Centuries

Silver's Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 17

Anko makes her way to the restaurant that Kakashi had chosen. He was her way in. She should be happy about that fact or at least feel proud of having found a way into the stronghold without worrying about getting caught as much, but instead she was filled only with dread. It was a good thing that she was such an accomplished actress. No one need ever know that last part.

And, waiting just outside the doors for her is the silver-haired vampire himself, smiling mischievously as he eyes the slinky purple dress that complimented Anko's lovely bosom oh so well. Not too little, not too much, but just…perfect. Of course, he would never tell a woman otherwise, every one was lovely and special, and deserved to be treated as such. Anko, most of all. "My lady." There was just something about her that quite entranced Kakashi as he holds out his arm to her.

"You made it." She smiles at him. "I know that air travel can be murder." He did have the old world quality to him, even if she knew that Kakashi had been turned less than two centuries ago.

Kakashi chuckles at the turn of phrase. "Well, I find that so long as one has the right spirits, the right company, and the right motivation, even something as unpleasant as air travel can be quite enjoyable. Provided, of course, that there is no murder involved. That sort of thing can quickly spoil a trip." He guides her inside the restaurant and past the reception as he nods to one of the hosts. It was one of his favorite restaurants here in Japan, and the staff knew him well.

Sadly, Anko knew that his trip was about to be ruined and he'd likely be scarred for the rest of his supernatural existence. "Yes, that's true." Well the least she could do was offer him a pleasant evening. Damn Orochimaru.

"Then let us hope that nothing comes to spoil tonight." Kakashi removes his date's hand from his arm, pulling out a chair from a reserved table set in a little alcove.

"Let's hope not." She takes the chair he had so gallantly pulled out for her and sits down. "Are you happy to be in Japan again?" Did he know? Why was he making all these references to murder and the night being spoiled? Perhaps, he just had a morbid sense of humor?

"Well, I do quite enjoy my trips to Japan, but I also find myself to be rather fond of America. Things change quite quickly, and it's amusing to watch them change so often." It was something that Kakashi, as a vampire, was not so subject to. "Europe has its own charms, and it reminds me quite a bit of Japan, however…in the end, I believe that this is where my heart will always be, no matter where I wander."

Anko nods at that. She supposed that it was true what they say. "You can take the vampire out of home country, but you can't take the home country out of the vampire." Maybe, Japan would be able to comfort him in a way after his Sire and Childe were gone.

"Indeed you cannot." Kakashi smiles as he takes his own seat, and pours first Anko, and then himself a glass of the specially selected bloodwine. That was the reason that he liked this establishment as much as he did. You required a certain…membership in order to enter, and it was one such place that catered to their kind. The owner himself was a vampire, and had procured bloodwine from across the world. "Does my lady hail from anywhere in particular, or is she a free spirit that goes where the winds take her?"

"Originally, Europe. " It had been awhile since anyone cared enough to ask that question. "Though as you can see my work takes me all over the world." She probably would have liked traveling, if Anko didn't know why she was doing it. Now, it just left a bitter taste in her mouth. "At the moment, I'm fortunate that work seems to be basing me more in Japan than anywhere else though." She was always doing Orochimaru's dirty work. Work that he felt was beneath him or too risky for him, but it was too important to leave it to the rank and file amongst his followers.

"Yes, so I see." Kakashi raises his glass to his lips, testing the bloodwine, and finding the selection as exquisite as usual. "I do enjoy traveling, and have used a few countries as something of a home base, while exploring the nations surrounding it. But circumstances have dictated that I remain in America for some time." After all, raising a newborn while on the move would have been difficult, at best, and forcing Itachi to remain in an uncertain limbo would have been cruel. "However, it may be that returning here on a more permanent basis is in my future. So perhaps we will be seeing each other more often."

Under normal circumstances, she would have liked that. "I'm glad that things are settling down for you." She smiles at him. That was true. He needed some stability for what was to come. "And I would like that." It wasn't going to happen of course.

