A/N: (sighs) I know it took some time (winces), but this chapter was a bit of a problem child and my life was quite hectic for a while. (pouts) I'm so sorry about the delay, but at least now the new chapter is here! (grins) Hooray?

But, first… Thank you so much for those reviews! (beams, and glomps) You're seriously the engine that keeps this fic going, ya know? So thank you! (hugs once more)

Awkay, because you've already been waiting, let's go. (takes a deep breath) I REALLY hope this chapter turns out worth the wait!

BITE FIVE: The Sacrifice of a Immortal

Five days passed deviously quickly, especially for Naruto who had two reasons to worry. Not only did it look like Sasuke was getting sicker by the day, but Kiba was also missing. Claims that the hunters had gotten a hold of his best friend didn't help one bit. He knew exactly what those people did to the vampires they'd decided to 'arrest', as they called it. And each passing day made the little hope there'd been in Naruto grow dimmer, made it harder and harder not to take matters into his own hands.

That day his eyebrows were furrowed as he looked through the window how Orochimaru was talking to the school's four elders. The conversation was obviously heated and loaded, and Naruto couldn't help wondering what it was about. For some reason dread swelled inside him.

He was so focused on the sight that he actually jumped at the sound of Gaara's familiar voice. "Naruto."

The look on the other vampire's face immediately alarmed him. "What's wrong?"

Gaara seemed to restrain a sigh, his eyes darkening. "Sasuke… collapsed ten minutes ago. He was taken to his room."

Naruto had never moved as fast as he did then, something beyond terror driving him forward. When he made it to Sasuke's room he froze to the doorway.

Sasuke was awake, and vomiting. The unmistakable scent of blood made his insides boil, and he could feel how dangerously close to losing control he was. The tempation… It was almost too much.

It was then Sasuke noticed him. The Uchiha gave him a far from pleased look. "I don't want anyone to see me like this."

Blatantly ignoring the harsh tone Naruto spoke, concern he wanted to ignore spinning inside him. "Are you okay?"

Sasuke's look told everything he needed to know.

After hesitating for a moment he walked to the bed and sat slowly to its edge. There the scent of the blood Sasuke had thrown up was even stronger, and Naruto had to fight with his all to hold himself back.

Neither knew how long the silence lasted until Sasuke spoke all of a sudden. "You once asked me… why I didn't want you to turn me. Remember?" No one had ever been as present – as alive – as Sasuke was right then, with eyes Naruto had never seen before. It was as though the dim room had granted the Uchiha some of the life the boy was rapidly losing. To his stun Sasuke revealed his wrists. Naruto felt something knot inside him when he saw the deep, dangerous scars than ran through them. The dark-haired teen went on before he could say a word, as though a damn had been broken. "I… almost lost my life. I guess I died, for a while, several times. When blade didn't work I took anything I got my hands on – drugs, pills… As long as it took me away from the reality it didn't matter. I didn't care what I had to do for the release, either. It's probably thanks to my surname I wasn't locked up somewhere, because I did a lot of stuff I'm not proud of. That's until Madara dragged me to a doctor when I started coughing up blood. That guy, Sarutobi, told me I'm dying." The boy gave a brief, bitter chuckle. "Some time to realize that life is valuable. And I was angry, so fucking angry, until one day I walked into this church. I was about to trash the place, but instead I met this priest, Iruka. He made me clean up the mess I'd had the time to make and listened to me spitting out my story. He took all my venom without judging." A somewhat distant look appeared to the teen's eyes. "I expected to be banned from the church for life. Instead he took me as his apprentice for as long as I was up to it. In a couple of weeks I learned to enjoy it enough to open my eyes. I even learned something." This time Sasuke looked at him straight to the eyes. "Life is precious because it's delicate, Naruto. Because it has limits. I'm only sixteen, but if my time has come… Then so be it. It's not my place to fight it. I trust that fate has its reasons."

