A/N: Oh my gosh! Phew! I'm done! Hoorah!

Okay before I really say anything, I just wanna thank you guys for the wonderful reviews from my last chapter. I really want to thank you guys because I was extremely worried about my smex scene. I'm not too good with scenes like that and I'm so relieved to know that you guys liked it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

As mentioned before, this is the chapter where the Akatsuki will come in. What will happen to our two favorite Uchihas now that they have finally found together and are forever together in an ancient vampire tradition?

I do NOT OWN ANY of the Naruto characters, nor do I own the story. I wish I did but unfortunately now. Besides at the moment, I wanna know what else Kishimoto has up his sleeve. Thank you again for the awesome reviews from last chapter and throughout the entire story. They really motivate me to write and I hope you all understand the depths of my gratitude for everyone. Thank you and enjoy!

Ch. 30: This is My Home

When Itachi woke up, it was to the light and the warmth of the sun shining through the leaves of the willow tree. The warmth was faint and the light was blinding on his eye lids. The only reason why the warmth did not compare to the light was because he already feels the warmth inside and he has something curled up against his chest.

Reluctantly but willingly, the older Uchiha wakes up from his peaceful and blissful sleep to see raven black spiky locks spread through the shades of grass like black rivers in a green forest. Looking down, he sees the source of those black rivers. His angel, his god, his love, his mate. Resting comfortably in his older brother's arms, Sasuke still lays asleep with a calm, serene look on his face. It's nice to see him look so relaxed and so at peace. It brings a sense of Itachi's own peace when he sees his little brother like this. After all the pain, all of the stress, the events of last night run through Itachi's mind and for one moment, things feel as though everything is going to be alright from now on. He's finally mated with his true love. Neither him nor Sasuke will ever spend another dark and lonely day apart.

'Sasuke…'

They are one.

Smiling down at the boy in his arms, Itachi moves one hand up to his little brother's face to move aside the few strands of hair that dare to hid Sasuke's perfect.

"Are you going to stare at me all day or what?"

But right when he was about to, Sasuke surprises Itachi with his question. Next the older vampire is meet with black onyx eyes opening and then looking at his own without a sense of drowsiness in them. It sure takes Itachi off guard to see those eyes staring deep within him as if looking at his very soul. But he still smiles at the boy and continues his attempt at moving those strands of hair away.

"I forgot. You're the earlier riser."

"No," Sasuke tells him. "Surprisingly, you woke up before me. I'm just a light sleeper, unlike someone."

Unlike someone? That's a laugh.

Chuckling, Itachi strokes Sasuke's soft cheek, having a secret desire to bite and kiss it, and he comments, "You're so cute."

The boy blushes when he heard that. He would argue that he's not, when really he is, but there's something else on his mind. "You being here…" avoiding looking at Itachi's eyes, he looks down at his chest and uses his fingers between them to gently smoother around in circles as he mumbles, "…it means what happened last night really happened. Or maybe, I'm still dreaming and you won't be here when I wake up."

Not this again. How many times does Itachi have to try and convince this boy that he's right here and he's never going to leave him again? In a way, it would have annoyed him but Itachi understands why his brother would still think that.

"Sasuke, what happened last night, it was real. Every single bit of it." Using his hand to make the younger prince look up at him, he uses that same hand to trace the bite marks on his own neck that are still visibly there like a scar that will never fade. "This mark you left on me is proof of it, as much as this mark I've left on you." He then traces the mark on Sasuke's own neck to prove his point.

The young prince still looks skeptical but he wants to believe it. Here he is, naked with the vampire he's been in love with for his whole life and nothing but his shirt to cover them up. How can he not believe this? Then when he looks into Itachi's eyes, all he could see is true, sincere love. No deceit and no anger.

"You really love me then?" Sasuke asks, and hopefully for the last time.

