Sasuke's head throbbed, a dull ache forming in his temple as he forced himself into a sitting position. He slipped, his hands covered in blood, the Uchiha laughing more as he hit the railing. On his second attempt he managed to stay upright, though his vision blurred momentarily. When he was able to focus, he saw Sakura kneeling over the dying Hyüga woman. To their left, Itachi stood at the door. His lips moved, but in his blood-drunk state Sasuke couldn't tell what he was saying. What had he done? So much blood...
"Sasuke, you need to help us," Itachi repeated. He motioned toward the blood soaked woman, her throat torn open from the attack. She wasn't bleeding anymore, her body almost drained thanks to Sasuke. Her skin was more pale than usual, her eyes unfocused as she stared at her attacker. "Sasuke!" he shouted.
Snapped from his drunken stupor, a feeling of dread filled the vampire. He moved over to them and reached out, though he froze, unable to make himself touch the dying woman. His best friend's fiancée lay motionless in front of him and it was all his fault.
"Sasuke, you can save her life," Sakura whispered next to him. "I can't heal her. Nothing is working. But you...you can save her..." He looked up slowly, a panicked look in his eyes. He try to wipe the blood from his face but only succeeded in smearing it.
"No, I...That's..." he began, a soft whimper leaving his lips.
"Sasuke! She'll die if we don't do something!" she interrupted. She sat back, knowing there was nothing more she could do. "I love you, Sasuke, but she's going to die because of you. You can stop it from happening."
He looked over at his brother for help, but the older Uchiha simply shook his head. Looking back at Hinata, his eyes blacker than the night sky, he made his choice. He knew he'd hate himself for it, but he also knew it had to be done. After all Naruto had done for him over the years, he couldn't sit by and let Hinata die. No matter how delicious her warm blood had...
"Hold her still, Sakura. If it's anything like what I went through, she's going to feel this," he ordered as he leaned down, pressing his lips to her throat once more. Before he could sink his fangs into her once more, a loud knocking came from the door. "Mother f...Itachi, deal with that!" he whispered harshly. His words were still slightly slurred, though he was quickly returning to normal. However 'normal' a monster could get, at least.
After giving Sasuke and Sakura time to move out of sight, Itachi opened the door, his expression remaining calm even when he saw who it was. "Hello, Naruto," he greeted with a small smile. "Can I help you?"
"Itachi? Hey, have you seen Hinata? I can't find her downstairs and..." The blonde trailed off, sniffing a few times as he raised a brow. "Itachi, what's that smell...?" Itachi glanced back, watching as his little brother finally bit Hinata. Things were going fine, for a moment. But then life briefly returned to her eyes, the woman letting out a scream of pure agony. Sasuke quickly covered her mouth, Sakura holding her down, but it was too late. "Who's out there?!" The blonde Uzumaki demanded. He pushed his way outside only to find...nothing. "Huh...?"
Sasuke stared at his friend in silence, keeping eye contact the entire time Naruto stood there. It was still difficult, but with how much blood he drank, controlling him was far easier than his failed attempt with Ino. When they were finally alone again, he fell back, holding his head in pain. "Took his time," he muttered.
"We need to get out of here," Sakura whispered. She stood, picking Hinata up over her shoulder. She moved one leg over the railing, preparing to jump when she saw Sasuke hadn't moved. "Honey, please, we really need to get going. If Naruto comes back..."
That got his attention. The three hopped off the balcony, running down the side of Naruto's house. "She can turn at our house. Then...We'll figure something out," Itachi muttered.
When they arrived home, Sasuke watched as Sakura and Itachi took Hinata away, taking the Hyüga woman to a spare bedroom. He watched until they shut the door before he quietly went to the bathroom. He stared at himself in the mirror and felt sick. His face was stained with blood, his clothes wet. He pulled his shirt off and shut the door. He tried his best to keep busy, scrubbing his hands and face, but no matter what he did he couldn't stop thinking of the look of fear Hinata gave him. When his face was finally clean, he gripped the counter and stared at himself once more. His vampiric features remained, reminding him of what he'd done. He didn't have time to dwell on it when he heard a knock. "Yeah? What...is it?"
"Sasuke? It's Sakura..."
He opened the door, nodding at the woman. "I know. I can smell you, and your heart is..." He trailed off. He didn't want to admit he memorized the way her heart sounded. "What is it...?"
"We got Hinata in a bed. She should be fine...well...when she wakes up."
