Gaara dragged himself to school. He slept, but it was an uneasy sleep. He had been curled up in is room for nearly a day and a half, trying to regain control of himself. The hunger had finally subsided; however, it left him drained from fighting to control it. His body was heavy and hard to move. After so many nights with so little sleep, he was reaching his limit.

"Gaara!" Hearing Uzumaki's excited voice, he took a deep breath to compose himself before turning to his friend, waiting for him to speak.

He didn't have to wait long, Uzumaki was nearly bouncing up and down like an excitable child. "You know that book I was working on for the past year?" he asked. Without waiting for Gaara to confirm or deny, Uzumaki continued, "I just finished yesterday. It's in the classroom." He grabbed Gaara's hand, tugging him forward, but Gaara grounded his feet, refusing to move.

"I have to change my shoes. As do you."

Uzumaki blinked, then looked down at their feet noticing they both still had their street shoes on. "Hurry up," he grumbled.

Gaara kept going at his leisure, not mentioning that Uzumaki could go to his locker and change his own shoes as Gaara changed his. Uzumaki's presence was calming to a degree, and by calming, Gaara meant that he wasn't food. Uzumaki didn't add to the stress brought on to him by being in an environment surround by humans.

As he slipped on the last shoe, voices drifted from the school entrance in loud whispers. "Can you believe the school still hasn't gotten rid of them. They're a danger to the students."

"I hear they don't get expelled because they have something on the chairwoman."

"No way, I heard they are a part of the yakuza on the mainland."

"No wonder they're so violent. Why hasn't the police put them behind bars already? This is supposed to be an elite school, right?"

"Hey! You!" Uzumaki yelled, marching towards them. Upon seeing him approach, the three students who were gossiping flinched, taking a few steps back. "I'm a bit deaf. Think you could say that again?"

They shook their heads frantically.

Smiling, he sent them a cold gaze. "Shame. You have somewhere else to be, right?"

This time they nodded their heads, scurrying away like frightened animals.

"Really, they shouldn't gossip if they don't have the courage to say it to my face," Uzumaki mumbled, watching them run.

Gaara didn't say anything as he waited for Uzumaki change his shoes as well. Though he was acting like the gossip didn't bother him, Uzumaki was no longer exuding excitement as he had been before. He did change his shoes much faster than Gaara had and was dragging Gaara towards the classroom seconds later.

Uzumaki was rambling about something about his new manuscript, trying to describe the plot, giving too much detail in an incoherent manner due to his excitement. Gaara listened, trying to decipher the tangled story Uzumaki was telling.

Uzumaki's footsteps slowed, and Gaara could see why. Hyuuga was waiting outside their classroom. A bag in his hand.

"What's he doing here?" Uzumaki said, anger already lacing his tone.

Hyuuga looked up, straightening himself upon seeing Gaara then his eyes darted to Uzumaki. There was a change in Hyuuga's face, going from uncaring and maybe a little uncertain to condescending.

"I see they're still letting the trash in," Hyuuga said.

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Hyuuga. Even waste can be useful." Uzumaki retorted.

Hyuuga glanced over at Gaara then back at Uzumaki. "I don't have time to play with you today." Hyuuga left while Uzumaki stuck his tongue out like a child. It was better than him picking another fight, Gaara supposed. Sometimes Uzumaki acted his age, other times a child could be more mature than him.

Grumbling, Uzumaki entered the classroom. The room went silent.

Inuzuka was frozen near the chalkboard, holding a wet rag with a deer in the headlights look.

On the chalkboard was slander. All aimed at Uzumaki.

Go to hell!

Kill yourself!

Murder!

Trash of Society!

The chalkboard was so covered in slander, there was barely any space left. Uzumaki didn't say anything. He walked to his desk also covered in spiteful remarks and degrading statements written with a black marker and stuffed with trash. He went to his desk and casually pulled out the trash and a few books to reach inside. A shadow passed over his face. Pulling out a rag and small bottle of cleaner, he went over to Inuzuka's side. "Someone has a bit too much time on their hands, huh," he said, laughing. He put the rag to the chalkboard.

