AN: I'm sorry for the wait. I know I said I update every two weeks, or once a week, but it's been three weeks and still no chapter right? For that, I apologize; I can't guarantee quick updates anymore. For the past week(s) I've been busy with school registration and activities and being lazy, teehee (forgive me for that one)... I couldn't find the time/energy to write the full chapter. But now, schools starting again and I actually found that I write better around the school year, but I don't have as much time. I try my best... heh.

Yes, I know, Tenten should've been the only human, see, when I was writing that particular chapter up my original intention was to have Neji break her heart and she'd be so upset she ran out of the house. He would go out search for her, but I found that far too… complicated. Now since I wrote this part, it would've worked out perfectly with the scenario, but it's too late to go back now… I really regret not writing it though. I'll just follow my instincts next time. Perhaps a few twists should remedy that problem…

Another chapter dedication is in order, I might as well dedicate "Broken Wings" To this reviewer, but I opted for this chapter instead. Sorry, not to be unfair or anything, but every time I read this person's review(s) I wrote something, so once again, this chapter is dedicated to Violently Cheerful. Thanks again! You helped a lot. :)

Conflict between Sakura and Ino, I'm not bashing on anyone because I like both characters, however you might be a little ticked at Ino, and you might look down on Sakura for being so gullible… Just a slight warning.

Chapter 11: Entwined

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"Ino?!" Sakura placed a hand on her shoulder. "Snap out of it!" Ino placed a trembling hand on her lips with her eyes wide. Her entire body was shaking. She could hardly hear Sakura's frustrated screams. "Ino! Get a hold of yourself!" After Orochimaru's calling Ino went into a slight shock.

Then she got annoyed. She slapped her friend's hand out of the way. "Back the hell off Sakura!" The pink haired girl shuddered. Ino hadn't used that tone on her since they were four when they faught over who had the prettiest doll.

"What's the matter with you?! Why are you acting this way?" Sakura asked angrily.

"What's the matter with me?!" Ino gave her a sharp glare. "Why am I acting this way? You would act this way if you were turned vampire against your will, sent to live with some psycho under his rule! Watch your friends die pitifully in front of you! If the one closest to you abandoned you! If you were…" She fell to the ground unable to continue with what she was going to say. "If you were…" she repeated. All the images of her past she tried so hard to bury, surfaced.

"Ino? If you were what?" Sakura asked solemnly. Her blonde friend blinked, as if realizing what she said. Fire burned in her blue orbs. Something in her mind churned. She snapped. A mad grin spread on her darkened face.

"I don't want to get you dragged into this, now do I?" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm and bitterness. "Why do you need to be concerned about me when you are obviously so happy and content. Just go back to your divine haven with Sasuke! Just butt out! Don't come near me forehead girl." Her jealousy seeped through, along with everything else. 'It was all Sakura's fault… That's right…'

Sakura took a few steps away from her friend. "I-Ino?" She was confused. 'What did I do wrong?'

"Just don't come near me! I was fine until you came back! We were fine until you came back!" Ino pushed Sakura out of the room.

"What the hell are you talking about Ino?! Cut the crap! I haven't done anything wrong!" Sakura struggled against her.

"Hmph." Ino stopped pushing. "Sasuke and I were fine until you were reborn…" She said sinisterly. Sakura froze.

"W-what did you say?!" Her eyes widened. "Y-you're lying. You didn't even know Sasuke-." She remembered. 'Don't worry,' he said, 'we've already been introduced.' Was that supposed to mean something more?

"Oh? You think I'm lying? Tell me Sakura, just how does it feel when he's making love to you? When he's fucking you? Does it all end in a burst of color? Does he make you whine for more?" Ino hissed. "Especially when he-."

"Ino you've gone crazy!" Sakura shot back.

"Oh have I?" She pursed her lips. 'It's all Sakura's fault!'

"How would you know anyway?" Sakura seethed angrily.

