Chapter 2: Vampire's Kiss
"Are you sure you're alright Iruka Sensei?" You got pretty banged up last night.
Iruka winces as he walks towards his homeroom class with a slight limp together with Naruto. While it was true that he had felt better, he was in a far better condition then Mizuki. whom he knew was probably languishing in the dungeon right not under the watchful eye of their security officer Ibiki.
"I'm fine Naruto San. It's nothing that a long soak and a good night's sleep couldn't fix." Iruka replied. "But thanks for your concern though."
"Ahhh, no worries. I was just doing it as a favor to the old man so no need to thank me." Naruto said with a dismissive wave. "The fact that the culprit was a total creep was just a bonus for me and I was only to happy to help kick his ass."
"Kick his ass?!?" Iruka thought incredilously. "You damned near crippled him in his monstrous form without even trying hard." Iruka wonders just how strong Naruto as he thought back to the events the previous night.
(Flashback)
"Kyubi No Kitsune?!?" Mizuki repeated fearfully. "You mean the legendary lord of the higher demons Kyubi No Kitsune?!?"
"That would be my dad." The transformed Naruto reveals with a vulpine grin. "But once I prove myself worthy, that'll be me in the future."
"That's not true!!!" Mizuki said as he leaps towards Naruto and attacks. "The higher demons are just a myth even amongst demonkind. There's no way you could be related to one of them."
Much to Mizuki's surprise, Naruto simply catches his hurtling body with one hand and tosses him away like a ragdoll. "And yet here I am in the flesh right in front of you. Those bumps and bruises I gave you should've made that painfully obvious so I suggest you give it up before you get seriously hurt."
"I won't accept this...." Mizuki grated as he slowly gets back to his feet and takes out a pistol. "I won't go out like this."
Naruto eyes the weapon in Mizuki's hand. "Resorting to weapons now are we? That won't work on me though so what's the point?"
"It may not work on you...." Mizuki started with a chuckle then points the weapon at Iruka. "....But you're not the target anyways.... If I'm gonna die then I might as well take somebody to hell with me." But before he could pull the trigger, Naruto was on him and crushing the hand which held the pistol.
"Aaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!!" Screamed Mizuki as he cradled his crushed hand as Naruto looms over him. "Now that wasn't fair was it? Pulling a gun on a defenseless being" Naruto stated casually. He holds up a hand which bursts into flame. "Since it's not likely that you're gonna give up, I guess I'll have to 'pursuade' you." Naruto said as he steps closer to the traitor.
And all Mizuki could do is scream.
Almost half an hour later, Naruto walks away from the smoking husk that was Mizuki who was blessedly unconscious and disguises himself again. "Guess that settles that." Naruto said to Iruka as he hands him the briefcase which contained the important papers. "I believe this was what you're after?"
Iruka nods dumbly as he accepts the briefcase and manages to ask one question. "Who exactly are you?"
"He is as he said Iruka Kun. The heir to the title of Kyubi No Kitsune." Another voice said. Both Naruto and Iruka looks back and sees Sarutobi step out of the shadows of the forest. The old man then calmly walks forward and studies the unconscious Mizuki, shakes his head then glances at Naruto. "Couldn't you have held back a bit more Naruto Kun? I wanted him conscious and in relatively good condition to answer my security chief's questions."
"Ahh sorry...." Naruto apologized with a sheepish grin. "Guess I lost my temper there a bit."
"Excuse me Headmaster." Iruka interrupted. "You were saying that Naruto San here is a higher demon? As Mizuki said, aren't they just legends and myths?"
"They are very real Iruka Kun." Sarutobi answered. "The Nine Higher Demon Lords DO exist and as a matter of fact, one of the former headmasters of this school cut his career short to assume the title." He said then places a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "This is Uzumaki Naruto. The son and heir of the Kyubi No Kitsune or better known to us as Uzumaki Arashi."
(End Flashback)
After which the Sandaime brought him and Naruto to his office where he explained to Iruka that Naruto was cooperating with him to catch the culprit of a recent series of thefts of important school documents as well as their suspicions that Orochimaru had a hand in the incidents. It had been Naruto's idea to let him 'steal' more of the school's important papers in order to lure out the suspect and fortunately for them, the plan worked.
