Tsunade shook her head, pulling off her surgical mask revealing her downturned lips. On the examination table, the head Jiraiya had brought back laid motionless, no longer moving and alive as it had been when it was first brought to her. It just suddenly stopped moving, like it had run out of batteries. She could provide no explanation for it. She had run every test she could think of, but every last one of them failed. For all sense and purpose, the head was simply a corpse.
With that in mind, the only thing that could fit was a zombie, but zombies don't move without heads, and it had shown basic intelligence and chakra techniques according to Jiraiya, two things zombies did not possess.
All night she delved into the research they had managed to acquire 12 years ago, the last time Orochimaru's work was active, and into Sasori's old journals. Sasori's work was all in German, making it hard to read and understand while Orochimaru's research was missing large chunks and difficult to make any sense of the remaining work. If there was one thing that Orochimaru was good at, it was purging everything right before they could close in on him. Even this time, the lab was burned to the ground with little evidence left behind.
Jiraiya stood in the room as well, in a corner and out of the way. He didn't leave her side since coming to give his report. Now, more than ever, both of them were sure Orochimaru was still alive. It scared and infuriated her, and Jiraiya…
She chanced a look over to the man. He was still closed off, letting none of his emotions through. As a doctor, she knew that was bad for his health, but the shinobi tended to follow old practices and believed in keeping everything to one's self and bottling it inside. It was a form of discipline. They weren't supposed to have emotions when they worked and were to remain in control at all times. Slowly, she has been trying to change that with the younger generation, providing counseling and time off to grieve for comrades if it was allowed, but the older generations stood firm with the old beliefs.
There was no such thing as a day off. There was no such thing as leaving work unfinished. Once an assignment was given, that mission became their everything. All their focus and energy went to that mission until it was completed, and during that time, there was no sense of self, only the sense of duty.
Jiraiya had slept very little. Since Naruto had left his care, he had been busying himself with more and more work. If she had the option, she wouldn't give him more assignments, but the people she could truly trust were limited, and the weird cases that kept popping up more frequently. The shinobi were already stretched thin, and Jiraiya was one of the most experienced. She could not deny him a mission, but Jiraiya had his limits. She could see him approaching it no matter how well he hid his weaknesses, and it killed her to keep giving him more and more to do when he asked for it. She denied him once, and he kidnapped Sasori. His hatred and self-loathing for Naruto being taken from under his nose could only be expressed through his hunter duties.
"I can't figure it out. Everything says it's just a normal corpse." She sighed, placing her hands on the table and leaning against it, staring at the head with intense hatred, as if it was the cause of all her problems.
"What about what Sasori had said? About Orochimaru trying to reverse death?"
"Possibly," she said reluctantly. The newer bodies they had recovered had held vampire DNA were not as prominent as the older ones. This head in front of her had similar traits, but the DNA did not take over as the others had. There were no fangs or an apparent need for blood. "The body itself is still just a corpse. There is no reverse of death, just an animation of a corpse. You said he didn't have much conscious awareness, right?"
"No. He showed no awareness of who I am," he responded promptly, like a subordinate.
She sighed internally and was careful not to show her dissatisfaction on her face. Her eyes were blurring from lack of sleep and stress, but what could she do other than push on and make sure she got the work done.
"Tsunade-sama, if I may speak out of turn. You should retire and rest briefly. I will bring Sasori here and see if he can ascertain any more information."
She clenched her fists on the table, feeling the cold metal underneath them through the latex gloves. She had thought of bringing Sasori into this. He was more familiar with this type of thing. He had spent centuries on it, but she wanted Jiraiya to rest. Not her.
"I'm fine. Take 8 hours to get some sleep and report back. We have another meeting tonight."
Jiraiya did not move, standing resolute. It irked her to no end.
She slammed her fist on the exam table. "Dammit, Jiraiya, for once, can you just listen to me and go sleep! Working yourself to death isn't going to change Naruto's fate!"
Jiraiya still did not leave. Still in that calm, yet emotionless, voice he replied, "Forgive me for disobeying, but I will stay for now."
Her frustration with him was reaching her peak. He cared for her, but not enough to open up to her or see her as more than his leader or consider her feelings on a matter. It was first duty, then Naruto, and if there was room, her. She loved that about him, but sometimes it was too much for her to handle. "It wasn't a suggestion, Jiraiya." She looked away from him. "This is a command from your superior. If you do not rest for the next 8 hours, I will consider it as you rebelling."
She hated pulling rank on him; however, Jiraiya continued to not give her a choice. There was a fraction of change in his features. His eyes became a little colder. "Very well. Then I will go rest." Jiraiya bowed to her and left silently. She didn't even hear the door open and close.
