I'm sorry for the very long wait for this chapter. It's been a real pain to write and my life has been very hectic. I thank you all for your patience and reviews, and hope this lives up to your expectations. If not you can be assured that the next chapter (whenever I find time to write the bloody thing) will be very fun indeed ;)

My prediction is that there will be four more chapters after this one, and maybe an epilogue. But that all depends on wordcounts and whether my plan can be executed the way I want it to be.

Chapter 12

It had been a long night. Glancing at the glowing green numbers of his watch, Kakashi noted that he only had ten more minutes of guard duty left. He sighed wearily before taking another sip of his tea.

Naruto had taken his intervention a lot worse than he'd anticipated. He'd expected the teenager to be angry, expected him to put up a fight. What he hadn't expected was for him to take it so personally. Kakashi mentally cringed at the memory of Naruto's broken expression. If he'd known that separating the blond from his vampire would be such a painful experience for him, Kakashi would have been far subtler about it. After all, the only reason he'd done it was to protect Naruto – the last thing he'd wanted to do was cause the boy pain. Yet somehow, even after all the precautions he'd taken, this was exactly what he'd done.

Kakashi finished off his tea before placing his cup on the table in front of him. Perhaps it had been a mistake to come here. He should have known that he couldn't just appear out of thin air, tell Naruto that vampires existed and that the one who had murdered his parents was back to claim his life, and expect the teenager to follow his every order. If someone had approached him when he was Naruto's age and tried to insert themselves into his life as he had inserted himself into Naruto's, he probably would have been as angry and uncooperative as Naruto was being. Then again, Kakashi had never been like Naruto. He'd never been a hothead who relied on his heart to make decisions; he'd always calmly analysed a situation before using logic to decide the best possible course of action.

In retrospect, this was probably where he'd gone wrong. He'd considered how he would react at fifteen to the news that his life was in danger. By fifteen he'd been Minato's apprentice, following his teacher from the shadows in order to learn the trade of the Vampire Hunter. If he'd been approached at fifteen he would have taken it all in his stride and aided the person trying to help him. But Naruto wasn't like him, nor was he like Minato. He didn't inspire Kakashi with confidence; he didn't make him hang onto his every word. He didn't analyse situations and then decide what was right. He didn't demand respect. Those were the traits Kakashi attributed to his teacher as a young man, and Naruto clearly did not possess them. If he had, Kakashi would have been swayed into seeing the world his way and would have consented to allowing Naruto to be alone with a vampire. But Naruto was not that person and that was not how things had played out, and Kakashi couldn't help feeling a little bit disappointed about that.

Slipping his hand into the pocket of his jacket, Kakashi felt a wave of melancholy wash over him as he fingered the frayed edges of the last photo ever taken of himself with his teacher and fellow pupils. The four of them had spent the day in a small restaurant talking about old times and new occurrences. They'd laughed and joked and Kakashi had smiled more that day than he had in a long time. Much later Kushina had arrived, Naruto asleep in his pram after an exhausting day at the park. Both she and Minato had stared at their son with such love in their eyes that even Kakashi (who had never been all that interested in children) had wondered if maybe someday he'd have a son to call his own. Then Kushina had pulled out a camera and demanded that there be a group photo to document their reunion. Kakashi had protested, but had surrendered after a few words from Obito and Rin.

So the photo had been taken, and a few weeks later had arrived in the mail with a brief letter from Minato. Kakashi had thought nothing of it at the time, expecting there to be many more of a similar ilk to come. Now it was a precious treasure; a snapshot of a time before his reality was ripped to shreds by tragedy. It was also a reminder that he had a job to do. He would avenge their deaths, he would make sure that Deidara and anyone else who had a hand in their murders paid for their crimes. He would carry on Minato's legacy; he would save the people Obito and Rin never had the opportunity to try to save. He would make sure that no vampire ever caused another human to suffer the pain he had suffered when he lost them.

Kakashi smiled bitterly as he removed his hand from his pocket. The way things were going he was going to fail to carry out his current duties the same way he'd failed to carry out his previous ones. If only he'd been able to convince Obito to train a little before going after Deidara, then maybe everything would have been different. But he hadn't convinced him – he'd failed his friend and himself. And now it seemed he was walking down the same path with Naruto, who was far too like Obito for comfort. They were both rash fools who stood up for their beliefs and ideals of justice, even when others told them they were wrong. It was an admirable trait to possess, but one Kakashi couldn't help feeling would get Naruto killed. That was why he felt the need to intervene in Naruto's affairs, especially where Gaara was concerned. Naruto was too trusting; he was blind to the truth of the vampire's nature. The two needed to be separated for Naruto's own good. Kakashi had done nothing wrong in banishing the vampire from the apartment. He was in the right and someday Naruto would realise that. Or so he kept telling himself.

The sound of a door opening broke Kakashi out of his reverie. Turning, he watched as a yawning Iruka exited his bedroom. The brunet, still clad in sleepwear, rubbed groggily at his eyes as he dragged his feet in the direction of the kitchen.

"Good Morning," Kakashi greeted, making Iruka jump.