At first, Iruka was wondering how the Headmaster could put so much trust and faith in a boy just barely out of his teens and looked more like a gangster rather then a student. But thinking back on how Naruto seemed to get along with the headmaster and how he had badly beaten Mizuki when he tried to kill him, he had to revise his opinion of the rough looking youngster.
Naruto is a mischievous, confident and cocky individual. But the cocksure attitude seemed to be tempered with a personal code of honor and strong sense of right and wrong not found in many youngsters of today.
But Iruka was still worried about how his class would react to Naruto.... Or how Naruto would interact with his new classmates with mostly consisted of members of nobility or scions of prominent clans. He had heard about his antics during the first day and was afraid that his actions might have pushed the wrong buttons, making him a target.
"We're here Naruto San." Iruka said, stopping in front of a classroom. He takes a deep breath before opening the door and motioning for Naruto to follow him into the room.
Inside, the chatters stops as the students silently study the blonde who entered the classroom with their homeroom teacher. Most of them were present when the newcomer who called himself Uzumaki Naruto had literally kicked the school gates open and entered the premises and were curious to see what made the blonde juvenile tick.
In turn, Naruto also found himself scrutinizing his new classmates and tried to identify the ones whom he felt were strong enough to be a challenge.
"Good morning class." Iruka greets as he places his books on his desk. "Before anything else, I'd like all of you to meet a new student of this school and your new classmate. All right Naruto San, please introduce yourself to the class."
As Naruto steps up in front and faces his new classmates. He notices that the two girls whom he spoke with this morning, Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino, were also part of this class and as his eyes met theirs, Sakura averts his gaze with a small huff while Ino gives him a small, friendly wave.
"The name's Uzumaki Naruto. Glad to meet y'all." Naruto greeted cheerily with a small salute. When he was sure that no reaction was forthcoming moments later, he continues with his introduction. "I love a good fight or getting into one but I absolutely hate bullies and temes who think they're better then everybody else just. My hobbies are looking for strong opponents who will give me a good challenge and my dreams.... Well, I'm sure most of you heard what I said yesterday morning. So if anybody has a problem with that, then you know where you can find me." He ends with a chuckle.
"Ermm.... Thank you Naruto San." Iruka said weakly, wondering what he had gotten himself into. "You may now take your seat. How about that empty spot besides Yamanaka San whom I believed you've met yesterday?"
Naruto nods at this and walks towards the seat. As he was doing this, he could feel the looks that the class was giving him and more then a few were laced with hostile intent. He takes his place besides the pale blonde beauty who leans over and whispers. "Nice job. If you didn't get anyone's attention before, I think that little speech did it."
"The challenge still stands though." Naruto whispers back. "If anyone wants a piece of me..... ANYONE at all...." He emphasizes the word by letting out some hostile intent of his own which created a surprisingly stifling atmosphere inside the classroom and earning him startled looks from most of the students except for those strong enough to resist it and those who seems to admire him enough to not mind it. "....All I can say is bring it."
Ino laughs lightly at this. "Confident. I like that in a man. I have a feeling that you'll make things real interesting around here. And who knows? I might even take you up on that challenge."
"Anytime, anywhere Ino. Anytime, anywhere...." Naruto replies with a wide vulpine grin.
"If you two are done flirting with each other...." Sakura, who was in front of Naruto's seat, whispers harshly. "....Would you guys mind getting your heads out of the gutter and get back to the business at hand?"
"What's the matter forehead girl? Jealous that I may have found someone who's up to my standards?" Ino taunted.
Sakura glances at Naruto and found herself fighting back a blush as she stammers out. "O-Of course not. Why would I be jealous? There's absolutely no reason for it."
"LIAR!!!" A voice inside Sakura's head counters. "You are intrigued by Uzumaki Naruto and you want to get to know him a LOT better. Why can't you be more honest to yourself?"
