Sasuke Uchiha had a problem.
It wasn't bad enough that he was a monster, who fed on blood. He could mostly deal with that, thanks to Itachi's and Sakura's promise to help him adjust. No, on his second day of being a vampire, Sasuke realized something horrible.
He couldn't sleep.
At first, Sasuke thought he simply wasn't tired. But early the next morning, he found himself alone in the kitchen. With the others asleep, with no way to defend themselves if Sasuke lost control, Sasuke chose to keep away, sitting in silence at the kitchen table. This was how Itachi and Sakura found him in the morning when they finally left their rooms for the day.
"Sasuke? What are you doing out here?" Sakura questioned, covering her mouth as she yawned. "Did you sleep well?"
Sasuke couldn't help but laugh at her question, the Uchiha shaking with the force of his laughter. At Sakura's confused look, and when he managed to stop his panicked laughter, Sasuke finally managed to reply.
"I didn't sleep, Sakura. At all. I'm not even sleepy, either."
Itachi frowned as he sat at the table, sipping his coffee quietly as he watched his brother.
"What is it, Itachi?" Sasuke questioned, feeling a little uncomfortable at Itachi's gaze.
Itachi set his coffee mug on the table and offered a small smile.
"Sorry, Sasuke. Just thinking," Itachi replied.
"Well..? Do you have any idea about this?" Sasuke asked. "You're pretty much the expert here."
Itachi chuckled and shook his head.
"Sasuke, I don't claim to be an expert. I've read some things, yes, but I don't know how much of it was accurate. Such as the sleep issue. I read that vampires sleep in coffins during the day. But you say you didn't sleep at all."
Sasuke frowned.
"Itachi, you still know way more about this stuff than I do."
"Relax, little brother. I'll help you as well as I can."
Sasuke sighed softly before nodding once.
"Thanks, Itachi."
"In fact, maybe I could pick up a few more books about...uh...monsters," Itachi said, trailing off as he stared at Sasuke.
"Relax, Itachi. I know what you mean. Books about the legends, right?"
Itachi simply nodded before finishing his coffee.
"Can I come?" Sasuke asked.
Itachi and Sakura looked at each other.
"Honey, I don't know if that'd be such a good idea," Sakura said slowly.
"What? Why not?" Sasuke asked with a frown.
Sakura hummed a bit before running a hand through her hair.
"Can you smell me, Sasuke?" Sakura asked.
Sasuke blinked.
"Of course. You smell fine, though maybe the two of you should shower."
Itachi chuckled.
"You can smell both of us. Now, imagine walking through the village. Hundreds of people all around you. Their smell, their heartbeats..." Itachi began.
Sasuke frowned again.
"I'm not staying cooped up, guys. I'll go crazy if I have to stay hidden," Sasuke said. "Plus, how will you explain me not being seen?"
"Well...we could claim you died. Fake your death," Itachi offered.
Sasuke stared.
"I'm joking, Sasuke. Lighten up."
"Just...Stay home this time, okay?" Sakura offered with a gentle smile. "Me and Itachi can go get the books."
"Before we go, you should feed, Sasuke," Itachi decided. "Maybe this time you won't get drunk," he added teasingly.
Before Sasuke could complain, Sakura moved closer, sitting next to him. She held out her arm and smiled, though she seemed a little nervous.
Sasuke looked at Sakura's arm for a moment before looking at her, smiling reassuringly.
"Sakura, I won't hurt you," he promised. Seeing Sakura still seemed nervous, Sasuke kissed the back of her hand, smiling at her. "Please trust me."
Sakura relaxed and smiled.
"Sorry, Sasuke," she whispered.
Sasuke smiled as his eyes turned black. Gently, Sasuke bit her arm, closing his eyes as he tasted her warm blood. It was sweet, tasting better than Itachi's blood had. As Sasuke drank, he gently held her arm, rubbing it slowly. Soon, Sasuke pulled back. He had a goofy look on his face as he sat back in his chair.
Once again, Sasuke was drunk on blood.
"You knew he'd drink too much, didn't you?" Itachi asked with an amused smiled.
"For now, his tolerance is pretty low it seems. Figured it'd give us time to go get what we need," Sakura explained with a grin.
Itachi waved his hand in Sasuke's face, the younger Uchiha laughing as he pushed his hand away.
"Yep, we'll have plenty of time," Itachi agreed.
