A full moon softly lit up the ominous skies overhead.

The concrete sidewalks were damp and glistening with freshly fallen rain. Black high heels were skidding against the slippery surface. The stomping beat of her shoes reverberated along the brick buildings of the downtown watering holes. The young bartender choked on her desperate gasps. In a rush, she planned on turning the next corner to hide from her pursuer. She felt her shoes skid along the wet floor and she knew she would regret this moment for the rest of her life.

Her palms slapped against the muddy water as she fell forward. The pain from her ankle made her want to cry out to the heavens, but no one, not even God himself, could save her now. The alley way was pitch black; she could barely see anything, but the flickering street lamps that failed to illuminate the city. She quickly wiped her scrapped palm on her black miniskirt and lifted her hand to her lips to keep herself from screaming. Her soft whimpers still seeped through her fingers and reached the delicate ears of her attacker.

Her nervous panting sounded like sweet, sweet music to his ears.

Her fear smelled delicious.

The young woman pushed along the wall to get herself standing. Tears were falling down her face as the pain from her ankle shot up through her leg and up her entire body. What felt even worse was the horrid panic building up in the pit of her stomach.

His footsteps were coming closer.

He was toying with her. He could kill her in a second, that much was certain. But a good kill was like good wine: both needed time and patience. It wasn't every day that someone would run away, let alone try. Even so, the funny part was that he didn't even have to do anything. He was just enjoying a moonlit walk, 2 feet behind her. Her own paranoia created her fear. He didn't say a word. But it didn't matter. He loved the look of sheer terror on her face. Nothing looked more appetizing.

His dark, lifeless eyes watched the poor, poor girl attempt to shuffle away with what was left of her spirit and dignity. It was so pathetic; it almost made him want to laugh.

She limped faster down the alley way, but the effort was useless. Her sobs were growing louder the closer he came. Luckily for her, she was able to muster up enough strength to make it around another corner. She pressed her back against the brick wall that separated her from death. But before she could breathe out a sigh of relief, the hooded killer was in front of her, fangs bared.

"Going somewhere?"

"Pl-please…!"

A blood-curdling scream rang out into the night.

[2] The Vampire

Even after years and years of merciless killing, Sasuke still felt the same way every single time he killed someone. A burning hatred like no other surfaced because he absolutely detested the clean-up. Today's society, with all their fancy medical books and modern detectives, made it just a bit harder to hide the crime scene.

He was careful to completely drain each and every body. He also made sure to always bring his trusty sword, Kusanagi, a treasured Uchiha artifact that can cut through almost anything; that includes human bones. The sharp edge would slash any part of the body that would lead to any form of identification. The remainders would be sliced up into mincemeat and thrown into the nearest ocean. He figured the sharks would have their way with it, and then he'd walk away satisfied.

But today, he was anxious.

This was already his tenth kill in the first week since he's been back. He was killing dangerously fast, but he needed the nutrients like humans needed air. What made it worse was that the incessant burning sensation in this throat still wasn't going away. It only made his thirst insatiable. It was easier to manage the undying need when he was farther away from this place. But years ago, when he first picked up on the peculiar and very distinct scent, he was drawn back.

Slowly, but surely.

Now, every little chase in between was just making him crave for his unknown target. Being the master hunter that he is, it would be no problem to just track down his special prey and pounce.

But the marked scent kept disappearing.

It was surely annoying. After he finally calmed down, his senses would pick up the special aroma and he'd go berserk all over again. On the bright side, the scent reappeared faster lately and it did not show any signs of slowing down. All he needed to do was to wait for the right time…

Once again, Sasuke managed to walk away with a flawless clean up. The only anxiety he was having was whether this woman would be missed… or the last girl he killed, or the teenage boy before that? Will townsfolk notice them missing? Will they call the authorities?

Shit.

The bloodsucker managed to pick up the sound of footsteps coming, fast. He turned his attention towards the nearest building and his eyes landed onto the rooftop. Before he could blink, the trespasser touched down in front of him. He was not surprised or amused.

Double Shit.

"Wow… REALLY? You couldn't even leave anything for me?" yelled the starving, blabbermouth vampire. "Not even one drop?"

"You're too slow." Sasuke wiped down the Kusunagi and slide it back into its sheath. He walked passed Naruto, who left his raucous mouth hanging open.

"C'monnn! I haven't had anything in days…"

"You'll manage."

"Gaaah! You're a major douchebag, ya kn- Hey, hey, wait. Where ya going!" Naruto ran after his cold-blooded friend.

