As soon as Ino and Hinata's planes had touched down, they were able to reach her and Ino had planned that they meet at a restaurant beside the university the next day. She said something about being eaten up from the inside and that she had a lot of questions to ask her. Sakura anticipated just how much.

The next day, after they had exchanged pleasantries and Ino had hugged the life out of her, they were seated at the table and had ordered cups of coffee but they were quiet.

It's too quiet. Sakura thought as she observed her friends. Ino was drilling holes into her body with calculating stares and Hinata was twirling her cup in her hand. Sakura felt like she was at judgement seat. It was funny to her because this same blonde friend of hers was hugging the breath out of her a while ago. Sakura was looking at everywhere except Ino, sometimes she'd glance at Hinata who'd sheepishly smile and look away. No clue, huh.

She cleared her throat and decided to hold Ino's gaze. "So, how was your journey?"

Hinata looked up and smiled. "Mine was great..."

"Our journeys can wait." Ino narrowed her eyes at the pinkette who widened her eyes at her.

What did I do? She seemed to say.

"You have a boyfriend that I didn't know about." Ino said, as a matter-of-fact.

Right. She remembered that was what Gaara told them. How would she put this? "Ehn... it's... I ... yes." She averted her gaze. Was that really okay? Was that really what she should've answered?

Ino raised one brow as she leaned forward, propping her elbows up on the table beside the menus and cups. "Really?"

Sakura sighed subtly. It's now or never. "Yes."

Ino tapped a finger unto the table until a broad smile broke out on her face. "To think that you would be able to bag a man sooner than two years."

Sakura glared at her mockingly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Hinata laughed softly and Ino continued to chuckle. "I'm just joking. No man would be able to say no to you, I mean, look at you, your forehead is as proud as ever and your character is like a mountain hike, sweet but unpredictable, you're gorgeous."

Is that supposed to be a compliment?Sakura rolled her eyes playfully, waving a hand dismissively. "I could say the same about you. You just came back and you look like you walked out of a bird's nest."

Ino gasped, placing a hand on her heart dramatically. "This," she motioned her hand over her vintage stylish attire which looked like a band of inflated clothing plus the colourful feathers on a top hat, "is a Victorian work of art, a piece of peacock's personality. It is fashion."

Sakura groaned. A peacock's personality? "Kinda wished you never took literature. You're abusing it." She smirked at her, raising her cup.

Ino shook her head at her as she raised hers and clinked it with the pinkette and bluenette. "So, who's the guy?" She hummed and bounced her eyebrows.

Sakura's hand froze, her cup stopping midway to her lips. Who's the guy? She laughed nervously as she put the cup down.

"Hmm?" Ino took a sip, watching Sakura.

"His name is Sasuke." She said as simply as she could. She didn't want to try explaining the other world and the supernatural beings to them, maybe later, but not now.

"Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke." Ino probed her mind. "I don't think I... wait." The time Sakura passed out after hearing the news of Uncle Rasa's death and a tall, intimidating but good looking man showing up, came flooding into her mind. Her eyes widened as she remembered. "Sasuke?!"

Sakura nodded. Play it cool. Ino's a sniffling detection machine. She can figure out that something's up. "Yes, he's my boyfriend." It sounds so weird saying it.

"Wait, wait wait, pull the brakes, reverse it, hold up the stop sign!"

Sakura mumbled into her cup. "No one's with a stop sign, just so you know."

A male waiter walked over to them and glanced at an overwhelmed blonde to a sheepish pinkette to a shy bluenette, clueless at what was going on. He'd been sent here because this table had only ordered coffee and french fries since their arrival. He tried to find his voice, hoping he wasn't interrupting their interesting conversation. "Do you need anything, ladies?"

Hinata looked at him and smiled. "No, thank you."

"Alright, enjoy yourselves." He bowed and exited himself from their midst.

"You are dating that man? The tall, dark haired, cold-hearted man?" Ino's eyes widened some more as she stared Sakura down.

