Author's note: This is a very long overdue sequel to Cherry Red Hill! You don't necessarily have to have read that story before reading this one, but it might help you place some of the references in this fic.

Warnings: Sakura's pov with Naruto's at the end; Halloween fic; alternate universe; NOT FOR SAKURA FANS!; more warnings at the end.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Kishimoto owns it.

I hope you'll like this and I wish you all a Happy Halloween!


Trick or Treat: Choose Wisely!

"The last box is unpacked," Ino announced, tossing her long hair back over her shoulder with an impatient jerk of her head. Her high heels clacked on the tiles as she made her way into the living room where her pink haired friend was adjusting some picture frames next to the fireplace.

"Thanks," Sakura smiled, taking a step back to check whether the frames hung straight. When she turned to look at Ino, her friend was lingering in the door opening with her hands on her hips, studying the room contemplatively. "What?" She quirked an eyebrow.

The blonde woman grinned. "Nothing, it's just weird, you know, to think you're living on your own now. I'm still surprised your father didn't try to guilt you into staying at home."

Light green eyes rolled in exasperation and she plopped down in her couch with a groan. "Eugh, don't talk to me about that! Dad really didn't want me to move out – mum had to eventually tell him to shut up and get back into the house because he wouldn't let me leave."

Ino laughed and sank down next to her friend on the couch; her bright blue painted nails with glitter catching the light. "Well, at least this is a safe area. Unlike where Kiba-kun lives."

They both grimaced as they recalled the apartment building of the dog friend, situated right into one of the worst neighbourhoods of the prefecture. The brunette kept insisting it wasn't so bad, but Sakura could clearly remember having seen a fight with knives taking place behind the apartment building. The police barely came to any disturbances in that place, because there was just no end to the problems popping up there.

"And it was so cheap!" Ino continued in awe as her ice blue eyes wandered around the room.

"I know, I still can't believe it!" Sakura said, shaking her head in disbelief.

It had been so cheap that she hadn't hesitated to bring out an offer, worried that someone else might be quicker and snatch up the house before she could. To think that she was finally living on her own at twenty-five … The feeling of freedom was almost indescribable!


Ino stayed until right after dinner before saying goodbye, promising to meet up again soon. Closing the door behind her, Sakura looked around her new home, happily wandering from one room to the next. A quiet neighbourhood, a pretty home with a direct bus connection to her work; she had really lucked out with this place!

She went upstairs to the bathroom in order to brush her teeth. It was barely seven, but unpacking so many boxes coupled with the excitement of moving out had left her more exhausted than she had expected and she wanted nothing more than to drop down in her bed to catch a good night's sleep.

Two of the rooms upstairs were still empty, because she didn't have that many belongings yet and was trying to figure out what purpose she could give to them. Perhaps a hobby room? Hm, she would have to think some more about it.

As she started brushing her teeth, her eyes wandered around the bathroom, admiring the pristine looking sink and shower. Something near the shower caught her attention and she furrowed her eyebrows. After spitting and gargling, she returned her toothbrush and her cup back on the counter and turned around, sitting on her haunches. There was a faint, reddish brown stain on the floor directly in front of the shower and she spent some time peering down at it, wondering what had caused it. Was it some kind of rust? It was a bit difficult to ignore, considering how light coloured the floor was and she sighed, pursing her lips. She would have to ask her mum for advice; maybe she would know a way to deal with old rust.

Putting the stain out of her mind for now, she flipped off the light and walked to her bedroom, falling down into her bed with a long, drawn out sigh of satisfaction. The window stood ajar, letting in a cool breeze which made the curtains flutter gently. It was nearing the end of October, but the weather was still relatively mild for the time of the year, so there was no point yet in shutting the window.

She fell asleep to the buzz of distant traffic; a smile lingering across her mouth.


She definitely had made the right choice to move into this town.

Not even five feet away from her, the most handsome man she had ever seen sat on a bench; one long leg thrown across the other as he stared into the distance with a bored look on his face. His spiky, black hair had a bluish tint in the late afternoon sun and his face was chiselled, looking like he had been created by very generous gods. He wore a tight, dark blue shirt and jeans that clung to his legs, showing off just how long they were.

