Sasuke walked into the dining hall with his hands resting idly in his pockets as he observed the people around. His Beta was talking and his Gamma was regarding them with his usual nonchalance, but he was paying close attention.

"So, you met the heir?" Naruto asked, although confused. "I can't smell his scent around you."

"He can control his scent, Naruto." Shikamaru said.

"Yes, I know that but the alpha said that he'd loosened it when he had shown up. Shouldn't there be any trace of his scent, especially when the alpha had made contact with his body?" He glanced at Sasuke and muttered. "Almost killing him?"

"True." Sasuke responded. "But he'd also burst into a thick ball of black smoke.

"He evaporated?!"

Shikamaru sighed. "Clearly that wasn't his true form."

Naruto's face was blank. "I am so lost."

"Then find yourself."

"Are you sure he didn't turn into a bat and deceived the alpha and fled?"

"Tch"

"The heir did not appear in his true self, that might have been a sacrificial bat but that is definitely how he looks." Shikamaru decided to help. "Get this, this heir has powers like Masashi. I read in an ancient book about the creatures of Isekai and found out about how uniquely powerful vampires could transfer their blood to another of their kind. They will take their form, but they won't be the real one."

"Like a clone?"

Shikamaru was silent for awhile. "Yes, something like that." Then he added. "There were actually two people in Raikanrando, apart from the heir, who possessed such power. Masashi and one other lycan, but I couldn't get his name. He must've been circled out for a crime he did." He saw Sasuke nod at him in confirmation.

"So wait, Masashi can do that too." Naruto's eyes widened, remembering all those times he saw the old priestess sometimes smiling at him and sometimes glaring at him to death, like he'd done something wrong. And it was only him. He never understood what went on in that old lady's head but he was concerned. Now, it all made sense.

"If she can find test subjects to sacrifice, yes." Sasuke said. "But she's not an evil one."

Naruto shook his head slowly, staring strangely at Sasuke. "You can never know."

Sasuke eyed him before going back to observe the crowd, finding a vacant table to settle down on. She was here and he knew it, he'd seen her when he had come in and had decided to watch her as she talked with a chatty blonde.

He chose a spot that was three tables away from hers and sat in a way that he would be able to see her properly without distractions.

"So, now that we got the heir, the next thing is to concoct a plan that'll capture him."

"We can't capture him if we don't have any knowledge of his abilities." Shikamaru replied.

"Then we make up a plan to find out what he can do."

"You keep saying make up a plan without actually making up any."

"I'm just saying to add to the point."

"Try adding 'this is a plan' to the point."

Naruto looked at Shikamaru. "You know you're the brain of our pack even though you're lazy and a procrastinator."

Shikamaru's eyes lowered as he tiredly sighed. How did this become my life?

Naruto suddenly became serious. "Vampires have weaknesses. Can't we use that against them?"

"We could." Sasuke glanced at them both. "But fighting him is more direct." In Raikanrando, Lycans tested each other's strengths by dueling, but in this case, Sasuke meant a full blown fight.

"Shouldn't we watch him first?" Naruto frowned. "Now that we know his face and that he is ,in fact, in the university."

"Spying on someone is like a pitiful creature without self esteem." Sasuke remarked. "We will not look stupid just because we want to know more about him." Lycans had this proud fighting personality. They would always challenge their opponent head on without beating around the bush.

"At this point we have nothing on the heir or how powerful he is. We know Masashi for one, but she's a priestess and she locks herself up in that shabby old shrine."

"Naruto." Shikamaru warned. "The royal family has immunity against the antics of beings, but not entirely against Masashi because most of her medicines works on them. This means that the heir has a likely stronghold against..." He glanced at their alpha.

"Let's do both then." Sasuke said. "Using the pale freaks weaknesses against him and fighting him. That way we can analyse his fighting skill and his perception of combating his opponents, the pros and cons of fighting him, and if he is liable to most weaknesses."

Both men nodded, agreeing with the alpha before Naruto said something.

"We should let Kakashi sensei know." He looked at both of them. "Alpha , you told us that he was suspicious of the situation he found you in. It would be good to have a reliable ally on this, maybe that way, he'll tell us what he's doing here."

"It is, but Kakashi is subject to the Supreme Alpha. You think he will hesitate to spill out everything?"

"I trust Kakashi sensei."

"Have you forgotten, Naruto?" Shikamaru looked at him. "The submissive hearts of Lycans in lower hierarchy to the King?"

Naruto bit his lower lip. "Right."

"Kakashi is the only lycan lord I trust among all the other lords." Sasuke said. "But as Shikamaru said, it's futile. My father is one old horn, nothing gets past him unnoticed."

Silence settled in their midst, until Naruto spoke up again. "I almost forgot, we met Karin."

Sasuke frowned, looking at him. "What's a Karen?"

"Apparently, it's Karin." Shikamaru said.

"She's a Calypso." Naruto told him. "She said she met you before but you didn't recognise her. Red hair, red rimmed glasses, and a weird looking haircut?"

Sasuke squinted his eyes as he tried to remember. Red hair? He shook his head. He didn't know. "What did the creature want?"

"She asked to join in alliance with us for the war."

Sasuke's frown deepened. "Why?"