"Stop it you.... And just when I thought I've gotten rid of you." Sakura thought back, shaking her head to clear her mind of the voice. It had only been barely a day since she met the blonde troublemaker but it was enough to wake her inner self up once again which made her wonder what power Naruto held to pique the interest of the other Sakura inside her.
"Hahahaha!!!! So long as you're still alive, you'll never get rid of me." The voice answered. "I'm just as much a part of you as you are a part of me and that will NEVER change."
"Are you ok Sakura San?" Naruto asks with genuine concern in his voice, looking at Sakura.
"I'm fine. No need to concern yourself over me." Sakura snaps at Naruto coldly.
"Whoah hey.... No need to bite my head off." Naruto said, raising both palms forward in a placating gesture.
"Ino.... Sakura.... Naruto.... Perhaps you'd like to share your discussion with the class?" Iruka stated with an annoyed frown on his face.
"Eeepp.... Our apologies Iruka Sensei." Sakura quickly apologized and mentally cursed to herself for being distracted. "We were just discussing the school system with Naruto San."
"Well while I admire your attempts to make him feel welcome, please do it AFTER the class." Iruka said sternly.
"We apologize for the interruption Iruka Sensei. It won't happen again." Sakura said glaring at Naruto who was looking somewhere else, pretending to be innocent.
"Teeheehee.... This promises to be a looonnnggg interesting year indeed." Sakura could hear her inner self cackle gleefully. "And like I said before, you'll never be able to get rid of me so you better learn to live with it." Sakura could only rub the bridge of her nose in frustration. Her inner self was right about one thing though. With Uzumaki Naruto around, it WILL be a long year ahead.
(After School)
Naruto whistled a tuneless song as he walks towards his assigned dorm just outside the academy.
His first day had gone so-so. Nobody has hassled him thus far but neither has he made any more acquaintances apart from both Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino as well as a few others. But of course, it was still the first day and ANYTHING can happen in the span of one school year.
And speaking of the two girls, Naruto soon found himself mentally comparing the two. Both were pretty cute, smart, popular and had nice figures though Ino arguably was more physically gifted.
But that's where their similarity ended.
While Ino was openly friendly and outgoing, Sakura was cold and aloof. But then again, Sakura was brutally honest, candid and opinionated whereas Ino's cheery personality was obviously a facade and in her resided a deceitful, ruthless and calculating individual with her own agenda.
He would have to watch himself around Ino. At the very least, Sakura will not be afraid to tell him exactly what she thinks of him.
But something else about Sakura bothered him. She obviously had some serious power but for some reason was keeping it tightly supressed. Maybe the cross she wears acts as some sort of seal......
"What the hell do you want from me?" A familiar female voice cries out from somewhere.
"And speaking of the devil....." Naruto thought to himself as he searched for the source of the voice. After a few moments, he finds Sakura being accosted by a much taller white haired male student with piercings on his lip, left ear and right eyebrow whom he didn't recognize and assumed was from another class. But instead of intervening, Naruto opts to watch from behind a tree since the boy wasn't doing anything to Sakura yet.
Besides, Naruto had a feeling that Sakura would not appreciate it if he meddled in her affairs and swore to himself that he wouldn't come to her rescue unless absolutely necessary.
"Komiyo Saizo!! Can't you take a hint?" Sakura demanded. "I told you before that I'm not interested in whatever the hell it is that you're offering? I'm NOT looking for a boyfriend right now!"
"Now I KNOW you don't mean that Sakura Chan." The now identified Komiya Saizo smoothly said. "You don't have a boyfriend because you haven't really found anyone with the right qualities yet. Well you can stop looking coz here I am."
"And exactly what qualities are you referring to?" Sakura asks acidly. "Arrogance? Selfishness? Or being an overall pervert and creep?" These tart words erases the easy smile off Komiya's face. "Hell! That new guy Uzumaki Naruto has even more honor then you do even though he acts like a punk. You may be able to fool other girls but you can't fool me. I don't buy your nice guy routine Komiya San and I never will so please leave me alone now." She said while at the same time what in the world possessed her to mention Uzumaki Naruto in the first place.