Sakura had decided to make a detour through the park today and boy was she glad she had made that decision! Was the guy a local? He had to be, right, for him to sit here on the bench?

She couldn't help but squeak in surprise, flushing brightly, when his gaze suddenly shifted from a spot in the distance to her; his dark eyes making her belly do several flips.

"Haven't seen you here before," the man spoke calmly, tilting his head faintly to the left.

"Ah, erm, no, I moved here two weeks ago," she replied, brushing a lock of her hair back nervously.

"Oh, where are you living then?"

At the mention of her new address, he raised his eyebrows, looking amused for some reason. "You enjoying the place?"

"Yes, it's really great!" she said enthusiastically. "To be honest, it was very cheap as well, so I grabbed my chance when I spotted it. It's so close to my work, yet so quiet, it's the perfect home for me."

"Sasuke, can we go tour the streets tonight?" A young, blond boy popped out, seemingly out of nowhere, and tugged at the man's – Sasuke's – sleeve. "Everyone has their Halloween decoration up and ready!"

Was that his little brother? She gazed at the kid dubiously, comparing the bright blond hair and blue eyes to the black hair and black eyes of Sasuke. Perhaps the kid was adopted or Sasuke was simply babysitting? Handsome and good with kids – Sasuke must be quite popular!

"Sure, we can go," Sasuke said good-naturedly.

Blue eyes swivelled over toward Sakura, who stiffened slightly. "Do you have Halloween decoration in your home?" the boy asked innocently.

She shook her head. "No, I don't. Is it a tradition in this town?" She had noticed the abundance of Halloween decoration in the town, but hadn't paid much attention to it. She had never been one to celebrate Halloween, finding it ridiculous and merely an excuse for children to act out and stuff themselves full with sweets.

"Hm, everyone decorates!" the boy insisted. "It's fun to go around the houses on Halloween. You should decorate your house! It'll be a lot of fun!"

The corner of her eye twitched at the demanding tone of the brat, but she forced herself to smile underneath Sasuke's heavy gaze. "Well, I'll see what I can find. I'm still unpacking," she lied.

"I hope you find some decoration," Sasuke said and rose up, letting the boy cling to his hand. "It's interesting to see the many ways people decorate their houses around this time of the year. It'll be a good way to fit in, you know."

"I should have some decoration in one of the boxes," she fibbed, blushing underneath his stare. "You're planning on touring the streets then?"

"Hm, someone has to look after him," Sasuke smirked and nodded at the blond boy, who blew up his cheeks, aggrieved.

"Then I suppose I'll see you during Halloween?" Sakura asked hopefully, twirling one lock around her finger. "Oh, I'm Haruno Sakura, by the way!"

"You'll see me around," Sasuke said; the words sounding like a promise.

"Great, looking forward to it," she chirped and turned around. If she hurried, she might still make it on time at the store and hopefully they would still have some Halloween decoration left.

She wasn't a fan of the holiday at all, no, but if that meant having the chance of seeing the cute guy again …

She glanced back, but was surprised to see nobody there anymore. Huh, they must be really fast walkers. For a moment she stood there, somewhat bemusement, but a pigeon fluttering down to the ground startled her out of daze and she cursed when she glanced at her watch. She really needed to hurry if she wanted to reach the store on time!


Brats had been banging on her door the entire evening, their high pitched voices yelling out "Trick or Treat!" every time she appeared in the doorway, holding out their bags hopefully. Sakura had lost count of how much sweets she already had distributed, but she kept impatiently waiting for each knock on the door. Sasuke had said he and the kid would tour around the streets for Halloween and at least Sasuke knew where she lived. They should be showing up soon, no? The kid had barely looked nine years old; kids his age couldn't stay up too late, right?

Admittedly she didn't knew much about kids, but she was pretty certain that young kids weren't supposed to stay up too long.

Three rapid knocks on her door had her inhaling deeply, plastering yet again a smile on her face before she swung open the door. The first thing she saw, was the blond kid dressed in a white sheet with red splatters covering the cloth and a hood throwing his face into shadows. Was he supposed to be some kind of ghost or so? The second thing she noticed – and which had her mood plummeting instantly – was the lack of Sasuke. Having come to expect to see the handsome guy, she couldn't help but slump her shoulders in disappointment; her smile dropping just as quickly.

