Author Note: A special shout out/thanks goes out to snowblinded, pretty much just for liking my work lolol but seriously, thanks for making this worthwhile and mean something. It's always nice to know that someone is actually really pleased with my shizz. I love you xD and everyone else should check out snowblinded's profile!

Warning: There is blood and some weird sexual kind of shit that goes down. I mean, it's odd, but it's nothing to really worry about. If you don't like the idea of blood or it possibly being on someone's tongue and turning things into a strangely sexual encounter, you won't like this.

Moving Memories
7: An Unlikely Savior

~ (^.^) (^.^) ~

Naruto watched Kiba absent-mindedly turn his bottle of beer in slow circles on the table. They'd been sitting at Akatsake for over an hour now, waiting for Gaara to show up. Naruto was really starting to feel uneasy too, as there were multitudes of hungry eyes watching them intently. Many of them, certainly, had just been waiting for the day that Gaara would leave Kiba unattended, dying to sink their fangs into the brunet. Naruto was, surely, in no less of a predicament either.

Kiba seemed completely unaware of the stares though. At first, when he'd learned about vampires a week ago, Naruto didn't feel too affected. In all honesty, he was too busy obsessing over Sasuke for the fact that he lived in a world full of people who drink human blood to sink in. He hadn't made the time to really care that he could literally die at every street corner if he wasn't careful. He felt the gravity of that knowledge finally sinking in though, now that there was no Gaara to obsessively protect them.

Things between Gaara and Kiba had been extremely strained since "that" night. Kiba had to make appointments just to see his boyfriend, if you could even call them boyfriends anymore. More often than not, Gaara simply refused. Now that Kiba had requested their first public meeting, thinking that Gaara just didn't trust himself in private, Naruto felt like they were two sitting ducks, waiting for someone who was clearly not going to come. Fortunately, Deidara had come to sit with them a short while ago, and he was watching Kiba with as much sympathy as Naruto too. He seemed to have a reputation strong enough to repel almost everyone. Naruto was further reassured as he periodically heard Itachi's protective hisses erupt from behind them, threatening anyone who dared meander too close to the trio.

Since Gaara had decided to take up residence in Sasuke's uninhabited suite across from his own, leaving Kiba completely alone, Naruto took it upon himself to spend most of his time keeping Kiba company. Though, they were hardly ever alone. They were paid regular visits from Kankuro. In fact, he never seemed to leave. If he did, he departed quickly and silently without Naruto or Kiba ever noticing him come or go. Temari kept herself busy by trying to talk to Gaara himself. To no avail though, seeing as Gaara constantly kept the suite locked up in order to ensure his solitude.

Things had taken a real toll on Kiba, who was in a seriously declining state of depression. The first day of classes was in just two days, as if his current stress level wasn't already enough to turn Kiba's brain to mush. If Kiba didn't get himself together, he'd flunk out of university on the first freaking day. Naruto sighed heavily, deciding that it was best to just stop the torture and leave.

"Kiba?" Naruto said tentatively, jolting Kiba out of thought

Kiba looked around sullenly at their surroundings and sighed, prompting Naruto to sigh again himself. Kiba had been lost in more and more of those trances lately, in which he probably dwelt on things that only served to make him more depressed.

"I'm sorry," Kiba said dejectedly, settling his eyes back on his beer.

"It's fine," Naruto assured. "S'not your fault."

"You shouldn't have come. It was a waste," Kiba said quietly. He clenched his fist tightly around the beer that he'd yet to take even a sip from.

"It's fine," Naruto repeated quickly, eager to comfort his best friend in any way that he could. "I'm just worried about you."

"So am I," Deidara piped in. "You've been sulking for days."

"Well, my boyfriend has been ditching me for days, hasn't he?" Kiba retorted.

"He probably just forgot," Naruto offered, trying to console but not really believing it himself.

It was just that Kiba had grown so close to Naruto so quickly. Naruto adored the brunet. He'd evolved from Naruto's first man-crushy-thingy to Naruto's first real best friend. Naruto wanted nothing more than to ease his suffering. It seemed, however, that it was a difficult, if not impossible, task.

"No," Kiba denied quietly, "he didn't forget me. That would've been too kind of him. He just left me to the wolves or, rather, leeches, and he knows it. He knows I could be dead right now just because he didn't show up. But, apparently, he doesn't even..." Kiba trailed off when his throat tightened up. He couldn't go on with that sentence. It was painful to admit that Gaara no longer cared for his life.

