THANK YOU FOR THE LOVE SO FAR!

I love vamp stories so much. I know, there are so many now and they can get gaudy. Growing up, my favorite series were The Vampire Dairies, Vampire Kisses, and a few other sprinkled in there (Yes, I read twilight. I enjoyed the books, but not to an obsessives degree). As an adult (if I can call myself that), I just read the southern book clubs guide to slaying vampires. It was different than what I was used to, but I loved it so much. I really want to to the vamp genre justice like these books, and the all great Bram Stoker (There is an excellent book called Dracul by Dacre Stoker as well, a prequel that actually highlights Bram's experiences as a young man.)

Enough gushing from me! What were/are your favs? Do we have any in common?

Read and Review plz! I accept constructive criticism, but no flames plz. Thank you.

Chapter 2

The Hidden Kingdom

Some slang terms that are used below:

GAS-PIPES: A term for especially tight pants.

DAMFINO: This creative cuss is a contraction of "damned if I know."

POKED UP: Embarrassed.

The catalyst that sent Sakura's world spinning happened five days later. She had been sleeping better, and she had not heard any howls since that first night. The mornings felt refreshing, and she liked to open her tent to the fresh air as she drank her tea. Once that was done, she would close the tent to get ready for her day. She continued to wear pants. Some of the men referred to her as 'the peculiar woman with the gas-pipes'. Her hairstyle of choice was the loose braid for her long hair. It took her five minutes to get ready compared to her long mornings at home, getting into the layered contraption others called a dress. There was also the makeup. She was not one to wear a lot, but at least some was required. She wore very little, if only so her face did not feel naked and it was more so out of habit. Then she would spend her communal meals sitting next to Naruto. Some others were warming up to her as well, acknowledging her after they learned she was not just here to be a pretty face. Others still considered her a pretty face, and that she was fooling herself thinking she could be an intellectual, but she did not care to talk to them either, so that was fine. She was just starting to like her afternoons in the excavation tent, studying old armor, bones, and other artifacts as she learned more about an old culture that had perished under the Sound empire in the 17th century.

While the felt sad for the lost Uchiha clan, it was a reality for many clans to meet the same demise in that period. Even if the Uchiha had been strong, the sound seemingly had infinite numbers. They had invaded many lands before going too far to Suna, catching a sickness in the desert that finally weakened their army enough to be defeated.

"What made Jiraiya want to dig into the Uchiha clan? I have never heard about them."

"You know how Jiraiya is, once he gets a whiff of something…" Naruto shook his head. "I believe he told me that he first heard about them on 'one of his many travels', which probably means getting drunk in a bar or brothel while I was at the hotel waiting for him. He heard that the Uchiha were a renowned clan in Romania, pretty much royalty, that had been massacred in a single night. Jiraiya's interest was sparked, but what really lit the flame was when he learned that much about the Uchiha, and what happened to them, is shrouded in mystery. When he pressed for more, all his inquiries were faced with ambiguities."

Sakura smirked, crossing her arms. "Ah. Which drove the curiosity."

Naruto mirrored her amused smirk. "Yes. Jiraiya became very interested when he started researching and found that everyone knew what he was asking about but were secretive about it. Said he could see that it in their eyes and in the way they wrote. He somehow used his connections to get him to the high council in Romania, where he proposed using the dig to return and preserve Romanian culture. He also told me that one of the councilmen said he knows a direct descendant of the Uchiha clan who is a lord here."

Sakura shook her head. "If there is one thing Jiraiya is good at, it is getting people drunk and loose lipped."

"That seems to be his cutting edge over other historians, I am afraid."

They laughed. "Wait a minute. How are there any descendants if the whole clan was massacred? And how only a single descendant, alive today?"

Naruto shrugged. He did not know the answer either. "Like I said, shrouded in mystery."

"Perhaps is it like those villagers back in town. Privy to the knowledge, but not willing to share to outsiders." Sakura stepped forward to study an old tapestry with a red and white fan on it. She was told that this was how they knew they were in the right place; the fan was called an uchiwa fan, and it was the clan symbol for the Uchiha. It was on the old armor and cloths they had found as well. Yet their finds were limited. Most of the Uchiha, if not all, had lived inside the castle walls. A castle that they had not found.