When Sasuke regained focus, he found himself in his room. Looking around, Sasuke let out an annoyed sigh. Leaving his room, Sasuke muttered, "thanks, guys. Get me drunk."
Sasuke returned to the kitchen and looked at the clock. It had been three hours, and Sasuke couldn't smell or hear Itachi or Sakura. Sitting at the table, Sasuke rubbed his lips, fingers barely touching his mouth. He smiled a little as he thought of Sakura's blood. Her heart seemed strong while he drank. A little fast, but otherwise fine. He wondered if he'd be able to drink more whenever she and Itachi returned. Humming softly, tapping his fingers on the kitchen table, Sasuke looked around the room. He quickly grew bored and stood, knocking his chair over from how quickly he moved.
"What's taking them so long?" Sasuke muttered. Sasuke put the chair back in place before pacing back and forth, tapping his fingers against his thigh. Glancing at the clock again, Sasuke frowned. Sasuke walked quietly through the house, stopping at the front door. He opened it, planning on leaving, when he saw Ino.
The two stared at each other, Ino's hand raised as if about to knock. Sasuke blinked a few times before Ino broke the silence.
"Sasuke?! You're alive!" Ino shouted happily. Sasuke winced, his heightened hearing making her yell hurt his ears. Ino hugged him tightly and laughed happily.
Since he started dating Sakura, Sasuke and Ino had ended up becoming friends. Sasuke figured it was a good idea, not wanting to seem like an antisocial jerk to the blonde.
Sasuke hugged back after a pause. Her shampoo smelled like lavender, Sasuke noticed. Her heart...
Sasuke pulled away and offered a nervous smile.
"Can I help you with something, Ino?" Sasuke asked.
"You were almost dead, Sasuke. Don't try to change the subject!"
Sasuke hummed a little, trying to decide how much he could tell Ino.
"Well..." Sasuke began. "I was asleep for three days. Sakura and Itachi took care of me, apparently. I woke up yesterday feeling great. Better than ever, really." Sasuke paused, grinning a little as he thought about his first taste of blood. Itachi's blood. "I was attacked during our mission, but I'm fine now Ino. Really." If drinking blood and not having a pulse was fine, Sasuke added mentally, an amused smile coming to his face.
"And you're feeling better now? You promise?" Ino questioned with a frown. "You WERE out of it for a few days, after all..."
Sasuke nodded before smiling a little bit.
"Just tired, I guess," he lied with a shrug. "I was up all night. Now, was there something..?"
"Oh, Naruto and Hinata are throwing a Halloween party tomorrow. I mentioned I was dropping by here, so he wanted me to let Sakura know. I'm sure Naruto will be extra happy now that you're awake."
Sasuke stared for several seconds before he smiled a little.
"Yeah...sorry. I don't think I'll be able to go to that. There are some...things I need to work out before I do anything else," Sasuke explained slowly.
"You look fine to me, Sasuke," Ino pointed out.
Sasuke sighed softly and shook his head. He tried closing the door, but Ino stopped him, the blonde woman frowning.
"Hey, come on. I'm your friend, Sasuke. You can talk to-"
Frustrated, losing his patience, Sasuke opened his mouth, his fangs growing as his eyes turned black. Ino stared for a moment in stunned silence. She took a step back and opened her mouth to scream, but Sasuke quickly covered her mouth and dragged her inside. He slammed the door shut, holding Ino in place. She struggled, but Sasuke's new strength made it impossible for her to escape.
"Ino, stop it!" Sasuke shouted. Instantly, Ino went motionless, a blank look coming to her face. Sasuke hesitated before slowly pulling his hand away from her mouth. She remained still.
"Okay...that's useful," Sasuke said slowly. Studying Ino's face, Sasuke blinked. Ino seemed to be waiting. "Just...relax?" he tried. Though she still looked scared, Ino seemed to return to normal.
"What the hell are you..?" Ino whispered.
Sasuke flinched at her words.
"Ino..." Sasuke began.
Before he could finish his words, the door opened, Itachi and Sakura freezing when they saw Sasuke and Ino.
Seeing Sasuke's vampiric features, and Ino's fear, Sakura and Itachi stepped inside and shut the door.
"Ino, just take a breath," Sakura said softly, trying to calm the frightened blonde. Ino glanced at Sakura before looking back at Sasuke.
"His...his eyes..." Ino whispered.