Naruto stared at the Uchiha for the longest time, breathing hard and his head spinning. It took several moments before he was able to process what he'd just heard. He shook his head, trying to ease the heavy situation. "Damn, Sasuke. That's the most I've heard you say."

Did Sasuke just smile? He honestly couldn't be sure. "Hn. Probably the most I've ever spoken." The Uchiha's expression then gained some discomfort, and the boy rubbed his chest roughly with one hand. It was easy to tell just how hard the teen fought against breaking into a storm of coughs. "Fuck…!"

Naruto swallowed, feeling pathetic and useless. Just thinking that he wasn't allowed to do the one thing that would've helped…! "Can I… do something?"

Sasuke shook his head, eyelids drooping. The Uchiha appeared exhausted. "It'll pass by, soon."

Naruto nodded, not knowing what else to do. Not bearing the helplessness for another second he got up, his fingers moving restlessly. "I'll… let you get some rest, 'k? I'll check up on you later."
Sasuke probably didn't even hear, because the boy's eyes were closed and the previously laboured breathing had eased a little with sleep.

It was surprisingly hard to fight the urge to lean down and place a kiss to the Uchiha's forehead. Frowning at the foreign desire Naruto turned sharply and walked out of the room, struggling with his all against looking back.

Almost as soon as he left the room he noticed that pretty much every student and teacher of the school was heading towards the school's gathering spot, grim looks on their faces. With a frown he walked up to Ino. "What heck is going on?"

The female vampire's eyes flashed menacingly. "They found Kiba, and it wasn't pretty. Orochimaru's out for blood."

As soon as everyone had settled Orochimaru began to talk. "We all knew that this day would come", the vampire stated. "The peace between us and the hunters was frail from the beginning. Now they arrested Kiba, although he told them he's innocent." There was a brief pause. "Today we found Kiba nearby Konoha. He'd been tied to a tree, left under the mercy of sun and wild animals. It's clear he's been tortured, and they'd even had the nerve to give him quicksilver – barely a amount that didn't kill him. Right now he's unconscious and fighting for his life."

Naruto felt like someone had stabbed him, and without being called his fangs sharpened, shone threateningly.

Those assholes…!

"We gave them the chance to live in peace by our side, and this is how they reward us! Now it's time to show them that we're not willing to accept anything. We're going to destroy those humans, once and for all! If they want war, we'll give them one."

Naruto wanted to avenge what had been done to his friend, even wanted blood. But a small, silent yet determined part of him reminded that there was something else that weighed on the other side of the scale.

As the others joined to a scream Naruto found his thoughts wandering to Sasuke.

Naruto wasn't allowed to go and see Kiba, no matter how harshly he fought. So he spent the following two hours fuming, pacing and thinking so hard that in the end his head hurt. And in the end his chaotic thoughts began to settle.

He… He might lose his best friend, his best support and confidant in Konoha. Lose Kiba, who'd never hurt anyone, never deserved any of this. And now a war was almost upon them – a war that would, without a doubt, catch Sasuke in the middle of a crossfire. And there was no telling what the other vampires would do to the human, now that they were at war. He had to be taken somewhere safe before it was too late.

Whatever it took.

Naruto felt a stab of guilt when barging into the room and startling Sasuke awake. Something that looked like worry lingered in the other's dark eyes while the teen licked his lips. "I… heard someone mention a war. I… heard Kiba was injured. What's going on?"

Naruto was quiet for a while, wondering how much he could reveal. "There's… a havoc, between vampires and hunters." He felt his eyes flash. "Which is why I'm taking you out of here before you get your ass into a trouble."

Sasuke's eyes weren't quite as sharp and focused as he would've wanted. "I thought… you didn't want to leave this place."

Naruto shrugged with a look of steely determination on his face. "Hmph." He was confused for a moment, not sure what he could do without bringing pain on the Uchiha. "I'm going to take you out of this room and the vampires' reach right now. Can… Can I carry you, or something? Or can you walk?"

Sasuke's expression of irritation and humiliation said it all.

