Chapter 3:
"I don't get why Sai's like this," Sakura said, beside herself. "Maybe he was injected with something else. Something that made him sick."
Sai could not get comfortable on the train and kept moaning, rubbing his neck. He felt weak but was restless at the same time. He insisted on finding the bathroom on his own but never made it there, collapsing in the next car and lying on the ground. Naruto found him under one of the windows and called for Sakura.
Sai had collapsed in a cocktail car that had an open bar and very few seats to leave plenty of room for mingling guests. They let Sai lay flat on the floor and used some ice from the bar to cool his forehead.
"What are you doing?" asked a female server when she walked in from the restroom and discovered them. She sounded more annoyed than concerned.
Sakura explained their situation, telling the young woman in uniform that he was sick and were only trying to get him help. After hearing more details about what they had been through, the woman looked alarmed and crouched down to evaluate Sai for herself.
"Your friend isn't sick," she explained. "He's been bitten by a vampire."
"No way," said Sakura, disbelievingly. "He was injected with something. I can see the needle hole."
"Did you roll down his collar to see both holes?" The woman pulled down Sai's shirt to reveal the second hole in Sai's neck, something Sakura had neglected to do and therefore missed.
"You mean…" Naruto's voice trembled with fear. "That box we were guarding… was… It had a vampire in it?"
That explained how Sai got attacked.
"He must have been bitten during the day or early morning," said the woman. "His transformation will be complete at nightfall and he will be a full vampire."
"But vampires aren't real," said Sakura. "Just stories."
"That's what most people thought before one settled near that old village," said the woman. "People started disappearing. Attacks only occurred at night. The people were finally driven from their home and forced to live somewhere the vampire couldn't find them. Not that anyone believed that was the real reason they left. I heard rumors myself and didn't think much of it at the time, but the more I thought about it, I started to think maybe a vampire was the best explanation."
"Ok," said Naruto, thinking about his friend. "Then you must have heard of a way to cure vampirism. There is a way to fix Sai, right?"
"Your best bet is to go after the vampire that bit him. Killing the head vampire is usually the only way to turn everyone who's been bitten back to normal. At least, that's how it is in movies and books."
"Are we really basing Sai's chances on works of fiction?" Sakura asked in irritation. She wasn't even sure if Sai really was becoming a vampire. Those neck holes could have been from something else.
"We're trying to find the vampire who did this to him but we've had no luck finding them," Naruto told the woman. "It could have still been on the other train or just left with the crowd. But vampires can't go in sunlight, so how could the vampire have left the train in daylight? If it did, it couldn't have gotten very far."
"An umbrella could have given the vampire enough cover," said the young woman. "And then ducked into the nearest place for cover. Once the sun sets, they'll be able to move around freely."
"Then Sai's not a vampire," said Sakura, thinking she had found falsehood in the woman's claims. "We have been carrying Sai all morning under the sun and he's fine. A vampire would have burned. That means he's not a vampire."
"I said that he's turning into one," the young woman clarified. "His transformation's not complete yet. But if he's been feeling weak or sick, being in sunlight could explain it. Or it could be part of his transformation. Either way, your friend must be in agony. Having to suffer through a slow metamorphosis must be challenging. People who are bitten at night tend to go through a quicker transformation. More intense but only lasting a couple of minutes."
"Again, how do you know all this?" Sakura asked skeptically. "Movies and books? How do we know any of that stuff is accurate?"
"At least it's something to go on. Besides, it looks like that's what's taking place right now."
Sai moaned loudly from the floor, his eyes shut tight as if in intense pain.
Sakura was having a hard time believing in vampires but no matter what the circumstances, they had to help Sai.
"Ok," she said. "You said that there was a vampire near that abandoned village. I heard there was a castle beyond it. A head vampire would probably live in such a place, right? And if the vampire got off at that stop, then it might be on its way back to its old castle. Does this train go near there?"
"You'll have to get off at the next stop and take that train back. We're going away from that area."
"Then can you stop the train so we can get to that castle?"
Since the trio were the only passengers on the train, the young woman thought the conductor wouldn't mind stopping the train to let them off. It was taking a long time for a decision to be made and, though Sakura and Naruto could disembark the train safely at this speed, Sai was in no condition to be tossed off.