"Do you ever shut up? The whole town is going to hear you," he spat. His anxiety was just getting worse with his big-mouthed friend running around with him.

"Nah, don't sweat it. I'm sure you killed everyone here, anyway!" laughed the blonde. He was mocking the Uchiha's constant killing sprees which were weird, even for him. He was acting like a woman on PMS, only he's craving hemoglobin and not Super Chunky Rocky Road ice cream. Sasuke never told his friend about the random covetous urges for god-knows-what-it-is. He could foresee Naruto poking fun at him even more if the idiot knew that the great Uchiha was having trouble controlling himself.

The irritated Sasuke just rolled his eyes and started towards home. He knew he'd be in trouble again in a few hours from now because his desire to kill would rise up and take another life. He had to stop, but with the combination of his constant fatigue and thirst without his precious blood, he couldn't. He needed a new plan and he had to think of one fast before he exposed himself as the monster he really is.

.

It was safe to say that at 3 in the morning, 99.9% of the city's population was pleasantly snoozing the night away. This did not include the occasional drunkards who were stumbling their way out of the local bars, or the stressed out university students struggling to make the due date for their next big paper. This also did not include Naruto Uzumaki, the biggest annoyance.

Ever.

"Can you shut the hell up?" bellowed the annoyance's best friend who was on the other side of the house. Even with two very large pillows pressed against his ears, Sasuke could still hear the yells and screeching from the living room. Sometimes, superb hearing was a blessing and a curse.

"Dude, calm down! I almost DESTROYED this level! I swear I can finish the game before sunrise, Believe it!" Naruto's blue eyes were glued to the colossal, plasma screen television; his tongue was sticking out of his mouth in concentration. His fingers were moving at the speed of light as he pressed the buttons on his controller. "Hell yeah! Level 27! Betcha can't beat that, SASGAY!"

Alright… He's dead. Again.

Vampire sarcasm. Classic.

The cranky, dark-haired menace rose from his bed with the intent to kill. He shuffled his tired feet down the hall and into the living room. He cracked his knuckles just loud enough to get the videogame-addict's attention. The poor idiot turned around.

"Oh hiya, Sasgay. How was your beauty sle-"

Pow. Right in the kisser.

Naruto fell off the couch and tumbled a few feet away, onto the floor. He had the delightful experience of tasting the plush, white carpet of the Uchiha estate. He smashed into the coffee table and the gaming system that was lying on top of it fell to the floor as well, shutting off.

"What? Oh man! What the hell was that for? That hurt…" Miraculously, Naruto was able to jump back up on his feet, but still felt the throbbing all over his face.

"Don't you have school tomorrow?" answered Sasuke. He crossed his arms over his chest and just gave him the death glare. It was too bad the new high school student was so used to it that he developed some superhuman immunity.

"Yeah? So? I'm not tired. I can stay up all night!" Naruto stuck his tongue out. Sasuke wanted to cut it off. But he restrained himself.

"You're annoying, go to sleep." And with that, Sasuke made his way back to his room.

"Geez, sorry Mom," grumbled the disgruntled gamer.

Was it weird that Naruto wasn't going back to his apartment at 3 in the morning? It would be, but when his longtime friend, Sasuke Uchiha, moved back to Konoha a couple of days ago, the excited little freeloader could not be happier. He was overdue on his rent, the recent rainstorms have been screwing with his ceiling, and his power was cut off. Not exactly the life of luxury.

Then, here came Mr. Moneybags with a history of wealth.

Sasuke Uchiha. He was born into one of the riches families in history. They were powerful and respected…

And not to mention, a horde of heartless vampires.

The Uchiha clan was powerful in every sense of the word. They were highly respected for their social status and prestige after they took part in settling the original town of Konoha thousands of years ago. Sasuke was born into the blood-sucking family sometime afterwards and grew up there. He moved away for a few decades, but now he was back in town, ready to shake things up.

It's too bad Naruto was a huge leech.

"Heyyyyy, bastard! You got anything to drink 'round here?" yelled the freeloader, busy raiding what was left of the fridge. Some water, eggs, and a whole lot of nothing. "And why 're you sleeping so much, anyway? You're a vamp, you can't get tired out that easy!"

True. Being a vampire had its perks.

For starters, the vampire body evolved in a way where it used "life-plasma" – vampire blood – to transport the digested human blood to fuel beyond-human muscles and organs. Human blood became the new oxygen and the new energy source for these timeless creatures and any kind of blood was good enough to drink.