Gaara walked to Uzumaki's desk, staring at the books he pulled out. All of them were ruined, including his notebooks. Gaara picked up Uzumaki's manuscript. A boxcutter had been used to slice it to pieces and a lot of pages were missing. It was likely beyond repair.

Uzumaki came back to his desk once he finished up with the chalkboard and sprayed the desk. Now that his back was turned to the class, he was no longer smiling. "What's the chances it was that bastard's fault," he whispered. His hand was gripping the rag tightly, trying to control his rage.

"Slim. It's not Hyuuga's style, and this isn't the first time." Gaara sat down at his desk which was clear of graffiti. Everyone hated Uzumaki, but they knew they could get away with things like this. Uzumaki's anger was often but in moderate doses. Gaara's anger was much less frequent but much more violent. No one chanced pissing him off. Little did they know, going after Uzumaki wasn't going to work out for them either.

Uzumaki pretended to be fine the rest of the day. When the teachers gave him trouble for not having his books, he gave them attitude. Most of them gave him a disapproving look, and one sent him to the principal's office.

Lunch rolled around, and Uzumaki was still in Tsunade's office. Inuzuka, who was uncomfortable being around Gaara alone, left the classroom to see if he could explain what happened to Naruto's books to the principal. It was the perfect time to find out some information.

Gaara stood. "I'm going to assume that you all aren't incapable and saw who had come into this classroom last night." Gaara didn't have to speak loud to gain everyone's attention. Everyone left in the classroom knew who and what he was. "You have five seconds."

"Are you threatening us?" Sai asked with mild interest.

"Five." Gaara pulled out the small bottle that hung around his neck from the inside of his shirt. "Four."

"You can't be serious," Haruno stood up. "It was a stupid prank."

"Three…two…"

"I-I saw who did it." Hinata raised her hand. "They were civilians, so the teachers told me to leave them alone."

Gaara stared her down. "Who were they?"

"I don't know them. They weren't part of a clan." Her voice tapered off and looked down at her hands.

"Could you find them?"

She nodded her head but kept her eyes down.

He walked over to her, looking down at her. "Then do it."


School couldn't be let out fast enough in Gaara's opinion. Uzumaki came back from the principal's office after lunch and was moping around the rest of the day. He was as ready to go home as much as Gaara. When the final bell rang, they packed their things in silence.

"Hey… I got to go tell the old lady something. I'll catch up with you in a bit." Uzumaki offered him a smile and left first.

Gaara went over to Hinata, towering over her as she was still sitting at her desk. "Well?"

She handed him a piece of paper. "Um, Gaara-san. Please, don't do anything too awful to them."

Gaara opened the paper, reading over the contents. "We'll see." He recognized the kids. They were the same two boys Uzumaki had run into at the convenience store the other day. Gaara could be patient. He wouldn't get revenge right away, but the longer he waited to deliver that punishment, the worse it was going to be for them.

He pocketed the paper. He didn't say thanks or even give a parting, he just left her.

He planned to wait for Uzumaki at the school entrance, but once again Neji was at the entrance, waiting for someone. Upon seeing him, Hyuuga made a straight line towards him. Gaara admitted, he was curious as it was obviously Hyuuga's second attempt to talk to him.

Just as Hyuuga opened his mouth, Uzumaki came up from behind, throwing his arm around Gaara's shoulders. "Ready to go?" Uzumaki asked.

With Uzumaki's sudden presence, Hyuuga made a sharp turn, heading back towards the entrance. Gaara almost smiled at that. He had an idea of what Hyuuga was trying to do, but it was entertaining to see his pride get in the way of doing it.