Kakashi tried to keep his expression neutral as Iruka stared blankly at him. After a moment of awkward silence a look of understanding dawned on Iruka's face, followed quickly by a deep blush. "Ah, yes, good morning Kakashi. Sorry about that, I'm not really with it this morning."

"Did you not sleep well?"

"Oh no, I did the opposite. I slept so well that it's taking a lot of effort to wake up." Iruka raked a hand through his messy hair, a look of confusion spreading over his features. "I hadn't realised I was that tired; it must have been a more stressful day than I'd thought," he muttered absently to himself.

Kakashi smiled sympathetically, secretly relieved that Iruka suspected a stressful day rather than foul play as the cause of his deep sleep. The special herbs Kakashi had placed in Iruka's tea before he went to bed had obviously done their job. Naruto's guardian had been undisturbed by the conflict that had taken place in the next room; instead he had slept soundly all night. Kakashi was glad; it would have been quite difficult to explain exactly how Gaara had gotten into Naruto's room and why the blond was very much against him shooting the fanged intruder.

Noticing that Iruka was still looking quite dazed, Kakashi coughed to get his attention. "Perhaps you should go see if Naruto is awake? I believe this is the usual time he gets ready for school?"

Iruka's eyes widened in surprise as he glanced at the clock. "You're right. Thank you," he mumbled as he hurried towards Naruto's room.

After seeing that the sun had risen and that no harm had befallen Iruka, Kakashi decided that it was time for him to sleep. He wasn't particularly tired, but he figured it would be less awkward in the small apartment if he feigned sleep. He doubted Naruto had forgiven him for the night before and had little interest in starting a confrontation in front of Iruka. It would be better for everyone if he allowed Naruto some more time to cool off.

Kakashi lay down on the couch and covered himself with a blanket. He closed his eyes, his sharp senses still alert for signs of danger. He listened to Iruka's footsteps as he moved from Naruto's room to the kitchen. When a second pair of footsteps followed he evened out his breathing, creating the appearance of sleep. The footsteps paused for a moment before moving elsewhere. Kakashi relaxed and allowed the noise of everyday life to wash over him. He'd try to make amends with Naruto tonight. He just hoped the blond would listen.

Naruto yawned as he took a seat next to Sasuke. He then proceeded to fold his arms, lay them on the desk, and fall asleep on them.

A sharp jab to his side made Naruto groan and open one eye to glare at the Uchiha next to him. Sasuke met his glare head-on and said, "We have business to discuss."

"Can't it wait until later?" Naruto grumbled as he once again closed his eyes.

"No," was Sasuke's curt reply.

"What Sasuke means to say is that Gaara met up with Itachi at Club Secret last night and it would be a good idea to discuss their conversation now rather than later."

"Haku, no long sentences; my brain can't take it."

A sharp pinch to his arm effectively roused Naruto from his lethargy. Sitting up, he glowered at Sasuke as he rubbed his abused arm. "Bastard," he hissed vehemently.

Sasuke ignored Naruto, addressing Haku instead. "Itachi sent me a text last night detailing his encounter with Gaara. He said Gaara was in quite a state after the Hunter kicked him out, but Itachi managed to calm him down. He also said that the two of them were going to patrol outside Naruto's building tonight in case Deidara or any other unwelcome guests show up."

"Sasuke, you told me all this before Naruto arrived," Haku said with a roll of his eyes. "Shouldn't you be talking to him instead of me?"

Sasuke gave Haku a sour look before turning to Naruto. "Now it's your turn. What happened last night?"

Rubbing tiredly at his eyes, Naruto replied, "Kakashi basically said that I couldn't see Gaara anymore, and that if Gaara came to my apartment again he'd kill him. Then he pointed a gun at Gaara and told him to leave."

"What?"

"Yeah," Naruto muttered bitterly. "I tried to talk Kakashi out of it but no matter what I said or threatened to do he seemed to have the perfect comeback ready. Then he got bored of the argument and got out his gun. He wouldn't even let Gaara kiss me goodbye." Naruto paused for a moment before asking in a significantly gentler voice, "Is Gaara alright?"

"He's fine," replied Sasuke. "Itachi calmed him down and made sure he didn't do anything stupid."

After a minute or so of silence Naruto noticed that his friends were staring at him. "What?" he asked, feeling suddenly self-conscious.

"Are you alright Naruto?" asked Haku.

"Err, I suppose so. I mean, I didn't get much sleep last night so I'm really tired but-"

"I didn't mean alright in that sense. I meant are you ok mentally and emotionally? Watching the Hunter pull a gun on Gaara can't have been easy for you."

Naruto turned to glare at his desk. "No, I'm not ok," he growled. "I hate that bastard for thinking he can just waltz into my life and start calling the shots. I hate that he's a closed-minded, stubborn asshole who can't see that Gaara isn't a threat – he's trying to help save me! And I hate that I can't do a fucking thing to stop Kakashi because he's just so much stronger than I am!"

