How did things turn out this way?

Tenzo Yamato sat at a table at a local bar in Hokkaido, contemplating the last couple of days with a beer in his hands. A week ago, he was a cop, then he lost his job, found out vampires were real, and somehow escaped a spontaneous warzone. All things considered, he thought he was taking it rather well.

He withheld his world-weary sigh as he tried to consider what he was going to do next. This… this was a bit too much. He felt out of his depth. His original intention was just to just locate Uzumaki Naruto and track down the person who had taken him from the station.

He was a down-to-earth person. Someone who did not believe in something unless he saw it with his own eyes. He carried a healthy dose of skepticism and tended to prefer doing things himself to ensure everything was done the way he desired. Combined with his sense of justice, how could he not investigate the strange circumstances surrounding the young man even after he was warned and fired over it?

Half the things he saw following his independent investigation attempt still did not entirely compute. Even now, as he recalled going into the old, abandoned research facility, he could feel the lingering dread and helplessness that crawled up his spine, the suffocating atmosphere that turned him paranoid and muddled his thoughts. It was like entering a space that was filled with perpetual fear and suffering, a place cursed with negative emotions. If he had not experienced that place for himself, he would have said to man up and stop believing in superstitions.

He did a bit more research since going off on his own to confirm what he had seen. Specifically, he looked into Uchiha, Sasuke. Even seeing him drink Uzumaki's blood, Yamato's doubts had lingered. He found records of an Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Itachi in the late 1800s in England though no picture could be found, the only record was a newspaper claiming they had died in a fire. Digging deeper over the next couple of days, he found scattered records under different names and places. It was difficult to confirm his identity without photos but the few pictures that he could find, though blurry or damaged, did appear to be him.

He could not deny that Uchiha was what he claimed which caused him to reanalyze Uzumaki's statements as well. He tried to pull up his Namikaze Minato's files, only to find them non-existent. Contacting his partner, she managed to find someone to obtain it illegally. Indeed, the people Minato had been accused of murdering, after digging into it further, also seemed to have questionable or spotty backgrounds, as if fabricated. Minato was the only one out of the people mentioned in the case to have records from his birth to his death. More importantly, he had ties to Danzo, the chief of police, and the person who had fired him for digging into the case.

So now that he believed, what was he going to do about it?

He filled his cup with soju and tossed it back, concentrating on the burn. At least alcohol was reliable.

He may have spoken too soon.

As he went to grab the soju bottle on his table, a young man sat opposite of him. He plopped down into the seat as if Yamato was a long-term friend who wouldn't mind him joining. The brazen behavior caught the cop off guard, but only for a fraction of a second, eyes becoming sharp. There was only one other person in the bar, a young woman who sat at the bar counter. With so many empty seats, this person had to be approaching him for a reason.

He felt the heft of his firearm in his jacket, hoping he did not have to pull the illegal item out. Normally, the idea never crossed his mind, but now he was not sure of what dangers lurked around the corner.

"It's going to snow soon," the young man grunted rolling his neck. "I can already feel it."

"Better reason to head back home early tonight," Yamato replied, assessing the man carefully. He seemed to be in his early twenties. He wore a sweatshirt and jeans with an apron over it, and his hair was barely long enough to put into a ponytail, and even then, many strands were loose, framing his face. He looked as if he had just come back from a part-time job.

The young man snorted, his lips twitching into the beginning of a smile. "If I could, I would." He leaned back into the chair, slouching, legs open. "What about you Tenzo-san, what are you doing in a place like this?"

Yamato poured himself his drink but did not partake, keeping an eye on the young man who was between him and the door. "You have me at a disadvantage. I do not know who you are."

"Is there a need for you to know?" The young man replied, causing Yamato to frown deeply at the rudeness this young man was displaying to his elder.

Not wanting to cause a scene, but not wanting to be in this rude man's company any longer, Yamato pulled the check from the table. "Since the weather is getting bad, I'll take my own advice and leave first. Enjoy the rest of your evening." He moved to get up.

