A/N: A reader suggested that I should make a vampire-style FEMSasu fic, and I was immediately so hooked on the idea that I just couldn't hold myself back. So, as a result, here's the first chappy for you to take a look at. (grins)

Eh… First of, words of warning. As briefly mentioned, this is FEMSasu, so if that's not your cup of tea I'm afraid you won't have a very enjoyable ride. (winces) Also, if this continues this will be VERY gore, the bloodiest etc. story I've ever written – this is rated M for a VERY good reason. (shudders) Hmm… What else…? Well, knowing me, A LOT of general weirdness that may tick some readers off. (smirks sheepishly) And, of course, the language isn't fit for younglings, but I'm sure you've gathered that much already. (snickers)

About the ages. Naruto and Sasuke appear around sixteen-years-old in this one. The rest of the loft also looks the same age as in the manga/anime, un.

Awkay, there's no point in stalling it any further, so here we go! I really hope you'll like.


Definition of color crimson (to clear out the title):

Dark crimson stands for inner beauty and inner strength. It represents soul mates - a connection without words. (Caught from a website – NOT written by me.)

As we all know, crimson is also often used to describe blood.


/ Despite the bonfires that seemed to burn everywhere the night was unusually dark while Shizune made her way through the coldness of winter, arms wrapped tightly around herself. She'd almost reached her destination when a certain sight made her freeze where she was.

Right before her – all but crucified to wooden crosses – were the burning bodies of a man and a woman. She staggered a step backwards, bringing a hand to her mouth to keep herself from vomiting as an unbelievable stench met her nose. Her eyes burned – because of the smell, threatening tears or something else, she didn't know.

Vampires…!

Since the old race of vampires had been dragged out of the shadows, she'd seen this penalty being carried out far more times than was necessary to make sure she knew perfectly what these two were. She was one of the few people who considered this punishment as inhuman.

Just then her ears caught something – a baby's cry. Feeling almost startled she lowered her gaze. A gasp erupted when she discovered a clearly newborn, hysterically crying baby girl, placed into a basket nearby the crosses.

Her eyes started to widen as understanding dawned slowly yet surely.

This… baby…

Once more her gaze rose to the flaming corpses, although they were the last thing she would've wanted to see. Was it their child she'd just discovered? Most likely yes – she'd seen babies of vampires get killed like this before. And at that moment her heart all but broke.

Yes, she knew with much too deep certainty what this baby girl was, how dangerous it might be to protect something like her. But… If she'd leave this infant freezing to death she'd be a monster, no better than those who'd killed the child's parents.

And with that thought she made her decision.

She smiled faintly, shakily, while kneeling down slowly and picking the baby carefully into her arms. " It's… It's okay now", she murmured, cradling the child close to her. She spoke again when dazzling, dark eyes met hers. " I'll take you home now… Sasuke. So don't worry."

Despite her soothing words the baby kept crying, almost like knowing… /


/ The hospital was even busier than usually while Dr. Kurenai Yuuhi stopped in the middle of a run when noticing a man with brown hair and eyes of the same color burst in through the front doors, with a petrified look upon his face. At first she felt confused, but her eyes widened when she noticed what he was carrying.

It… was an unconscious woman, a badly bleeding one.

" She… She's in a labor", the man managed. " I think… I think something's wrong."

-

During the following five hours every single person who made their way into the theater worked their hardest to save the woman's life, as well as the baby's. In the end, however, the damage done to her was revealed much too deep.

The baby – a boy they hurriedly decided to name Naruto – cried helplessly, as though grieving.

Kurenai sighed heavily while taking a look towards the clock. " Time of death, twenty-three ten", she murmured barely audibly.

" Dr. Yuuhi, the… the baby." A shuddering nurse's voice caught her attention. " There's… Something wrong."

She turned around with a frown – and shuddered. Although the baby boy – who had the most amazing blue eyes she'd ever seen – seemed perfectly normal otherwise, she couldn't help noticing some things that unnerved her. There seemed to be a dark fur covering most of the child's skin, and… Were those teeth she saw…?

She swallowed thickly. " Take him to observation, will you? We better keep an eye on him."

By the time the next morning dawned, however, the baby had disappeared. /


CHAPTER 1: Prologue

/ Tokyo, September 2065. /


Unlike most of his pack mates, who (despite their truest nature) preferred going outside if necessary during days as much as possible to avoid unwanted contacts, Naruto had always loved nighttime.

He loved the scent of danger he felt every time he opened a window just before going to sleep, enjoyed the cool breeze that touched his skin as night wind blew in to greed him. It felt like something out there had been calling him, almost.

