Alone

Lonely

Terrified

Angry

Hurt

Frightened

What kind of a human being would want to be all this?

"Huh…What…?" Kiba managed to ask, his eyebrow raised, looking at the pretty-looking pink-haired girl standing on the doorstep of the old, huge mansion.

"I…I…"

"Wait. That smell and that face. You've been here before, haven't you? And you were being brought here by Sasuke the last time, right?"

Sakura swallowed, looking at the boy straight in the eyes. "Yes. You have a good memory."

Akamaru barked.

"Sakura?"

The girl nodded.

"So what do you want…" Kiba asked lazily, his right hand still on the handle. "If there's nothing, I'd rather you not be in here."

Sakura shifted uncomfortably. I don't want to be in there either. I just need to…

Eh… Need to…

"I need to talk to your roommate." She couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Why?"

"Why are you asking?"

"I live in this house, miss. You can't just go in or out as you please."

"I need to talk to your roommate." Sakura flushed, her teeth gritted. "It's important."

"No. Go away. Away."

"You"—The girl started, and realized that the door was closing.

"Wait a minute."

Kiba stopped instinctively at that.

Time for some quick thinking. Sakura released the pressure she was exerting on her jaw and thought.

Green eyes sparkled, with the sudden inspiration of an idea. The guy probably wasn't going to let her go in easy. So I'll just…

"I WANT TO TALK TO SASUKE!" She yelled, making Kiba jump, and dashed past the door and him, causing the boy to bang hard against the wall.

"OW!"

Akamaru sat down, amused at the sight, and barked again.

-

"Sasuke! SASUKE!" Sakura yelled, running through the huge corridors. "I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!"

"SASUKE!"

She stopped to take in a deep breath and bellowed.

"SASUKE"—

SLAP!

"OW!"

A huge, thick, red book had come spinning out of nowhere and knocked Sakura on the head.

"SHUT IT WILL YOU? I'M STUDYING HERE!"

An angry blonde.

The intruder blinked. Who is she?

Then something occurred to her. That girl who was ranting on about some vampire called Gaara that time she visited. And the girl who'd broken her window, wielding some sort of weird fan. Is she a hunter, too?

"…You're the girl!" Sakura gasped, rubbing her bruised head and pointing at her dramatically.

Temari crossed her arms. "You're that girl Sasuke brought, as well. What are you doing here? If you're searching for Sasuke, like how you were, screaming away like a mad being just now, this is the wrong place. Sasuke's not home yet."

"Oh." Sakura said.

"Get out." Temari pointed to the door fiercely.

The other girl didn't react. Then—

"OOMF!"
Kiba had one hand over Sakura's mouth, and dragging her to the door.

"Goodbye." The boy hissed in her ear, almost gleefully, and flung her out.

-

Sasuke trudged past the numerous trees, bushes, flowers, or whatever vegetation that was growing.

It was getting late.

Go home.

I can't.

Why not?

If they find out…

But you've been slowly developing these abilities over the years.

Well, I'm reaching the final stage.

What do you mean? His other self asked innocently.

The superhuman strength said it all. And now this feeling.

"Urgh"—He clutched his chest, coughing hard. He had been fighting with what will he had-- fighting the vampire instinct within him.

No one can last forever!

Sasuke fell to his knees, coughing. Why was he feeling so sick? He can't possibly be changing now. It wasn't the time of the full moon yet.

He'd survived numerous full moons, so why not this?

WHY?

"Ha! A scrawny kid!"

Sasuke stopped, turning around.

Two big guys were looming over him, their fists clenched, and yellow teeth showing.

A silver knife pointed at his throat.

"Money or life." One of them said simply.

Robbers?

"Say something. Go on." The other one continued. "Or run away, you coward."

The pale boy laughed. "You're robbing me?"

"What's wrong with that?" The bald one asked, insulted by the sound of his laughter, and swung a huge fist at him…

-

Sakura managed to steady herself before she fell to the ground.

The door slammed, and she could hear laughter echoing out from the mansion itself.

That stupid guy with the dog..!

But she couldn't risk an insult. Anyway, it had been her fault in the first place by barging into the house uninvited.

The girl walked slowly, not noticing the darkness that was slowly beginning to form in the skies. What can I say to Sasuke anyway? Apologize again?

…I…just want to ask if he's all right.

What could his response be? Tell her off? Tell her that it wasn't her business?

Sakura closed her eyes, her head bowed, and taking stronger, larger strides.

-

Blood spurted and landed on Sasuke's face. But that wasn't the point. The point was that the bald man was screaming at the huge bleeding gash on his fist, making his 'strength' useless. The other man was backing away as well, wide eyed and shaky.

"W-Who are you?" He stammered at the youth.

Red eyes glanced at him for a second. Then the man stopped.

Paralyzed!

The bald man looked at his accomplice briefly, and took off, still screaming.

Sasuke grinned madly, the cursed mark spreading from the bite that Itachi had given him so long ago.

"You two are annoying, you know that?" He asked, his eyes flickering over to the other man, stopping him as well.

The two guys didn't say a word.

"I wouldn't want blood as filthy as yours. I want her blood." He licked his lips, a strange glint coming over his onyx eyes. "Ever since I'd smelt it, I'd fallen…"

"In love with it!"

-

Author: The 'her' Sasuke was referring to… You should know who she is, right? (Laughs nervously) Thanks for the reviews… About school… I'm fighting fatigue better now… (Glares daggers at the tutor) … Not tuition though.

Gah! I detest tuition! I dislike every single second of it! (Screams for another 30 seconds, and cools down) I'm looking forward to writing the next chapter! Arigato to all readers for the support!