"He's not cold-hearted. He just doesn't talk that much."

"Oh, you're down bad." Ino shook her head. "The first time we met, he looked like he wanted to rip my head off."

Sakura blushed faintly. "Yeah, he sometimes looks like that." Me? Down bad? It's too early.

"I can't believe you got hooked up with him. I was thinking it was going to be Kosei, since, you know, he was the loco person you were talking about."

Sakura watched her in bewilderment. "Kosei wasn't the crazy person I was talking about. It was Sasuke!"

Ino's jaw dropped. "No way!" She paused. "Oh my gosh, I was matchmaking you with someone you didn't even know."

"I didn't know both of them then." Sakura deadpanned.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Probably because you were poised on ruining my life."

Ino smirked. "Meh, I had my share of fun, plus he kept staring at you like he was on cloud nine. You've grown, I'm so proud.."

"Don't go there." You don't know half of it.

Ino laughed. "Finally, you have a boyfriend. I get why you are staying with him, but I hope he's not planning on making you entirely his. He looks like someone who doesn't share. You belong to us too."

Sakura threw a french fry at her. "I belong to no one."

Ino picked up the french fry. "I'll use this as a testimony of your possession, a fire dancing in the cold." Then she ate it nonchalantly.

"Make sense for once." Sakura threw another fry at her, and she ate it.

"I really thought I had lot of questions to ask."

At the end, all three of them broke out in laughter and chatters. Hinata talked about the progress and growth of her team's business, especially in the business world. Ino, gladly, talked about how she was made best model in her set and asked the Sai artist out on a date, which ended in fifty fifty because the pale skinned hottie didn't talk much and every other thing that came out of his mouth was offensively blunt, but it was still a date. Sakura laughed at that.

It was a great day, a really, really great day. Sakura thought as she stared at her reflection in the vanity mirror, performing her usual ritual of pampering her face before going to bed. She felt refreshed talking with her friends. She hoped there will be more outing since they were on a break from school but then the thought of those demons coming after them crossed her mind and she stopped what she was doing.

She lowered her gaze. They might be in danger if they stay with her too long. Her life was already dangerous as it was and they didn't even know a thing about it.

She was itching to tell them. She wanted to tell them. It left a bad taste in her tongue knowing they were ignorant of what was going on, but she needed someone's remark. She looked up, frowning in determination at herself. She has to speak with Sasuke about it.

Suddenly, she caught sight of a figure behind her in the mirror and her body went still. Only her hand moved as it stretched slowly towards a hairpin on the table. She stood up suddenly, riling her head around to look at the man in her room, who was sitting on the couch.

When she saw him, her jaw almost dropped. He was the most beautiful person she had ever seen. He was close to being a girl, if possible. He had god like flawless features, a sparkling skin, a chiseled jawline, a nose tall and straight, eyebrows carefully sculptured in archs, bright golden eyes piercing and soft, black hair shoulder length and silky with a light hint of gold. He looked gentle and harmless and there was a certain calm elevating from him. He sat cross-leggedly as he stared at her.

She tightened her hold over the hair pin she was holding behind her back as she swallowed. She glanced at the door. She didn't hear him come in, neither did she notice his presence after she'd walked in. And to make matters worse, Sasuke and the others weren't at home at the moment. They probably would've smelt him at least.

She tried to find her voice. "Who...who are you?"

Sadness coursed through his golden eyes as he smiled a little. "Child, how glad am I to see you."

Sakura opened her mouth to say something when she remembered that she knew that voice. Then her eyes widened. "You! You called me once." He was the unknown person who had called her after her first meeting with Sasuke.

He nodded gently. "I am glad I got to really see you."

Sakura frowned. "How did you get my number? I have never seen you before." She glanced at her phone lying idly on the table. She should make a quick dial at the guys' lines.

"You might not know this but I know you."

