Warning: blood and badly written gore =]
Chapter 6 – Memories
November 4th 1996
A ten-year-old Sasuke walked along side an equally young Naruto as they traveled back from a long day of playing at his house. Sasuke had decided to walk his friend home since he felt the need to get out of the house.
They'd been about half way home when he heard the sound of footsteps behind him, he paid no mind to it however, the street wasn't private or anything. Naruto was blabbing about some new game for his game boy advance, Sasuke was also trying to convince the blond to let him borrow it but it was all in vain, their was no way in hell Naruto was giving up the new Pokémon game to anyone.
As they came up to Naruto's huge vintage styled Mansion they both said their goodbye's as Naruto closed the black steal gates and up the small path leading to his parents home. Sasuke watched him practically skip up the stone cobbled path and rolled his eyes. The blonds preferred fashion at the moment was a bright orange jumpsuit that his mother had given him for P.E at school; the material was moving and jumping with his body as he ran up the path.
Sasuke let out a sigh turning around and began the long trek back to the Uchiha mansion. As he turned a corner he let his mind wonder, he had a lot of Math's homework to do when he got home and was thinking of guilting his older brother into helping him do it again. His Father wouldn't be to happy about Itachi helping him do it but he didn't need to find out, he'd tell his mum though, she'd let him. Sasuke had always liked his mum better than his father; his father was so cold and treated everything like a business deal. It was a surprise that his mum even married the man. They were so different.
As he walked he shoved his hands in the pockets of his shorts and ducked his head ever so slightly, giving the look of a brooding teenager. The street surrounding him was quite as the sun from up above leaked orange and yellows into the blue sky as it set. Sasuke couldn't here a single thing around him but there was the feeling deep in his gut that something was wrong. He ignored it however and just kept moving, if he was late home again his mum would get worried and send people out to look for him…again.
The sound of ruffling leaves could be heard from one of the huge gardens in the area and broke the pleasant silence that Sasuke had been enjoying. Sasuke looked over at the large beach tree in the garden and took note of the puddle of leaves surrounding its base. He 'hn'ed, a habit that he grew out of by the time he turned sixteen, and faced the street once again. He'd been walking for a little over fifteen minutes when the feeling in his gut returned.
Sasuke felt as if he was being watched, the feeling of hungry eyes on his back only increased the tension going on inside of his stomach. Sasuke peered around his shoulder a few times, looking for anyone suspicious but was met with nothing but the cool breeze blowing his indigo strands into his face. Sasuke began to walk faster; he didn't like the thought of being followed at all so all he could think about was getting home, and soon.
The sound of footsteps suddenly began to sound behind him and Sasuke's mind began to panic. His mother had told him about talking to strangers many times before, he knew the dangers of being taken, especially being the son of one of the richest men in Japan.
Sasuke didn't let his panic show however; he just sped ahead, looking for a shortcut home. The footsteps behind him grew faster also, killing any doubt Sasuke had that he was being followed.
He looked behind him, seeing a tall filled out man behind him about five meters away. He had on a long light grey trench coat; his color was sticking up and hid most of his face, save for the top part. His dark green hair was layered over his eyes, covering their unnatural colour, they were so pale they could almost be considered white. His skin was ever so slightly tanned and the smirk on his face made Sasuke feel sick. It was a smirk that promised fear and pain.
Sasuke sharply turned a corner that led into an alleyway and ran. He wanted to go home, he wanted to be home. He just didn't want to be here. He ran with all his mite, running though all the shortcuts he knew and not once looking back. The minutes ticked by and he kept running, hoping that the man stalking him had been left behind.
As he turned yet another corner as he ran through the crop of tree's in the local park he bumped into something solid. As he fell to the floor he caught sight of light grey and his panic only grew, knowing exactly who he'd just ran into. He landed back on his butt. Sasuke peered up through his messed up bangs at the towering man above him. The evil gleam in his eye's never leaving Sasuke's frozen form, and his smirk only grew into a full grin at the small boy's intense fear.
Sasuke was shaking, more so than he'd ever before, the possibility of death flashed before his scared eyes and Sasuke attempted to move away. When he tried he found that he simply couldn't, the intense gaze of the man had simply frozen him to the spot, stopping all attempts at escape.