The despair of the night before had transformed into pure loathing. Every time Naruto remembered what Kakashi had said and done – every time he recalled feeling helpless and isolated – it was rage that filled him instead of anguish. He was tired of being pushed around by the Hunter in his own home and he wanted to do something to change that. His epiphany the night before (that he could train himself to become as strong as a vampire) had inspired him to stop feeling sorry for himself. From now on he was going to do everything in his power to become stronger in order to protect Gaara and his friends from Kakashi.

Turning back to look at his friends, Naruto noticed that they both seemed worried. "What?" he snapped.

Haku and Sasuke shared a look before Haku said carefully, "It's just that it's been awhile since we've seen you this angry. I'm not saying you don't have a right to be angry – because you do – it's just that...when you're angry you tend to act rashly, and then you're more likely to get yourself into trouble. Sasuke and I just don't want to see you get hurt."

The sentiment sobered Naruto. Taking a deep breath he dragged his fingers through his hair and turned slightly calmer eyes back to his friends. "You don't need to worry about me; I promise I won't let myself get hurt."

Sasuke wasn't convinced. "You attract trouble like a magnet, and at the moment that trouble is in the form of a determined Vampire Hunter and a gang of vampires out for your head. Do you really expect us to believe that you can stop yourself from getting hurt?"

"I do not attract trouble!" Naruto countered before registering the rest of Sasuke's sentence. "What do you mean a gang of vampires are after me? I thought it was only Gaara's ex who wanted me dead?"

"Itachi suspects that Deidara might have an accomplice who's hiding him. That's why he and the others are going to be patrolling the streets around your building tonight. Were you not listening when I told you this earlier?"

"No," Naruto replied unrepentantly. "Why would another vampire apart from Gaara's ex want to kill me? And why would they want to help Gaara's ex?"

"If your father really was a famous Vampire Hunter there are probably a lot of vampires out there who hold a grudge," suggested Haku.

Naruto frowned, not liking this possibility.

"Whatever the reason, it means that Deidara is twice the threat everyone initially thought," interjected Sasuke. "Which means Naruto needs to be twice as careful."

"You make it sound like I walk the streets at night advertising myself as a tasty meal!"

Haku snickered whilst Sasuke glared.

"Relax Bastard; I'm not going to go out looking for vampires to fight. Tonight I'm going to stay in my room and sleep."

Sasuke made a small contemptuous noise before turning away from Naruto. Naruto childishly stuck out his tongue before also turning away. Haku laughed and shook his head before focusing his attention on Naruto. A contemplative look took over his features as he mused, "It's a pity Gaara doesn't believe in computers or you could have conducted your relationship via the internet."

"What do you mean Gaara doesn't believe in computers?"

"According to Zabuza Gaara's a bit of a technophobe," explained Haku. "He's tried to convince him that computers aren't evil but Gaara still refuses to get one. He believes in traditional methods of entertainment and communication."

"But Gaara's got a TV in his apartment; that's not exactly traditional."

"Zabuza and Itachi had the place modernised when Gaara moved in. They told him if he ever had any human visitors they'd be suspicious if he didn't have all the appliances normal people have, and eventually he relented. Sometimes he even uses them for the purposes they were designed for."

Naruto laughed, surprised by this new piece of information. His laughter quickly died as he thought about his last encounter with Gaara. In Naruto's eyes Kakashi was a much bigger problem than Deidara. The blond vampire might be insane and pose a serious threat to Naruto's life, but at least Gaara and the others seemed to know how to deal with him. They'd had the situation under control until Kakashi had turned up and hijacked the operation. The Hunter, on the other hand, was unpredictable. Nobody really knew his abilities or how his mind worked; he was a difficult foe to undermine. Furthermore, he had successfully managed to separate him from Gaara. Naruto didn't know when he'd next see the vampire again and that thought was thoroughly depressing.

Using the psychic powers Naruto was convinced he possessed, Haku smiled and asked, "Why don't you meet Gaara at his apartment?"

Naruto stared at him blankly. "Huh?"

With a long-suffering sigh, Haku reiterated. "If you miss Gaara go to his apartment after school; I'm sure he'd be pleased to see you."

Naruto continued to stare uncomprehendingly at his friend. "Won't Gaara still be sleeping when school's finished since he's, you know, a vampire?"

"Vampires don't sleep all day, Idiot," Sasuke interjected, unable to stay out of the conversation any longer. "Vampires only need to sleep for a few hours every so often. They only spend the day indoors because they don't want the sun to incinerate them."

As Sasuke spoke, Naruto remembered his second visit to Gaara's apartment. Gaara had awoken around midday and they had spent the afternoon together. After mentally berating himself for his slip up, he turned to Haku with a wide grin. "You're a genius Haku! I'll go to Gaara's after school and we can say goodbye properly, without Kakashi interfering."

"You're welcome Naruto," laughed Haku. "Just remember to get Iruka and Gaara's permission before you go."

"Yeah, of course," Naruto said distractedly as he searched his pockets for his phone. Eventually he pulled it out and began to type out a text to Iruka. He was halfway through when he realised that he needed a reason why he was going to be home late.

Once again utilising his psychic powers, Haku laughed and said, "Tell Iruka that you're shopping in town with me and that you'll be back before it gets dark."

