A/N: Hello guys. Okay this chapter is seriously taking me way too long and it's getting really long! I know you guys deserve a long chapter for the long wait I'm making you all suffer through but I don't want to shove everything into one chapter. So again, I'm splitting it and you're probably going to yell at me when you finish the chapter. Trust me, you will.
I do NOT OWN ANY of the Naruto characters or the story itself. If I did, I would write it similar to how I'm writing WWYDN,S. But Kishimoto is finally granting my wish so I'll be patient with him just a little bit longer to see what he has up his sleeve. Thank you all for your patience and your awesome support. I wouldn't be writing if it weren't for readers like you. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I swear to higher heaven that I will finish with part two before the month is out. Now then, enjoy!
Ch. 34: The War Meeting Pt 1
The gathering of the Vampire Council and the royals is very similar to when Itachi was trialed. Everyone is in a dark room with a circle of candles in the middle and Itachi standing in the center of that circle, not chained. All eyes are on him and an air of deadly seriousness lingers in the air. Everyone's tensed. Even someone as dense as Naruto could feel the tension of everyone in the room right now. When it comes to vampires and war, it's in their nature to give into the beast inside of them and protect what's important. But it's actually making Naruto really nervous and scared right now. He stands extra close to his protector in case someone decides to just leap out and attack someone randomly. Sasuke, besides standing next to the blonde, stands near his parents who are once again sitting on their throne chairs or standing next to it. Despite the fact that Itachi now knows that he lied to him about the engagement with Sakura, he feels the undeniable need to stand next to his mate and support him. But he knows nothing of what is to come. Itachi does and that's why he's the main attraction again.
Suigetsu, Karin, Juugo, Kimimaro, Sakura, and Hinata are not here, mostly to the fact that they are no commander of any army and that they have no business to be here. They're just residences of the castle and will soon hear the news after the war meeting. As Mikoto mentioned before, Kakashi is there in the meeting as well but he stands at the far back of the room so he wouldn't be anywhere near the vampire princes. If he could, he wouldn't even be here right now but he has to be here to inform his soldiers of what they must do to protect this kingdom. If he also works this into his benefit, he might hear a clue on who killed his mate with poison and finally obtain his revenge.
"Let us begin the meeting, shall we?" Madara asks the council. At the sound of his even voice, full of authority and at just the right volume for everyone to hear, the council becomes as silent as the grave. "My son."
Nodding at his cue, Itachi gets down on one knee and bows before his king. "I, Uchiha Itachi, have come before you with information regarding the safety of this kingdom and the survival of our very race."
If the room couldn't get any more thicker with anxiety and stress, it just did. Naruto can hardly breathe with how everyone just feels so dangerous and so domineering of their home. He feels as insignificant in this environment as a child. He knows the boundaries of a mated vampire but he grips the sleeve of Sasuke's shirt just to stable himself and remind him that his protector won't let anything happen to him. The younger prince can feel the blonde's uneasiness but he too is feeling the effects of this room. Now his inner-self is screaming for him to be by Itachi's side to support him and protect him.
But he knows that he can't.
The king commands, "Rise and speak."
Itachi does as he's told and before the entire vampire council he says, "In three days, the entire Akatsuki organization will come here and attack this castle. Their objective is to kill our Kyuubi no Jinchuriki and wipe out the entire vampire race. My mission was to kill the Kyuubi's host with my own hands, yes, however, I had a side-mission. If I was to ever be captured, then I was to act as a spy and learn the weaknesses of this kingdom – so that when they come, they can finish you."
The instant he said that, the vampire council goes into an uproar. They knew that when the King announced a war meeting, the given assumption is that someone is threatening their race. Someone powerful but to actually hear that the entire organization Akatsuki is coming, vampire hunters who are powerful enough in just pairs, that is something to start panicking and throwing a fit about. The king and queen try to stay perfectly calm while the rest of the council begin to mumble in fast speaking pace of the true dangers of what is to come to their peaceful living kingdom. Naruto and Sasuke try to remain calm as well but compared to the king and queen, they are the least successful. Naruto feels the pressure of everyone around him and no matter how many times Sasuke hears this news, he still has to remind himself over and over again that his brother's words are the facts he's declaring. Not his own personal feelings.
One vampire yells out, "Prince Itachi, rather you were human or not, you knew killing our god would result in you dying as well!"
Calmly, he replies, "I was prepared for such a risk." And, he even hoped for it back then. It kills Sasuke just to hear those words again.
