Slave to a Shark - Chapter 12: Ancient Worlds
-.-.-
"Left!" Sasuke shouted, and Suigetsu responded instantly, swirling his body to the left, his large Executioner's blade in hand, jutting out as if an extension of his own body.
The blade ripped through the body of a grotesque, slimy monster. It didn't leave a trace of its existence, instead it dissipated upon contact into the air, leaving behind a piece of stone, shaped in an odd format through its sharpened edges with ridges and grooves inside. The piece hit the floor with a clang and Suigetsu turned his attention towards Sasuke, who was jumping back, red eyes swirling as they did before the fire.
Suigetsu always thought, in times like these, that Sasuke resembled a phoenix. He seemed to rise, grow wings even, and with a single burst of fire from his eyes he would teleport away, having burned his victim through his eyes alone.
They had been in the tower for months now. The first floor was a chess game, it led to a board that gave instructions if you could defeat the savior, who was always Suigetsu. Something about Sasuke seemed to set the tower off, it reacted to every drop of blood spilled. It was an accidental discovery during the chess game, when Sasuke brushed his hand against the sharpened edge of the king's crown.
The blood boiled on the set and disappeared, the pieces moved on their own and Suigetsu was strapped to the chair, unable to move. It became a game to win Suigetsu back, and when Sasuke had won, the chess board flipped over revealing a single piece of stone, and a doorway opened leading down the tower.
Now, months in, the two had recovered most of the stone pieces which fit together like a puzzle revealing words in a tablet. The words were inscribed in the language of the Uchihas and told of a story about bloodsuckers and their mortal enemies- the Uchiha hunters.
It seemed like nothing but a story, fiction at best, but it was their only clue and so Suigetsu and Sasuke continued down the tower, through every challenge collecting the pieces.
"We need just one more piece." Sasuke said huffing as he picked up the piece that remained in the aftermath of the fire. His eyes closed shut in pain. He had overused them today, pushing himself while thinking of Itachi.
"What do we do when we have the last piece?" Suigetsu asked.
"We'll know when we get it." Sasuke placed the piece into the mostly completed puzzle that was their stone tablet.
Suigetsu nodded. "Let's rest. The bottom floor must be difficult, it is after all, the final level."
"Yeah... We can't afford to die." Sasuke admitted. He wanted to push forward but even he had to admit he was at his limit for the day. He had discovered that he could create fire with his eyes, even teleport, and the powers weakened him with every use. Even now he felt as if he would collapse any moment, and it would be far more embarrassing to do so in front of Suigesu than to admit he needed rest.
Suigetsu walked towards the walls of the tower where they had dropped the items they had managed to collect over time, including the fur they skinned off of an animal. It was disgusting really, as they had no way to clean it properly; but it was warmth and they needed that in the tower. Survival was their number one priority.
Sasuke reluctantly joined Suigetsu inside the fur blanket they had fashioned. Unfortunately, body heat was additional warmth and very much needed. Sasuke clenched his fist as feelings of annoyance ran through his body. Annoyance that he wasn't as annoyed as he should be by the circumstances. He was getting used to Suigetsu's presence, even enjoying it.
-.-.-
Jared was haunted. Shisui haunted him. In the few times in the past few months that Jared had bothered to visit, his unease grew. His vampiric instincts told him to stay away. Jared had fought many hunters in his time but Shisui was something else entirely. His very being seemed to radiate danger, even Jared was afraid.
That's why he had made the decision to end it before it got any worse. He needed Shisui gone.
"Jared." Shisui acknowledged as he placed the shovel he was holding to the side. He had dirt all over his body and sweat drenched his loose clothing. Months of harsh farm work had given him a strong, muscular figure and callouses on his hands, albeit with dirt under his fingernails. "What do you want?"
Shisui was hostile. His dark eyes changed to a bright brown with quick intensity, giving him more power, drawing what felt like the very air around him in.
"I came to release you. You no longer have a purpose here." Jared admits. In fact having Shisui here could be a bad thing. Itachi and Kisame's relationship had progressed so magnificently that force was hardly necessary at this point. Besides... Jared had Sasuke still, and if the final things he needed to achieve were to occur, Sasuke would be a better tool to threaten Itachi with - Shisui was too powerful, and possibly held less meaning than Itachi's brother.
