Jiraiya stepped back onto the soil of his homeland in what felt like years. The crisp early morning air and the salty breeze brought back a nostalgic feeling; however, he was not able to enjoy that feeling. His mind was filled with thoughts of what he needed to do. He had a destination he needed to get to and verify for himself. He needed to verify Gabriel's words.

"Two of my siblings have disappeared. Even when the hosts die, we can feel one another, but their presence is gone. Something like this has never happened before," Gabriel folded her hands in her lap. Though she was calm, something about her demeanor changed, the feeling she exerted when people were in her presence. She was concerned.

"What does that have to do with me?" Such news would be something Jiraiya would prefer if it meant the vampire lords were finally gone.

She smiled, and though it was kindly, the hair on the back of Jiraiya's neck stood. "All of us lords were once minor gods. While our names only became well known after our transformation into a more mortal form, we still follow the commands of the ones above if called upon. The lords have only had one command from the heavens that we had to follow together."

"What are you trying to say? My patience is wearing thin," Jiraiya replied. Gods or not, these lords killed hundreds of thousands over their lifetime. If she thought he would cower over the mention of facing a god, she was delusional. Many demons were worshiped as gods before after all.

"Our mission, Master Jiraiya," she continued, pretending he didn't interrupt, "was to seal Susano'o away."

At Jiraiya's stunned silence, Gabriel smiled brightly but it felt as if she was looking down on him. "We sealed our brother away."

Brother. The implications of that weighed on Jiraiya's mind. Susano'o was no minor god. He was one of the big ones. Izanagi and Izanami, and their children, Amaterasu, Tsukiyomi, and Susano'o. Izanagi and Izanami had more children of course, but the world was said to have been divided amongst those three. He did not know how much of the story was true. The vampire lords had shaped religion, culture, and the stories associated with them for generations. There were lies and there were truths and no way to dissect fact from fiction. But her statement insinuated at the very least Susano'o was real, and all seven lords had been required to seal him.

Gabriel did not tell him the details of why they sealed him or how, but her mentioning it was enough for him to understand she thought the disappearances had something to do with Susano'o.

Jiraiya waved down a taxi, telling the driver his destination. He looked at his phone, seeing all the missed calls from various clan leaders and most importantly Tsunade. His mask broke as he stared at the name on the screen. She needed him. She needed his support. No one else would give it to her. She appeared strong and unmovable. Someone who did not get intimidated. Because of that, many never lent her a hand or understanding.

His thumb hovered over her name. She was likely worried sick. He wanted to tell her he was back in Konoha, but he could not let them know yet.

"We are vulnerable, Master Jiraiya. Those of us tasked to keep Susano'o in check are currently imprisoned, or true bodies hidden away from us, and the ones who sealed our bodies away are dead and kept the knowledge of where hidden. Our hosts are mentally weak, some with fracturing psyche from the abuse suffered while they are kept from developing their bodies and chakra; two things that are inherently far superior to other humans hence why they were selected by us to begin with to be able to handle our souls. You humans have neutered what could have been your best and strongest warriors. As things currently stand, if someone is hunting us, there is no easier target."

"Why do you need me?" Jiraiya asked.

"Because of Naruto. Your ward is unique in many ways. He can communicate with my brother any time he wishes, he is on good terms with him as well, he is part vampire allowing him to access a much larger portion of my brother's abilities, and most important of all, he is mentally stable and well-loved.

"Naruto may not realize it, but he has grown up with the love of his parents, the love of his guardians, and the love of his friends. No other current host has such relationships around them. Because he is well-loved, I know that there may be a chance his guardians these past years may continue to protect him even if the host/imprisoned relationship gets closer."

Jiraiya almost frowned, barely keeping his mask as he asked. "What do you mean by closer?"

Jiraiya exited the taxi, seeing the Uchiha mansion beyond the front gates in the distance. He waited for the taxi to pull away before jumping over the gate. From what Jiraiya knew, Naruto and Uchiha had not been home in a while. Since he had cut off communication from the other hunters, his information network was lacking. Gabriel told him he should wait here for their return and to judge for himself before making his final decision.

