Naruto 1. Chapter 1

AN: I guess this fic should be given an introduction of sorts. I have taken the movie Underworld (which obviously does not belong to me) and replaced the characters with those of the anime Naruto (which also isn't mine). There are very few deviations from the actual story. This is a huge project for me and the success will determine if I'll do some of the other movies. The fic is rated T for now, though the rating might change around chapter three or four. That's all I have to say for now…

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**Chapter one**

_The war had all but ground to a halt in the blink of an eye. Kakashi, the most feared and ruthless leader ever to rule the Lycan clan had finally been killed. The Lycan horde scattered to the wind in a single evening of flame and retribution. Victory, it seemed, was in our grasp, the very birth right of the Vampires. Nearly six centuries had passed since that night, yet the ancient blood feud proved unwilling to follow Kakashi to the grave. Though Lycans were fewer in number, the war itself had become more perilous, for the moon no longer held her sway. Older, more powerful Lycans were now able to change at will. Our weapons had evolved, but our orders remained the same. Hunt them down and kill them off one by one... a most successful campaign… perhaps, too successful. For those like me, a Death Dealer, it signalled the end of an era. Like the weapons of the previous century, we too would become obsolete.  
Pity, because I lived for it._

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Rain fell from the sky in heavy unrelenting drops, further deepening the nightly gloom. Down at street level, people moved swiftly to their various destinations, determined not to spend any longer outside, in the wet and cold, than they had to. For the two black-clad figures crouched high above the milling populace, the rain was irrelevant, just another unpleasant hindrance that came with the job. The one man had a restless air about him, almost like he was itching to get a move on but knowing that he was not yet allowed to do so. Snow white strands clung wetly to his face and he impatiently swiped it out of his eyes before lifting a camera, quickly zooming in on two men making their way through the sea of umbrellas in the direction of the subway. With practiced precision he fired off a few snapshots before looking across to where his partner was also following the progress of their target. The second man looked much younger, dark blue-black hair obscuring his almost delicate face from view. Despite his youthful appearance, the aura of confidence and authority surrounding him clearly marked him as being in charge. Sensing the pressure of another's scrutiny, he lifted his head, piercing onyx gaze locking with his partner. With a slight dip of his head he indicated that they should move out. Acknowledging the order Suigetsu grinned excitedly, sharp teeth glinting in the dark. Gripping his camera tightly he rose to his full height before casually stepping off the ledge.

Dark pensive eyes followed his descent. With one final contemplative look over the bright stretch of city lights Sasuke unceremoniously followed his partner down to the street.

xxx

The subway was a cacophony of sounds… the rustling of newspapers and clothes, the whoosh of umbrellas and raincoats being shaken dry, people talking and yelling, the piercing click click click of shoes on the tiled floor, the screeching of the trains as they braked or the hiss as they pulled away from the station. Keeping his head down Naruto ignored all of this as he made his way out of the rain and down into the subway. It was a relief to finally be free of the freezing downpour. His train was just pulling into the station. If he didn't hurry he would miss it and then he would be late for work. Dragging his hand through his hair he tried to get the now soaked blond locks to stay out of his face. Glancing left he paused for a split second as his eyes met the piercing stare of a strange dark haired young man. His heart did a little double take, his breath hitching in his throat. The screech of the train as it slowed to a stop behind him drew his attention and when he looked again the stranger was just disappearing behind a pillar. Shrugging internally he made his way to the front carriage.

xxx

Sasuke had felt a strange pull between himself and the blond, blue eyed human, but he had no time to dwell on it at the moment. The two Lycans they were following having just entered the bustling station. The shape shifters seemed preoccupied, their normally cautious nature apparently overridden in favour of reaching the end of the platform as quickly as possible. One of the Lycans, a tall brown haired man with flat black eyes and a hard mouth roughly started pushing commuters out of his way as he sped up his pace. Suigetsu was just behind the Lycans, dogging their steps as closely as was safe. They would have to wait to get the two alone if they wanted to dispose of them.

Luck was not on their side this time because the impatient-looking Lycan came to an abrupt halt, somehow alerted to being tailed. When he couldn't find the source of his unease to the left or right of his position he spun around, immediately spotting Suigetsu.