Flashing his friend another grin, Naruto completed the text and sent it. He was about to begin a second text, this one to Gaara, when he realised that he didn't have the redhead's number. Feeling awkward, Naruto turned to his friends and asked, "Do either of you have Gaara's number?"

Sasuke smirked as Haku pulled out his phone and handed it to Naruto. "You should be ashamed that he has your boyfriend's phone number and you don't." Naruto flipped Sasuke the finger before returning to inputting Gaara's number into his phone. "I wouldn't file that under Gaara if I were you, just in case the Hunter decides to take a look at your phone."

"Why? Will Kakashi use Gaara's number to send him prank phone calls or something?" Naruto asked flippantly.

"No, he'll use it to find Gaara's address. Or had you not noticed that the number is for a landline instead of a mobile?" replied a scowling Sasuke.

Realising that Sasuke was in fact correct; a now worried Naruto filed the number under a different name. If Kakashi found out Gaara's address he could sneak round during the day and attack Gaara whilst he was sleeping. Naruto just hoped that Gaara wasn't listed in the phonebook, and that he also hadn't inadvertently let slip any clues relating to Gaara's whereabouts.

Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, Naruto turned his attention back to the task at hand. If Gaara didn't have a mobile he'd have to call him. Glancing at the clock on the wall, Naruto decided it was too early to ring. Gaara would probably still be sleeping; he'd ring at lunchtime after he'd gotten the green light from Iruka.

Grinning at the prospect of seeing Gaara again, Naruto put his phone away and returned his attention to his friends.

Not for the first time that week were the documents in front of him failing to keep his attention. With an aggravated growl Gaara gathered up the papers and filed them away for later consultation. He then closed his eyes, took up a meditative pose, and focused on his breathing.

Ever since he'd received the call from Naruto he'd regretted inviting the blond to his apartment. Gaara was painfully aware of the dangers involved in such an action; if the Hunter followed Naruto then Gaara would be in serious trouble. Everything being even, Gaara was pretty sure he could win a fight against the Hunter. However, all their encounters so far had not been even, and if they met during the day then the tables would be tilted even further in Kakashi's favour. Sunlight didn't affect the Hunter, but if any part of Gaara's skin came in contact with it he would burn almost instantly. That was why vampires were most vulnerable during the day, and why most Hunters chose that time to confront their prey. Gaara had heard plenty of stories about powerful vampires being killed during the day, and had consequently developed a healthy dose of paranoia ever since Kakashi came into town. As much as he wanted to see Naruto, self-preservation came first.

A knock at the door dragged Gaara out of his thoughts. The vampire was instantly out of his seat and peering through the peephole. On the other side of the door stood Naruto, the look on his face one of barely controlled excitement. Forcing himself not to smile, Gaara opened the door and dragged Naruto inside. He then promptly closed and locked the entrance. "Were you followed?"

Naruto blinked, obviously not expecting this reaction from him. "I don't think so."

Gaara checked the peephole again before extending his senses out into the hallway. The only movement he could detect was that of his neighbours; there was no trace of the Hunter anywhere. However, that meant nothing; the Hunter was skilled and could be hiding just out of range of his senses, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

"What's going on Gaara?"

Gaara turned back to Naruto and took in his anxious expression. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down. "I'm just trying to establish if the Hunter followed you here. I would rather he not know my place of residence."

A look of understanding dawned on Naruto's face. "He doesn't usually meet me after school. He probably thinks he doesn't need to play bodyguard when the sun is out."

Gaara nodded, but wasn't reassured by the news. Just because the Hunter hadn't followed Naruto from school so far didn't mean that this was a pattern he could trust; Kakashi could have decided to wait a few days before stalking Naruto in order to lure him into a false sense of security. If that was the case the Hunter could still be out there, just waiting for an opportunity to present itself.

As if sensing the direction his thoughts were taking, Naruto grabbed hold of the collar of Gaara's shirt and dragged him down to his level. "If you tell me that jerk Kakashi is more intriguing than me I swear I'll kick your ass."

Gaara's lips twitched into his trademark half-smile. He then closed the meagre gap between them; one hand snaked its way into Naruto's blond tresses whilst the other gripped the teenager's waist. Naruto responded eagerly, his grip on Gaara's collar tightening as he leaned into the kiss and forced Gaara into the door behind him. Gaara's back connected with a muffled thump, which he ignored in favour of taking Naruto's bottom lip between his teeth. The vampire resisted the temptation to bite, and instead trailed kisses from Naruto's lips along his jaw line and down his neck to the opening of his shirt. He then looked into Naruto's lust filled eyes and asked, "How long do we have together?"

Naruto stared at him absently for a few seconds before the question registered. "I don't know. An hour maybe? I need to catch a bus that will get me home before it gets dark."

Gaara nodded, doing the calculation in his head. "Yes, that gives us just under an hour together." He then locked gazes with Naruto and said, "That doesn't give us much time. Is there anything you wish to discuss, or should I return to demonstrating how much I've missed you?"

