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 Ten: Anniversary of a Birth and Death of Many
Sakura loved washing the dishes alone in the kitchen. It was not that she hated anyone's company because in fact, she enjoyed being around most of her colleagues very much. Sakura appreciated her time away from the others as much as she liked it; the sole reason being that she was able to let her thoughts wander. She loved how she could do that now without suffering from a mental disorder. Usually Ino would help her do the dishes, but Sakura decided to take on the task alone for the night after learning of Ino's Chemistry examination for which she needed to study.
While she rinsed every cup and plate, Sakura's mind pondered about the day that marked eight years since she lost her parents and friend to the ominous race of vampires – the gluttons for havoc. The anniversary of their deaths was the only thing she observed. To Sakura, her birthday became minimized to something she would consider trivial, since that night.
Her thoughts took the pattern of a vast current, drifting from one to the next as soon as they came to mind. And that was how she went from being deep in thought about her first encounter with vampires on the night her parents died, to the peculiar markings on her stomach. The marks did not seem important enough to pester Kakashi about as it could have simply been a birthmark. But, no matter how hard Sakura tried to convince herself that it was, her mind was stubborn; and in the end she failed to understand how a birthmark could seem to be so perfectly inked to shape something so symbolic.
After her evening baths, Sakura would find herself observing the unusual, but completely natural tattoo-like pattern that she made out to be a dragon. The other circular symbol, she could not quite decipher. At times, such as the present, she would successfully convince herself that it was the meaningless birthmark she thought it was; and there were days her mind would be obstinate, thinking otherwise.
The sudden, firm knocks at the front door broke her out of her roller-coaster of thoughts. Wondering who could possibly be visiting at such a late hour, Sakura turned the faucet off and put the washcloth on the kitchen counter; and with a drying cloth in hand, she made her way to the front door.
To her honest surprise, Sakura was met face to face with Tsunade upon answering the door. Nonetheless she discarded the feeling and greeted the woman warmly.
"Would you like to come in?" Sakura asked and stepped aside to allow for Tsunade's entrance.
"Yes, thank you," Tsunade answered, "And I've brought another guest with me…"
Moving aside, Tsunade revealed the presence of an old woman, sitting in a wheel chair. Sakura did not recognize the lady, but smiled at her, even so. She figured that the elder woman was someone only known to the rest of the organization's members residing in the mansion.
"Would you like to have anything?" Sakura asked as she led both women into the kitchen.
"No…but thank you. Our meeting will be short," Tsunade replied politely before taking a seat at the counter located at the center of the kitchen.
"Okay. Then, shall I call the others?" Sakura suggested.
"No need," the elder woman spoke this time, "Tsunade has already contacted the young Uchiha; and you are already present."
Sakura knew that voice. Behind the creakiness of her voice, there was something utterly familiar about the way she spoke.
"Um…I don't mean to sound rude, but who are you?" she decided to ask the woman directly.
Chuckling before giving a response, the woman replied, "I'm not surprised that you asked Sakura, dear."
"Sakura, this is Yumi Komagata, the Oracle you had met earlier," Tsunade supplied before acknowledging Sasuke's arrival into the kitchen.
To say that she was simply shocked would have been an understatement. When Sakura met Yumi, she recalled a young woman by the sound of her voice. How could any person age in such a short space of time?
"I don't understand…You were so young when I first met you…"
"Child, have you forgotten?" Yumi said to the female vampire, her tone stern even with the elderly voice, "I was never young to begin with. After revealing the Prophecy to you, my real age began to catch up on me and thankfully it is almost time for me to leave this world. I have come here to see you for what I believe, may be the last time. I requested to see both you and Sasuke because I have a few words to say to you."
By now Sasuke had already been seated at the counter. Sakura took one quick glance at the male, meeting his eyes for a short moment. Why did he look as though he had been staring at her since he entered the room?
Sakura always felt on edge every time he did that. Sometimes it made her sick to the stomach and in other times, it was just plainly vexing. She looked away before Yumi could begin to speak, but still felt his gaze at the back of her head, unmoved and intent.
When Yumi took her hand in hers, Sakura managed to forget about the uneasiness that always accompanied Sasuke's presence.