Inside the man's twisted grin his canines began to lengthen into two delicate points and indented softly against his bottom lip. Sasuke's eyes widened and a small whimper left his mouth. They didn't exist, it was only a trick of the mind, and I'm over reacting! Sasuke shouted in his head, trying to convince himself something that couldn't be convinced.
They don't exist you say? You're blind boy. That won't help you now. The voice spoke in his mind like silk. Sasuke's eyes widened even more than before as he began to hyperventilate, that voice wasn't his!
Sasuke let out another whimper as he looked up at the man in complete terror, his breaths coming in short hitches every second that past. The man's face was lit up in pure joy as he watched Sasuke break down in front of him, this was the part he loved, watching his victim's beg for mercy and break down completely until there was nothing left.
The man grabbed Sasuke by the color, picked him up off the ground and held him in front of his face like the boy weighed nothing. Sasuke felt the sting of tears hit his eyes as he scrunched them up and let the hot liquid run down his cheeks. The grin never left the man's face as he watched the display of fear.
I'm going to make sure you feel every little drop of blood I spill. The voice whispered in Sasuke head again as a new field of whimpers sprouted from Sasuke's mouth.
The man walked into the cover of the tree's and bushes before he all but threw the boy against the trunk of a nearby tree. Sasuke's heavy breathing was all let out in a second and resumed in the next, only more frantic, he knew he was going to die.
The man looked him dead in the eye, silently telling him that his promise of pain would be fulfilled. Sasuke scrunched up his eyes again when he felt the hot air on his quivering neck. His muscled clenched as he struggled to get away, but still knowing it was no use.
Sasuke's world was suddenly filled with pain when something sharp harshly ripped a hole in his skin and muscle, aiming right for his main blood vessel. Sasuke screamed for all that it was worth. He didn't even know his voice could go so high until now. A ruff hand firmly clamped over his mouth as he continued to scream in agony. The man was sucking at his neck, the pull from his mouth only making the open wound burn worse.
Sasuke could feel himself become dizzy and hoped that he would collapse. However every time he came close to it he could feel a light pressing somewhere that he could only guess was his mind and the next thing he knew Sasuke was wide awake and still screaming and crying into the hand.
He didn't know how long he was there for, it could have been minutes but it felt like hours. The sound of people shouting out came from nearby was the only thing that got the man off him. He felt his wet slick tongue glide over the wound on his painful neck, closing it instantly. The next thing he knew Sasuke was been dropped to the floor and the man was off running further into the trees.
Sasuke laid there in a broken mess as strangers surrounded him. Sasuke was coated from head to toe in his own blood and the tears didn't stop streaming from his face as he stared blankly ahead. Not hearing the frantic couple in front of him.
That day was forever burned into Sasuke's memory, the night sky that hung over head would forever haunt him and Sasuke was sure that the man wasn't the only one out there. But he had no desire to find out…
…!...
Sasuke reeled back from his memories like it had burnt him. Never had he ever wanted to witness this again. Never had he wanted the answer to that thought from so many years ago. Yet here he was, faced with another monster. Only difference this time was that it was staring at him like she was the one afraid, not the other way around.
Sasuke took a step back; he stopped his scream a while ago and had now started hyperventilating as realization hit him. He'd been around one of those things for a full month! He'd let that thing inside his childhood home where his parents were still living. He'd let that thing work with his best friend! What the hell was she planning? Was she going to kill them all off one by one?
Sasuke took a step back; the rain was pounding down hard as another bolt of lightening hit the sky. Her green pools illuminated for that one second before it disappeared again. The fear shown in them was the exact same as Sasuke's, they were wide with shock and looking like she'd just been shot.
If Sasuke wasn't so scared and shocked he would have voiced his earlier thoughts, but he wasn't able to. The only thing he could do was whimper like he was ten again.
"S-Sakura…" Itachi whispered through the rain. His eyes were also wide with shock and he felt numb. Sakura didn't respond, she just stood there, like she had turned to stone, the rain that landed on her turned red and slid down her face, giving her an almost demon like appearance if it wasn't for her expression.
The queasy feeling in Sasuke's stomach suddenly left him as he bent over and was violently sick on the floor. The last time he'd seen this much blood had been fourteen years ago and his stomach wasn't up to the task of remembering. This was enough however for Sakura to find her voice and get over her frozen state, even though she was far from loosing her shock.