Moving his fingers from his neck, Itachi's presses his palm against his love's cheek and whispers to him in a low and gentle voice, "Yes, I do. You know I don't like to repeat myself."

"Well then deal with it. Repeat yourself anyway."

Why must this boy be so difficult?

"I…don't hate you."

To Sasuke, moment ruined. He turns away from Itachi's hand as he says, "That's not the same."

"But it's what you need to hear." Grasping his chin to turn him back into sight, Sasuke still refuses to look at Itachi in the eye, even though the older prince can tell that his words hit home. "I can tell you still believe that I have every right to hate you and maybe, I should agree to that. But I can't. I just don't feel it. I feel something else entirely. I love you, Sasuke. I am unconditionally and inexorably in love with you. My beautiful, foolish otouto." Then he moves in and plants a firm, chaste on Sasuke's lips. It didn't take too long for the vampire prince to respond, feeling every bit of emotion his older brother is putting into it. He returns the favor and it leaves him utterly breathless. Sasuke pants with slightly flushed cheeks when the kiss ended and his cheek is back to being held by Itachi's hand. Now looking at each other eye to eye, Itachi tells him, "We cannot forget the past, even if we want to. But we can heal what's been broken. Being with you can heal my scars and I want to heal yours. Will you let me?"

At this moment, there should no longer be any doubt. Even if there was, they can't turn back now. Itachi ruined Sasuke for anyone else to have, literally. And Itachi cannot claim anyone else for his entire being belongs to his little brother, as he belongs to him. Touching the mark on his shoulder, the flesh still sensitive to the touch by the rough but blissful pleasure bite, the younger prince appears to be in thought. Itachi still lays there beside him, waiting for his response. He already said it once but he will say it again. He's already waited twenty years for Sasuke. He can wait just a little longer because he knows how fast this is, for both of them.

Sighing in defeat, Sasuke says, "I have no choice. This mark won't let me do anything else anyways." Then his lips curl up into a small shy smile causing nothing but pure adoration to appear in Itachi's eyes for him.

"Thank goodness for that then."

Then they lock lips together again in a hot and passionate kiss. Sasuke giggles in the kiss before grasping Itachi's face to pull him closer and melt under that hot skillful mouth. Holding the younger prince close, Itachi licks the bottom lip to ask permission to enter and Sasuke didn't object in the least. Tilting his head to a better angel, Sasuke's hands move to wrap around his older brother's waste and Itachi is in a better position to taste his little brother's mouth and drink him up like a parched man in an oasis. Then when they broke for air, they didn't stop. As Itachi kisses his little mate's face upwards, Sasuke kisses him downwards – till they're both just holding each other in a loving embrace. Sasuke snuggled up against the older vampire's chest and Itachi's chin pressed on top of the younger prince's head.

Nothing can destroy this moment. Nothing.

Except one thing.

All of a sudden, both princes smell something. Something that only their highly sensitive noses can detect. It smells like dirt, sulfur, charcoal, and something that reminds them of saltpeter.

"Aniki," Sasuke calls, pulling slightly away to make sure what he's smelling is what he's smelling. "Do you…smell that?"

Itachi pulls away as well as he answers, "Yes." To him, this scent smells so familiar. Right now it's faint but before, he distinctly remembers smelling a large amount of this once…as a human…

Then it all clicks. 'Hold on! I know this scent.' The last time he smelled this combination was whenever he was with Deidara of the Akatsuki! When he was making his bombs or when he was just nearby, he would always smell like dirt and gunpowder.

Sasuke must have recognize the scent as well from his one brief encounter with the bomber before he instantly orders, "Pass me the rest of my clothes, quick!"

Without hesitation, Itachi shot up into a sitting position and easily locates the rest of his little brother's clothing. "Here," he says after grabbing the pants and the belt rope to pass to him.

Though the minute Sasuke sits up, in a rather fast pace, pain shots throughout his body from his butt up. "Oh fuck, ow…" he cringes. Itachi had already found the rest of his clothes and was just about to put his pants on first when he heard his beloved crying out like that.