"Sakura," she began, "when you first stepped into my room at the asylum, I felt as though you changed the atmosphere with a force of some sort. Then, in a moment I realized what that force was – your determination. It was your unwavering determination – to know the truth; to find the missing pieces and complete the puzzle – that lifted the atmosphere to such a height. This quality; this fire, is something I wish you would never allow to be extinguished."
"Sakura, I've foreseen the many trials and tribulations you'll face in the upcoming days, months…and maybe even years…but when ever you find yourself in terrible situations that involve the people you hold dear, trust in your heart. Remember, there's always a solution to any problem. You just need to have faith."
Yumi paused for a brief moment, releasing Sakura's hands and her right palm against the vampire's cheek – a gesture that brought the feeling of warmth and a sense of comfort she had not experienced in quite some time.
"Due to certain…restraints…I cannot tell you everything straightforwardly. However, I will tell you that you should be careful of whom you trust, for the knife of betrayal cuts deep," Yumi concluded and suddenly the warmth was gone.
Yumi's words were genuinely advisory, though that fact did nothing to make her forget how grave they sounded. It was certainly a serious warning Sakura would ponder about…and take to heart, especially since it seemed to have pulled her back to reality.
For the past few days, Sakura slowly and unconsciously began to trust everyone; even the vampires, to some extent. Yumi's warning had restored the complete awareness Sakura once had before she began working for the organization.
Yumi removed her frail hand from the surface of Sakura's pale, cool skin and turned to Sasuke.
"Sasuke Uchiha…" she began with a smile gracing her old, nevertheless elegant face, "Your mother and I knew each other for a short time, however I'm certain that she'd be entirely proud of your decisions, had she been alive today."
Sasuke remained silent, however the fact that he looked away was evidence enough for Sakura to conclude that his mother was a somewhat touchy topic. And that was expected, considering the circumstances under which she died.
"But I want you to always keep in mind, the last thing I said to you on the day I revealed the Prophecy. The fact that a prophecy has been made, means that destinies have been decided by a powerful and divine being. Whatever happens in the future, you must will yourself to accept it. That is all I have to tell you."
By now Sasuke's gaze had been fixed upon Yumi's once again, but this time it was stern with a tinge of confusion that would not have been noted without a second glance.
"Sakura," Tsunade spoke this time, "before it slips my mind, I just wanted to inform you that your flight to Spokane leaves promptly at 5:00a.m on Wednesday."
Sakura gave the older woman a quick nod in response. Originally, Tsunade intended to arrange for her and Kakashi to travel to her hometown for her parent and friend's death anniversaries using the organization's private jet, however Sakura refused the arrangement. She wanted to experience travelling by plane as an ordinary person would, because the idea of being treated like a politician seemed uncomfortable to her.
Shortly, after some time, Sakura escorted the two female guests to the door and when they were gone, she returned to the kitchen, silently hoping that Sasuke had left. But as the saying goes: one should never let their hopes up. Leaning on the kitchen counter, Sasuke stood with that signature impassive look on his face with his hands in the pockets of his black sweatpants.
Inwardly, she huffed, and walked past him without making any eye contact. She decided that she would not waste her time by approaching him since that usually resulted in arguments and anger that were difficult to get over. If there was something that was needed to be said, he would speak.
Sakura turned the faucet on to continue washing the dishes when he finally spoke, breaking the unpleasant silence.
"How long will you be gone for?"
It was a question. And it made the atmosphere all the more unnerving.
Sakura could already feel the pressure building inside her. Why was this of any concern to him? Who was he to enquire about her length of future absence? Though these question arose in her head, Sakura simply responded, "A week."
Rinsing the glass cup under the water, she awaited his response.
"You're going to waste an entire week, pointlessly grieving and reminiscing while there are many skills you lack in order to defeat Madara?"
The sound of shattering glass echoed throughout the kitchen and the scent of blood completely flooded his nostrils almost immediately.
"Wasting time? You know, I actually thought that you of all people would understand what it feels like to lose both parents to the likes of worthless vampires! But clearly I was wrong!"
Sakura did not care that her right hand was being covered in blood though it had already begun to heal. And she was either also careless or mindless of the fact that the enticing and fresh smell gave rise to a ravenous thirst in Sasuke's throat. Still, he kept his eyes off the crimson wine that now coated the entire surface of her palm, and clenched his hands into tight fists, secured within his pockets and remained silent.
