Centuries

Celestia193's Author's Note: Alright, the showdown is coming. Which means that from here on out, it's going to get bloody. That won't happen until next chapter, mostly, but here's the marching into battle part, so enjoy that, because Sasuke is going to be an absolute, undeniable badass.

Chapter 19

Indra finally touches down in Japan and from there, it wasn't a long drive to the estate. "It's even more beautiful than I remember." He smiles at that thought. He should visit more often. Now, where were his descendants? Sasuke, Kakashi, and Itachi.

Noise comes from the sitting room, the three vampires having moved from the library to the couches only an hour ago. Suigetsu, on the other hand, slithers in puddle form through the foyer, approaching the ancient vampire. After all, the younger vampires were weirding him out a little, but the older on…now that was Sasuke's Sire. That should be fun. "Yeah, nice place, isn't it?"

"You must be Suigetsu." The merman. His childe certainly did collect rather interesting friends to say the least. "Sasuke did inform me that you liked to surprise people."

"That'd be me." Suigetsu swirls himself into solid form, grinning at the ancient vampire. "And you're Indra, Sasuke's old man."

He chuckles at that. "Yes, I suppose that is one way to put it." This merman certainly wasn't intimidated by him as most people would have been. "Where is my childe anyway?"

Suigetsu shrugs. "Probably out hunting down some bad guys to drain dry. Said something about going out to feed before leaving." Which was really weird, because the last time Sasuke had done that…well, Japan was still in the middle of a civil war.

"It seems that he's preparing to deal with Orochimaru then." That would explain his hunting. "Is Itachi with him or did he stay behind?"

"Yeah, the baby vamp got left here while Sassy went out to kill some people." Suigetsu tilts his head towards the sitting room. "Scarecrow and his new squeeze are in there too."

Kakashi had a new lover? "How serious is Kakashi about this one?" The man certainly did enjoy sampling everything that was offered to him.

"Not sure yet, but the two of them have been having a lot of fun teasing the baby vamp." Suigetsu snickers at the thought of Itachi's misfortune. "Sassy started it, though."

"Of course, he did." Indra shakes his head in amusement. "Well I'm glad to see that his spirits have been lifted." Apparently, they had been dangerously close to burning out before Itachi came along.

"Yeah, we're still trying to make him more fun, though." Suigetsu's next goal was to try and get Sasuke to actually enjoy going clubbing. Hm…maybe the baby vamp could help with that. "Sassy's idea of fun is either locking him and that mate of his under the library for a week, or…well, there's gonna be headlines in the paper about murder, so I guess Sasuke's into that, too."

Well that was his childe. "I do approve of both methods of fun." Indra winks at the merman. "Though don't let Sasuke know about the latter approval." The last thing Sasuke needed was encouragement in that department.

"Yeah, I got it. His body count's long enough without you encouraging him." Suigetsu rolls his eyes, then tilts his head towards the sitting room. "Anyway, they're all in there if you wanna hang with them. I've got a succubus to pull a prank on." He starts to liquefy, turning himself once more into a puddle on the floor.

"Thank you." He swiftly strides off to find them. Indra wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to know what sort of prank Suigetsu was planning.

In the sitting room, Itachi has his nose pressed determinedly into a book, while Anko and Kakashi sit on the other couch, flirting up a storm. An amusing scene, really. Made less so, however, by the presence of Kakashi's old armor, and a couple of swords sitting invisibly within arm's reach.

Indra stops in the doorway, his eyes narrowing only slightly. "Kakashi, may I speak with you for a moment." Something about their auras was wrong. "It's about Sasuke's latest excursion."

Kakashi glance over towards his own Grand-Sire, smiling cheekily. "Alright." He gently nudges Anko off his lap, much to the pouting vampiress' annoyance, and strides over towards Indra, raising an eyebrow as he joins the ancient vampire just out of earshot. "Is something wrong?"

"You realize that's not Anko and Itachi." He shakes his head. "Those are clones. Orochimaru often employs clones made by witches to confuse targets."

Kakashi's eyes widen in a moment of panic, before he calms in an instant. "I had a feeling that Itachi was more bashful than usual…" Fuck, then that meant… "…I should never have let them explore the garden alone."

"Fortunately, I have kept an eye on Orochimaru for quite sometime." Indra sighs. "I know the location of his various hideouts. It's merely a matter of deciding which one He is currently utilizing."

Indra hated to be the bearer of bad news. "And I'm afraid that Anko was sired by Orochimaru." He pauses and adds. "I've heard of her from time to time. She's on the young side, but shows great promise as a fighter." He shrugs. "The woman, from what I understand, nearly drowned when the Titanic crashed and she's been Orochimaru's reluctant servant ever since."

