The hell, this entire story has been written to Breaking Benjamin… And also to Blink-182's 'I Miss You'.

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Dedication: Once again, to Emma-chan, because she let me use her name. Bahaha.

---

We got back to HQ not long after that. Sasuke took me in by a different route then the usual shitty-door route, and we ended up in front of some huge building. I raised a skeptical eyebrow at it.

"And just where the hell are we?"

"The main building."

"Are you shitting me? We didn't have to go through that fucked up-" He covered my mouth again, the bastard.

"This is our emergency line, princess. None of us come here unless there's a seriously dangerous thing around. And what we're fighting is something I think none of us are prepared for."

I blinked at him. Since when has he been talking so much? It's really weird. "Fine. So it's an emergency. Then what the hell is all the secrecy about?"

He shook his head, and said nothing.

It set me to steaming, because I dislike being denied information, and part of me wanted to kick him for it. It tends to get on my nerves. I think it gets on everyone's nerves, honestly, if only because not knowing is annoying.

And if there is one thing I know, it's that humans are a curious, odd lot of creatures who might actually hate the fact that you know something they don't more then they might hate what it is they don't know.

This is very true of both me and Anko.

While I was pondering this, Sasuke had grabbed my wrist, and dragged me inside the building. I didn't even notice until my eyes registered the change in scenery, from gritty asphalt-and-concrete to serene marble-and-granite.

What the hell, what was this place? Granite doesn't come cheap, and marble even less so. And this interior of this entire place seemed to be made of it. It was sparkly and clean and white glossy-pretty-untainted-white, and I didn't like it one bit.

I'm not a sparkly, clean, white kind of person. I like being dirty. It's more fun. And, considering my job keeps me dirty and flat and black, its better that way.

I'm not clean. I've killed too much to be clean.

I like musing. I wasn't paying attention to where Sasuke pulled me; I just let him direct me wherever the hell he wanted to direct me. There was much to be said for not caring.

I blinked when I noted another change in scenery. The white-granite-and-marble had changed, once again, to paint-steel-and-gild this time. It had a nice, calm, soothing look about it, and I instantly disliked it.

A place that houses us saviors-sometimes-some-call-us-killers-destroyers should not be so calm. A place that houses us should be just as we are. Gritty and fucked up and sad and tired and lost and every other bad emotion anyone has ever felt, that's the hunters.

And I am one of those gritty, fucked up, sad, tired, lost, and every other bad emotion hunters. I don't belong here, and I know it. It's too safe safety-is-for-those-who-have-lost-everything-else, I think.

We were standing in front of the door just then, and just as Sasuke was about to open, I tugged on his shirt sleeve. He looked at me, and I linked our pinkies again. There was something about this place that scared me.

I just couldn't put my finger on what it was that was bothering me so badly. He half-smirked at me, and didn't let go. He didn't try to link the rest of our fingers, and I was happy with that. I was still unsure about exactly where we stood.

And holding hands right now would probably not be the best way to influence my decision.

He was reaching for the door handle again, when Tsunade tossed the doors open, and stomped out, fuming. As soon as she saw us, though, her look changed from fury and terror to extreme relief, to something like shock, then calculating (why calculating? That couldn't be good…), then back to relief.

"Tsunade, what's with the stick up your ass?" She glared at me for my comment, but threw her arms around me anyways, and sighed into my shoulder, effectively breaking my contact with Sasuke.

"Sakura, I was so worried about you!"

I blinked, and gently pried her death grip off of me. "Tsunade, why were you worried about me? You know I can take care of myself! It wasn't anything out of the ordinary; well, it was, but-"

Sasuke cut me off. "Tsunade, we have a problem."

She let me out of the death-grip-hug-glomp (thank you god!), and looked at Sasuke curiously. "Did you find anything out?" she asked, but even as she did, she didn't let me go.

"Yes."

Her eyes widened, and she let me go completely. "Report."