"Err..." Naruto's brow creased in concentration as he considered Gaara's question. After a moment of thought, a smile made its way onto his face. "Oh yeah! Thank Zabuza and Itachi for me when you see them will you? Sasuke told me that they've volunteered to help you play Night Watchman for my apartment." Naruto laughed as his smile morphed into a devious grin. "Hopefully I'll be able to repay the favour soon."

That last sentence caught Gaara's attention. He stared hard at Naruto and the expectant expression on the blond teen's face before asking, "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh nothing," Naruto replied, his attempt to sound casual ruined by his still present grin. "I've just decided that I'm going to train myself so that I can be as strong as a vampire."

Naruto's sly grin faltered when Gaara's expression darkened. This was not the reaction he'd predicted he would receive. He'd expected the vampire to be proud of his decision to fight back, or maybe amused by how calmly he'd declared his ambitious goal; he hadn't anticipated that he would be pinned with Gaara's probing glare.

"And how, exactly, are you planning to achieve your objective? Has the Hunter offered to give you lessons?"

"No!" Naruto protested, suddenly realising why Gaara was so suspicious of his goal. "It's not like that Gaara! This has nothing to do with Kakashi! Well, okay, it does – but not in the way you think! It's just that last night I felt so powerless against him and hated it. So I started thinking about what I could do to change that, and realised that Kakashi is human too. If he can fight vampires on their own terms then I should be able to as well. I thought that if I started working out, doing running and stuff, then I could become strong like a Hunter; then I'd be able to help you fight Kakashi and your ex."

Gaara's glare lost some of its edge, but he was still clearly tense. "A human cannot achieve the speed or strength of a vampire simply by working out."

"But Hunters are human and they're just as strong as vampires!" Naruto objected, trying not to pout.

Gaara moved his hands to Naruto's shoulders; his grip was firm without being painful. "Hunters are not human. They may look and act like humans but at their core they are something different, something more. Being human you can't sense it, but the Hunter has an aura that is different from a normal human's. It's powerful and laced with magic."

"Magic?" Naruto interrupted. "Are you saying Kakashi is a wizard?"

"No. The Hunter's magic is not something he can control. It is a part of him, it glows strong when he fights, but I don't think he is actively aware of manipulating it. From what I've observed, it is a similar magic to that which creates and sustains the animation of a vampire. And before you ask, no, I do not know how that magic works. All I and every other vampire I have ever met knows is that it is present and that it is the source of our abilities."

Naruto was quiet for a moment as he thought this over. "So, what you're saying is that I shouldn't try to become as powerful as a vampire because I'm not a freak like Kakashi? I don't have his magic aura?"

"You do not have the same aura."

Naruto sighed, dejected.

"You are disappointed? I would have thought that you would be glad that you are different to the Hunter?"

"Yeah, but if I don't have this magic aura thing you were talking about then there's no way I can get stronger." When Gaara continued to look confused, anger flashed through Naruto. He forced Gaara's hands from his shoulders and took a step back. "You don't get it do you? You're a vampire – super strong and able to handle anything that comes at you. But me? I'm just human! You keep telling me that if I try to fight I'll die so I have to sit by and watch other people put their lives at risk for me. Do you know how frustrating that is? Do you know how useless that makes me feel? I don't want to have to ask other people to fight my battles for me! I want to be out there fighting alongside them! That's why I wanted to get stronger! I wanted to be able to protect the people I care about and not just be dead weight! But why should you understand that? It's not like you've ever had to ask people for help."

Gaara was silent as Naruto regained his breath. "Before I met you, you would have been correct. Back then I relied on my own strength and did not trust others enough to ask for their help. But ever since you came into my life I have found myself relying on others. I have needed Itachi and Zabuza to chase leads whilst I watched over you. And now I fear I will need them when I fight Deidara." Gaara sighed and reached out to touch Naruto's cheek. "Trusting people and accepting their help is not something I am use to doing. That is why I understand your frustration. Change is never easy to accept. You use to understand the world and be able to hold your own in it. Now you are forced to rely on others to guide you through."

Again Naruto shied away from Gaara's touch. "Don't pretend to understand me. You have no idea what you're talking about!"

"You think all periods of time are uniform? That nothing ever changes?" Gaara sneered. "Well you're wrong. As a vampire I have seen the world change more times than you can imagine. Each time I have had to adapt. It is not always easy to make such transitions."

Naruto paused as a thought occurred to him. "How old are you?"

"That fact is irrelevant to this conversation."

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest, resolute. If Gaara was trying to dismiss his question it meant it was something he didn't feel comfortable discussing. Partly out of curiosity, partly out of spite, Naruto said, "I'll make you a deal. I'll accept that you've seen a lot of change and know what it's like to be helpless, if you tell me how old you are. Deal?"

Gaara glared at him, clearly not happy with the terms. "I don't need you to believe me. If you wish to be angry with me then do so. I don't care."

Naruto was more than a little surprised when Gaara brushed him aside and stalked off into the bathroom. He'd expected the vampire to argue with him, or to try to distract him from his question; he hadn't expected Gaara to just walk away.

"Gaara?"