"That's because deep inside, you recognize a worthy man when you see one wether you care to admit it or not." Her inner self answered her mental question with a snicker. "It's instinct my dear Sakura."
"Now that's just a cryin' shame then. I tried to ask you nicely but you didn't accept my offer so I guess there's no other choice but to take what I want by force." Saizo said darkly as he starts to transform in front of a terrified Sakura. "Heh.... I know this is against the rules but I can't help myself. You got me all excited Sakura Chan and I lose control of my disguise when I get excited."
He looms over Sakura in his full monster form of a hulking, heavily muscled abomination and licks his lips with a long tongue as he reaches for the pink haired girl. "C'mere baby. Wanna french?"
Sakura screams in fright as she backpedals away from Saizo and in the process, loses her balance and falls down. But as Saizo was about to reach her, he notices something falling down from the trees and jumps back just in time as the object crashes between him and Sakura with the force of a small meteor, creating a five foot wide and three foot deep hole.
"Dude. Hasn't anyone told you that when a girl says no, she means no?" The dust from the impact clears and reveals the owner of the voice as none other then Uzumaki Naruto who was in his hanyou form.
"Who the hell are you squirt?" Saizo growls. "And what the hell do you think you're doing spoilin' my fun here? You looking to get hurt?"
"Actually, I was gonna ask you the same question." Naruto stated as he stares at Saizo. "Like Sakura here said, ain't what you're doin' against school policies?"
"What the hell do I care about school policies?" Saizo said with a sneer. "I do whatever I want, whenever I want and to whomever I want and there ain't nothing you or anybody else can do about it."
"Is that so? Then I say you're looking at a guy who CAN do something about that." Naruto shot back with a wicked grin. "If you dn't believe me, then why don't you put my theory to the test? You're more then welcome to try, bigboy."
By this time, Sakura had regained her composure and stood up glaring at the blonde. "Uzumaki Naruto!! What are you doing here? I had things under control till you showed up!!"
"Ahahahaha!!! Now THAT'S a riot. You were in control?!? You were screaming so much like a baby that it's embarassing." Sakura's inner self said. "C'mon admit it!! You're glad that it's HIM who came to your rescue!!!"
"Shut up!!!" Sakura thought back harshly but couldn't help but feel but her inner self was somehow right.
"Of course I am!!! You may act all proper and independent but you're just like any other female who has needs. You're just too chicken to face it!!" Inner Sakura answered to her thoughts. "I should know because I'm also you!! I'd stake my claim on him now if I were you coz I've got a feeling he's he's gonna be something else real soon!!"
"I told you to shut the hell up!!!" Sakura thought furiously, fighting to supress her inner voice as she watches Naruto turn his head to give her an incredilous look.
"What am I doing here?!? I'm saving your ungrateful ass from this oversized windbag of a loser whom you should've been able to take down in your sleep were you using your full potential! And if this is what you consider to be under control, I'd hate to see you actually in trouble!" Naruto said angrily. "Whatta way to show your gratitude."
"I've NEVER asked for anybody's help before and I'm not about to start now. So would you please butt out?" Sakura growls in anger. "And what do you know about my power? There's a reason why I keep it sealed and that's because it's too damned dangerous to use!"
As Sakura and Naruto argued with each other, Saizo took the time to study the blonde who appeared to interrupt his fun. "This is the Uzumaki Naruto that Sakura Chan was talking about?" Saizo thought to himself. The fact that she thought that this shrimpy half-breed was better infuriated him to no end and the way that he dismissed him like yesterday's garbage and talked with Sakura like he wasn't even there made him angrier.
"Stop messing with me you stupid half-breed!!! Who the hell do you think you're talking to huh?" Saizo bellows as he swipes at Naruto and Sakura with his wickedly sharp claws.
Naruto curses to himself as he sees the blow coming. He knew he wouldn't be able to properly react to the attack at such a close range and with another person nearby. So he did the only thing he could under the circumstances and pushed Sakura out of the way and took the brunt of the vicious attack himself.
