Neji woke with another hard on. Given that Gaara was nuzzling into the crook of his neck, it was no wonder. And that dream….
His face flushed with shame. He shouldn't be thinking things like that about his friend. If Gaara ever found out, he was afraid of what would happen.
Carefully, he readjusted Gaara so he could slip free. It had been a while since he woke to see Gaara still there, and he caught himself staring longer than he meant to as if his thoughts just stopped. Pulling his hand away was a bit trickier. Gaara had a death grip on him, refusing to let go. With a lot of patience and maneuvering, he finally got his hand free. He found a blanket and draped it over Gaara, smiling a little when Gaara became fussy before settling back to sleep. When he caught his reaction, Neji dropped the smile.
Relief. That's what he needed. No time like the present.
With a new record, he grabbed a towel and clothes and locked himself in the bathroom and started the water. Once he got it out of his system, he should be good. No more inappropriate thoughts or dreams about Gaara.
He stepped inside the shower taking a brief moment to enjoy the warmth. However, his morning wood hadn't gone down, so he had to take care of it himself. Usually, he could just jerk off without any particular thought in mind. The sensation itself was enough, and he could just ride the pleasure of it to completion.
It didn't appear to be enough this time. A few strokes and bits and pieces of his dream came to him. Gaara tied down to his bed. His eyes, that gorgeous hue of green that borderline emerald in color, staring up at him.
No. He needed to stop thinking of Gaara. He wouldn't jerk off to an image of his friend. Women. He needed to think of women. The boys at school often brought porn magazines to school, showing them around in locker rooms, before ultimately getting it confiscated because someone couldn't keep their mouth shut. Neji had seen the magazines and even joked and made comments to fit in and raise his popularity, but never had an urge to buy them or looked at them on his own.
He tried recalling those women. Perfect pale skin that looked almost white, soft, large breasts, long silky hair, and pink lips. Those were the women men desired. That's who his classmates talked about and fawned over. So, he picked one of them. An idol or actress that was super popular in his class. He couldn't remember her name, but he had seen pictures. She fit into that category of "the perfect woman".
But what use were women who were afraid of the sun. He preferred a little color to the skin, of someone who didn't mind spending their days laying in the warm rays or working out. Long hair he had. Short hair was a nice change of pace. Just as soft, but not loaded with the overly fragrant shampoos that were popular amongst the girls in his class. He liked the more natural scent, something earthy with only the hints of incense infused with it. And he was never really into breasts. In fact, he liked seeing defined muscle. He could appreciate how much work it took to manipulate a body into doing amazing feats whether in sports or martial arts, and muscles were a part of that no matter the gender. Unfortunately, it wasn't a part of the Japanese beauty standard for women.
Slowly his preferences changed the women he had chosen. Slightly darker skin, short hair he could run his fingers through without it getting tangled or knotted, a gentle scent that put him at ease, and a hard body with lean, defined muscles that strained and tensed under his attentions.
He couldn't pinpoint when the idol became Gaara to him. Gaara whose eyes could set his skin on fire. Gaara tied to his bed, pulling against restraints as Neji's tongue explored every part of him, admiring the taste of his skin. He wanted to tease him and work for the sounds Gaara would try to hide from him. He could imagine Gaara biting his lip to keep silent, and Neji would know that Gaara could break free whenever he wanted but would trust him to remain bound. Just getting a single sound out of him, like when he moaned the other night when he petted his hair. It was a treat, and he wanted to hear more.
He would keep teasing Gaara, avoiding Gaara's erection all together until Gaara asked for it in that small voice after his pride was stripped and only the need to be touched was left. Just the image of Gaara asking Neji shyly to get him off was enough to push Neji over, ejaculating onto the shower wall.
Neji saw the mess he made and closed his eyes in response, sliding to the ground. He really was a pervert and a disgusting one at that. How could he face Gaara? Or worse yet, if Gaara found out? Would Gaara leave him?
"Fuck," he cursed, hitting his head against the tiles. "Fuck. Fuck! FUCK!" he screamed out angrily. It was all he could do to keep from crying. Why now? He was happy with Gaara? Why did this have to be ruined too?
"I'm not gay," he whispered, but it was hard to deny it after this. Still, he tried. "Dreams mean nothing," his voice shook. "This was a one-time thing. It's out of my system now. It won't happen again. It can't happen again." He kept telling himself this, over and over again, frantically, like his life depended on it.
"That's right. I'm normal." Shakily, he grabbed the bottle of bodywash and made sure the place he had dirtied was clean. "Gaara's a friend. I'm just confused." He never had a real friend, so he was just confusing it for love. That's all. It was out of his system now. He would never speak of it, and Gaara wouldn't leave. He'd find a girl and date her. He had more than enough opportunities awaiting him, and he'd finally get his head on straight.
The sick feeling he gained in his stomach at the thought of dating someone else, he ignored. As long as no one knew he thought of Gaara like that, everything would be fine. It had to be.
Neji finished his shower and stepped out of the bathroom clean, but he felt dirty. He struggled to pretend to be normal, and It was to his relief that Gaara had left at some point during his shower, giving him time to breathe. Or so he thought.
"Did you enjoy your shower?" Kankuro's chilling voice paralyzed Neji without the use of chakra to do it. Kankuro always seemed to find a way to enter behind him and catch him off guard and to be honest, Kankuro had been missing since their last talk so Neji had not even thought about the older brother for some time, compounding the chilling nature of his sudden appearance.
A million things went through Neji's head as to what Kankuro could have meant, but the timing was too spot on to bring it up without reason. He also didn't want to answer without certainty, but the guilt was eating away at his neutral expression.
"Don't be surprised," Kankuro said, walking over to the desk, glancing over the books that Neji had been studying over the past week. "I know everything that happens in my home whether I am here or not for reasons like yesterday. If Gaara had not been so quick to dispatch them, then the servants would have." Kankuro closed the books on the desks. "I have eyes everywhere in every corner of this house. Which is why I'm telling you to leave while I'm still being polite."
When had Kankuro ever been polite to him, was Neji's first thought, but another quickly took its place. His insinuation about knowing everything that had happened. Did that include the shower too?
