She was seated at the base of a large oak tree, hands clasped in her land. Her eyes were closed and she was muttering. There was a ring of rocks around her, each one set with a precise hand.

Sai stand down in front of her, looked up at the top of the trees, then back at her. He leaned forwards, glanced away towards Kakashi, then back towards her. He said, quietly, "Hinata?"

Her eyes stayed closed. She didn't even stop muttering.

"No use," Sakura said, leaning against a nearby tree. "She's not waking up."

"She's not asleep," Kakashi said. He put his hands into the pockets of his tweed coat. He stepped along the roots of the oak tree, his single eye resting on Hinata's dark eyes. "In a trance."

"Which is bad," Sakura said. "Right? We need her to get out."

"Yeah," Kakashi said.

He leaned against the oak, watching Hinata. He looked over at Sai, then at Sakura, then, very slowly and deliberately, shrugged.

ooo

"Gaara!"

Smoke billowed outwards into the room and through the dark clouds came Temari, running to the spot on the floor where Gaara had vanished. She fell to her knees, staring at the stone. She touched it, pressed inwards. "What--" she said, her hair falling forwards, stuck with sand. "What the shit?"

"Temari--" Ino said, staring at her. A thought: "You are Temari, right? Not some illusion?"

"What're you doing here?" Sasuke said. "What's she-- what are you doing here?"

"Shut up, Sasuke," Temari hissed, looking up at him. "My brother's dead because of you."

"How'd you get here?" Ino asked.

She had to lean against the wall, her chest hurt from the running. Sweat beaded on her brow and she could taste the grit of sand in her mouth. This wasn't her best day ever. "Temari," she said. "How'd you get here?"

"Through that--" Temari said, pointing idly in a direction. "Through that circle. Fuck you, Sasuke. You killed my brother!"

Sasuke wasn't listening to her. He went to the nearest door. It hung nearly off its hinges, sand fallen around its frame. He pushed it farther open, peered down the corridor. Down here, maybe? Years of avoiding Orochimaru, now he was trying to find the fucker. Sometimes life didn't make sense.

"Through the witch-circle?" Ino said. "You were following us? Why were you following us?"

Temari fell back into a sitting position, pulled her knees up to her chest, stared ahead. "Shikamaru--"

"Shikamaru?"

"Wanted to get Sasuke back."

"What?"

"Sasuke. Killed my brother."

"Well, obviously not."

"I know. Saw him here."

"With-- with sand. I always said your brother was the weirdest frigging kid. Hell, you said he was the weirdest frigging kid!" She paused, stared at Temari. "Shikamaru's here?"

The door nearest to them opened, and Shikamaru appeared. He walked in, feet leaving footprints in the slight surface of sand scattered over the floor. Viewing the room, he was quick and practical, his gaze resting on Sasuke first, on Temari, then on Ino. Seeing Ino, his gaze faltered a bit. "Er..." he said. "So no Naruto here, Temari?"

"Oh, yeah," Sasuke said, quietly, turning around to look at him. "You're after Naruto, aren't you?"

They met each other's gaze. The two young men stood on opposite sides of the room, staring each other down. Shikamaru's smile began on one side of his mouth, soon spread to the rest of him. "You're so pale, Sasuke."

"News flash for you, Shikamaru," Ino said.

"Whuh-?" Shikamaru turned to look at her.

"You ain't getting shit.."

"Sorry?"

"Naruto. You and your little friends? Their plan to steal Naruto? Not going to happen."

Shikamaru stared at her. He smiled, looked down at the floor. "Uh huh."

"What's it gonna be, Shikamaru?" Ino asked. "We're going to have to fight about this? Am I going to have to split my knuckles on your face to get your thick skull to understand what I'm saying?"

"Can we not do this?"

"What?"

"Can we not do this. I don't want to have to fight you. I'm just here for Naruto. I'll push Sasuke down, go up, rescue Naruto, get Temari and the rest of my little team, and get out of dodge. That okay for you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Was there something about what I said that was hard to understand?"

"Don't talk to me like that, Shikamaru."

"Why not? Why can't I talk to you like that? Why can't I talk to you any way I like?"

"Because I'm not going to put up with it."

"You don't have to put up with it. We don't even need to talk. I can just go get Naruto and be on my merry way."

"You're not taking Naruto."

"Yeah-huh."

"Excuse me?" Sasuke said. "Can I-- can I get a word in here? We're talking about my boyfriend here, remember?"

"Listen, Ino," Shikamaru said. "I'm not going to be taking guff from a girl who didn't even like the Clash."

Ino blinked. "Oh, are we bringing up our behaviour back when we dated? Is that the direction this conversation is going?"