"He's a bastard then!" Deidara proclaimed.

The boisterous blond reached across the table to touch Kiba's hand in silent sympathy, an action that directly clashed with his let's-just-call-him-what-he-is-and-be-done-with-it attitude. Deidara was, clearly, fed up with the whole situation, and it seemed that his capacity for sympathy only extended so far. He couldn't quite see why the sulking should continue. It was simple. Gaara had proven that he was an asshole. Now, Kiba should move on. All of this in between I-don't-wanna-move-on bullshit just wasn't Dei's way of doing things.

"Don't say that!" Kiba snapped, pulling away from Deidara and resting a disapproving glare on him.

Deidara looked deflated but only slightly apologetic. He wanted Kiba to just move on. He chose to say nothing more though. Instead, he simply settled back into his chair.

After a short moment, Kiba ended up murmuring, "He is a bastard though."

Deidara simply had to perk up, letting a satisfied smirk creep across his lips. It wasn't a home-run, but it was a start. Gaara was being a bastard. Hmph. They had thought Sasuke was a dick. Bah! Gaara was giving Sasuke a real run for his money. Admitting that brought Kiba one step closer to giving Gaara the middle finger and getting over all of this, and that made Deidara a happy vamp.

"Come stay with me for a few days," Naruto offered brightly.

"No," Kiba said. "I'd rather stay home."

"Kiba," Naruto began uncertainly, "you know that place is crawling with vamps who'd jump at the chance to bite you. You can't just walk around there carelessly anymore. You need protection."

"What for?" Kiba answered hopelessly. "I've lost the only thing I was even living for."

"Don't say that," Deidara pleaded, his face riddled with concern.

"It's true," Kiba argued with a defeated shrug. "He's been refusing to come home, and I haven't left in days because I've been too afraid that I'd miss him. I ask him to talk to me in public, thinking he'll feel more comfortable around more people, and he just ignores me. He lets me wander out to a fucking vamp bar all alone." Kiba's voice wasn't angry but, rather, shaky and miserable. "He wants nothing more to do with me. I'm just that human that makes his life miserable, aren't I? Well, fuck what happens to me. I'm already dead anyway."

"Please..." Naruto pleaded quietly.

Kiba cut in though, saving Naruto the trouble of coming up with any more words of comfort, something that he wasn't sure he could do anyway. "I'm Fugaku Uchiha's son too," he interjected. "Even if things are... fucked up... in my family, I like to think that dad would still take out any idiot stupid enough to mess with me."

Naruto wondered why Kiba referred to Sasuke's father as 'dad'. It was strange to him. Fugaku was his stepfather, yet Kiba referred to him as something much more personal. Naruto shrugged it off though. It wasn't crazy to think that one could simply be close with their stepfather, so it should be no big deal. Of course, Fugaku was painted as a man who didn't get close to anyone, especially not his stepson, but Naruto quickly decided that it was a topic better left to another conversation when he heard Itachi speaking up from behind him.

"And he certainly would," Itachi added softly, resting a hand on Kiba's shoulder. "He would kill for you, Kiba. Father is..." Itachi paused, and then went in another direction. "You are a part of the family, no matter what."

Itachi nodded sharply, as if the action would make the words truer. It was obvious how much he wanted to believe his own words, but it was also clear how much he struggled to do so. Itachi's response seemed to spark something in Kiba that caused his expression to wane from certainty to certain doubt.

After a moment, Kiba mused aloud, "Maybe I'm not safe."

Itachi flashed Kiba a sad smile, a smile that told of family secrets Naruto was curious to hear. He was sure it would just be one of those 'ask an Uchiha' things though, and Itachi would, certainly, just direct him to Sasuke like everyone always did. It really was odd that Sasuke seemed to be the sole secret-keeper of the family. It was like they all thought Sasuke would murder them for talking about anything, like they needed his approval to speak freely. Naruto let those thoughts disappear. He had more important matters to tend to.

"Come over!" Naruto suggested again. "Just for a few days. Just until Gaara contacts you again to say he's sorry. He will, too. He loves you. I know he does."

"Don't say that," Kiba said quietly, closing his eyes to fight off tears. "It hurts too much."

"Still, just come over," Naruto repeated once more, but Kiba shook his head no.

