Yare, yare, it’s been SOOO long since I updated this fic too… Bleah, I wouldn’t be surprised if people have given up on it. T_T

If you haven’t, and you’re reading this, thank you for being sooo dedicated ^_^

Disclaimer: Don’t own Naruto, sadly enough.

Chapter 4

Naruto stood in front of the gate, patiently waiting for Kakashi to make the final preparations.

Kakashi…

Naruto blushed when he remembered what had occurred earlier. How embarrassing… It was unbefitting of a servant to be so intimate with his master. He hadn’t understood why he did it though; he just had this sudden urge… Then he remembered Kakashi’s words…

‘There’ll be times when you get… protective and… possessive.’

Naruto shook his head; he would have to do a better job of controlling himself.

“All ready?”

Naruto looked up and saw Kakashi, leading two horses by their reins. One was a handsome black stallion and the other a gentler brown mare with a white mane and tail.

Naruto nodded as Kakashi handed Naruto a small bag, “Our provisions.” He gestured to the mare, “This is Dacy.”

Naruto rubbed the nose of the horse, “Hey, there, girl.”

“You are familiar with horses?”

Naruto nodded, “I went riding a lot back at home.”

“Good, that makes things easier.” Kakashi mounted the stallion in one graceful, fluid motion and hung his pack against the horse’s side.

Naruto followed his movement, though not nearly as gracefully, “Thank you for everything. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

Kakashi led them out the gates of the manor, “No, I think I can understand. Family is very important.” His gaze seemed to be faraway, as if he were talking about something else, in some distant time.

“Is… Is your family still alive?”

“…No, they’re dead now. As I should be if it weren’t for this accursed existence.”

Naruto caught the bitterness in the older man’s voice, but before he could sop himself, he blurted out, “How did you become a vampire?”

Kakashi was quiet for a moment, then asked, “Do you like stories?”

“Yes, but-”

“Permit me to tell you one, then. Once upon a time, there was a prince who fell in love…”

“People throughout his kingdom believed he was a gift from the gods. He was handsome, intelligent, and generous, one fit to be the next king, and the people of the land thought it so. But there was one man, the prince’s brother, who was jealous of the young prince. So he devised a scheme that would remove the prince. He invited his brother to a hunting trip, and the prince, too trusting, accepted. The prince waited for his brother in front of the forest, but he never came.

“Then the prince heard a sorrowful cry from the forest and wandered in to investigate. Deeper he walked in until he found a beautiful maiden, lying unconscious on the faded path. The prince gently shook her awake, disregarding the fact that he skin was cold as ice, her hair a fine silver. Only when she opened her eyes, twin pools of darkness flecked with bits of red, did he realize his mistake.

“Before he could run away, the maiden clamped her arms around him tightly.

“‘That prince has brought me a fine dinner…’ the maiden purred, ‘Beautiful, so full of life…’

“‘What prince do you speak of?’ he asked.

“The maiden laughed, ‘He was young, fair-haired. He told me he was a prince of this kingdom.’

“The prince could not believe her words. He could not believe that his own brother had betrayed him, felt him to be feed for this monstrous creature.

“‘Don’t fret, it won’t hurt at all…’ She dipped down and pierced through the flesh of his throat as she sucked down his blood.

“But the prince did not wish to die without learning the truth from his brother. Despite his weakened state, he managed to find the strength to pull out his sword and stab into the creature’s chest. The creature immediately backed away, screaming in pain, but it still had not died. The prince pulled the sword out and quickly beheaded the creature. Even then it continued to scream for a few moments, until it had finally breathed its last.

“The prince returned to castle, but as he did, he began to notice the changes in him. His skin grew pale, and he no longer felt warmth. And then the hunger, the thirst for human blood.

“Through sheer will, he made it to the castle without incident and approached his brother, who was having a party.

“‘Brother!!’ the prince cried out, ‘Why did you leave me at the forest?’

“The hateful brother took sight of the prince and stared horrified, ‘Brother… You have… What has happened to you?’

“‘Tell me the truth, brother,’ the prince cried, ‘Did you send me to the forest to die?’

Before the prince heard the reply, guards had surrounded him from all sides.

“‘I’m sorry, brother,” the jealous one said, ‘You are a danger to us now. And you must be dealt with accordingly.’

“The prince looked around and only saw faces full of fear, fear of him, a creature of darkness. Among them he saw his father. ‘Father, please, don’t do this.’

“‘Kill him,’ the king said quietly, eyes full of regret, ‘He must not live.’