"What's your point, Ino?"

"I loved you, you fucker."

"Oh, did you? Yeah, I'm sure. You loved me? You sure really showed it really well."

"What are you talking about? We were talking about getting married. You left. You let me-- you let me think you were dead."

"There were some things more important, Ino."

"What, like kidnapping Naruto?"

"Yeah."

"Can we discuss this whole kidnapping-Naruto thing?" Sasuke asked.

"You listen here, Shikamaru," Ino said. "You broke my heart. You left me without telling me where you were going. I had to find out from your parents that you were still alive. That's fucked."

"There were some things more important than our silly little relationship, Ino."

"Oh, silly, was it? Our relationship was silly?"

"Ofcourse it was! We were fucking around in our silly fucking little privileged lives while so many people in the world went unprivileged. You expected me to sit around for that?"

"I expected you not to leave me without telling me why."

"You wouldn't have understood."

"What?"

"You wouldn't have understood."

"Yeah, I heard you the first time. I'm just wondering what fucking dimension you live on where you can say something like that."

"Are you calling me a liar?"

"Excuse me?"

"And how can you not like the Clash? They revolutionized punk."

"You didn't like the Cure."

"Oh, yeah, because prancing little post-punk imps in black are really more inspired than a band who spearheaded a movement that counts."

"Shikamaru, you used to listen to the same fucking Bob Dylan song on repeat for an hour."

"I never did."

"And you come here and expect me to swallow some bullshit about how kidnapping Naruto is going to help-- what? Is it going to change the world?"

"Yeah. It is."

"Shikamaru," Sasuke said. "You're not taking Naruto."

"Yeah," Temari said, standing up. "We are."

"You asshole," Ino said, staring at Shikamaru. "I was in love with you."

"I was in love with you too."

"Yeah, right."

"Don't ever call me a liar about something like that!"

Ino punched him in the chin. Shikamaru skidded back, looked up.

The room exploded into action. Sasuke flew at Shikamaru, launching kicks upwards. No good, Shikamaru knocked them aside, slammed Sasuke into the ground, came up and parried Ino's vicious swipes. Shikamaru fell back, Ino coming at him like a banshee, going into the air, spinning at him, snarling. He fell back, eyes wide, trying to block the attacks.

"You just don't feel anything, do you?" she snapped. "You're like a robot--"

"You're out of your mind," Shikamaru replied, dodging backwards. "You never cared about anything important in your life. People were dying in Ethiopia and--"

She snapped a kick towards his legs. "I'm was in tenth grade, you asshole!"

He leapt over her swipes, landed. Sasuke came at him, and Temari went for Ino. Shikamaru got Sasuke in the stomach, spun, blocked a punch from Ino, turned, threw Sasuke into the ground. Ino kicked Temari into a wall, leapt forwards, spun, knocked Shikamaru back through a door, down a corridor.

"Tenth grade?" he shouted, backing up. "So what?"

She kicked along the corridor's narrow walls, kicked at him three times, landed, spun, got him on the shoulder, throwing him into the wall. He hit a painting, knocked it off its stand. As it crashed, he went into the air, twisted, slammed her in the chest, throwing her back.

Sasuke slid in, came up, four expertly placed punches going for Shikamaru's throat. Shikamaru dodged the first two and crashed his own fists into Sasuke's. Sasuke cried out, Shikamaru turned and Sasuke flew into a small dresser painfully.

Temari came for Ino, got knocked into a small side table for a trouble. Ino went for Shikamaru's kidneys-- Shikamaru ducked the blows, took one of them on his forearm, slammed his palm against her shoulder. She gritted, elbowed him in the face.

They leapt for each other, launched kicks, and cannoned off each other, each one crashing along the ground.

Sasuke was in pain. He tried to roll onto his side, managed to get to one knee.

Ahead of him, in the next room, he saw the silhouette of Orochimaru standing in the doorframe, beckoning to him.

"Goddammit," Sasuke snarled. He forced himself to his feet, forced himself to run forwards into the next room. The door behind him swung shut, cutting him off from the others. "Naruto," he said. "Where is he?"

The room was a small study. Orochimaru leaned against the wall, smiling at him. "Woman, you want me," he said. "Give me a sign."

"Tell me where he is," Sasuke said, standing up straight, leaning against a desk for support. "I'll even go with you. Willingly. Just take me to him."

"And catch my breathing," Orochimaru replied, "even closer behind."

Sasuke breathed heavily. The fight with the puppets and Gaara had taken more out of him than he'd thought. He'd never fought that many people at once before. Sweat dripped down his nose and down onto the carpet.