She knew Jiraiya. He wouldn't rest. He would go to his room as he was told and do something. Training, internet searches, anything but sleep, but if she told him to sleep, he might have actually rebelled. What else could she do?
Giving out one last sigh, she straightened herself. Classes should have let out by now. She would call Atsuko to come help her before calling up Sasori. She would need to arrange guards around him and make sure he continued to stay weakened and under control.
For the past two weeks, the clans have been anxious, waiting for the opportunity to kill Naruto. The only thing that had prevented it from happening sooner was the impromptu trip outside the country while emotions were at the highest, followed by constant arguing afterward once the news that there had been tampering with memories and records was released. There would be no more playing around. Someone would be selected to kill Naruto tonight, and she was worried about how Jiraiya was going to take it. She hoped he wouldn't volunteer to do it himself.
Closing her eyes, she steadied her nerves. "Alright, Tsunade, let's get to work," she whispered to herself. With that little pep talk, she straightened her back and took off her gloves. Time to get to work.
After so many weeks away from Uzumaki, Gaara couldn't stay away once coming back. He didn't like waiting as long as he had, but things kept getting in his way upon his return.
The moment he stepped onto the Uchiha property; he knew he was being watched. Not by Uchiha, no. The gaze that watched him felt much more dangerous. So much so that an uncomfortable feeling climbed up Gaara's spine. He didn't turn his head, just moved his eyes. In the distance, hidden by the trees that stood near the mansion, was the butler. He watched every step Gaara took.
It made sense Uchiha would have such a capable butler, but the only time he had gotten this feeling from the butler was the first time Gaara laid eyes on him in the ally. It was not easy to unnerve Gaara from simply a gaze. A sense of condescension came from those eyes, something not present when his master was around.
The butler's stare remained on him until he opened the door. Then it vanished completely. It left Gaara's on edge as he searched the mansion for the owner and its guest. It did not take long. He located the indoor dojo, hearing the two people inside.
"Come on, Uchiha, give me a break," Uzumaki's tired voice came through the crack in the door. "It's been two weeks, and I feel like I'm about to die."
Gaara smiled a little, leaning against the wall, listening to Uzumaki whine. If he was whining like this, he must be doing well. Uzumaki only whined when he was being spoiled. It was a behavior he and Jiraiya, who doted on him the most, heard often. On occasion, Inuzuka would also be the target though it was rare. For Naruto to whine in front of Uchiha, Uchiha must have been treating him quite well and managed to get past Uzumaki's defenses to a degree.
There was a bit of movement inside. He could feel chakra from both occupants being used. One person was quick, precise, and minimal, the other was less steady, and used an excess that disappeared as quickly as it had come.
"Take an hour break," Uchiha said. Gaara could hear the sheathing of a sword. It seemed Uchiha had noticed his presence.
Gaara waited patiently for Uchiha to come out, hearing Uchiha give the order for the butler to prepare Uzumaki some food before exiting the room.
Gaara continued to lean against the wall. Not bothering to move. As much as he wanted to see Uzumaki. Now was not the time. He was satisfied knowing he was being taken care of. He just needed to find out why exactly Uchiha was doing so.
"You know, it is rude to enter another person's house without permission." Uchiha still held that aristocratic air and a certain elegance in his words, but there was definitely annoyance in his voice when he addressed Gaara.
"Uzumaki hasn't been in school for two weeks," he replied as his way of explanation. At this point, Uchiha already knew Gaara was invested in Uzumaki's health and safety, there was no use in pretending Uzumaki wasn't the reason he stopped by.
Mentioning Uzumaki, there was a flash of possessiveness in Uchiha's eyes, internally intriguing Gaara. "Does your lover know you're out seeing another man?" he said with a sharpness in his words.
That was unexpected. Gaara's mind started to churn the information. Vampires were quite territorial. Anger upon intruding on that territory was understandable. It was clear Uchiha viewed Uzumaki as some sort of property since day one, but one does not get jealous over property they already had. Then again, there was also the rumor that Uchiha took male partners into his bed in the past.
Gaara stood up straight. "Let's talk in your office. Uzumaki is less likely to overhear."
Further displeasure seeped into Uchiha's expression, but he didn't argue, leading the way. Since last meeting him, Uchiha was more expressive. Not that he wasn't expressive before, it was just calculated. Always in control. Gaara simply appearing to see Uzumaki had put cracks in that control nearly instantly.
If the files on Uchiha were true, Uchiha should have been ruthless, quick to anger, and would not have allowed Gaara to walk onto his property without some repercussions. The Uchiha in front of him and the Uchiha in the file appeared to be two completely different people.