He waited about a day, loitering around the empty manor in the shadows. He managed to get some information from Akamaru, surprised that Inuzuka had awakened while he was away. While the hunters knew about the partially contracted demon following Saigo around, none of them expected the boy of a died-out clan to fully awaken his abilities. Inuzuka still apparently did not have full control over the demon as Akamaru was wandering about on his own still, but it did allow Jiraiya to be filled in on some current events.

As he looked at his phone, wondering if he should call Tsunade, he felt it. The strong foreign yet familiar chakra covered the area. It was heavy, dense, and oppressive. He felt the chakra long before he saw the owner of it.

Was this the worst-case scenario?

He walked out of the shadows, stopping in front of the door, looking to the sky. Soon enough, he saw the owner of that chakra, and it was just as he feared.

A blue-white cloud floated down from the sky. Riding on top of it, was a man. Braided thick orange hair, piercing, animalistic red eyes. His pants were too tight, and he wore a white lab coat tattered and splattered in blood. In his arms, he carried an unconscious Uchiha in his arms who also was covered in blood.

The man's eyes locked onto Jiraiya immediately, his lips pulling into a smirk as the cloud continued to descend. It took everything in his power not to draw a weapon. A takeover was what he and the other hunters were worried about since Naruto was bit. Kurama had taken over.

The cloud touched down and dispersed, Kurama took a few steps forward, keeping his eyes locked on Jiraiya. "Master Jiraiya," he greeted. Jiraiya had long since overcome the natural fear vampires instilled in humans. Kurama reignited that long-forgotten fear. His presence set him on edge and judging the lord based on the power he emitted, were they to fight, Jiraiya was not sure he could win. And that's what was unnerving. He knew that what he sensed from Kurama, all this power was only a fraction of it, restrained by the human body he was still imprisoned in. If he were ever to fully release his powers, Jiraiya knew that there was no one on the island who could stop him. While Kurama was weakened, while he still had his powers mostly restrained, now would be the right time to confront him. "How surprising. I thought you would have tried to kill me by now."

"I'm still contemplating it," Jiraiya replied.

"Is that so?" Kurama said, clearly amused. "Then what pray tell is holding you back? A sense of nostalgia?" he mocked. "Because that doesn't seem like you."

No, nostalgia wasn't the reason. He was struggling to stop himself from following through on what he was trained to. A vampire lord walking free had never been good. But he refrained. Just barely.

Jiraiya cleaned his blade, wiping the vampire blood carefully from his weapon. The bodies he disposed of shriveling up and decaying rapidly. He side-eyed his unlikely companion.

She stood in the corner watching him, but her gaze seemed to look through him as she said, "That is the last of them for now. You should hurry or you will miss your flight." She spoke to him, but it did not feel like she was paying attention to him. She had the same look Naruto had sometimes, distracted by something.

Jiraiya put his sword away, still watching her. He still had questions. She was calm and appeared reasonable, but she was still a vampire lord. She was dangerous even if she was known as the most civil out of the siblings.

They entered the Vnukovo airport together, Jiraiya's eyes scanning his surroundings. Foreigners and natives alike were quickly going to their destinations or staring at their phones. With the chaos the city had been in every night for the past several weeks, it was no surprise people were leaving, but it is also likely some vampires were trying to leave the city as well.

"This is where we part, Master Jiraiya," Gabriel said, stopping in her tracks. "My part is done for now. My host has been couped up for too long." The way she spoke about her host was parental, full of fondness and, for once, sincerity." Gabriel smiled at him one last time. "I hope you give my brother a chance and take me up on my offer. Until we meet again." The beautiful, charming Gabriel entered the men's room. Jiraiya waited, wanting to see for himself if what she claimed was true.

It was easy to spot the host who exited. The appearance was not quite what Jiraiya expected, so much so that even Jiraiya would say he had been surprised. Gabriel never spoke about who her host was, but the small, frail-looking boy who exited the bathroom was a stark contrast. It was a child, perhaps nine or ten years old. He wore clothes too large for him, the sleeves rolled up several times and the belt pulled tight to keep them up. His light brown hair seemed dark against his pale skin. Even Jiraiya could tell that until very recently the boy had been malnourished and still recovering. Even his hands were covered in scars.