"I do not understand how you decided to dig here if the Uchiha castle is what your truly looking for."

Naruto leaned against the wooden table, taking a deep breath. "Honestly, it is the best option right now. It looks like this was a campsite of some kind for Uchiha soldiers. Like a training ground. Ergo, the castle cannot be too far away. We are still searching for it, but since we cannot find it on any of the maps, we are guessing and sending men off on a wild goose chase." Naruto frowned. "Most of our work is based off estimations, but at this point, we are sending men out into the forest at random, just hoping to come across it. Jiraiya said that he thinks that is why the council agreed to it and gave him access to their maps. The councilman he has an in with said that even the order over Romania have yet to find it as well, although they know of it's existence. The Uchiha's are notorious in Romanian history, so they have been looking for some time. So either, they tricked him and are laughing from their overstuffed chairs at us foolish foreigners, or they are using us for what they could not accomplish."

Sakura was intrigued by the complexities. A well respected, almost royal clan that were extremely secretive. A castle hidden so well that the own country's government cannot find it; yet, someone had found it and killed all those people. She understood why Jiraiya was drawn to the Uchihas.

Sakura and Naruto were dragged out of their observations when they heard yelling coming from outside. It was not the normal hoot and hollerin' from the men. This was loud, bulging, and angry. Both surged forwards, rushing to see what the commotion was about. Naruto got to the entrance first. He pushed the flaps away and held onto them, a protective stance with Sakura behind him. She peered over his shoulder.

Furious workers circled, swirling into a discernable mob. William stood at the helm; the angry men were directed towards him.

"This your fault!"

"These mountains are haunted!"

"You're the ones that have been sending us out on goose chases! Probably to die!"

Shouts of monsters and danger and other words she could not discern rang out, voices trying to raise above the others and overlapping. Hysteria had broken the damn and flooded the workers. Sakura worried for William as they surrounded him, but it looked like the man was not bothered by it. Instead, he angrily looked back at the men, as an adult would do to a child irritating them.

"You are all blubbering idiots, the lot of you! Letting all this nonsense get in your thick skulls!" William seethed. Naruto turned to Sakura. He was just as worried as she was.

"Stay here, I'm going to help deescalate the situation."

"Okay." She nodded. She had no problem staying out of the way for this.

Naruto worked his way through the crowd. Once he got to the middle where William stood, he first talked to William. Then he tried to calm the crowd. It took several minutes of back and forth, and Naruto was getting frustrated, but the shouts started to die down and it never got physical. Sakura wondered what had caused the ruckus. Had they seen something? It was almost impossible to focus on voice at a time. She let the flap go and waited back in the tent until Naruto and William entered. The shouts had died down just before their entrance, and Sakura hoped that meant the situation was resolved.

"What happened?" She asked. Her fingers combed fretfully through the untied bottom of her braid.

"Damfino." William mumbled and dragged his hand down his mustache. The annoyance from earlier was still there, but now there was some concern. "Nothing good. I need to talk to Henry about this. I am sorry you had to witness this Sakura. Those men should be poked up about how they acted." He said, then parted out the back exit of the tent, probably to avoid any more men. William's ambiguous reply made her more anxious, along with Naruto's pacing as he spoke. Her fingers squeezed against her hair.

"I need to inform Jiraiya before he comes and then contact-" Naruto started to rattle. The man was a talker, but they way he was babbling with this urgency on his face was out of character for her usually optimistic cousin.

Forgetting about her hair, Sakura stepped up and grabbed Naruto's sleeve to stop his pacing. His rambling stopped with it. "Naruto, what happened? Is everything okay?" She asked directly. He looked down at her, as if he was finally registering that she was there and talking to him. 'This is bad, he was lost in his head.' She observed. Sakura burned with questions, but she had never seen Naruto worked up like this before. Tugging at his arm, she led him to a chair.

Naruto sighed. Once he was sitting and had a moment, he told her "Everyone is freaked out about this monster business. And now….one of the men have gone missing."