"Tenzo Yamato. Known to be a delinquent throughout your junior and high school years, you joined the police academy a year after high school through a strong recommendation, became detective after 10 years of hard work only to be fired with a flimsy excuse as if all those years meant nothing."

Yamato paused, then look down at the man with open wariness, thinking about the gun in his pocket once more. "What do you want from me?"

Lazily, the man rolled his head, looking up at him. "Why don't you have a seat?"

"And if I refuse?"

The man shrugged, "Something will happen, or something won't. I will leave it to your imagination." He smiled. "After the past week, it should be quite active."

Carefully, weighing his options, he sat back down slowly. "What is it that you want."

"I don't want anything from you. Just want to ask you a few questions."

"Do you look up so much information on someone for just a few questions?"

"Yeah," he said simply. "If there's something in it for me."

"And what do you get out of it?"

"I wonder," he drawled. "Let me ask you this, why did you become a cop?"

"I wanted to help people."

"Did you?" the young man responded just after the last syllable left Yamato's lips. "That's the model answer a cop is expected to give. Couldn't you give a more creative response?"

Yamato did not answer, and the man chuckled, convinced he hit the nail on the head.

"All right then, let's pretend you were a troubled youth who had a heart of justice underneath his rough exterior. After all these years in the force, do you truly believe they are the model of justice?"

"I wouldn't be a police officer if I didn't."

"But you aren't one now, are you?" at Yamato's silence, he continued. "Me, I hate cops. Just because I speak a bit rudely, I was always targeted by them, yet the real criminals were the cops being bribed by the yakuza on a daily basis and abusing their power and blaming others for their mistakes."

"Not all cops are like them," Yamato said softly.

The man laughed. "Doesn't matter if they aren't. Doesn't change the fact that they framed me, destroyed my reputation, and had me shot." He gave a derisive snort. "Imagine that, being shot in this country."

"I am sorry things have been difficult for you, but you cannot judge everyone by that experience alone." The story was uncomfortable for Yamato to hear. He knew there were some corrupt cops. Those who were protected by powerful people and hard expel, but he believed the majority were good. Just like everywhere, there was a good side and a bad side. He had to believe that to keep doing his job.

"Then what about your own experience? Your boss, the chief of police, Danzo, do you think he is one of the good ones?"

"He's donated to multiple charities and taken down many high-profile criminals. He has a long fulfilling and admirable career," Yamato replied, keeping eye contact.

"That may be." He leaned forward, his face becoming serious as he held Yamato's gaze. "So why did you not answer with a yes?"

"If you think you can turn me against the police, you are wasting your time."

"I never said I was. And you still did not answer."

They entered a staring contest, neither blinking nor looking away. The young man sighed, his eyes softening a little. "I'm not trying to turn you; just make you think. You know something's off with that big shot police chief, but your loyalty to your old job may make you turn a blind eye."

Yamato could not refute the claim, but he could not show weakness either. He still did not know if he could trust this young man or know what he wanted from him.

"There's a person you should contact. His name is Gaara, a friend of Uzumaki Naruto. Hyuuga, Hiashi is also a good choice. If you want to know why you were fired, you should contact one of them."

Gaara. He had heard that name in his research and background check on Uzumaki. Almost all of Uzumaki's priors had that name attached. If his instincts were right, Gaara was likely not a normal child either. "I'll think about it."

Yamato stood, pausing only briefly to see if the young man would stop him again.

The man only leaned back, lacing his fingers behind his head. "Enjoy the rest of your evening, Tenzo-kun."

Yamato lingered another second, staring down at the mysterious stranger, before saying, "Likewise," and leaving to pay for his drinks.

The stranger stayed seated, listening to the cop pay for his drinks and the front door opening and closing at his departure. He exhaled, standing up himself and walking over to the young woman at the bar. He stopped behind her, stuffing his hands into his pockets. His expression held a serious and cynical edge, staring at the woman's back. "I did what you asked. Send me off already."