Saizo's attack rips through the front of his shirt and leaves long, crimson gashes across Naruto's chest. Naruto looks at the wounds on his chest with mild disgust. While it wasn't that deep, the fact the creep attacked him while his attention was somewhere else pissed him off. And what's worst, the guy was licking his blood off his claws and seemed to be gloating.
"How'd you like that you little piece of shit? There ain't nothing that my claws can't cut through." Saiza said with a dark chuckle. "I'm gonna enjoy slicing you up like so much bloody spagetti."
Naruto could feel his temper flaring as he glares at Saizo. "You shouldn't have done that ugly. Now I'll...." The feeling of an object in his hand stops Naruto in mid-sentence. He opens his hand and studies the object as he wondered. "Isn't this....?"
His suspicions are confirmed as he feels presence rising behind him and emanating a monstrous amount of dark power. And from the slightly frightened look in Saizo's face, he could feel it too.
"Well now.... I guess there's no need for me to beat some respect into you after all." Naruto harrumphs.
"W-What the hell are y-you talking about? And what the hell is with this e-evil aura?" Saizo demands, struggling to keep his composure. Instead of answering, Naruto opens his hand to reveal the cross that used to be part of Sakura's pendant. "I-Isn't that....?"
"Sakura's rosario?" Naruto supplied with a grin. "Yes it is. I suspected it for a while now but had I not accidentally pulled it off, I wouldn't have actually known. It's what keeps Sakura's real power in check so now that it's off, I get to see what she can REALLY do." Naruto said as he steps aside and looks at Sakura.
The moon itself turned eerily red as dark energy surrounded Sakura's body who was slowly undergoing a startling transformation in front of their very eyes. Aside from growing a little taller, her bustline enlarges and her body became a lot curvier. But the most surprising transformation was her now snow-white hair and her blood-red eyes when she opened them.
She experimentally flexes her hands and studies her figure then slowly looks around. As her eyes fall on Naruto, she gives him a wide smile which exposes her enlarged, vampiric canines.
Naruto returns the smile with one of his own and said. "Now I get see the power of a true vampire."
Saizo looks at Naruto with disbelieving eyes. "Sakura Chan is a v-vampire?!?" Of course, Saizo knew vampires were on the high upper echelon in terms of looks, intelligence, sheer power and ability amongst their kind in the world of youkais. That's why they are considered as nobility.
He then notices the transformed Sakura slowly walking towards him with a sweet smile and stops a few feet away, beckoning him with a finger. "I thought you wanted me big boy? Well c'mon over then. Wanna cuddle?" She invited coyly.
For some reason, Saizo thought that Sakura was actually serious with her offer and eagerly charges forward only to be sent flying back courtesy of a powerful roundhouse kick to the face from Sakura. He crashes through a number of trees before his battered and bruised body lands on the ground where he lay unmoving.
"As if." The new Sakura said as she lowers her leg. "Typical monster, all size and no brain. Learn your place whelp." She stated as she turns around and walks back towards Naruto.
Naruto whistles in appreciation of the new Sakura's handiwork. "Nice job Sakura. Didn't know you had it in you."
'Sakura' stops in front of Naruto and smiles at him. "Why thank you for the complement Naruto Kun but I'm not Sakura. At least not in this form. Call me Haruka." The identified Haruka said as she looks down at Naruto's chest. She could see that his wounds had already healed but the blood was still there.
Then much to Naruto's surprise, Haruka dips her head then slowly and sensually, licked off some of the blood then looks up at Naruto again with a mischievous smile on her face. Quick as a flash, she throws her arms around Naruto's neck and hungrily plants her lips against his. After a while, she breaks off and grabs the cross from Naruto's hand and as she places it back on her locket, she whispers. "It's you. You're the one…." Haruka then puts the locket back on and transforms back to Sakura who slumps unconscious against a still thoroughly shellshocked Naruto.
"I'm the one?!? What the hell is going on?" Naruto wondered aloud.
Author's Notes: Chapter two of Youkoden is now finished. Hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed making it for you As usual guys, R&R please