"Ms. Yamanaka, just take a breath. Sasuke won't hurt you," Itachi promised. "He's already fed, not too long ago."
"Fed..?" Ino asked, a sick feeling in her stomach. She wasn't sure she even wanted an answer.
"Blood," Itachi explained. In his arms Itachi held three old books, the spines faded, the pages darkened with age. Itachi motioned for them to follow and moved to the living room, sitting on the couch before setting the books down. Ino slowly followed, sitting as far away from Sasuke as she could. Sasuke sat next to Sakura, running his thumb across her knuckles as he watched Ino, his blackened eyes showing no emotion.
"What is he?" Ino finally repeated.
"A vampire," Itachi explained. "As far as we know, at least."
"Has he always been a mon-...a vampire?" Ino questioned.
"Sasuke's not a monster, Ino," Sakura said in a warning tone.
"But...isn't he..?" Ino asked, brow raised.
"Ino..!" Sakura shouted.
Sasuke shook his head, tapping Sakura's hand gently.
"Sakura, I am a monster now," Sasuke pointed out. "It's...fine."
"Sasuke was attacked during their mission," Itachi explained, getting back on topic. "It's why he was asleep for so long. We thought he was dead. But then he woke up finally."
"And that bite changed him?" Ino asked, shifting in her seat when Sasuke smiled at her. Sasuke quickly stopped smiling, glancing at Sakura.
"My brother woke up as he is now, yes," Itachi replied.
"And you decided it was a good idea to leave him alone?!" Ino shouted. "He grabbed me and pulled me in! He could have killed me!"
"I wasn't going to kill you..." Sasuke began.
"Right, I'm going to take the word of a vampire!"
"Ino!" Sakura shouted and stood. "Look, Sasuke wouldn't kill you. You're one of his friends. You've trusted Sasuke with your life before, Ino!"
"That was when he was alive! Not some...some...blood sucking leech!"
At Ino's cold words, Sakura slapped her friend across the face. Ino's cheek quickly turned red, the blonde staring at Sakura with a surprised expression. Ino quickly grew angry and stood as well, glaring at Sakura.
"Get out of our house," Sakura muttered.
"Gladly. Good luck with your leech," Ino shot back and quickly rushed out of the house.
Sasuke watched Ino leave, a feeling of panic coming to him.
"Sakura, if she tells someone..."
Sakura's angry expression faded and she quickly ran outside. Sasuke followed but stopped at the door, shielding his eyes from the sun. It took several seconds before Sasuke could step outside. His vampiric features were gone, though the sun still bothered his eyes.
"Ino, get back here!" Sakura shouted. Ino refused to listen and kept walking, shaking her head quickly.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes, staring at Ino.
"Ino, calm down and come back!" Sasuke ordered.
At Sasuke's words, Ino froze. Turning, she took a few steps toward Sasuke. She paused after a few steps and frowned.
"Get out of my head!" Ino shouted and rushed away.
Sasuke stared in silence, Sakura soon coming to his side.
"Sasuke, go inside," Sakura whispered.
Sasuke followed her in, shutting the door behind him.
Once inside, Sasuke ran a hand through his hair.
"That was a fucking disaster," he decided with a nervous chuckle.
"Sasuke, you need to act as normal as you can. Don't tell anyone about your condition again," Itachi quickly told Sasuke, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You need to be careful, little brother." Itachi took a breath and moved to the door.
"Where are you going?" Sasuke asked.
"I have to go fix your mistake, Sasuke. I'll deal with Ino."
With that, Itachi left, leaving Sakura and Sasuke alone. The two stared at each other for a moment before Sasuke offered a small smile.
"Oh...right. I don't think it matters anymore, but we were invited to a party Naruto and Hinata are having," Sasuke explained. "Like I said, it..."
"Maybe we should go. Itachi will handle Ino, and I'm sure Naruto will want to know you're feeling better. Plus...well, it might be good to get out of the house. We'll be with you, so you'll be fine. Itachi has the Eternal Mangekyo, just like you. That, with my strength, I'm sure we can stop you."
"After Ino, I'm not so sure it's a good idea for me to leave the house."
"Sasuke, if you stay home too long you'll just feel cooped up. A vampire going crazy from isolation is NOT a good thing."
"Sakura..."
"Doctor's orders, Mr. Uchiha," Sakura said with an amused smile.
Sasuke couldn't help but chuckle.
"We'll see. Let's just see what Itachi does."