When Naruto didn't receive a reply he hesitantly made his way towards the bathroom. Slowly, he entered the blue and white tiled room, and found Gaara staring into the mirror above the sink, his hands tightly gripping the sides of the porcelain basin as he leaned forward. From this position Naruto couldn't see the vampire's expression, but it was clear from Gaara's posture that he was tense. The thought that perhaps his words had truly hurt the other male made its way into Naruto's mind. The last of Naruto's anger quickly vanished to be replaced with a sudden feeling of guilt.

"I'm sorry if I offended you, Gaara. I didn't mean to. I was just angry that there wasn't a quick-fix way to make me strong. I'm sorry I took my frustrations out on you. It's Kakashi who I'm pissed at and I should've-"

"Over one hundred."

Naruto stalled in his apology and focused again on the vampire before him. "Huh?"

Gaara reached up and prodded his cheek, his gaze still firmly trained on the mirror. "I've been a vampire for over one hundred years. I'm not comfortable giving a more accurate figure."

Naruto stared dumbstruck at Gaara's back as he tried to process this new information. No wonder Gaara hadn't wanted to tell him his age; if Gaara hadn't been a creature that didn't age he would have been an old man. A really old man. Naruto shivered at the thought.

"That's old."

Gaara turned to give him an exasperated glare. Naruto grinned.

"You look good for your age. I can't see any wrinkles."

Gaara's expression was unreadable. "The age difference does not disturb you?"

"Well, it does a bit," Naruto admitted. "But I'm shallow, so the fact you look like a teenager makes everything okay."

Gaara's expression remained unreadable as he walked towards Naruto. With two fingers the vampire tilted the teenager's chin upwards and stared hard into his eyes. After a minute of uncomfortable silence Gaara released him and said, "There is one way for you to become stronger."

Instantly intrigued, an excited grin spread across Naruto's face as he asked, "What is it?"

"Become a vampire."

The grin slipped from Naruto's lips. "Become a vampire?" he echoed quietly.

Gaara nodded. "Vampire law holds that, except in exceptional circumstances, a human must be eighteen years old when they make the decision to change. I know it is not an instant solution to your problem, but if you can survive until your eighteenth birthday you will have the chance to gain the strength you desire."

Naruto was silent as he thought about Gaara's proposal. It had never crossed his mind that he could become a vampire. He'd been thinking about what he could do as a human, never realising that there was a second option. If he was a vampire he could fight alongside Gaara; he could protect him for once. He'd be a super strong immortal that never aged. At the same time, he'd never be able to go out in the sun again, he'd have to drink human blood, he'd have to constantly fight to restrain his vampiric dark side. Those were the downsides to being a vampire; the question was whether or not they outweighed the benefits?

A hand gently cupping his cheek brought Naruto out of his thoughts. Gaara was staring at him as if he was trying to read his mind. Naruto shivered at the realisation that such a thing was possible for the vampire.

"Don't think about it. You are not yet old enough to make that decision. When the time comes we can discuss it in more detail. For now, be content in the knowledge that one day you will be strong enough to fight alongside me, if you so desire, and repay the debt you have convinced yourself you owe me and our acquaintances."

Naruto inhaled slowly before nodding his assent. "Ok. I promise not to think about it until I'm nearly eighteen."

"And will you promise to be content as a human until then?"

"I'm not going to promise that." At the look of annoyance that materialized on Gaara's face at his answer, Naruto added, "But I do promise to not try any crazy training without consulting you first."

Gaara rolled his eyes before smiling. He then leaned in for a short, tender kiss. Naruto responded by wrapping his arms around Gaara's shoulders and pulling him closer. They continued to kiss coyly for a minute before Gaara pulled back and asked, "Are there any more awkward questions you wish to ask me, or are we going to spend the rest of our time together enjoying the pleasures of physical gratification?"

"Why can't you just talk like a normal person and say you want to kiss?" Naruto asked cheekily.

"Because I'm old," was Gaara's simple reply.

Naruto bit his lip to try and stop himself from thinking about exactly how old Gaara was. It was creepy and not something he particularly wanted to dwell on.

"Yeah, I have a question. Do you have a family? Were they turned into vampires too or are they...?"

The look on Gaara's face gave Naruto his answer. But before Naruto could back-peddle and apologise for being insensitive, Gaara said, "I don't know."

Naruto frowned at the statement. "What do you mean you don't know?"

Gaara shifted uncomfortably, his gaze turned away from Naruto. It surprised the blond how such a simple question could agitate the usually composed vampire.

After nearly a minute of awkward silence, Gaara sighed and said, "I suppose I might as well tell you now... I don't remember my life as a human. I don't know why I don't remember and I have no desire to find out. It is likely that those memories will bring nothing but pain."

"What makes you think that?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Retrograde amnesia is caused by either damage to certain parts of the brain, or by the psychological need to suppress traumatic memories. As far as I'm aware I do not have brain damage, which leads me to the conclusion that my mind is suppressing my human memories in order to protect my sanity."

"Or another vampire could have meddled with your memory."

Gaara made a face that indicated he had purposefully left out that option. "That is a possibility, but a highly unlikely one. When a vampire permanently alters a person's mind they leave a trace of themselves – a mental signature. I have explored my own mind countless times and found no foreign signatures there."