Another one yells, "You may not care about your own life but had you no care or thought about your own family? We have no idea why you left us all those years ago, but what could be so terrible that you would turn your back on your own kind and bring this calamity upon us? What vampire would abandon their own coven?"
Not a speck of emotion appears on Itachi's face when he was asked that. But for Sasuke, he grips his fists into tight balls. Naruto notices his protector's own tension and he places a hand on his shoulder but not even that soothes Sasuke's unsettling heart – not when everyone around them is acting like this.
"My reasons for leaving are not of importance right now. What does is that I am here now, providing you the information you desire and willing to fight against the Akatsuki to protect my coven." Hearing those words silences the council. It's a relief for them to hear those words because now they have the advantage. Itachi is one of the most talented fighters they know and he has the information. Instead of the Akatsuki knowing their weaknesses, the vampires will know theirs.
Though just because they think they can rest easily, Kakashi still stares at the vampire prince with distrust and distaste.
"I do have one condition, however," Itachi quickly adds. Kakashi wasn't the least bit surprised to hear that while the others. Madara is the only one who remains calm but also confused. Everyone else is taken back and confused.
Madara asks his son, "Which is?"
"My condition is you do not kill any of them."
And once again, the vampire council goes into an uproar but louder and a bit fierce. Naruto and Itachi's family, including Madara who is still trying to look serious, have great concern and puzzlement in their eyes. They know that Itachi has never been one to like violence or war. He only fights in self-defense and he always tries to end the fight quickly. That's one of the reasons why he probably made this condition but that's not what his family is truly worried about. What they're worried about are the vampires around him who are appalled by Itachi's words.
"Spare them? Have you gone mad?"
"They're hunters who kill our kind! If we don't kill them, we become the prey!"
Itachi tries to tell them, "These people are not the merciless killers you believe for them to be. I have spent twenty years with these humans and they are of no difference from the humans who live and work here, or us."
"So we should just offer them the chance of surrendering and starting anew, regardless of the crimes they've committed? You were a different matter because you whored your body to the bloodthirsty vermin. But these hunters…"
"They kill hundreds of our kind every time, innocent or criminal!"
"One of the Akatsuki members kills children through puppetry. Children!"
"And how many vampire villages have they destroyed in a single night?"
Each one keeps going on and on and every second, it's getting worst. Really, they shouldn't be asking these things as if he doesn't know. He does know, and he knows the terrible deeds the Akatsuki has done. But he knows how each member personally and if he bite Deidara to spare his life and not spare the others, like Sasori for example, not only will Deidara ever forgive him(if he forgives Itachi for suddenly turning him into a vampire) but Itachi will never forgive himself either.
The uproar starts to get worst.
"You are not on our side! You came here as a hunter and you stand before us as a hunter still!"
"How dare you try to reason with us of letting these monsters breathe the second they step foot on our land!"
"We should have killed you the day we captured you!"
Now things are really starting to get bad. If vampire hearts could beat, at least four will be pounding a thousand miles per hour right now. If something isn't done soon, then every vampire here will tear Itachi apart.
"What was our god thinking letting you live?"
"Forget the Kyuubi's desires, your life ends now!"
Too late.
Itachi turns around towards that voice just in time to see that one particular vampire riding through the air; only a few feet away from him with eyes bloody red, extended fangs, and razor sharp claws. Itachi doesn't have enough time to react to protect himself. Not even Sasuke's lightning speed or Madara's speed will be fast enough to stop him in time. But something much faster than the both of them moves through the crowd and the fire of every candle blows out.
Spluch
As the candles regain their light, having temporary lost their fire and have mysteriously regained it back, it reveals something no one in this room would ever expected to see. Not even Itachi who's standing right next to it and blood splattered on his face and some bit on his clothes. Before the entire vampire council and the vampire royals, Naruto stands a little ways behind the vampire that charged at Itachi but there is a big difference about that vampire. He doesn't have a head anymore. The body is headless and Naruto's claw is covered in that vampire's blood with a wide sinister smirk on his face.
Before the body collapses to the ground, the skin on his body begins to flake. It starts off with one and then ten, sixty, two hundred, and by the time the body hits the floor, there is no body left. Only ash and the vampire's clothes. When a vampire dies, it's dependant on the age of the vampire rather the body will burst into nothing but blood or just turn into ash and blow away in the wind.