Kakashi takes a moment to look over the menu, writing down which order he would like, before handing it to the waiter. "I am curious, though. What would bring you so far from Europe so frequently?"

"Mmm my employer keeps me rather busy." How could she explain this without arousing his suspicion. "He is a businessman and one who has dealings all over the world. I'm his assistant in a way." She smiles at him slyly. "It's been that way ever since he saw me in that damn lifeboat."

Anko wasn't sure why she was telling him this. "I was a survivor on the Titanic and he was impressed by that." To relieve her own guilt, she supposed. "He liked my spirit and though that I was going to be good luck and so he turned me." It would have been better to die in the cold ocean though in hindsight.

Well now…that was rather interesting. Kakashi certainly hadn't had the experience of nearly drowning at sea before. "You have my sympathies. I, myself, was turned in similarly unfortunate circumstances. I'd been stabbed more times than was healthy for a samurai."

"Thank you." She blinks at the second part and then smiles slyly. "I suppose if you really were a samurai, you know all about how to handle your sword."

"Yes, you could say that." Kakashi smiles in a similar manner. "And I had a rather exceptional sensei later on who taught me…a great many things."

She was fortunate Orochimaru hadn't been THAT thorough. "Should I be jealous of this sensei?" She knew who it was, but Anko pretends otherwise. Orochimaru had ensured that she was taught all about the carnal arts, just not by him. Her sire was the exception to the rule. Instead of being bisexual, it was rather obvious that he was only attracted to men. Which made Anko rather grateful to have breasts instead of an XY chromosome combination.

"There's no need to be jealous, it was long ago, before even your pretty face graced the Earth." Kakashi chuckles softly. "Besides, the man is perfectly content with his own bloodmate." And he shuddered to think about what his Sire was planning to do to Orochimaru, when he got his hands on the man. Because he could think up some rather horrifying things, all of which, Sasuke was NOT above doing.

She smiles and runs her hand along his shoulder. "He? I do hope that I"m not wasting my time, pinning after someone who prefers the company of men." Anko knew for a fact that wasn't the case. She had read his file. "I don't mind a man who prefers men or a woman who prefers women, but...as you can see, I'm definitely not a man. I'm afraid that in certain areas, I just lack the proper equipment to compete with your Sire."

Kakashi chuckles and takes her hand, kissing it. "I think that you'll find that though I can be persuaded in favor of a man if he is sufficiently attractive, I do confess I prefer women. I believe that it is the unpredictability that draws me." A quality that his Sire shared, more due to his upbringing and history, than his gender.

"Then that works out to my advantage then." She smiles at that. "If you were a Samurai, I believe that means you're probably older than me." Again, Anko had to feign ignorance. She had looked into his background rather thoroughly.

Kakashi's gaze glitters with mischief. "I doubt that I need to tell you that. If you know anything about Japan, then you would know that the era of the samurai ended long ago." It was common knowledge, after all. And he didn't really feel like putting a precise number on his age where just anyone could hear him.

He was too cute for his own good. "I don't mind an older man." It was generally her preference really. "With age comes wisdom, if one is lucky anyway and practice does make perfect in most situations." She trails her foot over his leg to empathize which situations she was referring to.

"Yes, practice certainly makes perfect." She was making it very HARD not to throw away decorum and ravish her there on the table, but Kakashi still comported himself as an honorable samurai, even if the era had long since passed. And that meant…that such displays in public, while potentially thrilling, were not the best course of action. Besides, displaying Anko's attractive form was something that should be solely for him, and not for the many patrons of the restaurant.

"Mhm." She smiles as she enjoys her bloodwine. "I do hope that I'm not keeping you from your family." If Anko was fortunate, she might get an invitation out of this. That would make things easier.

"Not at all, I checked in with them shortly after arriving, and returned here just before you arrived." Sasuke was well aware that Kakashi was here, and he'd gotten something of an earful from Itachi, marred only by the fact that the man had clearly been in the remnants of an afterglow. "My Sire has an estate close to Nara."