The woman downed her martini, exhaling loudly and swinging the glass in her hand. "Sure. Any last words for this world before you depart for the next?"

He smirked. "Only that I get to those bastards in the next life and send them to hell first next time."

The woman cracked a smile, looking over her shoulder before swirling around on her stool, resting her elbows on the bar counter, prayer beads in her right hand. "I hope I get to see it. Maybe I'll join you."

Laughter entered the man's cynical gaze. "Sounds fun."

His form glowed with a white purifying silhouette until he faded before her eyes. She could still feel his anger and resentment towards this world, but he let it go if just to keep himself from turning into an evil spirit. This little job settled some of the discontent in his heart, allowing him the chance to cause trouble to the institution that took his young life and giving him enough peace to move to the next world.

She brought the refilled glass to her lips as her free hand took out her phone and called her contact.

"Did he take the bait?" Kakashi's voice came over the phone. It had a slight drawl from the many long nights he had worked, unable to perfectly mask his fatigue anymore.

"Most likely. The look in his eyes reminded me of Asuma-san. Good-natured, but intolerant to what he deems as corrupt," her voice softened with nostalgia and sadness, tinged with a bit of regret as she spoke of the deceased cop. "I give it three days max before he contacts Hyuuga-san."

"Good. Master Jiraiya gave notice that he will be returning soon. Danzo-sama will make his move before then."

She clicked her tongue. "It will be close then."

"Yes." There was a pause before adding, "but it may put things in our favor."


After their date, Neji took a few days off from training of his own request. His uncle seemed even a little relieved when he asked, pretending to think it over before ultimately agreeing and telling him not to be too comfortable. When he asked if he could sleep in Gaara's room for the time being, his uncle had not responded, so Neji had taken that as permission as well.

Even with his time off, he could not bring himself not to train at all. He did his chakra exercises and short workouts, but the rest of the time, he was with Gaara.

It was thanks to Gaara that his mind had settled, and his nightmares were not so bad. Though he had not been the one to kill that night, he felt guilty for not being able to save them. Holding Gaara just felt comforting.

That being said, it was not just cuddling either. As teenagers, a few make-out sessions were to be expected. It was a struggle to keep himself under control and not go further. The majority of the time, Gaara was hesitant and shy with the cutest shade of red coating his cheeks. Other times, like when they were in the restaurant bathroom, Gaara's eyes would change, holding a steady silver, and he would become a lot more physical and sexual.

Gaara never put him into another thrall, but he had been close when getting a little too heated in their make-out sessions. He had no doubt that if Neji kept going, they would go all the way, but he was unsure if Gaara even knew his vampire side was taking dominance at times while his human side remained hesitant at the idea of going further than a few kisses.

Gaara had his head in Neji's lap, talking to Matsuri on his phone. Gaara was still short and stilted with the girl as he instructed her, but his voice was a little softer when talking to her, even slipping in a word of praise one day. Matsuri, the sweet girl that she was, was shocked and overly delighted. Neji could hear the embarrassment and pride in her voice as she accepted the compliment.

Neji had always wanted children, but it was something he knew he would be giving up when he chose to stay with Gaara. It was probably for the best. Gaara did not seem to like children at all even if he was starting to get used to Matsuri. He brushed Gaara's hair with his fingers, idly listening to his lover talk on the phone. Unable to help himself, he leaned down to kiss Gaara's forehead, gaining a cute blush for his actions. While giving up children was a loss, having Gaara in return was worth it.

As Neji tried to sit back up, Gaara grabbed his hair, keeping him from retreating. "I'll call you in two days," Gaara said into the phone before tossing it aside and bringing his lips to meet Neji's.

The sudden kiss must have been his vampire side again, Neji thought, kissing him back lightly. Since it did not seem to have anything to do with Seth, he had not said anything, but he was a little worried if Gaara would try to bite him. Thankfully, Gaara could not turn him since he was not a real vampire, but he knew how upsetting it would be for Gaara if an accident happened.