Sakura brought her hand to her blood stained mouth, not believing what was happening. What had they done! What had she done! Now their lives were in danger! What if they blabbed to someone and a vampire found out! She'd be done for…
"What are you doing here…" Sakura managed to whisper. It was almost lost in the sound of the rain. Itachi looked over at his brother and saw the glazed over look in his eyes and remembered that time he was attacked. Sasuke had been sent to so many psychologists after that day, and not even one of them would believe his story. Then again, even Itachi didn't believe him, but now he did. Those pointed teeth never retracted in Sakura's shocked state and Itachi couldn't help but stare at them. He thought they were only legends, stories even, not bloody reality! Sakura's words finally reached Itachi's ear's as he turned back around to face the creature he was correct in mistrusting.
"What are you..." He breathed out. Itachi noticed how Sasuke flinched at his words.
Sasuke still believed that this was all a dream, but that last sentence Itachi had said woke him up, and he had to stare reality in the face. A reality Sasuke had convinced himself never existed.
Sakura brought her hand away from her mouth, not knowing exactly what to do, they'd never get close enough for her to erase their memories and soon enough there would be a too big a time gap for her to do since she couldn't fill it with anything. That thought then brought her back to the still bleeding man crumpled on the floor.
Sasuke flinched and took another step back when she moved. She turned to face the man before her, slowly kneeling down and picking him up. Sasuke watched with caution as she brought his bleeding neck to her wet lips and licked the wound shut, just like the man had done with him. The thought made him shudder as he kept watching as she sat him against the wall and pressed her palms firmly against the unconscious mans temples and scrunched her eyes up in concentration. Sasuke took another nervous step back and watched as she whispered something that got lost in the rain.
Saukra stepped back into the shadows as the man's eyes snapped open. He got up off the ground with a blank expression before grabbing his briefcase on the floor and walking away. Itachi and Sasuke watched in newly found shock as the man simply got up and left, he didn't even look back at the blood coated woman hiding in the shadows that the alley provided.
As she stepped forward she held up her hands in front of her to show that she meant no harm. Her fangs had disappeared from her mouth and the red was slowly retreating from her face because of the rain. It was only the hardened bits that remained stuck to her face.
It suddenly all made sense now, Sasuke could see it. Her sneaking out so late at night, the blood she threw up, the blood on the towel, the fact she was so secretive, it all clicked together like a jigsaw puzzle. Sasuke felt sick once again as he watched her approach them. He wasn't a scared little kid anymore; he wasn't going to run away, no matter how much she had scared him.
He squared his shoulders and set a deep scowl on his face to hide his horror. Itachi did the same and stood in defense, there was no way they were going to trust her now, not after what they just saw.
Sakura stopped when she noticed the guarded looks and stared at their feet instead, she understood what they felt; she knew how much they mistrusted her now. And Sakura hated it. She was just starting to settle in with everyone, she was starting to feel more human than she'd ever had in her entire life.
Now that was all gone, all that was left was mistrust and disgust; she could see it in their guarded eyes. Sakura regretted being so carless, she'd been so sure that she hadn't been followed yet here they were, after having witnessed something she never wanted anyone to see. They'd seen her at her worst, when the animal inside her had been strongest.
"What are you?" Itachi asked again. His voice was stronger than before and less breathless. Sakura looked up and made eye-to-eye contact, her wide green pools told no lie and he could see the inner debate going on inside her head.
"You… Wouldn't believe me." Sakura hesitated, trying to convince herself other than to two brothers in front of her. Sasuke shifted from foot to foot, the rain was starting to cool down his body and he was sure that he'd have a cold by tomorrow.
"I don't think we should talk out here. We'll head for Itachi's place, it's closer." Sasuke stated, not leaving it open for discussion. Itachi nodded slowly, Taya was staying over but he was sure that she'd already be asleep. Sakura only looked down again as her hands fisted at her sides, trying her best to hide her frustration. They didn't understand! She couldn't 'talk' about this like it was something normal, like getting bad marks in an exam or something. This was serious! She'd just broken the first law of Vampire society! That could be punishable by death for Christ sake! And to add worries to the pile she'd waited to long to erase their memoires, it had been a good twenty minutes! Far to long…
Sasuke moved to the side and made a motion for Sakura to move, there was no way in hell that he was turning his back on that thing. Itachi stayed put, having roughly the same thought as his younger brother. Sakura let out a depressed sigh, deciding to just go along with them. She couldn't hide anymore. She grabbed a small towel from her pocket and removed the remainders of blood that had not trickled down her face yet from the rain. The thunder crashed again as she pasted the Uchiha's and turned left, heading back the way she came.