Feeling a lot more than he should've Naruto gathered himself, then scooped the Uchiha easily into his arms. The dark-haired teen squirmed at first but soon relaxed, as though giving in. "This is stupid", the teen muttered.

Naruto snorted, rolling his eyes. Given the situation at hand, he wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cry. "Suck it up, will you? Because we're going, now."

Sasuke didn't respond. When he looked downwards, alarmed, he discovered that the human's eyes were closed. Was Sasuke unconscious or sleeping? He wished from the bottom of his heart he knew.

Gritting his teeth tightly Naruto peered through the room's door to make sure no one saw him, then all but dashed into motion.

When he'd made it to a tiny, carefully hidden door and started opening it Naruto realized that the teen in his arms didn't wake up to his motions. A sharp frown crossed his face, leaving a mark of worry on his forehead.

Sasuke was… fading. It wasn't until now he actually realized it. And it terrified him a lot more than it should've.

Sasuke finally stirred and jolted a little with startle when the door opened with a screech. After blinking twice the Uchiha looked at the tiny space that'd opened before them. A rather comfortable bed, a shelve full of books, even a carpet and a painting…

"This is my own little hiding place", Naruto explained. "Even Orochimaru doesn't know about this. You'll be safe here, until it's the right moment to leave."

Sasuke nodded, with gratitude surprisingly visible on the teen's face. And just like that the Uchiha was asleep once more.

Carefully, as though handling the finest of glass, Naruto laid the sleeping teen to the bed. Sasuke made a tiny, subconscious sound of disapproval when he got distanced from the vampire's body, but didn't wake up. Running a slightly cautious hand through the human's hair Naruto pulled in a deep breath, as though steeling himself.

He really, really had to think. Because this was all going over his head.

Although he knew wandering around in such a situation wasn't safe Naruto found himself walking through the woods sorrounding Konoha. He didn't know how long he'd been there until he saw a much too familiar person.

His eyes narrowed. "Sasuke won't be able to see you now", he growled.

Neji's expression didn't change. "I came to see you, actually." There was a heavy, electrified pause as they measured up one another. "I know what some of the hunters did to that vampire – they got all too excited. And I can also imagine that those actions won't go unpunished. There'll be a war, very soon."

Naruto frowned, folding his arms. "And…?"

"I'm worried, about Sasuke. He won't be safe amongst vampires." Neji looked at him fearlessly to the eyes. "And he won't be safe with you."

Another growl crawled out of Naruto's throat. "What?"

"You're vampire. Even if you'd leave Konoha you'd always pull the danger with you, push Sasuke straight into it. You'd never be able to live a normal life." Neji observed him for a moment. "Is that really something you want for him – the life of running away, being persecuted? Don't you think he deserves better than that?"

Naruto grit his teeth, those words hitting harder than he would've liked. "Then what are you suggesting?"

"My family has a cabin in the mountains. It's safe and secluded, I haven't told even the other hunters about it." Neji gave him a moment to digest that piece of information. "As it is you're holding him hostage in that school that's now hostile and dangerous to him. Set him free. Stop being selfish and give him the life he deserves." The teen turned. "I'll give you two hours to make up your mind."

And then, before Naruto could even open his mouth, the human had disappeared, leaving him into a storm of thoughts.

Fair enough, Naruto had never been all that good at handling dilemmas. And this, making the decision not only for him but also for Sasuke, was one hell of a dilemma.

He wanted, needed, to be with Sasuke. It terrified him, really, with how great certainty he knew that. He'd never been so attached to someone, not even when he was a human. And now that he'd finally found something valuable, something worth holding on to… Could he really let it go?

Swallowing thickly Naruto turned his gaze towards Sasuke, who was sleeping on his bed. The Uchiha was terrifyingly pale, and seemed to have a look of pain on his face even in sleep.

The war between hunters and vampires… Sasuke would never survive it. That much Naruto knew now, with a depressing amount of certainty. Would he be able to protect his mate, for whatever time the Uchiha had left? Could he really take such a risk, just to be with the person who mattered the most to him? And could he live with himself if he failed?