"Yeah, you made that pretty clear in your creepy phonecall." Immediately, she made a grab for her phone and mustered her shaky hands to dial a number, while stealing glances at the man.

He didn't move or try to stop her, he just smiled. "I know all about you and your parents."

Her thumb hung over the call button as she diverted her attention to him. "You knew my parents?"

"Yes." He answered gently. "They were pretty good people. Your mother had a heart of gold, though she was strict." He chuckled a little, studying the pattern on the floor. "Your father was a clown. He would crack lame jokes but only his offensive laughter was funny."

Sakura's hand dropped and her eyes watered. It was true, it was so true. Her parents were a lively bunch. She still remembered her mother's smile, her father trying to talk with his mouth full and her mother chiding him.

Then she heard the man's voice. "They didn't deserve to die."

The house burning, her parents in the middle of it all. She blinked back the tears that threatened to fall as she let out a shaky breath. "Yeah, that...that, uh..."

His eyes got serious. "Sakura, you must know something. Your life is in danger."

She nodded. "I know that much of it." Then she added. "You know me and my parents but I don't know you."

"I am a supernatural being. I couldn't mess with their destinies."

She scoffed. Right. "Tell me, who are you?"

"I don't have much time to explain that to you but be aware, people are going to die, more than you can ever imagine. Your friends, families, a lot of people."

Her heartbeat sped up. "The war, right?" The war between the lycans and the demons.

"Yes, Sakura, but you can do something about it."

She frowned. "Me?" What is he talking about?

"You are a human but you have a unique blood."

"My blood group is O."

"No, not that. Your blood can save many lives, Sakura Haruno."

"..."

"I did tell you that I was a supernatural being." He told her as he stood up, holding a vial in his hand. "All that's needed is a pint of your blood. Don't you want to save people? It would be pleasing to me if I could but I can't."

She eyed the oval shaped vial as he drew near.

"You can save people with your parents in mind. At least, you would be able to do something."

She breathed deeply, unsure. "You need my blood to save people from the war. What power does it have to be effective?"

"We'll see, shall we?"

Sakura frowned at the man, not liking the shadow that cast over his face as he smiled. "What did you say your name is again...ow." She winced when she felt a slight pain emerging from her thumb. She noticed that he had cut it deeply with a weird looking knife and was holding it over the vial. She looked up at him in awe. He's quick. She tried to pull her hand away, also noticing that the hairpin wasn't in her hand anymore. His grip was strong and he didn't pay attention to her until he was satisfied with the blob of reddish brown substance in the vial.

She scurried away from him, regarding him fearfully as he raised his head to meet hers. He smiled and took a step towards her. "Don't pull away just yet."

"No.."

"Take another step and forget you had a limb."

A familiar voice emerged from behind Sakura, and without needing to see his face, she turned around and hid her face in his chest. There was something about the unfamiliar man in her room that she didn't like. She didn't care if he knew her parents or not, she was scared.

"Sasuke." Sakura breathed out in relief. She'd never been so happy to see him.

Sasuke's hand snaked over his mate's waist and held her in place as he stared at the being before them, noticing the vial in his hand. His mate's blood. An evil expression glazed over his face as he glared at the being. "You've gotten bolder, Lucifer."

Sakura's eyes widened some more and her heart thumped fearfully. Lucifer? She tried to raise her head to look at him but stopped when Sasuke's arm tightened.

The devil king chuckled wryly. "I believe that's my line, Alpha."

"What do you want with my mate's blood?"

Sasuke was talking calmly but Lucifer knew that what he wanted most was to tear him to pieces right now. His aura was defiantly noticeable. "On normal circumstances, Lilith is supposed to come for this, but I need it. This is for me of course, she will still have to fulfill her responsibility."

"My question has not been answered."

"I will be going now." Lucifer smiled a little as he raised a short hand. "We'll meet again, Sakura."