"Trick or Treat ~!" the kid exclaimed in a sing-song voice, holding out a plastic pumpkin. It was already filled to the brim with all kinds of sweets, looking like it was going to collapse underneath its own weight.

"Where's the man who was with you last week?" she demanded, ignoring the way he held out his bag even higher.

"Sasuke?" The boy tilted his head to the right, looking curiously like a fox when he did that. "He's not here," he said flippantly.

"Obviously," she said strained; her eye twitching. "But you're too young to go out on your own, no?"

Hadn't Sasuke said he would be keeping an eye on him?

The boy threw her an unimpressed look. "I'm thirteen, I can look out for myself."

"You're thirteen?" she repeated in disbelief. Dear god, how the hell was he still so small then? Wait, thirteen and he was trick or treating? Wasn't he too old for that kind of play? Had she waited this long for nothing? Fuck this.

"I haven't had my grow spurt yet," the boy pouted before he brightened up again, waggling his pumpkin back and forth without spilling one single sweet somehow. "Trick or Treat!"

"Dude, you're a teenager; you're way too old for this crap," she said unimpressed and went to close the door.

"I said, Trick or Treat!" the boy repeated, narrowing his eyes this time.

"And I said you're too old for this!" she scoffed. "Go bother someone else!"

His hand slammed out to stop the door from closing and she was so surprised that she froze up for a moment. Blue eyes glistened eerily in the streetlight when he said, "So you're choosing trick?"

"Sure, fine, whatever gets you to fuck off," she retorted and slammed the door shut.

"Remember!" the boy called out through the door. "You chose trick!"

"Oh, I'm so scared now!" she called back mockingly before shaking her head. She snatched up the bowl of sweets on her way to the living room and flipped off the light switch in the hallway.

Guess she was going to waste the rest of her evening with some movies and some sweets. Man, if she had known Sasuke wasn't going to show up, she wouldn't have bothered buying all that decoration and all those sweets! What a waste of money and time!


A dripping sound reached her ears during a lull in the commercial break. Furrowing her eyebrows, Sakura placed the bowl next to her on the couch and sat up straighter, trying to pinpoint where the sound was coming from. She lowered the volume of the television to concentrate better. Had it started raining? A quick look out of the window showed that, no, it hadn't started to rain.

Where was the dripping sound coming from then? Did she have a leak already?

Exasperated and growing slightly irritated, she unfurled her legs from underneath her and rose up, walking out of the living room on bare feet. The dripping noise wasn't coming from the kitchen. She checked the taps twice and even looked inside the fridge, but no, everything appeared fine here.

Was it the bathroom then? God no, if there was a leak there, how the hell was she going to fix it this late at night? Could she just place a bucket underneath it and call someone in the morning?

She hurried up the stairs and threw open the door of the bathroom, flipping on the light immediately.

"What the fuck?" she breathed out shocked.

Red liquid was spilling down the drain in the sink and dripping down from the showerhead. The dripping sound echoed loudly between the tiled walls and she rushed forwards, grappling with the taps. She turned the sink tap open fully, watching the red liquid make way for normal water, before doing the same in the shower. The red drops were instantly washed away by the water, leaving nothing behind.

"The fuck?" she muttered befuddled and closed the tap, stepping back. Where had the red liquid come from? Was it some kind of rust again? Hadn't the drains been cleaned properly? But she had cleaned the bathroom just two days ago!

Maybe the pipes were just too old and were started to rust and crumble? She bit down on her lower lip in thought. There was no way she knew how to fix the pipes if that was the case. She would have to call her dad in the morning and ask him for advice.

Rubbing her forehead she left the bathroom and made her way back to the stairs. Midway down she realised she hadn't turned off the light yet and stifling a curse, she turned around and went back to the bathroom.

The light was off.

She stood there, staring at the dark room. Had she turned off the light after all? She could have sworn she hadn't, though, so how … Had the light blown out? A bit unsettled, she carefully felt around the wall for the light switch and flipped it.