Naruto nodded thoughtfully, deciding he didn't want to know whether or not Gaara's mental signature was all over his own mind. "Isn't there anyone you know who knew you when you were human and can tell you about your past?"

Gaara tensed and suddenly looked a lot more uncomfortable than he had before. "My Sire and I do not discuss such matters."

"Your Sire? Is that the person who turned you into a vampire?"

"Yes."

Something was wrong, Naruto realised. Simply talking about his Sire had put Gaara on edge, even more so than when he was discussing his distressing lack of knowledge about his human life. He could understand Gaara being disturbed by and not wanting to talk about a past he couldn't remember, but why was he so uneasy about discussing the person who had made him a vampire?

Before Naruto had time to properly consider the matter, Gaara had tilted the blond teen's chin upwards so that their gazes were firmly locked. "Naruto, I'm sure you have questions, since your curiosity seems to be limitless, but this is one topic that should not be probed. Know now that I will not answer questions about my Sire or my past. There are some skeletons that should never leave the closet. Do you understand?"

Naruto pouted. He wanted to know more about the person who had made Gaara a vampire, wanted to know all about Gaara's adventures over the centuries. But he'd already pushed Gaara into revealing something about himself that he didn't want to once today, so he supposed he could wait until Gaara felt confident enough to share his past with him.

"I understand."

The look in Gaara's eyes was overwhelmingly grateful. It made Naruto even more curious as to what Gaara didn't want to tell him, but he was able to push his curiosity to the back of his mind. The fact that Gaara was once again kissing him helped with this immensely.

In what felt like no time at all, Gaara pulled back and said, "I believe it is time for you to catch your bus."

Naruto reluctantly looked at his watch. Much to his disappointment, his watch confirmed Gaara's suspicions. With a sigh he returned his attention to the vampire in front of him. "Can I come visit tomorrow?"

"Not tomorrow," Gaara said solemnly. "Come the day after tomorrow; and be careful of the Hunter – make sure he doesn't follow you."

"I'll be careful," Naruto said with a grin. "You know I would never willingly lead him to you."

"I know," Gaara mumbled as he leaned in for a final kiss.

They parted reluctantly and made their way to the exit. Gaara unlocked the door and allowed Naruto to step out into the hallway. Looking back, Naruto gave a mock-salute and said, "See you on Friday then."

Gaara nodded and waited until Naruto had reached the end of the hallway before closing and relocking the door. Then he sighed and moved to sit on the sofa, where he intended to brood over his worries about Naruto, and the things that he had revealed to the boy, for the next few hours.

Iruka stared at the phone resting on the passenger seat. He was highly tempted to call Naruto and make sure he was alright. Ever since Iruka had found out that there was a madman after his adopted son he had been finishing work early and driving Naruto home after school. Tonight was different, however, as Naruto had texted to ask if he could spend some time with Haku after school. Initially Iruka had wanted to say no, to tell Naruto that it was too dangerous, but then he'd remembered how sad and angry Naruto had been that morning. He'd tried to hide it but Iruka had noticed. He'd also noticed how tired Naruto had looked, as if he'd not had enough sleep. It worried Iruka. He knew Naruto was also stressed and that he should be with his friends, but at the same time Iruka wanted to keep the boy close. He'd been tempted to tell Naruto to invite Haku over to their apartment so that he could keep an eye on the two of them. However, he'd eventually managed to talk himself out of that course of action. Naruto wanted to be alone with Haku, and that would not happen if he came to their apartment. Iruka was sure Kakashi would have questions for Haku, questions about his relationship with Naruto. Iruka didn't want to put either teenager through that sort of interrogation, not when they already had so much they had to deal with. That was why Iruka had called Naruto on his lunch break and given him permission to do something with Haku, so long as he didn't go anywhere by himself and got back to the apartment at least half an hour before it got dark. Naruto had readily agreed to his terms and told him not to worry. Iruka had replied that he wouldn't, had reassured himself that the agents Kakashi had said were watching Naruto would protect him and get him home safe. Still, he couldn't help wanting to call Naruto, even if doing so would interrupt the teenager's alone time with his boyfriend and annoy him.

Naruto's boyfriend. Thinking of Haku as anything other than one of Naruto's best friends still felt bizarre to Iruka. He just couldn't wrap his head around the sudden change. Naruto had never once indicated that his relationship with Haku was anything more than platonic. Had Iruka missed the signs? Had Naruto's recent bout of secrecy been a result of his changing feelings towards Haku? It was something Iruka had not had time to think about since Kakashi had appeared, and now that he had been reminded of it he was curious. Maybe it was time for him to have a talk with Naruto. He wanted to know what was happening in his adopted son's head and the only way he was going to get answers was if he asked him directly. For such a talkative person, Naruto was very good at avoiding subjects he didn't want to discuss.

"You're home early."

Iruka blinked, surprised to find himself in his apartment. Apparently he'd walked from his car to his living room on autopilot. Iruka quickly focused his attention on Kakashi, as the FBI agent was looking curiously at something just over his shoulder.

"Where's Naruto?"