The young woman was adamant that Sai either leave the train or be chained up by the time the sun set. She was not going to permit a vampire to be loose on a speeding train with her onboard. All the more reason Sakura pressed that they either turn the train around or stop. For some reason, nothing had been done about their request beyond the woman leaving to speak to the person driving the train.
"Any news?" Sakura asked, sitting by Sai's side on the floor.
Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "I can't find the girl to ask. Jeez, it's taking a long time. It will be dark by the time they make a decision."
On the floor, Sai's eyes began to open. His vision was blurry from grogginess. He had been sliding in and out of consciousness for the past few hours. The pain was starting to subside but he still felt dizzy. His eyes wandered to the ceiling for a bit before falling on Sakura. He could hear her muffled voice as if speaking through a thick curtain. She had her back to him. Her pink hair waved with the train's momentum, brushing aside to reveal her slender neck.
Sai opened his mouth and his canines extended into fangs.
Naruto watched Sai sit up, his mouth wide open and reached for the girl in front of him. "Sakura!" Naruto gasped, pointing.
Sai grabbed Sakura's shoulders and tried to pull her towards his open mouth with a hiss. He wanted to bite her. She shrieked and punched him. As he fell back, she jumped aside, refusing to turn her back to him again.
Panting, Sai propped himself up on his arms and looked their way. "I'm so thirsty," he said hoarsely.
They could see the fangs in his mouth.
"He really is becoming a vampire," said Sakura in shock. She didn't want to believe it.
Naruto made the sign of a cross with his fingers and ordered Sai to stay back. He didn't seem bothered by what Naruto was doing. He was more preoccupied with his thirst.
"Thirsty," he said. The train car rocked and Sai lost his balance, slumping to one side. "Guys… What's happening to me?"
Sai was fighting a losing battle, on the verge of becoming a full vampire.
"We need off this train now," Naruto told Sakura.
She nodded and went towards the front car to speak with the person driving. Naruto reluctantly approached Sai whose eyes were having trouble focusing. He could see Naruto in front of him but had a hard time reading his expression. He felt Naruto's hand on his shoulder and was comforted. He stood with Naruto's help and the two shuffled to the head of the train.
"The guy said he turned the train onto a different track that goes by where we need to get off but he's not stopping."
Sakura's words rang clear in Sai's mind. They would have to jump. He nodded to them and braced himself. He felt the strong gust of wind on his body as they opened the door and the loud clattering of the wheels on the tracks. After a brief countdown, Sai felt himself being thrown into the air and the sound of the clattering tracks grow slightly softer. His friends pressed around him as they landed, trying to cushion his fall as much as possible.
"Are you ok?" Sakura asked Sai after they landed.
"Yeah," he nodded. He shut his eyes at the blinding sun in his face and moaned, burrowing into Naruto's arm.
The sun was starting to set.
"Let's hurry," Naruto said hoisting Sai onto his back.
They could see the tip of the castle from the field they had to cross to reach a forest. Using the tower as their landmark, they carried Sai through the thick woods and onto a dirt road. When they landed on solid ground, Naruto could hear Sai moan and slump sideways on his back. The venture might have been a little rough for him but they were almost there.
They crossed a stone bridge which led straight to the castle grounds. It was a magnificent stone castle just like the ones always depicted in vampire movies. Naruto expected a horse-drawn carriage to stroll by, but the only clopping sound was that of their shoes on the cobblestone path.
By this time, it was completely dark. Yet, Sai hadn't made any movement, possibly exhausted from the journey. Naruto hoped they weren't too late.
They stopped short as the main doors opened and a tall man stepped out to greet them. He certainly looked like a vampire in his smartly dressed, if not old-fashioned suit and cape about his shoulders.
"Welcome," he said. "I've been expecting you."
Sakura recognized that voice. "You were the guy in that ticket booth. You told us to come here."
"I did," he answered. "Did you lose your way? No matter. You're here now."
Sakura reached slowly for one of her kunai, ready for a fight.
Naruto brought his hands together to make a sign. "Shadow Clone-"
Grabbed abruptly from behind, Naruto was thrown off balance and to the cobblestone ground, unable to complete his jutsu. He rolled onto his back in time to see Sai make a desperate lunge for his throat.