But what Sakura shouted to him next, made him feel something he had not in decades…
"And I don't need to be reminded about what I'm responsible for, dammit!"
And before he could even formulate an indirect apology, she had already stormed out of the kitchen.
The guilt was not overbearing, but it had resurfaced…
Sakura did not think she would end up crying, especially in front of Sasuke, out of all persons in the mansion. What did she expect from Sasuke? Pity? She berated herself for thinking that the cold-hearted Pureblood whose own race murdered her loved ones, would understand the importance of her upcoming trip to Spokane. It was certainly an absurd idea.
She had not noticed the cut she had gotten from crushing the glass ware until she sniffled, and removed a shard before the wound had completely healed.
Sakura got up from her bed and made her way into her bathroom where she washed away the bloodstains on her hand.
'He's wrong about what he said…' she thought to herself as she began to soap her hands, 'I'm not going there to grieve. I'm going there for something far more important; something he would never understan; because to him, it would be considered meaningless.'
But at the back of her mind she knew he was right about one thing – it would be disadvantageous to the organization to go a week without advancing her skills…
On her second day in Spokane, after much rest, Sakura was more than ready for some training. And Kakashi could not agree more. The field with which they were provided was not as large as the one back in Seattle, but it was enough.
The weather was ideal for the technique she wanted to challenge.
"Can you do that fire technique the Uchihas use?" she asked Kakashi.
She understood what had to be done…
"Yes…"
If all Uchihas used a fire technique, then Madara would; which made one thing certain…
"I want you to use every possible variation of that technique, Kakashi…"
She needed to overcome the fear she had developed eight years ago…
On the day that marked eight years since her parents' death, Sakura visited one of the most famous cemeteries in her small hometown. It was the oldest one with exceptional, well-crafted headstones. She brushed her hand along the ceramic serpentine top stone and the engravings that spelt the names of the buried husband and wife, just as she did in the years before. However this time she was able to read the engravings…
"In memory of two souls, bounded by fate,
And a love stronger than no other…
Aya Haruno – a devoted wife and mother (1974-2003)…
Hitoshi Haruno – a loving husband and father (1968-2003)…
…A love that manifested into the form of another dear soul – their beautiful daughter…
Sakura Haruno (1995-2003)…
Their memories are forever enshrined in our hearts…"
Sakura stared at the last part of the epitaph, wide-eyed, before reading it about five times again to assure herself that what she saw was real.
Everyone thought she, just like her parents, had perished among the flames…
She did not know whether to consider that advantageous or hurtful but after a quick run through of her present situation, she guessed the former would be better. This way, her other family members would not get caught up in the dangers that became existent since the day the Prophecy had been revealed. The only relatives that she knew about were her grandmother on her mother's side and her mother's sister. Her father had no siblings and both of his parents died a long time ago, just before he married her mother.
"Eight years has gone by so quickly," Sakura began, looking at the headstone, "Before, I didn't understand why all of this happened. Everything occurred all at the same time, shocking me. It was bizarre. And now that I know who I really am, I realize that your passing was my entire fault. And I know that I don't deserve your forgiveness; I'd rather…live on without forgiveness…as my punishment…"
Her tone became unsteady as she tried to suppress the tears, the back of her throat becoming sore.
"I've become a vampire – the thing I detest with all my soul because they were the ones who took you away from me. But that was until I came to understand that the core reason for your deaths was me. So now, I accept my unwanted change from human to monster…as part of my punishment. In fact, for being the reason you died…I think…I actually am a monster. I turned out to be what I really was along…"
"I know an apology can't bring you back…and I'm not going to ask you to accept that kind of confession. But, I will avenge your deaths, Aya, Hitoshi and Hana. I won't let your deaths go in vain and I will defeat Madara, even if it costs me my life…I swear on your memories…"
And then she could not hold them back, the tears. They came flowing like water down a mountain…
"I swear…on your precious, precious memories…"
Then falling before the gravestone, she sobbed uncontrollably with her head in her hands.
Sorrow. Sorrow was the feeling she had learnt to feel on this very same day eight years ago; and it was the same feeling she had learnt to forget in a few days after. But today, that sorrow which had been dormant for all this time had now awaken from its long slumber. She had never shed a single tear whenever she visited her parents' grave in the past. And she never thought it would have happened ever again.
