Chapter 6

Garra greeted me with the yellow and black eyes of his demon. The sight of them made my head hurt and the new voice in my head growled with irritation. Annoyance sparked to life inside me and I glared back at the raccoon. "I just got here Shukaku. Why are you glaring at me like that?"

Garra's eyes returned to normal after a few blinks and he frowned, "sorry, I didn't expect him to suddenly wake up like that." I watched as Garra visibly sniffed the air and his frowned deepen.

Did I stink? I just showered didn't I? Garra on the other hand smelled like sand. He's always smelled like sand even his blood. It wasn't even a little bit appetizing.

"I don't mean to be rude Naruto, but his emotions are bleeding into my own. When he feels this strongly, its hard to keep our emotions from spilling into each other. Shakaku sees the entire Sand Village as his den and now another demon is in his den without permission. He's feeling a little pissed right now."

"Another demon?" I said as I dumped my stuff in the corner of his office. I plopped down on one of the couches across from his desk.

"You," he looked at me with a confused look, as if I should have known that.

Garra's eyes flashed black and gold again and the sight of them caused the voice in my head to growled louder. I though back on the words my godfather had and had not said. Then how the voice appeared in Oorochimaru's hideout as the new seal appeared and flared with heat. It all clinked into place and I laughed. The hysteria I was feeling earlier suddenly bubbling over, "You got to be fucking kidding me!"

A demon. A god damn demon was inside of me too!

My best friend looked at me confused and then understanding replaced it, "They didn't tell you?"

I laughed harder, my eyes stung with the threat of tears. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't get pass the absurdity of my situation. No one could possibly have this much bad luck. The Pervy Sage had said it was better that I didn't know and maybe he was right. Ignorance was fucking bliss.

"Of course they didn't fucking tell me," I said once I could breath again." I attempted to massage the my headache away, but it felt like it was here to stay as long as the voice in my head kept growling.

I raised an eyebrow at my so called friend who was still starting at me with concern. "You obviously knew before I did. What gives? I thought we told each other all our secrets." I said sarcastically, but I really wanted to know why he didn't tell me.

Garra shrugged, "I thought you already knew. You didn't bring it up and instead dropped that bomb of a secret on me instead. I figured you knew already because demons can sense each other."

I let out a sigh and shook my head. "More like it's a hush order in my village and I still don't know anything. Probably wanted to keep their monster from knowing just how much of a monster he truly is."

"So what changed? We knew, but your demon has been asleep. Now that he's awake Shukau isn't too happy. He thinks you two came to take over his den."

"His what?" I said confused.

"It's what the Tailed-Beast consider their home or territory. In my case, it will be the Sand Village. Yours would be the Leaf Village." Garra stood from his desk and set in the matching couch across from me, "So why is your demon suddenly awake?"

I let out a deep groan then told him about my situation. From Oorchimaru's hideout all the way to Kiba's determination to expose my secret.

"So, that's why he won't stop growling, because I'm in another demon's den," I asked as I tapped my head.

Garra nodded, "Shukau won't beck down either, even though I told him repeatedly that you are not a threat. He knows it, but he doesn't like your tailed beast."

"You said that word before too. What is a tailed beast?"

"There are nine demons total, they each have a tail. Shukau has one, but your demon seems to have nine," Garra titled his head in the way he did when he was trying to understand the raccoon. "He says that your...arrogant demon thinks that the number of tails determines who has the most power."

I sighed, I really didn't need a personality in my head that had a big ego. What I do need is for Garra to teach me about my demon.

I opened my mouth to ask, but he beat me to it. "Naruto, you helped me out during my darkest time. It's only right that I help you in yours. I can teach you everything you need to know."

I felt some tension in my neck release with that statement, "What do I need to do?"

"First, you need to learn his name and form a contract?"

"Why his name?"

"A demon's name holds power. You need to learn his name to hold power over him, but it has to be freely given if not you might die." He said that last part with hesitation."

I looked at him in shock, surely he was joking, but the look in his face said other wise, and plus, Garra doesn't joke. "How do I possibly get him to tell me his name? Especially when it's just practically a collar around his neck. Wait, I know your demon's name."

"Demons can't hold power of each other, only humans." Garra pointed to himself and I," it doesn't work on other jinchurikis. So, it's important that you tell no one your demon's name or they can control you."

Easy, I had no intention of telling anyone, maybe Pervey Sage, but only if I had to.