Then there was silence. For a moment or two, Sakura was still. Then she pulled away from Sasuke's hold and looked around, noticing no one in sight. She looked at Sasuke and shook when she noticed the dark look in his eyes as he stared down at her.

"Sa... Sasuke?" He looked dangerous, she couldn't lie. The darkness around him wasn't for her, she knew, but it freaked her out so much she wanted to run away.

Then he asked gently. "Are you okay?"

"I'm... I'm okay."

He glanced at her hand and saw the cut finger. He stared at it for a really long while, so long she started to imagine something bad was going to happen. Then his eyes flickered up to hers and she felt her blood run cold, and the hard tone he spoke in, didn't help matters. "You're staying with me from now on."

Sakura's eyes went wide. "Eh??!" In...in his bedroom?

Without waiting for her reply, he grabbed her and walked out of the room. They walked to the bottom of the staircase and met Naruto and the others looking up at them in bewilderment.

Sasuke stopped infront of the Beta and let go of his mate. "Gather my mate's things to my bedroom and see to her, she's injured. She was visited by Lucifer."

Shikamaru sat up, surprised and Jugo frowned deeply. Naruto looked at Sakura as his eyes widened. "Eh?!! Luna, are you alright?"

She averted their gazes, looking away. "I'm...fine. It's just a cut."

Without saying a word, Sasuke was out of their midst. He walked towards the door, opened it and walked out. As the door closed, Sakura faced the Beta. "Is Sasuke okay? He doesn't look well and he's been speaking monotonously."

Naruto looked at the door and sighed. They had just come back from meeting with Kakashi and did not like the bad news they'd brought. The heat's become worse too, it makes the alpha's human body vulnerable and weak so his beast is prompted to come out easily at any time, plus the king of demons is now after his mate.

"He's...he's fine, Luna."

He is going out to kill people.

He will kill. He has bloodlust. He will kill until he's satisfied with the bloodshed he's caused.

At the far corner of town, in the woods, demons were shrieking and crying. Some tried to flap their wings and fly but a side had been torn off. Some could only crawl on the dried ground, knowing they couldn't run since a limb have been cut off. But they needed to escape, even if it was futile, from the monster who had caused this plight.

Flames were up on both sides of their vision and before it, emerged a bloodthirsty being. He was clothless safe from the torn ones covering his lower body. He had claws growing from his back and stretching as though they were wings. His hair was full, wild and dark blue. His ears were as long and pointed as an elf's. His fangs were longer than a normal creature's, and blood was smeared all over his face and body.

The demons knew who the being was but didn't know why he was attacking them. They had only gathered as usual to begin their feast upon the humans when disaster struck. The being knew that, that was why he had come.

He couldn't get to the gates of Hell to confront Lucifer so he decided to send a tribute, through the devil king's own creatures.

He was already in a bad mood. His former sensei had told them about the globe being taken by the demons. They couldn't find the vampire heir anywhere, so he suspected that the demons must've had something to do with it. He never underestimated them. Then he witnessed everything that happened at his mansion. Why would Lucifer want his mate's blood? That he didn't know but he was thoroughly convinced that there was a reason and that his mate wasn't so normal a human being as he'd thought, but that didn't mean he was going to let Lucifer off that easily. If he couldn't get to the devil world, he would send a message. He was sure Lucifer didn't like it when his usual enjoyment of relishing in the helpless taunts of the humans were interrupted.

The war was approaching anyways.

He stopped and observed his surrounding. Before him laid hundreds of demons in their blood, squirming and shrieking, even moving into the fire burning around them. They were afraid of him, he knew, but so far, the bloodshed hasn't satisfied him. To think that Lucifer had sent this lot and was feeding on the torture they gave the humans while they slept. Though Sasuke couldn't care less, it irritated him.

He walked over to a demon whose lower body was one limb shorter, and put a foot over his torso, stopping him form moving. "Now, tell me." He began as he hovered, red eyes revealing themselves in the frightened pools of the demon's eyes. "How would you like your death?"