"Sai, no!" Naruto held up both arms, pushing against Sai's shoulders as he tried to bring his open mouth closer to Naruto's neck, fangs out. Sai's eyes were an icy blue that seemed to glow in the dark.
Wasting no time, Sakura attacked the man in front of her, knowing his defeat would save Sai.
Sai suddenly stopped attacking Naruto, looking up at what Sakura was doing. Pushing himself away from Naruto, Sai abandoned his desire for food to intercept the kunai thrown from Sakura's hand with incredible speed. As she turned her head, startled by Sai's actions, he kicked her in the stomach and sent her flying backwards and away from the vampire.
Sakura slid across the stone ground and quickly got into a kneeling position, ready to spring. She didn't, unnerved to see Sai choosing to stand with the vampire instead of them.
Neither Naruto nor Sakura could believe it. Desperate, Sakura called Sai's name but he turned away to follow the vampire into the castle. The two retreated inside, baiting them with the flutter of a dark cape and an open door.
"Sai!" Naruto dashed in after them.
"No, you idiot! It's a trap!" Sakura called to him, her arm stretched out in a vain attempt to stop him.
Of course, Naruto was experienced enough to know that this was a ploy to lure him inside, but he didn't care. He was desperate to reach his friend and bring him back to his senses, willing to take any risk to do it.
The interior of the castle was almost completely stone. Deep red carpet softened his footfalls as he stopped in the center of the foyer to locate the two only to find no trace of them. Lights flickered to life inside cloudy lanterns along the wall, guiding Naruto down a curving corridor.
Sakura arrived in time to see Naruto's back round the corner and called out to him again. Before she could take another step, her path was blocked by the tall male vampire who straightened up to stand elegantly before her.
"My dear," he said in a gentlemanly fashion. "Why stray from your host? This is my castle after all and you've only just arrived. Why not stay and get better acquainted? Can I interest you in a bite?"
Sakura stood her ground, hand coiled around the kunai behind her back.
Just as before, the vampire moved swiftly and pinned her to the wall which, until a moment ago, stood ten feet from where she had been. To not be overpowered so easily, Sakura revealed her strength, punching the vampire in the gut and sending him back several paces.
Taken by surprise at her strength, the vampire stood hunched, hand to his abdomen and gawked at her. "I see," he said, dumbfounded but impressed. "You are not to be taken lightly."
Naruto searched the corridor, calling Sai's name over and over. "Sai, where are you?"
He heard a hiss and stopped. Looking up, he found Sai clinging to the ceiling like a bat more than a ninja. "Hello, Naruto," he said sinisterly and leapt from his position to slam Naruto into the floor with the full force of his body. As he moved closer to Naruto's neck, his fangs found the kunai Naruto had wedged between them and retreated.
Kicking Sai off his chest, Naruto stood up and tried to reason with him. "Sai, it's me. You've got to resist. I know you don't want to hurt me."
Sai hissed in response.
"Help us defeat the vampire. Then we can cure you."
Sai glared at him. "What if I don't want to be cured?"
"Huh?"
Sai held up his arms as if about to catch an invisible load twice his size and a fraction of his weight. "This feels amazing. Now that I know what this kind of power feels like, why would I ever want to go back?"
"This isn't the kind of power you want."
"Oh? Not everyone has the power of the Nine-Tails. Now I finally understand how you must feel, having that kind of power at your fingertips."
"I'm not strong because of Kurama. Having power doesn't make you strong."
"Doesn't it?" Sai questioned with a raised eyebrow. "I feel better than ever before. Stronger, faster, without fear or concern. I can do anything I want and no one can stop me. Why would I ever want to give that up?"
"Listen to yourself. This isn't you."
Sai's eyes dropped for a moment as if to consider Naruto's words. Whatever examination he did led him to an unsettling conclusion. "If you were like me, then you'd understand me."
Naruto covered his neck with both hands and took a step back with a yelp.
Meanwhile, Sakura was evenly matched with the vampire. He couldn't lay a hand on her without receiving a painful fist to his body so it did not matter how much faster he was than Sakura. She was also very good at dodging, making for an interesting though tedious fight.