"Are you alright?" he asks.

But all he gets is a snappy response, "Hell fucking no. I feakin hurt!" Was Itachi a little too hard last night? "But…it's worth it, right?"

But geez this boy. And yet with him looking so defenseless with those ingenuous eyes and those soft lips that almost look like a pout, his forehead looking just as attractive, how can Itachi do anything but smile at the droll, coy boy and poke his forehead. "Yes." Then he leans in to kiss those soft lips one more time. "Now hurry. You need to go to Naruto and protect him."

"And leave you here?" Sasuke asks, having slipped on his white shirt and is now hastily putting his pants on. Itachi already has his pants on and is sliding his shirt on over his head. With their vampire speed, changing is taking only five seconds.

As he's trying his hair back into his usual low ponytail, Itachi responds to his little brother, "I'm not the same person I was when I first got here. I can take care of it. Can't you have just a little bit of faith in me? Besides," Using his hand to grasp Sasuke's chin, the boy is on his last tie with his belt as he looks into those complacent eyes of his with an amusing smirk to top it all off, "I fought with you twice and I won, didn't I?"

"Pfft," he responds. Sasuke slaps that hand away so he could grab his sword and put it in its proper place behind him as he says, "Don't get cocky just because you got lucky." Lucky? Itachi defeated him in front of the whole kingdom and he tricked him last night, did he not? But Itachi still has a point. Sighing, Sasuke gives in reluctantly. "Fine. You better be safe or it's definitely gonna be me kicking your ass."

Itachi had to chuckle when he heard that. Touching his little brother's face one more time, Itachi leans in closer and Sasuke can literally taste the words being spoken from his mouth when he says, "I have no doubt about that." Then they kiss again in a hot, passionate lip lock. Sasuke moans submissively into the kiss as his hands grasp Itachi's shoulders to keep him close and deepen the kiss. Though by the feel of the kiss, the older prince can tell what his little brother is thinking. He may say some snappy things but the truth is he's uneasy about Itachi facing one of the members of the Akatsuki by himself – a member of an organization he was once in and according to them, still in. He's uneasy because he might lose him again.

Having to unwillingly break the kiss, Itachi pulls away from his love and tells him honestly and seriously, "Now go."

Sasuke nods and stares at him for a little bit longer before turning away and using his speed to hastily run into the castle and not be seen by the human eye. Itachi watches him go. Even though he sounded confident and so sure of himself in front of his love, he's uneasy as well as to what is to come. After all, the Akatsuki were up to toll with the Kaguya clan but after being a part of their organization for many years, Itachi knows exactly what they're capable of. Something that his little brother can't just take an evening stroll through. With Deidara, it shouldn't be a problem. He's strong, yes; but the Uchiha is much stronger. Except if the bomber is with another member, or even the rest of them, then there is a serious problem. Itachi is really hoping that this isn't the last time he gets to see his beloved. They just found each other, after all.

With Sasuke gone and out of danger, Itachi casually walks out of the protection of the garden and into the open. The morning is still young and the air is still cool. The sun has yet to regain its warm heat but it's still bright enough to wake everyone else in the castle for the start of their new day. Let's just hope that it'll still be a peaceful start.

'Now Deidara, where are you?' the older prince wonders as he merely looks as if he's just walking through the garden. He doesn't have Karin's ability so he can't pinpoint exactly where the blonde is.

Snap

But at least he can hear where he might be hiding.

That tactic should be useless. Deidara should know that if he makes an irresponsible move like that, he wouldn't have survived as long as he has. Which means one thing. He wants Itachi to know that he's here.

Itachi had already stopped when he heard the snap noise. Taking a moment to regain back his usual facade he would usually have with the Akatsuki, Itachi voices out, "Deidara, I know you're there."