Sakura gave a small nod before she hugged Sasuke, pressing her face to his chest. Sasuke hugged back after a moment and smiled a little.
"I'm sorry about what Ino said. Sasuke, you aren't a leech. I love you."
Sasuke pulled back and stared. Slowly, Sasuke reached up and tapped her forehead with his index and middle fingers, a small smile on his face.
"I love you too, Sakura."
Sasuke trailed his fingers down her face, his smile growing as he cupped her cheek.
"I'll love you for the rest of my eternal life," he whispered.
Sakura blushed and stared into his eyes. As she thought about his words, a sad smile came to her face.
"I'll die someday, Sasuke," she pointed out quietly.
Sasuke's hand lowered from her face, his good mood fading quickly at Sakura's words. He became silent, unsure of how to respond. Frowning, Sasuke studied her expression for several seconds. Finally, he opened his mouth to reply, but Sakura cut him off.
"I'm sorry, I don't know why I said that," Sakura muttered. "Anyway, Sasuke, why don't we see what you can do?" Sakura offered, wanting to change the subject before Sasuke could respond.
Sasuke hesitated, but the look Sakura gave him made him drop the subject.
"I can...sort of control people, I guess. I'm not very good at it but I'm sure I'll improve," Sasuke explained with a shrug.
"Can you show me?" Sakura asked. She sounded curious.
"I don't think it'd work," Sasuke replied with a shrug.
"Why not?"
Sasuke chuckled a little.
"You've always done so much for me, Sakura. But I can't control you."
Sasuke cleared his throat.
"What else can you do?"
Sasuke thought it over, tilting his head as he tried to decide how to answer. He wasn't really sure himself what all he could do.
"You don't have a shadow," Sakura said, bringing Sasuke away from his thoughts to focus on the woman once more.
"Excuse me?"
"You don't have a shadow anymore," she repeated with a shrug before motioning. Sasuke looked down and stared for a moment before sighing.
"My eyes hurt in the sun and I have no shadow," Sasuke said. "Just one more thing I'll have to hide. I suppose I could use my Sharingan, until I get a hang of things. Now then..."
"How strong are you?" Sakura asked with a slight smirk. "Think you could beat my strength?"
Sasuke look curious now, the man raising a brow with an amused smile.
"Your strength versus the unnatural strength of a monster. You really want to see who's stronger?" Sasuke questioned.
"I've kicked your ass in a spar before, Sasuke. I'm sure I could do it again," Sakura replied teasingly. "So let's see."
Before Sakura could say another word, Sasuke slammed her against the wall, his palm pressed against her chest. Sakura raised an arm to hit him, but Sasuke grabbed her by the wrist and pinned her arm above her head. Her other arm was soon pinned as well, Sasuke staring at Sakura quietly. Slowly, his eyes turned black and he leaned in. He was just about to bite her, drink her blood, when the pink haired woman slammed her knee into his crotch. The pain snapped Sasuke out of it and he stumbled back, letting out a grunt.
"I think it's for the best if we have Itachi around during these little tests," Sasuke decided.
Sakura rubbed her wrists for a moment before she smirked.
"So I guess even vampires hate getting hit in the balls," she teased.
"Any man would hate that, living or undead," Sasuke agreed and chuckled.
Not long after their small test, Itachi finally returned. He let himself in and shut the door behind him, rubbing his eyes.
"Well, for now, I think Ino won't be a problem."
"Itachi, what did you do?" Sakura asked. "Ino's a huge bitch, but she's still my friend. Sorta."
"She's alright, Sakura. I used Tsukuyomi to convince her what happened earlier wasn't real," Itachi explained. "But if Sasuke feels the need to tell her again, she'll freak out once more I'm sure."
"I'm sorry, Itachi," Sasuke muttered. "I thought I could trust her."
Though Itachi had been mad when he left, he couldn't stay mad at his little brother now. He reached out and poked Sasuke's forehead, smiling soft. Sasuke smiled back, until Itachi began coughing. The elder Uchiha pulled away and covered his mouth with his arm, coughing harshly for several seconds.
"Itachi, you need to take your medicine," Sakura ordered with a frown. "You'll get as sick as before if you don't keep up on that."
When Itachi managed to stop coughing, he smiled weakly.
"I'm sorry, Sakura. I've been busy lately," Itachi explained but gave a nod. "I'm going to get some rest," he decide and walked off.
Sasuke watched until Itachi was gone before looking at Sakura.