As Hyuuga walked through the front gates, he saw the young girl again, looking around lost. She was still wearing that uniform he had first seen her in. She walked through the gates, looking around bewildered. Enough was enough.

"Uzumaki, I won't be able to go home with you today."

"That's alright. Kiba was planning to drag me to the internet café anyway. I'll see you tomorrow." He patted his shoulder before joining Inuzuka who just caught up with them.

Gaara waited for them to get out of hearing distance. Once they were far enough, he would confront her. That was the plan until Iruka came up behind him. He sensed the man's approach before he even said a word.

"Who is she?" Gaara asked Iruka, watching the girl finally spot him in the crowd of students. Upon seeing him, she once again shrunk back but didn't run away as she had before. Instead, she stood shuffling her feet.

"Hm. Never seen her before," Iruka said with a slight frown. "I'll see to her. Tsunade-sama has a mission for you. You should hurry to her office."

Gaara's lips thinned. He was tempted to deal with the girl himself, but he couldn't go against Tsunade's request either. The girl had been following him for a while now, even found his school. If she was so determined, Iruka's interference wouldn't scare her off. He would most likely see her again.


Gaara sat in the car, overlooking the file that Tsunade had given him. Dressed in tight, black fitting clothing and shin, forearm, and body protectors on top, he carried a canteen on at his waist and a small weapon pouch hung from his belt.

The mission was clear enough. There had been some unusual killings that had been growing more frequent in number. It was uncertain if they were the vampires doing or not. At first, the victims appeared to be a part of a normal, but violent, serial killer, but as the deaths went on, the messier yet vampiric they seemed, the bodies drained entirely of blood, yet partially eaten. They were unsure of the cause, but it was definitely supernatural and had to be dealt with. The public was already frightened with the prospect of a serial killer on the loose, drawing attention to the case. They would have to proceed with caution.

Beside him sat Hatake, Kakashi, the health science teacher. He had an appearance of what most would call unreliable. He was tall but often stood with a slouch. His white hair was a touch longer than what was normally accepted for a teacher that stood straight up. The bottom of his face was always covered with a medical mask, and his sleeves were always rolled up to the elbow. If Iruka was the picture-perfect teacher in appearance and work ethic, then Kakashi was the opposite.

"We will be arriving in five minutes," Kakashi informed him. Kakashi's teacher façade was merely a façade. He too was dressed in black, his outfit matching Gaara's. Even as they approached their destination, he had a laid-back appearance, playing some mobile game. Appearances were deceiving though. When it came to a partner in a fight, Gaara preferred Kakashi over Iruka.

Gaara acknowledged what he said with a grunt, handing the file back to Kakashi. He was mildly concerned about his tired state, but as the hunt grew closer, the more awake he became. The prospect of hunting was like a drug. There was excitement and anticipation. He wasn't there to eat, but it didn't matter. It gave him a sense of power. It was another instinct had been awakened in him forcibly as a child, yet he could not bring himself to hate it.

The car came to a stop. Gaara closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. It was time to start the hunt.

They both exited the car. It was parked in a back ally, away from wandering eyes. Gaara inhaled, taking in the scents of the larger city. He could smell blood in the wind, but it was too faint to tell where it had come from, faded and mixed with so many other smells.

"I'll search the even sectors. You take the odd. Call me the moment you find something." Kakashi walked out of the alley, disappearing with someone people passing by. Kakashi was a loner, often working alone. Gaara didn't hate that. At least when Kakashi said he wanted to work alone it was because he truly wanted to work alone and not because he was afraid of Gaara.

The latest crime scene wasn't too far from here and in his sector. From past records, the crimes were occurring randomly all over the city with no obvious connection or pattern. If they truly wanted answers, a hunter skilled in information gathering would have been better. The Nara clan for example. He supposed there was no proof of the supernatural yet. They were just here to confirm. With the arrival of a vampire coming to the island in about a month, Tsunade was likely being cautious, keeping her best people to oversee it.