"I feel better at home," Kiba said. "If I need to go out, Kankuro will take me." It wasn't the answer that Naruto had wanted, but it was an answer he would accept. Kankuro would protect Kiba a lot better than Naruto ever could anyway. It would do.

The week following "the incident", when Naruto first saw Gaara bite Kiba, had been a tumultuous week indeed. Kiba had thought that Gaara's hankering for solitude would only last a few days, but Gaara still had yet to make much acknowledgment that Kiba still existed. There were the two times that he'd shown up in the suite, only after having been dragged by Temari... literally. However, he'd fled after just a few short, unpleasant minutes each time, leaving everyone upset and frustrated. Even if Kankuro was worried about Gaara's state of sanity around humans, he was also worried about Kiba's state of sanity alone. He wanted them to make up because they so obviously needed to. At least, that was what everyone else thought. Gaara was the only one clueless of that fact.

Sasuke had been infuriatingly absent the whole week too. Naruto knew that Sasuke wasn't too fond of him, but he should still have been there for his friends. He had been friends with Gaara nearly since birth and Kiba was his stepbrother. What was Sasuke doing? He was the one to start the argument that started this whole thing to begin with too! So he was kind of responsible. Even if he'd expressed his distaste for Kiba and Gaara's relationship very bluntly, Sasuke should still have done something. One doesn't simply turn his back on such bonds—even if he is Sasuke Uchiha, the bastard of all bastards—does he? Did his tragic story give him some right to be such an asshole? Naruto thought not.

Naruto nursed his beer begrudgingly, momentarily giving up on his attempt to comfort Kiba and, instead, sending angry thoughts to penetrate Gaara and Sasuke's bastard minds. He decided that he would have to have a really stern talking to with them both. They just didn't seem to have their priorities straight right now. Sasuke was ignoring his suffering best friends and Gaara was ignoring his suffering lover. It was madness, and Naruto could take no more of it. He decided, then, that he would go talk to Gaara as soon as they left the bar. Then, he would see Sasuke. Then, at the end of it all, everyone would get their shit straight or else... well... he hadn't worked that out just yet. He wasn't sure what he could possibly do to two vampires, but he would do whatever it took to help Kiba. He'd figure out the details later.

Naruto and Kiba were later escorted back to Kiba's suite by Deidara. The blond had been more than willing to take them, seeing as Itachi had what Deidara referred to as his "bitch switch" flipped. He had been extremely moody for the past week, and Deidara was sure that Sasuke was a big factor in that. Even if the pair hadn't gotten along well in years, Sasuke had always been agreeable and allowed Itachi to keep tabs on him. Lately, however, Sasuke hadn't shown up at the bar, nor had he taken any of Itachi's calls or answered any of his texts. Itachi didn't want to push his brother too much though, so he avoided actually going to Sasuke's apartment. Apparently, Sasuke didn't tolerate his brother's uninvited presence very well. Naruto was inclined to inquire about this topic, but Deidara was off of it as quickly as he was on it and Naruto knew it was yet another one of those 'ask an Uchiha' things.

Once they had all entered Kiba's suite, as if he could sense them at once, Kankuro showed up. Naruto thought it a real feat that Kankuro had made it down his own private elevator, crossed the private hall in the lobby, and made it up this private elevator just a few short minutes after they had entered the suite themselves. He attributed it to those vampire powers, whatever they were. He'd really have to ask someone about that soon. This was not the time, though, because Kankuro came into the suite looking absolutely murderous.

Deidara was instantly on the defensive. It wasn't like Deidara and Kankuro weren't friends though, so Naruto wondered what the big deal was. Why was Deidara so bristled? It could have just been Deidara's natural defensiveness taking over—if any vampire came in looking as angry as Kankuro did now, it wouldn't be senseless to get defensive. But why was Kankuro looking so angry to begin with? If Naruto thought about it, Kankuro seemed to be honing in on him, and Deidara was slowly placing himself as a blockade in between the two. Fuck. What had Naruto done? When Kankuro blatantly ignored Deidara's warning hisses, Deidara released a full-blown growl and placed himself firmly in Kankuro's way. The noise startled Naruto, but Kankuro was unfazed. He stopped his advance but continued to glare solely at Naruto as he spoke.

"What are you thinking, you fucking idiot?!" Kankuro spat.

Yep, definitely mad at Naruto.

Naruto shook his head in confusion. "I-I don't know what you're talking about," he replied, shaken.