He laughed at that, though it was forced. He shook his head and pointed back to his blood soaked shirt. "There's nothing 'fine' about any of this, Sakura. I'm a monster, Hinata is dead. I'm sure as soon as people realize Hinata is gone, Ino will remember what I really am. I've been a vampire less than a week and already fucked up this bad. I should just get it over with and-" He was cut off when she slapped him. Hard. He rubbed his cheek and let out a grunt of pain, glaring at her as he waited for an explanation.
"Don't you dare leave me," she whispered, glaring right back at him. She went to slap him again, but he caught her wrist tightly. He held her in place, staring down at her in silence. His previous anger quickly faded and he pulled her into a hug, pressing his forehead against her shoulder.
"What the hell am I supposed to do?" he whispered. "I killed my best friend's fiancée." He pulled away then, glancing down the hall toward the room his victim was in. "You should get some rest. It's getting late."
"Sasuke..."
"I'm going to check on Itachi. I'll see you soon."
Before she could stop him, Sasuke walked off, leaving her standing alone in the hall. He walked quietly, his steps not making a single sound. He stopped at Itachi's room, tilting his head a little when he didn't hear his brother. He closed his eyes and called out, "Nii-san?"
Itachi soon poked his head out of the room Hinata was in. He wiped his hands off on a towel, cleaning the blood off as best as he could before going to his little brother. "Yes, Sasuke? You need anything?" He paused, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You feeling okay? You drank more blood than usual..."
Sasuke stared quietly, unable to form words. He studied Itachi with his Sharingan, burning the image to his mind. His long hair seemed silky smooth and had a pleasant scent, tied into a ponytail like usual. He had a warm smile, though his eyes seemed worried. He stared at his lips, wondering briefly what they felt like. What they tasted like. Even with his sickness, Itachi seemed like a strong man, very fit thanks to his active lifestyle. He had seen him shirtless before, though had never really paid much attention. Being undead seemed to change things. He began to look a little lower but stopped himself, not wanting to make it obvious he was checking him out.
"Uh...Sasuke? You're staring," Itachi interrupted, breaking Sasuke out of his thoughts. "As if I'm Sakura."
He blinked a few times before shaking his head slowly. Now was definitely not the time to have those thoughts about Itachi. "Sorry. I'm having a little trouble staying focused right now. Too much blood, still getting used to it...wow, you smell lovely..." He hummed a bit before adding, "Sorry, that was...Are you tired? I can watch Hinata if you want to get some rest."
"I'll sleep in a bit...I need a shower first, though. Blood isn't as appealing to me. Are you going to be okay? You look horrible."
Sasuke just shrugged and offered a small smile. When Itachi left, he slipped into Hinata's room. He closed the door, locking it before turning to face the woman. The room was pitch black, though he had no trouble seeing where he was. He walked to her bed and stared down at the sleeping woman. "I should kill you," he whispered. "It would be the better option." He raised his hand, the room lighting up as Chidori sparked around his hand, the soft chirping sound filling the room. "I'm sorry for what I did to you. I promise...it'll be over soon. It won't hurt any more." Despite his words, he didn't move. He didn't really want to hurt her, but what choice did he have? If he spared her life, she'd just end up being a monster just like him. He doubted she'd ever be able to see Naruto again, and knew the kind woman would hate her craving for blood. He didn't think she'd be able to hurt someone like that. It would be a mercy to kill her...right?
The Chidori died as he lowered his hand, the room becoming dark once more. He stared at the woman, studying the wound on her throat. It already seemed to be healing, the wound nowhere near as bad as when he last saw it. He wasn't sure if Sakura had managed to heal her a little, or if her slow recovery was thanks to infection spreading. He leaned down to get a closer look, placing two fingers against her throat. He felt her heartbeat after several seconds. It was weak, fading quickly, though it had a soothing effect on him. Momentarily calmed, he became curious, his fear leaving him. What did it look like when someone turned? Did they simply wake up, or did something happen first? Perhaps she'd cry out as the last of her humanity left her. He pulled his hand away from her throat and rubbed his cheek. It still hurt, a good indicator of just how hard he had been slapped. He wondered, if he was human, if his jaw would have been broken.
He wished he could escape his thoughts with sleep.
Standing up, he pulled the blanket back over Hinata. "Enjoy your rest, Hinata. It'll be your last."
