be awakened whenever she was in Sasuke's presence.
"Are you…finished?" she asked him, keeping her eyes focused on his plate.
"Yes," he said simply, but he held his gaze.
For some unfathomable reason, Sakura thought that as she took his plate off the table, he would grab her wrist…
But in the end…it was just a thought…
After a warm bath, Sakura had forgotten about the small bit of tension she experienced earlier in the dining room. Hinata's cousin, Neji had arrived earlier on to take her home. Ino informed Sakura that Hinata's intimate family, consisting of her sister and her father as well as her cousin Neji, were the only survivors of the Pureblooded Hyuuga Clan.
The night was still, except for the distant sounds of cars on the highways. She had slept peacefully on the previous night…but tonight was different.
She was told that she would feel the need for sleep, being a new born vampire, but it was quite the opposite at the moment. Even the faint, continuous sounds she would usually focus on to lull herself to sleep were not effective.
She sighed. It was going to be a long night, she thought, as she gazed up at the ceiling as her body rested on the soft mattress.
Suddenly, an idea came to her…
'Azami…are you there?'
She waited for an answer, keeping her mind clear from all thoughts.
But nothing came…
'Did her soul make it back into my body?' Sakura wondered, remembering the eerie encounter they both had with the unknown entity that called himself 'God', and many other names.
The idea was terrifying. Surely Sakura had only conversed with Azami once, but in that short time, said woman provided warmth; an assuring sense of comfort that was much needed. Sakura felt attached to her…just as her soul had also been attached to her body.
Sakura pushed the thought away as she rolled her body to her side and got off the bed. She thought some fresh air would be good.
But just as she made one step forward, Sakura's vision became dizzy and her knees began to weaken; so she allowed herself to fall back onto the bed, keeping a seated posture.
"God…what's wrong with me now?" she muttered to herself.
Then after a few minutes, she attempted to make her way outside once more…and was successful. She closed her bedroom door behind her with a soft 'click', and started down the hall quietly so no one would be awakened, pausing at Sasuke's room at the sound of Karin's soft moans.
Sakura's breath hitched on realizing the situation and an unknown, unpleasant sensation in her chest surfaced. For some reason she felt heatedly frustrate…and betrayed. But she was able to discard the feelings as quickly as they appeared…and she continued down the hallway and exited the mansion through the back door.
She was exposed to a wider variety of sounds from the many night creatures when she entered the gardens. She enjoyed the cricket's duet with the owl as her eyes explored the garden's beauty. And the faint sound of the water in the garden fountain was rather soothing to her ears.
When she sat on the high back metal garden bench, she became surrounded by almost a dozen fireflies, highlighting the grass, the trees, and the flowers. She adored the red roses just as she loved its splendid fragrance. She pondered on why they had been in bloom at the late hour, but did not see the harm in it.
The Moonflowers seemed to glisten in the moonlight with the diamonds of dew upon its white, silken petals. And the Casablanca Lily's hypnotic fragrance seemed to waft over the entire garden.
The place looked so magical, under the starry sky.
Sakura lay down on the bench, the cold metal giving a soothing feel against the bare skin of her legs and closed her eyes. Her thoughts were clear; her mind kept its focus on the noises that came from the night creatures. And with the help of the wind's cool, soft kisses on her skin…she fell asleep…
Sasuke was aware that Sakura had left her room. He had felt her chakra in the hallway, and even knew when she stopped at his door. Why did she? Had she needed something? Or perhaps she heard him and Karin during their late night endeavors?
Why did he care? He did not have to…
However, what bothered him more was the fact that Sakura had not returned to her room.
He got out of his bed, eyeing the light that emitted from the creasing beneath his bathroom door. Karin was still in the shower.
Still, without any care about the whining she would pester him with in the morning, Sasuke left his room, tracing Sakura's distant chakra signature. It led him straight into the gardens, just behind the mansion, to a soundly sleeping Sakura.
'How foolish…' Sasuke thought as he looked down at the woman. Sakura's actions had indeed been thoughtless. She failed to consider that it was unwise to wander without company in the dead of night. She failed to regard that she had been the Prophetic Child, who would obviously be sought out to be annihilated by Madara or his henchmen. And she failed to understand that if she died before fulfilling the Prophecy, the Uchiha Clan would never be avenged…
Sakura's stupidity angered him greatly, but he kept it in check.