Garra went to grab something behind his desk. He pulled out two metal containers and each flared with red chakra, "Considering how you smell, I can assume you know about our unique appetite."

I twisted to cap off my bottle and grimaced at the smell, animal blood."So, you actually enjoy it? It tastes good to you?"

"Yes," Garra took one look at me with a frown on my faces and frowned with me. "And it seems by the look on your face that you don't"

I thought carefully about how I could explain my new taste, "I can't stomach food anymore. At the time it was either rip into Hinata's neck and stop my heart or find another neck. When I bit into that deer's instinct had took over. The blood quenched my thirst and the meat sated my hunger, but none of it taste good. I gagged but kept it down because I can't stand the alternative."

"Shukaku thinks vampirism must have infected your demon too. Which is unfortunate," he growled.

I stiffened sensing a threat, "Unfortunate how?" I growled back. Right now I didn't need an enemy, I need a friend. I knew Garra didn't mean me any harm, but Shukaku on the other hand was different.

The raccoon appeared in Garra's eyes, "Since my vessel refuses to tell you, I will," he growled, "You are a threat to my den, and the people within it. As stated in my contract with Garra, I am to protect them from any threat. Your demon thirst for human blood as you do. Learn his name and form a contract before you lose control. I would hate to kill my host's best friend."

Shukaku retreated back into Garra just as suddenly has he appeared. I released a deep breath and set back in my couch annoyed.

"Sorry Naruto, I don't want to kill you but Shukaku will. If his upholding the contract, I have little control over him. It's how we co-exist. Its my body so I have more power over him, but abusing that trust would mean he'd make my life hell," he sighed.

I waved off his apology, "I get it. You're just trying to protect your home. So how do I get my demon to talk to me? All he's done this whole time his growl," I grumbled.

"Just go to sleep."

"It can't be that easy." Garra looked at my eyes a little harder. Probably just now noticing the circles underneath them. "Have you slept since he's woken up?"

"A little before I came here."

Garra threw a pillow at my faces. "Just go to sleep and you'll see, but it's actually not that easy. We'll watch over you and seal off this room. Just in case."

I gave Garra a raised eyebrow, "Just in case?"

"Just in case we have to kill you."

I placed the pillow behind my head, leaned back on the sofa, and closed my eyes. Despite the threat, I appreciated Garra's support. If I lost control, he should be able to stop me.


Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

I turned my head to the right and groaned.

Drip.

Another drop of water landed on my face.

Drip.

With an irritated sound I woke up about to give Garra a piece of my mind. I wasn't in his office though. I wasn't on the couch anymore either. Propping myself up I could only stare at the roof. Multiple pipes lined up parallel to each other on the ceiling. Then I noticed my clothes were wet. Looking down, I was submerged in red water. Whether it was blood or not, I couldn't tell. It had no smell. Even so, I suddenly began to become aware of my increasing thirst.

I attempted to swallow, but my mouth was dry. My lips cracked like clay. Breathing became painful as the air dried out my throat on the way to my lungs.

Drip.

Blood dripped from the pipes onto my forehead. My mouth dropped open to catch the next drop, but nothing fell into my mouth.

Drip.

Another drip fell to my left and I tried to catch the next one there, but it never surrendered a drop.

Drip.

I tried the next one I saw, but again I was denied. Thirst like no other gripped my throat in its constricting vice. I dove head face first into the blood that pooled the floor, but I couldn't taste any of it! I sucked desperately at it, but none of it would flow down my throat!

Deep laughter vibrated the pipes around a me. I raised my submerged head and felt wet, but when I tried desperately to catch the droplets running down my face I couldn't.

More laughter and the blood began to pour freely from the pipes. This time I didn't try to taste because I now knew I was being toyed with.

I followed the vibrating pipes to its source. Not long did it take for the hall way to open up to a large room. A five story cage stood before me with numerous bars. Behind the bars it was pitch black. The laughter had ceased when I approached the cage, but I stood far back just incase whatever was behind there tried to grab me. In the center was a giant seal placed over the lock. The corners were chard black as if someone tried to light it.

I attempted to speak, but thirst scorched my throat dry. I shook with the pain. It was becoming unbearable. Laughter came behind the bars again along with the sound of approaching footsteps.

Crimson red eyes with black slitted pupils burned with hate through the darkness. Matching long hair draped passed his shoulder to his waist. Behind him swayed nine scarlet tails at his back with matching red fury ears on the top of his head.