The young boy's eyes locked on to his briefly. That short moment was enough for Jiraiya to put together his story. Those stormy gray eyes that looked back at him did not belong to a child. As they narrowed at him coldly, showing their anger and distrust of Jiraiya and the people around him.

Jiraiya knew those eyes. It was the same eyes Naruto once had after Minato died before he forgot the trauma of his past. When Naruto wasn't an emotionless husk and brief specks of emotions showed, Naruto would look at him the same way. It took a year to get Naruto finally cry and let Jiraiya in to comfort him. This boy no longer held any trust towards humanity. He would rather watch the world burn.

Gabriel had that boy's trust, and Gabriel was fond of that boy. A symbiotic relationship where they needed each other. It was possible for a lord to give the body of the host back, something previously thought to be impossible. She asked him to give Kurama a chance and to stand by Naruto's side, but he never thought Kurama would be the first one he would meet.

Jiraiya glanced down at Uchiha. His veins were black, a sign of dead man's blood poisoning. The vampire's mouth and fingertips were coated in blood. If he wasn't a vampire, Jiraiya would have assumed he was dead from the color of his skin to his lack of movement. A part of his skull was even caved in. What had happened?

He didn't dwell on that question, returning to the problem at hand. He couldn't let his guard down in front of such a dangerous opponent. Kurama's eyes were continuing to assess Jiraiya as Jiraiya took that second to glance at Uchiha and his condition, determining how much of a threat Jiraiya was to him.

"Let me speak to Naruto," Jiraiya said, somehow keeping his professional voice and face.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." His mocking tone, grated on Jiraiya. Those eyes looked down on the human, seeing Jiraiya as an insignificant speck.

"Can't or won't." Jiraiya wanted to kill him. His hand itched to grab a weapon. The impulse was so strong, he actively had to keep himself from doing so. Kurama noticed. How could a being as old as him not? But he still made no hostile moves towards Jiraiya.

The vampire in Kurama's arms, stirred, finally drawing Kurama's attention away from Jiraiya. "Since you're here, help me restrain him before I have to smash his head in again." Kurama walked attempted to walk around Jiraiya but was met with a blade to his throat. Kurama side-eyed Jiraiya, not moving.

"Can't or won't," he asked again.

The old demon huffed. Somehow it reminded Jiraiya of a fox or wolf dealing with an annoying young pup tugging on its ear or tail, wanting to swat the pup away but unable to bring itself to hurt the child. "Help me tie this brat up. We'll talk after."

Give him a chance, she asked. Even with a blade drawn on him, Kurama had not become hostile, only asking for his assistance once more.

Jiraiya lowered his blade, but he did not put it away.

Kurama brought Uchiha into the house, taking him to the basement. Jiraiya followed at a distance, keeping watch for any suspicious activity. Kurama merely restrained Uchiha with chains shackled around his wrists, ankles and neck, the ends bolted into the wall and floor. In the metal, inscriptions were engraved to contain vampire strength. It was curious that a vampire owned something that could restrain him until he recalled the reason why Uchiha had come to the island in the first place.

Kurama restrained him just in time. Uchiha began to wake shortly after. Kurama took two steps back, just as Uchiha's eyes snapped open. Wild eyes snapped to Jiraiya's position. In an instant, he was on his feet, leaping towards them, fangs bared, snarling. The chains stopped him a couple of inches away from Kurama. He fought against his restraints, his muscles straining as he pulled, saliva dripping. There was no humanity left in Uchiha as he repeatedly tried to get to Kurama who was just out of his reach like a wild animal. This vampire was in the middle of a blood craze.

Satisfied that Uchiha couldn't escape, he spoke once more. "That bastard you call Orochimaru got hold of the kid and that brat over there."

