Prescripto13: yes it is and it will be up after this and the next chapter.

SailorKechara: Thanks. It's great to hear that you have enjoyed reading it.

As always, reviews are welcomed.

Vi

The five walked quietly as snow dropped slowly on their shoulders. The fox stopped by the end of the long staircase ascending into the hill that was semi covered by the haze. Unlike the time as he travelled with Naruto, he grew a lot in size. Now he has size of a tiger. It suited him more as he no longer seated on the blond's shoulder. "I am relying both of you to take care of Naruto. I will be up with you after I have to visit Kokuo down at this valley. He has been in there for long, but nobody knows why."

"Maybe he likes there?" Kazuhiko suggested.

"Who knows," the fox shrugged. "See you."

The remained four made their way up the stone stair. Kakashi hasn't been up here for a long time, but he still remembered the first time here as if it was yesterday. After his father became the seal inside, the vampire took care of him. He was quite certain that the assistant didn't particular fancy the fact that An wanted to have him trained with the Kitsune, but the said man always reserved his opinions. He remembered the first lesson that he has learnt here: running up the stair, letting the body to adopt the low oxygen level, as well as the strong cold wind. He remembered the grin on his aniki's face as the latter sat leisurely at the last step, as if it was a warm sunny day.

He turned to check on his lover. He was quiet, but nonetheless adopting well. "This is where you learnt the Sage mode?" the blond asked as he noticed the vampire's gaze.

"It is, with the Kitsune," the vampire replied. "We are almost there."

As they spoke, two women were standing by the open door of a mansion that was build in front of a black cliff. Their hair were pink, with small curve at the end of the tips. Their clothes were all black, but the eye masks were white. "An sama, our Lady is waiting for you, please follow me."

"I can't let Misoka san waiting, I will see you all later." An waved in a small motion and followed one of the women.

The remained three guided by the other pinknette to a drawing room. The vampire assistant made an excuse and left the room, leaving the pair behind.

Kakashi shrugged at his mentor's absence and threw an extra log into the fire place. "Even I am not quite sure what they need to do here," he said. "But this is where I trained. Just like what you have learnt with the Toads," he added as he approached his lover who was standing at the balcony, looking at the red ume, which were shaking in the cold snowy wind. He hugged the blond from behind and placed his chin on the latter's shoulder.

The world was in silent except the cold wind and the warm cracking from the fire. It seems nothing much, but it's everything.

It has been a long while since Kakashi felt his heart beating so strongly. Vampires' hearts were unlike of the mortals. The rate is so slow that it's almost unnoticeable. Only with Naruto, he could feel his heart beating. Only with the man, he truly felt alive. Without him, he never felt completed.

"Kakashi," the blood called softly as he tilted his head, letting his lover's chin to rest on the dip of his collar bone. "Why here? On the cliff? Why ume?"

"I don't know either, but the Kitsune loved the cold weather and did you know the meaning of ume?"

"That is?"

"Longing and fidelity, as well as proud and elegant."

"That's quite different from what I have been told... If you are saying that it presents them... Well, at least that was not how the mortals would see them. But then, they were afraid. And I understand that. It is hard to explain the power that you guys contained and people tend to be scared by what they don't figure out"

"That's partly why most of us choose to stay away from the mortals and remained low profile for centuries. But An niisan is quite an exceptional as he is actually quite well known in most places."

The wind blew hard and their conversation went blur. The love words remained between them. The night was fallen as the moon rose. The vampire mentors only show up in the living room with the trays of dinner on their hands.

Something happened. Kakashi knew. The smell of the ume was so strong that he could almost see the wave of the floral scent as his aniki's hair swung. Kazuhiko didn't look at the vampire leader as he ate silently. He only talked to Naruto for a short moment to smooth the tension in the room. Although Kakashi got used to the random odd tension between the pair, it was still an uncomfortable situation nonetheless. He kept checking on his lover as the latter would not be getting used to it. Anyhow, the blond was as oblivious as always. His mentor was jealous, which was brightly obvious. But he wondered why now? After all the strange entanglements, why the older blond decided to let his control loose? He didn't think furthermore nonetheless as the older vampire asked him to have a short wall with him, leaving the blond behind.

"Ji- san, daijoubu? You were being yourself just now... "

"Was I?" Kazuhiko asked with his eyes slightly wide opened. He didn't expect the young man would have catch his upset.

"You were sitting away from An san and that Kakashis seems to be worry, so I thought there must be something wrong." He filled his uncle's cup with more tea as he continued, "Kakashi used to keep me in the dark, I remembered, when I was still his student. I pretty sure An san didn't mean to keep things away from you."

The older man sighed softly and bitterly. "Only if it's this simple. I am not sure whether I am mad at him or actually myself. It's something that I heard today that really borders me. But," he tapped the younger man's shoulder softly. "don't worry about it." He pulled a small grin, "I will manage."