He reached out to shake her awake, but stopped himself when he caught sight of the faint smile that adorned her soft features. Had she come out there because she could not sleep?
He denied the thought on remembering that to new born vampires, sleep was something that came naturally at night…just as it used to when they were humans. Sakura's vampire abilities could not have possibly developed faster than the average new born…
Sasuke did not bother to wake the woman anymore. But neither was he leaving her unguarded. He made his way over to the other garden bench opposite Sakura's and sat.
His eyes fell on Sakura's sleeping form once more…and stayed there…for quite some time…
The rays of sunlight felt nice on her cool skin. Through her eyelids, she saw shades of light orange; and when her eyes became wide open they were met with a bright sky, the sun illuminating the clouds to give them a heavenly outline.
The sky had given her a peaceful greeting, but as the saying goes, 'all good things must come to an end…'
As she turned her body on the bench's wide surface, she was met with the sight of a being that startled her for a second. He was clothed in a black lounge pants with a thin black vest to cover his well-toned, pale upper body.
"What are you doing here?" she asked him boldly as she got off the bench, massaging her temple as she did. Her vision was hazy again and by now, Sakura understood why.
"You need to feed. Why didn't you come to me earlier, yesterday?"
"You didn't answer my question," she stated, still rubbing her head.
"I'm not obligated to answer to you," he countered.
"Then neither am I," Sakura said flatly.
Sasuke grunted only loud enough to hear himself. There were many things he was compelled to do for his mate – that was the core rule of the bond. But answering her questions was not one of those things.
"Let's go inside before the others start waking up and get worried when they find that you're missing," Sasuke said to her in his signature monotonous voice.
Sakura did not argue with him there, since he made sense. Ino would definitely be upset if she thought something happened to her. Then word would pass on to Kakashi who would more than likely arrive with an entire search party on the ready.
"You need to feed," Sasuke repeated when they both reached the hallway that led to the bedrooms.
"I heard you the first time," Sakura responded, annoyed, "But no tha –"
Suddenly being pinned to the wall stopped her in mid-sentence.
His hands were firmly clutching her shoulders as he held her against the wall. Their faces were millimeters apart with their noses almost touching.
"It wasn't a request, Sakura…"
When he spoke, his breath felt hot on her lips and she tried desperately to keep them pursed together.
"Do it, now," he ordered in a low, rough tone.
He was not giving her much of a choice. And so, without further protest, Sakura bent her head forward to base of his neck and readied her fangs before puncturing the male's pale skin.
She moaned at the savory taste of his blood; the blood that never made her regret her actions; the blood she would silently crave whenever her thirst began to surface.
Her body moved on its own as she pressed her hips to his in a seductive manner, the area between her legs beginning to throb. And she could feel the moisture becoming present there as it always had during every feeding session.
The scary thing was Sasuke did nothing to stop her. Perhaps it was because, he did not need to since she never let herself go too far; her mind never tolerated it.
Her head was so intoxicated that she did not realize Sasuke's body had at some time, been pushed against hers and his right hand was no longer gripping her shoulder but instead roaming over the surface of the back of her lower body.
The urge to capture her lips in his was overpowering, but Sasuke was an Uchiha and being that, he knew how to expertly contain himself especially when he was aware that the experienced feelings were merely due to the bond.
Once Sakura withdrew, Sasuke released her and without a single word from either vampire Sakura stormed off into her bedroom, her face entirely flushed…
For the rest of the week, Sakura continued her training. For every day of the week, she would be assigned to a different instructor. So far she had sessions with Kakashi, Shikamaru, Temari and Tenten to develop her combat skills. For recognition of physical appearances, Sakura usually met with Kurenai Yuhi, Ino and even Tsunade from time to time.
During those sessions, she learnt about various colors, household items, hospital equipment, clothing and fashion. She was even being taught how to read and write. Being as old as she was, Sakura's brain had been developed enough to comprehend everything rather quickly.
Sakura had agreed to be home tutored for some time until Tsunade deemed the time right for her to return to school. For now, during the week days, on evenings, Sakura met with a different subject teacher from the school to be taught what she had been missing.