Then he hears rushing footsteps coming their way from the garden wall ten meters away to Itachi. Casually, he turns around to face the Akatsuki bomber but what he didn't expect was Deidara's hug as soon as he turned completely around. It wasn't the hug that surprised him. It was the fact that Itachi could only feel one arm around his body when the shorter man reached him. Observing the rest of the body, he sees that Deidara is missing an arm. When did that…

"Oh Itachi!" the blonde cries off, softly. He pulls away to better face his, what he hopes isn't, former Akatsuki member and Itachi can clearly see the relief on his face on seeing him. "Thank goodness you're alright, un! You're still alive, un. But are you…?"

He doesn't need to finish that question. Itachi already knows the rest of it.

Regaining his composure after the small shock, Itachi nods to the blonde's unspoken question. "Yes. They turned me. But, what happened to your arm?"

"Your bastard of a brother cut my arm off but that doesn't matter right now, un. Come with me, hurry, un!" He grabs one of Itachi's hands and tries to pull him to the wall so they can leave as quickly as they can before anyone else sees them or tries to stop them. "If I shield you from the sunlight once we get past the gate, you won't get burned, un. We'll take you to Sasori and he'll turn you back into a human, un!"

But when they can move only a few steps away from where they previously stood, Itachi yanks his hand away from Deidara's grip. The long hair blonde did not expect that to happen. Turning around to face the vampire, it didn't surprise him too much to see blank yet serious satin eyes look right at him and through his very soul. "I told you, Diedara. I can never become a human again if I'm turned by another vampire. The formula Sasori made for me can only be used once." That surprises the long haired blonde but no way is he giving up on him that easily.

"But come with me still, un! Sasori's smart. He'll think of something to help you regain your humanity back. I'm sure of it, un!"

"It was already a challenge for him to turn me what could be considered human, but I was born a vampire. A vampire is what I am and the moment I set foot into Akatsuki, I'll be killed on the spot. It's too late for me, Deidara."

Now the bomber is in shock. Feeling the irritation rising in his veins, he yells at the Uchiha, but not too loud for any of the castle subjects to hear him, "I can't believe what I'm hearing from you, un! Itachi, you can't give up! Even if you think you'll be killed, I know you're still the same vampire hunter we worked with since this organization started! They can't kill you just because you're a vampire now, un. We're a family and we look out for each other, even when it looks like we don't sometimes!"

"But I'm not the same anymore, Deidara." Now, the blonde is speechless. When Itachi said that to him, he heard something in the guy's voice. It almost sounded like he added emotion into his voice. Something that Deidara had never heard before in the once love doll's voice. "I'm not the same vampire hunter you used to know. I've changed."

"Wh…What are you saying, un?"

"I'm saying that I'm not going back to the Akatsuki. I'm staying here because this is my home."

This can't be happening. This cannot be happening!

"Your home? Itachi, do you even hear the words that are coming out of your mouth? Realize what you're saying, un! This was the place you left twenty years ago! The hell you left behind after they killed your love! Or have you forgotten about him?"

Of course Itachi hasn't forgotten about him. It was the memory of Shisui that tortured him all these years but it also brought him back to Sasuke. He's here now because of Shisui. He mated with Sasuke because of him, and he's standing before Deidara because of Shisui.

"I can never forget about Shisui, or the love I had for him. Nor will I, but I've realized now that avenging his death isn't going to bring me any peace or bring him back. It's only going to cause me more misery. I'm tired, Deidara. I'm not going back, and I'm not going to allow anyone to hurt the people I care about."

Deidara is refusing to believe all of this. No matter what words are being spoken to him, he's not going to take 'no' for an answer. Itachi must not be right in the head. The vampires must have brain washed him or something. He has heard that if someone is turned into a vampire, then they become loyal servants to the vampire who bite him, or something like that. That must be what's happening to Itachi now! It's only been a few days since he's been turned right? Plenty of time for them to tie their strings around him but not enough to trust him with his own decisions.