He shook his head. "Not here."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Sasuke, I said report."

"And I said not here. Tsunade, this has to do with-"

She cut him off. Ha. Revenge is sweet. Especially after all the times he's cut me off the last few days. "I don't care what it has to do with, Kaeleo. Report."

His eyes took on a glazed look, and he didn't even glare at her. "There is a congregation there, made up solely of the noble families, the aristocrats of our world. I have no idea why, but this girl said she met Silver there, and I saw Kieran. Neither of them was exorcized, and for that, I am glad. The noble lines continue to exist."

I didn't like the way Tsunade had lost every last bit of colour in her face. And who was Kieran? And who was he to call me 'this girl'?! And why… why was he saying our?

"Uh, hello? Out of the loop, here! And would like to be informed!"

"Sakura, you met Silver there?" Tsunade asked.

"We exchanged pleasantries, yes. I'd forgotten how annoying the bastard is, actually. And he got away from me. Again. And who's this Kieran?"

Tsunade grimaced, and Sasuke still had the glazed look in his eyes. It scared me, but now was not the time to think about it. "You know that Silver is considered royalty in the vampire world, correct?"

I nodded. Another reason I hate him so much. How could one so annoying be royal?

"Kieran was originally considered as a political match for Silver. She's from another very powerful, very royal line, and it would have happened. But then Silver met the girl who would be changed to Argent, and…"

"And he changed Argent because he fell in love with her, yeah, I know." I spat out. 'Love' is not a word I associate with leeches all that often. "But I didn't know that leeches had political alliances."

She shook her head, but just as she was about to speak, Sasuke spoke for her, his eyes still glazed. "We don't, not often. Not unless there is a need. And there was. Silver should have realized that without Kieran, and the children that alliance could have produced, there was no chance of winning this war."

Did he just say we?! What's with the personal possessive, there?

Tsunade smacked him, hard, over the top of his head. "Get out of his mind, Kaeleo. No one wants you there, anyways," she growled.

Sasuke laughed bitterly. "Do you think I wish to remain here, oh liege and commander of mine? No, I do not. Had I the choice, I would have left this boy," the word was filled with resentment "A long time ago."

Tsunade smacked him harder, and then the glaze left his eyes. Sasuke shook his head experimentally, as if ridding himself of water. A few more shakes, and he seemed himself.

Okay. I was confused out of my mind. What was going on here?!

Obviously, Tsunade picked up on my blatant confusion, because she sighed, and said "You're right, this isn't a good place to speak freely. Let's go see Anko and Kakashi, hmm? Sakura, go find Hinata and Naruto. There are things all of you need to hear."

I blinked. Was she dismissing me? "Are you sure, Tsunade?"

"Yes," she said irritably "Right now, as well. This isn't something that can wait."

I took my dismissal unhappily, but I did take it. I wanted to understand just what was going on here, but Sasuke seemed to understand what was going on, and I trusted Tsunade. She would tell me in her own good time, but, until then, I had better go before she blew up and killed me.

I left the paint-steel-and-gild room, closing the door with a quiet 'keh-chick' as the lock closed behind me. I didn't understand what I was leaving, but I knew it couldn't be good.

---

I was walking through sunlight when I found Hinata. I like the sun. It's nice. It's the life-giving organ that keeps the world alive. Just like the human heart, everything else in the solar system revolves around it. It's also the only thing that keeps leeches inside on days like these.

I found her sitting on a bench, her eyes closed. She looked pretty, the way she was sitting, so relaxed and easygoing. I shook my head to myself. Anyone who thought that Hinata was relaxed was kidding themselves, because I could see her eyes flicking backwards and forwards underneath her closed lids, checking for movement.

I smirked to myself. She'd learned quickly. "Hey, Hinata!" I called to her, and her eyes shot open, and she stared at me, surprise gaping her mouth. She'd not known that I was back, then, I guess.

"Sakura!"