Jiraiya felt his heart stop. Raising Naruto, he had to deal with the emotional and mental aftermath of what Orochimaru did to Naruto. Being a hunter, he had seen the labs Orochimaru had run and the bodies of those left behind, and he had witnessed the suffering Gaara went through because of past experiments. If Orochimaru got hold of Naruto…

"If you're planning revenge, don't bother. The brat made sure he was dead this time." Kurama turned to Jiraiya. His gaze was angry as he said, "But not before Orochimaru got to him first."

Slowly Kurama closed his eyes, hiding his cutting stare and proceeded to remove the blood-soaked coat. "I could push Naruto out if I wished to, but I won't." He dropped the coat which Uchiha lunged for. "His mind is fractured. If he took over now, it will break, and he will die."

Jiraiya's hand tightened around his sword, watching as Kurama walked towards the exit. "Try not to kill the brat while I'm gone. I'll never hear the end of it."

Jiraiya kept his feet rooted, trying not to follow after him. Kurama, the demon who led an army, who set Kyoto and Hakodate ablaze, who slaughtered tens of thousands before he was sealed, who killed his grandfather the last time he managed to gain control. Kurama was idolized in pop culture as the fabled nine-tailed fox of legends and feared by the hunters. He was mischievous and cruel.

And yet when he spoke of Naruto, he was protective, daring Jiraiya to even try to force Naruto to come out and expect to meet his wrath in doing so. Jiraiya was an enemy, yet he did not confront him and showed minimal hostility. Was that for Naruto's sake too or did he just think of Jiraiya as such a little threat.

He did not know what to believe. Gabriel placed doubt in his mind. Kurama had been civil and unlike any of the stories about him. It could have been a trick. Kitsunes were known for their trickery. But they were also known for their loyalty.

"I will not lie to you, Master Jiraiya. We hate humans," Gabriel said, sitting across from him, sipping from her cup of tea. "Every single one of us would not mind watching you humans suffer." Her eyes grew distant, recalling old memories. "But most of us were once were close with them as well. Those memories are not so easily forgotten even with our hatred."

His silence could be costly should Kurama decide to retaliate. His only assurance was that Kurama came back to this island. A hunter island. There were only a handful of reasons as to why when anywhere would have been more convenient. If he wanted to make a careful decision all he could do was keep observing, but he may act too late should it all be a lie.

He wanted to believe. He desperately wanted to. He did not want Naruto to die. He did not want Tsunade to lose someone she saw as a son. This was the first real option that would allow Naruto to live presented before him. He listened because he wanted to believe it was true, but he was a hunter first and foremost. He could not dismiss the possibility of betrayal nor the possibility something bigger and more dangerous could be present, leaving him stuck from following through on either.

"What should I do, Tsunade?" he thought, missing her greatly.

He listened and felt for Kurama's presence making sure the lord didn't leave the premises. He silently prayed he could make the decision soon before he was forced to choose a side.


Matsuri stared at the phone, hearing Hyuuga-senpai's voice over the speaker. Smiling a little to herself, she hung up on her sensei's behalf who failed to do so first. Lately, she had been hearing her senpai's voice or seeing him in the background of her calls with her sensei. She had been worried about their relationship before, if her senpai would be able to accept people like them; her worries now seemed unnecessary. It was good to see they were such good friends.

Which was why it was so hard to tell them.

She sat on the floor of her temporary bedroom at the Hyuuga estate, curled up with her legs to her chest. Her phone hung loosely from her hand, as her small smile turned to worry, her stress showing around her eyes. The curtains were drawn shut, blocking out any light, the door closed and locked.

Since her senpai and sensei left, something had felt off. She thought it was her imagination at first, shaken up by recent events. She had survived an explosion and a recent attempt on her life. She thought she was overthinking, and she was being paranoid. She thought she was being watched.

She had no proof. When she turned around, no one was there. There was never anything out of place, and the people around her did not seem to notice, but the feeling only intensified, as if the person watching her was getting closer and closer. Even now, she felt like if she peered outside the small slit between the curtains she would feel those eyes on her, intending to cause her harm. She could not even bring herself to leave for school anymore.