Uchiha led him to a decorated office that reminded Gaara very much of the late 1800s. The furniture would be considered antique and the wallpaper was outdated and worn, though a section of the office had stripped and repainted with a more modern look. Uchiha took a seat behind an ornate wooden desk, and Gaara pulled up a chair to take a seat in front of it.
During the walk, Uchiha had recovered his composure, giving a straight to business attitude as he asked, "What can I help you with, Gaara-san?"
Gaara had to admire the ease in which Uchiha recovered his composure. "He should be turning any day now. I thought I'd offer my assistance." Gaara did not let his guard down. While still seeming unmoved, he did recognize Uchiha still as a possible threat and still unpredictable.
Uchiha was thinking as he responded, "As kind as that offer is, I have a hard time trusting someone who keeps secrets." He leaned forward in his chair. "That is unless you want to tell me exactly what Gaara-san and Uzumaki-san are?"
Uchiha, as usual, was fishing for information, but something was off, and he had felt it since hearing Uzumaki training in that room. Uzumaki shouldn't have much energy. His body should be weakened as his heart prepared to almost come to a complete stop. He was too close to be playing around with a vampire as he had and releasing so much chakra as if it were nothing. Gaara stopped to think of how long ago Uzumaki had been bitten just to make sure. It had indeed been about a month. Could it be possible?
"He's not changing, is he?" he said, thinking out loud.
Uchiha narrowed his eyes and with a forced calm said, "You expected this."
"Not quite, but there was a chance." A chance wasn't an accurate assessment. He had been unsure if Orochimaru's experiments would affect how the change would affect Uzumaki or how Uzumaki's status as a host would affect it. It had crossed Gaara's mind that it may happen, but it had been a brief passing thought that had summarily been dismissed and forgotten, not wanting to linger on thoughts of their childhood.
"A chance that I have never heard of before," Uchiha stood, his chakra waving off him to make his presence more intimidating. "You ask me to trust you, but you don't give me reason to."
"If I'm honest," Gaara interrupted, "Uzumaki's biology and background are different from mine. It may seem unimportant, but it changes his situation. I could only guess."
"Then guess," Uchiha instructed. Any resemblance to being a teenager left Uchiha completely and was replaced with someone who appeared much older and entitled. "You claim to want to help Uzumaki, but you refuse to give me anything that will help him, so what choice does that leave me with but to question you and your motives."
Gaara broke eye contact then. He still felt guilty for getting Uzumaki into this mess. His helping had made things worse. "What about you? What reason do I have to trust you with the information I have? Forgive me for siding on the err of caution." Exhaling slowly, he met Uchiha's gaze once again. "If I told you, and you told him the truth, his foundation would crumble. Everything he has known, any peace of mind or hope that things will get better will be ripped away from him, and I have no guarantee you would keep the truth from him. Your infatuation with him is not enough of an insurance that you will do what's best for him."
"Infatuation?" Uchiha was unable to hide his surprise, then his lips curled with amusement. "You think I have feelings for a child."
Truthfully, Gaara had guessed. It was a working theory to explain Uchiha's behavior. Uchiha's response had been interesting so Gaara decided to press the idea a little more. "You're not the only one with resources. Your history in England is quite… bloody." Uchiha glared at Gaara. "People may change, but until recently, your actions and behavior have been constant if not quite as reckless since the World Wars. The old you would not have taken in a fledgling. He would not bother himself with protecting someone who had little worth and came with so many problems. So why would a cold, ruthless killer go out of his way to help another when he has no history of doing so before?"
Gaara's words had unsettled him. A glimmer of uncertainty shone in Uchiha's eyes before recovering. With confidence, he responded to Gaara's question. "Uzumaki is entertainment. That is all."
Uchiha didn't deny the accusation directly. For someone who had shown himself to be direct, this made Gaara more certain. Vampires were insanely possessive and protective over their mates, and Uchiha was showing signs of that behavior. Although, it appeared Uchiha was unaware of that himself.
"As I said," Gaara stood, "infatuation isn't something I can trust." He bowed to Uchiha. "If you need assistance with regards to Uzumaki, contact me immediately." The way he said that sentence was meant to rile Uchiha up. He succeeded as Uchiha's eyes looked down on him like he was a worm he needed to crush. To add to Uchiha's dislike of him, he left without waiting for Uchiha to give him permission to do so, making it clear that Gaara did not find him threatening enough to tread cautiously around him.