Kakashi was beginning to wonder why he couldn't have a simple love life for once. Maybe Sasuke was onto something about finding a bloodmate and settling down. He'd been dating one of Orochimaru's pawns!? "I would ask you if you're certain about all of this, but…" Well, if Indra wanted to know something, he could damn well find out what it was. And Sasuke…

Shit. Sasuke. Kakashi's gaze darkens. "…I realize that proceeding with too much haste could lose us their trail, however…Sasuke is due back soon, and has been feasting on blood tonight. When he returns to find that Itachi is gone…" Sasuke was likely to go on a murderous rampage, the likes of which Japan hadn't seen in centuries.

"Yes, I understand." Indra nods and sighs. "It is a difficult decision. It might be best, if I Just handled matters and we didn't alert him to this. You could say my flight was delayed?"

"Alert who to what?" Glittering ruby eyes, now burning scarlet with raw power, sweep over his childe and sire. Sasuke didn't like this, when it felt like someone was being left out of the loop. And he especially didn't like it when it was him.

Damn. That was terribly unfortunate. "Sasuke, it's good to see you again." Indra would have to find a way to smooth this over. "Now, I do not wish for you to panic. I assure you that we will bring them back unharmed."

Sasuke's eyes narrow in suspicion. "…What happened, who is gone, and why are they at risk of being harmed?" Wait, where was Itachi? Why couldn't he… "And why can't I feel Itachi's presence here anymore!?" No…it couldn't be! IT COULDN'T BE!

"It seems that Orochimaru must have hired a witch to make clones of Itachi and Anko." Indra pauses for a second and adds rather quickly. "He wouldn't harm Itachi. The man is too valuable to him and they couldn't have been gone for more than a few hours at most. We will find them." He embraces Sasuke. "I do know where all his lairs are."

Itachi was gone. Itachi was… Sasuke's fists clench, then relax as all expression falls from his face. "How long will it take to narrow down the location?" There was no point in racing around like a chicken with its head cut off. That would waste whatever time Itachi still had. Sasuke knew that. He knew that, and still…his heart felt like it had died all over again.

"I imagine that he's in his Japanese base." Indra shakes his head and sighs. "He wouldn't want to risk a long transport."

Maybe, but wouldn't that be too easy? That would be Orochimaru playing on Sasuke and Indra's turf. That was a dangerous game at the best of times. Sasuke stares blankly at his sire, his eyes full of only one thing. Bloodlust. "And what if he's not in Japan? What if he IS in Japan? There's more than a few places to hide a secret base in the country."

"He is fond of hiding in plain sight." The ancient vampire smiles at Sasuke. "Which means, he'd go for the place you'd least suspect. Tokyo."

Sasuke's eyes widen. "He couldn't possibly be that stupid." HIS old stomping grounds? That was just asking to be torn apart.

Indra raises an eyebrow. "Sasuke, it's Orochimaru." Of course, he could be that stupid. "Do you really need to ask that question?"

No, he supposed not. "Still…Tokyo is huge…" Millions of people lived in that city, and it spread out so much further than Edo had… "…Edo." Would Orochimaru really go that far, just to spit in Sasuke's face? "I need a map of Tokyo."

Kakashi frowns. "Sasuke, what's going on?" Did his sire have a clue to Orochimaru's location?

"I know the approximate location." Indra shakes his head. "It's a place that you know rather well. You spent quite a lot of time between assignments with the ladies there."

"…Yoshiwara." Sasuke grits his teeth. It made sense. There were a lot of old buildings there, and more than a few still housed operations that were…less than legal. Orochimaru would be able to hide there, and if he was smart, no one would be the wiser.

Orochimaru watches closely as the boy sleeps off his broken neck. Anko had been a little rough with him, but he would be no worse for wear when he awoke. Beautiful…the child was incredibly beautiful. He could see why that demon would want the boy for his own. But now, the foolish young vampire would self-destruct, and that infernal sire of his would be forced to watch the Oni of Edo finally succumb to his own ineptitude.

As he sits on the bed next to the boy, he runs a single pale finger along the ivory cheek, just missing the thick chain and solid collar locked around the boy's neck. His skin turned white, and his tongue darkened, both effects of the illness he'd suffered before being turned all those years ago. His glowing yellow eyes skirt over the boy's form, taking in the sight of this child in the body of a man.