"Didn't state her reason." Naruto shook his head. "Only that she had a thousand mermaids under her command."

Sasuke thought for awhile. Having more allies on their side was essential for the war, but he wasn't ready to accept just yet. "She should come and plead her cause herself. I would like to hear what she'll have to say."

"Right. And..." Naruto looked down and studied the lines on his palms, watching from his peripheral vision, as Shikamaru looked away and started paying attention to two professors walking by. "my mate is a Gorgon."

The silence that followed was threatening.

"What?"

Naruto looked up at him. "I met my mate today and she's a Gorgon."

One Neji Hyuga's distasteful face flashed in his mind. "A Gorgon? What is a Gorgon doing in the human world? Is she on some kind of solo mission?"

"Hehe." Naruto chuckled wryly as he scratched the back of his neck, looking uncertain. "Not really."

Shikamaru!

Unavailable.

"Not. Really?"

So, Naruto told him about his mate, the serpent's basin and her reason for fleeing, making sure to keep his explanation very detailed for the Alpha's comprehension.

"Is that all?" Sasuke asked when his Beta finished talking.

He nodded.

"How are you sure she isn't lying to you?"

"Alpha, I know you have your doubts but she isn't. I know that for a fact, apart from who she is, purity and innocence is a part of her lovely scent."

"Naruto." The Alpha began as he gave his Beta a scary look. "If these lousy snakeheaded people betray us, I am holding you responsible."

Naruto steadily held his gaze. "And I concur, alpha."

Sasuke averted his gaze and looked in the direction of his mate again. He watched as her face instantly went pale after the blonde told her something while holding her hands.

"Hey, the Luna was right in front of us all along." He heard Naruto say as he looked in the same direction with him, with Shikamaru following.

The scowl on Sasuke's face became more evident when he saw his mate stand up abruptly, looking strange. And the next thing that happened was all it took for him to disappear from his seat.

He was near her in seconds and wrapped his arms around her before she could hit the cold floor. He studied her features intently, wondering why she had passed out.

Clearly he didn't realise that the whole dining hall had gone silent and everyone was now staring at him in awe. Only the sound of her panicky friend could be heard.

"He runs relays." Naruto told the curious crowd that were expanding by the second and whispering as he and Shikamaru neared their alpha and his mate. "He runs relays, that's why he's fast." He waved his arm.

"That's pretty inhuman, even for an athlete." Someone said.

Naruto shot the person an unimpressed look before ignoring him and turning to their Luna. "Is she alright?"

Sasuke watched the details of his mate's pale face and unconscious figure with a frown. Without saying anything, he put one arm under her knees and the other behind the small of her back and rose to his feet.

He made a move towards the exit but stopped when a hand suddenly dropped on his mate's. He turned his head and saw a blonde glaring at him.

She looked from the three of them, eyeing them harshly. "Who are you people? And what do you want with my friend?"

Not trusting Sasuke's reaction, especially with the way he was drilling death glares into the blonde for stopping him, Naruto spoke first. "We're her friends. He's actually her course mate." He pointed at Sasuke.

Nice try. "I've never seen you before." She gripped her unconscious friend's hand and glared back at Sasuke. "Will you put her down?" She said through gritted teeth.

Naruto looked around as the crowd started muttering. He put out his hands. "Wa..."

"What happened to her?" Sasuke's voice was so icy and deadly that she felt intimidated and almost cowered, but she was quick to hold her fort.

"Put her down or I'm calling the police."

Sasuke's face went animatedly dark. "Since you do not want to state what happened, you're of no use."

Naruto's eyes went wide. "Alph..."

"It's okay, I know them." A deep, husky voice said from behind them, and everyone turned their heads.

A tall redhead stood there, looking at them expressionlessly. Naruto's eyes widened some more when he saw him and Shikamaru frowned, straightening up.

"Gaara." the blonde looked happy to see him. "Thank goodness you're here." She said as he walked over to them. "These guys here claimed to know Sakura and tried to kidnap her."

"We actually didn't..." Naruto tried saying but was interrupted by his alpha who was scowling at the red-head.

"Sabaku no Gaara."

Gaara glared at him back. "Never thought I'd live to see your face again, Uchiha Sasuke."

"You know them?" Ino asked, still looking suspicious.

"Ino, you can wait outside in the car with Kankuro." Gaara said. "Leave them to me."

Ino was hesitant. She glanced at the unconscious figure of her friend secured in the arms of the scary, tall man. "But Sakura..."

"I'll bring her with me. You get going." Gaara replied, giving her a look that surpassed her stubborn own. She sighed and walked out of the dining hall, giving one last worried glance at Sakura.

"I'll be taking my sister now, thanks for your help." Gaara said dryly and reached for Sakura, only to stop mid way when he noticed the alpha's hands tightening. He sighed hotly. He didn't want to face this lycan alpha right now.

And Sasuke didn't want to deal with this rogue Omega right away. "Move out of the way, she's my mate."

"There's no way she's your sister." Naruto said, exchanging looks with Shikamaru. "Right?"

Gaara narrowed his eyes at Sasuke. "I know that," which is why I'm pissed, "but you have no business here. Get lost."

"My mate is unconscious in my arms right now." Sasuke glowered at him. "Move aside, Omega, or I will make you pay for foolishly wagging your tongue."