As he suspected, when Gaara pulled away, his eyes were silver, but their green coloring was bleeding through.

"Matsuri-chan seems to be doing well," Neji asked, attempting to bring back the human part of his lover before they went further. Neji wasn't a saint. He wanted to have sex, and Gaara's teasing was not helping. Until Gaara's human side agreed with at least a little enthusiasm, he was trying to hold himself back and be responsible. He could not take Gaara's control away. It had to fully be his choice. Yet, Neji still had thoughts of saying screw it and going for it anyway.

Matsuri's name had the desired effect, the rest of the silver fading. "Yes," Gaara said as is human consciousness tried to recover from the surge of instinct that had taken control for a brief instance. He laid his head back on Neji's lap, looking up at him.

Neji took one of Gaara's hands, kissing it, smiling as Gaara averted his gaze with embarrassment. "Did she make any friends?"

"Don't encourage it," Gaara muttered.

"Having friends is healthy," Neji encouraged him, kissing his fingertips. "You had Uzumaki, didn't you?"

Gaara could not argue with him, but he still did not agree. His faith in people was still low. Whether Gaara ever trust people much more than he did now was unlikely. Gaara could not afford to.

Neji brushed his hair behind his ear to keep it out of his face as he kissed Gaara softly on the lips.

Gaara reached up, running his fingers through Neji's hair, playing with it and pulling it out from behind the ear again.

Neji chuckled, and a small smile pulled on Gaara's lips too.

A knock startled them, Neji sitting up, and Gaara rising slightly himself, both looking up at the door to see Hiashi standing there. One hand in his sleeve while the other was raised to knock on the door frame. Despite their position, he did not say anything about it, only delivering his message in his usual cold demeanor. "Come to the office. We have things we need to discuss." Once his message was delivered, he left without comment.

Neji was blushing, embarrassed about being caught, while Gaara laid his head back down inhaling deeply and closing his eyes. "He's surprisingly tolerant."

Thankful that his hair was covering most of his expression, Neji hid his mortification and insecurity. He was grateful his uncle said nothing when he caught them doing things like this, but he still recalled what his uncle had said. He said that he could not lie and say he was accepting of it. He would not stop them, and if someone said something, his uncle would defend them, but that did not mean his uncle accepted their relationship or did not hope it would fail.

A part of Neji still wanted that verbal verification from his uncle, and his uncle's unspoken words often rang louder. Like he was still being judged, and his silence was the disapproval.

"Stop thinking," Gaara said, finally sitting up all the way, sliding off the bed.

Neji watched him, going at a slower pace, but wrapping his arms around Gaara's waist nonetheless. Outside this house, he was afraid he would falter. When they inevitably went back to school, go back into society, will Neji have the strength to do something daring? Would he be able to verbally admit to people that Gaara was his boyfriend? His uncle was tolerant, but others would not be so silent.

What was worse was knowing Gaara would be okay with Neji keeping his distance. If Neji lied, Gaara would never correct him, never get angry at him, and limit interactions with him, going so far as to not be in the same room. And that wasn't something Gaara deserved.

"Hey," Gaara turned in his arms, looking him directly in the eye. There was a silent question, asking Neji if he was regretting his choice.

He hugged Gaara tightly, kissing his forehead. He could never regret his choice. "Come on. Let's see what my uncle needs this time."

He walked hand in hand with Gaara until the office before letting go. "Excuse the intrusion, Oji-sama," Neji bowed. Gaara stood behind him but did not bow, merely leaning against the door frame.

"Have a seat." He gestured from behind the desk.

He stole a quick look at Gaara before sitting down. Gaara refused to sit, remaining by the door. Was Gaara trying to save Neji's image, he wondered, but he did not have much time to dwell on it as Hiashi pulled out a stack of papers.