"Hinata, where's Naruto? We need to find him, and get to this huge building in the middle of downtown, right now."

She blinked. "You mean the emergency place downtown? Why?"

"Because something big has happened, and Tsunade sent me to get you and Naruto."

Her eyebrows drew together in confusion. "Why didn't she just-, oh, whatever, I'm calling Naruto, and tell him to get down there."

"Hinata, tell him to be as fast as he can. There's something wrong with Sasuke; Tsunade kept calling him Kaeleo for some weird reason… And he was talking like he was leech."

Her eyes went wide as dinner plates. "Oh no, no, he couldn't have. Sakura, tell me you're lying."

"Why would I lie about something like this? Hinata, you know as well as I do that I like to tell lies that will be believed. And I've never heard of Kaeleo before; who's he?"

She just shook her head. "Not here." And then she jumped up, and grabbed my wrist, and we were running back downtown as fast as either of us could go.

Why do the people here like pulling me along, and not telling me important things?! It's infuriating! But Hinata wouldn't do something like this just to make me mad. Sasuke might, but not Hinata.

So we kept running, until we got back to opening with the shitty door, and in we went. Naruto was already there, his blond hair and tan skin looking sickly in the yellow incandescent light.

It was eerie, because as soon as we were in, the three of us were ushered into another room, followed by three masked men. The back of my neck started to prickle, and I could feel the my short hair standing on end. I checked that all of my weapons were in place.

Then Tsunade came rushing in, dragging a catatonic Sasuke with her (just as I had so many times), and I wondered what I'd been worried about in the first place. I may not have trusted the others, but Tsunade? She'd never do anything to hurt me.

And then, to my surprise, Anko and Kakashi came in, followed by all the grownups I'd grown up knowing. Shizune and Genma, and Kurenai and Asuma came in, followed by Gai. Oh, god no. If Gai was here, then that meant Lee. And Lee scared me, to be quite honest. He was just so… over the top, is the best way I can put it.

But why were they here?

Of course, Shizune and Kurenai glomped me as soon as they saw me. The both said it was because they hadn't seen me in so long, but I knew that that particular said thing was bullshit. They're both like older sisters to me, and they like annoying me. Blah.

"Agh! No! Get offa meee!!! Anko, HELP ME!!!"

She didn't.

After I'd freed myself from their grasps, I hid behind Hinata. I had no desire to be picked up and tossed around like a rag doll, as I knew both Genma and Asuma would do if they got the chance. Hell, they might even toss me to each other like a football. They've done it before, that's for sure.

When they saw me, both of their faces cracked into evil, identical grins. I gulped, and was preparing myself to be off the ground, but Tsunade stopped them, no thanks to Kakashi or Anko, who just laughed. Evil adults.

Tsunade cleared her throat, and the room went deadly quiet.

"It's begun," was all she said, and six sharp intakes of breath indicated that the adults in the room already knew what was going on.

Screw. It. I'd had enough of this vague we're-not-telling-you-anything-because-it's-not-a-good-place-to-do-it shit. I slammed my fist against the wall, splitting the skin. Pain prickled through me, but I ignored it. This was not the time to be a baby.

"Tell me. Right now. What's going on?!"

Tsunade sighed, and looked me over with tired eyes. "This will take some time to explain. Anko, I'm relying on you to take the girls back to where Sakura and Sasuke were. Keep the people there safe."

Anko nodded sharply, turned, and left. Both Kurenai and Shizune followed her without comment. Kakashi snarled as he watched them go, and both Asuma and Genma looked strained.

Tsunade looked at Kakashi, sighed, covered her eyes, and said "All three of you, go. You're of no use to me if you're too busy being worried about your other halves. That means it'll be up to the kids."

They, too, nodded sharply, and were gone. I blinked. Kakashi had never been fond of leaving Anko, but I'd never seen him so tense about something. There were so many over-lapping stories here, I think I'd never be able to sift through them all to find what I needed to.