She thought Tsunade-sensei or Iruka-sensei would have come to find her and question her about her absences, but they never came or even called, and she was too ashamed and embarrassed to go to them first. She had already troubled them with demanding to be admitted to the school, how could she tell them she thought she was being watched without proof? She knew she was young, and being young, she knew people would not take her fears seriously. They would see her as a scared young girl not ready to go out on her own. Only her father never treated her like that. He took her concerns seriously and would tell her time and time again, that she was stronger than she thought she was and would never lie or joke about anything serious.

She missed her father. Hearing his voice was like being wrapped up in a warm, comforting blanket. When she realized how worried he was after she had left without warning, she felt guilty. The amount of gratitude she felt for her senpai convincing her to call him could not be measured, and she had called him every night to reassure him that she was safe and sound and tell him about her day. He too was someone she did not want to worry further. She left to get control of herself and her abilities. The thought that one day she could have touched him and turned him to ice terrified her. If she saw him now, she was not sure she could stop herself from running into his arms. She couldn't leave until she was certain she wouldn't harm him.

So while she was not attending school, she worked on what her sensei told her to do. She meditated and practiced chakra control. She was getting better. Her control was more natural. She did not have to think so much about consciously restraining her abilities, but there were still mistakes here and there. As the stress from her paranoia increased, the more mistakes she made. She doubled down further to try to bring it under control, working twice as hard. If not for her sensei's guidance, she would have struggled much longer.

Since Hyuuga-senpai and Gaara-sensei had become good friends, her sensei's words were not as jaded, and he was more willing to explain things without being prompted to. He no longer scolded her about trusting others and said things like look after only herself. He even gave her positive reinforcement once. He was still awkward and cold to her, but that just made those softer moments more precious to her.

Renewing her resolve, she tried her exercises from the beginning. Just as she was heading into the first layer of meditation, a knock on the door.

Hope.

Someone was finally coming to check on her. The relief she felt was just a weight off her shoulders. Did Hyuuga-san return first? She hurried to the door, pulling it open excitedly.


They came back to Japan as soon as they were able. Flying from Seoul to Fukuoka then taking then a car to Beppu, the trip took longer than they would have liked. Hiashi was working throughout the entire trip, making calls and sending emails.

For Gaara, going back meant preparing for normalcy. Preparing for Hyuuga to go back to his daily grind and keeping up appearances. Going back to constantly remaining guarded. Going back to the uncertainty.

Gaara was aware that his control lately was teetering. Specifically, when Hyuuga got him worked up. Gaara was hesitant to make out with him. After what happened in the restaurant bathroom, whenever Hyuuga did more than a peck on the lips, Gaara was overwhelmed by his instincts. The need to touch him, hold him, protect him, possess him.

He knew Hyuuga wanted to get physical which is why he remained quiet about it though he was unsettled. Hyuuga must have been aware of his struggles as whenever Gaara was on the brink of losing himself to his desires, Hyuuga stopped him. If this was a couple of weeks ago, he would have been terrified at this lack of control. He was still scared, but their date showed him two things he had not been aware of previously.

The first being vampire instincts without Seth's influence. Whenever he lost control in the past it was Seth's whispers he would hear. He would feel Seth's desires merge with his, influencing his hatred and aggression. Like Seth was standing behind him, guiding him, controlling him. Left unchecked, Seth's presence would continue to grow, and Gaara felt like he was losing himself, his identity, as Seth gained ground. For the first time, he did not hear Seth's whispers. Gaara was still drowning in his desires, but it was his desires. No one else's.

The second thing he discovered was how tenderly he would treat Hyuuga. He had always associated his vampire instincts with the negative. Violent, possessive, hungry, lack of control. Nothing good ever came from him pulling on those instincts. People always got hurt. Someone always died.

With Hyuuga however, when Hyuuga was in his arms, when Hyuuga was showering Gaara with love and affection, when he allowed Gaara to leave his mark on him and they exchanged chakra, Gaara's instincts took an unfamiliar form. He was more affectionate, gentler, in tune with Hyuuga's distress. He would comfort and feel the need to protect and soothe. He would think, his mate needed him. He needed to make his hurt go away. He needed to make him happy. Hyuuga's distress became his, and he felt the need to remove whatever made him unhappy because he could not bear the thought of his mate's suffering.