The news shocked her. Like how the cold water in her basin woke her groggy brain each morning she washed her face.

"Oh goodness!" She exclaimed and kneeled down next to him. "Who?"

"Humphry Addams."

Sakura's mouth dropped. She knew who Humphry was. Humphry had been the cook that had asked her how her food was the first night she was here. They had been on friendly terms and he was one of the few men not to treat her like a nuisance. She had found him as a much-needed friend here.

It hit her like a punch to the gut. Her hand clenched over her stomach as she stooped, holding onto the back of Naruto's chair to keep her balance. "No."

Naruto let out a long breath. The hands resting on his knees balled. "No one saw him leave, and the men know better than to go out into unknown territories. Humphry did not tell anyone where he was going. His older cousin says he would not leave alone, and that all the men are too afraid to enter the forest by themselves."

"…They think the monster got him?" She asked delicately.

"Some of them do, and that hysteria has played on other minds. They are all sketched out." Naruto grunted. "This has never happened before."

Naruto ran his hand through his hair, then looked up. Seeing her sad face, he reached out for her hand. Giving it a gentle squeeze, he mustered the best reassuring smile he could. "Do not worry, we will find him."

The men had decided to form several search parties to look for Humphry. Humphry was one of them, and they were not going to leave the poor fellow to fend for himself in the forest or wherever he had gone. 'If he had gone on his own two feet.' Sakura heard men murmur. Their gossip reminded her of practical worries of the forest: robbers, gangs, or bears. She knew there was something in the forest. 'Wolves at the very least.' The captains who were in charge laid out a map on the table, roughly outlining the land surrounding them. They had already penned many routes on the map, most likely from their searches for the castle. They sectioned off areas and decided routes. Then they partitioned the men into their designated routes. Sakura stood there, watching closely and ready to help, but to no surprise, she was not assigned to a group. She was not even to stay with the small amount of men hanging back and searching the excavation site perimeter. Naruto simply told her to stay in her tent and read her book until they returned. The group sticking close by would keep watch over her tent once they checked the perimeter. He had meant well by it, she knew that, but Sakura did not want to stay in her tent. She was sharp, determined, and she wanted to help. After all, Humphry had been friendly when so many others kept their distance.

Sakura managed to catch Naruto before he mounted his horse. Time had gone by since the last time she had begged and grumpily went to her tent to cool off. Everyone was already in their groups with their horses and necessities to brave the forests. She wanted to try one more time to convince him that she should be able to help.

"Please Naruto." Sakura gently grasped his sleeve at the elbow. "Let me do something. I want to help." She pleaded. Naruto's eyebrows were lined as a deep V, wrinkled in worry and conflict. He did not just brush her off immediately, which was a good sign. She resisted the urge to jut her bottom lip out in a pout, which he might think childish and turn her down. Instead, she stared at him head on with determination.

"Come with me, dear girl." William declared as he rode up on his horse. "My group will stick close. She'll be the safest with us."

Sakura didn't want to be treated like a delicate flower, but William was an extending an olive branch to her. This might be the only way Naruto would let her help. She tugged on his sleeve again.

It worked. Sighing, Naruto relented. "Okay. Make sure you stick close with William and Henry, Sakura."

"Stop being a worry wort, Naruto. The little lady will be fine." William confirmed. Then he shouted over his shoulder, "get the lady her horse!"

She gave him a pearly white smile, showing her triumph and appreciation.

Saddled up with some distance between the group and the campsite, Sakura rode behind William. She was the tail of the group, following behind five men. Five to six people each for a group; small enough to have more groups and move quickly, but big enough that wildlife would not bug them. She was assured that wolves would not attack groups. They liked to pick off lonely prey. Each man had a small pack, canteen, and lantern in case darkness fell before they got back. Most rode with pistols on their hips; Sakura knew how to shoot, but also knew she would not be given a gun. Even on a dangerous journey such as this. That was why she had stowed away that dagger the krohn from the village had given her. She had learned this time to keep it hidden in her inside jacket pocket, and not in a bag she could not access quickly.