No, he was just being paranoid. Surely no one watched him in the shower and even if they did, they couldn't know he was thinking about Gaara. He hadn't called out a name. Kankuro couldn't know, yet the cold, dark eyes that were fixated on him said otherwise. Kankuro knew everything. "I am sorry. I do not understand. Did I do something wrong? I thought you wanted me to feed him?"
Somehow Kankuro's expression became more chilling, and Neji could no longer look him in the eye. "Feed him, yeah. Lusting for him, no."
"I do not know what lust means," Neji responded though he could guess from the context of the conversation.
"To want sex. To want to fuck, my little brother. Is that clear enough for you?"
Neji flinched at the curse word. That word was the same in both languages, and he knew what it meant that time. "That's not true." He meant to deny with more conviction. Instead, it made him feel smaller.
"Then you deny trying to kiss my brother last night." Kankuro moved into that vulnerability Neji showed without mercy, and Neji could feel the hatred in his eyes though his face was still rather passive.
"I did not—" his feeble voice could not finish as Kankuro stepped forward attacking again.
"Or try to hide an erection from me the last time we talked?" Neji tried not to retreat, but Kankuro wasn't letting up. "Can you say to my face that you did not just jack off in my bathroom with thoughts of my brother?"
He could not, and he was cornered. His breath was shaky, and he was afraid of being caught. "Would he tell Gaara" quickly turned into "I may never see Gaara again", and that thought scared him so badly he thought he would go crazy.
"I did not," he lied, feeling his eyes water. He couldn't even look at Kankuro's face when he told it. No one would believe him just then. No matter how desperate he was.
"This is not Japan. In this country and many around it, creatures like you would be imprisoned or executed for your life choices."
Was it a choice, Neji thought. He didn't choose to have these feelings. It snuck up on him. He was trying to deny them.
"And you dare stand there and lie as you try to make Gaara like you. All my hard work would be for nothing. My standing for allowing someone like you turning him would become non-existent. I'd rather cut my losses and have you gone."
Losses? Neji thought distantly. Was that what Kankuro was worried about? Not about Gaara's comfort and happiness, but his standing in how he dealt with Gaara? "Do you have any intent on saving Gaara?" Neji asked. "Or are you going to let them kill him?"
For once, Kankuro appeared to be caught off guard. "How do you know about that?" he asked. He was angry, and he let Neji know it, but he was nervous as well.
"Gaara told me."
Kankuro cursed in his native tongue, and it was probably the most human reaction he had seen from the man. He had become distracted by that information, giving Neji the courage to speak out while he could. "I do not want Gaara to die. As long as Gaara needs me… I want to stay with him."
That wasn't the answer Kankuro wanted to hear. He saw it that time, Neji's shadow moved, extending towards Kankuro, and Neji became unable to move, unable to breathe. "Do you know who you are speaking to?" Kankuro clenched his fist and Neji felt an external pressure squeeze his entire body. He could feel something cracking. "Stay away from him."
"No," he managed to wheeze out. "I will not say anything. I promise. So please, let me help him." He used all the air he had to speak, and he could not inhale. His lungs were burning, and the pressure was increasing, pain shooting up his arm and his ribs were on fire.
At the last moment, he was freed. He fell to the floor, clutching his right side with this left hand as his right arm hung uselessly. His arm was discolored as if it had been broken. His ribs probably looked similar, but he didn't dare to check while Kankuro still lingered.
"If you ever use my brother to supplement your dirty fetishes or if I find him becoming a homosexual, deportation will be the least of your worries."
Neji nodded. He heard Kankuro walk away, but he stayed on the ground, nursing his possibly broken arm. After all this, could he still say it was confusion or should he just accept that the feelings were real and others had realized it before he did. "Fuck."
"So he's doing well," Gaara said, feeling relief at the news.
"I think so. He's only sent emails and the occasional text though. Uchiha's kept him locked up in that mansion for a week now," Inuzuka's voice came over the phone. "But you know how he is. If something is bothering him, he won't say a word."
As long as Uzumaki was safe, it was a load off his mind. "I see."
His finger moved to hang up when Inuzuka asked one more thing. "Hey, did you really go back home? It's been kind of weird with both of you gone."
"I'll call back later for another update," Gaara said, hanging up. Inuzuka was his last option when it came to checking up on Uzumaki but calling Uchiha directly led to a conversation he wanted to avoid, and he couldn't call the hunters. The information from Inuzuka was vague and lacking, but it was something. As long as he knew Uzumaki was safe and sound.
The door to the office cracked open, Kankuro stepping inside. Wonderful, just who he wanted to see. "Did you bring the information I asked for."
Kankuro handed him a manila folder, much to Gaara's satisfaction. He wasn't going to entrust Uzumaki with just anyone without a background check.
"Gaara, we must talk."
Gaara looked up from the folder briefly. "No, we don't."
Annoyed, Kankuro snatched the folder back, causing Gaara to growl. "Kankuro."
"Why didn't you tell me you knew what the medjay planned to do to you when you returned?" he asked, holding the folder out of reach.
"I'm not going to run if that's what you're worried about. Give me the folder."
"I didn't ask that. I asked why you didn't tell me but told that Hyuuga kid."
"Kankuro," Gaara's eyes flashed between colors. "Give. Me. The. Folder."
Now cautious, Kankuro handed him the folder back. "Gaara, listen to me for once."
"I'm busy," Gaara shrugged him off, sitting at the desk and opening the folder once again, this time spreading the contents. "Don't pretend you care. We barely know each other and brothers by name only. I know you're using me to raise your status among the medjay."
"Is that what you think?" Kankuro asked. "Is that why you trust that Jap more than me?"
Gaara reached over the desk within a blink of an eye, grabbing Kankuro's suit jacket, ripping it when he yanked him forward. "Call Hyuuga that derogatory word again," Gaara's voice lowered threateningly. "And you will quickly regret it."
Kankuro fell quiet then sighed. "Fine."
Satisfied, Gaara let him go, sitting back down in the chair. Now irritated, he busied himself reading the file.