And then the answer came, whether he wanted it or not.

Sasuke first shifted and groaned, then stirred when he touched the Uchiha's face lightly. A questioning glance was aimed his way.

He fought to keep emotion from showing. "It's time to go. Do you think you can walk?"

Sasuke estimated his situation for a moment, then nodded. They were both content with the silence so they didn't speak as they made their way out of the building. It was raining heavily when they noticed Neji waiting for them at a safe distance.

And that was when Naruto stopped, although it was the hardest thing he'd ever done.

Sasuke looked at him with a frown. "Naruto? What the heck are you doing?"

He shrugged, fighting to make it look believable. "I'm making sure you're leaving this place safely."

Sasuke's eyes flashed. "We're leaving together."

Naruto grit his teeth so hard it hurt. "When my best friend lies unconscious? When my own are heading to a war? I know you don't give a fuck about this war, about vampires, but I belong here and I'm not going anywhere."

Sasuke's jaw tightened for a moment. "Then I'm staying with you."

Naruto could feel himself lose control, and hoped from the bottom of his heart it didn't show. "I'm sending you away, do you understand? I want you gone, because the last thing I need around now is a dying human. You're useless to me, and I've never been one to keep useless property."

No matter how hard he tried Naruto didn't think he could ever forget the look that appeared to Sasuke's eyes before the teen half-whispered, half-hissed. "Don't I have any fucking say over this?"

Rain was pouring down hard, almost angrily, as Naruto hoped more than anything that his tears weren't visible. That his eyes wouldn't betray the truth behind his words. "Don't you get it already? What the hell does it take to make you understand?" His voice didn't sound like his own. "I'm a vampire. Vampires don't grow attached to people – I honestly thought you knew that already." He pulled in a deep, sharp breath. "It was interesting to play around with you for a while, but now it's over. So stop building up fantasies and get back to reality. You don't mean anything to me!"

It was impossible to read and fully understand the look that rose to Sasuke's face as the Uchiha looked at him, eyes seeming almost red in the barely excistent light. For a while Naruto was sure the teen would scream at him, spit out cusses and venom. But instead Sasuke turned sharply and started to walk away with stiff, proud steps, never looking back. Neji darted a one more look his way before walking to the dark-haired teen and giving him a helmet. In what looked like slowed motion they sat on Neji's motorcycle and it shot to motion.

For Naruto the Earth stopped spinning right about then.

"Naruto?" It can only be guessed how long Gaara had been calling out to him until the redhead's voice drifted into his ears. The other vampire, who'd appeared out of nowhere, was looking at him with a frown. "Are you okay?"

Despite everything they'd been through Naruto had never lied to Gaara, and he didn't start that night. "No."

It was around then, as he looked towards where Sasuke had long since disappeared, Naruto realized that the rain wasn't the only reason why his cheeks were wet.

"I'm not sure if this is the right time, but there's something important I came to tell you." Gaara's voice barely managed to rip him from his thoughts. The redhead's eyes carried a look he'd never seen in them before. "Kiba woke up an hour ago, and Kabuto interrogated him for half an hour. Now Orochimaru's arranged a full meeting and wants everyone there. I think he's planning on fully launching the war now."

TBC, for a one more chapter

A/N: Oh man… So now they're apart, and Sasuke most likely thinks Naruto doesn't give a damn about him. How could he know otherwise with a vampire? (winces)

PLEASE, click those blue words down below and let me know your thoughts on this chapter and story! Working on the last chapter of any story is always a bit of wrestling for me, so hearing about you would DEFFINITELY be more than appreciated! (gives puppy's eyes)

IN THE NEXT and last (sobs) CHAPTER the story comes to its inevitable end. How does the love-story of our beloved couple come to a closure? Is there any happiness at all in store for them?

I seriously can't believe there's only one more to go! (eyes grow watery)

Until next time, people! I really, REALLY hope you'll all join in then!

Peace out!