The light went on without any problems, not even flickering once.

She stared at the light for a while before flipping it off and backing away from the bathroom. Was she more tired than she thought? She had to be, if she couldn't even remember flipping off the lights. Laughing a bit nervously – the horror movie she was watching was clearly messing with her mind, fuck – she walked back to the stairs.

Something fluttered down in one of the rooms.

Sakura froze, her hand gripping the railing tightly. Had she imagined that noise? Or had she left one of the windows open? But she didn't think she had left out any papers …

Swallowing, her heart beating ridiculously fast, she slowly approached the first room, which was still empty because she hadn't found a purpose for it yet. Nothing in here. Nothing was amiss in her bedroom either. She bit down hard in her lip. She was just imagining this crap; her mind going wild now that it was Halloween, that was all.

Another fluttering noise.

It was coming from the second empty room.

Her heartbeat was like thunder in her ears now; a chill running down her spine as she shuffled towards the room. Her next swallow sounded ridiculously loud in the otherwise silent house and she balled her hands into fists. She took a deep breath and slowly pushed open the door completely.

Moonlight was pouring through the windows, which were still tightly shut. Right in the middle of the floor laid some sheets of paper. As if in a dream she approached the papers and bent down, picking them up after a long bout of hesitation.

They were drawings. A child's drawings. Whoever had drawn them had drawn a blond kid and a black haired kid; the latter having an odd empty space in the middle of his blocky chest. Crudely drawn hearts floated above the two boys in each drawing; the hole in the dark haired boy's chest growing progressively bigger with each drawing she looked at.

Where had these drawings come from? They hadn't been here when she moved in, she was sure of that! The rooms had been completely empty! What the hell was going on here?

Panicking, she threw the drawings down to the floor and whirled around, wanting to rush downstairs so she could call her parents.

Before she could take a single step, a ghostly white head popped down from behind the top of the doorframe and smiled grotesquely at her; blond strands matted to its head with something bright and red. Something that looked suspiciously a lot like … blood.

"Trick or Treat!"

She opened her mouth to scream but something akin to sharp claws lashed out, cutting away her voice. She stumbled backwards, clawing at her throat, gurgling, but it was too late.

A bright red arc of blood spurted high in the air before painting the drawings a beautiful red.


"Some people are really too easy," Naruto tsk'd, swinging his legs back and forth, seated comfortably on the low hanging tree branch.

His lover, Sasuke, smirked while he meticulously sliced the girl's skin into tiny strips. Her heart was long gone already; her intestines would end up being food for the animals around here. Naruto thought the foxes especially would appreciate the fresh meat.

"Well, you gave her an option," Sasuke pointed out and rose up, forgoing his task for a moment to walk over to Naruto. "She made her choice."

Naruto hummed, tilting up his head and smiling when Sasuke pulled him impatiently into a deep kiss; iron and rust clashing with the man's own sweet taste.

"I do like it so much more when you're in your own form," Sasuke murmured, nuzzling Naruto's cheek. His hands came down to grasp the man's lithe waist, tightening around the sides almost to the point of being painful.

Naruto loved it.

"I know, but it's fun to have people underestimating me," Naruto grinned, tilting his head to the side so that Sasuke had better access to his neck. Fangs nicking his skin had his breathing hitching.

"So mischievous," Sasuke breathed out; his eyes glinting reddish.

"You love it," Naruto said smugly, spreading his legs so that Sasuke could slip between them.

"I do," Sasuke murmured before catching his mouth into another deep, filthy kiss. "My own little trickster."

The girl's body was discarded for now, as the two men had much more interesting things to do; their bodies craving each other more than they craved for blood.


Sometimes a Trick is more fun than a Treat. Whichever you choose, choose wisely.

The End


AN2: Additional warnings: Character death; violence; established slash.

I hope this sequel was somewhat worthy at least of its predecessor! Please leave your thoughts behind in a review; should you spot any mistakes, please point them out to me.

I hope to see you all back in my future stories! Please stay safe and take care of yourselves!

Cuddles

Melissa

P.S. For more information about my upcoming and posted stories, please visit my profile.