"In touch with the ground," Orochimaru said, "I'm on the hunt; I'm after you."

"I hate that song."

Suddenly Orochimaru was beside him, speaking into his ear, "Smell like I sound, I'm lost in a crowd." He grinned. "And I'm hungry like the wolf."

Sasuke didn't even realize it was coming until it was upon him. It wasn't even Orochimaru that was doing it; the ghost couldn't do possessions. It was the castle itself. The castle was alive and now its influence was bearing down on him, dragging him down to his knees, trying to possess his body, control him. It wasn't taking any chances. It needed him to be completely under its control.

Fight it, he thought; goddammit, I have to fight it--

"Sasuke," Orochimaru said. "Are we going to be obedient from now on?"

Sasuke opened his eyes and spoke in a blank voice: "Yes."

Orochimaru grinned. "Ah, good."

ooo

Up onto the tower. From where he lay, from where the wind buffeted him, Naruto looked up, struggling against the boa constrictors to get a better look. Orochimaru was coming up from the stairs, leading a young man up with him.

Sasuke, Naruto thought; oh god. At least he's safe.

There were others slowly gathering on the tower underneath the bell: vaguely man-shaped creatures in tattered robes, fading in from nothingness. Some wore the skulls of deer-heads, others hid their faces with long ripped hoods, others wore masks lined with wolf-fur. Cultists. Druids. Ghosts. Whatever they were, they stood at the edges of the tower watching expectantly.

From Orochimaru's hair, a cobra appeared, slithered down the tall pale body, then across the floor towards Naruto.

"Sasuke," Naruto said.

But Sasuke only stared blankly at him.

"Here we go," Orochimaru said.

The wind was getting more and more violent. Naruto didn't know whether to struggle harder or not, whether or not to reveal the sharp compass needle in his hand, whether Sasuke was okay or not. The cobra moved along his chest, feeling soft and cold against his skin.

He didn't even see the cobra move: the snake was much too fast, and Naruto gasped, arching his back upwards at the pain of the snake's fangs.

His blood curled down his skin, touched the floor. The druid-wraiths stopped writhing, they paused to watch the blood stream along the floor, and around grooves in the stone, making a circle around the boy.

As his blood trails slid to meet each other, seeking to make a perfect circle, the boa constrictors left Naruto, moving quickly along the stone to leave the area before the circle was complete. As the edges of their tails made it through, the blood touched, and Naruto found himself in a blood-circle.

"Orochimaru," he said, standing up.

"You'll like this part, Naruto, I promise," Orochimaru said.

Sasuke stepped forwards, into the circle, staring blankly ahead. Naruto didn't know whether to back away from him or not. The wind struck the young man, tousling his dark hair around his pale face. God, Naruto thought; that perfect, pale face.

"Don't worry, Naruto," Orochimaru said. "I gave him his instructions."

"Sasuke--" Naruto said.

But suddenly Naruto found Sasuke's tongue inside his mouth and he couldn't quite speak as well.

Clutching his lover to him, he looked up towards the bell, towards the sky, as Sasuke trailed kissed along his neck. "No, no, no, no--" he said.

Around him torches burst into life, casting flickering orange light. The sky-- something was happening to the sky.

It was true then. The castle and this whole world was an entity unto itself, separate from Orochimaru. As Naruto watched, the sun went down and night closed in, as well as a rising moon that seemed bloated, a huge throbbing godling of a moon. A representation of the dark creature they were supposed to unleash.

"Sasuke--" Naruto said.

Sasuke kissed him again, and felt for the clasps of Naruto's shorts.

ooo

"Something's happening."

Shikamaru got to his feet, wiped the blood away from his lips. He went to the window, looked out, watched the sky do the impossible. "This is bad," he said.

"Where--" Ino said. She was lying on her back.

Temari tried to get to her feet. She could feel it around her -- the castle coming alive, responding to the sexual excitement coming from above. She felt her nipples harden. She bit her lower lip, trying to control it. Shit, she thought.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Ino said.

"Here and there," Shikamaru said.

He looked up, saw the wraiths floating overhead, flitting up towards the top of the castle. "I think you hit me in the throat pretty bad."

"You don't sound hurt."

"That's because I'm awesome. We better get upstairs. Like now."

ooo

"Sasuke--"

Naruto bit his lower lip. He tried to push Sasuke away, but it was getting harder. The castle was having an effect on him -- there was something in the air. An atmospheric aphrodisiac perhaps?

Sasuke stroked Naruto's thighs, pulled his shorts down. Naruto gasped as Sasuke took him into his mouth. Torchlight flickered off the skulls of the cultists watching.