He reminded me of a fox and looked older the me. Maybe in his late 30s. His body wasn't s covered in fur, but instead he was dress in a deep red kimono with a rope tied around his waist. I imagined his skin was suppose to be sun kissed, but instead it was sickly pale. So much so I could see his veins and they were stained a dark purple, that they almost looked black. All I could do was stare. This wasn't what I had been expecting at all.

"Thirsty," he growled, "I know the feeling."

I heard a hiss that didn't come from him. Something slide pass my legs causing me to jump back. Looking down, all I saw were purple snakes. They slithered freely in the blood. Even in and out of the cage, but they paid us no mind. They hadn't been were I woke up.

What the fuck is all this!?

"Oorochimaru's fucking venomous snakes," the demon hissed with hate.

You can hear me?

"Of course I can. Didn't the raccoon and his host already explain this?"

Why aren't they biting us?

"You already know that answer," he growled.

How can you speak?

"This is my domain," he said with out stretched arms. He walked closer to the door of his cage and sneered at me, "all except kill you. After all if you die I die."

He sounded pissed, as if he really wanted to kill me.

"Oh if I could I would." He yanked down the his kimono and showed the bite mark on his neck. Then it healed before my eye. "You are responsible for this after all."

If the snakes weren't going to bother me because of the sealing Justu, I decided to sit on the floor. It was getting harder and harder to stay focused and I was ready to wrap this up.

"No," he suddenly said. Then walked away from the bar into darkness.

"No!?" I rasped out with a great deal of pain. Shit! I spoke without thinking.

"You want my name and to make a contract," he began, "for that we need to both agree to give up something, but what I want. You will not give me. So there is no point in this conversation."

He wanted human blood.

"Yes," he moaned and I shiver at the sound. It was full of yearning and need. My gums tingled at the thought of human blood. "More specifically her's."

Hinata's imaged suddenly appeared in my head. The fox was imagining her pale neck and suddenly her scent filled my nose.

"The smell of her blood woke me. I went a little insane with thirst and it railed up theses snakes and they started biting again. Damn the consequences if it means I can taste her blood."

I-I can't do that, I told him. I had to stay human, it was the only way I could live in the sun. The only way I could live my life because in this world there was no place for vampires. The red eyes that pierced the darkness, but I knew he simply only closed them.

" I was never human, so I don't care whether you are or not. But what I do care for is being starved and animal flesh and blood just doesn't cut it anymore." he growled, " when you feed, and I say when because you will kid, he chuckled, "I'll tell you my name then."


I woke up and groaned in pain. I wasn't as thirst as I had been in that fox's den, but I was definitely feeling the affects.

Garra appeared before me with a canister in his hand. He shoved it in my mouth and tilted up. Warm animal blood filled my mouth. I swallowed without tasting. It settled uneasily in my stomach, but it was quenching the thirst. Too soon, the bottle was empty.

"More," I corked, my voice horse. I felt the sand recede and grabbed at the second bottle he offered then the third. By the seventh I could think of something else beside blood. I took a look at my friend and was immediately ashamed. "I'm sorry," I said.

It didn't escape me that it took more blood this time to make me feel more human. In there I was so thirsty, more then I could ever remember. To be surrounded by all that tasteless blood, and to not be able to drink a single drop was hell. No wonder the fox was such a such a dick.

"What the hell happen?" Garra asked. "You woke up and your eyes were red and these appeared all over you." He grabbed my hand and yanked back my sleeve. The dark purple venom inside the fox was also in my veins. I was surprised. That's never happen before and it wasn't something we learned about in the Academy.

"They were all over the fox too," I told him as I watched them fade from sight.

"Shukaku says that's not a demon trait."

"I know that, the fox says it's Oorochimaru's venom. I guess it's what either kills or turn humans, but I don't know why we can see it in me."

"So your demon is a fox?" Garra asked.

I nodded at his question then said, "He didn't even tell me his name. He wants human blood in exchange."

"But you'll finish turning."

"He doesn't care," I shrugged and yawned meaning the sun was rising soon."Can we pick this up tomorrow I-"

Without warning the scent of the dead hit my nose. Out of thin air a man in a black clock with red clouds had a hand around Garra's throat. Squeezing it until Garra passed out. I was stunned because in the next second he was gone. My best friend had disappeared with him.