When William had presented his offer to ride with them, she was grateful for the opportunity. That was until she realized that she would be promptly ignored by her traveling companions. Originally, she was meant to be in the middle of the group, but she suspected the others rode ahead so they could talk freely without a woman overhearing them. William chitchatted with her here and there, but the others opted to pretend she was not present. They were not quite mean about it; when she spoke to them, they replied pleasantly enough, but it was clear where she stood in the group.

Which was better off back at camp. Not with them.

That was fine, Sakura decided. She would sit respectively, keep with the pack, and show that she could pull her weight when the time came. However, the silence quickly became boring. She busied herself with taking in the scenery around her, looking for clues: shoe prints, left behind items, or torn clothes. It would almost be impossible to see such things in the dark forest, but what else could she do?

Time went by, and Sakura felt as though they had to have circled the camp at least five times by now. Were the men frustrated they could not look farther? She certainly was, and they probably blamed her for the restriction. It was then that the leader of their group, Henry, stopped. He turned his horse to regard William. The group circled and stopped.

"Will, it is clear that we are not going to find anything this close to camp. We should widen our perimeter." He demanded, the pulled out a yellowed roll of paper. He unrolled it to reveal a quickly sketched map. "I identified a gap between these two search parties. We could veer out just past this point." He cited, using his finger to trace a looping trail. "We have just enough time to search the area before it grows dark. Then we can return to camp."

William glanced at Sakura, as though he was going to shoot down the suggestion for her sake. He had promised Naruto they would stay close after all. She kept her face determined. She was not any more fearful of this forest than the men were. After a long moment, he answered. "I do not see any issue with that. Lead on, Henry boy."

The diversion seemed to cheer the group, and the solemn mood lifted, albeit slightly. Sakura was ecstatic to get out of the loop they had been on for the day. She continued in her spot as the tail and followed the others deeper into the woods.

The mood quickly dropped again. Sakura rode closer as the sun creeped closer to setting. She could hear the others grumbling about their luck. "We've found nothing. Hopefully, the others have had better luck." She heard one say. She agreed and hoped Humphry had not fallen to a worse fate. 'Why would Humphry leave the safety of the camp?' She pondered. Her enigmatic arrival came to mind; a dead deer, drained of blood and perfectly placed in the middle of the path. Naruto had mentioned that hunters bled out their prey. Were there thieves and hunters out here that did not like trespassers?

It was more pragmatic to think that it was a beast. Had the animal that killed the deer had mauled poor Humphry as well? Was there a creature that could take down a grown man?

There was. Bears. Packs of wolves. Naruto told her that he had seen a cougar once and how fierce its eyes were. There was another animal he had come across on a trip to the amazon that he did not know the name off, but it looked dark and menacing and evil. Intellect and technology seemed to be advancing at an inconceivable rate, and yet there were so many mysteries that had yet to be uncovered. That's why Jiraiya and Naruto had ventured into archeology and not entrepreneurship. Sakura understood the lure, but the worlds dangers were different when you were the one experiencing it, and not reading about it in a book.

The trees, bushes, and rocks all started to blur together and look the same. She eyed them suspiciously, as if someone would jump out from behind them. Sakura took a deep breath and looked to the sky. Past the overcast sky, she got a glimpse peachy tones that gradually mixed with hues of purple, and a red sun close to the ground. Sunset meant it would be dark soon, darker than the grey cover the clouds provided, and they would be back at camp. Admittedly, she needed the break. She was not used to riding for this long and her legs ached.

She thought about Humphry, and how his feet must have ached from wandering the misty forests.

'If he is still alive.'

No, she would not think negatively yet. For all they knew he had been found and the others were back at camp, covered with blankets and drinking soup. Safe and sound.

Cacawwwww

A howl-like caw came from the trees. Her body shivered from the ominous sound, remembering the wolf howl again. The forest was quiet, almost devoid of animals, so the crow's call felt like an interruption. She looked up to see if she could spot the bird.

It was then that she saw it. The clouds parted to reveal a hulking structure beyond. A stone castle, almost camouflaged in the scene, had emerged. She could not stop the gasp that came from her throat. William turned around, his brow worried.

"Are you alright, dear?" He asked.

She pointed to the sky. "Do you see that?"