"This isn't you talking, un," the blonde persists. Grabbing Itachi's hand again, he says strongly and sternly, "Listen to me, Itachi! These people don't care about you. They're blood-sucking monsters with no compassion for any human life at all! You are not like that. You were never like that! Born vampire or not, you are nothing like them!"

Then just like before, Itachi yanks his hand away from the blonde's grip. This shocks Deidara even more because compared to the last time when he did that, he didn't yank it away with such force like he did now. Almost like what the blonde just said to him greatly insulted him. "You don't know them. So stop acting like you do!" Or at least to his 'new' family. The blonde is frozen where he stands while Itachi takes the moment to regain his composure. He didn't intend to raise his voice like that but it just happened. Even that's not a valid excuse. "Deidara, I am going to ask you nicely to leave this castle. Go back to the Akatsuki and to Sasori. He's probably worried sick about you. You may not believe that but he does. Go to him and don't ever come back. Because I will not hesitate to do what is needed to protect my family."

Then he turns around to leave. If Deidara is smart, he would take the vampire's offer and leave while he still has the chance. However watching him walking away, Deidara didn't like it with each step he took. He didn't like it because it felt like Itachi abandoned him. Abandoned everyone else and is being controlled by those blood thirsty monsters.

Just like someone who was once very precious to him long ago…

His…

"Itachi!" Deidara calls, trying to bring him back. But the long hair brunette doesn't even flinch when he called for him at the top of his lungs. He just keeps walking back to the castle. Deidara's bottom lip quivered until he bursts out, saying, "Itachi, if you don't come with me right now, I'll blow up the sun protection barrier!"

That stopped the vampire prince definitely.

Turning around to see for certain if Deidara was serious in what he just said. But seeing his angry tears peaking at his azure eyes, he most certainly is not kidding.

"Leader told me about this your family's little sun protection barrier and how it's generated from the surrounding wall. Do you remember my C4 bombs?" Itachi's eyes widen when he heard that. He remembers. "I've already scattered them all around this place. They can't get through your barrier but at least it can still destroy it. Even if the wall regenerates the barrier, it'll be enough time to turn everyone you care about to a burnt crisp before it could. Even if I'm killed right now to stop those bombs from going off, the Akatsuki will be here in three days – according to plan. I want you to make your choice, Itachi. Either come with me or stay here and die like the rest of these vermin vampires."

There becomes silence between them after that. Deidara's C4 bombs are microscopic. They are invisible to be seen by the human or vampire eye. Very effective to use for large armies and also very risky to use in danger that he might kill his own comrades in the process, but nonetheless very powerful. However, they take a lot of time and effort to make. Deidara must have used the three days until now to make them. Even if one hand, that's very impressive. But beside the point, how is Itachi supposed to find his way around this? If he agrees to go back to the Akatsuki, then everyone will be safe but he'll be considered a traitor again and he just mated with his younger brother. Who knows how Sasuke will take that and Itachi knows for sure that it would kill him to be apart from his love again. But if he refuses, then everyone will die, including the rest of the vampire race if Naruto is caught in the middle of the cross fire. If Itachi kills Deidara, then he can save everyone, he won't be a traitor, but can he kill someone who he has come to known during his twenty years with Akatsuki? Someone who also has become very precious to someone else? Is he willing to be responsible for the death of someone else's loved one? That would make him no better than the despicable creatures who do that out of the joy of seeing other people's pain?

That is definitely not what he's like.

But, there could be one other way.

As much as it secret kills him inside, he has no other choice in the matter.

Regaining his composure again, Itachi relaxes his features to revert back to his emotionless doll expression but this time with vampire red eyes staring right into Deidara, piercing the hunter's soul with surprise and fear.

"I suppose there's only one option left then." Then he suddenly disappears and the next second, Deidara senses his presence behind him – a dark and dangerous presence that sends shivers ten times colder than ice down his spin. "Forgive me, Deidara."

