Composition by Adrian von Ziegler.

Chapter Fifteen

Dark Ritual

The foul-mouth was heading towards the wing which was none other than the conference room, and it was where he was going all along - and as soon as he opened the great doors, he had a surprise waiting for him.

There was Tsunade surrounded by the elders of the council, and she was proper with one leg crossed over the other. "You made it," she said smoothly - and then produced a caliber of her own, aiming it right at Shiro who shrieked like the little girl he was inside. "I congratulate you."

All rounds fired right at him, but not hitting vital spots; only enough to make him collapse bleeding like a stuck pig - unlike his brother who cowered when Itachi unleashed the Sharingan's full power, the seal of the Senju in his flesh burning with the record that would get back to its mistress. All those eyes on Taro Kokoro who got a taste of how a real vampire did battle...and he screamed like a helpless child as he got torn to shreds.

Oh, Itachi hadn't had this much of a thrill in ages, yet it was as he said: just like coming down from a human high. Overestimation at its finest.

His brother clearly had no transformation abilities either, or did their master restrict that? Itachi recalled him being capable of those things, ancient a monster as he was...

Tsunade's face whispered sheer horror as she saw that ALL her men had been turned into undead ghouls - only to be torn to shreds by both Sasuke and Sakura, though the pinkette did the majority of it after one of the animals dared to lay a hand on her breast in an attempt to grab her...and she turned into such a savage that even her own mate wasn't able to recognize her, and when it was done - he'd stood by as well as Shizune, who retreated to be beside Itachi - Sasuke dashed over and took his woman into his arms.

"SAKURA, ENOUGH! PLEASE, JUST STOP IT!"

The red bloodlust in Sakura's eyes had faded to vibrant green again, and left behind was mortification at what she'd done. She was a physician, saved lives, but here she'd taken so many because they were once human turned living slaves of another like her. Taking a few breaths, she turned into Sasuke's embrace after she calmed down, and they were locked into it whilst still covered in the stench of gore from the macabre mess.

Itachi glanced down at the scum who was now missing an arm and still spouting curses when he was near the end of his life. "Go ahead and kill me, sperm," Shiro sneered, making Itachi hiss, baring his teeth.

"I'll put you out of your misery if you tell me who let you loose," the Uchiha said. "In fact, my lady..."

She was coming up to be beside him, joined by Shizune again and the other two vampires, gun still in her hand, to which Shiro cocked, "What up, bitch?" He wasn't fazed when she flaunted the arms towards his heart, and he didn't scream any longer when she shot him a few more times in the shoulders.

"No more of that. Answer now: who are you people and what did you hope to accomplish?" She narrowed her eyes. "Are you...behind the ones creating the freaks with the chips in their brains?"

He cackled, choking up on his own blood, as well. "Bitch, you know when you said it yourself. And we haven't used the new freaks because they were still being tested. Boss said it'd be a waste of new resources. As well, since we royally screwed up, I'm all done for. Because they won't let me talk since I'm still here..."

And just like that, he burst up into flames out of nowhere, vibrant blue consuming him.

Sakura and Sasuke held onto each other as they watched the show with dismay. Shizune took another step back while Tsunade nearly dropped her gun. And Itachi could only watch as Shiro Koroko gave them the middle finger as well as his last words before he crumbled to dust:

"Beware the...Akatsuki."

~o~

That's it...Akatsuki.

The name was going to stay with her and could help them get somewhere now. When this vermin came to the doors, all of them would be prepared to shoot him down to dust, but not before they got the answers, and there it was in a single word.

It didn't surprise Tsunade that he was bugged so that he would be burned alive in the event of failure. Tactical genius, indeed. But all her soldiers - all these men who gave their lives - were a misidentified mess around them. She was going to take responsibility, as usual. Shizune looked her way now and asked her if she was fine despite knowing she wasn't. Bitterly, the Senju answered she was. Except there were still a few groaning zombie heads which needed to be put out of their misery.