In fact, the emotions she felt from the moment she entered the cemetery were utterly different from her previous visits. She felt alone; lost…
It did not take long for Sakura to pull herself together, bit by bit. But it was then she decided that whether or not she survived the predicted battle against Madara, this was definitely her last visit…
He ignored the fact the he could not conclude what had possessed him to secretly take the trip to Spokane as well; however his inexplicable decision held within it, some form of advantage. Although Kakashi had accompanied her on the trip, Sasuke figured that he would leave her alone at the cemetery. And since the day he dropped them off at the airport, Sasuke felt a strong chakra signature; one that was too strong to be human.
Sakura had been so consumed by her guilt and sorrow that she had forgotten all about being mindful of her surroundings. She failed to realize that she was being watched by someone other than himself. He was relieved when Sakura recovered from her emotional toll and walked out of the cemetery safely. But as soon as she did, the other chakra signature disappeared completely…and no one else was seen leaving the compound.
'Someone's following her,' he concluded. And whoever it was, they were rather professional. Was it Madara himself? No. Sasuke had too many encounters with him before, to be unfamiliar with the older Uchiha's chakra signature.
Although Kakashi had been with Sakura at the lodge in which they resided during their short stay, Sasuke decided to loiter around somewhere close by.
That night, he became annoyed when he saw that Sakura went to bed with her window ajar.
Strangely he felt the urge to get closer to her; close enough so that he could ward away the dangers that seemed to just be drawing nearer and nearer to her.
Soon enough, he found himself on the rooftop; just above her bedroom…close enough to be ready for an attack, and distant enough to protect her from himself. As he gazed into the night's black sky, dotted with asters, forming the many constellations, he felt it. Though, bathed in cool breeze, he felt it approaching; a period he knew he would loathe until the very end of this lifetime, especially now that he was bound to a supposed mate – the period where lustful cravings would become stronger, accompanied with the insane urges to impregnate his mate…
When Sakura and Kakashi returned to Seattle, no one was at the mansion to greet them. Had it been during the day time, it would have been understandable; but it was nearly eleven at night; not to mention that it was also a school night.
"Where do you think everyone went?" she asked Kakashi as they explored the empty house, in case anyone had remained behind.
"I'm not sure, but I'll wait with you until someone arrives," he replied. She found it strange that he did not contact Tsunade to enquire if there had been an emergency. It was highly uncharacteristic of him.
"You seem to –" she began but stopped at the sound of the main door being opened.
Then one by one everyone entered, chattering; and when they saw her, each person's usual expression turned somewhat surprised. Especially Ino's, whose had seemed to have stood out more than the others.
"O-oh…hello Sakura…" she said in a deflated tone before looking at the others, "I see you're back…"
"Yes…what's going on Ino?" Sakura questioned sternly, not liking the feeling she was getting from everyone. It was almost as though she was unwanted here.
Ino sighed before answering.
"Well, I guess it's no use hiding it now is it…" She glanced at the members behind and beside her before shuffling through some things in one of the shopping bags she was carrying. Then she handed a rectangular box wrapped in pink gift paper.
"What's this?" Sakura asked while further examining the exterior of the wrapped box.
"Your birthday gift from me!" Ino answered almost in a sing-song tone. "We all went out to buy you late birthday gifts after deciding that we'd have a surprise party for you at the last minute. But as you can see, you beat us to it on arriving back home…so…"
"Thanks, everyone, but I don't celebrate my birthday anymore," Sakura replied seriously.
"What are you? A Jehovah Witness?" Ino said to the newborn vampire, her face becoming equally serious, "Honestly, the way you think of yourself really pisses me off."
That caught Sakura by surprise, so much that she was unable to utter a word in response.
Ino took advantage of that and continued.
"I hate that you believe you're birth isn't worth celebrating. Just drop it, okay? Because it's stupid. I understand that because your parents passed away on your birthday, you find it inappropriate to celebrate it. Fine, I get it, but have you ever stopped to think that maybe your parents would want you to cherish your birth as much as they did?"
"I highly doubt they'd be cherishing it now that they know I'm the one who's responsible for their deaths!" Sakura disagreed.
"You don't know that!" Ino shouted, taking a step toward Sakura. The cerulean color of her eyes that usually reminded Sakura of calm ocean waters was now a raging sea storm.