"Sakura, Hinata," Tsunade said softly, and I whipped my head up, and looked her in the eye. Hinata, standing beside me, did so as well.

"You two girls may very well be our only hope. You're young, female, and hot-blooded. I need you."

I hardened my eyes. "First, you have to explain what the fuck is going here, Tsunade, because I don't get it, and unless I do, I will sit down, and refuse to move until you tell me. And I'll make sure Hinata is incapacitated, too."

She groaned. "You are too much like Anko. I never should have left you with her. But… urgh. I can't even tell it right. Uchiha. Tell her."

I blinked, and tilted my head at Sasuke. "Tell me what, Sasuke?"

He smiled at me, bitter dislike in every line of his face. "Tell you that I'm not completely human. Well, it's not exactly that but…"

I blinked. So my first assessment of him had been right. There had been something unsettling about him. "I knew there was something different about you. When we first met, there was something… wrong. I just couldn't place it."

He shrugged, and said "Well, now you can. Don't hate me after I tell you this, alright?"

Why would I hate him?

"I made a blood pact with a vampire named Kaeleo, when I was nine years old. His body was dying, and I needed power."

I blinked. Oh. That's why. Well then.

"Explain, or I am going to hate you."

He looked at me, slowly and deliberately. "I was nine, Sakura. I didn't see any other way to get what I needed. And Kaeleo was dying, from the knife wounds I'd given him. He offered me anything I wanted, but he needed to be able to meld with my mind to live."

He looked at me, and then continued. "I let him. There was nothing I wanted, except that complete control of my own being. I needed it, so I let it happen."

"Why?"

"Because I was stupid and young and I didn't realize what I was agreeing to. And it's given me an insight to how the world of vampires work, Sakura, because Kaeleo was from one of strongest royal lines. It's been… incredibly helpful, in a lot of situations."

O-kay. I have nothing to say to that. I rubbed my temples, and flashed a look at Hinata and Naruto. Hinata was rigid, obviously trying to figure out just what Sasuke was, exactly. Naruto, on the other hand, was relaxed and leaning against the wall, and it looked like this was not new information to him.

"Hey, bastard, you should probably explain what else that thing inside you lets you do. It's unfair, actually. Gives him an advantage over the rest of us." Naruto grinned at him, and I saw a spark of amusement in Sasuke's eyes.

Sasuke was behind me, suddenly. "Makes me faster." He had just moved faster then any human possibly could, I was irresistibly reminded of how fast we had been running to get out of there. It had felt more like flying then running, actually, now that I think about it.

I saw Tsunade roll her eyes for a second. He picked me up and tossed me over his shoulder. I shrieked. "Makes me stronger." Oh, so that's how he managed to carry me around so easily…

I kicked him. "Makes you more annoying. Put me down, you idiot!"

He put me down. "Makes me smarter, too."

Naruto's amused mutter issued from behind him "You just didn't want her to kick you again, you bastard."

"That, too."

I was a little breathless, and a bit dizzy from being picked up. I dislike having my feet off the ground when they should be planted very carefully. It's unnerving. "So… do you crave blood, like the leeches do?"

I had to know.

He shook his head. "My body's still human. I still like food. And blood is still repulsive."

"Good."

All this information was making me tired. I wanted to collapse then and there, but my legs held steady. There were things I needed to do, before I would allow myself to collapse.

I turned to Tsunade. "So, now that we all know this lovely information, what do you want us to do? Because you had a motive, or you never would have pulled me in to it."

The slightly amused look in Tsunade's eyes vanished. "I want you to go after Silver. I don't know where he'd be now," she paused when she saw my vicious smile. She might not know where he is, but I certainly do. "But I want him brought back here. And he has to be alive, Sakura."