Of course Koharu charged her to do it since she brought this about. Clenching her teeth and at a loss of a good obscenity comeback, she unlocked the safety once again and fired until they were all dead as meat from the supermarket. The crone's words added insult to injury.

"Tsunade, this should have been prevented at all costs. Your lack of preparation fits the description, and this facility under your command means the responsibility is yours. And the fact these men died and were reanimated as these creatures is ENTIRELY your fault, now that I can say it freely."

It took all of her self-control to not shoot her in the heart herself. Only Shizune did the deed of snarling out, "How DARE you -"

"SHIZUNE!" Tsunade barked, silencing the girl.

Sasuke kept murderous eyes on the old woman he wanted to rip at the throat; she knew that look well. Sakura had all but crumbled, the poor girl, and held onto her mate who ran his fingers through her hair affectionately. Itachi was poised as a statue, and he didn't utter a single word or budged as the bullet shells fell to the ground after the thundering of the shots caused the walls to rattle.

She murmured the words in midst, hoping her soldiers could hear even though they weren't human anymore: "I don't ask for your forgiveness, but it's my fault."

~o~

"Out of the ninety-six members of the Senju Organization's headquarters, there are currently ten left," Itachi told Hanaru when he visited her that Friday night, which was perfect timing since Temari and Shikamaru had gone out on a date to try and make up for lost times. "Eight lived only because they were away at the time of the attack. Miraculously, Hatake and Yamato are among and were at the facility. Your grandmother and Shizune were excluded because of reasons."

Hanaru closed her eyes, bowing her head. That night she'd had a horrible image in her head that something happened, and he had to come here of all times to tell her in order to confirm for her.

Those men...turned into zombies and then put out of their misery by my grandmother who was blamed for it all. For not preventing this from happening. "Itachi," she said, "what's gonna happen now?"

"We got an answer out of the younger brother: a word called Akatsuki. Shizune is working to find, but I already have suspicions of my own. She searched all the resources, but unfortunately, she's been met with dead ends, other than the meaning of the word: 'dawn'. As in a new day approaching."

So this bloodsucking leech with a dirty mouth said a word before burning to dust, but why did this shit have to get so much harder? "We're in deep now, are we all?" she asked tiredly, reaching up to rub her eyes. "No solid leads yet, but these guys behind those freak chips are linked to someone called 'Akatsuki'." Bitterly, she shook her head. But it was then that a light bulb went on based on the definition: new day...

Someone is intending to bring a new era...an age of monsters and freaks?

Was this going to be a brand new World War?!

Oh, God, no...

"Hopefully it won't happen, but it is always out of our hands," Itachi told her. "Little consolation, if only I could convince you not to worry. But I've fought in every one of the battles in the past, before Tsunade's time."

That didn't surprise her at all, but she wasn't sure she was going to ask him what it was like, since it sounded like a sensitive topic for him. Just like one important question: how and why did you have to end up being a vampire? And who did it to you?

Unfortunately, he noticed it in her eyes but not exactly what she was thinking. She should expect that from him by now. "You have something to ask me. I'll be glad to answer."

"Okay then. How long had you been in the Senju's service?" Start with a basic, boring and obvious one before you proceed deeper.

His posture was reclining in the loveseat, legs stretched out and crossed over each other - and thankfully he removed his boots because this was someone's home. She found herself briefly looking at his bare feet, amazed at their structure, and almost didn't hear what he said: "Since before the First World War began, around the time of the final rebellion before the nineteenth century ended." When people were reacting negatively to the changes being brought by the Meiji. "Your great-great grandfather was the one who took me in, but in those days, the environments were harsh unlike at the present. I was beaten and cursed upon as often as managed, but I survived, of course. It was something that I had to endure, if I needed a purpose for myself -"

Hanaru had to interrupt him. "You chose to be a slave?" she demanded. "Why would you agree to such a thing?"