"But if you think that way, then fine! However you should consider that you have friends who appreciate your presence a lot more than you do. And because we love you, we will celebrate your birthday. Because Sakura, no one is promised a tomorrow. So please, allow us to treasure your birth because if it may not seem something special to you, it means something to us."
Sakura released a heavy sigh after a long moment of silence and kept her focus upon the tiled floor.
After a considerable amount of thought she decided that the best way to get out of this situation was to just let Ino and the others have their way. After all, the celebration was not a hardcore one that involved alcohol and any sort of repulsive behavior.
"Fine," Sakura consented to them and added that she was going to take a bath.
Sakura spent quite some time in the tub, reminiscing on her little argument she had with Ino and the events that occurred before her arrival back in Seattle. Kakashi had taught her to overcome her fear of the fire techniques that belonged to Sasuke and Itachi's clan, but she was not certain that she would be fearless of fire, should she encounter a building being engulfed in flames. Such an encounter was highly possible, but she hoped with all her soul that she would never have to face one.
She avoided thoughts on her parents with much effort and searched for anything to distract her from them.
Through the parting of soap bubbles on the water's surface, the tattoo-like birthmark came into view. Though she had assumed it was a birthmark, once again she began doubting it. Remembering the birthmarks she had 'Googled' earlier on the plane, she found that hers was perfectly shaped into the distinct resemblance to a dragon. The other mark, which had been detached from the dragon-like one, was still unrecognizable.
The sudden sound of laughter from downstairs snapped her out of her thoughts and reminded her that the others were expecting her.
Carefully she exited the comforting warmth that was present in the tub, gathered her belongings and retreated to her bedroom which was joined to her bathroom…
After pulling on a pair of skinny jeans and gray T-shirt, Sakura met the other mansion occupants in the family lounge where cake and a choice of apple cider or ginger ale were served. Ino had also whipped up some delicious, easy-to-eat delights like tacos and pizza slices.
Before they set up a movie, Sakura received gifts from everyone, excluding Temari, Gaara, Kankuro, Itachi and Sasuke.
What irked Sakura the most was that she had realized Sasuke's absence before the others. Ino informed her that he and his brother had been sent on separate missions while Temari and her siblings were at their father's mansion for the night because of a family reunion.
Neji congratulated her before taking his leave. His action was understandable as it befitted his personality. However he left Hinata with them, who declared that she would be spending the night.
The movie was Ino's choice since Sakura did not know of any good ones due to her previous blindness. It was called 'Letters to Juliet' and though Sakura never bothered with romance stories, this one seemed to be a bit intriguing. The movie was set in Italy, which, by the looks of the scenes in the movie, was a beautiful place.
Approximately thirty minutes into the movie, Kiba and Naruto had fallen asleep. That had been expected since the movie was unquestionably not their type.
And it was just around then that Sakura began to feel a familiar, but not appreciated presence. It was one that raised the pores on her skin and hairs at the back of her neck, despite the fact that she already possessed a low body temperature.
The chill was electrifying, just like the ones she would feel whenever she had been within meters of none other than Sasuke Uchiha.
If he had been close, why was she able to feel him? And had he not been on a mission?
She felt her stomach do a somersault…
Sakura found herself glancing around the dark room that was occasionally illuminated by the scenes on the television screen. Why did it seem to her as though she had been anticipating his return?
"Is something wrong, Sakura?" Ino asked.
"Err…no," she responded and refocused on the television screen.
Then suddenly, the presence was gone…as though it had never existed.
Maybe she had been imagining it. But she was certain of one thing; something she detested. At the back of mind, it was almost as though she wanted Sasuke to be there. It was the strangest feeling. She had experienced it out of the blue.
Thrusting aside the feeling and thought, Sakura concentrated on the movie with hopes of distracting herself from what had just crept into her mind…
By the time the movie was over, Itachi had returned home from his mission. And as soon as he had taken a shower, he left to give his report to Tsunade at the hospital; and once again Sakura unconsciously began to wonder if Sasuke would suddenly appear from his mission as well.
Shrugging off the thought for a second time, she and Ino carried all her gifts to her room and placed them on her desk.
"Thanks Ino," Sakura said when Ino turned to her and smiled. "I appreciate what you did for me today and I'm sorry for the way I behaved earlier."
"That's alright, honey. You mean a lot to us so the pleasure was all mine," Ino chirped.