Sunlight streamed in through the windows, glancing off Sasuke's naked shoulders. They lay on his bed, and Naruto watched him twirl the sheets with his finger. "What do you like about sex?" he asked.

"What?" Sasuke smiled. "Like in general?"

"No, I mean." Naruto blushed. "I mean -- with me."

"Sasuke," Naruto said, pushing Sasuke away from him. "We can't. Not now. Snap out of it."

Sasuke looked up at him and the slightest smirk started at the side of his mouth. He winked. Naruto's mouth opened.

"Sasuke--"

Sasuke didn't glance away. In a blank, pale voice, he said, "Yes, master."

Orochimaru stood in the darkness, the torchlight barely flickering along the edge of his skin, casting his expression into shadow. "Move it along."

Sasuke fiddled with his own shirt, pulled it off over his head. Naruto reached forward, grabbed him before he could get the shirt over his head. Pinning his arms and the shirt above their heads, Naruto kissed him warmly, then whispered into his ear, "What's the plan?"

"Figuring it out," Sasuke said.

He yanked the shirt off, dropped it, fiddled with his pants, knelt down and--

"Oh, god, Sasuke," Naruto said.

Even now, even at the top of the tower, Sasuke was skilled with his mouth.

"Your facial expressions, I think," Sasuke said.

Naruto rolled over, stared at the ceiling. "My what?"

"Your facial expressions. The way they-- I don't know. They're adorable. And kind of-- I guess you could say sexy. Your eyes get kind of-- half-closed and your mouth opens in this kind of -- 'O' shape."

"No I don't!" Naruto rolled over, grabbed a pillow.

Sasuke's hand snapped out, caught Naruto's wrist. "Yeah, you do. It's cute."

"Liar."

"Maybe we should test this out."

"Lubricant," Orochimaru said, turning around. "That's what I forgot. I bought some recently too. One second."

Naruto ran his hands up Sasuke's back, kissed him again. Whispered, "Now what?"

Orochimaru vanished down the stairs.

"We could jump off," Sasuke hissed. "Off the tower."

"To our deaths?"

"No, to some lower rooves maybe."

"Then where?"

"Then we find the others and get the hell out."

ooo

Kabuto opened the door, hoping to find the exit. He had no idea how he had gotten so turned around. The castle was designed by a crazy person. And now he was here, a small room, with a small coffin set in the very center of it, and two bookshelves to either side, each one brimming with books and weapons and trinkets.

"Itachi?" he said, walking into the room.

There was another door in the side of the room. He went to it quickly, yanked it open, peered in. No luck: it was just a closet, a series of old, dusty-smelling suits hanging, swaying.

"Shit," Kabuto said.

"I actually like the tailoring," a voice said.

Kabuto turned, saw Orochimaru standing in the doorframe, leaning against it.

Orochimaru grinned. "Worsted wool-suits are so much better than synthetic material." He leaned forwards. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"Oh god," Kabuto said.

ooo

"Shit," Temari said.

She fell back against the wall, nearly falling back against the stairs. She was sweating, and sweating hard. Why was this hitting her so badly and not the others?

"Temari!" Ino said, turning back.

Shikamaru looked upwards, lamenting the amount of stairs they had to climb. He looked back. "Are we all right?"

No we're not all right, he thought; Deidara and Sasori are possessed zombies, possibly dead, Jugo is nowhere to be found (a good thing), and they only had three of them against potentially dangerous dark evil.

"God, god," Temari said, running her hands through her hair. "This is bad. Fuck. Just leave me."

"What's wrong?" Ino said.

"Don't you feel it?" Temari said. "The castle, it's--"

"Now that you mention it--" Shikamaru said. "This is a classic glamour the castle is inflicting on us. Heightened sensuality, sexual desire, that sort of thing. Not that bad, though. I can shrug it off. Just feels like I've run for three klicks."

"God, I just--" Temari said.

She wanted to throw Ino and Shikamaru to the ground and tear their clothes off, wanted to put her mouth on every parts of their bodies.

"Why is it so strong for me?" Temari asked.

"No idea," Shikamaru said. "Some psychic people feel these sort of supernatural influences more than other people. Are you psychic?"

"I don't think so."

"Temari, we have to keep moving," Ino said.

Temari wished Ino's breasts wouldn't heave like that, wished Shikamaru's skin wasn't so dark and sweaty and-- "Why is it so strong?"

"Temari--" Shikamaru said. He glanced at Ino, then back at Temari. "Are you a virgin?"

Temari looked up at him, eyes wide. Uh oh, she thought.

Ino looked up the stairs. "Maybe we should--"

Temari was touching her hand, running her fingers along hers. "I'm--" she said. She pulled her hand away. "God, just leave me here. I'll be no use to you."