"I am not done. That Hyuuga kid should be sent back to Japan. The longer he stays here, the more danger he's in."
Was Kankuro still talking? Gaara thought annoyed. Though he did have a point. Hyuuga could easily get caught in the crossfire, and Uzumaki would be finishing his change soon. He didn't really want to miss that. With Uzumaki's host status, his own lord may find a footing and Uzumaki may need emotional support. Plus there were the dreams of the past Uchiha had mentioned during their first call.
"You're right. We should make plans to go back to Japan sometime this week."
"That's not what I meant!"
Kankuro's raised voice took Gaara by surprise and apparently Kankuro as well as he cleared his voice and resumed in a much calmer tone. "It would be safer if you stay here. I don't have much influence in Japan."
"My contract with Tsunade is still in effect. The medjay can't touch me until either Tsunade terminates it, or it concludes on the predetermined date. That includes you." Gaara had already lost interest in talking to Kankuro, looking through Uchiha's files.
"We can't trust the shinobi, and you are putting too much trust in that kid. You belong here."
"I belong in a country actively trying to kill me?" Gaara stopped reading, staring at a picture of Uchiha from the early 1900s dressed in a British World War I uniform. As much as he didn't like Uchiha, they did have one thing in common. Neither of them felt at home in their birth countries.
"If I can prove you are stable, I can change their mind."
"And use that to overthrow Father as leader," Gaara finished. "You and Father are more similar than you think. Both of you have no problems using me to advance your own career."
If Gaara had looked up, he would have seen the hurt on Kankuro's face. He may have seen him open his mouth in an attempt to say something until changing his mind before he could get out a single word. He took control of his expression, stood tall and proud, and finally replied. "You're right, I cannot stop you from leaving. But remember that if you leave, the smaller chance I have in convincing the medjay that you aren't a danger to them."
"Noted." Gaara only caught half of what Kankuro said, still reading the file. Uchiha had quite the bloody past, and it brought some questions and concerns regarding as to why Uchiha suddenly took Uzumaki under his wing.
Kankuro placed a small package on the desk. "If you're going to go, at least take this. It was the only one I could find."
Kankuro left, and Gaara couldn't be happier. What was Kankuro trying to do, telling him these things? He didn't care about the medjay, his family, or this country. The closest to a mother he had was Tsunade and even then it was more of a working relationship than anything familiar. And he was okay with that. It was easier to pretend he had no family than live with the knowledge that they allowed those things to happen to him.
He looked at the small package with disgust and hatred. He'd throw it out later. But first, he was going to change locations. He had come in here to use the phone privately not knowing Kankuro was back. If he had known, he would have stayed with Hyuuga. For some reason, Kankuro wouldn't approach him whenever he was with Hyuuga unless there was a phone call for him. Hyuuga made a good deterrent to keep Kankuro away. It helped that Hyuuga was good company too. He still had his reservations, but Hyuuga felt…safe.
Safe. Seth kept using that word in his dreams. While he was sure it was his choice to get closer to Hyuuga again, the thought that it was Seth's influence was in the back of his mind. Seth had taken to molesting him now. He didn't know how making Gaara think he wanted Hyuuga like that worked in Seth's favor other than Seth wanted a free show. Honestly, knowing that made him never want to have sex. Who liked being watched? Other than Seth that is. He made it very clear that he didn't mind an audience.
Seth had also decided it was his duty to educate Gaara on the matter, telling him grossly detailed past sexual encounters back in his day. He wasn't sure which was worse, those talks or the nightmares. Both kept him from sleeping for very different reasons. He was grateful that Seth didn't intrude on his dreams last night. He couldn't have Hyuuga seeing him like that, and it was hard enough acting normal around him.
Grabbing the files, and the package to throw away, he left the office to locate Hyuuga. If he left Hyuuga unsupervised, who knew what trouble he would get himself in. Hyuuga really was an otaku when it came to martial arts. Once focused, nothing could break that concentration. He never met anyone more suited for a hunter lifestyle than him.
He smiled. It must be nice to be passionate about something. Given the time, Hyuuga had probably already found his way outside for morning practice. So when Gaara stepped outside, he was genuinely surprised to see no one there. The smell of the blood that had seeped into the sand was still strong, and though Gaara wasn't hungry, he wasn't eager to stay. Maybe the event yesterday had rattled Hyuuga more than he had thought.
Hyuuga wasn't in the loft or kitchen, leaving the guest room the last usual place Hyuuga spent his time. Gaara heard movement so he knew he was there when he knocked. The movement stopped, causing Gaara to frown. "Hyuuga?" he called, waiting for Hyuuga to respond.
Doubts slipped into Gaara's thoughts. Maybe Hyuuga changed his mind about him. Maybe he secretly hated him all this time and was just trying to please him. Maybe it was a trap. It was all ludicrous. None of those scenarios matched up with Hyuuga's behavior. And yet, he could not stop the doubt.
"Just…I need a moment. I'll be out shortly." Hyuuga's muffled reply came through the door.
Gaara could be dense at times and not pick up on cues, but he was an expert when it came to pain and trying to conceal it. He opened the door, breaking the lock and part of the door frame in the process.
His eyes sought out Hyuuga, and his temper flared seeing him. Hyuuga was standing in front of a mirror, medkit on the dresser trying to dress his injuries. The left side of his abdomen was discolored, and his right arm looked swollen and red.
"Who did this?" Gaara said in a very low voice that chilled the air around him.
"N-no one. I just did some ill-advised training while waiting for you is all," Hyuuga tried for a smile that fell flat. "It's my fault."
"Who," Gaara stressed, his arm shaking from how hard he was clenching his fists. His eyes were flashing back and forth between amber and green, lingering more on the former than latter. "Who did it?"
Hyuuga looked down. "It's no big deal. I'll be fine."
"That's not what I asked!" Gaara snapped.
Why was he even asking? There was only one person here who would lay a hand on Hyuuga. Kankuro had crossed the line. He dared to touch Hyuuga? He dared to injure him? Hyuuga was his. He was going to learn that tonight.