William followed her finger, but the clouds had gathered again. He turned back to her with a confused frown. "See what?"

"The castle you talked about, the one you haven't found. I think I just saw it!" She urged, then pointed again. "Right over there. Perhaps that is what Humphry saw too and hoped to find shelter." Perhaps Humphry had gotten lost, seen the castle, and decided to go there so he would not be exposed. It made sense to her, and she was so excited to show her usefulness that she did not stop to think how ridiculous her claim sounded.

William halted his horse and looked for the castle again. It was so big; Sakura did not understand how it could stay hidden so well. The overcast sky helped. For a moment, she second guessed. Perhaps the forest, the stories, and the clouds were playing tricks on her eyes. She licked her lips and looked on, hoping that the castle would reveal itself again.

"What's the holdup back there?" Henry called from the front. The rest of the group had noticed and stopped as well.

"Sakura thinks she sees something past the clouds." William said, exasperated.

The way he said it offended her, and any second guessing was replaced with boneheaded resolve. She had seen the castle. She was sure of it! She turned her determination on to Henry. He seemed to sport a permanent frown, as if it was painted on his face. He tugged his horse to face forward, then called over his shoulder. "It must just be the mountain, there are plenty around. Now it is getting late and we must go. No time for musings or silliness." He said. Sakura's teeth clenched at his comment, indirectly to her. They started to move again. Her horse grumpily stomped along in camaraderie as she sat in frustration.

"I know what I saw." Sakura said with her chin up. If William heard her, he did not show it. They were all tired, and maybe that made them more irritable. The group continued moving back toward camp. Sakura craned her neck for another desperate look for the castle. Naruto might believe her, but she knew there was no way she would remember where she had seen the castle if she were to try to find this place again. She was sure that she had seen the towering castle, twice, but no one was listening to her. It had been a long day. They did not want to 'entertain a woman with silly notions' she guessed. Henry had all but said it.

The clouds parted again, just slightly, giving her a sliver of the image she had seen. Her mouth opened in excitement, ready to call out to William again. Then she realized that they already did not believe her, and might think she was more insane than silly. Her mouth clamped shut. 'Stubborn fools.' She seethed. They were moving away from the castle. Soon it would be lost again. Before she realized what she was doing, she was tugging at the reigns. The horse let Sakura steer it off path. It stepped into the overgrowth of grass, and disappeared into the trees.

Even if it looked unpropitious, a lost man would seek warm shelter here.

That's what Sakura told herself as she and her horse trudged on through the trees. She had found a long-forgotten path, and if she surmised correctly, it was leading her to a forgotten kingdom. Now that she was on the right path, she could see it clearly. It was practically looming over her. Constantly, she reminded herself that her efforts were valiant; it helped fight off the loneliness once she realized that she was truly alone. Talking to her horse helped as well, and she spoke in quiet whispers, as if afraid she would gain the forest's attention if she spoke any louder. Instinctively, she placed a hand on her chest, feeling the necklace the old woman gave her under her clothes. How could a necklace offer protection? She felt ridiculous about it, but the damn thing did calm her nerves.

Now that she was alone in the dark forest, she understood how silly myths could bear down on you. The imagination birthed wild things while in the unknown, even for the sensible Sakura. 'Was not very sensible to go off on your own.' She chastised herself.

She could see the trees stop up ahead, creating an opening. She sucked in a sharp breath. So close. The castle was just beyond. The horse strode on, and they left the cloak of the trees behind. Her eyes widened and she held in a gasp.

There it was. The lost castle. She had been the one to find it.

The path stooped down, leading a winding path to the curtain walls of the castle. From her vantage point, she could see a good bit of the landscape and architecture. They were perhaps less than a thousand meters away. Even from this distance, the dark blue-grey stone walls looked grainy to the touch. She studied the place as the horse led her closer. Never-ending towers and points, she believed they were called turrets. The pieces that weren't in points were built with high walls and crenellations, forming angry sawtooths. Small windows on the winding towers were just big enough to peer down at her, as if watching her every move.

England had many old buildings and castles, but none looked like this towering beast. She weaved through wild hedges, trying to follow the winding stone path to the front door. She came upon a large gate. It was open, but did not feel welcoming. 'No turning back now.'