"Don't worry, Sasuke. He'll be fine," Sakura reassured him when she saw how worried Sasuke looked. "I promise you, I won't let Itachi die."
"Hm...maybe I could..." Sasuke began, trailing off as he looked toward Itachi's room.
"Sasuke, what are you thinking..?"
"What? Oh. It's nothing, Sakura. Just...worried about Itachi."
"Sasuke..."
"Sakura, it's nothing. I promise."
Sakura sighed but gave a nod.
"Alright, Sasuke. I'm going to make sure Itachi is alright."
Sasuke watched as Sakura walked away. When she was gone, Sasuke moved to the couch and sat down. He glanced at the books Itachi and Sakura picked. Curious, he picked one up and opened it.
"Well," he said, sighing. "I suppose I should read these."
Sasuke wasn't sure how long he read the book for, but when he finally looked up again he saw Itachi standing in front of him with an amused smile.
"Learn anything useful, little brother?" Itachi questioned as he sat next to Sasuke.
"Possibly. I'm not sure if everything in this book is accurate, but...Well, could you get Sakura?"
"For?"
"There are some things in the book she might be able to help with," was all Sasuke would say.
Itachi stood, motioning for Sasuke to follow. The two walked quietly, ending up at the room Sasuke shared with Sakura. When they arrived, they found Sakura looking through her medical supplies.
"Sakura? What're you looking for?" Sasuke asked.
"Hm? Oh. Itachi mentioned a headache. I was going to grab something for that. What's up?"
"Sasuke wanted you around. He was reading one of the books," Itachi explained.
Sakura set her bag down and turned to face them, now curious. She sat on the bed, motioning for the others to sit as well. Sasuke moved to sit next to Sakura, and Itachi sat on the edge of the bed.
"So, I read some interesting things and some not so good things," Sasuke began, glancing at Sakura. "I'm not finished, of course. But, it mentioned a few of the powers a vampire might have. We already know about the strength and enhanced senses and speed..."
"Still weak to knees, though," Sakura interrupted with a smirk.
Itachi raised a brow.
"Kneed Sasuke in the crotch," Sakura explained.
"Oh."
"Anyway..." Sasuke cut in. "Other than that, the book says vampires can transform into creatures of the night. Bats, usually. And, they can control creatures of the night. Another transformation mentioned was turning into mist. I'm...not sure how that'd work, but could be useful if true."
"Turn into mist?" Sakura repeated. "That'd be useful for stealth missions," she added with a grin.
"And the not so good things?" Itachi asked after a small hesitation.
"Vampires have no blood flow," Sasuke said slowly, frowning as he looked at Sakura. "I won't be able to have any kids..."
Sakura frowned, but slowly it turned to a smile.
"Itachi, could you turn away for a moment?" Sakura requested.
Itachi, though confused, did as Sakura asked. He stood from the bed and turned away, closing his eyes as well for good measure. When Itachi was faced away, Sasuke looked at Sakura with a confused expression.
"Sakura..? What are..."
Before Sasuke could finish, Sakura casually raised her shirt and bra, exposing herself to her boyfriend. Sasuke stared at her breast in silence, unable to look away. He shifted a little, a goofy grin coming to his face. If he had been human, Sasuke's face would have been the color of Sakura's hair.
Sakura soon lowered her clothes and began laughing. At Sasuke's look of confusion, Sakura simply pointed down.
"According to that oh so professional medical test I just did, I'd say you can still have kids," Sakura said, pointing at the bulge in Sasuke's pants. Sasuke shifted again and chuckled a little, visibly relaxing.
"You can turn back around, Itachi. Sasuke's fine."
Itachi soon faced them again.
"That's...uhm...good to know," Itachi replied, feeling a little awkward.
"Sorry, Itachi. Sasuke?"
Sasuke slowly looked at Sakura, glancing quickly at her chest before looking back up.
"I'm fine," he replied.
Sakura hummed a bit.
"If you say so."
After a small moment of silence, Sakura stretched out on the bed.
"I know it wasn't a very long day, but I think I'm going to try to get some sleep," Sakura decided.
Sasuke and Itachi began to move off the bed, stopping only when they saw the frown on Sakura's face.
"What?" Sasuke asked.
"This is your room, too, Sasuke," Sakura pointed out.
"I don't sleep," Sasuke said slowly.
Sakura narrowed her eyes.