…!...
Itachi opened the door to his medium sized condo, Sakura was surprised by the size of it actually, she had expected to see something that took up the entire floor or something. The place was simply designed in black and white with the odd colour here and there. The furniture was limited to what Itachi needed, not what he wanted.
It was only around nine o'clock and the sound of the TV was blaring from the next room. Sasuke looked over at his brother with a raised eyebrow.
"Taya's here?" He asked. Itachi simply nodded as the tanned Italian woman walked through the door in nothing but a vest top and pajama bottoms, a scowl firmly in place.
"And where have you been." She asked with irritation and anger lacing her accented voice. Itachi looked at her straight in the eye before answering in a bored tone of voice.
"I had some business to clear up." He answered, peering over at Sakura when he spoke. Sakura gulped and avoided eye contact, instead deciding to look at the only other female in the room. Taya also moved her gaze over to Sakura, a small smile working its way up to her lips.
"Sakura! Hello! My god you're soaking! The rains terrible out there why didn't you get a car?" She exclaimed, all traces of anger gone in the blink of an eye. She grabbed Sakura's wrists and dragged her over to the bathroom. Itachi made a move to take Sakura back, not liking the thought of her being anywhere near Taya. She just ignored him however and pulled Sakura away, saying something about hot showers and dry clothes.
When the bathroom door closed Taya couldn't help but grin at the pink haired girl, it had been ages since she last saw her, about two weeks. Taya really liked Sakura, sure they may have about eight years between them but she didn't care, the girl had an awesome personality!
Sakura was still slightly shell shocked from the events of earlier and couldn't react straight away. When she did however she could help but smile, Taya's warm grin was like a thousand suns smashed into one. Her dark corkscrew curls fell around her face messily as she began combing her finger's through Sakura's pink uneven hair.
"Your hairs gotten pretty long, I'd say we'd be able to cut it soon. I'll make an appointment!" She gushed, loving the thought of all the different styles Sakura's short hair could have. Sakura felt the need to end their little get together in the bathroom, she needed to get dry and there was still the slight problem of the two Uchiha's outside.
Once Taya had gotten some clothes for her and then left to go to her boyfriend Sakura left no time in hanging around. She was in and out of the shower in an instant, getting all the specs of blood that she'd missed off her body and slipped into the Pajama's left for her. Sakura looked in the big mirror on the wall and grumbled to herself. The vest top given to her once again didn't fit, it was baggy around her curve-less form and made her look like a child, the bottoms given to her as well were to big around the waist and fell down slightly, only increasing the childlike appearance.
As Sakura left the bathroom she noticed that the two men she'd come in with had also changed clothes. Itachi had on a plain black T-shirt and a pair of grey joggers, Sasuke had basically the same thing on. Itachi's hair which was usually held back on a low ponytail had been let loose around his shoulders and as he sat, Taya stood over him and made a fuss with towel drying the soaked indigo locks. Sasuke stood against the wall looking at the loud couple; his hair was still drenched and was clinging to his head and face, all traces of cockatoo likeness gone.
Sasuke looked around at the sound of bare feet padding along on the fluffy white carpet. She looked so different from what she had before, the blood and danger had been completely washed off by the shower and now she stood there in clothes that clearly didn't fit her and damp hair that was beginning to fluff up. She looked so childlike and actually, surprisingly cute. He would never admit that out loud of course, but it wasn't like it now meant he had a thing for her, he was simply making an observation.
Sakura felt nervous as she stood in the middle of the room, she could feel Sasuke's strong gaze on her and it wasn't very comforting, she didn't know if it was hostile or friendly. Personally her money was on hostile. As Itachi shooed Taya away to bed in the form of a good night kiss he motioned for them to move into the office in one corner of the house.
As Sakura entered she couldn't help but notice the window on the other side of the room. It had the most amazing view of the city and at night it looked spectacular. The twinkle of car and building lights could be seen through out and created a sea of moving yellows and reds amongst the black. The office itself was more or less the same as the rest of the house. A black sofa was set in the corner with a bookshelf next to it and a desk with the usual other requirements that went along with that were in place.