The next three days were hell for Sasuke. Itachi and Sakura had decided they should wait at home until the transformation was finished. Sakura called in sick while Itachi cancelled his missions, claiming Sasuke was still unwell and needed more help. By the third day, Sasuke wanted to rip his hair out. He felt trapped, unable to leave their house in case he slipped up again. He tried his best not to feed again, reminded of what he did every time, but eventually he caved in and drank the blood offered to him. He didn't drink enough to get drunk. Though they didn't say anything, it was obvious Sakura and Itachi were beginning to struggle with giving blood. They looked tired all the time, their skin pale. He even had to catch Sakura when she nearly collapsed at breakfast on the second day.
Three days was more than long enough for Sasuke.
"Alright, you two can't keep giving me blood," he decided on the third day, the three sitting at the kitchen table. He simply sat with them, not needing any normal food the way they did. "We need to figure something out. I'm not drinking from you two again."
"That's not an option, Sasuke," Itachi pointed out. "You need to eat or you'll start to starve. You go hungry and you might go crazy with your thirst for blood."
"We'll figure something out, Sasuke. I promise."
Sasuke stared at them. "I'm a vampire. You're this tired from feeding me. We have a second vampire who will wake up soon. You can't seriously..." He trailed off as a loud crashing sound came from Hinata's room. "Fuck."
The three rushed to the room, Sasuke stepping in first. They found Hinata on the floor, the woman's eyes wide as she looked around. Sasuke shielded his eyes, the morning sun bothering him as usual. He quickly closed the blinds, knowing it was just as bad for the Hyüga. He kneeled, smiling as she scooted back against the bed. "Where...where am I? Why am I here?" she asked, looking around the room once more. "What did you do to me?"
"Hinata, don't freak out," Sasuke muttered. "It's complicated, alright?" He thought it over for a bit before nodding. "Sakura, Itachi, could you give us a minute? This might go easier if you aren't here. Less distracting." He watched as they left, taking a long breath. He faced Hinata. "I'm sorry, Hinata. Three days ago, I killed you. You aren't human any more. You're a monster. A vampire."
She just stared at him.
"I want to go home," she whispered. "Everything's so loud..."
"Your eyes hurt, too, don't they? It should pass with time. The sun bothers me as well." He cleared his throat. She wasn't freaking out the way he thought she would. "I know you heard what I said. You're a monster. You understand what I'm saying...Don't you?" When she slowly nodded, he raised a brow and sat back. He had expected her to freak out. He thought she would have attacked, driven by hunger. And yet...she seemed oddly calm.
"You...killed me?" she finally asked.
"It was my first time being near so many people at once. All the smells, the sounds...It was a little overwhelming. I wanted to go outside to be alone. But when you showed up...I couldn't stop myself. I'm sorry, Hinata."
"I want to go home!" she repeated loudly. Itachi and Sakura returned then, almost breaking the door down as they entered. The seal on Sakura's head had spread and Itachi had a Susanoo ribcage around himself, the two expecting the worst.
"Everything okay?" Itachi asked.
Sasuke stared at Hinata for a few more seconds before looking back at his brother. He gave a nod before standing, holding his hand out to Hinata. She took it after a small hesitation and got on her feet. "She's fine," he promised. "I'm guessing she's hungry though."
"Well that's..." Sakura began. She went over slowly, stopping at Sasuke's side. "Hinata? How do you feel?"
"I...I don't feel good," the Hyüga woman admitted.
"She's hungry," Sasuke repeated. "I'm feeling it as well. But...we don't have any blood."
The group became silent then. Sasuke remained by Hinata's side, Sakura rubbed her eyes and Itachi hummed softly as he tried to decide what the best thing to do was. An idea came to him, though he knew it was wrong. Itachi didn't care though. All his life, he'd done whatever was necessary to keep his brother alive and safe. He slaughtered his own clan just so Sasuke would be spared. Looking over at the pink haired woman, he cleared his throat to get her attention. When she looked over, he asked, "Do you have any dying patients?"
She reacted as well as he expected.
"I am NOT letting you go on a killing spree in the hospital! I'm a doctor, damn it! I can't just sacrifice my patients!" she shouted. She went to hit Itachi for his suggestion but the man caught her fist with a Susanoo arm. The two stared each other down, the pinkette struggling to pull her arm free. When her fist was released she stumbled back, tripping. With a grunt, she landed on her ass. "The hospital is absolutely off limits! No vampire shenanigans allowed!"