I glared stonily at her. "I've told you about that annoying habit of his, right? I don't think we can bring him anywhere, because he'll just leave. The only thing he keeps going back to is Argent's grave, and that's in Toronto. Although…" I smiled. "I just have to let him know I still have some of that bitch's ashes, and he'll be here in a flash."

"You have her ashes left?"

"Hell no! Silver's blind when it comes to Argent, and he'll do anything in the world to keep her ashes safe. And even if I lie, he'll come here in a blind rage. He always thought I kept some of Argent to myself. Why would I do that? I hated the bitch."

"Because you wanted something like this to hang over his head?"

I paused, and pursed my lips. He had a point. Oh well. "Well, there is that, but no. I don't keep ashes of things I've destroyed."

Tsunade sighed as we bickered amongst ourselves. "Alright, whatever, just find him, and be quick about it. Hinata, I want you to go with Sakura, and I want you to bring some of the other girls with you. Tenten, perhaps?" Hinata fumed, although I had no idea why. I'd have to ask her about it as soon as I got the chance.

Tsunade continued. "Naruto, I know you won't let Hinata out of your sight, so you might as well go, too." She looked at Sasuke. "Do what you want. I have no control over what you do, anyways."

He shoved his hands in his pockets, and he let his hair hang over his eyes, and I knew without being told that he didn't want to let me out of his sight, either. I'm pretty sure Tsunade knew it too, because when she gave me her go-away-you're-bothering-me look, she sent it at all four of us.

So the four of us all left the premises.

As soon as we were out of there, I tossed an odd look Hinata's way. She still did not look happy about the Tenten part. I thought they were friends.

"Hey, Hina, what's the problem with Tenten?" I asked.

Hinata shook her head, her indigo hair swinging about her face. "It's not Tenten I'm annoyed about, it's my cousin Neji. Wherever Tenten goes, he goes. This also means that Tsunade has been consulting my father. He doesn't like the fact that I'm not his perfect little princess anymore." She smiled predatorily, and I felt a flush of satisfaction run through me. She'd obviously done something to piss her father off, and now he couldn't tell her what to do. Mwahaha.

Naruto was keeping very close to Hinata, his fingers threaded through hers. I was very happy to see this. And Hinata wasn't fainting. Well, it was a start.

Sasuke was walking a few steps behind me, and I slowed down just enough that he'd catch up. I looked at him, and he smirked at me. "You look tired, princess."

"I am tired. I'm so tired, I can barely stand up." I didn't even tell him to stop calling me princess. I didn't have the energy, right now.

He didn't touch me, which was bad and good. If I passed out, I'd probably hit the ground with a dull thud, and it would hurt like hell when I next woke up, and thus bad. But if I managed to stay standing, I would live, which was good.

I'm not really in the mood to die right now. Dying would certainly put a damper on this whole finding-Silver-ASAP-thing. It might cause problems. "So we're off to find Silver, then, I suppose?"

"Hn," he grumped out. What was his problem now?

"Sasuke, what's up?" I tilted my head at him as I asked it, unsure of what was going to happen.

He raised his head, and looked back at me. "You still bring dangerous things to you, Sakura. It happens when you go looking for them. It happens even when you don't go looking for them." His voice was lower then it's usual tone, and far quieter. He obviously didn't want to be overheard.

Hinata and Naruto were oblivious to anything other then each other, but even still, I kept my voice hushed. "Really now, do I? I kill things for a living, Sasuke. You're not going to stop me from doing what I love."

He didn't look at me, so I couldn't see his eyes, and he mumbled something, but I couldn't hear it. "What?"

"I said 'I'm not going to let you die for something stupid.'"

"Oh, well, now that's cleared up…," my deliberate sarcasm was piled on thick, and I felt like I was chocking on the words.

"I'm not going to let you die for someone stupid, either."

I glared at him. Uh-oh. That couldn't be good. "So what, or who, for that matter, am I going to die for, then?"

"You're not ever going to die. I won't let it happen, Sakura. I won't," he said, and the finality in his voice terrified me.