All eyes stay on the vampire's body from the time it collapsed to just staring a long and shocking moment at the pile of ash. Then there is a chuckle.
"Such an annoying vampire."
Looking up at the voice, everyone is now staring at Naruto as he lowers his bloodied claw, brings it to his mouth, and licks a small bit of the blood off his hand. When everyone sees his face, he still has that sinister smirk but now he also has bright blood-ruby red, his pupils vertical and skinny like a cat's, his teeth extended, and the whisker marks on his face has distinguished more to stand out on his face. Looking at his face, seeing his expression, seeing his eyes, and hearing his voice, the observation is obvious. That is not Naruto.
"Is this how the vampire council acts nowadays? What a bunch of cowardly fools."
No one could say anything and no one could even move. They know that Naruto - the friendly, optimistic airhead that they know; would never take a vampire's life like that. He has a hard time ordering them around for goodness sakes! But will use it if he absolutely needs to. Why would he want to kill them? He doesn't. The person who just killed that vampire in cold blood without a speck of remorse in him is…
"Kyuubi-sama?" Itachi calls, voicing out everyone's thoughts. Tilting his head up with the smirk still on and a satisfied glint in his eyes, that's Kyuubi's only answer for a 'yes'.
'Naruto!' Sasuke is suddenly really worried when he sees that face. Never has he seen Naruto allow the vampire god to take over his body. Only appear as some giant demonic fox head. Now that it's come to this, does that mean that Naruto is gone?
Then the young vampire prince hears movement. Turning to the side, he sees his father off his throne and both him and his mother are kneeling to the ground in the same position Itachi was in when he presented himself. The king and queen are bowing! That means everyone else needs to do so as well, for the sake of showing respect to their god. So they did. Every vampire council member and Kakashi gets down on one knee and bows before their god. Sasuke does the same but none of this is consoling his nerves. When Itachi hears everyone bowing around him, he bows as well. Seeing this pleases Kyuubi very much.
"Rise, vampire prince. I didn't save you so you could bow down before me." But by the sound of his voice, he's enjoying Itachi did that anyway. As commanded, Itachi looks up at his god for a moment before standing back up. Kyuubi chuckles again. "I did it because he insulted me. Vampires these days don't seem to have enough trust and belief in their deities anymore. Not even in themselves, wouldn't you agree?"
Itachi's finger twitches when he heard that. Instantly, he knows what Kyuubi is talking about; besides the council rejecting his proposal of sparing the Akatsuki. Kyuubi knows all, regardless if a vampire never even utters a syllable about their deepest, darkest secret. It will be no surprise if he knows about the Vampire heir's past. Sasuke also risks a chance looking up when he heard that, understanding the Naruto-possessed's words.
As politely and courteous as he can be, Itachi asks, "Kyuubi-sama, why have you appeared before us?"
The vampire god doesn't lose his smirk in the slightest. "Naruto's anxiety was making me excited. So I decided to come out and share my wisdom with you. You were in a rather tight predicament, little prince. You ask for one little thing from your kind and they treat you like the enemy without a second thought."
"They are just scared and confused. I ask them to spare the lives of humans who don't even bat an eye at the sight of hundreds of our kind murdered at their feet."
"But you know that these humans are a lot more than just murderers." Then like a vulture, Kyuubi decides to circle him. Itachi can easily tell that this vampire god is enjoying himself, toying with his creatures like play things. "They can laugh, they can smile, they can joke around, they can get angry, they can argue, they can hate, and they can love. That blonde member you spared has a lover still in the Akatsuki, doesn't he? That's why you turned him. Because losing a mate is the most painful thing anyone could ever go through, isn't it?"
The vampires around them are confused by their god's words. The only ones who are not are those involved. Itachi dares to dangerously narrow his eyes at Kyuubi for saying such a thing like that in the public of others. He can feel anger boiling in his veins but he clenches his jaw tight to restrain himself from saying anything that will give his past away. He does not appreciate being toyed like some puppet Kyuubi believes he can easily control with his strings, but he cannot do a thing against his god or it'll really be a betrayal to his kind. "I wouldn't know." Even his voice sounds threatening enough to hint to the vampire god not to say another word about it. All this does is please him all the more.