"We have two hungry vampires. We alone don't have enough blood to feed them. Do you want to watch Sasuke eventually starve? Feel free to offer an alternative solution."
"Guys. Knock it off. Let's just figure this out before things get out of hand," Sasuke cut in. He rubbed his eyes, his head feeling as if someone had hit it with a hammer. Hinata didn't seem to be doing much better, the woman leaning against the bed as she pressed her hand against her temple, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. "I need some air. Hinata? Could you come with me?" She looked over at him, her eyes pure black, fangs showing. "Staying near them is only going to make you hungrier. And...We need to talk."
"I understand," she whispered. "I...I'll follow you."
"We'll be right outside," he called back as he walked away from them, Hinata following after a moment of hesitation. He lead her through the house, not saying another word. He could hear Itachi and Sakura following close by, their hearts beating slow as they tried to stay hidden. He could smell them as well, their scent making it hard to focus. He wanted to turn back to them, drink their blood until his hunger left him. After draining Hinata, it was difficult to go back to smaller amounts. The throbbing in his head returned as he stepped out into the light, his eyes burning momentarily. He stared at the sun, clenching his teeth, his hands clenched at his side. He deserved the pain and far worse. He glanced over at his fellow monster as he leaned against the side of the house, his fangs slowly growing. He opened his mouth to show her, running his tongue along the tooth before shaking his head.
"We're really monsters, aren't we?" she whispered. Her own fangs grew then, her pale eyes turning darker than the void. She reached up, brushing the tips of her fingers along her fangs.
"Maybe you'll have better control than me. You've always been the quiet, kind type. But yes, we're no longer human." He turned to her, forcing himself to smile. "Oh. I need to explain a few things about your undead condition. I'll tell you everything we know."
He explained everything they knew, or thought they knew. The powers they had, what could kill them, their ability to turn others. By the time he finished explaining, a sharp pain had formed in his temple and he felt sick. Hinata didn't look much better. "Avoid getting your heart stabbed if you can. Understand?" He paused to study her. Though she seemed hungry, she didn't seem so surprised at what he told her. "You're taking this very well, Hinata."
"I...I mean, you can shoot fire from your eyes and summon a skeletal phantom. Naruto-kun has a giant fox sealed in him and learned Sage Art from talking toads. Our lives are already...I mean, this just doesn't seem too far out there is all. But...I don't really like that I'll have to drink blood. Isn't that...gross?"
"I think Sakura and Itachi taste good. But...That could just be because they were the first blood I drank. Though...You did taste great as well...Anyway, I'll think of something. We'll have blood by the end of the day."
Later that night, as Sasuke looked over the books they bought, an urgent knocking came from the front door. He lowered his book, pinching the bridge of his nose. When the knocking continued, he threw his book onto his desk and left his room, muttering under his breath on the way to the door. "This better be important," he growled out as he opened the door. He was greeted by Ino, the blonde woman staring quietly for several seconds. "Ino? What do you want? I'm not feeling that well right now." He smiled, though it was difficult. The last time they met, she had called him a leech. They had been friends, but now...He struggled to care about her at all.
"I know what you did, Sasuke," she whispered.
His smile soon became as dead as him. He leaned against the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. "I've done a lot of things, Ino. Maybe you should be a little more specific," he muttered. God, he wanted to kill her. She smelled so good...
"You killed Hinata, didn't you?"
His lips twitched at her words. "I have no clue what you are talking about, Ino. I don't appreciate accusations, either," he warned her. "Hinata was...sick and came to Sakura for help. She was in isolation for the last few days, but it seems she's feeling better now."
Ino watched her old friend in silence, her hands balled into fists at her sides. She closed her eyes tightly, taking deep breaths. In through her nose, out through her mouth...
When the blonde looked at the Uchiha again, she smiled.
Before pulling out a kunai, the woman dragging it across her palm.
Sasuke watched as the blood flowed from her cut, dripping down her wrist as she held her hand up. He couldn't look away, his mind only able to focus on the smell. He whimpered, shifting a little. As she moved her hand around, he followed with his eyes, not moving his head at all. He slowly leaned closer, his eyes shut, the undead Uchiha taking a deep breath. When his eyes opened, they were black. He couldn't stop it, his need for blood telling him to tear into Ino until every drop was gone. He leaned even closer. Just a taste...
His focus only broke when the woman spoke.
"I know what you are now, Sasuke. And I'm sure Naruto would love to hear what you did to Hinata!"