“The prince stood helplessly as he watched the guards approach him. He looked up and saw his brother, smiling triumphantly and he knew. His brother had set him up to have him killed. Rage boiled up within the prince, and he launched himself at his traitorous brother and killed him, ripping out his throat, shredding his body into pieces. He then proceeded to kill them all, all the people who had attended the party, even his father.

“In that moment, he was changed from prince to monster, doomed to wander the earth for eternity.”

Naruto watched Kakashi as he finished his story, “Is it true?”

“The story? Perhaps.”

Naruto wanted to ask more, but he saw the withdrawn expression in Kakashi’s eyes and stayed quiet. He wished he could assuage the man’s pain, but it seemed the best thing to do right now was to remain silent. He didn’t want to keep tearing at the scab.

They were out of the forest now and past the village. Naruto’s home wasn’t too far from here, about an hour or so away on horseback. His village was small, only a cluster of a couple houses and farms, surrounded partially by forest, which provided game for hunting, and a river, which was a popular spot for fishing or relaxing.

It was generally a peaceful town, simple, and some would say archaic, but Naruto liked the pastoral atmosphere; it was calm, serene, rural… It soothed him, just sitting amongst the trees or working the fields.

“Looks like we’re approaching a forest.”

Naruto nodded, easily recognizing it, “We’re almost there.”

“It’s not very far…”

“Yeah. My sister, she wanted to keep me close.”

“Mmm, the protective type?”

Naruto laughed, “Understatement. She can be extremely protective. She goes crazy over the smallest things, especially when it comes to Gaara.”

“I see.”

“Gaara… He’s never really been well. Ever since he was born, he’s had a weak heart, so he mostly stayed cooped up at home because Temari was afraid he’s overwork himself if he went out.”

“What do you think made him run away?”

“I guess he was tired of it all. He wanted to run free. I used to be the one to tell him about the outside, what I did in the fields and in the hunts. I suppose I was his window, but now…” He trailed off, “He hated being weak.”

“No one likes being weak.”

“Yeah…”

“Is that the village there?”

Naruto squinted, but he could only make out a few vague shapes in the distance, “Where? I don’t see anything.”

“Your eyes probably aren’t as good as mine.”

As they continued on the road, Naruto noted indications of nearing the village, namely the burbling of the river and the smell of manure.

They reached the town, which was rather quiet since most of the villagers were working in the fields.

“Naruto? Is that you?”

Naruto glanced to the side and saw an old lady sitting in front of her house, resting in the shade.

Naruto smiled, “Granny Chiyo, how’ve you been?”

Chiyo smiled back, “I’ve been better. You’re here about Gaara, yes?”

Naruto nodded, “Temari and Kankuro?”

Chiyo sighed sadly, “They came back yesterday. They searched for weeks in the forest but they found no sign of him.”

“Are they in the fields?”

Chiyo shook her head, “They decided to take a break today. They really wore themselves out.”

“Thanks, Chiyo. I’ll see you later.”

“It was nice to see you again, Naruto.” Her eyes flickered toward the silver-haired stranger accompanying Naruto, but she quelled her desire to ask about him. She watched as the two headed further into the town and exhaled heavily. It was strange; talking with Naruto had never felt so…oppressive before. It was like an imposing aura was suffocating her, only lifted as soon as the blonde boy had continued on his way.

Chiyo shivered; she could feel a chill in her bones. Something big was going to happen.

And it wasn’t anything good.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o

“Naruto!!!”

Naruto was enveloped by Temari as she hugged him in a death-grip, squeezing the air out of his lungs.

“I’m so glad to see you,” Temari murmured.

Kankuro ruffled his hair, “Good to see you.”

“Who’s…” Temari nodded towards Kakashi, clearly intimidated by is beauty.

Kakashi politely bowed, “My name is Kakashi. A pleasure to meet Naruto’s family.”

“Oh, my goodness, you’re the one who hired him,” Temari looked flustered, “You really didn’t have to burden yourself like this. I apologize for any trouble you had to endure.”

“It’s fine. There was no trouble at all.”

Temari pulled out a chair, “Please, sit. I’ll get some tea ready.”

“Oh, no. I’ll leave you to your privacy. I’ll just be outside.”

Temari bowed low, “Thank you so much for your kindness.”

Kakashi inclined his head and walked out. As soon as he was out the door, Temari sighed and collapsed into the seat.

“Gaara,” Naruto said quietly, “What happened?”