In truth, he was kind of scared silly. His heart pounded double time in his chest as he thought about his plan to approach Gaara. Kankuro had been adamant that no one, under any circumstances, were to approach Gaara. If a message was to be relayed to him, Kankuro or Temari would do it themselves. Naruto and Kiba had agreed at the time, but Naruto really paid it no mind. That is, not until this very moment. Was that what Kankuro meant? Did he somehow know of Naruto's plan? How, though? Naruto had only come up with it less than an hour ago. It wasn't like he'd told anyone either. Kankuro snarled and, to Naruto's surprise, Deidara wheeled around on him too.

"What are you thinking, you fucking idiot?!" Deidara exclaimed. After a moment, Deidara groaned. "Oh, I'm an idiot! I should have seen that coming! What if you had... oh my god... I wouldn't have even known!"

Naruto was confused, to say the least. Deidara should really start speaking in full, comprehensible sentences. Naruto was going to comment on that, until Kankuro spoke again.

"I've been watching Gaara like a hawk. Anything directed at him goes right through me. If you weren't looking and it wasn't a particularly intense feeling, how would you know?" Kankuro said to the back of Deidara's head in what appeared to be an attempt at consolation, or something of that sort. Deidara glanced back at him momentarily and nodded in agreement or understanding, or something of that sort, before turning back to scrutinize Naruto.

"You're not going to talk to him," Deidara said firmly. "He might kill you. I can feel the malcontent radiating off of him right now." Naruto raised a confused brow. What was going on? How did they know what he was thinking and how did they know what Gaara was thinking or feeling or whatever? Just how? His eyes must have been questioning enough, because Kankuro explained.

"We can feel what you feel, Naruto," Kankuro said matter-of-factly. "If we're looking for it, even the tiniest of emotions is palpable. If it's strong enough, we'll pick up on it automatically. You can't hide anything from us. I don't know what you're thinking, but I do know what you're feeling. You feel angry, upset, betrayed, and it's all directed at one specific redhead dwelling across the hall. I can feel your need for answers, your need for change. Not only that, but I can feel Gaara's inclination to provide none of that. Speaking with him will be fruitless, dangerous, and flat-out stupid."

Naruto pondered this for a short moment. So this was one of their vampire powers. Naruto had to admit that it was kind of awesome, even if it was being used against him right now. If he thought about it, it wasn't really being used against him though. Kankuro and Deidara were just trying to keep him safe.

After a few moments, Naruto shrugged. There was no point in arguing. "I won't bother him then," he said, "since you feel so strongly about it."

Deidara dropped his defense-gone-offense immediately, feeling that Naruto's answer was good enough for him. He was instantly back in good spirits. Kankuro, however, seemed a bit more scrutinizing, thinking that Naruto gave in a bit too easily. He could feel the agreeance radiating off of Naruto though, and he couldn't argue with that, so he gave in shortly after. Deidara kept a wary eye on Kankuro nonetheless. Naruto guessed that Deidara was just picking up on some underlying emotions in Kankuro. Naruto just hoped that none of those underlying emotions were aimed at him. He would definitely like Kankuro on his side. You know, in case Gaara decided to break out and attack. Kankuro was the only one who could urge Gaara into submiss with a simple look of his eye. Although, Naruto mused that Gaara's father might also have the same effect. He really hoped that he'd never find out though.

Deidara only hung around for another hour or so before returning to Itachi. Naruto was sad to see him go too. The two blonds had grown close. Deidara was just so easy to get along with. In fact, he was just like an older version of both Naruto and Kiba. That was why the pair of younger men loved him to no end. Kiba, however, was lost in his sad state of seemingly eternal depression, so Naruto and Deidara were one man short. Not that it really mattered. They had just as much fun without Kiba, though it did feel a bit off without his spirit. Kankuro stuck around, as he always did, but he, thankfully, had lost his edge. He would occasionally tense up, but Naruto attributed that to him feeling around Gaara's mind and stumbling upon some things that he didn't like.