Despite all those urges, however, he'd never had the guts to actually go outside after the sunset. It wasn't like he would've feared everything looming out there, been afraid of those things he'd been warned about since early childhood. He believed with utmost confidence that he would've managed to stand his ground against them. But the rules of his pack were strict, and he didn't feel like getting into any more trouble than he was already due to his antics.

That night, however, fate finally gave him the push he'd been looking for in the form of his best friend, Kiba.

The brunette – who was currently still in his human form – didn't seem surprised at all when finding him stood before a window. " You'll get us all sick at this rate, you know?" the other commented, sounding fairly irritated as well as amused.

He grinned sheepishly, his sharp teeth showing clearly. " 'Sorry. I'll close the window in a minute."

Just then a gleam that always predicted something quite unpleasant rose into Kiba's eyes. " You know what?" The brunette rubbed his already slightly hairy hands together with excitement. " Since you love the night so much, we've gotta go and see if it's worthy of your expectations. Because I don't want to see that annoying longing look on your face ever again."

He frowned, feeling shivers. " You know we're not allowed to go outside at this hour – the rules bind us just as much as humans."

Kiba scoffed, already starting to transform. " Since when have you cared about the rules? I know you've sneaked in to see that human – Sakura." The brunette grinned exactly like a canine, his metamorphose was almost completed. " Unless, of course, you're a Scaredy Cat."

He growled from the back of his throat, rolling his eyes. That nickname had finally done it – he was not going to back off. " Yeah, right, cat breath." To him, the long nails growing and sharp teeth appearing along with an almost black fur were something so natural that he didn't manage to be unsettled by them. " Show me what you've got."

-

As they disappeared with laugh like yelps of delight, they had no idea of the pair of eyes that observed them with a deeply irritated flash.


The shadows over Tokyo were dark and heavy while Sasuke stood on the highest rooftop of the city, her bloodstained eyes fixed on the landscape spreading below and wind billowing in her long grown black hair.

It didn't bother her that it was dark – after all, out of necessity shadows were pretty much all she'd seen during her life. At the moment the city – its sky-high towers as well as the worst, most stinking ones of slums – bathed in darkness, only dots of light that seemed hopelessly small to her providing them an illusion of light. It was silent, as though no one had lived in the city at all, although her unnaturally sharp eyes easily caught a lot of movement down below.

Sometimes, like tonight, she amused herself with wondering what the city would look like in daytime, when it would be sunlight caressing the fully awake city, when all the shadows and darkness of nighttime would be gone.

It was foolish, she knew, because someone like she would never get to see such a thing. But that didn't stop her from dreaming that perhaps one day…

" So here you are." Kabuto's voice made her grimace with distaste. " Orochimaru-sama's been trying to call for you three hours already."

" Yes, I know." Her voice was nothing but a hiss while her fangs became revealed. " I chose to ignore him."

Ah, she could just feel how badly Kabuto would've wanted to hit her. " You know he doesn't like waiting."

She snorted. And you think I care? Very slowly she calmed down enough to stop digging her own grave. " So, what's the emergency?"

" A new group of Hunters has been reported." Kabuto's voice was stiff and formal, back to normal. " We've also received several complaints of unauthorized movement."

Her eyebrow arched. " And Orochimaru thinks this is something I should bother taking a look at?" Damn, had she pissed the man off this badly?

" It's level five movement."

Now that caught her attention. She nodded, then turned around and walked past Kabuto without giving the other a proper look. " I'll take a look at it, then."

Kabuto's voice stopped her just before she would've managed to walk away. " One more thing." It sounded like a whip's hit. " This is your life, your world", the other announced in a harsh voice she'd grown used to hearing ever so often. " Accept what you are, what's in your blood, or become wiped out. The choice is yours. I suggest you think carefully before making up your mind."

Her eyes flashed while she snorted. " And you honestly think the choice is in my hands?" She waved a hand without looking at the gray haired. " See you later."

She could feel eyes on her while she stood on the opposite ledge of the roof, then jumped into emptiness.

She was fairly sure she heard a scoff just before she was too far down to hear. " Showoff."


That night the wheel of fate spun, pushing two unlikely heroes to a dangerous, bloody road that'd inevitably lead them to each other…


TBC, or does it?


A/N: So… (gulps nervously) What do you think – is this worth getting more chapters, or should I suck life right out of this one?

It's your call, folks, so PLEASE, do leave a note as to what you think!

Heh, I've already been writing WAAAAY too much today and my eyes are barely open anymore, so I better start tuning out.

Until next time, folks – with whatever fic it'll be!

Peace out!