"Oh?" Shisui asked. "What change occurred to make you decide to give me freedom?"
"None in particular." Jared lied.
"..." Shisui's rage roared within him. Months of this entrapment at Jared's hands had created a strong hatred within him. Being lied to was the straw that broke the camel's back.
His eyes flashed red so quickly Jared barely had time to react. He flew backwards and instinctively his large, dark bat wings extended out of his being as Shisui's power overwhelmed him.
Shisui had been growing stronger, Jared had realized this. It is why he wanted to get rid of the bastard as quickly as possible. Shisui had been unable to sleep, and many a restless night were spent lost within his mangekyo sharingan, thirsting for vampire.
And now his instinct took over. Shisui could see everything and Jared knew he stood no chance, but he wouldn't go without a fight. Jared howled and extended his fangs and claws, but Shisui seemed to hardly notice.
A moment later Shisui was in front of Jared and it was as if his entire being was cowering before the might of the figure towering over him. Shisui glowered down at Jared with his Crimson eyes, meeting Jared's own.
"S-Shisui...?" Jared could barely breathe. It had taken seconds and he was already completely dominated. How did this happen? When had Shisui... "You knew?" Jared asked meekly.
"I wasn't sure... But now I know. I don't know what you are, but you will tell me." Shisui said as the wind waved through his dark curls. "I don't know how... But I know you're mine."
"Yours?" The idea sickened Jared. He didn't belong to anyone, save maybe Kisame.
"Yes. And I will kill you for what you've done to me. But first... You will answer my questions."
"Go to hell." Jared grinned, maliciously, beginning his transformation to bat form. The transformation takes a solid two seconds - and Shisui reacted within those two seconds. He grabbed Jared's mid-bat form with his hands and gripped him tight, within the next second, Jared was a bat, unable to move in Shisui's iron fist.
"You are my prisoner." Shisui said calmly. The slave mark on his neck burned and yet, Shisui did not feel it at all. At this point in time, pain was truly nothing to Shisui.
-.-.-
Why does one need love for sex? Itachi questioned as he sat by the edge of the lake, his legs dangling in the water.
In the end, he could not find an answer. It seemed reasonable for sex to not require love. People did it all the time.
But Kisame had refused. Why? Perhaps love was an excuse to not have sex. Maybe he didn't desire Itachi. Maybe he felt nothing. Maybe Itachi was losing control.
It wasn't good. He couldn't lose control, he just couldn't.
Itachi resolved to fix things that night when Kisame was done with his work.
-.-.-
Screams filled the night air with their horror, the moon appeared red through the blood stained window.
Jared lay on the ground, blood spluttering out of him like never before. He wasn't meant to bleed - he shouldn't bleed, but he was bleeding. It meant he was losing his immortality. If this continued he would die, already he was on the edge of consciousness.
Somehow it seemed Shisui knew. He chained Jared within seconds against the wall, unable to move.
Using his eyes he did something very few Uchiha could do - he made the blood rise off the ground, off the walls and off the ceiling, the moon returned to its pale yellow form when the blood of the window floated off and joined it's other half. The blood mixed together and formed a ball in Shisui's hand.
"Do you want to drink this?" Shisui asked, his eyes glinting with hidden emotion.
"No." Jared choked. He would rather die than become this hunter's bitch. Shisui was a natural.
Shisui knelt down until he was level with Jared's haggard form, his hand rose and touched Jared cheek gently, causing the vampire to shiver under the touch in a mixture of disgust and agony. Shisui's finger slid further and further down until it reached Jared's throat where a single sharper nail drew blood near the vampire's throat.
"You wish to die then?"
"No." Jared could barely speak through contained loathing.
"Does this blood not appeal to you?"
"It's my own." Jared responded without thinking, and instantly regretted it.
Shisui let the ball of blood splatter onto the floor as his mouth curled into a sadistic smile.
"You want my blood." Shisui stated, unquestioningly, as if it was fact. He drew closer to Jared so that Jared could smell him, hear the beat of his heart, the sound of his pulse, but he did not touch.
Jared tried to flinch away, but his bloodlust was strong. His desire to live, his instinct was focused entirely on the all too delicious blood before him. That it was the blood of an Uchiha did not help.
Shisui pricked his finger with the one sharpened nail, raising his single index finger where a drop of blood was sliding down his ghost white flesh.