"Of course you wouldn't know," he confirms loudly for the others to hear. "You've only just mated and as vampire laws go, you only love one forever." As startling the news of Itachi mating with someone is for many, there isn't enough time for them to progress it because suddenly Kyuubi leans close to Itachi's ear, having stopped circling at his side. Caution, fear, confusion, and worry fill the dead hearts of the damned as Kyuubi whispers in the prince's ear so softly even Itachi has a hard time hearing him fully. "I know about Shisui, little prince, and I know the reason why most of your victims were vampires who tarnish the bodies of others – completely disregarding the one rule you hold most dear above all else. It disgusts you that those lowlifes could just throw themselves at others like that – vampires and humans alike. But what really makes your blood turn cold are those who would take away the love from others; the same way it was done to you. And yet you mated with the very person who committed such a despicable deed. You didn't kill him like how you killed those Sound vampires. Curious, isn't it? But that's alright, I suppose. It only shows to me how twisted your relationship is when it won't even last very long."
What!
Backing away from Itachi's ear and his now stunned body, Kyuubi says a little louder, "I mentioned before I saw a great destiny about you, little prince. If you stay true to your decision of sparing your 'friends', you will lose someone very dear to your heart." No one in the room expected for him to say that but the people truly affected by his words are Madara, Sasuke, Mikoto, Itachi, and Kakashi. Their entire bodies froze and stiffen at the meaning of those words and both shock and fear hit them like a raging avalanche.
Is Kyuubi predicting what is to come? It's not uncommon for such a thing to happen. There have been many stories of Kyuubi predicting some aspects of the future. That's another reason as to why he's such a frightening vampire. But who…is going to…die?
Quickly, Itachi calls to him with such urgency and distress, "Kyuubi-sama! Are you sure of this prediction?" From the very depths of his soul, he wishes his god is still just toying with him to enjoy how he reacts to every word he spits out of his mouth.
But Kyuubi, with the smirk still plastered on his face and the sadistic teasing in his eyes, he replies, "Come now, prince. I can only see so far and I can only tell you so much. I will say that you have a choice. Either chose between your precious family and your mate or your beloved organization. Whichever you decide will determine the fate you laid out for yourself." Then shrugging his shoulders like an arrogant 'uncertain' trickster, he adds, "I might be mistaken about someone precious to you dying. You might actually be the one to die if you try to spare your friends. All I see is Uchiha blood being spilt if you continue this path. Which Uchiha? That I can't see."
Is that really it then? Chose family or friends. Whoever Itachi chooses, the other will die. How can Kyuubi even ask him to make such a choice! There's no way he can bear the pain of losing anyone he cares about again. How much pain and agony must he withstand till the fates are satisfied? With a gamble like this, he can't risk his family's life – especially Sasuke's. Anyone but him. But Itachi spared Deidara's life for a reason. If he kills the Akatsuki to save his family, then what will be the point of everything? Yes, he wasn't too close to any of the other members but he still watches out for each of them. They have been his family for the past twenty years, even if only now he's willing to acknowledge that. Also if he kills the Akatsuki, and the person Deidara cares about most, that would make him no different than the vampires he's killed.
Seeing the distress so deliciously obvious on his face, Kyuubi asks him, "So what will you do, Uchiha Itachi?"
Oh what to do….What can he do?
"There is always a third option to everything," he suddenly says, surprising those around him and causing the vampire god to raise a brow. With the shock and fear of what the future might hold for him clear off his face and mind, Itachi, dare he does, speaks freely to his god, "A long time ago, someone told me many a great and wise things. One in which even if something looks utterly hopeless and everything comes down to two options, there is always a third one regardless. The fates do not control me. I will protect my family and I will stop the Akatsuki without killing a single one of them. That is my resolve and I won't allow the fates to change my mind."
Never in anyone imagination would they think of someone ever talking back to Kyuubi with such a defiant daring firm voice – almost as if he's challenging God himself, and such a thing is more taboo than any act a vampire could commit against his society. This was almost committing heresy but almost in a respectable, in-awed factor. All of the council members now believe Itachi to be completely bonkers. But no one can deny the small bits of respect they feel for speaking like that. However many of the respect became overcome with absolute terror because Kyuubi lost his smirk and all sadistic teasing is wipe clean off. The vampire heir and the vampire god now appear to be in a heated staring contest, with one not backing down any time soon and the other testing to see how far he will go in this boldness.
For long, agonizing, tense moments, Itachi doesn't even bat an eye. It almost makes Kyuubi want to punish the little prince for his insolence.
Almost.