"I experienced it first hand." Ino replied daintily. 'Suffer the way I have…'

"Y-you mean you-and Sasuke…" Sakura couldn't find the room to breathe. She fell to her knees. "He's… You're bluffing. I don't believe you! You really have gone crazy-."

"I've always been honest with you Sakura. Don't think I let that slip over the years." Ino crossed her arms. The pink haired girl shook her head. 'She's right… if she's telling the truth…'

Sakura looked up at her seriously. "Ino. I want to know…" she gulped. "Everything. Please?"

Ino sighed contently. "Of course." Insanity gleamed in her eyes. 'The fool...'

……………

"Orochimaru…" Anko seethed with her fist clenched. She wiped the small amount of blood off her cheek and snapped her shoulder back in place. A screech pierced the air. "Damn it!" She cursed and ran through the dense trees around Orochimaru's castle. A 'whoosh' sounded near her. She slid onto the ground. "Where is it…" she scanned the area. Suddenly a flash of white appeared. "There!"

It was one of Orochimaru's kin. "He knows I'm here. He's known…" Anko unsheathed her sword. This was the second attack she encountered when she stepped onto his land. She knew the area like the back of her hand and she knew where the guards were positioned. She thought the first attack was coincidental, but this…

He sent one of his brides after her. Yes, Orochimaru had wives. He'd dump them or slaughter them… but the ones he found above pleasure he would make into warriors. Some of the best were his brides as a matter of fact. The only thing they knew was to serve Orochimaru. "Pitiful souls." Anko spat as she readied herself for combat. She stepped with precision, keeping her eye on her nearly invisible enemy.

She knew how they worked. "Of course I'd know how they work…" The bride screeched and flew directly at Anko. It clawed at her and managed to get her leg. Anko moved out of the way in time to prevent the attack from hitting anything critical. Rage filled her. "Of course I'd know... I was one of them." A grim expression set on her features. She jumped into the air. The vampire mistress flew up after her, but couldn't spot her foe. Anko appeared behind her and brought her sword down, chopping an arm off. Then, she disappeared, leaving the bride to scream pathetically about her arm. It was dangling by a mere skin.

Anko smirked from the ground. 'I love kage bunshin…' Fury erupted from the petite bride as she swooped down, much like an eagle catching its prey. Anko immediately took off, dashing into the trees, hoping to throw the bride off for even a second. "She's fast." Anko clenched her teeth. "But I'm faster…" She ran until she was at the very edge of the cliff, sliding to a halt at the very edge and turned around to face her enemy. She readied her sword, holding it in front of herself with both hands. Three seconds later the bride's screech reached her ears.

Anko kept her eyes on her enemy. It charged at her in a fit of rage. However, Anko stayed calm. The bride was a mere yard away. She leapt up into the air in an attempt to strike Anko down with her claw with a slash to the head. Anko remained in her position. As soon as her claws were an inch away, Anko grabbed the arm, plunged the sword through her abdomen, threw her so that she was hanging at the edge of the cliff, and jammed the sword into a crack in the stone, to hold the screaming bride in place. Anko reached into her over coat and pulled out a stake she'd been concealing. Without an ounce of emotion on her face she shoved the wooden piece into the mistress' chest.

She pulled her precious sword out of the girl. "Hmph, Rest in peace." With that Anko spun her heel and walked toward Orochimaru's castle, leaving the stake inside her female foe, pinning her limp body to the cliff. "That was just the warm up..." Anko beamed.

…………..

Naruto heaved as he dragged a falling Hinata behind him. Because of the lack of blood she began to grow weak with each step. He had to drag her along, and quickly. They slowed down for a good five minutes, and that had ruined everything. He could feel the sun's heat burning him, and it was just the rays showing. He took in a breath and looked back at the girl behind him, who was panting heavily.

"Come on, Hinata-chan," she looked up at him with surprise, "We don't have much time! You have to pull through…" He tugged her arm again.

Hinata could feel her legs giving out. She just couldn't do it anymore. Her stamina wasn't going up. She just felt so weak… Her legs gave out and she collapsed on the floor.