"Because not only did I have my reasons, but it was also to protect my brother. He committed a sin that he never meant to, against Hashirama Senju's uncle; Hashirama was your great-grandfather, and he began to show a little more leniency if keeping tight reins on me. Anyway, his father had his grudge against us both, agreed to let my brother be free but would never forgive him. But it wasn't done for sport or simply thirst, for no blood was ingested. A fight that shouldn't have taken place. He argued that I would lose my freedom and he would lose me if I agreed to be the 'hunters' pet dog to beat into submission', but if that was what it took, so be it.

"Before that, it wasn't like we were knitted like we were as human children," Itachi finished quietly, sadness audible for her ears. So genuine that it struck a chord in her upper body. "He ignores to this day that I do this for him and a cause, but tolerates because I'm his brother."

It was then that Hanaru recalled the eve of the new year, noticing the similarities between her unknown Man in Red - Itachi, who was there that night - and Detective Uchiha who approached her with his wife...and her brain clicked on the identity of HIS brother as well as Itachi's. And she'd thought she'd gone crazy that night.

He never said, either, whether his brother was older or younger...

"Your brother...is his name Sasuke Uchiha by any chance?"

That man really didn't fidget or budge an inch whenever she would figure a piece of the puzzle out. "...yes," he said finally. "He's my younger brother, and Sakura is my sister-in-law."

~o~

He finally chose to tell her who his brother was, and she hardly seemed surprised. He knew why and didn't have to say so to her or himself.

"I kind of knew, yeah, but I'd thought it was my imagination," Hanaru said softly. "And he knew, too..." About your brother.

Itachi confirmed. "He was in on protecting him, Gaara, and you and your friend. He was also living amongst humans because he and Sakura had every right to have their own purpose. Though you've seen my brother isn't as reassuring as I am."

"You got that right," she grumbled, standing up and stretching. "Makes me wonder how Sakura is with someone like him." He chuckled, recalling the one time he asked himself that question, but somehow the pinkette calmed his brother down after he saved her life decades ago. "Opposites attract, they say, but there's no telling if they'll end well. Means hard work and effort."

Too much, and yet not too much either.

He and her were opposites in many ways: she was warm, sweet and fresh, lively and tempered. He was cold, frigid and living death, filled with more burdens than she would ever know.

But here was what they had in common: they endured life's tragedies and persevered, and loved their brothers.

This was dangerous territory he was treading. The fact she was his mistress' granddaughter added to off-limits.

"Does this mean I get to see them again since they'll know that I know?"

"Likely," he answered, the possibility at one hundred percent. "My brother isn't going to come up with a soft apology like my sister-in-law will for him, but know that he's just...himself." Sometimes he ran out of proper words to describe Sasuke to anyone who'd ask; it showed how he was far from perfect. "They were going to be present when you and Temari see your brothers very soon, but our current matters have now prevented that."

Her eyes lit up. "When will that be?"

He merely smiled at her in return.

~o~

The month of January wasn't even over yet, and this month as well as the past felt like an eternity had gone by. Not only was the snow never-ending, but the events made it moreso. Only she had a feeling that would change now that the day finally arrived.

We're going to see our brothers. Just like he promised.

Besides learning about his brother and sister-in-law - Sasuke and Sakura are also vampires; no wonder they felt and looked so odd - but she also discovered how he could go about in the sunlight when he could. Tsunade had a genetic sunscreen that was injected into his system that he had to take twice a day like prescribed medication, rather than wasting time putting sunscreen all over his body. She thought that was the most ingenious thing she'd ever heard.

But it was then that he finally explained his power, which he called the "Sharingan" - eyes that mirror - and it was known for copying enemies' movements down to the tiniest details, even reflecting illusions that entrapped the other, and so many other things that amazed her...