Temari shook her head sadly, tears welling in her eyes, “He just upped and disappeared. Some of neighbors saw him heading into the forest, and we searched and searched, but we never found him. Not a single trace.”

“Why would he leave? I mean, he loves you both, he has no reason to run away.”

Temari and Kankuro exchanged glances. “He’s been getting worse,” Temari said softly, “He could barely walk across the house without straining himself. The doctor… the doctor couldn’t do anything for him.”

Naruto stood up, “Then he can’t have gotten far, right?”

“Naruto, we’ve already searched through the forests,” Kankuro said, “We found nothing.”

Naruto ran out the door, “I have to at least try.”

As he dashed outside, he saw Kakashi leaning against the wall, staring into the blue sky, dotted only with a few wispy clouds.

“A vampire’s been here,” Kakashi said.

Naruto nearly fell over, “What?”

Kakashi glanced at the doorway and gestured for Naruto to follow. He took them deeper into the forest, well out of earshot.

“I can smell a vampire,” Kakashi explained, “It’s still fresh, and you brother’s scent is mixed in with it.”

Naruto was hit with realization, “Could… Could the vampire have cured Gaara’s illness? Like you did with me?”

“Yes… But I doubt the vampire would have used that method. More likely, he took some of Gaara’s blood, turning him into a ghoul and exchanging immortality for eternal servitude.”

Naruto’s heart sank, “So he’s tied to the vampire forever?”

“It is possible to break the bond, but only the master can do that.”

“Can you find them?”

Kakashi nodded, “I’d rather you didn’t come along. Some vampires can be… unpredictable at times.”

“I don’t care,” Naruto said stubbornly, “I have to find Gaara.”

“Very well. Stay close to me.”

Kakashi led them through the forest and paused as they approached the river. “I know you’re here. I suggest you show yourself.”

“Kakashi… It’s been a long time. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” A vampire appeared before him, his hair black as obsidian and his eyes twin pools of darkness.

“Sasuke,” Kakashi hissed, “What are you doing here?”

Sasuke examined his nails, “Nothing much. I was just passing by when I smelled something… irresistible. Meet my new ghoul. Come out, Gaara.”

Naruto exhaled sharply when he saw his red-headed brother emerge from the trees, “Gaara!!!”

The red-head did not respond, only stared blankly at the ground before him. His skin looked far paler than usual, and his eyes no longer had their brightness or luster.

“Sasuke,” Kakashi growled dangerously, “Release him.”

Sasuke smiled slyly, “Now what would you want with a human like him? Sure, he’s nice to look at, but…” He slowly approached Kakashi, “You know, I heard that you’d gone soft. That you didn’t drink human blood anymore. Is that true?”

Kakashi didn’t respond, and Sasuke threw back his head and laughed, “I can’t believe it. You, of all people?”

Sasuke cocked his head and took notice of Naruto, “Well, what do we have here? A halfie?”

Naruto shifted uncomfortably under Sasuke’s hungry gaze, “Please, let Gaara go.”

“But he doesn’t want to go,” Sasuke purred, “He doesn’t want to be weak again.”

“Sasuke,” Kakashi snarled, eyes flashing blood red, “Let. Him. Go.”

Sasuke laughed again, “You don’t scare me, Kakashi. You won’t try anything. Not anymore.” He began to fade into the darkness, “If you change your mind, I’ll be at the Ritual.” Gaara, too, began to disappear along with Sasuke, and then they were both gone.

Kakashi sighed, “I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting… him.”

“What’s the Ritual?”

“It’s a ceremony, when the powers of the Vampire King are passed down to a successor. It happens every century, but it has been a while since I attended one.”

“We’re going?” Naruto asked hopefully.

Kakashi nodded, “The longer Sasuke remains Gaara’s sire, the harder it will be to break the bond.”

“Sire?”

“Yes, the master.”

“Well, what about Sasuke’s sire? Maybe you can get help from him?”

Kakashi shook his head, “Sasuke doesn’t have one. He was born a vampire, to the Uchiha family, an old family that’s practically considered nobility.”

Naruto chewed his lip, “Then how can we convince him?”

“We will, one way or another.”

Naruto hoped so. The thought of his brother in the hands of that creep bothered the hell out of him. “When are we going to leave?” Naruto asked.

“Tonight.”

So there ya go. Wheee… Starting to get a tad bit more interesting. And also the introduction of SASUKE and GAARA!!! YAY!!!

So… yeah… I’m going to try to put more effort into this fic and Hax0rz so they’re not just lying there… Ummm, so yeah. Hehe…