When it was dark, Naruto finally decided to go home. He wanted to stay the night, but Kiba had insisted otherwise. Tomorrow would be their last free day before school started and it was logical for them to focus on preparing. Naruto insisted that they could focus on preparing together, but he understood Kiba's point of view and he expected Kiba to be just as insistent. So, in the end, he agreed reluctantly. He had to remind himself that Kankuro would watch Kiba like a hawk and that Gaara would probably rather kill someone on the streets before feeding on Kiba again anyway to be at ease. When Kankuro and Naruto were situated by the curb and waiting for Naruto's taxi, Kankuro gave Naruto four packs of chocolate as well as three syringes filled with a translucent, blue liquid, all in a plastic bag, like he'd just bought it at Walmart.

"The chocolate is laced with anti-venom," Kankuro began, "and that's pure anti-venom in the syringes. If someone tries to attack you, stick it right here." Kankuro touched a spot on his own neck as a demonstration.

Naruto recognized it as the special spot that Kiba had so often rubbed to calm Gaara down. He faintly wondered if that was a special spot for all vampires. Sure, jabbing your thumb into the hinge of anyone's jaw would be effective, but Naruto wondered if a gentler touch it had the same calming effect that it had on Gaara. He made a mental note to try it out on someone like Sasuke before Kankuro interrupted his train of thought.

"Not that you have to stick it there," Kankuro added. "If someone attacks you, just sticking it anywhere would be good. Use it sparingly though. It's kind of expensive. Use chocolate when you can."

Naruto chuckled flippantly. "It's like you expect me to get attacked everywhere I go," he said jokingly. Kankuro's lack of amusement worried Naruto into thinking that, perhaps, he truly was in constant danger.

After a moment, Kankuro responded seriously. "You do smell appetizing, and your reputation as Sasuke's pet isn't gonna be much help if you're never seen with him," he pointed out. "The sheer fear alone of touching what's Sasuke's will keep them at bay, but they'll get daring the less that Sasuke is seen actually protecting you. Then, someone will make the first move. After that, you're helpless."

Naruto raised a brow. "How are humans even still alive? Your race is brutal."

Kankuro snorted. "You aren't just..." He paused and reworded his response. "You're different, Naruto. People want to get their hands on you for... reasons." Naruto watched Kankuro expectantly for a short moment, sure that Kankuro was getting at something really significant. He went on with something disappointing though, something that felt like a dodge to Naruto, and he wasn't convinced that Kankuro had intended to say it at first. "People would like to get their hands on someone like you, someone who has been claimed by a child of such power as the Uchiha or Sundama. It would be the sweetest act of rebellion if they could get something important to someone important."

"Itachi, Sasuke, Gaara, Temari, myself, we're all targeted just for being us," Kankuro went on. "They think you're Sasuke's and, even if you're not, you're also our friend. Getting to you would be getting to us." Kankuro paused for a moment and it looked a lot like he was picking and choosing his words wisely, leading Naruto to believe that the truth was being conveniently left out. When were people going to just start telling him what the fuck was going on? "There are many who oppose VSAF and would like nothing more than to make that known by doing something like taking what is ours, something like you or even Kiba."

"That's all?" Naruto asked, unimpressed. "That's the only reason you worry about me? Because I'm your soft spot?"

He waited impatiently as Kankuro pondered what he should say. Why was everyone always pondering, pausing, calculating, weighing their fucking words? Why didn't anyone just say what they were thinking? When did the secrets stop? Naruto could see that there was something more, some information that Kankuro wasn't sure he should divulge, but Naruto didn't feel like being left out of the loop anymore.

"What is it?" Naruto asked, his tone demanding.

Just then, the cab pulled up to the curb and Kankuro's attention was drawn away. He stepped forward and opened the door, and Naruto could literally see the chances of Kankuro divulging anything more drain away.

"Taxi's here," Kankuro said quietly, pointing out the obvious.

Naruto narrowed his eyes into a glare. "What is it, Kankuro?" he demanded again.

Kankuro simply urged Naruto toward the vehicle's open door with a gentle hand. "That's another conversation for another day," he said. "You'll know in time. I promise. Until then, be vigilant and don't hesitate to call on me." As Naruto slid begrudgingly into the car, Kankuro watched him. When Naruto was settled and looking back up at him, he bent over and supported his weight with an arm slung over the top of the car. "Call my name, and I will come. Wherever you are, I will hear and I will answer. I'm always listening, Naruto."

Could Kankuro really hear him no matter what? Naruto looked imploringly into Kankuro's dark eyes for a long moment, trying to decipher what he saw there until Kankuro spoke again. "Understand?" he asked softly.