She already knew that, but Anko once again had to pretend she didn't. "That's nice. I hear that Nara is lovely this time of year." An invitation would be preferred, but she would make do without one...if worse came to worst.

"Yes, it is, especially by the water." Kakashi did rather like the family estate, though he hadn't lived there with Sasuke in quite some time. Not since the Uchiha Clan had been alive and well. "Would you like to meet him? Our family is due for a reunion soon."

"I'd love to." Perfect. She should be overjoyed at making progress, but Anko felt like she was going to throw up. "If your family wouldn't mind, that is."

"I doubt my Sire would put up a fuss about it. After all, he does have a merman, a half-giant, and a half-succubus living with him." Not to mention Aoda. Kakashi had certainly missed Aoda. The makeshift tongue baths…not so much.

Anko blinks at that. "Quite the diverse family he has assembled for himself." She smiles at Kakashi. "Alright then."

"Yes, quite diverse indeed." And Kakashi knew that Sasuke wouldn't change that for the world.

After spending a whole week trying to find the spy, and having no success, Sasuke was in the mood to stay indoors. Preferably, lounging around in Itachi's lap, only caring enough to glare whenever Suigetsu 'helpfully' pointed out that he was acting like a girl. He was not acting like a girl, he was just being…snuggly.

…Not that he would ever admit that out loud. He didn't snuggle.

Still, it felt rather nice to be cozied up on Itachi's lap, his head resting lazily against the curve of his mate's neck as he hummed softly. "I have a surprise for you, Itachi."

"A surprise?" Itachi looks at him curiously. "I hope it's not more meditation practice." He chuckles as he kisses the top of Sasuke's head. He loved Sasuke with all his heart, but meditation practice was not his favorite thing to do.

"No, it's not." Though Sasuke could definitely see Indra helping him to promote some self-discipline on Itachi's part. "Your great Grand-Sire is coming to visit."

He blinks at that in confusion. "I thought you said that you hadn't spoken to him in decades?" His great grand-sire must have been at least a thousand years old, if he was older than Orochimaru.

"I hadn't, not until he called this morning to 'check up' on me. He does it once every few decades." Not as often as Sasuke would like, but the man was difficult to get a hold of. "It seems that my 'uncle' taught him how to use a phone recently."

"Well that's good." Every few decades seemed like a long time not to see your Childe, but given how old Indra was perhaps it made sense. "I can't wait to meet him then." Itachi smiles.

"Yes, and then you'll see where we get our looks from." Even if the man had been a bit older when he was turned, well, the Uchiha genes seemed to take to age very well. "I'm sure that he'll dote on you, just as he did me when I was young." Sasuke smirks at the thought of Indra's reaction to Itachi. "He's looking forward to meeting you as well."

Itachi chuckles at that. Sasuke was obviously very proud of his Sire. "Well I do like being doted on, but somehow I doubt he'll surpass you in that department."

Sasuke smirks lazily, tilting his head to trail kisses up Itachi's neck, nibbling on his mate's ear. "Well, reserve judgment until you meet him. And don't worry about whether or not you're too polite, or not polite enough. I was perfectly obedient the first few years, but ended up giving him a lot of lip when I got a little older. He's fairly patient. You have to be when you've been around over a millennium and a half."

Itachi was suddenly glad he was sitting down. "He's f-fifteen hundred years old?" That was incredible. He knew that in theory such a thing was possible, but most vampires were extremely lucky to reach a thousand.

"Mhm, he and his brother have been around a long time." Sasuke wraps his arms around Itachi's neck, sliding one of his legs over to straddle Itachi's lap. "Somehow, the two of them manage to keep each other sane enough not to go crazy."

"I see." He smiles and kisses Sasuke's forehead. "Well, I suppose that will eventually be us...only with more sex." Itachi chuckles at that thought.