Looking up, he judged the distance to the roof. Bending his legs, he jumped. He couldn't make it in one leap, making it only half way up. His shoe gripped the side of the building as his momentum slowed. Quickly, he pushed off the wall before he started to descend, making it the rest of the way to the roof.

He kept to the rooftops, away from prying eyes, keeping his steps light as to not draw attention. Practicality wise, walking would have been better, but after the night before, he didn't trust himself to be around so many people with the hint of blood in the air.

It took him ten minutes to get to the scene of the crime. The area was marked off and unguarded, no doubt thanks to Tsunade's interference. It was located in the alley behind a shop, well out of view from anyone on the street. The victim had been an employee of the shop who had been taking out the trash.

This close, the smell of blood was stronger, but it was stale, having been a day old. Jumping down, he examined the scene. There wasn't much to find. The report he had received had said everything that needed to be said. There was just one thing. The blood smelled off. There was a second scent. It smelled like a vampire's, but not quite. It smelled dead, like a ghoul, but it definitely had a hint of vampire mixed in. It was a scent he had never encountered before.

Assuming this human was attacked by a supernatural creature, how had the human injured it enough to leave a scent strong enough to pick up a day later?

He reached for his cell when he caught a whiff of the unusual scent in the wind. It was strong and very close. Taking the bottle from around his neck, he uncorked it while following the scent of blood. It was late however there were a few human stragglers, keeping Gaara to the backstreets and rooftops. He approached the smell. As he got closer, he could smell human blood as well as the scent of a vampire.

An inhuman screech made him stop. He peered over the ledge of the building, catching the cause of the scent below. The creature definitely wasn't human. He didn't know what to call it. It was in a woman's form, but her limbs were thin like they were just bone. Her hair was thinned and stringy as if it was falling out. Her skin was discolored and decaying. Her eyes were clouding over like someone who was dead. Half her body was missing. Her lower abdomen and below were lying several meters away. She was on her belly, dragging herself along the ground, leaving a trail of blood and guts. She screeched again, her mouth wide open, two fangs clearly visible. She was reaching out towards a man who was standing in an ally with a katana in hand. The man was a young adult, his hair windblown yet wearing a butler's uniform. The only distinguishing characteristic was a large scar over his left eye, starting from his hairline from the center of his forehead to his ear. His left eye was closed, likely damaged or lost from the injury.

His sword was covered in the creature's blood. It didn't drip. The blood was thick, resembling closer to jam.

The man looked at the creature with contempt as it grabbed at his pantleg, trying to pull itself up his body. With a swift motion, he stabbed it through its head, silencing it. "Wretched creature," he said. He removed the sword from the corpse and pulled out a handkerchief to clean his weapon. "But interesting none the less."

The man turned, looking at a young human male who was slouched against the wall unable to move. Gaara hadn't noticed the human with the putrid smell in the air. "Now then, let's get you back to the young master," he smiled cruelly at the human.

The vampire walked up to the human, grabbing his arm and yanking him onto his feet. The human was terrified. You could see it on the young man's face as he was unable to put up a fight. "Unfortunately, you're also his type. If I'm lucky, he'll just kill you instead of playing with his food."

"Tobi," a sharp voice cut through the air. "I thought I told you to keep a low profile."

The vampire named Tobi's face changed, going from one of disdain to pure joy. "Young Master, I thought I told you to wait in the car. What if the hunters see you?"

"I'll deal with it when it comes to that." The new vampire who had appeared was younger in appearance than the first, and his speech was more outdated. He was dressed in a business suit, his hair perfectly trimmed and not even a wrinkle in his clothing.

He looked at the corpse that Tobi had killed, a hint of displeasure on his face. "What is that abomination?"

"A ghoul, young master. I thought helping the hunters may bring us some goodwill with them."

"I see." The young master looked up, meeting Gaara's eyes. "How 'bout it? Is my servant correct?"