"Can't you just masturbate?" Shikamaru said.

She blinked at him. "What, on the chilly stairs of a gothic castle?"

"Well, I guess the setting isn't--"

"Will you be okay?" Ino said.

"Come on," Shikamaru said. He headed up the stairs.

ooo

Their first time. Mouths touching mouths, cold on each other's lips. Somehow their first time -- I mean, they weren't virgins before, but there was just something about great sex that felt--

Hips against hips. Naruto leaned forwards, grabbed Sasuke's hair, tugged his head back, kissed his lips. Making love from behind, then making love again, facing each other, grinding into each other, forcing Sasuke back against the bed--

Great sex.

"Lubricant," Orochimaru said, tossing it over.

Sasuke caught the bottle without looking back.

"Water-based," Orochimaru said. "In case one of you has any allergies. I think ahead."

"Yes," Sasuke said. He looked up at Naruto, determined.

He squirted the lubricant into his hand. The plan was going to be simple. They would run at the same time -- Naruto would stab a wraith, Sasuke would do what he could; they would throw themselves over the edge, catch onto a rooftop, try and get through a window. The needle would come in handy there -- prying open any stubborn windows.

"Oh--" Orochimaru said. "Sasuke?"

"Yes," Sasuke said.

"Break one of Naruto's fingers for me, will you?"

Sasuke said nothing. Naruto stared at him, looked up at Orochimaru.

"Oh, sorry," Orochimaru said. "A little harsh, wouldn't that be? Why don't you just kiss him instead?"

Sasuke looked back at Naruto, leaned in and kissed him.

"Good," Orochimaru said. "So break his finger now."

"Fuck," Sasuke said.

"Hard to do, isn't it?" Orochimaru said. "Not as possessed as we were led to be believed?"

"Give me the needle," Sasuke hissed.

"What?" Naruto said.

"Give me the needle. Now."

Naruto gave him the needle, and Sasuke snatched it, turned and charged Orochimaru.

Wham. Sasuke struck the invisible wall above the circle of blood and fell back.

"So what there, Sasuke?" Orochimaru said, stepping towards him. "You think we wouldn't take precautions. Let me make this clear: make love to Naruto or I will kill him."

Sasuke growled.

"Okay!" Naruto said.

Sasuke looked back at him.

"I think we're beaten here, Orochimaru," Naruto said. "I don't want Sasuke getting hurt."

"We're not giving in," Sasuke snarled.

"What other choice do we have?"

Sasuke whirled on him. "Sex is supposed to something intimate between us. I'm not giving these assholes a show, I'm not going to do that to you--"

"Sasuke--"

"Naruto--"

"Sasuke, I'm think I'm in love with you!"

Sasuke said nothing. His mouth opened. He closed it.

Naruto grabbed him by the face and leaned in. "I didn't want to tell you. Not after dating you for such a short time. But I think I'm falling in love with you, okay?"

"I--"

"So that means I'm going to do whatever it takes to keep you safe."

"Whatever--"

"Whatever it takes!"

"Whatever it takes."

"Yes."

Sasuke nodded. He tapped Naruto's cheeks, leaned in and kissed him. Then he whispered, "Put your shorts back on."

"What?"

He turned, pulled up his pants again, clasped them. Then he turned, faced Orochimaru, faced the crowd of wraiths. He smiled, closed his eyes. For a moment, while Naruto was watching him, he looked immensely saddened.

Then he shouted, "Itachi!"

The scream went up into the night, towards the night sky. There was stillness--

And then--

"Itachi! I'm all yours!"

The door of the towers exploded and a tornado of bats burst outwards into the night. They surrounded the tower, whipping around, turning the air black with their movements. The floor and the walls of the tower began to frost, began to ice over.

The sheer wind from the bats tore the blood circle up from the floor.

Itachi emerged from the bats, came into being in front of the them. "Came to your senses, then?"

"Get us out of here safely," Sasuke said. "and you've got yourself a deal."

"Sasuke, no!" Naruto screamed.

Itachi smiled, only slightly, and only for a moment. Something flashed silver and the bell tower was torn apart, the stone bursting outwards. The wraiths were dashed to the four winds. Sasuke grabbed Naruto's hand and tugged him forwards, and the bats flew back in through the door.

"Aren't we going off the edge?" Naruto asked.

"No, we're following the bats."

"What? You're not actually running into a room filled with vampire bats, are we?"

"Orochimaru'd be crazy to follow us, wouldn't he?"

Sasuke jumped--

and they hurled into darkness and flickering, momentous bats.