"Uchiha Sasuke, I've been sharing a bed with you for years. You might not be able to sleep, but if you don't get your ass back in bed then I won't be able to sleep either!" Sakura shouted, slamming her fist down on their nightstand hard enough to crack the wood.
Despite the fact that Sasuke was now physically stronger than Sakura, despite the fact that Sasuke was now an immortal monster, he knew better than to go against an angry Sakura.
"Ah...of course, Sakura. Sorry. But..." Sasuke hesitated. "What if I hurt you when you fall asleep?" he asked while moving next to Sakura, holding her with her head to his chest. He listened to her breath, her heartbeat quickly calming once she was in his arms. He smiled softly and kissed her head, sighing happily as he breathed in her scent. "God, I love you," he whispered. Sasuke smirked as he heard her heart speed up at his words. "It seems my words still have an affect on you," he teased softly.
"S...shut up, Sasuke," Sakura muttered. Despite her words, Sakura smiled against his chest. "I love you too," Sakura whispered after a moment of silence.
Sasuke looked up when Itachi cleared his throat.
"I can stay awake tonight," Itachi offered.
"You need to rest, Itachi," Sakura said, her voice muffled by Sasuke's chest.
"I don't want to wake up to find out Sasuke killed you," Itachi said. "I trust you, Sasuke, but you're still getting used to your new 'diet'," Itachi added quickly.
"Sasuke wouldn't kill me..." Sakura mumbled, pulling back to look at Itachi.
"How do you know?" Itachi asked.
"I'd rather die than hurt Sakura," Sasuke answered before Sakura could. He hugged her close, rubbing her back slowly. Sakura pressed her face to his chest again and hummed happily as she closed her eyes. It didn't take long for her to feel drowsy. Sasuke looked at her and smiled softly.
"Sasuke..."
"Itachi, I feel fine," the younger Uchiha interrupted. "If you want to help me, though, could you get the book I was reading? I'd get up, but..."
"Mmm...you better not leave..." Sakura mumbled sleepily.
Sasuke chuckled.
"As you can see, I'm stuck."
Itachi ran a hand through his hair before he shook his head.
"If you slip, if you kill her...you'll never forgive yourself Sasuke," Itachi warned as he turned and left, leaving Sasuke alone with Sakura.
"I won't hurt her," Sasuke repeated to himself quietly.
It was a rough night.
Hearing her slow breaths...
Listening to the soft sound of her heartbeat...
Her smell...
Having her so close to him all night...
It was driving Sasuke crazy.
By the time Sakura woke up the next morning, Sasuke had pulled away and left their bed. When Sakura woke up, she saw Sasuke sitting at his desk, head down. He tapped his feet quickly.
"Don't hurt her..." Sasuke said, repeating the words.
"Sasuke..?" Sakura called out as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
At her voice, Sasuke froze.
"Sasuke, are you okay?"
Sasuke sat up and looked over. His eyes were black and his fangs were visible. He looked at her and almost whimpered.
"Sasuke..."
"I gotta go," Sasuke interrupted and ran from the room. He almost broke the door in his hurry to leave. Once out, the Uchiha made his way to the bathroom and shut the door. He stared at his reflection in the mirror.
He looked almost crazed.
Sasuke punched the mirror in frustration, breaking the glass and cutting his hand badly. He didn't care, though. It was a welcome distraction.
Sasuke stared at the cut, his blood dripping quickly all over the sink. But the bleeding soon stopped, his wounds already healing. He frowned, took a deep breath and looked at his blood.
"That barely helped."
Sasuke removed his shirt and used it to wipe up his blood before he turned the shower on, making sure it was as hot as it could get. He stripped out of his clothes and stepped in, tensing at the water's heat. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on the burn of the water, but soon after he entered the shower he heard a knock on the door. Sasuke turned his head when the door opened and Sakura stepped in.
Sasuke watched as Sakura looked first at the broken mirror then down at Sasuke's bloody shirt. Sasuke raised his hand, showing Sakura the wounds were already gone.
"I'm fine, Sakura. I'll be fine."
"Sasuke..."
"It was a rough night. I'm sorry if I scared you. I just needed to get away for a bit."
Sakura studied his expression before she sighed.
"I love you, Sasuke. We've been through a lot. We'll manage this as well."
"I'm fine, Sakura," Sasuke promised again as he stepped out of the shower. He stepped up to Sakura and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "We should go to Naruto's in a bit. I'm sure he'll want to see I'm not dead."