Uchiha restrained himself from saying anything, and Gaara left the manor with his thoughts. It would be better if Uchiha viewed Uzumaki in such a favorable manner. With Uchiha's history, he was worried Uchiha would treat Uzumaki badly or use Uzumaki for his advantage. If Uchiha viewed Uzumaki seriously, thinking of him as a potential mate, he would put Uzumaki's safety first. Hearing Uzumaki doing well put Gaara's heart at ease, but the hunters should be on the move soon. He needed to find out when the attempt on Uzumaki's life would take place. It couldn't be too far into the future. Could he stop it if he told them he wasn't changing?
Probably not.
As he walked towards the gate, he felt a sudden burst of chakra from Uchiha, unleashed in a sudden fit of rage. Maybe he should rethink leaving Uzumaki with him if he was going to get so worked up over a simple conversation. With that thought in mind, Gaara hurried to return home. He had a hunter meeting he had to sneak into.
Iruka was a smart man. At least, that was what Kakashi had always believed. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that Iruka would voluntarily choose to be the one to end Uzumaki's life. First Jiraiya and then Iruka, both were making poor decisions when it came to that child. Both seemed adamant about hurting themselves when fueling their hatred for the supernatural.
Iruka had left the meeting long before it had ended. Kakashi didn't dare leave until the meeting officially concluded. With everything going on recently, missing any part of a meeting could prove to be a fatal mistake. As a result, by the time he entered Iruka's bedroom window, Iruka was already fastening the last clip on his thin Kevlar vest, taking one last look at himself in the mirror. He wore an entirely black outfit with black protective gear over his forearms, hands, and shins. A black bag was fastened on his waist along with a sword on his back; however, there was hesitation in his eyes. Affection for the boy still lingered in them.
Kakashi sat down on Iruka's bed, crossing his arms with irritation. "This is foolish, Iruka. You should call off this mission."
Iruka didn't show any surprise that Kakashi had snuck into his house without permission. They had been friends long enough that Iruka always knew when he was around.
Calmly, Iruka responded as he turned to face him, "Uzumaki-kun is only a child. Even the weakest member like me should be able to handle him."
That wasn't what Kakashi was worried about, and Iruka knew that. "You are attached to the boy. It will cloud your judgment when you least expect it."
"Would it be so bad if I died?" Iruka asked lightly. "My chakra is so weak that I barely qualify as a hunter. It will be an honor if I should die during the mission."
Kakashi's eyes flashed with anger, his nails digging into his skin. "And it's that mindset that keeps you for striving to be any better," Kakashi snapped. He stood up and began pacing around the small confines of the room. "You and I both know your skills are in support, not offense. Why do you insist on torturing yourself all of your sudden?"
"Who said it was sudden?" Iruka countered.
Kakashi found himself grinding his teeth, barely restraining himself from strangling the man in front of him. "Iruka, this is ridiculous. Stop punishing yourself for what happened nearly a decade ago. Her death was out of your hands."
"I chose to be here, Kakashi. This and that are two separate things." Despite bringing her up, Iruka didn't get mad. It should mean that Iruka was over her death, yet Kakashi knew it was the opposite. Her death drove him. His anger for the supernatural. His instance to be on the front lines rather than be in support. The reason Iruka didn't think about quitting being a hunter though he was better suited to the civilian lifestyle.
Iruka gave him a soft, warm smile, that further irritated Kakashi. "Don't worry so much. There will be two other hunters to support me if I run into trouble. It is a child who has no training, and we are leading Uchiha out of town tonight. Everything will be fine."
Kakashi stopped his pacing, tapping his foot insistently. Not entirely convinced. Iruka was weak, barely stronger than a normal human. A fledgling could cause him trouble if he wasn't careful. Maybe he should ask Hyuuga-san to go with him, just in case.
Iruka placed a hand on his arm. "Have faith in me. That's all I need."
Kakashi sighed in defeat, his shoulders sagging in the process. Reaching past Iruka, he grabbed a white mask with feline features painted onto it and handed it to Iruka. "Come see me the moment you finish."
Iruka smiled, patting his shoulder in reassurance as he took the mask from him. "Of course."
Kakashi left first. He didn't feel reassured. He had a bad feeling that it wouldn't go as well as they hoped.
His cell rang, distracting him briefly from his thoughts. "Hello?"
"Hatake-sensei," Shikamaru greeted on the other end. "If you have the time, could you please come to Master Jiraiya's residence as soon as possible? It is Master Jiraiya's request."
"I will be there in ten minutes." Kakashi hung up, changing direction to head towards his teacher's home.
The town itself was small. While many of the clans had their own compounds scattered across the island. Those who did not have a clan and locals who were no longer apart of the hunter community lived in the town.
Jiraiya's house was modest and well maintained. It was a typical three-bedroom, two-story house. Nothing about it stood out, but a trained hunter could see talismans to ward off evil spirits well-hidden around the perimeter.