"You know, years ago, this was my hunting ground," the vampire said from a distance. "Villagers would disappear from time to time at night only to be found drained of blood the next day. On occasion, I would turn one, but they would always be hunted down and destroyed. Until the day came that I was sealed away. But that wasn't enough. They wanted me to be transported to where I would never be seen again. How fortunate I happened upon your friend. At last, I can return home and build a populous of my own design. Your friend is just the first, my dear."
"I know where you're going with this and I won't let that happen." Sakura kept on her guard, believing the vampire would swoop down upon her the second she turned her back to wherever he was hiding. "I'm not going to become an addition to your army and I will save my friend."
"And how do you intend to do that, my dear?"
"Once we get rid of you, Sai will return to normal," she explained. "Killing the vampire will turn him back to a human."
The vampire's laugh echoed off the tall ceiling before coming to cackle just behind Sakura's ear. She jumped back, finding the vampire standing right beside her.
"Is that what you think?" he asked, obviously amused. "Well then, take your best shot. And hope you're right."
He stood with his arms out to either side, exposing his chest. It was such an easy target that Sakura was certain it was a trick.
Witnessing her lack of nerve, he smiled. "You have doubt. Of course, you do. After all, you only have one shot. And if you're wrong…"
"Wrong in what way?" she asked, looking at him suspiciously.
"Killing the vampire returning everyone to normal." He lowered his arms, but kept his chest exposed. "What logic dictates that's correct? Lore? Fiction? You're up against a genuine vampire. You best hope you're not mistaken in what you perceive to be the truth about vampires."
Sakura held her kunai in front of her chest, ready to stab the second he moved. He did not appear to consider the weapon in her hand a threat.
"What if killing me solves nothing?" he asked her, unintimidated. "What if my death only solidifies your friend's transformation? Put simply, he'll be stuck as a vampire forever."
That thought had occurred to Sakura before, only now it was even more worrisome. Face-to-face with a real vampire, presented with the opportunity to destroy it, Sakura knew they had to get it right. It wasn't that they only had one shot at killing the vampire. The real dilemma was knowing killing it would lead to permanent results. If they were wrong, there would be no way to change Sai back.
Just then, Sai and Naruto came into the foyer in the midst of their own battle. When the vampire saw Sai trying to get to Naruto's neck, he smiled. "Looks like your friend's chosen his side."
Sakura glanced their way, faltering. Seeing Sai repeatedly lunge at Naruto's neck put everything into perspective even more. They had to get this right. Otherwise, Sai would be like this forever.
Naruto kicked Sai away from him again. "Stop it, Sai!"
Sai stood above Naruto, fangs bared. "You're not even trying. Or am I just more powerful than you now? Join us, Naruto. You think the Nine-Tails gives you power? This is on a whole other level. You'll never-"
Sakura's fist slammed into Sai so hard he went crashing through the wall and into the gravel outside. With chains she ripped from the wall beside the door, she dashed outside to restrain Sai.
Naruto looked around but couldn't see the vampire. He hurried outside with his hands still covering his neck. "What about the vampire? Did you beat him?"
"We have to get Sai back to the village," Sakura said, chaining Sai up.
"What about the vampire?" Naruto repeated emphatically.
"Leave him," she said.
"What?" Naruto couldn't believe it. "But if we beat him, Sai will…"
"We have no proof of that," said Sakura. "What if we're wrong. We only get one shot at this. We stand a better chance of curing Sai if the vampire's alive. If we're wrong and killing the vampire doesn't cure Sai, all bets are off. We won't get another shot."
"Yeah, but in all the movies and…"
"That's movies. This is different. We need to have all the facts first. We can't do something with a permanent outcome until we know for sure we'll get the results we want."
Naruto realized Sakura was right. If there was a chance killing the vampire wouldn't cure Sai but leave him like this forever, they had to make sure they thoroughly inspected this from all angles.
Agreeing, Naruto helped Sakura carry Sai away from the castle and back to the train station. It would be the safest and easiest way back to the Leaf Village. Once there, they could inform Kakashi about the situation and see if they could do some research and may even find a cure that wouldn't involve the vampire, making their defeat irrelevant.