Quickly before the long haired vampire prince could do anything to him, Deidara swiftly turns around, hoping to dodge whatever kind of attack Itachi plans to do. But when he turns around to face him, there is nothing – as if Itachi was never there in the first place. Confusion appears on his girly face as he frantically looks around in front of him to see where Itachi has gone but there is nothing.

Then before he could blink, an arm wraps around his waist, a hand grabs the side of his head and pulls it down, and then two sharp fangs find his neck and pierce right through his fragile skin. The instant he bite him, Deidara screams from the sharpness of the fangs and the extreme pain he felt that very second. Quickly to make sure that no one else will hear him, Itachi covers Deidara's mouth and uses every amount of his will power to only suck a little bit of his blood for the turning to be complete.

He can't just bite the blonde and watch from the sidelines as he screams to the world in his agony while the vampire venom spreads through his veins.

But in all honesty, Itachi didn't expect Deidara's blood to be so filthy. He could taste the gunpowder and the heavy amounts of iron in the blood. If Deidara really did spread the C4 bombs all over the barrier than he risked inhaling his own bombs when he entered through it. Drinking his blood would put Itachi in risk of the C4 bombs entering his own body as well. But at least this way, it would be a lot better than the entire castle being exposed to it and once Itachi has Deidara under his control, he could disable the bombs or use the three days the blonde would need for a full transformation for Sasuke to disable them. Him or Kakashi, as long as it's a lightning user.

Deidara's screams are muffled by Itachi's hand. He tried to use his one hand to remove that hand and get away from the vampire prince but the more blood he loses, the harder it becomes to do so. If only he could hear the thoughts running through Itachi's head right now, he would hear how sorry the prince really feels about doing this and how much he hopes that the blonde would understand and forgive him for doing this.

But it must be done. To protect everyone and to make sure that another person does not weep or mourn for a loved one's death, Itachi needs to have Deidara under his control. Even if that means turning Deidara into the one thing he hates most in all the world.

Several minutes passed and Deidara's muffled screaming grows quieter. He's starting to become too weak to stay conscious any longer, and that's a good thing. At least then he won't be awake to full feel the pain of the vampire transformation. Not wanting to risk his comrade dying of blood loss, because similar to him the blonde is in all honesty too stubborn to allow unconsciousness to overcome his senses, Itachi retracts his fangs from Deidara's neck and releases him. As the blonde drops to the floor in his weakness, there is blood smudged on Itachi's lips and blood trails running down the corner of his mouth and to his chin. His eyes are still burning red but not with hunger. Only from the side effects of allowing the animal inside of him to follow its instincts and protect his family. He watches as Deidara now lies on the floor, twitching and tensing as if he were having a seizure – his teeth clench together in a tight grip that keeps his screaming inside. That's good but his wound is still bleeding.

"Deidara." Itachi kneels down to the blonde's side and he tries to speak to him, "Listen to me. This pain will not last. You need to stay relax and deal with this as best as you can. You will survive. Just remain calm."

He wanted to comfort the man as much as he could. Even though the guilt is eating away at him for doing such a thing to a guy who tried to protect him and held him when he revealed his inner feelings, Itachi must not lose faith. Not now.

He leans over to the blonde's neck to lick away the blood and seal the wound with his saliva but before he could, he feels this great force at the back of his head. Something he did not expect that instantly plunged him into the world of darkness. As he collapses on the blonde's body unconscious, a dark figure looms over him – glaring from his one red eye nothing but pure hatred and disgust.

"Now you finally get exactly what you deserve, you murdering scum."

I'm pretty sure you guys know who just knocked Itachi out but now what's going to happened? Deidara is turning into a vampire and apparently Itachi is going to get 'exactly what he deserves'.

Dun, dun, DUN!

But how was it? Bad? Good? Too corny? Let me know! See ya!