Jared shook against his shackles, his eyes hotter than chili peppers, blazing with desire for blood. He roared as his sharpened vampiric teeth left their hiding place and every aspect of his being shook for that single drop of blood. The smell invaded Jared's senses, blocking out his thoughts and it was like he could see nothing else. The sound of Shisui's heart beating was the only darkened music he could hear.
Shisui kept his finger painfully close, yet just barely too far away to touch. And oh how Jared wanted for touch. To taste, to smell, to completely lose himself in the delicious red drug that was before him.
But he could not reach.
"Beg for it." Shisui whispered.
"Please..." Jared's eyes could not close shut for fear of never seeing again the very thing he knew now he lived for. No blood would ever again be as delicious as this. No blood could sing to him like this. He would search his entire life and never compare.
"Please what?" Shisui teased, his eyes shining with unknown sadism.
"Please... Master?"
Shisui seemed just momentarily surprised by this. It was possible a title was not what he was looking for in an answer and seeing that expression, Jared regretted his word choice.
"Please master what?"
"Please master... Let me taste blood." Jared's voice came out hoarse, there was a lump in his throat as all his senses, all his thoughts focused on that single thing.
Shisui smirked. This is what he wanted to hear. He moved his face closer to Jared's, so that his lips were touching Jared's ears, his bloody finger slid down Jared's cheek, leaving a trail of blood.
"No." Shisui whispered into Jared's ear, even going so far as to lick it, just to torture the vampire before him more.
He went too far. Jared's eyes rolled back as his own strength returned, his desire overpowering all else, the shackles around his arms burned and whisped away to smoke.
Shisui was quick to react, jumping back, readying himself to fight, but Jared was different now. He had been pushed to the extreme, his own power returning. He kept up with Shisui in a dance of fists, pinning the Hunter to the ground within moments, as their fight took place at a speed humans could not even see.
"Uagh let go!" Shisui kicked in vain, his legs were spread to the sides, chained by invisible bounds, between them Jared stood atop Shisui, glaring down in lust resembling lunacy.
Shisui's fiery eyes were as wide as they could get, openly displaying the fear that he did not want seen.
"You tease me." Jared's eyes narrowed as he fought to regain control over his body, he had spent hundreds of years fighting to learn to control this, to fight it. He would not like his vampiric side win any more than it already had.
"S-sorry."
Jared groaned. It was too much. Just to distract himself from the powerful, barbaric urges to drink every last ounce of blood from Shisui, he leaned down and kissed the Hunter, grabbing the curly locks into his long, pale fingers and gripping them tightly, daring the Hunter to move.
Shisui fought back, avidly trying to get the venomous creature off of him as Jared forcibly plunged his tongue into Shisui's mouth, seeking distraction.
Uchihas tastes different. It was a nectar so sweet Jared thought he could lose himself in it forever, it was heavenly, if Jared believed in anything resembling heaven it would have been in this kiss, or perhaps in Shisui's blood. Either way, it was inside Shisui.
"Nnngh." Shisui stopped fighting the restraints, understanding the futility of such an attempt, and instead trying to bite Jared's tongue off.
Somehow it became a game. Shisui would try to bite Jared's tongue, create lasting damage and Jared would try to taste more of the sweet nectar that was Shisui's mouth.
At some point it became fun. At some point, Shisui bit his own tongue and would've howled if not for Jared's tongue instantly being there, caressing it and swallowing the blood and saliva off. It healed all too soon for either of them.
When they separated they could barely look at each other, breathing heavily and wondering what was wrong with them.
-.-.-
"Kisame." Itachi acknowledged as Kisame walked into his bedroom, looking exhausted.
"Itachi." Kisame answered, frowning. "You alright?"
"No. Come here." Itachi gestured as he went to the bed.
"Itachi, not this again..."
"You look tired. Let me help." Itachi sighed.
"How will you help?" Kisame asked, loosening his tie. "Why are you in my room?"
"Am I not allowed?" Itachi asked softly, his eyes never leaving Kisame's chest, yet not meeting his eyes all the same.
"That's not it..." Kisame sighed as he tossed his coat and tie off to the side, approaching Itachi.
"What is it then?"
"Last night... We..."
"We need to talk about it."