"I'm going to kill him," Gaara growled. Nothing about what he said could be construed as a joke or exaggeration. He was going to make sure Kankuro never harmed Hyuuga again.
"Gaara, I'm fine," Hyuuga insisted, but Gaara had already turned to go find his brother and kill him. His eyes were now a steady amber and his fangs were extended fully. The sand outside was swirling around the house as if caught in the wind except there was no wind to speak of, quickly growing in intensity as it built up strength, just short of a sandstorm.
"Gaara," Hyuuga had followed him out of the room, grabbing his hand.
He yanked his hand away, nearly shoving Hyuuga down in the process, intent on his mission to kill his brother. The sand was knocking against the windows and the house was beginning to shake. "I'm going to kill him." His voice was no longer his own, but he didn't care. Let Seth take hold of him, he didn't care as long as he could see Kankuro dead. His hair was starting to change colors as well, strands of dark brown mixing with Gaara's red.
Hyuuga lurched forward, embracing Gaara from behind, hugging Gaara's shoulders and resting his forehead against the back of Gaara's head. "I'm okay," he said, hugging Gaara tightly. "it's not painful at all, and it was my fault. I antagonized him. You know how I can be."
Gaara didn't throw him off, but his anger would not cease. Hyuuga was hurt. He had left Hyuuga's side and let it happen. He had to eliminate the threat. He had to keep Hyuuga safe.
"I was over eager and cocky," Hyuuga continued. His breath was short and laced with pain, and Gaara dared not move else agitate the injury Hyuuga claimed didn't bother him. "It was all my fault. I won't do it again, so please calm down."
He didn't want to calm down. The perpetrator was in the house. He could get revenge, but he couldn't avoid hurting Hyuuga further if he broke free from his grip. He had so much rage and hatred, he didn't know what to do with it.
I can think of a few things, Seth whispered. Seth was so close to taking control of him, Gaara could hear his voice even when awake. It was difficult to even keep their thoughts and feelings separate. Take it out on his body. You can even do a full body search while you're at it to ensure he's not hiding anything else, he said seductively. Of course, if you are too scared to do it. I'll happily take your place.
Gaara could see what Seth had in mind. Every lewd thought was painted crystal clear. He wasn't even sure if they were entirely Seth's thoughts, but with Hyuuga pressed against his back combined with Seth's increasingly perverted suggestions, his thoughts started to center not around killing Kankuro, but having very rough sex with Hyuuga as punishment for making him worry and allowing himself to get hurt.
"Gaara?" Hyuuga called out to him, cutting through Seth's increasingly loud voice and the muddled thoughts and feelings that were clouding his mind. Hyuuga was scared. His scent was tainted with it, and it brought Gaara back from the edge.
Gaara closed his eyes, and he held onto Neji's arms, using him as an anchor to settle his emotions and regain control. Seth's voice died as did the images he had supplied, and Gaara took control back from the lord once more. As he regained his senses, he could feel servants, hiding nearby, no doubt ready to strike him down if he had fallen any further under Seth's control, and rightfully so. That was the closest Seth had ever come to the surface.
"Better?" Hyuuga whispered.
Gaara nodded, and slowly Hyuuga released him, and not without a pained gasp in the process. Hyuuga took Gaara's hand and brought him back to the room, away from the servants whose eyes were still on them, closing the door and using a chair to keep it closed.
"I'm sorry," Gaara said, standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. "I didn't want to scare you. If you want to leave, I'll get you a ride." It hurt to make the offer, but Hyuuga would have to be insane to stay after witnessing that side of him. People should fear him. He was dangerous, and he was ready to kill so easily.
"I won't say I wasn't scared, but it's not for the reason you think." Hyuuga sat on the chair he had moved in front of the door, exhausted. "I thought I had lost you. You weren't you."
Gaara's eyes lingered on the injury and his anger tried to rise again. This time he kept a better lid on them, going to Hyuuga's side and kneeling to get a better look in spite of himself. He could not stop the worry. "Sorry," he said again, reaching out to inspect the wound.
Hyuuga swallowed the pain at Gaara's touch. "Was that your vampire lord?" he asked, his voice strained.
Gaara nodded, noting how nice Hyuuga's skin felt underneath his fingertips. "I'll try to keep a better hold on Seth in the further."
"Is that his name? Seth?"
Gaara's lips thinned at his mistake. He tried not to say Seth's name aloud for multiple reasons even in his head, but just as Seth had been appearing before his dreams more often, so had his use of the name. "Yes. It can be pronounced as Set and Suetekh as well."
"Seto," Hyuuga repeated, not quite able to say the hard 'T' in his native tongue and accidentally adding the vowel sound at the end. It annoyed Seth, much to Gaara's small delight. Seth's name almost sounded adorable the way Hyuuga said it. "It sounds familiar, but I can't put my finger on why?"
Gaara stood to grab the medkit Hyuuga had been using. "It should. He's a major god in Ancient Egypt."
Hyuuga's eyes widened comically. "You have a god…sealed away," he asked brokenly. "I mean, I heard that they were vampire lords. I didn't think they were, you know, actual gods." His brain seemed to haven overloaded with the information, falling back in his chair and staring out in front of him as if the stupidity of what he had done earlier finally hit him.
"It's complicated," Gaara responded, looking over the medications available. It was a medjay's medkit and everything was written in Arabic. Hyuuga probably had no idea where to start with these. "It involves vampires, soul blending, and a large mixture of religions. It's not really worth getting into." Gaara picked out two jars from the kit and the large roll of bandages. It would do temporarily, but he would prefer a doctor.
"What type of god was he?"
Gaara rather not talk about Seth, but looking at Hyuuga's face, it was filled with curiosity. To a normal human, he supposed the news of gods having existed would be life-changing, especially if it was from a religion different from their own. "Seth was the god of deserts, chaos, storms, trickery, violence, envy, foreigners, and more. He wasn't exactly known for anything good." Gaara turned to look at Hyuuga. "What you did just now was very dangerous. Seth could have killed you if he wanted. He wouldn't bat an eyelash at it."