Such tenderness was something Gaara did not think he was capable of. That the monster part of him could ever want to care for another individual was baffling but also reassuring. Because he could say with absolute certainty, that he would not cause harm to Hyuuga. That knowledge gave him peace of mind and allowed Gaara to keep trying to be comfortable with their growing intimacy, mental and physical.

He was still unsettled of course. He was trained since birth that all vampire instincts were bad. Even if it had positive connotations, he still could not help but see them in a negative light. He knew they troubled Hyuuga, especially when he was possessive. He knew from Uchiha that it was normal, reminding him that vampires were essentially a different species from humans following different rules and fulfilling different needs. For Gaara who had always suppressed those instincts, he was at a loss at how to manage them, unfamiliar with them. Out of habit, he tried to keep it under wraps and under control, but for the first time, he wondered if he should restrain it as he once had. Should he when he felt so at peace with Hyuuga during those times.

Now that they had returned, showing weakness, showing any part of his vampire side, positive or not could be seen as a hazard, a threat. With Hyuuga pulling away to keep up appearances, he wasn't sure if his vampire side would like that and feared his possessiveness would reappear due to the insecurity of a partial bond. Whether he wanted to or not, his control had to be perfect for the time being. For Hyuuga's sake.

The plan was for them to stay in Beppu for the time being while Hiashi returned to check the situation. If Tsunade was replaced, Gaara would become a target and getting off the island would be difficult. They did accompany Hiashi to the ferry to see him off.

As they stepped out of the car at the docks, they saw someone arguing with another individual who was blocking the gangplank, keeping the former from boarding. Their conversation carried loudly in the relatively quiet area despite being in the middle of the day.

The sound of the car doors closing, caused the arguing to stop. The man on the gangplank stepped forward bowing to Hiashi immediately. "Hyuuga-sama, welcome back."

Hiashi glanced at the bowing man and then at the man who had been ignored and pushed aside. "Is there a problem?"

"Not at all. I was just explaining to this young man that this is a private ferry," the man replied calmly. Calling him a man may have been too generous as he was nowhere close to being human. He was a shikigami. A very old one at that. For the past 100 years, he had manned that ferry despite his owner having long since died. The spiritual power embedded into his form was strong enough to last long after death. He could probably keep going for another hundred years.

The other man's lips thinned at being called a young man. To the untrained eye, he was clearly older than the shikigami's physical appearance. However, for the shikigami to stop him from boarding meant he did not meet the requirements. He was not an island resident, he did not have a pass or permission to visit, and he did not have signs of being a hunter or significant chakra to identify as one.

"I see. Thank you for your hard work, Kida-kun." He walked up to the gangplank and the shikigami stepped aside.

"Will the young masters, be joining us today?" the ferryman asked.

"Not today," Hiashi responded, boarding.

Gaara watched him board, but his eyes went to the attempted trespasser who was staring at him. The intruder looked at the ferry then back to Gaara. "Are you the person named Gaara?" he asked, taking a few steps from the gangplank.

Gaara did not answer at first, staring at the man assessing him. He did not sense anything supernatural about him nor did he have any significant chakra. There was no way Gaara had a previous association with him. From the uncertainty playing on the man's face, the man wasn't sure of it himself, faltering a bit at Gaara's silence.

Hyuuga looked at him worriedly, asking quietly what they should do.

"You are Uzumaki Naruto's friend, right?"

At Uzumaki's name, Gaara did react, eying him with suspicion. "I am. What do you want?"

The man was taken back from Gaara's rude and cold behavior. Normally, people would overlook a foreigner's rude Japanese, chalking it up to lack of knowledge about the language, but Gaara's Japanese was native and sounded natural. Anyone could tell the rudeness was intended.

The man cleared his throat, taking a moment to get his bearings and figure out how he was going to approach him. "I am Detective Yamato. I was working on your friend's case and his involvement in the Beppu incident. I recently met him in Aomori and there was an incident. A dangerous one." He cleared his throat again, eyes darting to where the shikigami stood. "How about I buy you and your friend, some food first. My treat."