But a child, he still was, and Orochimaru knew just how to train his children. All one had to do was instill absolute obedience in a child, and they would be perfect. "You will be perfect, Itachi Uchiha."

Itachi had actually awoken a moment or two ago, but he was now laying completely still. Let his kidnapper believe he was unconscious. It was easier to gather information that way.

It was hard to stay still though. His touch repulses Itachi, but the vampire manages it. Thank goodness for Sasuke's irritating meditation practices. They were actually coming in handy for once.

Orochimaru raises an amused eyebrow. "Good morning, Itachi. I'm sorry that Anko was so rough with you. But it seems that you were…stubborn." He runs his fingers through the boy's hair, feeling the soft, silky texture. Yes, Sasuke likely loved running his hands through this when the two of them made love.

He knew then. This man knew that Itachi was awake. Maybe, playing dead for awhile longer would convince him otherwise though.

The elder vampire chuckles amusedly, licking his lips with a long, horribly dark purple tongue. "Playing hard to get isn't going to help you, child." He takes hold of Itachi's chin and turns the boy's face towards his. "But it seems that you are trying to be as stubborn as Indra's little demon spawn."

Bastard. There was no use pretending. "Indra never sired a demon spawn." Itachi opens his eyes. "Unless you consider all vampires to be demon spawns in which case, that doesn't say much for your own self-esteem."

Ah, such beautiful, defiant dark eyes. Orochimaru smiles at the child. "So, you do not know, then…the truth of your lover's dark nature. Of course, I suppose that it's only logical that the demon has not shown you his true colors. He must fear that you would leave him."

Maybe Sasuke did fear that. Though at least Sasuke had never had to kidnap him to get his attention. "We all have dark sides." Though Itachi knew enough not to say such a thing to a vampire over seven times his age and that was including his human years. Orochimaru might come from a 'weaker bloodline,' but his age more than compensated for that.

Ah, how amusing, the child was so naive, so…innocent. Orochimaru would correct that with time. "You believe so, and yet…you have never killed a human, have you? You're still so young, so…pure." He trails his fingers down Itachi's neck, tapping slowly down his chest. "I'm surprised that the Oni of Edo let you out of his sight long enough for Anko to take you without a fuss. If I were in his position…" His long tongue flicks against Itachi's ear. "I wouldn't let a beautiful creature like you out of my sight for even an instant."

He hadn't. Though at this rate, Itachi might very well kill his first vampire. "Where is Anko?" The vampire repulsed him, but Itachi held his tongue. As badly as he wanted to lash out or at least to insult this wretch, that wouldn't improve his chance of escape and that's what Itachi needed to focus on. Not the slimy feeling of Orochimaru's tongue against his ear.

Orochimaru chuckles. "Oh, do you worry about the woman who rescued you from that place? I haven't harmed her, if that what worries you. She is…one of my favorite pets. And though it has taken far longer than I would have liked, she has done her job well."

"Good." There was nothing more to say on that matter. Itachi didn't want to express too much concern for her. That might give this abomination the wrong idea about his relationship with Anko and that could get her killed.

Patting the boy's cheek, Orochimaru withdraws his tongue. "What a sweet child you are, worrying about your enemy. I suppose that this is rather like a moment of the beauty and the beast. We simply wait now for your beastly prince to come to your rescue and his death, or succumb to the centuries of blood, guilt, self-hatred…and that which brings to heel all but the strongest of vampires." Loneliness and despair.

Itachi says nothing. As much as he would love to tear Orochimaru limb from limb, he knew that attempting to do so would be foolish. It'd be akin to a hawk going after Aoda. It just wasn't going to work. He needed to bide his time for the right moment to escape.

"Truly…you are a stubborn boy." Orochimaru smirks as his yellow eyes glow brightly. He forces Itachi to look into his eyes, letting his power wash over the boy. "Tell me, has Indra yet joined his little demon?"

"I know very little of Indra." That was the truth. "It seems he goes decades between contacting anyone." Itachi shrugs at the question. Orochimaru did not need to know that Incra would be arriving soon.

Orochimaru frowns. Was the boy truly clueless? "I am well aware of Otsutsuki's habit of silence, but I also know Indra well enough to know that, should his little demon be in trouble, he will come to the rescue. Now tell me, has he arrived or not?"

"He hasn't arrived." Not yet anyway. "If he had, I doubt you'd be conversing with me." Because he'd be screaming and dying an agonizing death. Itachi felt the compulsion, but he was able to resist it. How, he wasn't sure. Stubbornness, maybe.