"We can go now if-"
Sasuke silenced Sakura with a kiss, the Uchiha running his hands down her back. He grabbed her ass and smirked, kissing from her lips to her neck.
"S...Sasuke, wait, we..."
"It can wait," Sasuke interrupted.
"But...you..."
Sasuke licked her throat, causing the woman to whimper in pleasure. Sasuke let go of Sakura and stepped back into the shower, smiling innocently at her.
Sakura glared.
"Damn it, Sasuke!" Sakura complained as she quickly stripped out of her clothes and joined him in the shower. Sasuke kissed her lips again and raised a brow when Sakura licked one of his fangs. He had forgotten his vampiric features were still showing. He grinned a bit and pulled back, stepping away from her.
"Sakura-"
Before Sasuke could finish his sentence, the door opened once more, Itachi freezing as he saw the two together.
"I...Sasuke was...I'll wait outside," Itachi mumbled and quickly shut the door.
Sasuke glanced at Sakura, his eyes slowly returning to normal.
"Um...sorry about that," he mumbled as he turned the shower off. "I'm not sure why I did that."
"Probably...probably from all your extra energy," Sakura replied quietly, her face red. The two quickly dried off and dressed, Sasuke deciding to leave his bloody shirt behind.
"Sorry, Itachi," Sasuke said when they left the bathroom.
"It'd be great if I could go a single week without catching the two of you," Itachi replied with a sigh.
"Can't help it. If your girlfriend was Sakura, I doubt you'd do any better," Sasuke pointed out with a grin.
"I don't have a girlfriend, Sasuke. You know that."
Itachi sighed.
"Look, I was just coming to check on Sasuke. I heard his freak out and wanted to make sure he was fine," Itachi explained. He slowly looked at Sakura. "It seems you were already taking care of him."
Sakura blushed darker. Sasuke just grinned.
"Anyway, if he's fine..."
"I'm fine now. I'd be even better if you hadn't barged in, but...you know."
"Right...well, if you're fine, you should visit Naruto."
"I plan to," Sasuke admitted. "We're going to his party, I believe."
"Is that a good idea? You freaked out."
"Itachi, really, I feel fine now. Really. It'll be fine. Stop worrying so much for once."
"I'm allowed to worry, Sasuke. You're my little brother. No matter how old you are, I'm going to worry because I love you."
Sasuke stared at Itachi, unsure of how to respond to his words. He smiled a little and finally nodded.
"You should come with us, Itachi," Sakura offered.
"I'm alright, thank you."
"Itachi, come with us. You know we love you," Sakura pressed.
"Come on, Itachi. Maybe you'll have fun for once," Sasuke added quietly.
Itachi smiled weakly.
"Okay, Sasuke, Sakura. I'll join you when you go."
When the two finally left a few hours later, they were slightly dressed up. Sasuke had on a dark cloak, his eyes black and his fangs showing. Blood ran down the side of his mouth, a costume help drank directly from Sakura's wrist. He figured it'd be easy to just go as a vampire for the party. Sakura was dressed in her Jonin uniform, though she had it covered with fake blood and the left sleeve was ripped off. On her forehead was a fake gash, though the wound looked very real. On her left hand was a fake bite, her arm covered as well in bites, and to finish her zombie look, Sakura used a simple transformation jutsu to make her eyes appear foggy and dead.
"We're the best undead couple ever," Sakura decided with a grin at Sasuke.
And Itachi...
Well, Itachi hadn't even bothered with a costume.
"Itachi, are you always such a buzz kill?" Sakura asked teasingly. "It's a Halloween party. Costumes tend to be a thing, ya know."
"I'm not one for costumes," was all Itachi would say. He offered a smile, though, and continued to walk with them. When they arrived at Naruto's house, the place decorated with webs and fake corpses, Sasuke looked around with an amused smile.
"3...2...1..." Sasuke count down.
When he got to one, the door flew open, Naruto standing there dressed as a mummy.
"Hey, you're not dead!" Naruto greeted loudly, grinning at Sasuke.
"Of course he's not dead, idiot!" Sakura shouted. "I was his doctor!"
"Eheh..." Naruto chuckled nervously as he scratched the back of his head.
"Though maybe I will die of boredom if your party is anything like last year," Sasuke said with a smirk.