As Kakashi approached, he noticed the lights on the first floor were turned on. Since the boy had left, the lights were barely on in the house. No point in keeping them on when there was no one home. The house could almost be considered abandoned with no one home to take care of it.
Kakashi entered through the gate and continued to the front door, entering the house without knocking. Taking off his shoes, he slipped on the guest slippers and walked further in.
The sound of dishes clanking drew Kakashi to the kitchen where Jiraiya was preparing tea. He moved about the kitchen still dressed in his full mission gear. The smell of blood still lingered in his clothes. Turning around, his face was still carefully blank as he set two cups of tea in front of his guest.
His first guest was Shikamaru. He was dressed in his school uniform though he had gotten rid of his blazer and rolled up his sleeves. For a kid, he looked old as he picked up the cup of tea and sipped at it slowly. His face was drawn with exhaustion and he was developing bags underneath his eyes. Being a full-time student, a clan leader, and the leader of the intelligence operations, only a genius could juggle all three roles at his age, and at times like this, the toll it took on him showed.
The other was a woman in her mid-thirties. She was gorgeous though she held a little extra weight around the mid-section. The extra weight was expected since she had just recently given birth and hardly noticeable when she wore her shrine maiden attire. Despite that, she looked almost to be back in perfect shape. Her long black hair was tied up with a clip, and she had a severe look in her eye. She merely glanced at Kakashi before looking away as if irritated by his presence.
"Sarutobi-san," Kakashi greeted. "I hope you've been well."
She didn't answer, calmly sipping her tea. Her personality had become difficult lately, just like everyone else.
"Nara-san," he greeted Shikamaru next respectfully. He may have been his student, but he was still a clan leader.
Shikamaru nodded to his head to him, "Hatake-sensei."
Jiraiya set out another cup of tea for him which Kakashi took even though he wasn't thirsty. "Thank you, Master Jiraiya."
"Shikamaru-kun," Kakashi's teacher spoke quietly, looking at the boy. "You may start."
Shikamaru sighed heavily, getting out of the chair. His shoulders were sagging more than usual and his movements lethargic. "We managed to confirm that Orochimaru is alive. A clip of him was caught on tape entering the brothel when we were tracking down Hidan. It appears that he and Hidan were collaborating. Likely having to deal with Officer Sarutobi's death."
"But what could he gain from killing Asuma-san?" Kakashi asked. "And what about the missing officer?"
"A lackey maybe? Honestly, we haven't been able to identify who or what he is. We thought maybe a vampire, but there was no record of any victims in the nearby vicinity. There are some other things that don't quite add up either, but we can verify Hidan and Orochimaru made contact."
"Good. Then you can give me the address to that club, and I'll work from there," Sarutobi stood up, staring down at Shikamaru with hatred burning in her eyes.
"Kurenai-san. Don't do anything reckless. You have a child to think about now," Jiraiya said. He didn't scold her. He didn't even change the even cadence of his voice. It was more like reminding someone to pick up an item at the store off-handedly.
A dark smile crossed her face, ruining her beauty as she responded, "Don't worry, Master Jiraiya. Once I capture Hidan and rip him limb from limb repeatedly a few times, I'll go back into retirement. If my husband's soul is denied a peaceful afterlife, how can I let the one who killed him have a peaceful existence?"
Jiraiya didn't say another word, silently accepting her choice.
She turned back to Shikamaru. Her movements were unnaturally fluid and memorizing. "Where is the club?" she asked rudely.
Shikamaru stared at her for some time before he held up the small piece of paper that she snatched away. Without a word of thanks, she left.
Kakashi had reservations about letting her go. Kurenai had always been a very strong-willed and independent woman. Her relationship with Asuma had shocked many people, but she never cared about what people thought of her. With recently giving birth and dealing with the death of her husband alone, Kakashi wasn't convinced she was emotionally stable enough to take on such a dangerous adversary.
"Don't think too much of it, Kakashi. Hidan isn't a normal opponent. Only Kurenai-san has the ability to confront and contain him," Jiraiya addressed Kakashi's concerns immediately. "Shikamaru-kun, continue."
Shikamaru shot Jiraiya a subtle look of exasperation but continued anyway. "Hidan aside, we've also been tracking Deidara's movements as Tsunade-sama asked. He returned to Moscow. There have been unusual movements. The city has seen a wave of vampire crimes varying from not taking care of the evidence of their feedings to actions deliberately threatening to expose their existence, even streaming their kills online. Despite this, the council has done nothing."
"So they're finally breaking the treaty?" Kakashi asked.