"I see. Then that gives us time to…get to know each other." And for him to taunt Sasuke. He did so love enraging the demon. "Though, I do hope that your demon lover tries in vain to rescue you alone. I look forward to finally tearing that brat's head off." But how to enrage him to that point…Orochimaru did wonder. "Perhaps I could take your eyes and send them to him as a gift? But they are such pretty eyes…"

"If you were going to do that, you would have already done it." Showing fear wouldn't be helpful in this situation. "You've eluded to the fact you sent Anko to find me awhile ago. You've likely been planning this for weeks."

"Oh, yes, I most certainly have." And Orochimaru did have many plans in place, along with an army of minions, just in case. "I simply wanted to see you before deciding what would enrage your demon the most. He is at his most dangerous when he is calm, but if I were to stir the waters…that calm that allowed him to perform his duties with such cold proficiency would vanish, and he would be little more than a rabid, bloodthirsty beast."

"If you truly think he's such a bloodthirsty beast, I cannot for the life of me understand why you would provoke him." Best to keep him talking while saying as little as possible.

"Because I want to destroy him, along with Indra's legacy. And because he has been a thorn in my side since the day he was turned." A thorn that Orochimaru would be sure to remove completely, this time. "And as for you…I think that, once your bloodmate has expired, you would make a very good pet. Anko is talented, but she lacks certain…" He looks Itachi up and down, slowly, thoroughly. "Desirable traits."

Wonderful. The psychopath was gay. Itachi says nothing to that. His contempt was obvious enough without adding words to it. No matter how hard he tried, it was impossible to completely contain the fury inside him or disgust he felt at those words.

"Oh, don't look at me like that." Orochimaru runs his hand through the long raven locks, twirling them around his fingers. "Don't worry, I will be sure to train that rebellious nature out of you. You will be perfect when all is said and done."

Itachi was tempted to tell the pervert to go find an over-sized doll to play with, but he bit his tongue. Well metaphorically, anyway.

"Much better." The child was calming down now. "Now…what shall I send to that upstart to enrage him into coming? A finger, perhaps? It would be a shame to mar your pretty face, after all. Or perhaps you would prefer to choose?"

Within two minutes, Indra had them all on his private jet and they were flying towards Tokyo. "It will take us an hour to get there and then there we still have twenty-five miles until Yoshiwara." He looks at Sasuke. "We will find him. I promise you that."

"I know." They would find Itachi, kill Orochimaru, and then bring Itachi home. And Sasuke would cut off Orochimaru's vile head himself, and stick it on a pole for the crows to have. There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Because Itachi was going to be fine. He had to be fine.

Sasuke's fingers dance along his chokuto, held safely in his lap as he stares out the window. Somewhere out there, Itachi was waiting for him. And it was up to Sasuke to bring his mate home safely.

This was going to be a very long plane ride. Indra sighs as he looks out the window. Unfortunately, even he couldn't teleport. Still, this was as fast as they could go, and knowing Orochimaru, he would want to toy with his food for awhile anyway. They had some time. Maybe not much time, but some.

Not enjoying the look on his Sire's face, Kakashi glances at Indra, deciding that now was as good a time as any to ask. "How should we approach Orochimaru?" He knew that Sasuke would want to be the one to fight the elder vampire, but the man was sure to have minions everywhere. "Perhaps we should proceed in teams or pairs." There were bound to be a few older vampires that could be trouble. After all, Orochimaru had been collecting minions for over six hundred years.

"I imagine that Sasuke is eager to deal with Orochimaru personally." Indra smiles at his childe. "And I have absolute faith in his ability to handle him. So I believe it is best, Kakashi, if we team up to deal with Orochimaru's followers and assist Sasuke, if he needs it later."

"Yes, I suppose so." Kakashi glances back at the three supernaturals chatting quietly in the back. "Those three will likely stick together." And Suigetsu was nearly as old as he was, the merman could 'handle his shit' as the young humans said nowadays. "I would suggest that they help clear the way in order to get Sasuke inside, but I would be hesitant to put them in the way of Sasuke's blade."

"As well you should be." Sasuke's eyes flick to his childe and sire for a moment, before returning to the window. He would cut down everything in his path, and his friends should know well to stay clear of his battles for their own safety.

That wasn't particularly reassuring. "Alright." Indra forces himself to smile. "It seems as though we have a plan." He could only pray that they would get there in time. They had to. Sasuke could not handle losing his Bloodmate.

"Indra." Sasuke refused to consider it a possibility in his heart, but his head was another story entirely. "…If…things progress to me losing control…" And he went on a bloody rampage that threatened to kill Kakashi and his friends. "Stop me, no matter what it takes." Because that's what would happen, if they were too late.

