Author: This fanfic probably has been long forgotten by now. (I've been concentrating a lot on DA these past few months.)

So… an update. I'm planning to make a sequel to this, since this fanfic alone has too many chapters.

I couldn't decide the contents in this chapter at all, and I wrote three drafts… (Which were all deleted and stored in the Recycle Bin. Ha.)

-

"…"

The full impact of Sakura's words took a while to sink in.

"What…"

Sasuke felt blood rushing through his face. He paused for a while, unsure of what to do. Then common sense kicked in and he turned away in embarrassment.

Second time, he scolded himself furiously. I need… I need to get away from her as soon as possible. I don't want her to get involved in this.

I…

I don't want to get involved with her.

His heart was pounding furiously, and the thumping sound roared in his ears. Sasuke's unsettling eyes hardened.

"… What did I do?"

"…"

Sakura blinked.

I did…

The vampire in front of her suddenly turned, and two strong hands grabbed her shoulders.

"Forget about me." Sasuke repeated, fighting to keep his voice even.

"Sas"—

Without another word, he pushed her out of the doors and took off, his boots making a great deal of noise as he landed briefly on the walls.

Damn…

His face was still red.

-

Ino yelped as the two front doors opened and someone banged onto her head with startling accuracy.

"OW!" Both parties screamed in pain simultaneously, each with one hand clasped over their heads.

Ino rubbed her sore forehead, her eyes closed.

"Watch it, will you…"

"Ow… Oh… Ino."

Ino blinked. The voice was familiar. She opened her eyes.

Blond.

"Naruto!" She exclaimed. "Why are you here?"

"Well… I decided to come." The blond boy smiled brightly.

"…" Ino's eyes narrowed, observing the grinning boy in front of her who was Naruto.

"And you're dressed in a windbreaker and short pants."

"… Is there any problem with…"

Ino pointed to her gown for a moment, then pointed to random boys sulking away at the food tables. Naruto's sky-blue eyes stared at her innocently, and as he looked in the direction of her pointing finger, the brooding young men, the giggling school girls in their glittery gowns, and the pinkish decorations on the walls, everything all seemed to add up.

Horror settled in.

"That's right." Ino spun him around, leading him to the door. "Go get a suit if you want to see Sakura in your best form." The grin that was forming on her face was not unlike Naruto's.

"Sakura's wearing a really pretty white gown!" She whispered in his ear for added emphasis, both of her hands reaching for the door handles.

Naruto stumbled as he was pushed out of the door and felt himself falling. He grabbed onto one of the white pillars for balance, halted his fall, and steadied himself.

He blinked momentarily, his head cocked to one side.

"…White gown?"

-

On the other side of the room, Sakura landed neatly, her knees hurting on the carpeted floor. On-lookers scurried away frantically as she picked herself up, stomped swiftly to the doors and swung them open.

She looked up and noticed movement on the rooftop.

"…Why are your answers always so vague, Sasuke? Why can't you give me a definite answer?"

She gritted her teeth in frustration, her pink hair undone as her delicately-decorated hair clip clicked open.

"What are you planning to do?"

-

The blood dripped slowly, steadily from Kabuto's wound and onto the floor.

Kakashi looked at the gash on Kabuto's back and glanced back at Kabuto.

Temari covered the right side of the rooftop, her hands on her huge fan, her body leaning slightly forward and eyes glaring. She was ready. On the left side, Shino stood motionless.

"… This is a tough situation…" Kabuto smiled, shrugging as he reached for the wound on his back. A green glow emitted from his hands, healing the cut. The bleeding stopped.

Then Shino moved a little.

"Why did you take Sasuke?"

Kabuto's spectacled eyes were focused on Kakashi, but he replied.

"Orochimaru."

The three hunters stopped.

"… I heard decomposition set into that shell of his." Shino said quietly, his sentence filled with obvious disgust.

Kabuto smirked, but said nothing.

Kakashi pointed his sharp-edged weapon at Kabuto threateningly.

"Hand over Sasuke."

"…" Kabuto forward backwards a little. Temari and Shino tensed, their own eyes following his movement.

"…No. What took you so long?"

Kakashi's eyes widened.

Kabuto's sentence was directed at Sasuke, who was standing in between Temari and Shino.