"Not quite," Shikamaru drew out. "The vampires acting out are young. New turns and those not even considered adult vampires by the council. They are typically ones that don't understand the council's power yet. The council will normally make an example of the young ones periodically to remind them of their power and existence. However, they haven't made a move and the young ones have noticed."
"Our jurisdiction is limited in Russia. It falls under the Templars division, and even then, it's hard for even them to get information in and out of the country," Kakashi murmured.
Shikamaru nodded in agreement. "Gaining any more information than that has been difficult let alone discovering what the council is up to." He glanced at Jiraiya. His question was clear even though he didn't say anything aloud. Did the council find out about Sasori's capture? "If this continues for any longer, other young vampires will become braver and follow suit, and if the older, more experienced vampires start to join in the chaos…."
"It will not be that simple. Older vampires tend to follow their own sense of rules and understand the importance of keeping their existence a secret," Jiraiya refilled Shikamaru's cup with tea. "But leaving the newborns to run amuck is troublesome and will set a bad example for the young and stupid."
"The templars have been tight-lipped. From what we can discover, they are focusing on suppressing the damage. It is possible they are too afraid or nervous to check on the council themselves."
"They aren't the only ones that have been stretched thin recently," Kakashi commented, thinking of how worn out and tired the hunters were becoming recently.
Shikamaru nodded. "What's more concerning is that I am fairly certain Elder Danzo has this information but hasn't moved to use it against Tsunade-sama."
"Danzo-san is a patient man. If he has the information, he's waiting to use it," Jiraiya went into deep thought, growing silent. He looked at Kakashi and asked point-blank, "Where do your loyalties lie, Hatake-san?"
Jiraiya rarely used his last name, and when he used it there, it was clear that Jiraiya was assessing him as a potential enemy.
Jiraiya was his teacher. Kakashi looked up to him and had lived by his teachings since he was a child. It was because of this relationship between them that he was honest even if it may cause a rift between them. "I have not decided. The elder has made very good points that I find hard to refute, but I don't trust him. I cannot say I agree with everything Tsunade-sama is doing however either, so I am waiting and seeing."
"I see," Jiraiya said. He turned his gaze to Shikamaru, "Good work. When you get a chance, tell Tsunade-san what you learned. I'll look into the Moscow problem." There was a cold look in Jiraiya's eyes when he looked at Kakashi. "Can I trust you not to tell Elder Danzo?"
"Yes, Master." Kakashi bowed.
Jiraiya escorted them out, leaving Kakashi to wonder why he was included in this meeting. If Jiraiya suspected his loyalties, why was he invited?
Looking back at the house, the light on the first floor had gone out. Had Jiraiya retired to bed or had he already left on his mission?
Kakashi shook his head. Things were getting out of hand. He was just a simple soldier. He wasn't meant to play in the politics of the shinobi world. For now, he would wait and see how things played out. Until then, he would return home and wait for Iruka to come report in. Once Uzumaki was taken care of, hopefully, things would finally die down and return to normal.
Normally, after breaking down the way he did, Gaara would be distant from people. It would be hard for him to look at Uzumaki, hard to be around people in general. He didn't like to be touched and would often act out violently if he was touched unexpectedly out of reflex.
This behavior would last for a day or two as Gaara mentally and emotionally recovered. Yesterday had been similar. He was on edge, balancing precariously on the tip of falling back into despair as he slowly tried to back away from that ledge and regain his sense of self.
All of a sudden, Hyuuga was there, helping him off that ledge, leading him gently into a behavior Gaara had never seen in himself. He had been playful, not even 12 hours after his breakdown.
Hyuuga's behavior towards him did not make much sense to him. People did not tend to change their behavior towards him. They either hated him or were afraid of him. Hyuuga had quickly fallen into the latter when he found out his secret. Since then, Hyuuga had changed far beyond his expectations. He was always there, providing what he needed when he needed it. Gaara didn't even know what he needed, but Hyuuga always seemed to know.
Since their lunch on the rooftop yesterday, Gaara had wondered why. Why did Hyuuga treat him the way he did, and why did Gaara repeatedly find himself lowering his guard and trusting Hyuuga.
He kept telling himself it was Seth, but the dreams had been strange. The sexual dreams that Seth favored had become more intense as of late, and when Gaara would yell, telling Seth to stop, Seth would not appear as he usually did. Hyuuga would just ask him with lust-filled eyes, "Do you want him over me?" and Gaara would wake.
And he would wake to Hyuuga sleepily blinking awake, holding his hand gently. Sometimes, Gaara would feel Hyuuga's thumb run across the back of his hand affectionately in his sleepy state and entwine their fingers. Gaara's heart would skip a beat then.