Hyuuga stood up, biting his cheek as he did so, and walked over to Gaara. "I knew it was dangerous when I did it," Hyuuga replied. "But I wasn't going to watch him ruin your life more either."
Hyuuga made it sound like it wasn't what Gaara wanted at the time. Seth gained a foothold whenever his feelings and emotions matched Seth's, the desire to kill, the desire to hurt, the desire to give in to Seth. Seth heightened those emotions and took over.
Not wanting to talk about it, Gaara gestured to the bed. "Lay down."
Hyuuga did as he was told. Gaara sat beside him, opening the first jar. "You know, I thought you had to be a strong person to be able to handle what you go through," Hyuuga said, staring at the ceiling. "Now I know it's a god, you're more incredible than I could have ever imagined."
Gaara blushed. His face turned a dark red that reached his ears. It was so overpowering, Gaara had to turn his whole body away, unable to even look at Hyuuga.
"What's wrong?" Hyuuga asked, partially sitting up and tugging on his shoulder.
Gaara refuses to move. His blush getting darker at Hyuuga's touch. "Did I say something wrong?"
"It's nothing," Gaara muttered but refused to turn around.
"If it was nothing, you wouldn't be acting embarrassed. It was supposed to be a compliment."
"I know."
Hyuuga sat up fully now, and Gaara could feel him moving closer, trying to see his face. "Was that your first compliment?" Hyuuga inquired. It wasn't condescending or mocking, just a bit taken back.
"Uzumaki's complimented me," Gaara fired back, but that was different. Uzumaki praised everyone.
"Anyone else?" he pressed. At Gaara's silence, he said, "Am I your first?" he said, a grin, stretching on his face surely but slowly.
"Just lie down and be quiet," Gaara said forcefully, but Hyuuga wasn't done teasing him.
"Should I give you daily compliments. I wouldn't mind adding another item on my list."
Gaara turned to glare, giving Hyuuga a brief look of his face "Don't you dare."
"I've never seen you so red," Hyuuga laughed. "Should I give you another compliment now?"
Fed up, Gaara pinched Hyuuga's injured arm, forcing him to hiss in pain and lay back down. "Sit still," he commanded. He did, however, keep from directly looking at Hyuuga.
"Alright. Alright." Hyuuga said quickly, wincing at the pain and laying back down again.
Gaara dipped his fingers into the jar, scooping up a thick light green, translucent gel, and gently applied it to Hyuuga's arm, spreading it over the skin and gently rubbed it in. "You might have a fracture. You should get it looked at by a doctor."
"It's fine," Hyuuga said quickly. "It's nothing I can't handle." Hyuuga's teasing behavior from before took a back burner, growing uncomfortable with the change of subject.
Control, Gaara reminded himself. "What did my brother say to you?" Gaara focused on the application of the gel to keep his emotions level. His fingers rubbed the gel into the skin, working from the wrist up to the shoulder and back down, being as gentle as he could while feeling for anything weird or unusual under the skin.
"He didn't say anything," Hyuuga lied, his tone gradually growing colder and more distant.
Gaara scooped up another lump of gel, and he leaned over Hyuuga to apply it to his ribs. From the color, it appeared to have suffered only major bruising, maybe a hairline fracture. He applied the gel to the area, rubbing it in until it absorbed into the skin, just like the arm. During his ministrations, Hyuuga was now the one visibly looking away, growing more and more uncomfortable, his own face turning red. "How much pain are you in?"
"Not much. It's feeling a bit better now." Gaara's hand went lower, pulling the waistband of Hyuuga's shorts down to reach the last bit of the bruised area, but Hyuuga grabbed his hand. "I can do the rest."
Gaara merely pulled his hand away and continued, rubbing the gel into his hip. Gaara tried not to think about the lewd images Seth had fed him before or how Hyuuga's skin felt underneath his fingers or notice how he had a nice V-shape that led down to his—
Gaara removed his hand. That was enough of that. He closed the jar, setting it aside and opening the second jar. This one was filled with a liquid that had a strong scent of herbs that wafted to the nose once opened. Using the brush attached to the lid, Gaara spread the liquid onto the bandages he planned to use to wrap Hyuuga's injuries. "I've decided to go back to Japan in a few days. This place isn't exactly safe for you or me." He helped Hyuuga sit up so he could first wrap his ribs then his arm. "And there are some things I need to take care of."
"Things or Uzumaki?" Hyuuga asked quietly. It almost sounded like jealousy.
"Uzumaki may need my help soon. He is starting to remember our childhood. I don't know if Uchiha will be able to adequately handle him when that time comes." Gaara diligently bandaged Hyuuga's torso, not letting his feelings on the matter distract him. "Before I leave him in Uchiha's care, I want to make sure it is the right thing to do."
Hyuuga didn't speak, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. It allowed Gaara to finish up the first aid rather quickly.
"I have nowhere to go back to in Japan," Hyuuga replied once Gaara finished. "And I'm not sure if I even want to go back."
"That's not true." Gaara's fingers twisted some of Hyuuga's hair around them. He could not help himself. He had wondered what it had felt like for some time, and he had gotten a taste when brushing it aside to bandage his torso. "If you were ready to cut ties with your family, you would have cut this a long time ago."
Hyuuga snorted. "It's a stupid tradition. I don't think there's any other family in Japan who even does it besides ours. I'm surprised you know about it."
"I've worked with many hunter families, including yours." Gaara dropped his hand and gathered the remaining supplies on the bed. "Until you're ready to go back, you can stay with me. Not that you weren't before."
"Is that a joke?" Hyuuga asked with a bit of humor of his own. "Coming from you?"
Gaara ignored him, going to the dresser to put the supplies back in the box. He should find a healer, but the idea of another person touching Hyuuga made him ridiculously angry, and he had no idea why. He recognized the behavior as territorial and he wondered if it was because he was considering Hyuuga as his source of food and therefore staked a territorial claim on him instinctually because of it. He was really more vampire than human at this rate, wasn't he?
"What's this?" Hyuuga asked, already moving around the room. He had picked up the dropped package Gaara had forgotten about amongst the file and scattered papers, inspecting it.