On the following Sunday, Sakura waited patiently for Tenten to arrive at the training grounds. She had been late by half an hour to be precise.
Sakura sat, facing the entrance so that she would know of her instructor's arrival; however another fifteen minutes passed and she was still alone. But just as she had begun to wonder about anything, two figures were seen entering through the gates.
"Sorry, we're late, Sakura," Kakashi apologized. His body concealed the other person's. "Tsunade needed Tenten for a mission, so today you'll have a replacement instructor."
"Awesome!" Sakura remarked, beaming, "I enjoy training with you!"
"He's not your instructor for today," said a cold, deadpanning voice she knew all to well.
Her smile had faded completely as the male stepped out from behind Kakashi, the signature devilish smirk plastered across his pale, handsome face. He looked clothed for battle, with his black combat boots and cargo pants of the same color. Covering his upper fine, upper body was a semi-fitted, dark grey t-shirt.
At the sight of him, Sakura felt a whirlwind in her stomach, spinning rapidly in the hollowness within her. Was it fear? No. It was something akin to…excitement. But why was that? She could not seem to find the answer to that question; she could not see the logic in her feeling…
"This is even better," Sakura spoke before putting any thought to what she said firstly.
"Why so?" Sasuke asked, now walking further into the field to be at a closer combat range to her.
"Because I'll get to use the full extent of my strength…"
"Hn…"
They said nothing after that. Both were at the center of the field and neither of them moved an inch. Fierce midnight green focused intently upon cold charcoal black.
Then suddenly, whisked dust replaced the charcoal black and before she knew it, Sasuke had been to her near right, the sword Kusanagi in his hand. But as the blade inched closer to her face, Sakura bent her body backwards, enough to avoid the blow. And she wasted no time in drawing her own katana, simultaneously swinging at his legs.
Their swords clashed as they parried each other's attacks and continued to dodge by other means. By the feel of his blade against hers, Sakura became aware that Sasuke had been exerting a great amount of strength. He was not holding back…
During all of this, Sakura also noticed the sudden change in Sasuke's eye color. The onyx had completely disappeared, only to be replaced by an unusual crimson…like the color of blood.
'The Sharingan Eye,' Sakura recalled mentally as she sidestepped one of his slashes, 'that's right…the Uchiha were well known for it. With the Sharingan Eye, the user has the ability to predict his opponent's moves…as well as copy them…'
This was not good. Not in the slightest. How was she supposed land a single blow when he could see her every move before she got too far with it?
'Focus. Don't be reckless,' she cautioned herself inwardly.
"Hn…is this all you've got?" Sasuke taunted, taking a huge leap a few meters backwards. Though he provoked, her, Sasuke silently acknowledged Sakura's strength. During their combat, he was able to assess her physical skills. She had gotten strong enough that he actually needed his Sharingan to prevent himself from being scarred.
"Tch," Sakura whispered through gritted teeth.
Just then, Sasuke began moving his hands swiftly, seeming to be creating queer hand signs with all his fingers. She had never encountered anyone who did such a thing and wondered what they were about. He brought his fingers to his lips.
Then out of his lips, emerged winds of fiery flames. Flames just like the ones that burnt her house to ashes…eight years ago.
The approaching heat felt horrifically familiar as well as the crackling of the flames as it continued to draw nearer. Sakura was petrified by the painful memories of her mother's cries, her father's last goodbyes, Hana's screams…and falling of wood as they were enveloped into the raging flames.
"You idiot!"
Sasuke's rough insult brought her back to actuality and soon her eyes saw the ball of flames, inches away from her being. It seemed that currently reality was just as terrifying as the memories…
Then out of nowhere, Sasuke appeared beside her, pushing her body out of the fire's path. They both landed a few meters across the field, Sasuke's arms tightly around her form as they rolled in the dust and grass. And when they came to a halt, he released her and glared at her with immense anger.
"What the fuck was that?" he asked her, outraged, his hard gaze still fixed upon her. "If I hadn't realized that you were stupid enough to not even attempt to dodge, your life would've been gone with the flames!"
"Are you even listening to me?" he spat on noticing that Sakura had not even been looking at him. It took a moment to see that she in fact looked…traumatized.