Gaara didn't answer, staring down at them from his perch. The young master turned his gaze on the human Tobi was carrying. "I do not fancy having an audience. Wipe his memory and release him. We are late as it is."

Tobi glanced up, catching sight of Gaara and frowning slightly. "Right away, young master."

The young master left his servant to do just that. Tobi placed the human down, staring into his eyes, whispering something under his breath that even Gaara could not hear. After a few seconds, the human fell to the side, unconscious. Rising to his feet, Tobi bowed to Gaara and followed after his master.

Gaara waited until they were gone before examining the creature they had killed. There was no mistake that this was the scent he had smelled at the crime scene, but it had degraded. The smell of death clung to it heavily. Three times more than it had the day before. Using his foot, he kicked the corpse over, examining it. He had a not imagined it. Ghouls did not have vampire fangs. They had normal human teeth.

Squatting, he observed the rotting flesh. It was freshly decayed. A ghoul's form depended on when they were created. A fresh corpse not even an hour old can pass for human if turned into a ghoul with only the slightest hints that it had once been dead. These were the types vampires preferred. As ghouls were subservient to the vampires who made them, a human-looking ghoul can run around during the day and do menial chores that were beneath their masters. If a corpse that had been rotting for months were to turn, the decay would not recede nor would they gain new flesh. They looked like and were often mistaken for zombies. But once a corpse turned into a ghoul, there would be no additional decay. Their time would stop until they were beheaded.

This body had been decaying before its death, and it had vampiric fangs, but still had the underlying smell of human. A hybrid of some sort?

The human that had been left behind groaned, and Gaara's eyes darted to his exposed throat. It wasn't his day to feed, he reminded himself. He needed to call Kakashi. This time he pulled out his phone. Kakashi picked up on the first ring. "Find something?" he asked.

"Call Tsunade-san." Gaara turned the head, noticing a mark on the side of its neck. One that was disturbingly familiar. "We're going to need a medical team."


Gaara didn't know whether to be happy that the mission concluded quickly or disappointed. It was nearly 2 am when he walked up to his home. If the mission had been a few hours longer, he would be allowed to miss school and take the time to recuperate. As it was, he was back early enough that calling in would not be acceptable.

He chose to walk instead of taking a taxi. From the docks, it wasn't a far walk. Less than 20 minutes at a casual pace. The image of that mark on that creature's neck was still in his mind. It couldn't be what he thought he was. The owner of that mark was dead.

Gaara's hands trembled until he clenched them to make them stop. Whatever it was, Tsunade would take care of it. She would never allow such abominations to roam around her territory. He had nothing to worry about.

His cell rang, thankfully distracting him momentarily until he saw who was calling. His brother was very persistent. Silencing his phone, he continued walking, seeing the entrance to the embassy in his view.

Unexpectedly, someone was waiting for him.

Hyuuga sat at the entrance, the plastic bag he had at school settled next to him as well as the duffle from before. His head was bobbing as he tried to keep himself awake, a guard standing outside watching him. Seeing Gaara, the guard gestured to Hyuuga. Gaara waved him away with a slight shake of his head. Nodding, the guard went back inside.

Gaara walked up, watching Hyuuga. He looked as uneasy as Gaara felt even partially asleep. Hyuuga jolted awake once Gaara released just a little bit of qi. Hyuuga may not know what he was feeling, but he was sensitive to it. If he had the chance to grow…

Gaara thought that a lot. If Uzumaki had the chance to grow. If Hyuuga had the chance to grow. The confines of society, of expectations, of what is acceptable and what is not. Some deserved chains. Like him for example. Others deserved to flourish.

Seeing Gaara, Hyuuga got to his feet, trying to pretend he had not been about to fall asleep a moment ago. It may have worked if not for the small trail of drool on the corner of his mouth. He quickly wiped it away, but it was far too late. "What do you want?" Gaara asked, already knowing.