"How was I supposed to know the smoke would ruin the party?!" Naruto shouted. He punched at Sasuke's face, but the Uchiha easily ducked out of the way. Sasuke watched as Itachi caught Naruto's fist.
"Hello, Uzumaki Naruto," Itachi greeted as he let go of the Jinchuuriki's fist.
"Huh? You guys got Itachi to come? And..." Naruto stared for a moment. "YOU COULDN'T GET HIM TO WEAR A COSTUME?!" Naruto shouted. "It's a Halloween party, guys!"
"He's wearing a costume," Sasuke cut in. "He's going as boredom."
"Damn it, Sasuke..!"
After dodging another punch, Naruto grumbled and moved back inside. Sakura and Itachi followed, but Sasuke froze at the door and frowned.
"Uh...you coming, Sasuke?" Naruto asked. "Don't complain about being bored, just to pull something like this!"
Sasuke looked at Sakura and Itachi with a frown.
"Itachi, can you come here?" Sasuke asked, Naruto glaring at being ignored.
Itachi went to Sasuke and leaned in, wondering what Sasuke's problem was.
"I can't enter," Sasuke whispered.
"You can't- Oh. Vampire problem..?" Itachi whispered back.
"I think so."
Itachi turned back to Naruto and put on a smile.
"It's polite to invite your guests in, Naruto," Itachi pointed out. "So if you would, invite Sasuke."
"Eh? Invite...? He's been here before, he knows he doesn't need to ask!"
"Naruto, just invite him already!" Sakura shouted as she raised a fist, narrowing her eyes at the Uzumaki.
"Sasuke please come in before your girlfriend kills me! You're invited!"
With that, Sasuke finally stepped inside, Itachi following behind him. Sasuke kissed Sakura's cheek and whispered a thanks before he paused, tilting his head a little.
"Naruto, how many people are here?" Sasuke asked, glancing at his friend.
"Huh? Hinata, you guys, Ino, TenTen, Neji, Shikamaru, Lee, I invited Kakashi-sensei but he couldn't make it...um...Choji, Shino, Kiba...pretty much all of our friends. Why? Something wrong?"
Sasuke could hear all of their hearts.
"No...it's...it's nothing," Sasuke promised with a small smile.
When they entered the main part of Naruto's house, Sasuke saw everyone in costume. Witches, zombies, demons, werewolves and more. Sasuke briefly wondered how many of those things were real. Did werewolves exist? Witches with magic?
Sasuke was pulled from his thoughts when Sakura gently gripped his arm.
"You okay, Sasuke? You look like you want to run away," Sakura whispered.
"What? Sorry. I was just wondering if other monsters existed. And...I suppose all these smells and sounds are a little overwhelming. I've only been around you and Itachi lately."
"You'll be fine, Sasuke. I know you will. You've been through worse. You're strong."
Sasuke smiled.
"Just try to have fun, okay?" Sakura asked.
Sasuke tried. He really did. But after hours of being surrounded, Sasuke wanted to rip his hair out. Leaving Sakura's side, Sasuke made his way to the balcony on the second floor. He stepped outside and right away gripped the railing hard enough to begin crushing the metal. He took several deep breaths and looked at the moon, trying to ignore the heartbeats he heard downstairs. He just wanted to sink his fangs into someone and drain them of their blood. He felt horrible. If he just had a little blood...
"Sasuke? Are you okay?"
Sasuke's eyes went wide at the voice.
Hinata Hyuuga, his best friend's fiancée.
"No...no no no..." Sasuke whispered, clutching the rail tighter as he shut his eyes.
"Sasuke..?"
The moment Hinata stepped forward and placed her hand on his shoulder, Sasuke lost all control.
Sasuke turned quickly and pulled Hinata close, putting his hand over her mouth as he sank his fangs into her throat. He held tightly as she struggled, the woman unable to escape as Sasuke drank her blood. Hinata hit him as hard as she could, striking the side of his head. Sasuke pulled back and laughed as blood dripped from his lips. He stared down at Hinata, seeing the fear in her eyes before he pinned her down and went back to drinking.
Soon, Hinata quit struggling, her heartbeat slowing down. Sasuke pulled away laughing and fell back, staring at the night sky. His vision was blurry and his mind was foggy, but Sasuke noticed when someone stepped outside. He heard a gasp, then a voice. Itachi...and Sakura, he managed to figure out.
"Sasuke, what have you done?" Itachi whispered as Sakura rushed to Hinata.