"I suppose we do." Kisame agreed, sitting down on the bed.
"Turn around." Itachi ordered, gesturing with his hands.
Kisame obeyed, turning around as he asked "why?"
"So I can help." Itachi's hands went to Kisame's shoulder, and the shark responded by jumping for a moment. "Is something wrong?"
"No... You just surprised me." Kisame replied, forcing himself to relax as Itachi's hands ran over Kisame's shoulder, massaging him.
"I'm sorry."
"No it's my fault." Kisame closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Itachi's touch was relaxing, even if he didn't want to admit it, it was much needed.
"Kisame, I do not think love is required for sex."
"I think sex for us is a bad idea."
"Why is that?"
"Because I hurt you beyond what is repairable." Kisame tensed. "Even this is a bad idea... I think you should go home."
At those last words, Itachi tensed, then leant forward, wrapping his arms around Kisame until his cheek was touching Kisame's.
"Kisame." Itachi whispered. "I don't want to leave you. I need you. You keep asking me to leave and it... Hurts."
"It hurts?" Kisame choked. He was hurting Itachi again. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry." Kisame's hands began to clench around the bedsheets below.
Itachi noticed and tensed more, frowning as he wondered whether Kisame would lose his cool. "Kisame, it's okay... You can make it better... We don't have to have sex, I don't want to pressure you. But stay with me, please?" Itachi whispered almost sweetly.
"How can you still want to do it, after what I did?" Kisame asked.
"I can't explain it." Itachi responded, though a certain guilty part of him knew, and Itachi refused to acknowledge that part - doing so was uncomfortable.
"Itachi I want you. I've always wanted you, since I first laid eyes on you. But I don't deserve you."
"That's for me to decide." Itachi responded, as he thought only it is me who doesn't deserve you. I am the worst for what I am doing to you.
"Itachi." Kisame asked turning away so he could look at the crow.
"Hn?" Itachi looked at Kisame questioningly.
Instead of responding with words, Kisame leaned forward to kiss Itachi, softly, as he was afraid of bringing harm to what he now believed was a fragile creature.
Itachi responded, his hands moving to cup Kisame's face.
It was a short kiss - but it was enough for both to relax from their reservations.
"Okay." Kisame whispered, his fingers striking Itachi's cheek gently. "We can do it. I promised you anyway... We can do whatever you want."
Itachi smiled. "I intend to take advantage of that."
"So what's it say?" Suigetsu asked, breathing heavily as his back hit the wall and he slid down, exhausted.
Their final enemy was a dragon. They had managed to defeat it but now both of them looked and felt like zombies.
"I'm reading it." Sasuke sighed. "It just doesn't make any sense." He placed the tablet on the floor and lay down, looking up at the ceiling with onyx eyes.
"What's the story?"
"The story speaks of an ancient world..." Sasuke began. "It says:
Once upon a time there were several different clans that lived in harmony together. Two of those clans were the vampires and the vampire hunters - also known as Uchihas. Both had eyes that burned brighter than the sun at certain times, but both were destined to fight for eternity. Their peace could not last because the vampires desired the blood of the Uchihas, but the Uchihas were stronger. So the vampires gathered the other clans and invented the slave mark to enslave Uchiha and use them as... Livestock. This cycle continued until one Uchiha rose with the power to fight against the slave mark, it had no effect on him. He freed his brothers and sisters and together they fled, never to be seen again by the other clans of the world."
Sasuke sighed. "Of course it's just a dumb fairy tale."
"What if it's true?" Suigetsu asked.
"Are you saying vampires are real?" Sasuke scoffed.
"The slave mark is real. You have eyes that turn red and are capable of amazing things. Heck I can turn into water." Suigetsu stretched his arms to make a point. "I think there is a very real possibility that vampires exist."
"Assuming that's true, it still doesn't explain everything." Sasuke sighed.
"Well let's think about this..." Suigetsu trailed off. "But let's get the hell out of this god forsaken tower first, I want some fresh water and a bath and something not towery."
"..." Just when I think you are about to say something incredibly intelligent too. Sasuke thought to himself, as his eye twitched.
-.-.-
A/N: I want to dedicate this to JigokuShoujosRevenge & AliceCambio who have consistently been reviewing all of my fanfiction. Your reviews help me a lot. Thank you.