...but it all came at a terrible price: each tomoe was due to great tragedy on his heart. And that made a tremendous difference as well as piqued her curiosity even more - but he held his hand up when she tried asking him the story behind each tomoe as well as that pinwheel which was a level above all three.

"That is not a story to tell lightly and with little time left for us."

That was when Temari came home, and he was gone minutes before that. Grumbling to herself, Hanaru wished she had that kind of speed, but everyone did.

"Let me get this straight: this 'Itachi' guy tells you that he knew all along our brothers were alive and safe, and it turns out he is the older brother of Sasuke Uchiha - the bastard detective himself," Temari stated as they were riding the helicopter over Konoha and now heading to the south-point mountains covered with snow - offering a pristine view of the sea - although less compared to the north where there was most, and the west had none while the east was a cross of in-between.

Hanaru nodded. "That's right. And that's where we're going now."

Her friend sniffed. "I'll be glad to see Gaara again, now that I feel good as new, surprised even myself. I promise I'll be on my best behavior." She held up two fingers crossed over as the vow. Hanaru smiled at her; it was good to see the old Temari back. She forgave her right away just as the other blonde said she was sorry for how she treated her and the boys - but she was still working to earn their trust back.

They had to do nothing but shout over the helicopter's buzzing fans, and the pilot in the seat was none other than Shizune. She really liked this woman so much, because of what she could do. She yelled behind her as she guided them lower without touching any of the white-capped peaks. It was one of the most beautiful sights she'd seen. "That's right," Shizune said in response to her, "and that's the beauty of this place: it's private and not bothered by the outside world except for a few who know about it. The boys are going to be happy to see you..." But then her face fell.

"But be prepared for what's waiting for you. They're not going to be what you remember - at least, on the inside."

On the inside...

"I don't like the sound of that," Temari grumbled, pulling her heavy coat around herself, prompting Hanaru to do the same. "But I knew one of my brothers was still around, yet I was so close to giving up like everyone - except a few -" she added with a glance at Hanaru. "- told me to. I just want to know he's REALLY okay!"

"So do I," the Uzumaki said softly, lowering her eyes to her lap, and then raised them again when it was announced that they were approaching their destination - and the breath was knocked out of her lungs when she saw they approached a temple in the middle of the mountains, and not high enough for the oxygen levels to be cut off.

What WAS this place?! This majestic monastery - she'd never been to a spot like this, except read about in history and how the new world overshadowed nowadays, but kept relics intact so that people wouldn't forget what life was like a long time ago. She had to ask what it was. "This, Hanaru, is the home of the Hyuuga clan," Shizune replied as they neared the structure. Snow was blowing in a soft flurry around it, like a painting come alive.

"What's the Hyuuga clan?" Hanaru asked. An old family, maybe a samurai clan descended, what else?

And Shizune read her mind, kind of. "A very old family descended from feudal days, but there's few now compared to then. They are one of rare living who prefer the old ways, see modern technology and such as destructive."

She landed them atop the temple, where there was a landing platform. It seemed it was specially for them, because as she said, no one else but the Senju Organization would interfere. Getting out, she and Temari buttoned up their coats because of how it was still so frigid. "Good news, though: we're going downstairs!" Shizune said as she made sure the copter was secured and locked in place.

And so they had an entrance to a staircase that led downstairs, the doors closing behind them, and that was when they were greeted down below with the most beautiful young girl Hanaru had ever seen. In fact, she couldn't even be a human being; she might be a human-sized fairy from a Gothic fantasy. My God, she's so beautiful. Her hair was long and sleek, raven and highlighted with lavender, the bangs above her eyes softly bouncing. But her eyes were mesmerizing: they were a shimmering white, like a true pearl. Who had eyes like that? Her dress was gorgeous but strange, because no one would wear something like that unless it was a special occasion: purple-and-black brocade with dark velvet panels. It was supported with thin straps and showed off her icy curves.