"Bloods!" he called out the angered warning to his partner, pulling a pair of semi-automatic rifles and firing a hail of bullets at Suigetsu. The platform erupted into chaos, humans screaming and flinging themselves left and right to avoid the sudden violence. With bullets flying everywhere the only thing Sasuke and Suigetsu could do was to take cover behind the large pillars spaced out across the length of the platform. A sound to his right alerted Sasuke a split second before the second Lycan appeared from behind another pillar and took aim. Suigetsu noticed the Lycan at the same time lifting his own gun to retaliate once Sasuke ducked out of the way. The shape shifters' aim proved true and the white haired Vampire rocked back as the bullets tore through him. He fell back against a pillar, slowly sliding to the floor. Blue light poured from the points of entry, his now gaping mouth opened in a silent glow-filled scream of agony. Within seconds his skin browned and crumpled as if he was burning from the inside. Sasuke looked on in stunned disbelief as a mere two bullets that would under normal circumstances not be fatal, reduced his partner to a smouldering heap. Reinforcements came then, the third Vampire alerted to the situation by the panicked people scrambling out of the subway entrance and into the safety of the rain filled streets. Reassured that someone had his back,Sasuke pulled out his own weapons from the holsters strapped to his side. He stepped out from his hiding spot filling the air with the sharp pop, pop, pop as he alternated between pulling the trigger of his firearms. The Lycan hastily retreated in the face of the oncoming projectiles.

xxx

As an angry yell tore through the other sound surrounding him, Naruto whipped around just in time to see a man pulling out a pair of intimidating rifles. When the first shot rang out harshly over the normal sounds of the subway all hell broke out and he quickly joined the other commuters in searching for shelter, some ducking behind the first available source of cover, others simply dropping to the floor. The open door of the carriage offered the protection needed while allowing him a limited view of what was going on. The ruckus created by the answering fire added to the panicking fear spreading through the trapped rail users. Another firearm toting woman appeared at the entrance to the underground station. Naruto watched horrified as a woman who had taken a stray bullet to the chest fell back, her body overcome with painful convulsions. Without thought he scrambled across the small space that divided him from the injured woman pulling her to the wall, trying to give them a bit move cover.

"It's alright, it's alright. You're alright." He attempted to reassure the downed woman while firmly pushing against the wound to stem the bleeding. Out of nowhere a hand fell heavily on his shoulder, roughly pulling him to his feet. He only had time to register the presence of a gun in the man's hand before seeing the dark haired stranger he spotted before it all went to shit. The young man was also armed and he wielded his guns with calm confidence. Naruto cringed as the guns were pointed in his direction. Shots were fired, the bullets zipping harmlessly over his head. The guy holding him wasn't so lucky, and as the first shots found their mark he was released. The now injured man taking off down the platform.

xxx

Sasuke ran past the stunned blond-haired human that previously caught his attention, intent on catching up with the smaller of the two Lycans. The newly arrived Karin chased after the instigator of the shootout, the two disappearing into the open carriage while his own Lycan escaped into the darkened railway tunnel after forcing open the door. On his way he grabbed Suigetsu's camera… it's not like the deceased Vampire would need it and the photos he took could be important.

It was a mad dash through the dark, the gloom stretching out endlessly in front of him. The Lycan was surprisingly fast considering the silver bullet lodged in his body. He would have to pump a few more into the mutt to kill it, but at least the silver would prevent it from changing. Fighting the Lycan in its full transformation would not be that difficult, only bothersome. The blood splatter led off into a service tunnel. Cautiously entering, he noticed something shiny and bent down to retrieve the bloodied round lying discarded on the cement floor. A sound from the direction he just came caught his attention. Inching along the wall, gun at the ready, Sasuke peered around the corner only to pull his head back as a train came hurtling past. It was while leaning against the wall, heart beating abnormally fast that he noticed the smeared blood on the wall. Following the trail it only took a few steps before he came to a small room where a grate was set into the floor. The red blotches on the grate confirmed his suspicions. The Lycan was fleeing deeper into the labyrinth of underground passages. Sasuke effortlessly flipped open the piece of metal barring him access to his mark.

It was a short drop into the dank passageway. His feet barely touched the floor before he spun in a tight circle, gun ready to counter any attack. The Lycan was nowhere to be seen and Sasuke froze, body tense and ears straining to catch any clue as to his whereabouts. The small click made by a gun being fired had him turning gracefully on his heels, dropping into a crouch to avoid getting hit. His return fire came instinctively. Silver bullets slammed into the Lycan flinging him backwards, its convulsing body falling to the floor. Sasuke changed the magazine of his gun while walking up to the suffering shape shifter. The blood lust was singing in his veins making him lightheaded. This is why he did this night after night. Every mutt he killed off momentarily calmed the burning hatred he felt for their kind. Sasuke stared coldly down at the Lycan pinned to the floor by his boot, his usually dark eyes slowly turning a light ice blue as he emptied his fresh magazine.

Bending down, Sasuke scooped up the handgun the Lycan had dropped. Ejecting the magazine he studied the curios blue fluorescent bullets. This was what killed Suigetsu? It was unlike anything he had seen before and it was troubling that it could so easily kill a Vampire.