Her grip on the reigns were tight as she urged her horse forward, but it would not go.

"Come on, boy." She urged again, clicking her heels against his sides. The horse whinnied, trotted fitfully, and still would not go forward. She sighed. "I understand. The place is quite formidable, is it not?"

She got off the horse and tied him to a nearby tree, gently stroking his neck to calm him down. Sakura gazed at the gate and the hulking mass behind it. "Are you sure you do not want to keep me company?" She asked the horse. He whinnied, shaking his head as if he could understand her. She huffed. "Fine. I will finish the journey for us both."

First, she lit her lantern before she entered. The sunset was quickly disappearing, and she did not want to be caught in the dark trying to get it lit. England had many old buildings and castles, but none looked like this towering beast. She set off on foot past the gate, to the lost castle tucked away in the mountain.

She weaved through wild hedges, trying to follow the stone path to the front door. There were a few stone statues of armored men, several broken down by time. She went past the one that was missing his left arm and the top piece of his helmet. She used the lantern's light to guide her, flashing it against the ground occasionally.

There was no evidence of footsteps, but the ground was hard so that meant nothing. She would have to go in and look around. Each shoe made a clack noise as she climbed the stone steps. Her hand reached out for the rail, but she quickly drew back. The stone was fuzzy, covered in moss. Gingerly, she wiped her hand off on her pants then checked to make sure her hand was clean. 'That will have to do.' Her attention turned to the wide entrance in front of her.

She thought again if maybe she should try to remember this place and return with Naruto, but there was no way that Naruto would let her risk coming here again. Too dangerous. He would be furious when she got back, which meant if she wanted to search the castle, she would have to do it now. She was fascinated and wanted to explore such a magnificent find. According to Naruto, they had been looking for this castle for weeks, and she had found it within a few days. This was her discovery to claim. She promised herself that it would be okay as long as she was not gone for very long. She had maybe 30 minutes before the sunset. That would be her clock.

There was an iron knocker to the right of the two large doors, but the sculpted dragon mouthpiece holding the ring looked like it would take one swallow to bite her hand off. She rose a hand to it, gripping the grainy metal. It was stuck in place, rusted. She took her hand off, the same mossy hand, and wiped it on her pants. No need to knock anyways, the place was abandoned. Hesitantly, she pressed her hand to the wood of the door. With a little force, she felt the door shift. The place was open, which raised the chance that Humphry could be inside. Setting her lantern on the ground, she used both hands to push. The heavy door opened enough for her to squeeze inside. She grabbed her lantern and stepped in. Her footsteps sounded loud on the floor, and the inside was dark. Sakura raised her lantern so she could see more of the room she was in.

The outside was in a state of decay, but the inside had fared better. It was dusty but not decrepit. Everything just looked…old. Even the air was fusty. She took small steps inside, reaching a rug that cover the center of the room. The rug, once plush, felt stale underneath her feet. She could even feel the stiffness through her shoes. The walls had decorations that one would expect; old landscape paintings, hanging shields that no longer shined, along with faded tapestries. Banisters that used to hold such strong connotation for its people now lay gaunt against the walls.

Sakura didn't know where to start. Her hand cupped her mouth, ready to call out, but she stopped herself. If the silence in the forest was eerie, then this was chilling. She did not want to make too much noise here, either. She did not know why, but her instincts were pushing her to keep quiet and turn back. 'You should not be here.' Her gut whispered like an omen. 'Turn back now.'

Yet her pride did not want her to run back with her tail between her legs and prove those men right about women. She had to come back with something. Especially if she could find Humphry in the process. Her pride and gut were playing tug of war. In the middle of the rope, fear lingered. Naturally, she feared the dark, dreary castle. Of the rumors and warnings she heard in town. Add a pinch of curiosity into the mix, and her body was completely lost as to what it wanted to do.