Gaara was silent, making Yamato nervous. He extended his chakra a little to see what his reaction would be. Most people avoided his gaze, break out into a cold sweat, and they would smell of fear, making an excuse to get out of Gaara's presence. Yamato swallowed audibly, fear spiking, but he held his ground, staring him straight in the eye. He must have been exposed to it at least a few times already or he knew what he was dealing with.

"Fine. I know a place."

Down the street, not too far from the ferry docks was a gyoza place, Osaka Osho. Their kareage and pork gyoza were good as well. He would have preferred the bakery in town, but he wanted Hyuuga to have a chance to eat some real food rather than go to another place full of sweets.

They were seated and handed menus. Gaara ordered a meal set ad Hyuuga ordered some ramen, waiting on the detective. He just ordered a beer and some fried rice with a side of chicken gyoza.

Rather than waiting for after the meal, Gaara started the conversation, wanting to get this over with. "What happened in Aomori?

Yamato tried hard to let the rudeness slide, but it seemed like his pride won out as he said, "Shouldn't you be speaking to me a bit more formally?" He asked politely with a forced smile. "I am your elder."

"Why?" Gaara asked deadpanned, still speaking informally with no intention to change it.

Yamato debated internally if he should comment or not but decided to let it go. He needed something from Gaara after all. Why else would he approach him?

"First thing's first," he looked around to make sure no one was near them. Thankfully, it was in the early afternoon so there were few customers in the restaurant. "Are you, one of them? A… you know."

How was Gaara supposed to know what he was referring to? It could mean a hunter or vampire, or something else entirely. Gaara did not know him or what he knew or thought he knew. "Aomori," he said again. "What happened."

Perhaps Yamato took his refusal to answer as a yes as Yamato sighed heavily as if he was having a hard time bringing it up. "I managed to track Uzumaki-kun down to an old research facility after he escaped custody. However, after finding him, we were attacked by the JSDF. The amount of force was…" he hesitated. "It wasn't normal. Firing on sight, in a town no less, helicopters, Humvees, they treated Uzumaki-san and Uchiha-san as if they knew it would be needed to stop and corner them."

Gaara clenched his jaw. There weren't many who could deploy that much firepower. Gaara even doubted they were real soldiers. Mercenaries perhaps. However, there was no mention of it in the media, indicating hunter involvement. He knew Tsunade would not have ordered it and if she had, she would have used the hunters at her disposal to do the job, not firepower. Someone had to have major influence to move the JSDF or hire mercenaries and make them look like the JSDF while keeping it out of the media.

"I already thought something was strange," Yamato continued. "Shortly, after Uzumaki-kun escaped my custody, I was told to drop the case. When I continued to pry, they fired me. I never expected things to get so out of hand."

Gaara showed no reaction to his words, but he was worried for Uzumaki's safety. He had sent him to Aomori after all, and to hear this happened while he was there and not getting a call afterward, he was worried. "What do you want from me?"

Yamato took a breath, settling his nerves. "I was told you could give me insight, like why I was fired." It must have been awkward for him, asking a rude kid almost half his age for information.

"You were fired for digging where you don't belong. You should have left it at that."

They stopped talking for their food to be served. Gaara personally thought the conversation was over. There really was nothing left to it.

"Are you saying the higher-ups know about this? About," he looked around, "vampires?"

Gaara bit into his kareage first, savoring its light and crunchy exterior and the steaming hot chicken inside that burned his mouth. It wasn't dessert, but it would do. "Your direct boss, unlikely. Danzo is likely the reason."

Yamato's face paled as he took in that information. Was it really that shocking, Gaara thought distantly.

"Commissioner General Danzo?" he asked. "He knows?"

Gaara glanced at Hyuuga, watching him eat. They could have been in a hotel right now watching a movie right now. He was still staring at Hyuuga, unable to take his eyes off him. "Anyone in the topmost positions of the government does. Danzo happens to be a hunter though. He doesn't tolerate nosy people."