There was something moving rapidly towards the opened grate. It sounded big and angry. Twisting around at the waist he flung four sharply edged silver discs at the approaching Lycan. If the beast made it back it meant that Karin was probably dead. He might not have been overly fond of the red haired Vampire, but she didn't hold back when on a job. There was no time to mourn the loss of another partner right now, he needed to keep moving. While the silver would slow the Lycan, possibly even force it to change back to its original form, it did not mean he was safe. If it was also carrying this new ammunition all that would be needed was one lucky shot on its part to kill him. Sasuke was running fast, not really paying attention, taking turns at random and after rounding yet another corner he stopped, pressing his back to the wall. There was no indication that he was being followed, but every hair on his body was standing up. And then he heard it… faint snarls, growls and jeering taunts drifting down through a pipe in the roof. It could be only one thing. Somewhere close by, hidden in the shadows underneath the city was a den of Lycans… a large one if his gut feeling was right. Either way, it was time to get back to the mansion to report his findings. Neji would not be happy with how tonight turned out.

xxx

They were at it again… snapping at each other's necks like mindless animals. It was not that he was unsympathetic to their frustration at being holed up underground, even he was goaded by it, but this type of behaviour simply could not be tolerated. They were on the edge of ending this pointless war, in a few short weeks centuries of sacrifice would finally pay off…

Kakashi was disgusted by the sight that met him when he entered the 'common room' of their hideout. Two Lycans, fully transformed, were tearing into each other, the heckling of those gathered around them in a loose circle propelling the rage and fury in the room to a suffocating level. The situation had gotten so out of hand that no one acknowledged his presence until he fired off a warning shot with his sawn off shotgun. A sudden hush rippled out through the room, shock written plainly on the faces of those present as they turned to face him. Contemptuous anger was radiating from him in waves. Weary of further provoking him, those standing in his way quickly stepped to the side as he headed towards the centre of the room. The bloody fighters were already shifting back into their human forms, chests heaving after the exertion of the fight. He came to a standstill before them, regarding them with contempt. Kakashi slowly turned, taking in the room and those in it. More than one pair of eyes nervously shifting away to avoid his stare.

"You're acting like a pack of rabid dogs!" More of the Lycans looked down in shame, embarrassed that their leader needed to reprimand them.

"And that, gentlemen, simply will not do." Kakashi spoke again, his voice becoming deceptively soft. It had everyone straining to hear him. Once he was sure that he had everybody's attention he continued, disgust dripping thickly from every word he spat at the group. "Not if you expect to beat the Vampires on their own ground, not if you expect to survive… at all."

You could hear a pin drop in the silence that followed.

"Izumo, Kotetsu, put some clothes on… will you?" Kakashi ordered tiredly, hating that he had to scold them like errant children. Turning on his heel he wordlessly left the now quiet room.

xxx

The solid wooden doors opened smoothly as Sasuke swept into the mansion. He knew he was late because the rest of the covenant was by now assembled in the main sitting room awaiting the arrival of the delegates. Heavy drapes hung in front of the windows, antique furniture was spread out throughout the room and an intricately carved and polished staircase accentuated the one wall. The room, though lavishly furnished, could not compete with the Vampires languidly lounging around. They treated the opulent show of wealth with an indifferent, casual ease that came with centuries of practice.

If he had cared about the riches and status the others were so focused on, Sasuke might have felt self-conscious by the blood covered, rain soaked clothes he was wearing, but he didn't, and so the scandalised looks and whispers that followed his passing was barely noticed. He needed to get the luminescent bullets to Shikamaru as soon as possible and then speak to Neji about what he had uncovered.

Shikamaru was right where Sasuke guessed he would be, fiddling with his weapons in his workshop to one side of the Death Dealer's base. The spiky haired Vampire was a genius by any definition, but unless the world was coming to an end, or something similar occurred it was near impossible to get him motivated to do anything more taxing than tinkering. "We have a serious problem." Sasuke bluntly stated,forcefully placing the dead Lycan's handgun onto the table where the weapons expert was working.

Neji was notified about his return and within minutes he joined them in the workshop.

"I'll have to run some tests. It's definitely an irradiated fluid of some sort." Shikamaru explained, studying the glowing blue bullet with fascination. Even though he seemed concerned by this new threat, he couldn't quite hide his excitement at having a new puzzle to solve.

"Ultraviolet ammunition…" Sasuke spoke up from where he was leaning against the meshed metal wall, a troubled look marring his youthful features. As a Death Dealer he had been part of numerous skirmishes with their sworn enemies, but never before had the Lycans done something that left him feeling so harassed… he could still picture Suigetsu's tortured face as he burned from within.