Internally, she analyzed what she could see and rationalized what she could not. 'If I were looking for somewhere warm to sleep, I would not stay on a cold hard floor. I would look for a bed. Those will probably be upstairs.' Her best bet would be to look for the bedrooms. She would stick to one path so she did not get lost, and she would be careful. Her own feet were so loud that she knew any footsteps would be heard from a mile away, and she would know immediately if someone else was here. Then she would leave and tell Naruto what she found. The promise eased her gut, albeit only slightly.

Slowly, she made her way to the stairs. Her head turned like an owl's, keeping watch everywhere she could without tripping over her own feet. It was difficult, but her eyes were starting to adjust, and the lantern's light reached a good distance. Again, her footsteps sounded heavy, so she tried to lighten them by balancing on the balls of her feet. Better.

The stairs took a half turn spiral, hiding what waited for her up top. After Sakura climbed the stairs, there were three choices to go from the landing; she chose the main hallway running down the center. It was decorated with hanging banisters and portraits lined upon the wall. Each portrait had two iron candle mounts, long and skinny that held a single candle at the top. All the candles were gone. She lifted the lantern to read a name plate under the first portrait, but it was in another language. She studied the portrait, then stepped back to glance at some of the others. They were all men, wearing lavish robes and holding the same scepter. Long and gold with a blood red orb encased in the top. Was it the line of kings? "Oh." Her wonder vocalized. She had faces to the great Uchiha mystery, a glorious find! Absorbed, she went down the portraits, studying each one. The portraits stopped abruptly, presumably leaving room for future successors that were never birthed. She stood in front of the last one.

All of the portrayed men were handsome, but she was drawn to this one the most. They all hid emotions well, with only a hint of arrogance or seriousness coming through their painted faces. Yet this one, the last one who must have been alive for the massacre, he looked rebellious. Stubborn. Conflicted. His dark eyes drew her in instantly. She knew those feelings all too well. She had battled them as well. She had a good life and wanted to fit in, but she was stubborn. She would gladly do the parties, the tea, the household work, if only she were also allowed to study medicine and occasionally get a break from poofy things and bobby pins.

"Ce faci aici?."

Sakura whipped her lantern around, looking for the direction the voice had come from. It had sounded like a man. There was a figure down the hallway, but she could not see his face. 'How did he sneak up behind me? I heard no footsteps.' She gulped. The place was supposed to be abandoned, and she knew that was not Humphry. That was not his voice, and the stature was bigger than Humphry's sinewy frame. Had she accidently wandered into someone's home thinking it was the Uchiha castle? But there were tapestries with the Uchiwa fan, and those portraits. His accent sounded like one of the locals from the village. Had one of them followed her here? Or were they using the castle already? Hundreds of questions flew in her mind, but she could not be distracted by them right now.

Her first reaction was programmed into from a young age; she was being rude, barging into someone's home unannounced. She apologized profusely. "I am so sorry to intrude on your home. I thought the place was abandoned, and the door was unlocked-"

She was going to tell him that her impoliteness was for virtuous reasons. That she was looking for someone who was lost, hungry, and might be hurt. The brevity that she was alone with a stranger and that no one knew where she was, let alone could find her, was still lost. Her babbling was cut off.

"I have no need to lock it; the locals know better than to come here." The man replied in English, stepping towards her. His voice was hard and made her feel small and foolish.

As he stepped closer, she raised the lantern to get a better look at his face. She did not like that she could not see his face. His body was only illuminating to the tip of his chin, but somehow his eyes pierced through the night. They looked strange, and she could not tell the color. She took in his attire and noticed how disheveled he looked. Dark hair lightly touched his shoulders and his bangs covered half of his face, but she could see his skin was pale and smooth. His face emerged, like the passing clouds had revealed the sun earlier. She did not see if he was handsome or if he had a crooked nose. Her attention went straight to his eyes and it became the focal point of her gaze. She held back a gasp, and she instinctively took a step back. The irises of his almond shaped eyes were red, almost glowing in the reflection of her lantern. Which was unnatural and impossible. Human beings did not have red eyes.

The villager's rumors came to her again, talking of a sheep in wolf's clothing. A monster. This was what they meant. He was what they meant. A creature that looked and walked like a man but had not been for some time.

And she had walked right into his den.

Fin! Sakura dies...jk jk. Guess we'll just have to find out what happens next, huh?