Something was wrong with him. He was starting to anticipate Hyuuga's company, would watch Hyuuga sleep when he couldn't and would catch himself wondering if Hyuuga would like certain things. He was looking forward to seeing him at the beginning and end of every day. He had never looked forward to anything before.
So when he woke up to find Hyuuga missing, he was disappointed, recalling that Hyuuga had told him the night before that he would need to go to school early to take care of club activities. The morning was always quiet, but with Hyuuga gone, it felt off and not as comfortable. He couldn't understand why. He preferred being alone before and had found Hyuuga's presence annoying when Hyuuga had first started to stay the night, so why was he unhappy now that he had a rare morning alone?
Gaara went to school, glancing often at the seat Hyuuga normally sat in. He had a bento he had made that morning in his lap to share as thanks for the lunch Hyuuga had prepared yesterday. Hyuuga had claimed he liked his food. He had filled it with foods good for replenishing energy and chakra to help supplement his training. The girls at school wouldn't know how to make a lunch like this.
He walked onto school grounds, thinking of how he should invite Hyuuga to lunch. He didn't want to cause him more trouble and draw negative attention. He had heard the rumors that he was bullying or threatening Hyuuga. In such a short period of time, people were already starting to treat Hyuuga differently, and Hyuuga had quite a bit of power and popularity in the school. If anyone could be immune, it was him but even Hyuuga could not escape the negative reputation being his friend brought.
As he was walking down the corridor to the third year's hall, he spotted Hyuuga in the courtyard. He was standing underneath the cherry blossom tree, the leaves long gone, with a girl in front of him. Gaara hadn't seen her before. Maybe a first year or second year. He didn't care. The girl was fidgeting and looking flustered, saying something to him.
The scene in front of him was quite familiar. Over the past three years, Gaara had accidentally seen numerous confessions to Hyuuga. Some were in the courtyard, some on the roof, some behind the gym, and some in front of the classroom. Hyuuga was the guy every girl wanted to date. To them, he was flawless: smart, kind, rich, athletic, brave, and attentive. What was there not to like?
These girls were in love with a fictionalized version of him. None knew of his insecurities, brash behavior, martial arts obsession, and prideful nature. They were okay with looking at what he presented to them and calling it love. Hyuuga never said yes to these girls, adding to his appeal as someone untouchable.
In the past, Gaara never cared or paid much attention to it. He found it annoying because it always drew a crowd if people caught sight of the confession, blocking his path. Today, Gaara was the one who stopped to stare.
Hyuuga was smiling at her, saying something that made the girl blush. Gaara's mouth went dry. The girl said something else, handing him an envelope which Hyuuga accepted. Gaara's heart briefly stopped.
Blood rushed to his head, drowning out the sound around him with the sound of his own heart, pounding in his ears.
Why?
Gaara opened the window, jumping down into the courtyard below.
Who was this girl that Hyuuga would readily accept a love letter from?
Gaara ripped the girl away, grabbing her shoulder and yanking her back roughly, causing her to yell out in pain. She stumbled back and fell, looking up Gaara in fear.
Gaara didn't spare her a glance, staring at Hyuuga who seemed shocked that Gaara had come out of nowhere, his vampire fangs extended and chakra wafting off of him.
Gaara grabbed Hyuuga's lapels and slammed him against the tree, making Hyuuga wince a little.
What was Hyuuga playing at, accepting such a letter from that weak, little girl?
Hyuuga wasn't afraid, though he did show concern in his eyes. He didn't dare look away from Gaara as he addressed the girl in a very calm voice, "Aimi-san, you should probably leave."
The girl hurriedly scurried away, and Gaara's grip tightened on the fabric. Was he still concerned about that girl?
"What do you think you're doing?" Gaara growled, pressing his weight against Hyuuga and trapping him against the tree.
Confusion flashed across Hyuuga's face "I—"
"Who said you could talk," Gaara snapped, effectively making Hyuuga close his mouth.
The blood was pounding in Gaara's ears, and his thoughts were muddled. All he could really think was how Hyuuga was his. That girl had no right to try to interfere with them.
He was only barely aware that he was being possessive to an alarming degree, and it had seemingly come out of nowhere. He couldn't concern himself with that though. He needed to think of a way to show others that Hyuuga was off-limits. He glanced at Hyuuga's neck. He could mark him. Teeth marks or a hickey, either would ward humans off.
"Gaara?"
He reacted to Hyuuga's voice to a degree, bringing some of his sense of self through his possessive thoughts. Gaara was shaking and breathing hard, and he hadn't moved since telling Hyuuga to be quiet. What was he doing?
He pressed against Hyuuga more. He brought his face close to Hyuuga's neck, his mouth hovering just over Hyuuga's neck, breathing against his skin. He couldn't stop himself. He felt Hyuuga shivered underneath him, and Gaara found he liked that quite a bit.