"Maybe. Though I do sometimes wonder about those two." They may have both been married before being turned, but once they were vampires, well, anything could have happened to them. And Sasuke wondered how two vampires who weren't bloodmates could keep each other from going crazy for so long. "But yes, with more sex. You can blame Indra for turning me too young, and bringing out my inner nympho." And then him for bringing out Kakashi's. His eyes dance with a humorous light.

Itachi kisses him. He certainly didn't didn't blame Indra for that. "I don't blame him. If anything, I should send him a gift basket." He smiles at his handsome mate.

"Mhm. Pervert." Sasuke has no problem returning the kiss, tangling their tongues together eagerly.

"You like it though." Itachi smiles and kisses him back eagerly.

Yes, yes he did. Sasuke liked it a lot. And he liked it when Itachi gave in to being a pervert. "Wouldn't complain if you were more of one." Hell, he would enjoy it, revel in it. "I'd indulge whatever kinks you've got."

He tilts his head at that declaration. "Is that your tactful way of implying that I'm too vanilla for you?" That stung a bit, but the vampire had been around for centuries. God only knows what Sasuke considered exotic.

Sasuke rolls his eyes, then plants a kiss on Itachi's lips. "I meant more along the lines of inviting you to indulge in your imagination. Unleash your inner lemon-raspberry-mango swirl, and put on all the toppings you like."

"I'll think about it." Itachi kisses him back as his brows furrow at that. "Honestly, I'm just happy to be with you. I hadn't really thought of much beyond that." Sasuke had generally seemed rather happy to take the lead and the younger vampire was more than willing to go along for the ride. So it hadn't come up much.

"I know." And Sasuke was just as happy, being with Itachi. "But we do have forever, as strange as that sounds. And you're still easing into this, but sooner or later, you'll get curious, so I thought that I would preemptively encourage you to be as curious as you like. But we can leave that for later. Kakashi should be back from his date soon."

Itachi nods at that. Though he was rather curious. Not about sex in this particular instance, but something else. "A date? Is it the Banshee?" Would Shizune really come all the way to Japan? That would imply they were more serious than Itachi thought.

"Not sure, he wouldn't tell me." Not that it really mattered to Sasuke. Kakashi was a grown vampire, and he was entitled to do whatever he liked, and date whoever he pleased. "I do hope he settles down eventually." Sasuke wanted his childe to be happy.

"It's odd, but something just dawned on me." Itachi laughs at the thought. "I got married in a way before my 'father' did."

"And at the same time as your 'grandfather', if you really want to play that game." Sasuke shakes his head. "But you really don't want to go down the age road. The comparisons get really scary."

He was probably right about that. There were some things that one didn't want to think too much about. "A fair point." Itachi kisses his cheek and smiles. "Why was there something you wanted to try in particular?"

Ah, and now they were back to the kinks. "Well, there was this one empty room in the estate that I've been thinking about adding mirrors to. On the walls…the ceiling…the floor…" Unbreakable, of course, the type that could be covered in bulletproof glass. Just to be on the safe side. And Sasuke had a few other ideas that would be much more fun with Itachi than with random strangers. "And this spot on the roof where we could let the stars watch us. There is, of course, that idea of getting whipped cream involved." Since Sasuke had teased poor Itachi about that after their first night together. "I may…also…have full sets of chains stashed in half the private rooms in this place…just in case…"

"That's rather thorough." Well Sasuke was nothing, if not creative. "It's a good thing that we'll likely have centuries, possibly thousands of years together at the rate you're going." He chuckles and smiles. "We can...experiment with those suggestions."

Sasuke smirks. "Oh, those are just a few of them, I've got a whole list that I've been compiling whenever you're asleep. There's a couple hundred suggestions on it. Nothing to do with bodily fluids." Except blood. Blood was kind of a vampire thing to begin with. "But there's a lot of metal involved. And leather."