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto stopped immediately and was at her side.

"G-gomen, Naru-." He shook his head.

"We can't waste time." Naruto picked her up. "I'll carry you there, we'll find an old, dark house to reside in for the day." She had no choice but to oblige. Her slender arms wrapped around his neck. "Alright then, we have to hurry." He began to run, as fast as his body would allow. Hinata let out a small whimper. "Shit, Hinata-chan, keep your eyes open! Do you hear me?!" Her eyes fluttered. Naruto increased his pace ten fold. His eyes searched for the area for anything that would help the two of them.

The sun's rays seemed brighter now, and with each passing second the heat would double. With Hinata in his arms, he couldn't perform the right seals for the sun jutsu. Not to mention, Hinata didn't know it either, He couldn't just perform it and let her suffer like that.

'I was an idiot for thinking I could take her out here! Damn it…' But he knew he didn't have a choice. After Neji attacked her she'd lost so much blood, He drank what was left of it and gave her his own, hoping that it might last, at least for three days. Unfortunately, from the moment he carried her into the house her body was already failing. Knowing there would be some sort of struggle he had to find a way to get her out to feed, but the timing was horrible.

Naruto uttered a curse. 'I could make it… but she doesn't know the jutsu…' He didn't know what to do. "Naruto…" He heard her say weakly.

"You know my name?" He asked with surprise. He felt the heat again. "I mean, uhh never mind, what is it?" Her hand flimsily pointed at something. "What's over there?" He asked her.

"I saw something…" She coughed. Naruto nodded, knowing exactly what she was going to say.

"There's cabin over there right?" She nodded weakly. Naruto held her closer to his body. The sun was peaking through brilliantly. "There's a problem, we need some blood, if it's abandoned-…" He gulped. 'She would die… and it would be all my fault.' "We-I can't risk that." Hinata let out a strangled cry, feeling as if her body was shriveling up. "Hinata! Don't give up, we're almost there!" Her arms wrapped tighter around his neck, showing him just how much pain she was in. "Damn it."

He now had no choice; the sun was halfway up. His back began to burn and shrivel tremendously. Immediately, He turned to the cabin. To his relief, from a distance one could tell there was no light. Grateful, He ran even quicker than before. "Hang on," He told her, "We're almost there." She didn't respond. "No, Hinata! Wake up!" He shook her as he ran. She still didn't say anything. "Arg!!" He growled. The burn on his back intensified. He hissed in pain.

They were almost there, only a few yards away. "Hinata, we're almost there!" The sun was now three fourths of the way up. Naruto held a scream. The heat on his back was so intense, he felt the skin peel off and turn to ashes. Despite that, he only continued to run. Hinata's arms fell from around his neck. "Shit." He cursed. They were so close. He was so close. He wouldn't fail. He was at the front steps of the cabin.

The sun was almost fully risen. Naruto panicked. The light was creeping up the steps and toward the duo, and the door was locked. He twisted the knob the best he could, seeing as how his arms were occupied. It wouldn't budge. The searing pain on his back amplified again. Naruto couldn't take it. The pain was too great. He continued at the doorknob, but as soon as the sun touched his back, he let out a cry of agony.

……………

"Damn Anko!" Orochimaru threw his chalice across the room.

"What are you so mad about?" Itachi sat there bored. He poked a body next to him. "When are you going to wake Kakashi?" He poked him again. "Just watching you try to get rid of that bitch is so irritating. At least if you wake him I can get this done and-."

"Get what done?!" Orochimaru narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Find the mansion." Itachi said dully.

"Wouldn't it just be easier to-."

"No." Itachi cut him off curtly. "So wake him up already…" Orochimaru glared at him.

"What's the point? Ino hasn't returned yet, until she's come back we won't know where the mansion is."

Itachi ran a hand through his hair. "Do you sense anything from her?" He was getting anxious. He wanted his three subordinates, and he wanted them as soon as possible. The sooner he had them, the sooner he could-.