"Are you hungry?" Hyuuga asked him carefully.
Gaara took in a shaky breath, inhaling Hyuuga's scent. Did he always smell so good? "That girl," he growled lowly so that his chest rumbled, "don't ever talk to her again."
He could feel Hyuuga's heart was beating out of control. Was he afraid of him? No. There was no fear in Hyuuga's scent. It was something else that made Gaara want to have a taste.
"Why?" Hyuuga's voice had a small vibrato at the end. "Jealous?"
Gaara's lips brushed Hyuuga's neck. Just one mark. "Mine. Only mine."
Hyuuga stopped breathing. His skin was hot and turning red. Gaara was pleased with this reaction. His fangs dragged across his neck lightly, intending to leave a small mark on his skin when he felt something hard against his leg, freezing Gaara in place.
Hyuuga's face was completely red now, and he had turned his head away from Gaara to try to hide his face. He knew Gaara had caught his reaction to all this. He didn't say anything, only having a look of embarrassment and guilt.
The enticing smell coming off Hyuuga's skin, Gaara could finally identify it. This was what Hyuuga's arousal smelled like. He inhaled the smell deeply, pressing his own erection against Hyuuga's leg. The action had Hyuuga inhaling sharply and turning to look at Gaara with wide eyes, too shocked to speak.
As if in a trance, Gaara moved to place a small bite on Hyuuga's neck. He needed people to know that Hyuuga belonged to him.
"Gaara! Unhand Hyuuga-san at once!"
The sharp yell of the teacher was as effective as a bucket of ice water, jolting him into awareness. What…what was he doing?
Now aware of the situation, Gaara couldn't bring himself to move and looked down to try to hide his face and avoid looking directly at Hyuuga. If he moved now, the teacher would see his erection. His reputation aside, if they saw Hyuuga in a similar state, he could get suspended or expelled for inappropriate conduct or be strongly encouraged to go to another school for the scandal this would cause.
"It's not Gaara-kun's fault, Sensei," Hyuuga was quick to interject, using his polite student council rep voice he used while dealing with people from the school. "This is all a misunderstanding." While he spoke, he eased Gaara's hands off his lapels and got him to back away some but was careful to use Gaara to hide both of their predicaments. "Gaara-kun wasn't feeling well and became very disoriented and dizzy. He was just holding onto me to keep himself steady."
It was a smart lie, explaining much of the scenario of why they were so close and why Gaara's head was so close to Hyuuga's neck/shoulder. Hyuuga lied with such ease and confidence, it was hard to dispute.
"A student claimed she was shoved out of the way and even has a bruise," the teacher glared at Gaara who still hadn't turned around or spoken a word.
Hyuuga readily replied, "Gaara-kun was a little panicked and didn't realize he used so much strength. In his culture, it's looked down upon to seek medical help for something so minor. It's viewed as showing weakness, so he came to find me for help. He didn't mean to startle her." He looked at Gaara with concern as he asked, "Are you still feeling nauseous?"
Hyuuga was very skillful. He had effectively played the foreigner card to explain his odd actions and stopped the teacher from asking Gaara any questions. Taking the handout, Gaara nodded to the question.
The teacher, with very little room to go after Gaara with Hyuuga's lies, frowned. "Gaara-san, this is Japan. When you are ill, you should go directly to the infirmary or go home. You are a senior, and you should be mindful of your body and health and the health of your fellow students."
"That would be my fault, Sensei," Hyuuga spoke up guiltily. "I knew he wasn't feeling well, but he didn't want to miss more class and was adamant about staying, so I told him if he wasn't feeling well to find me. I shouldn't have given him such bad advice." He bowed to the teacher.
Teacher became a bit flustered with Hyuuga taking responsibility for the incident. There was nothing he could do. "Just make sure it doesn't happen again," he finally conceded. "And take him to the infirmary."
"Yes, Sensei." Hyuuga didn't pay the teacher any attention after that, supporting Gaara as if he was actually sick. With Hyuuga buying time, both of them had calmed down and could finally move.
Before they could go far, Gaara's cell rang. His was not the only one. Several phones throughout the school rang at once, gartering confusion throughout the school amongst the normal students as several students stopped all activities and answered without saying a single word. At the same time, an announcement was made over the loudspeaker.
All students, please report to your dormitory or return home. Classes for today have been canceled due to security concerns. Please wait until further instructions.
Gaara's eyebrows furrowed and answered his phone as well. The words on the other end had his phone cracking from the pressure, gaining a concerned glance from Hyuuga.
The words: "Orochimaru is attacking."