Naruto nodded and Kankuro nodded back before closing the door. Naruto continued to watch him through the window as the cab started moving away. For a few short seconds, Kankuro remained. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was gone. All Naruto saw was the door to the lobby slowly swinging shut.

~ (^.^) (^.^) ~

Naruto woke comfortably cocooned in his blankets. He yawned and stretched before lazily rolling his eyes to check the time on his alarm clock. Five in the afternoon. Had he really been that tired? He slowly removed himself from his shell of blankets, wondering if it was even worth getting out of bed at this hour. He picked up his phone to see three missed calls from Kiba though. Quickly, he dialed the number back and dressed. Kiba was worth anything.

When Kiba answered, he explained that he was simply bored and seeking company. He offered for Naruto to go over and stay the night, admitting that it had been lonelier than he'd expected without Naruto there. Plus, they had the same 8 o'clock philosophy class the next morning, both having already gone to their orientation three days prior. Naruto agreed happily and, for once, drove his own car to Kiba's. He was glad to see Temari waiting for him in the guest parking lot, not that he honestly felt that he needed protection. However, Kankuro's ominous words had sort of shaken him.

The rest of the day was spent with Kiba in much better spirits. Temari, Kankuro, and Naruto joined forces and actually got him to laugh. He was looking like the old Kiba in no time, and it was refreshing. They went to sleep rather early, even though Naruto wasn't entirely sure he'd be able to sleep after having slept so long into the day. He didn't want to sit alone in the suite though, so he retired to the guest bedroom anyway. He lay awake most of the night and when he was woken by Kiba early in the morning, he found that he didn't really feel all that tired anyway.

They went to campus with Kankuro and Temari, Naruto practically bouncing around like a rubber ball with excitement the entire time, and made their way to their very first class as university students. Naruto was glad that he wasn't fawned over all day. He was able to make it through the entire day without Kankuro or Temari escorting him everywhere as he had expected they would do. They seemed to trust in his capability to protect himself for the most part, and he was thankful for that. He loved them, but he was glad for the breathing room.

Naruto had two classes with Kiba. Philosophy and Math. Naruto had been happy to make friends on the first day too. He and Kiba together, especially with Kiba's renewed high spirits, seemed to be social magnets. They had met a pink-haired girl in their Philosophy class named Sakura and her blonde friend, Ino. In Math, they came across a pair of friends, Shikamaru and Chouji. The four men decided to spend lunch together. By chance, they met Ino and Sakura again in the cafeteria as well. The group hit it off pretty damn well too. Sakura and Ino even flagged over their friend Neji, his cousin Hinata, and his girlfriend TenTen. All of which fit in perfectly.

Naruto and Kiba had to part ways after lunch though. Naruto was pleased to see that he had Shikamaru, Hinata, and Neji in his Earth Science course though. The only thing that was wrong with his first day was the lack of Sasuke. He got over the lack of Gaara pretty fast, not even sure that Gaara hadn't just dropped out of university altogether, but he was really hoping to have had at least one class with Sasuke. However, he did still have the next day's schedule, so all wasn't lost.

Perhaps he'd given up too soon though. When he walked into his Arts History class at the end of the day, he saw a very familiar head of Sasuke hair, and his heart stopped. Sasuke looked right at Naruto the very moment that Naruto's heart stuttered too. His face was blank, but it quickly contorted into a displeased scowl before turning away again. Naruto all but sprinted up the steps in the lecture hall to claim a seat beside Sasuke, all thoughts of Sasuke's obvious distaste for him forgotten. He simply wanted to occupy space beside Sasuke.

Naruto had never really factored in the fact that Sasuke literally hated him when he'd devised his plan to "become close" with the Uchiha, but Sasuke allowed Naruto to stay in his seat without hassle. He did ignore Naruto resolutely for the bulk of the time though. He didn't speak to Naruto, so Naruto eventually gave up his attempts at small talk. The excitement of being next to Sasuke never waned. Sasuke likely picked up on it too because Naruto caught the tiny smirks that Sasuke sported when Naruto would get especially worked up, like when Sasuke would accidentally brush against him or look his way. Naruto was simply elated to be next to Sasuke. He vaguely recalled that there was a reason for wanting to have a class with the guy, but he had long forgotten it.