"Garbage," Gaara replied instantly once he caught sight of it in the mirror. "Just throw it away."
"Without opening it?"
"If it was important, it wouldn't be wrapped," Gaara stated, his mood growing sour at just remembering his brother and that territorial feeling reared its ugly head.
"Can I?" Hyuuga asked.
"Do whatever you want." Gaara didn't plan to give the object another thought. He had things he needed to do today. Chakra training with Hyuuga had become a must. It would expedite the healing process. He still had to look over the file on Uchiha and figure out how much he would tell him. He had to call Nara and find out the political situation in Japan since his absence and call Tsunade to warn her he was coming back. Ordering another dresser for Hyuuga crossed his mind, but now that Hyuuga was in the know, he could just take him down to his real apartment. So much to do, so little time.
"She's gorgeous," Hyuuga commented behind him, drawing Gaara's attention back to the present. Confused by his statement, Gaara turned around to see what he was looking at.
Hyuuga saw him turn and offered a picture that was in a simple black frame, the remnants of the package on the floor. Gaara honestly didn't want to look, but he was a bit curious as to who Hyuuga would call "gorgeous".
The picture was of a woman, looking out the window at the early morning sun, a black hijab in her hands. She had brown hair that fell down in cascading waves down her back, clear, pale skin that glowed, and large dark brown eyes. She looked young and full of life. Gaara had never seen this woman before.
"Is she your mom?" Hyuuga asked.
Gaara stared at the picture a little longer then tossed the frame back at Hyuuga who made sure to catch it. "Don't know. Probably." Gaara finished packing the medkit. "Just throw it out."
Hyuuga looked at the picture again. "Can I keep it then?"
"Why? Is she your type?" Gaara asked.
"Just… seems like a waste to throw it out." There was a sadness to his voice as he spoke. Maybe Hyuuga was thinking of his own mother who, if Gaara recalled correctly, died when he was a child. Maybe he thought Gaara would change his mind later and come back to take the picture when he was ready.
Hyuuga just didn't understand. There were no good memories when it came to his family. There was no reason for him to become sentimental. He didn't even understand why Kankuro would give him this photo. "If you want it, I won't stop you," Gaara said, going through Hyuuga's drawers to find a loose-fitting shirt for Hyuuga to wear for their training. "It might not even be my mother. Could be Kankuro's girlfriend for all I know."
"Then he'd have to have a brother complex. She looks just like you." The words sounded like a joke, but there was a seriousness in how he delivered it.
"Brother complex is the last thing he'd have."
"I wouldn't be too sure," Hyuuga muttered it so low, Gaara was sure he wasn't supposed to hear that. What exactly did Kankuro say to him, Gaara wondered. Hyuuga had seemed too eager to take the blame, something not quite in his character. Should he get it out of Kankuro after all? Could he keep his cool long enough to get it out of him?
"We'll practice inside today," Gaara tossed him a shirt, that landed on Hyuuga's head. "Get dressed."
Hyuuga pulled the shirt off his head and carefully tried to maneuver his arm into the shirt without agitating his wounds. It was a pathetic sight. So Gaara went to assist him, helping him get his injured arm high enough to get through the hole. "If it hurts, say so."
"Complaining about it won't make it better any faster," Hyuuga said as Gaara pulled down the shirt for him. "I just have to get stronger, so it doesn't happen again."
He supposed Hyuuga would have to grow stronger if just to be able to feed him. Not to mention his new hunter status that would attract undesirables. Gaara grabbed Hyuuga's hands, peeling off the bandages he had put there before. They were already almost healed. Thanks to the salve he had applied and the mass amounts of chakra Hyuuga held. They were still red and probably a little tender with new skin, but a minor injury could be healed in a day or two. He ran his thumb over the palms, a mixture of smooth new skin and rough calluses.
Hyuuga was still human. Things Gaara could survive could easily kill Hyuuga. If Gaara pressed too hard, he could break the bones in Hyuuga's hands as easily as crushing a grape. Hyuuga was so much more fragile compared to him. So why didn't Gaara turn him away when he had the chance. Why does he keep deciding to stay with him?
"Um, Gaara? Could I have my hands back?" Hyuuga was flushed, staring at their hands.
Gaara released them without another thought, preoccupied with his own thoughts and worries. "Alright, let's get started."
The smell of the damp earth and the scent of the sea surround Tsunade as she descended the stairs. Small lights lined the stairs as torches lit the cave's walls. In the distance, the sound of crashing waves against the cliffs echoed against the cave walls.
She was accompanied by Iruka and Hiashi, the former leading the way and the latter following behind. A scream pierced the air as they neared their location, slashing through the thick silence had formed. Tsunade exhaled heavily, just short of a sigh. The rumors were true after all.
Iruka opened the steel door, stepping aside to let Tsunade going in first. Nodding her thanks, Tsunade entered first.
Blood splashed across the floor in front of her, spattering onto her leather shoes and staining the bottom of her slacks.
In the center of the room, the lord of the undead morgue and seventh vampire council member, Sasori, was strapped to a chair, each appendage restrained with shackles, sutras wrapped around the metal and stained with blood. The floor underneath the chair also had a containment circle etched into the stone to contain evil with additional sutras covering the walls. Anything not considered human would be unable to leave the room without the help a practitioner of the spiritual arts
Sasori himself was a mess. His usually messy, dark hair was dreadlocked with dirt and blood. His face was smeared with shades of red. With various lacerations disfiguring his face, bleeding slowly like a paste. He had been stripped of his clothes, revealing ash-colored skin, and various bruises and broken bones that had yet to breach the skin. The ankles were completely shattered, and several fingers had been cut off. His breaths were shallow, his chest barely moving.
There was a puddle of bile in his lap, mixed heavily with blood. Bits of it were still on lips and chin. His body was trembling with the occasional twitch.
Three other hunters were in the room already, the ones responsible for the interrogation. Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Shikamaru. The blood had come from a sword that had been removed from his back. Jiraiya had flung the sword, removing the excess blood before using his sleeve to clean it. At her entrance, the three men stopped what they were doing, turning to bow and give their respects.