That probably had something to do with the era that Sasuke had been turned in. "Well I'd be delighted to have a look at your list later." He smiles at him. "Kakashi and his date should be arriving soon."

"Yeah…" Sasuke tilts his head, ears twitching slightly. "I think I hear the plane coming." It was hard to tell, but that did sound like his private plane. He'd lent it to Kakashi for the evening, so… "They should be landing in about two minutes, I think."

"Your hearing is exceptional." Even for a vampire. The words hung heavily in the air. "Possibly, though. We should go and greet them."

"Yes, we should." Though Sasuke really didn't feel like getting off of Itachi's lap right now. His mate was just so comfortable. Still, he pulls himself away with a heavy sigh. "I suppose you'll just have to get your cuddles in later."

Itachi chuckles at that and shakes his head in amusement. "Yes, it's so kind of you to indulge me." Sasuke could be surprisingly cuddly when he wanted to be.

Sasuke shoots a dry glare at Itachi, then, in a juvenile act of annoyance, sticks his tongue out at his mate. "I know what you thought, and I don't cuddle." Honestly… Sasuke shakes his head, as he saunters towards the door, making sure that his ass sways just enough…

"I have no idea what you mean." Itachi laughs softly as he follows Sasuke and smacks his ass playfully.

The elder vampire rolls his eyes and waves his hand, the doors opening as if by magic. "Right, because I don't wake up with you still snuggled into me, even if I like to sleep later than you do."

He smiles at him slyly. "Well that is why I said it was kind of you to indulge me." Itachi was more than willing to humor the other man.

Sasuke huffs as he moves forward to lean against the giant door frame. "Smartass…" But he loved his mate anyway. "…What did I do to deserve you…?" Because it certainly hadn't been killing people.

"Well you Sired Kakashi, who Sired me." Itachi smiles teasingly at him as he kisses his cheek. "And then, there was just you being you."

"And then there's you, who loves to be a smartass." Sasuke shakes his head as the noise of the airplane grows loud in his ears. "Somehow, Indra predicted I'd fall for a 'scholar'. Guess he must have been going on the theory of complementary opposites. A scholar to balance our the warrior and all that."

Itachi wouldn't say that exactly. "I wouldn't sell yourself short. You wouldn't have been able to translate so many texts, if you weren't an academic yourself." He smiles and kisses Sasuke's cheek once more.

"To pass the time, and because I have the ability to be." But Sasuke was more naturally disposed towards fighting, it's what he'd been raised to do, and for a while, it's what he'd enjoyed most. "But…despite everything that tells me that I shouldn't…there's still a part of me that misses being able to fight. My intelligence aside, there's not much use for a warrior in this age. Not one like me, anyway."

"I wouldn't say that." Itachi smirks at him. "I certainly have a use for your marvelous physical prowess, particularly when you're laying naked and flat on your back."

Sasuke barely resists the urge to shudder at the sound of those words. "…Careful, or you're going to get me going right before Kakashi gets here. And unless you want him watching us, you might not want to say anything that will make me jump you." Though he was sorely tempted to do it anyway, even with two figures approaching the gates in the growing darkness.

"Promises, promises." Itachi smiles as he watches the figures approach them. "Welcome. I'm Itachi and this is my Mate, Sasuke." He strides over to Anko and Kakashi. "And I'm also Kakashi's Childe."

Sasuke looks Anko up and down, taking in the sight of spiky hair, dark eyes, and…well, nothing objectionable, he supposed. Though there was a strong smell of perfume about her that unsettled him a bit. "Sasuke Uchiha. I am the lord of this estate." As was his birthright, of course.

"Yes, now stop being scary, Sasuke." Kakashi smiles jovially. "A frown doesn't suit you, and I'm sure that Itachi agrees."

Itachi smiles and holds Sasuke's hand. "My beloved is just being stately is all." He chuckles. "At least he isn't coming at you with a katana to prove you're worthy."