With this new system in place, it was easy to get carried away. No muscle cramps, no aches or pains, no muscle degeneration. Perfect for living hundreds of years without breaking a sweat. It's not a surprise to know that these creatures of the night enjoy sleeping about once a week.

So why was the great Sasuke Uchiha sleeping just about every day…like a human?

"Shut up and leave me alone." His teeth were grinding against each other in irritation. The dark, animalistic side of him wanted to let his instincts take over and rip the idiot's head off. But he wouldn't do it. Too messy.

There's a time and place for everything… and right now, it was time to go to sleep.

Ever since he moved back to Konoha, he's been feeling drained. At first, the Uchiha figured it was from traveling or just dealing with the blonde the moment he stepped foot into the city, but it was definitely something else. Something that was bothering him and he knew this is why he needed to come back.

Every superhuman sense was heightened and every nerve was on edge. His auto-alert instincts were going haywire and they were draining him 24/7 to the point where he was picking up sleeping habits from an eternity ago. Whatever was causing this madness was certainly trying to get his attention. And it was working. The sensation would act up in certain parts of town during certain parts of the day and it was driving him crazy not knowing what it was. But he knew the closer he would get to the source, the stronger the killing-urge would grow. And once the bloodlust was at its peak, he would know what to do.

He would kill it, whatever it was. Tear it up without batting an eyelash. No mercy. He'll teach that damn lifer to never ever fuck with an Uchiha.

He didn't care if he had to kill a young boy or girl. A lonely middle-aged man. A homeless drunk. Even the crippled old lady down the street. It didn't matter because even if they weren't his main target, they were all on the to-do list anyway. Sasuke was burning fuel faster than usual which means more little pit stops on the way. A kill here, a kill there…

And that didn't bother him one bit.

He was bred and programmed in every way to be the perfect killing machine. The strength, the stealth, the senses. Even his irresistible looks were a part of the grand master plan. The only problem was that the more he killed, the higher the risk of getting caught. And if that ever happened… that's when shit really starts to hit the fan.

It's been a week since Sasuke's last meal. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, but for Sasuke, it was close to a miracle. He's been trying to suppress the impulses with willpower… and tomatoes. The weak, smooth skin of a tomato reminded him of human flesh, and the fruit's goopy insides reminded him of…goopy human insides. Biting into one reminded him of biting some live prey… But seriously, it was mostly the willpower.

The deprived vampire sat at his marble kitchen counter and had a staring contest with the last tomato in his whole estate. He cringed knowing that once this succulent fruit was gone, his killer pangs would come back to haunt him… Then, he heard the door slam open.

It was Naruto, back from school. Without hesitation, the schoolboy sped into the kitchen.

"Uh, Sasuke… I think I did something bad…," he reported apprehensively.

"Define bad." It was during that moment when Sasuke noticed the bloodstains on the blonde's face. "Did you kill someone? In broad daylight? How stupid can you get?"

"I- I didn't think it would be a big deal! He was alone, no one would've seen us!" Naruto's arms were flailing in his panic. "And I was hungryyy!"

"And people saw you? I mean this when I say it: Worst vampire EVER."

"No no! No one saw us, but he yelled and shit, and then cops were coming, and mannn… I'm screwed, aren't I?"

"You? Try us, you idiot!" Sasuke stomped over to the "worst killer ever" and pounded a fist into the back of his head. "So, where's the body now?"

"Uh…the hospital…?" the schoolboy laughed nervously.

"What? He's. Still. Alive?" he hissed bitterly. He was so aggravated; he wanted to send Naruto to the hospital along with his little meal, or better yet, to his long-awaited grave. A deep, malevolent growl erupted from the Uchiha's throat. "I need to kill something…"

He used his forefinger and thumb to rub the throbbing temples by forehead. His week-long starvation wasn't helping his mood one bit.

"Please, not me!" wept Naruto. He was screwed and he knew it before he even set foot inside the house. He closed his eyes shut and waited to get clobbered in the head, but it never came…not even one hit. Then, he opened one eye cautiously, but Sasuke was just standing there, thinking.

"Uh… Sasuke?" He inched closer to his deep-in-thought housemate.

"You said the guy was in the hospital, right?"

"Yeah? What of it…?"

Sasuke had an idea on how to stop his killing sprees…for now.

"Then that's where we're going to go," answered the hungry assassin, with a killer smirk gracing his lips. He headed towards the front door with a plan already in mind.

"Wait! I can't go with you!"