She gave her nod to them, acknowledging them. She turned her eyes onto Sasori who had not shown signs of awareness to her presence, but he was conscious. That she knew. "Sasori-san, I hope your stay hasn't been too difficult for you."
A bloody smile crossed Sasori's lips, showing several missing teeth, "I may not be Japanese, but I believe there should be a sama attached to my name, no?" He looked up at her through the blood, dirt, and hair. Even from almost two weeks of torture, his eyes were still sharp. He still gave off the feeling that he was in control. That he was just a caged animal waiting for his moment. "I am still a council member."
"All we ask is for you to tell us what the council has in store for us. What was your purpose of sending Uchiha, Sasuke here?" She pushed.
"And why should I answer you? Your games are just a mild inconvenience to me."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "That may be true." She pulled out a senbon needle from her sleeve, holding it between her fingers. She walked to Sasori's side. With one hand, pushed Sasori's head back as far as it would go, exposing his face and neck. "We can't kill you. Not without crossing that final line. You know we won't cross it, and we know that you know that."
She brought the needle to his eye, hovering just centimeters above it. He closed his eyes instinctually and she let him. "But we can still cause you pain." She pushed the needle down, in the space between the bone creating the eye socket and the eye itself until she hit the trigeminal nerve, making him scream. "We have to stop eventually, but you don't know when. Maybe next week, maybe years from now. It really depends on when the council asks for you, doesn't it?" She tilted the needle side to side, digging in and agitating the nerve and eye.
"And if I remember, vampires can often go decades without contacting each other, and the council meetings vary greatly depending on the needs of the community. The last meeting was almost 12 years ago, no? At least the one you were required to attend. You send in your reports of course and do your duties, but no one has to see you do them. How many years can we do your job before they realize you're gone?" She removed the needle, letting him breathe and have a short moment of relief. "Do you think your mind can hold out as long as your body?"
Sasori chuckled, blood dripping from his nose. "Maybe. Maybe not. To tell you the truth, I am interested in finding out." He had almost a wistful look on his face. "What wonders the experience could do for my research. A firsthand perspective and account on the human psyche. The process of breaking down a human will and mind and seeing their components."
"We'll be more than happy to oblige you," Jiraiya spoke up, dipping his blade in a jar of coagulated blood. "We have gotten to know each other well these past two weeks, haven't we?"
"I suppose we have." Sasori spit blood out to the side. For a brief moment, he looked weak and tired, closing his eyes and body slouching. "Unfortunately, my mate will kill me if I'm gone for more than a month. I don't fear you, but I do him."
"Does that mean you'll finally speak?" Tsunade asked.
"I've been more than cooperative with you and told you everything that you have asked. What else should I do, beg for you to believe me?" he replied dryly.
Jiraiya stabbed Sasori's shoulder, dosing him with more dead man's blood. Jiraiya's hands were stained with Sasori's blood. He hadn't left this interrogation room since bringing Sasori here, heading the torture the entire time. Tsunade crushed the worry she had at his behavior, focusing back onto Sasori who was gripping the chair's arms tightly.
"You haven't told us anything useful."
"Stop beating around the bush, Tsunade-san. What you want to ask about is Uzumaki, Naruto, isn't it? You want to know what plans we have for him."
"If you know, then stop wasting our time and speak," Jiraiya commanded.
Sasori glanced at the sword through his shoulder, his eyes losing focus a few seconds. "The truth is, we have no plans for him. Sasuke's interest in him was a coincidence, a whim and nothing more. You keep insisting that we want the vampire lords free, but why would we? The lords are powerful and destructive. Most of them harbor a hate for humanity that would lead to the slaughter of millions. Why release something that would lower our food supply? And most of us have no intention of releasing a being that would make us subservient to them. The current ways are flawed, but advantageous for us overall. Only the young ones would entertain such an idiotic plan."
She sighed. "Kakashi-san."
Kakashi stepped forward, drawing his gun. Taking aim, he shot off a few toes with three quick shots in succession.
Sasori bit his tongue, his body clenching.
"Perhaps a couple more weeks will make you consider talking," Tsunade said, turning around. "By that time, you should be in a blood rage by then."
"I have one bit of information you may be interested in," Sasori managed to get out through his pain. "A young man has been coming to see me. He's been taking human bodies for experimentation. He sends me the results. It has been useful for my research, so I've allowed him to bend the rules. However, the research reminded me of another researcher. A human named Orochimaru, perhaps you've heard of him?"
Tsunade struggled to keep her face neutral and not give herself away, but she couldn't hide the fear and anxiety the name caused. Jiraiya promptly punched Sasori in the face, breaking his nose and preventing his sense of smell, covering for her and possibly other hunters in the room as well. "You have a lot of guts to pretend that name has no significance here," Jiraiya narrowed his eyes at him. "Do you want to die?"
"I forget, you humans are so sensitive to everything." With his nose broken, Sasori voice took on a nasally quality. "What's done is done. No point letting the name live in infamy. I'd rather learn from it."
"What about Orochimaru?" Tsunade demanded, no longer feeling patient.
"I wasn't completely slacking on my duties. I kept an eye on the location of the boy's master, having the boy feed me information every now and then. I've also been studying the hybrid corpses. From what I can see, it's one and the same. It looks like an extension of Orochimaru's work and a supplement of my old research centuries ago."
"Which is?"
"Bringing back the dead of course. The first step in trying to find true immortality."
That sounded like Orochimaru, and she didn't think Sasori was lying. She had looked into Orochimaru's research ages ago and she too saw the essence of Sasori's work in the hybrid monsters her hunters had found. The only reason she allowed his capture.
"Tell us everything you know about the boy and where they have been operating."
"Whatever you need," Sasori complied but sounded disinterested in actuality.
"Nara-kun, come with me. Jiraiya-san," her eyes lingered on his form. Still cold. Still detached. Focused only on the mission. A perfect hunter no matter how much he was hurting. "Finish up here."
"Yes, Tsunade-sama."