Anko was sure that Sasuke would be coming at her with more than that, if he knew the truth. "That's good to know." Meeting them only made it worse. They'd all be dead or kidnapped soon, except for maybe Kakashi.

The eldest vampire huffs quietly, his cool demeanor ruined by his kind-hearted little mate. "Whatever…come in, then."

Kakashi chuckles at his Sire's antics. "You never change, Sasuke. Always so determined to be cold and stoic."

It was adorable when he sulked, truly. Itachi muses as he follows them all inside.

"Well he seems to have gotten that act down." Anko smiles as she walks alongside Kakashi. "I'm Anko." She'd introduce herself, it wouldn't matter in the end.

"Right… And I wouldn't have a go at her with a katana." What kind of idiot did they think Sasuke was? "I prefer using a chokuto to a katana. There's no guard to get in the way."

Anko gulps nervously at that. "Good to know." This vampire certainly wasn't playing around. That was for damn sure.

"Don't worry." Kakashi wraps his arm around Anko's waist, pulling her close. "I'll protect you from the big bad vampire ninja." Who would have thought that the woman would be so nervous around his Sire. Well, then again, his sire was nearly four times her age, so perhaps it was only to be expected.

"My hero." She laughs as she snuggles up against him. "I'm fortunate to have such a gallant samurai at my side. " It was just unfortunate, that at best...he'd never see her again after all this and Kakashi would never know the reason why.

Itachi laughs at that. "Well I suppose that's one way to look at it." He adored his Sire, but he doubted there was much Kakashi could have done against Sasuke other than hold him off long enough for someone to escape. After all, Sasuke was older than him.

Sasuke rolls his eyes and leads them into the sitting room, where large, plush couches are arranged around a circular coffee table. "No one is killing anyone." Not tonight. "It would take forever to get the bloodstains out of the floor." He would know, it had been a bitch after the last time.

"My love, has anyone ever told you that you have a way with words?" Itachi chuckles as he sits down next to his Mate and Anko does likewise with Kakashi.

"Yes, you have, when we're in bed and I'm whispering filthy things in your ear." Or when he was screaming Itachi's name. But Kakashi didn't need to know that part.

Anko chuckles as she watches Itachi's face turn a deep shade of red. "S-Sasuke!" She wished that she didn't have to separate the two, but it was her duty to do so.

Sasuke smirks, leaning down to lay across Itachi's lap. "Yes, Itachi?" He raises an eyebrow, challenging his mate to contradict him. "Is something wrong?"

Kakashi watches the two interact with a happy gleam in his eye. His Sire looked happier now than he'd been in a long time, and it was both a thrill and a relief to see.

"Nothing. I just didn't realize you were such an exhibitionist." Itachi knew that he was never going to stop blushing.

"I'm not, you're just so sweet when you blush." Sasuke chuckles as he reaches up and brushes a bang behind his mate's ear. "That, and it's amusing to make your cheeks turn pink."

Which naturally only made Itachi blush more. "Well you two are cute together." Anko's voice dimly registers at the back of Itachi's mind as his Mate teases him.

The silver-haired vampires chuckles as his Sire grumbles about not being cute. "So, I know that the rest of the 'coven' is here. How long will it be before we should expect the last member to arrive?"

Now that distracts Sasuke from sulking about being called cute. "Morning. He sent me his itinerary earlier. Apparently, he's flying in from Spain."

"The last member?" Anko looks at Kakashi in confusion. Hmm. This was an unforeseen complication.

"Yes." Kakashi nods sagely. "He is a very powerful vampire. Maybe, you'll get to meet him, if you stay the night." Though he could hardly blame the woman if her job took her away again, she did seem to have an awfully busy schedule.

The way Anko tensed at that question made Itachi wary. He didn't know why, but the woman looked almost afraid.

"We'll have to see what happens." She smiles at Kakashi. Anko was now smiling and it had only been for a moment though. So Itachi wasn't sure whether or not he had imagined it. At least, he hoped he'd imagined it.