"He's out with his boyfriend. That's why I'm home early."

Kakashi froze. "Boyfriend?" he enquired carefully.

"Yes, his name's Haku." When Kakashi continued to look concerned, Iruka began to ramble. "He's in Naruto's class at school; the two of them have been good friends for years. I also know the parents; they're good people who adopted Haku after his parents died when he was young. You don't need to worry about any of them being involved with whoever is after Naruto – they would never try to hurt him. I'm sorry if this is information I should have told you earlier, but they only started dating recently and I've not really had time to adjust to the idea of them being more than friends what with everything that's been going on and-"

Kakashi held up his hands and said, "It's alright Iruka. This is information you should have disclosed earlier, but if this boy has known Naruto since they were children then I doubt that he is a threat."

Iruka let out a sigh of relief and collapsed onto the sofa beside Kakashi. He closed his eyes and said tiredly, "It's hard, you know? Trying to do everything that needs to be done while still keeping up a brave face for your kid."

A hand gripped Iruka's shoulder reassuringly. "You're doing a good job. A lot of people fall to pieces when I show up in their homes and tell them they're in danger."

Iruka sighed and rubbed at his eyes. "Sometimes I do feel like I'm falling to pieces."

"You're being too hard on yourself. You're a good father and Naruto's lucky to have you."

Iruka smiled. "Thank you Kakashi."

There was a moment of comfortable silence between them. Kakashi's hand remained on his shoulder, and Iruka relished the feeling of having someone to comfort him for once. So often he was the one consoling others – at work as well as at home – that it felt nice to be taken care of. He was glad Kakashi was there. It had been awkward at first having a stranger in his home, but now it was immensely reassuring to know that there was someone there to protect him and Naruto. Iruka felt like he could relax with Kakashi around – the man was trained to see things ordinary people didn't see so there was no need to be constantly vigilant. He didn't need to worry about safety or fear being attacked as long as Kakashi was around. Whoever was after Naruto surely wouldn't be stupid enough to try to attack him when he was so well protected, would they? No, they'd wait until they thought he was vulnerable before trying to take him, and by then the FBI would hopefully have apprehended them. Then this nightmare would be over, and everything could return to normal.

As they sat there together, a thought occurred to Iruka. "Kakashi, do you know why Naruto was upset this morning?"

Iruka opened his eyes and turned to look at the agent as the other man slowly removed his hand from Iruka's shoulder. "Naruto and I had words last night after you went to bed. I think he's having a hard time trusting me. It didn't help that I was asking him personal questions: who his friends were, if he was in a relationship, if he did drugs, etc. He was very evasive and said such things were not relevant to my investigation...that I shouldn't act like I'm his father."

"I'm sorry," Iruka apologized. "Naruto can be very secretive sometimes, even with me."

"There's no need to apologize," Kakashi said with a casual smile. "I shouldn't have pushed him to tell me things he didn't want to reveal. I'm not use to dealing with teenagers, as you might have guessed."

Iruka smiled too. "Teenagers can be quite difficult creatures to get along with sometimes." Placing a hand on Kakashi's shoulder he added, "Don't worry, you'll figure them out eventually."

Kakashi chuckled. "I'm sure I will."

Still smiling, Iruka stood up and headed for the kitchen. "Would you like a drink?" he asked over his shoulder.

"Coffee, please."

A few minutes later Iruka returned with two cups of coffee. He handed one to Kakashi and was rewarded with a smile and quiet word of thanks. He then resumed his position on the sofa beside the agent, and they once again fell into an amicable silence.

"Can I ask you a question?" Kakashi enquired, a somewhat guarded expression occupying his face.

"Sure," Iruka replied as he sipped his coffee.

"You said Naruto had started dating his friend recently? How soon is recently?"

"I'm not sure exactly," Iruka replied honestly. "Naruto told me about his relationship with Haku on Saturday. I think that might have been their first official date, but Naruto has been quite secretive for a few weeks now. I think maybe that's when he first started having feelings for Haku. I can't tell you when he started to act on them though, or when Haku started to return them. I've not yet had the chance to interrogate him about it. Why do you ask?"

"It's procedure to ask about all romantic relationships," Kakashi replied with a reassuring smile.

Iruka nodded, but he couldn't help noticing that Kakashi's expression had become contemplative. His answer hadn't been that interesting, had it? Iruka didn't think he'd imparted any significant information to the agent, so why did Kakashi look so pensive? Was there something significant about Naruto having his first date on Saturday? Or was it the fact that the teenager had been preoccupied for almost a month that had Kakashi so lost in thought?

"Kakashi, is there something you're not telling me?"

Kakashi's eyes flashed surprise before an easy grin spread across his face and his eyes transformed into two crescent slits. "Of course not Iruka."

As much as Iruka wanted to believe him, there was a nagging voice at the back of his mind that told him he was being lied to. Kakashi knew something about Naruto, something neither of them were willing to share with him. It had something to do with Naruto dating Haku, Iruka was sure of it. He'd been suspicious when he'd first heard that the two of them were a couple, and he was doubly so now.

It was definitely time for him and Naruto to have a chat.

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