"If it comes to that, we will." Indra sighs as he looks at him and caresses Sasuke's cheek. "We won't let it come to that."

"It won't." But still, Sasuke was trained to be prepared for every eventuality. Even those that he wouldn't allow to come to pass. Itachi was going to be fine, He had to be fine. Orochimaru liked pretty boys, so he wouldn't kill Itachi, unless it was to spite him. Sasuke silently prayed that Itachi wouldn't do anything to piss Orochimaru off.

Jugo sighs as he looks at Sasuke. "Don't worry. Itachi is smart." He smiles at the vampire. "He'll figure out a way to stall for time."

Sasuke nods slowly, not even flinching as the pad of one of his fingers splits open on the edge of his chokuto. It didn't matter, but the tiny pinprick of pain was helping him to focus. His senses were open wide, waiting to feel Itachi's presence as soon as he was close enough. But every second that the airplane was aloft, felt like an eternity, the fear of losing Itachi slowly taking root, and those roots spreading through his mind like a plague.

The plane continues on its path a while. Eventually, it lands, releasing its passengers to a private strip at the Narita airport.. "We're here." Indra smiles at him reassuringly as he gets out. "It's only a short drive now."

"Yeah, not long now…" Sasuke would reclaim his mate, And Orochimaru would have his vile tongue pecked out by the birds. "If we hurry, we can be there before dawn." Half an hour, driving, less if they really pushed it.

"Sasuke…" Kakashi puts a hand on his Sire's shoulder. "Itachi is your mate, have faith in him. He's a survivor, just like me, and just like you."

"…Faith has no place here. I just want that viper dead, and my mate back in my arms." Sasuke touches the mask around his neck, the world around him starting to dim to nothing but that single goal. He could already smell the blood.

He could feel him. Sasuke could feel Itachi as they grew ever closer to Sasuke's old haunt, right in the middle of his stomping grounds. Yoshiwara, where he would often go, for one reason or another, after dealing with one of the enemies of the shogun. It was both ironic, and almost prophetic that Orochimaru would choose to set up his base of operations here. It was his way of flashing Sasuke the middle finger, to turn a place that held more memories than Sasuke cared to count, and turn it into his playground.

But more important than whatever he thought of Orochimaru using Yoshiwara, or what was left of it in such a fashion, was the fact that he could feel Itachi again. It was strange, Sasuke had just grown used to Itachi being around, and it was only when Itachi's presence disappeared from the house, that he noticed how deeply his mate's presence had sunk into the place. Itachi was meant to be there, with him, not locked up by Orochimaru, subject to whatever horrors that snake could think up.

At least, that's how Sasuke felt. But with the mask upon his face, Sasuke's own consciousness was dimming, being replaced by the cruel, ruthless, merciless servant of the shogun, the one who carried out every assassination order he was given, the one drenched in blood, extreme, even for a vampire.

"He's here." The hawk mask slides firmly into place, tied tightly to hide every inch of the ninja's face from view. The rest, hidden behind black clothes and armor, save for his hands, left bare so as to properly grip the hilt of his chokuto, and more deftly wield the kunai and shuriken stashed in the large, concealed pouch on one of his many belts.

"I know. I can sense him too." Indra nods at him. "Go to your Mate. We will handle Orochimaru's puppets." He'd slice through them like butter with ease. These cretins could not stand up to the might that was Indra. He had seen at least a dozen empires rise and fall and survived through them all. These were just drones.

"Yeah, don't worry, Sassy, we've got your back." Suigetsu grins and slaps Sasuke on the back. "You go get your baby vamp, chop off Orochimaru's head, and we'll have the way back out cleared for you before you're even done dismembering the guy."

Kakashi rolls his eyes at Suigetsu's antics. "Helpful, Suigetsu." It still boggled the mind that his sire could pick up such a boisterous friend, but Kakashi remembered well in his days as a young vampire, meeting Suigetsu for the first time, and being joined in battle by the vicious merman. Still, he was hardly the most eloquent fish in the sea.

"Well he's essentially right." Indra charges into battle. "That is exactly what we're going to do. He just was a bit crude in his description."

Kakashi rolls his eyes, following his Grand-Sire in his charge, unsheathing a long, deadly-looking katana as they approach the old red-light district, and immediately sense quite a few dozen vampires ahead of them. Well, it looked like the fun was about to begin.

After all, Orochimaru never worked alone. He always had pawns that he was willing to dispose of and today was no exception as at least a dozen vampires come flying at the makeshift coven with their fangs bared and guns a-blazing.