"I see her insanity has gotten the best of her…" Orochimaru smirked. Itachi raised an eyebrow.

……………

"Shikamaru, have you spotted them yet?" Sasuke asked as he scouted the area. The two already activated their justus and searched the lush forest area surrounding the mansion. With no luck around there they headed off toward the nearest town, only to be bombarded by the suns rays. It slowed their pace down and they assumed it slowed Naruto as well.

"Be patient Uchiha... I don't see any sign of either of them. Maybe they made it?" Shikamaru suggested dryly.

"Doubtful, it takes a while to reach the town, I don't think Naruto could run that fast, even with his great stamina. He also has that girl to worry about." Sasuke pointed out.

"Hm. So where do you think they went?" Shikamaru crossed his arms.

"I don't know. I don't even know why the hell I bothered coming out here anyway." Sasuke rubbed his temple. "I left a warm bed, and a pliant wife for that blonde dobe. He better be grateful." Shikamaru snickered.

"I can't believe you just said that." They ran at an even quicker pace. "It surprised me, how does your wife know Ino?"

Sasuke gave him a quick glance. "You heard her, they were best friends." He said it in a strangled voice. "I really don't like that."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Uh… huh?"

"How the hell can you stand the company of that woman?" Sasuke didn't mean to say it out loud but…

"It's hard to explain." Shikamaru shook his head. "She's not all that bad… accept when she gets a little eccentric, or when she goes insane."

"I think she's been insane." Sasuke snarled and then realized, "You're not joking are you? She really is crazy?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "You know how we all got those powers when we're transformed? Well, Ino could transfix her mind into another to control their body. However her teacher abandoned her before she knew how to do it correctly. She couldn't perform the technique properly and eventually those people she took over stayed inside her. She's become somewhat of a schizoid. They tell her false things. With Orochimaru's help she was able to keep the voices at bay, but when she gets angry or hurt those take over, and she lashes out at the people…"

"Hn, that explains a lot. Does it happen very often?"

"It usually happens when Orochimaru speaks to her… and if you know, you upset her."

"She can't control it can she?" Sasuke thought about it. "She can't control her powers?"

"Well she doesn't really have them anymore. Her powers are all gone. It just left her with those voices."

"That sucks." Sasuke ran a hand through his hair. "But, you can control minds doesn't that do something to you?"

"I made it through my training course, and besides, Ino had to leave her body, I just stay put and move them where ever I want them to go."

"I see…" Sasuke's eye twitched. The information Shikamaru just gave him somehow left a very eerie impression. He had a bad feeling about it... 'Saku-'

"Over there!" Shikamaru pointed.

"What?" Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts.

"Naruto!" Shikamaru yelled. A loud scream pierced the air. "Shit." The two of them ran toward the noise immediately.

……………

She wouldn't wake up. She wouldn't move; she wasn't breathing. His eyes widened in disbelief and shock. She was laughing when they started, and when he was done with the process, she took a bite from him, and it all went haywire. Her body stiffened up. She shook violently as she gagged on something imaginary; there was barely any blood inside her.

"Tenten?" Her eyes were still wide open. He shook her a few times, but she wouldn't budge. He refused to believe it. He killed her. He drank from her, and now it was far too late for her to receive any blood… "Tenten!" He placed his hands on her shoulders. "No… this can't be happening… wake up. You're playing tricks on me again right?!" He asked her. She still didn't move. He fell to his knees, cursing himself for everything he did. 'If only I controlled myself…' He hung his head in shame and closed her open eyes. He buried his face in his hands. 'What have I done?'

TBC…

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AN: Wheee! Finally got this done. I'm content. Perhaps I twisted it a little too much, but hey that's my problem. Then again... there's that cliffie... I'll do something about it. It's still my problem, you guys just have to wait. Meantime... you guys can look for the preview of chapter 12 in my bio, if it's not there yet, it will be eventually.