She exited the room, Iruka, Nara, and Hiashi following. She waited for the doors to close before addressing Nara. "Once he's given the information, trap him in an illusion. Perhaps he will let something else slip that will be useful."
"Sure." Nara gave a halfhearted bow and went back inside the interrogation room.
Tsunade turned to Iruka next. "Send for someone to replace Kakashi-san. Someone who can keep their mouth shut."
"And Jiraiya-sensei?" Iruka asked.
After a couple beats, Tsunade replied. "No. Allow him to finish his mission all the way through."
Iruka wanted to say something, but he bit his tongue and excused himself to follow her order.
Tsunade waited for some time before starting the climb back to the top, Hiashi following behind. "I know you did not follow me here just to say nothing, Hyuuga-san."
"I had to see Sasori's capture for my own eyes. I feel that it is a mistake to take such a risk."
"Do you trust me?"
"I do, but I also feel, as a clan head, that I should know your intentions so that I may protect my clan. If the Elder Danzo or any of his followers were to find out about Sasori's capture, he would use that information to start a war with the vampires. And when we eventually release the master of the undead morgue, what repercussions will he bring onto us."
"Sasori's never been one to hold a grudge. He's more interested in getting back to his morgue than getting revenge, and vampires do not often get involved in each other's affairs. As long as he does not tell Deidara, it will be fine. And he did give us a lead, so it wasn't in vain."
"But does the risk justify the lead we received?"
Honestly, Tsunade did not know. She wouldn't know until they were either caught or the lead proved useful or not. The fact that Orochimaru's work survived after all these years, was not only a stain on everything they stood for but a failure for not ensuring that everything was destroyed in the process.
"Why don't you tell me what you've been dying to say for weeks now?" Tsunade changed the topic.
"Godaime-sama?"
Tsunade stopped to send him a look. "You've been wanting to talk to me about something right?"
Hiashi looked uncomfortable, becoming stiff and struggling not to look away. Not much could unnerve the unflappable Hyuuga clan head. It made her curious as to what Hiashi could possibly want from her.
"You have experience dealing with rebellious teenagers," he started, showing more reluctance with each word. "I was wondering if you could share some advice."
She couldn't hide her surprise. Hiashi was a proud man who always in control. For all the years she had known and worked with him, he was never one to ask favors or advice. "I don't know if I'm the best one to ask. It's not like Naruto listens to me and he still causes trouble."
"I'm aware." Hiashi continued walking, making Tsunade walk as well. "But it is also obvious he respects Master Jiraiya and yourself. Neji not only lacks respect but would wish to see me dead."
He said it so matter of factly, like the thought Neji would want to see him dead didn't bother him, but if Hiashi was asking, it must have upset him enough to lower himself to ask.
"Do you mind if I speak bluntly?"
Hiashi thought it over, and to a degree, the fact he hesitated amused her. "I am asking you for advice, so please speak freely."
She grabbed that opportunity, tired of talking properly and around the bush all the time. She much preferred being direct. "From my experience, teenagers are trying to find themselves. They don't know what they want, what they want to be, and what values and beliefs they want to have. The more you restrict them, fight them, admonish them for their mistakes the more they fight back. Saying that they also want your approval. I tell Naruto off for his mistakes, but I also let him know that I am on his side.
"You are a great clan leader, Hyuuga-san. You protect the clan and lead by example. But Neji-kun isn't or wasn't a hunter. Neji-kun can't understand why we keep our emotions under control, and you can't expect him to follow your commands due to duty and obligation. He needs explanations. You have to talk to him."
Hiashi stayed silent as they walked the staircase. She wondered if she had been a bit too blunt. She made a lot of assumptions about Hiashi's parenting style from years of watching Hinata and Neji. Neji was a lot like Hiashi. Stubborn, prideful, and very intelligent. A good yet dangerous combination of qualities if applied in the wrong ways.
The light from the rising sun slipped into the corridor through the cracked stone door. Tsunade inhaled the salty air, replacing the smell of blood and damp dirt walls. It was going to be another sleepless night.
Hiashi opened the door for her, waiting for her to pass. "I will consider your words, Tsunade-sama. Thank you for your insight."
Tsunade smiled at him. "Don't thank me. I could be completely wrong you know."
Hiashi didn't smile, but his eyes did have a twinkle in them. "If you are, perhaps it will give me a reason to consider Elder Danzo's side."
"Fair enough," she laughed. Parenting was hard. She could sympathize with that. She hadn't been a part of Naruto's life as much as she should have been. It was a regret she would have to live with.
Naruto aside, Jiraiya's behavior was increasingly worrying. He had not consulted her about Sasori's kidnapping. She approved it after the fact to cover for him because she trusted him, but she also worried that Naruto's death was going to push Jiraiya past his breaking point.
"Master Jiraiya is preparing to suffer a loss," Hiashi said solemnly. "When the time comes, he'll accept your comfort."
Tsunade was no longer laughing. The entrance to the interrogation room was hidden in the cliffs, so she had a perfect view of the sun coming up over the horizon. "How long have you known?"
"How long has it been since Namikaze-san passed?" Hiashi put his hands in his sleeves, following the narrow path to higher ground.
Tsunade split ways from Hiashi there, staying on the cliffs to finish watching the sunrise. Worry about Hiashi knowing about her and Jiraiya didn't even register. After 12 years, she doubted he would tell anyone now. If he knew, Nara probably knew too. As long as the elders didn't know. There she stood, basking in the warm colors of the dawn, thinking about her first night on the island. A young, brash Jiraiya approaching her, aggravating her, and staring a fight that lasted until the sun rose only stopping when a young Minato interrupted them for Jiraiya to take him to school.
She smiled at the memory. Her, Jiraiya, Asuma, and Minato. All of them had been inseparable. Minato died terribly young. Asuma didn't live much longer. Neither Jiraiya nor herself believed they would outlive both of them. Jiraiya was approaching 60 and refusing to retire. She was overworked and constantly stressed. Perhaps death was around the corner for them too. It would be nice to see Minato again and Kushina as well.
Taking a few more minutes, she eventually started following the path. Right now, it wasn't her time. She had a duty she had to see through, and she would finish it.