After a very pleasing first day, Naruto got a text from Kiba telling him that he just wanted to be alone for a while. Naruto agreed in understanding, figuring that Kankuro and Temari would do a decent enough job at cheering up his friend, so he went home himself. As he made his way across campus back to his car, he remembered his objectives with Sasuke. He was supposed to be figuring Sasuke out, worming his way into the Uchiha's heart so that he would spill some of those secrets that Naruto wanted to hear. Well, he supposed that flattering Sasuke with his obvious desire to be next to the bastard was one way to worm into his heart.

It was deeper than just some curiosity too though, wasn't it? He did want to be close to Sasuke just to be close, didn't he? Even if Sasuke never wanted to share his deep, dark secrets, Naruto still wanted to worm his way into that heart anyway, right? Right. This was more than some stupid plot to satiate his curiosity. He truly wanted to know Sasuke because he truly cared. There was just some weird magnetic force between the two, like some string drawing them together. There was just the minor snag of Sasuke detesting Naruto, but Naruto was confident that he could melt Sasuke's heart with the right amount of charm.

In high spirits, Naruto drove home, plotting all the while about how he could win Sasuke's heart. But then a thought suddenly struck him, a very important thought indeed. First, he had to convince Sasuke to help Kiba and Gaara with their relationship issues. That was the most important thing here. Sasuke's secrets could stay secrets and his heart could stay frozen, Naruto decided. Although, that didn't mean that his curiosity or determination had dissipated. It was just that Kiba was more important at the time. He was suffering without Gaara and Naruto needed Sasuke's help to fix everything. Plus, there was no guarantee that his attempts at gaining headway with Sasuke wouldn't backfire. If he pissed Sasuke off even more, then Sasuke would never agree to help. So that mission would just have to wait.

Naruto took to pondering about how and when he could most effectively request Sasuke's services on mission "Save Gaara and Kiba". Then, he took to pondering about what he could even do to save Gaara and Kiba. He thought hard as he drove, and he'd just decided on a final plan when he pulled into his designated parking spot at his apartment complex. It wasn't an elaborate plan. It was actually really, really simple. It was, more or less, just forcing Gaara and Kiba together and hoping that they got along. Okay, so it was kind of a terrible plan, but Naruto was proud of it nonetheless, and he was still going to execute it.

Pleased with himself, Naruto made himself a cup of ramen and watched TV for a bit to just relax. Soon, he was settling down for an early night, feeling rather excited about his classes the next day. He had English, History, and Art, and he was wondering if he'd see any of his new friends in those classes too. His pleasant thoughts were quickly replaced by a stifling sadness though. He began to remember his father, Jiraiya, his farm. Sure, he had grown attached to this place too, but that didn't stop him from missing the country. He missed his old life.

As he dwelt on the memory of his parents, whom he could never see again, his heart was overwhelmed with grief. Why was it hurting so much right now? He simply couldn't dispel the ache in his chest. It grew in intensity until he felt a wetness on his cheeks. Recognizing that he could not always be the cheerful person he portrayed on the outside, he resigned to the onslaught of emotion and sobbed into his pillow instead. If he couldn't be rid of it, then he'd just have to get it out of his system. If he thought about it, he never really did mourn his father. He'd just pushed it to the back of his mind, choosing to focus on less painful things. Not that there was an abundance of those types of things, seeing as he had lost his home to strangers and his godfather to travels around the same time as losing his father.

He faintly heard a rustle from his living room, a sound nearly drowned out by his sobs. It was out of place enough to alert him though, so he choked back the tears and slowly crept to his bedroom doorway. He heard another rustle but when he peeked out of the doorway, there was nothing. He let it go, convincing himself that it was just paranoia and nothing more. It did serve as a decent distraction long enough for the grief to subside significantly. He thought that, perhaps, now he would be able to sleep. He curled back up in bed and took a few deep, calming breaths. He was slowly drifting off to sleep when he heard another rustle from the living room. He paid it no mind, thinking it was just his imagination again.

Before he knew it, though, something was on top of him. He was flipped over onto his stomach, his face buried in his pillow, with a weight settled onto his lower back. His hands were trapped under his chest and both of his shoulders were being pushed firmly into the bed, preventing him from struggling too much. In the madness of panic, he very vaguely remembered Kankuro's promise for protection. He didn't think about how insane it seemed. He just reacted.

"KANKURO!" he screamed desperately into the pillow, hoping that, by some miracle, Kankuro would actually hear him.