Her attention fell to the charm around her neck: a silver crescent moon above a small, raw amethyst crystal. Hanaru's knowledge of the gem came to her mind. A protection stone from poison, helps during meditation, even opens the spirit center. The Catholics wear it for wisdom, humility and sincerity. Healers use it to attempt to save the heart and lungs. It also aids the blood and breathing, keeps things clean.

And by taking a good long look at the splendid specimen of a female, she saw that she must be what Itachi was, and Temari was about to find out today. She was going warped for sure, but Itachi was going to help.

"Oh, Shizune, it's so good that you arrived." Her voice - it was soft and sweet, like spring in this unforgiving winter! She embodied the season, yet gave off its softer side. "And this is Hanaru and Temari. I was hoping to meet you girls when the day would come." She extended her pale hands, one on either side, as if gesturing that they could be taken freely. "Don't be afraid to take my hands."

Hanaru took the left, Temari the right, and both placed their free ones atop. Both were amazed at how cool the girl felt to the touch. Then the pigtailed woman pulled them back, shaking her head. "How in the hell are you so cold, and why are you dressed like that in this season?" she asked in disbelief. The girl laughed.

"Because that's the way I am. Oh, forgive me." She giggled nervously. "I'm Hinata Hyuuga. I'm mistress of this monastery."

Hyuuga clan...so, they're vampires after all. "You run this place? Anyone else here?" Hanaru asked.

"There are, but not as many as there used to be," the immortal beauty answered, looking her way and still smiling. A means to hide the sadness when she spoke of how many of her kind were here. "There is myself, my cousin, my sister and our father. And a few hands. To keep a long story short, our strength is unlike anything you've seen." Then she glanced warily to Temari. "And you yourself - you don't know everything, am I right?"

"What are you saying? My friend here has ESP, we know our brothers have been in this isolated mountain retreat all this time, but will you tell us now why we were never told about this?" Temari answered with her questions.

Hinata sighed softly. "Yes, you'll know everything. You've been kept in the dark long enough. It's a shame, like I have always said. But orders are orders." They had been walking for some time, giving Hanaru a chance to admire the surroundings and being blown away by the paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling, the fans and scenic paintings of ancient battles and nature on the walls, as well as the shoji screens and standing lamps.

What was all the more amazing was that a zen garden was kept alive within a glass garden in the middle of the area, complete with smooth black rocks and muted other pebbles, a Buddha statue and a soft fountain.

And then the peace was broken when a voice penetrated the air: "Hanaru - aneki?!" Only it wasn't HER brother, but it was...

"GAARA!"

There he was, dressed nicely in a maroon tunic and dark pants, his hair slicked and parted down the middle; he looked like Gaara and yet not. The black lining around his eyes was still there, but now there was a kanji image on the left side of his forehead: 愛- "love". And it looked like it had been done by a human hand. But why?

Her best friend broke down, face twisting, and she rushed forward without another word, crying his name again and blubbering that she knew he wasn't dead, then let go to demand answers.

For Hanaru, she was glad to see him, feeling the lightness come over her senses - and it intensified into something stronger as she felt the necklace become heavier, the onyx and quartz vibrating as one, and she placed a palm over it, feeling her heartbeat increase with it. She knew what this meant; she knew who she wanted to see now, and when she whirled around at the sound of her name, she gasped in joy and overwhelming emotions as she saw her brother running her way, and she was about to do the same before Shizune did the job of shouting, prompting them both to freeze in their tracks.

"WHAT THE HELL; HE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE RELEASED SO SOON!"

Rebellions in the late 19th-century Japan: Saga Rebellion (1874); Akizuki, Hagi and Shinpūren Rebellions (1876); Satsuma Rebellion (1877); Chichibu Incident (1884).

The information of the use and symbolisms of the amethyst are all historical context. :)

And AT LONG LAST: brothers and sisters reunite! :'D Totally worth the wait and effort...but just wait until you see what happens in the next chapter that caused Shizune to raise her voice that way.

Review!