"Stop it, Sasuke. That's enough," Kakashi commanded the vampire. "I think this should be the end of her training session…for today," Kakashi said to him as he helped Sakura onto her feet.
The girl's eyes had still been partially widened, as though in shock and no sound was emitted from her now trembling lips…
Sakura placed her tea cup on the windowsill as her eyes traveled across the road and fell upon the people walking on the sidewalk. She could hear them laughing and conversing with each other. In one of the neighbor's yards, there was a little white Maltese, barking.
She closed her eyes for a moment and recalled that her neighborhood had been similar, in her home city of Spokane, where she lived with her parents. It sounded so similar...to old community called 'Lincoln Heights'.
No matter how much she wanted to linger in the memory, the knock at her door forced Sakura to open her eyes.
"It's me," she heard Kakashi say from the other side of her bedroom door, "May I come in?"
"Sure…"
He closed the door softly on his way in and smiled under his mask as he looked at her. She always knew when he did from the look in his right eye – the only eye he revealed to anyone. Even before, in her blinded state, she could tell from the slight tenderness his voice held.
"I'm sorry," he began, "I should have warned Sasuke about using that technique earlier…"
"It's fine…what was that anyway?"
"It's called the 'Fireball Jutsu'. The Uchiha Clan is well known for being able to manipulate the element of fire," Kakashi explained.
Sakura nodded upon understanding.
"Anyway…" he said and extended his hand to her, holding what appeared to be a wide sheet of paper. "The night I found you…before I found out you were blind, I picked this up…thinking that you'd want it as a memento..."
Sakura looked at the picture in her hand. It was still in its wooden frame, the edges of which had been burnt enough to become charred. But the picture remained unharmed from the violent flames that claimed the lives of her dear ones.
Her eyes fell upon the figures standing together in the photograph. It was the photographic memory of a family of three…
The adult woman in the photo was standing near a man to her right. The lady's long hair possessed a color akin to Amaranth Pink and her eyes were cornflower blue, possessing a charismatic stare. The man beside her had short, spiky, Ash-brown hair with dark, emerald eyes; and a face of fine, physical architecture.
In front of them both stood a short, chubby-faced but familiar little girl with short Rose-pink hair that suited her well with her fair skin and emerald eyes.
"This is…me with…my Mom and Dad," Sakura muttered in recognition as she brushed over the photograph with her fingers, before taking it out of the frame.
She looked up at Kakashi.
After her parent's death, Kakashi adopted her and they moved to one of his homes situated in Cle Elum. The area there was quiet enough to train herself to move around without the aid of anyone or any locator devices.
"Thank you," she said to him, almost in a whisper as she had been fighting the persistent sobs in her throat and the threatening tears under her lids.
"I figured now would be the appropriate time to give it to you," he replied, ruffling her pink hair.
"The anniversary is in two weeks," she remembered.
"Yes," Kakashi responded, "I've already made arrangements for you to return to Spokane just in time to visit your parents…and Hana…"
"Thank you," she said once more, clutching the picture to her chest.
Sakura never celebrated her birthday. How could she when that was the day she had lost what mattered to her the most? There was nothing worth celebrating…only mourning…
But this time she knew that facing her deceased parents and friend would be hard. Because this time, she would do so as a different being – as the thing responsible for their deaths; and she knew she would feel that way whether she was still human...
Because it was her fault that she had been the Prophetic Child; it was her fault that fate severed all of her bonds so that she would end up where she had presently been.
It was all her fault…
So she cursed herself, day by day, for being born to the innocent couple…
She cursed herself for befriending the joyous and warm little girl at school…
She cursed herself so bitterly that she could almost taste it at the back of her throat…
A/N: Finally, I decided to bring the chapter to a close. I was so into it that I completely forgot where I was supposed to end it...but hey, at least you got more! I'm not sure when the next update is going to be since my cat is going to have a surgery :(
But I know that I won't update until I get at least three chapters up for my other story.
I would greatly appreciate at least ten reviews with your opinions, though. And I thank everyone who read the story so far and subscribed.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask! I'll be happy to answer them personally :)
Oh and has anyone read the manga lately? It's kind of weird how I get emotional when Itachi's in it. XD
And I hope you didn't mind the errors. I'll make it error-free as soon as I get the chance, I promise.
-IzWinchesterDevil.