"The political situation in Konoha has changed. Tsunade-sama's authority has been restricted for the past several weeks due to the incident in Beppu. It is what caused both of you to come out here to lessen their leverage on her. However, it was only a temporary measure. Newborn vampires have increased drastically, and blame is falling onto Tsunade-sama."

Neji frowned, his eyebrows drawing together. "I do not understand. Aren't the increases in activity because of the disappearance of the vampire council?"

Pity seeped into his uncle's eyes. "Politics is often not so rational. It is what people want to believe and what alliances have been made behind doors that will determine what is actually done."

"But don't we have the same goal?"

His uncle did not answer, but Gaara quietly answered. "The same goal can look quite different depending on how you want to achieve that goal." Gaara was still looking off elsewhere but there was a truth in his voice that Gaara seem much older than he was.

Neji had read the files Nara had given them, even committed them to memory. He knew significant family situations, which clans were close, which had grudges, and which were being threatened of dying out. But what he had also understood was each clans' dedication to the safety and peace humans had enjoyed for so long. If something was dire enough, surely, they would work together even if reluctantly, wouldn't they?

"What one is willing to commit to and what one is willing to sacrifice changes from person to person. Even if there is a common enemy, depending on the price that is to be paid, it may hinder the choice that may be best for the majority knowingly," Hiashi added, sliding a folder forward for Neji to pick up.

Neji's eyes landed on the folder. "Are you like that too, Oji-sama?"

His uncle gave him a hard stare, telling him the answer to that question. He would be stupid to deny what his uncle was saying, but the young part of him, the part still naïve to the world, still wanted to hold out hope that people were better than they were.

"As of an hour ago, there has been a vote to hold a hearing for Tsunade-sama to remove her from her position. Normally it would take time to arrange it, taking about a month, but it will be held in two days."

"They are trying to force her out quickly before something happens," Neji concluded.

There was a spark of approval in his uncle's eyes. "Yes. Tsunade-sama is not well liked. Her ways are too American for the more traditional families. Her supporters in the past do not support her per se, but Master Jiraiya who supports her. With her movements restricted these past weeks, she has been unable to make timely decisions while the opposing faction comes off as competent and picks up where she is lacking. With Master Jiraiya's return, they'll want to hold the vote now prior to his arrival with her recent failures fresh in everyone's mind."

They were playing dirty, but as a strategic move, it was smart. He was still new to the hunter world. He had not seen how Tsunade ruled, had yet to go to any meetings, and yet to interact with any other clan besides his own. From what he heard and seen for himself, she did not seem like a bad leader, but he knew too little to confidently say replacing her would be a bad idea. All he did know with absolute certainty was that his uncle had pledged his allegiance to Tsunade and his uncle planned to continue to support her.

"What do you need me to do, Oji-sama?"

"We will be returning to Japan. You will need to pack quickly. Secondly, try not to associate with or contact Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke. It will not help Tsunade-sama's position, and it is difficult to know who will use that information against you." When he delivered that piece of news, his eyes were on Gaara, directing that instruction more to him than Neji. Gaara said nothing, so he continued. "Neji, you are a new hunter. There are many who will approach you, make you side with them, or use Gaara-san against you. Tsunade-sama has protected Gaara-san and Uzumaki-san their entire lives. If she is removed, and your relationship is found out, you will be branded a traitor. I will not be able to protect you."

He understood. If things went wrong. He and Gaara would have to run. "I understand."

His uncle spent a long time staring at him, and Neji waited to be dismissed with discomfort. His uncle's gaze felt heavy, and he could not guess what he was thinking. Finally, his uncle said, "You are dismissed."

Neji did not waste time getting up. They were finally heading back. Their separation from the rest of the world was finally coming to an end. The training Neji endured so far would have to be enough as they walked back into the fray. As he passed Gaara, as he subtly grabbed his hand as he passed, he steeled himself for what was to come and the fear that going back was bringing.

It was just a finger he grabbed at first, wanting to draw courage from Gaara. Gaara went further, entwining their fingers together as they walked, heading up the stairs to ready for their departure.