Hyuuga held out the plastic bag, trying to look indifferent, not even looking at Gaara as he did so. "You weren't at school yesterday, so I couldn't return it then. It's been washed and folded."

Gaara took the bag as Hyuuga continued.

"I don't like owing anyone either, so I put some money in there as compensation for letting me stay. That should make us even."

Gaara lifted an eyebrow, unimpressed, opening the bag and seeing a small envelope inside. He didn't need the clothes. He rarely had a chance to wear them. He needed the money even less. Knowing how prideful Hyuuga was, there was no point in arguing the matter, not that Gaara argued. When he spoke, it was for a purpose.

Satisfied, Hyuuga shouldered his bag, preparing to leave. Did he really spend half the night in front of his home just to return some clothes? Perhaps he should reevaluate his opinion of Hyuuga. He was as dimwitted as Uzumaki was.

As Hyuuga turned to leave, Gaara spoke up. "The entrance is this way." Hyuuga paused, turning around with confusion. Gaara was already halfway through the door. "Coming?"

Hyuuga hesitated once again. Gaara knew he wasn't going to get any sleep tonight. Someone may as well use the bed in his place. To push him over the edge just a bit more, Gaara added, "It's going to rain."

It was enough of a push to make Hyuuga follow him. Gaara led him through security, wondering why he was offering him a place to stay once again. He had planned to go to Uzumaki's house tonight, but as the memory of the mark he had seen burned in his mind, he was reluctant to go. In fact, thinking of Uzumaki was painful. Memories of the past were starting to occupy his mind and the more he thought of them, the less he wanted to see Uzumaki.

"Did you eat?" Hyuuga asked as Gaara used his key to get in.

Gaara stopped what he was doing, leaving his key in the door as he turned to Hyuuga slightly panicked. "What?"

"Nothing," he corrected himself quickly, trying to put on that defiant air. After an awkward second, Gaara finished opening the door. "You just look pale," Hyuuga whispered.

"I'm fine." Gaara walked in and turned on the power. "Make use of the bed, I'm going to take a shower." He didn't wait to hear Hyuuga's response, going straight to the bathroom. Chucking his clothes into a hamper, he took a long shower, just feeling the steaming water on his skin. The mark wouldn't leave his mind. The mark of ouroboros.

Gaara touched his right side. His fingers ran over the brand he knew was there. Uzumaki's had healed. His never did. His forehead rest against the tiles until the water turned freezing. Even then, he didn't move until his body was thoroughly frozen and he was shivering.

Eventually, he found the will to move, turning off the water. He stepped out, dried himself and put a towel around his waist, his movements lethargic. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself mentally for sharing a room with an unfamiliar human. Finally, he stepped out.

The apartment was quiet. The smell of food was in the air. Stepping out into the living area, Hyuuga was asleep on the couch, using his jacket as a blanket. There was food prepared for him, just simple rice porridge and a glass of water. It was presumptuous to go through his house and use his food. Gaara took off the lid, feeling the steam from the porridge rise and warm his face. Still, it would be a waste not to eat it.

He changed into a t-shirt and jeans, and came out of the bedroom with a blanket, draping it over Hyuuga who stirred for a moment then fell back into a deep sleep. Sitting at the table, he quietly ate the porridge. It was seasoned just right.

Glancing at Hyuuga, he wondered if he looked so sick that someone like Hyuuga would worry about him. He knew he didn't look to be the healthiest, but lately, even he thought he was pushing himself. Uzumaki had noticed. He supposed even people like Hyuuga would notice eventually too.

Finishing the porridge, he placed the bowl in the sink, careful not to disturb the sleeping teen on his couch. Quietly, he turned off the lights, retreating to the bedroom in an attempt to get some sleep.


Reading this, I can tell its stilted and needs smoothing. It'd be easier to do with another person. If someone is actually interested in this story/series and genuinely doesn't mind me pestering them with updates, send a message.