Her smile was contagious. Sakura could hardly find anything that would make her smile in the days that went by, but the way Ino's face just seemed to radiate light whenever she did, made her do the same, unthinkingly.
"I going to bed now," Ino said with a yawn, "Good night."
"Good night."
When Ino left, Sakura shut the door behind her and yawned. Her body ached, but she was not tired. Her eyes were nowhere near tired. So, she just let her body fall back onto the mattress, expecting to be welcomed by its soft caress; however what she found was quite the opposite.
Instead, she was met with the feel of a slightly sharp object, pressed against her upper back, through the fabric of her T-shirt. Quickly, she lifted her body off the surface and turned around to locate the object.
It was a black box.
Why had she not noticed it there when she entered the room? It certainly was not there when she arrived back at the mansion, or else she would have spotted it lying on the bed. Had Ino brought it up along with the other gifts?
Sakura took the box and set it on her lap, removed the lid and peered in.
The white rose stood out as it laid in the darkness of the interior of the box. It was beautifully white; the perfect description of elegance and purity. She was not sure what the person whom it was from intended it to mean, though.
She lifted the rose to her face and took in its scent and immediately she felt a relaxing sensation warming her cold body.
She looked into the box once more to find a picture in a frame.
After a careful glance, she saw that the picture was none other than the one Kakashi had saved for her – the photograph of her with her parents before they died.
A smile graced her face as she took up the photo which was encased in the frame that looked like an antique Victorian one that was from the early nineteenth century, judging from the thin, high outer edges and deep coves. Her eyes then fell upon the white piece of folded paper that still resided within the black box.
Upon unfolding it, she saw the beautiful calligraphy of kanji, written vertically on the crisp piece of parchment.
申
し
訳
あ
り
ま
せ
ん
で
し
た
Neither could Sakura comprehend what the kanji symbols meant, nor could she begin to suggest to herself who the sender of this gift was.
Earlier she had thought it was Kakashi, since he was the only one who knew of the picture. However it seemed unlikely of him to present her with a rose and words written in kanji, especially since he knew she could not understand it. Kakashi was never one to beat around the bush or send encoded messages unless he did not want anyone else to interpret it.
Sakura remained frozen in thought and fear. The fact that someone else knew about the photograph gave her the impression that she had been spied on. She felt insecure. And now, the rose that she had been admiring was no longer in her grasp, but on the tiled, cold floor of her bedroom. It came to her that the rose may have meant something far more than elegance and purity.
Something…dreadful…
A/N: Wow. I know. It's been AGES. Wait, wait! Don't start throwing those tomatoes just yet!
Again, I have to apologize for taking so long with this update. I was so busy with college stuff and my cat (who greatly appreciates your well wishes, I'm sure), that I had VERY limited time to work on this. I hope you guys understand.
I CANNOT promise when the next update will be, but I will work on it and try to get it up before the end of this year. If I don't, well then you'll know that I've been eaten alive by my Advanced Chemistry text. :D
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Question and Answers (Remember, if you have any questions, ask away. I'll answer as much as I can (I have to be careful not to reveal the plot)):
Q: You know this story is a mix up of a BIT of Vampire Knight, right? So can you mix in some Rosario + Vampire?
A: You may find that I have a little of 'Vampire Knight' in this story, but that's ONLY the CONCEPT of vampires. Before I ever read/saw 'Vampire Knight', I always thought that vampires should belong to classes and should die only in a particular way; NOT the cheesy 'stake-to-the-heart' crap. So, I was glad that the same concept was used by the author of 'Vampire Knight'. I own no rights :-)
As for the Rosario + Vampire thing – I'm sorry to disappoint but I have never seen that anime nor have I ever read the manga. My friends mentioned the name a few times, though. But I don't intend on 'mixing' any other anime into my story. Sorry :-(
Q: Are Karin and Sasuke mating?
A: That's actually a question Sakura will have…soon ;) You'll get the answer to that later :-)
Q: What's the deal with Itachi? I mean she [Sakura] was going to marry him in the past life.
A: Sakura wasn't going to marry Itachi in the past. AZAMI was. Sakura and Azami are two completely different souls contained in the same body. More of Azami and Itachi's story will be revealed later on in the story.
ONE MORE THING - HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
-IzWinchesterDevil