"Why's that?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"Uhm…I don't have shoes…"

"What. The. Fuc-"

"It's a long story…Just go without me…"

After rearranging Naruto's face, Sasuke found himself standing in front of his destination: the Konohagakure Medical Center. The building was different since the last time he's seen it. It looked brighter, even in the dark. Maybe it would help patients think twice before committing suicide…? He figured it was about time the old structure was torn down; it was there since the day he was born.

He took a step through the automatic doors and kept a grip on the strap of his dingy-colored backpack. It was empty and necessary for his secret mission. He kept a calm façade, even though he was dying to hunt down each and every person in the lobby. One of the medical secretaries at the front desk looked like she needed 200 hours of sleep, or at least a cup of coffee or two. The other one on duty went up to the conniving vampire with a flushed look on her face.

"Umm…Good evening sir, wha-what are you in for?" she asked timidly. He didn't need his superior sight to see she was shaking as she held onto a patient chart.

He put on a charming half smile and played a role.

"Hey," he purred as he took a step closer to her. She took a step back in response and looked down. She was incredibly shy and bashful and it only made his job a lot easier.

"Don't be shy, I won't bite." He took her chin in his hand and lifted it up to let her see his perfect face. Her chocolate colored eyes looked so astonished. The lucky girl; Sasuke Uchiha was the best looking man she has ever seen. She was melting under his gaze.

God, this is too easy…

"Uh, sir? Ca-can I…help you with something?" She stuttered nervously. The secretary was feeling faint just by standing close to him.

"Actually, you can." At that moment, his endless black eyes turned blood red. Three black tomoes appeared, and spun in a quick moving circle around his pupil. He knew his Sharingan, the Uchiha bloodline technique, would come in handy. The woman was already under his spell.

"I need you to direct me to the blood bank," he demanded to the mind-controlled drone. She responded in a monotonous tone.

"Perfect, then I have some business to do upstairs. That's not a problem, is it?" She shook her head slowly and walked back to the front desk. Sasuke would have been an excellent acting coach because the woman was doing a phenomenal job keeping up her role.

Sasuke figured that this was the easiest and cleanest way to avoid confrontation. It was especially easy when the target was already in love at first sight and would do whatever you say regardless of the mind control. He seemed to have that kind of effect on the ladies. The mind-control on the secretary was programmed to last until he left the hospital, so he figured he had all the time he needed.

Sasuke's plan was in full motion and going smoothly. It was a piece of cake to control the male doctors and even easier to mess with the females. The scheming genius was careful enough to let the doctors act somewhat natural to avoid suspicion. In a few minutes, he was able to clear out the hematology department that stood in the way of the blood bank.

He entered the deserted laboratory and saw several test tubes that were neatly lined against the wall. There was row of microscopes with bone marrow slides and blood films clipped underneath, ready for examinations. Even though he couldn't see it, the vampire could already smell the bags of blood on the other side of the wall. He crossed the room and opened the door. A cold gust of wind surrounded him as he walked in. The entire room was like an oversized refrigerator. Smaller, actual refrigerators carried and organized the different kinds of blood. But a starved vampire wasn't one to be picky. He just grabbed whatever he could and stuffed it into his backpack.

His plan was perfect. No more lives to take. No more chances of getting caught. If anything, he'd be caught as a sick, demented thief, but at least he wouldn't be exposed as a vampire. He'd be in much more trouble if the latter were to occur. Something much worse than prison…

Plus, it was all donated blood anyway, right? The hospital can get more of it whenever they needed it…

With a fully stuffed knapsack, the blood bandit was ready to walk out of the medical center, satisfied with a job well done. He was already fantasizing about taking a long, gratifying sip from his first blood bag. It wasn't as good as the fresh stuff, but hey, he was a little excited. Not that he would admit it out loud, anyway.

He passed by two manipulation-free hematologists on their way back to the lab. He wondered if they would even notice 30 packs of donated hemoglobin were missing. Not that he really cared; if cameras were linking him to the scene of the crime, he already thought ahead by convincing the security guard to delete all tapes from today. Nothing was going to go out of plan.

Except for the excruciating burn flaring up in his throat.

It's here.

His target was in this very building. He no longer yearned for stale, bagged blood.

No.

He wanted it warm. Fresh.

The piece of shit that has been tormenting him was here. And close. He could smell it. He could already taste how exceptional the meal would be. How satisfying. He's been waiting for this moment… and the chase was only making it tastier. And it was only getting closer. So close.

3 feet.

2 feet.

1…?

He heard a thud and a quick gasp. His ravenous eyes darted to the floor and…

"Watch where you're going."

The Vampire.

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