"This is your final decision, then little prince?" Kyuubi asks, regaining his composure. When Itachi doesn't reply, Kyuubi makes Naruto's lips curl up again but this time into a sly grin. "Heh, I really like you, prince. You're the first to willingly stand up to me without a single bit of fear for your safety. You'll also be the first I won't kill instantly for you impudence. But I have my reasons for that. I think I will enjoy watching you fight to try and keep your resolve. Since it's something I'm looking forward to, I expect everyone's participation in to his plans." He says the last part while looking at their little council, and even Itachi, without removing his eyes for even a second off the possessed body of the spiky blonde vampire, can feel their fearful agreement. Kyuubi really is a god. He strikes fear and plays with his children but in the end, he's always there to help the needy and the deserving – even in the smallest of ways that create the biggest impacts. "But just to be absolutely sure…" Then suddenly, Kyuubi raises his arm up and faces his palm at the vampire prince. Itachi looks at the hand, confused and with caution. The others watch with tensed anticipation. The sadistic smirk returns to Naruto's face and Kyuubi suggests, "Let me see just in case if it is your blood that will be spilt."
In that very instant, Itachi feels his entire body pulse. With what, he doesn't know. All he knows is before even three seconds passes, he doesn't feel normal. First his chest suddenly tightens and squeezes, and there is this strong sharp pain running right through it before the numbness spreads throughout his body. Like his whole body just went through a sudden stabbing pain out of nowhere and it instantly made his entire body go numb. Then something starts moving from the pit of his stomach upwards before he's given the chance to figure out why he feels like this. Before he can even try to stop that feeling from going up, it reaches his throat and he has just enough time to cover his mouth to stop whatever is trying to escape but to no success. It only allows him to taste the warm thick iron, strangely bitter taste of his blood before it explodes out of his mouth. He coughs, gags, and chokes on his own blood and more just keeps coming out as it oozes through his fingers, down his chin, and splatters all over the floor. The smirk on Kyuubi becomes very satisfied and devious as everyone gasps and watches in horror of their god's powers.
This is why no one crosses him! Rather he can kill you instantly or torture you with his awesome powers.
Seeing him like this, Sasuke is scared out of his mind. 'Itachi!' But before he could get up and rush to his mate's side when Itachi collapses to his knees and coughs over the floor, Madara stops him beforehand.
"Sasuke, wait!" he tells him, quietly enough not to disturb anything as he raised his arm up to block the boy's path. Right when the younger prince was going to ask his father why, he can surely see on Madara's face that seeing this hurts him just as much as it pains him. If they go up and oppose Kyuubi, who knows what'll happen. But how can Sasuke just sit here and watch as Itachi is coughing his lungs and blood out.
Observing the vampire suffering on the floor, Kyuubi observes the little prince's condition a little more before he speaks. He can see blood not only vomiting out of Itachi but also bleeding through his clothes. "From what I can see, a wound straight through the chest and poison to keep it from healing. A slow one. Maybe one used for interrogation or just plain torture. Either way, it will eventually kill you nonetheless. I can tell by the scent of the bitterness mixed in with your blood. Do you know if it's created from the same person who made your special serum to keep you human? That puppeteer who attracts the vampire children?"
Despite his pain and the feeble state he's portraying right now, Itachi still has the galls to look at Kyuubi in the eye and glare for that mockery. As for Kakashi, he's in shock. Kyuubi just basically announced who killed Obito. He heard rumors about the puppeteer and some bit of him using poison, but rumors could just be what they are; rumors. To hear that it really is the puppeteer who uses poison as his main weapon against vampires, all Kakashi has to do now is find the puppet and follow the strings back to the one controlling them. He has at last found the main object of his revenge.
"How sad. Slowly being killed and tortured by the very people you want to spare."
Now Sasuke really can't wait any longer. Kyuubi is not going to release Itachi from whatever it is he's using against him any time soon. He can't sit here any longer!
"Sasuke!"
The younger prince pushes his father's arm to the side and gets up to run right into the circle of candles. Kyuubi spares him a glance and so does Itachi when he came in. Despite having an audience all around them, Sasuke kneels beside Itachi's side and tries to help him as he calls, "Aniki,-"
But he doesn't get the chance to finish that sentence.
Ba-dum
I told you guys you'll yell at me for this ending. I figure I leave it there and you can wait until the next chapter to know what will happen. Oh and this is not Itachi's test that I mentioned before. It's part of it but the main course is when the war comes in.
But how was this chapter? Bad? Good? Why are you doing this to me, sort of thing? Until next time! Bye-bye!