He cried out again, this time in pain, as something sharp slashed across his back. His attacker pushed his shoulders even further into the mattress and Naruto became overly aware of just how little he could breathe. He felt hot blood oozing from the wound and whimpered when he felt lips on the gash. His attacker groaned appreciatively and Naruto felt sick as something hard in the intruder's nether region poked into his back. It was painfully unpleasant as his attacker slowly trailed their lips through the blood and up to the base of Naruto's neck. He paused, letting his hot breath rest there. Then, the fear of being raped washed over Naruto, a thought that was thrown to the back of his mind when he felt sharp teeth poking lightly against his neck.

He wanted to fight, but the lack of oxygen was making him faint. He was suffocating and he was going to be raped and he was going to be bitten by a vampire and he was probably going to turn into one too! His attacker grabbed a fistful of Naruto's hair and offered the blond a reprieve, forcing his head sideways so that he could breathe properly. Naruto's vision was swimming, keeping him from seeing who it was, not that he was even worried about that at the moment. He was just glad that he could breathe again. He weakly tried to fight, but that only caused his attacker to chuckle darkly.

"You won't get away," the man whispered. The voice seemed familiar, but Naruto couldn't quite pin it. It sent terrible shivers down his spine and caused all of his nerves to seize. He felt frozen, immobile, and weak. "You're mine," the man added. Naruto tried to gulp down his dread, still panting heavily, but that only made him want to hurl.

"Kankuro," he whispered again in a pathetic plea for help.

He tried in vain to focus on his attacker, but his vision was still blurred to all hell. He felt those teeth prod at his neck again and he sucked in a sharp breath. He shut his eyes in horrified anticipation, but he felt, instead, the weight lift off of his back abruptly. The force with which his attacker was removed caused the man's teeth to scrape deep gashes across his shoulder and Naruto cried out involuntarily in pain. He had the wits to be thankful that it wasn't a bite, completely unaware that he had been infected with venom either way. He lay there for a few moments, coping with the pain. Then, he heard a deep, animalistic growl emanate from his living room, and he snapped into action.

His vision finally having cleared enough to be useful again, he jumped out of bed. The movement sent a whole other wave of dizziness to his head, but he staggered quickly to the doorway of his bedroom. Feeling his limbs get heavier with every step and his breath grow more labored, he slumped against the door frame for support. These were new sensations that hadn't been there just moments before. This was unlike being nearly suffocated. It was far worse.

He felt completely exhausted, but he also felt like he would die if he closed his eyes. To his dismay, his vision started swimming again, only much more drastically this time. His legs buckled and he slid down his door frame, sucking in ragged breaths. He felt unconsciousness weighing heavily upon him. He registered the sound of a few loud noises and some words being exchanged—things that he couldn't decipher properly—before he focused entirely on the sensation of falling as he slumped forward toward the ground. He was swept off his feet and lain back down in his bed before ever meeting the ground though. He groaned weakly in pain as he was maneuvered to lie on his stomach.

"I'm sorry. Forgive me," his savior whispered.

"Wh...?" Naruto began to ask in his confusion. This person had just saved him. Why was he apologizing?

Naruto understood, though, as soon as he felt teeth scrape against the gash on his shoulder. He whimpered in pain, but felt far too weak to truly protest. At first, the sickness and exhaustion multiplied exponentially, causing Naruto to think that he really, honest to god was going to die. However, his savior sucked along the entire gash and Naruto could feel his strength returning quickly. His delirium was quickly lifting, and he rationalized that it had to be Kankuro. There was no one else that it could be. It definitely wasn't Gaara because, even in that haze, anyone would have been able to make out a head of flaming red hair.

He understood that Kankuro must have been removing venom and using a great deal of will power to do so. After many very long, very agonizing moments, Naruto heard Kankuro gasp desperately for air and watched as he staggered backwards across the room until he slammed into the wall. Then, he slowly crouched down and huddled into a ball. Naruto didn't feel the effects of the venom anymore, but he still felt tired and woozy. His eyes still couldn't focus properly. He watched Kankuro from the bed, hating how much he resembled Gaara in a bloodlust craze.

Even through the blur that was his vision, Kankuro looked different. But that would be expected, right? No one would look the same when they're blurry. The guy was tall, lean, and had dark hair. That was generally what Kankuro looked like. Naruto wanted to speak, to be reassured, but sleep was beckoning and he just couldn't open his mouth or fight for consciousness. Before he knew it, he was engulfed by blackness.

To be continued...