Yamato rubbed his face, taking in the news. "I was just doing my job." He muttered under his breath. He felt wronged.

"It was for your own good," Gaara said. Hyuuga looked back at him with a questioning gaze, quietly asking if something was wrong. Gaara brushed the side of his leg with the back of his fingers, just wanting to feel his lover's chakra. He was worried about Uzumaki, but Hyuuga's presence kept him from going off looking for him. It was hard to ignore, but his lover's face was the anchor he needed.

"Danzo is a snake, but he has the best interest for civilians at heart. Just knowing about the supernatural makes you a more attractive target. Firing you was in your best interest." Not only would it have kept Yamato and the public safe from that knowledge if Yamato had stopped prying, but it also served as an example to others to not continue pursuing something when they were told to stop.

A mixture of emotions played out on Yamato's face. Anger, frustration, sadness. "You said it was for my own good… to protect me?" He was grasping at straws to make himself feel better.

"Sure."

Gaara continued eating his food, letting the silence settle over the table. Hyuuga at some point held his hand under the table since they were sitting side by side. Gaara was a bit shocked Hyuuga would do it in public, but it would be hard to see given their position.

"I take it would be difficult to be reinstated, right?" Yamato asked, taking a slow sip from his beer.

"Likely," Gaara confirmed not really compelled to feel bad for this man's problems. He wanted to know the truth, now he does. Gaara got what he wanted, an update on Uzumaki. He was in no condition to worry about others right now.

"There may be a possibility," Hyuuga spoke up. "Konoha has lost their police chief and he hasn't been replaced yet. If I talk to my oji-sama, maybe he can inquire about the position."

Why was Hyuuga so soft-hearted, he exhaled loudly. "Even if Danzo doesn't live on the island, he wouldn't be happy about the arrangement."

"True, but Elder Danzo did it for Yamato-san's safety. Since he knows, he'll be safer on the island there is a vacancy. Surely someone who knows would be beneficial to the island, right?"

But Yamato lacked a familial connection to the hunter community. Asuma had gotten the job out of respect for his hunter ancestors. Though he did not know about the supernatural, he got by on service his ancestors had done. Asuma never knew that of course, but he didn't need to. The island was a place where most supernatural beings could not enter and those born and raised in that environment never noticed what would be considered weird to those born outside that environment. With a civil war about to happen within the hunter community, it was unlikely they would be accommodating to having a stranger come onto the island.

"You are being kind today," Gaara commented.

Hyuuga smiled a little bit. "Yamato-san seems like a good person and worked hard to find the truth. Isn't it a waste to let his good deed be punished like that?"

It was weird hearing Hyuuga's polite speech again. He much preferred it when he was more direct. "Don't we have enough to worry about?"

Hyuuga smiled wider, squeezing his hand before letting go. "I'm not promising anything, just asking my oji-sama." He looked back at Yamato. "That is of course you are okay being in a small town."

The former detective had to think it over. There would be conditions to a deal like that. There would be little chance for advancement. Anyone who was ambitious would avoid the position even if it was offered.

Gaara stuffed the last gyoza in his mouth. If Hyuuga wanted to help this man, Gaara wouldn't stop him. He would even help if he asked. Unlike him, Hyuuga seemed to occasionally like people.

Gaara's phone went off, causing him to pull it out with annoyance. His brother would be contacting him now that he was back in the country. It was probably another reminder that he was sending the servants to come and serve/monitor him while they were in Beppu.

It wasn't a message from his brother. It was a text from an unknown number. And it was a picture. A picture of an unconscious Matsuri being taken away in a van.


A/N: There are technically three or four more chapters left in this story. I am contemplating whether to post them. There have been no reviews for this story in a long time. Not since chapter 25 a year and a half ago. and that one review was the only reason I continued updating on this site. As long as this story is, I have spent countless hours writing it. It takes a couple minutes to provide feedback, positive or negative. Curse me for "holding chapters captive" or whatever, but I want to remind readers that we (the authors) don't have to share our stories. We do this for free and reminders that our work is read and the thoughts of the readers are the only price we ask.