The white walls were littered with pictures, all photographs; there was one on the end however that caught Sakura's attention. It was one of Taya and Itachi, it was simple enough, they were both in some sort of woodland scene, and there faces were close together as they tried to fit it into the shot. The thing that got Sakura was the expression Itachi had, he had a proper grin in place, showing every one of his pearly white teeth and it was so big that his eyes crinkled. Taya beside him looked to be laughing at something as well. Sakura just simply stared, she would never in a million years picture Itachi smiling like that, heck, the most she'd ever gotten off of him was a smirk. Taya was obviously a good influence on him. With that thought in mind Sakura turned back around and decided that it was time she faced the music.
Itachi and Sasuke took up the couch so Sakura had no choice but turn the office chair around to sit down. Both Uchiha's glared daggers at her, they'd waited long enough for answers and they wanted them now.
"What are you?" Itachi asked yet again. Sakura felt the need to roll her eyes but restrained herself, now wasn't the time for sarcasm.
"I'm part Vampire." She answered simply. Sakura gathered that they'd question her; they witnessed her in the act after all. Itachi nodded his head, taking in the new information with ease. Sasuke on the other hand just sunk into the sofa; his fears had just been confirmed. He didn't want her to be like that man, and now he knew what that man was, something that just shattered the walls he'd built around himself.
Sakura then began to explain everything, not bothering to hold anything back, they'd most likely find out anyway. She told them about the 'old ones', the three laws, her need for blood, everything. Once she was done, both men were sporting confused looks, she didn't blame them, there was probably a lot of thing's they didn't understand.
"Why is it that you needed blood, you never explained that one properly." Itachi asked, feeling slightly less nervous now that he had a better idea at what he was dealing with. Sakura took in a deep breath, ready to explain.
"Vampires can't produce red blood cells so we have to take it from other living things. We can drink animal blood if we wish but it's not very satisfying and doesn't really fit the bill, but it does work. Human blood is the closet to Vampire blood so we drink that." Sakura explained. Itachi's brow didn't lift as he stared at her, still taking everything in stride, she had to give it to him, he had guts. If it were she, she'd probably have gone insane by now. Sasuke on the other hand hadn't said a word yet; he'd just sat there, slumped back in the couch, staring off at the far off wall.
"What about you." Itachi asked again, looking her straight in the eye once more with that confused look again. Sakura frowned at his question, wondering what he could mean.
"What about me?" She asked, frown still in place.
"I mean how did you come to be? How did you come to be genetically?" He explained, frown still in place. Sakura 'oh'ed when she understood, she slumped a little bit into her chair at the remembrance of her parents.
"My mum was human, female vampires can't carry children because their ovaries don't work after they are transformed. My dad was a vampire though, his organs worked fine because his body doesn't go through changes every month. It works the same as normal fertilization of the sex cells." Sakura explained. Her dad had explained this to her years ago when she'd asked. He'd said the exact same thing as she'd said now, only a little different. Itachi nodded, he was intrigued, the topic of vampires of all things was much more interesting than he would have once believed, he'd even gotten side tracked at what his original mission was, or the fact that he'd caught this girl sucking the life out of some guy a few hours ago.
"What was that thing you were doing to that man before he stood up?" He then asked. He noticed how both Sasuke and Sakura flinched slightly at the mention of it. It also proved that Sasuke was in fact paying attention and not just thinking of his own experiences.
"Uh… It was this sort of telepathic trick I guess. It's something I use to wipe their memories so they don't remember anything. It's like I sort of touch my mind with theirs through contact and I can just sort of flick through and choose I guess." She explained, using her hands to explain. Itachi nodded, eyes wide, he hadn't expected that answer. He was the sort of person that believed magic and mindreading was a lode of crap.
"Can other vampires do that or is it just you?" He asked, eager to find out more. Sakura nodded her head slowly before answering.
"Yes. Their much more powerful though. They can do all sorts like mind read, place their thoughts into your head, erase memories and add them. Also they don't need to touch you like I do, they just need to have a good view of you." Sakura answered. Sasuke stiffened, remembering how that man had spoke to him in his mind, making him think he had gone insane. Sasuke couldn't take it anymore, he had to ask, he had to know, he had to hear the answers to his own questions.