He did not even make a single sound?

The long suit Sasuke was wearing dangled over his feet, but grey socks peeked out from under. The annoyed vampire had thrown away his boots.

Temari opened her mouth to speak, but Shino held up a hand and bugs started streaming out in lines from his thick coat.

Sasuke jumped, and Temari swung her fan, wind blowing strong from all directions.

Everyone ducked for cover as the dangerous swirling air which only Temari was immune to rippled past their heads dangerously. It was like a mini air bomb.

Temari scanned the area. No sign of Sasuke.

The air calmed once again, and everyone regained their positions. Kabuto and Kakashi continued having their staring match, none of them wanting to make the first move.

"Where's Sasuke?" Temari asked frantically.

… You were the one who blew him away. Shino was pissed at Temari's rash act, but he pointed to the trees nearby.

"After him."

-

"Sakura!"

Sakura stopped, her green eyes shooting death-glares.

"What?" She snapped. Ino retreated a little. Whoa, she's mad.

"…Where were you? And—hey!"

Sakura swung Ino's hand off. "I'm going."

"Where are you going?" Ino called after her pink-haired classmate.

"Rooftop!"

Ino clenched her fists, appalled, and ran after her friend.

"I'm going with you!"

Sakura pushed aside a slowly-dancing couple, much to their annoyance. The boy started to speak, but Sakura's death glare did the job of shutting him up.

"You can't come."

"Why can't I? You've been behaving really weird lately!" Ino screamed.

The other dancing couples stopped and stared.

Sakura's voice grew louder.

"Don't scream at me."

"The hell I won't! What are you hiding from me?"

"I am not." Sakura was fighting to maintain her calm. "Look, I really need to go." She regretted not taking the other route out from the room.

"And I'm coming with you." Ino said stubbornly, stomping over and grabbing Sakura's arm. "We need to have a talk."

Sakura fumed inside. I can't let Ino know!

The girl took a deep breath. Think. Think.

"… Naruto came just now." Ino said suddenly. "But I told him to go back and get a suit. At least wait for him, yeah?"

Naruto…

Guilt settled in Sakura's chest. She remembered how she'd called Sasuke vague.

I didn't…give Naruto an answer…I'm feeling guilt…Wait…

…What is this…?

"... Ino…" Sakura let out a choke.

She clutched both of her hands tightly, choked for a second time and felt herself turning red.

Her green eyes became watery and glittery for the millionth time, and something seemed to break loose in her brain at that point.

Then—

"WAHHHH!"

Ino looked in surprise as Sakura started crying out loud.

"Sakura"— Ino sweatdropped, concerned. "Don't"—

"WAHHHHH!"

Annoyed students glanced over.

Ino patted her friend on the back nervously, and led her out from the room.

-

Shikamaru and Kiba stood at the gates. They were armed and ready.

Akamaru barked. He sensed the incoming vampire.

Meanwhile, Sasuke had activated his vampire senses. He clenched his jaws, extremely annoyed.

Four at once?

Luckily the school compound was big. He felt Kiba and his mutt moving towards his direction, along with Shikamaru at the rear.

Sasuke changed his direction. We'll be going in circles at this rate.

"Damn you, Kabuto." He almost wished his other vampire instinct to take over now...

"…!"

He stopped.

Coward. You're always running away from your problems.

Sasuke shook his head and started going at a slower speed. His head was hurting.

Coward. The voice became angry. He was starting to get frustrated at himself. Nothing achieved.

Nothing achieved.

Nothing achieved!

He snapped a branch along the way, his red eyes looking at the direction of the rooftop. Kabuto and Kakashi were at it.

-

Kabuto panted heavily, sweat dripping from his face. Kakashi had his other eye uncovered.

It was red, just like a vampire's.

"Just like Sasuke's." Kabuto added, managing a grin. "I'm honored. But you see, I'm on a tight schedule."

He flung a bomb, and an instant the rooftop was covered with purple smoke. Kakashi coughed and retreated, surprised by the bomb. Kabuto leapt away from the battle ground and fled, heading accurately in Sasuke's direction despite the lack of light.

"GO!" He yelled, and the listening vampire emerged from the trees, throwing yet another bomb in the process.

A loud boom sounded, and the pair was gone.

Author: And the next chapter is…