"You spoke of the three laws? What would happen if a human found out? Like lets say a vampire attacked someone but didn't bother erasing their memories because someone was coming? What would happen then?" Sasuke asked, his voice serious and low, his slumped back now straight as he lent forward. Sakura blinked, wondering where the hell that came from. He looked so serious; in fact he was even glaring at her without him even realizing it.
"Someone would catch wind of it and they'd report it to the 'old ones', he'd then be hunted down and killed. Breaking the law is punishable by death." Sakura answered in mild confusion, a small frown knitting her brow together. Itachi's eyes widened, she couldn't be serious? Death? But that would mean…
"What will happen to you now?" Itachi asked in a low voice remembering the first law perfectly, 'you must never reveal the existence of vampires'. Sakura looked over at Itachi, closely followed by Sasuke.
"What do you mean Itachi?" Sasuke asked in a rather irritated voice, he did not like being interrupted.
"We know about her, the existence of vampires. Remember what she said rule number one was?" Itachi questioned his brother in a matter of fact way. Sasuke's eyes widened a fraction, not enough for any normal person to notice, but Itachi noticed, he'd known him to long not to notice, he could tell that he didn't want Sakura to be killed, and not just because he'd loose out on the contract.
"Geeze, don't worry so much you two." Sakura grinned trying to dissolve the tension. The two men just looked at her, Sakura didn't like that at all, it was like they couldn't decide whether to fear her or worry for her!
"How could I not worry Sakura? I'm not exactly cheering for your death here." Itachi pointed out. His voice never left inside volume. Sakura just snorted and lent back, playing it cool, she hated people pitying her. Her pride wouldn't allow it!
"Their already after my head anyway. It's not like they want little mutants running around. Ever wondered why I was on the streets?" She asked, gathering they both knew what she meant. The only reason why she moved around so much was because it was the only way to stay completely off the radar. Sakura could literally see the light bulb going off above their heads as it sunk in, she would have laughed if the atmosphere wasn't so tense.
"Plus it would also help if you kept your traps shut about earlier too. I would have swiped your memories by now but the memory gap was too big." She answered off handedly, her personality leaking through the tense atmosphere. Sasuke looked her over, wondering how she could be so calm about this! She'd just admitted to being on some vampire hit list for god sake! This girl truly had no fears…
Sasuke moved a damp strand of indigo hair from his eyes as he studied Sakura, he just couldn't understand what went through that head of hers. One minute she's a drug addict and the next she's a bloody creature of the night! Speaking of which, he'd been meaning to ask about that.
"What happened when you came back high? I imagine that you didn't actually take anything?" Sasuke said, raising an eyebrow. Sakura began to fidget before giving him a nervous smile.
"Funny thing actually. You see there was this guy that had been incredibly drunk and high and since I wasn't really paying much attention I didn't really notice his condition and by the time I noticed it was already too late. Plus vampires don't mix well with that stuff." She finished, chuckling nervously as Sasuke huffed.
Itachi looked at the clock on the wall next to one of the many pictures displayed and noticed the time. His eyebrows shot up into his hairline, it was half eleven! He hadn't even noticed time moving by that fast, he'd been so engrossed and eager for new information that he hadn't noticed the time. He got up off his seat and headed for the door before turning at the doorway.
"I think we should stop for now. You can both stay the night; the rain is still pretty bad out there. I'll show you the guest rooms Sakura. Sasuke you already know where to go so good night." He stated. As they both stood up Sasuke watched Sakura with a brand new light. He'd never guessed that picking up some girl from the street could become so complicated, and he knew there was still more to come, he just didn't know if it was good or bad yet…
...!...
okay! thanks for reading! And i got one question, did the flash back work? It's the first proper one i've done so the whole lay out's probably mucked up :L Anyways please review cause then i tend to write faster and it makes me HAAAAAPPY! SO HAPPY IN FACT THAT I PRACTICALLY KISS THE SCREEN EVERY TIME! And guess what? Someone a couple of chapters ago had sent a review that actually made my jaw drop! They'd guessed the fecking plot line! the name of that person has left me (sorry) but by god! i got the fright of my life! I didn't even think i'd made it that obvious! But apparently not... oh well! bye bye!