"Daylight harnessed as a weapon…" Shikamaru confirmed Sasuke's fear, the strange mix of horrified wonder once again evident in his voice.

"You expect me to believe that a mangy animal came up with a bullet specifically engineered to kill Vampires?" Neji scoffed.

"Nah, I'm betting it was the military, something they stole, some sort of high tech tracer round." Shikamaru countered with certainty. Sasuke had to agree with his friend. The Lycans speciality focused more on aspects of brute strength whereas the Vampires were technologically more advanced. It was inconceivable that the Lycans came up with this by themselves. How or where they got it really wasn't the issue. The thing that mattered was that they now possessed a weapon that made them a serious threat.

"Look, I don't care where they got these things, Suigetsu is dead and Karin could still be out there. We should gather the Death Dealers and head back down there in force." Sasuke stresses. Surely Neji would see the sense in eliminating the filthy mutts now that they knew where to find them. If he was given a few veteran warriors it would be easy to finish them off… even with these ultraviolet rounds the Lycans now had.

"Absolutely not, not now, not for a random insurgence. The awakening is only a few days off and this house is in a state of unrest as it is." Neji dismissed the suggestion outright.

"Random? They opened fire on us in full view of the public. And from the commotion I heard down in that tunnel…"

"You said it yourself, you didn't actually see anything." Neji interrupted him mid sentence.

"Look, I know what I heard, and I know what my gut tells me, and I am telling you, there could be dozens of Lycans down there. Who knows, maybe more, hundreds." Sasuke tried again to make Neji understand the seriousness of the discovery. Something about the incident earlier that day felt off. There was more to it, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was. He needed to get back down there to set his mind at ease.

"We have hunted them to the brink of extinction." The other vampire was quickly growing tired of the argument.

"Neji's right, Sasuke," Shikamaru chimed in. "There's not been a den of that magnitude for centuries, not since the days of Kakashi."

"I know that, Shikamaru, but I'd rather have you prove me wrong by checking it out." It riled Sasuke that there was even a need for him to resort to pleading, but if it was the only way to make the others take him seriously then so be it. Neji was not the only one who was growing impatient with the current situation. The lead Vampire was acting like a pig-headed ass.

"Very well, have your men tighten things up. I'll have Tenten assemble a search team." Neji relented, the order was brisk, reflecting Neji's eagerness in ending the conversation so that they could focus on things that were, in his opinion, more important.

"No, I want to lead the team myself." Sasuke spoke up, unwilling to leave things as they were. If there was going to be a hunt he wanted to be at the head. It was his discovery after all and he wanted to make sure it was done right.

"Absolutely not! Tenten will handle it." Neji spat, the first traces of true anger creeping into his voice. The undisguised hostility had Sasuke's hackles rising. If he could get away with it he would have reached over and slapped the egotistical man for talking to him like that. But there was little he could do. The covenant had been entrusted to his care so, in a sense, his word was law.

"Hundreds, really…" With a smirk Neji looked at the other Vampires gathered in the room, sarcasm thick in the taunt.

Neji was mocking him, making him look like a fool in front of the other Death Dealers and openly disregarding his concerns. Sasuke bristled. "Orochimaru would believe me." He sounded like a petulant child, he knew that, but Neji seemed to always bring out the worst in him. Deciding to leave before he resorted to violence, preferably the kind where Neji ended up as a bloody puddle, Sasuke stalked out of the room. He needed to clear his head, to work out a plan of action and there was only one place that would calm him down.

xxx

Neji watched Sasuke storm out of the room with a mix of rage and desire. If only the young Death Dealer would stop being so stubborn. They could be great together, introduce the Vampires to a new era. But no, out of all the Vampires who made up _his_ covenant, Sasuke was the only one who challenged his authority openly and got away with it. Usually it was a source of mild irritation, at times even amusing, but things were getting out of hand. What would the others think if he could not even handle one wayward Death Dealer?

Someone slid up to his side. "I'd never dream of treating you like that." Ino purred in a low voice, blue eyes brimming with adoration and undisguised lust. As usual, her insinuation was as subtle as a blow to the head.

Neji graced her with a benign smile, the blonde could be useful, even if her attention was unwanted. "Of course you wouldn't. Now run along and make sure he's dressed and ready for the arrival of our guests." The dismissal, even though it wasn't vocalised, was evident in the offhand way he gave the order. Neji's mind was already drifting to other, more important matters. He needed to speak to Tenten.

xxx

To say Sasuke was furious would be a gross understatement. Neji had once again proven that he was nothing like Orochimaru. He cared little for the elimination of the Lycan vermin. Not like him, not like Orochimaru. He knew Neji wanted him, to dress him up and parade him around like some trophy. The thought sickened him.

The door opened at a touch. The well oiled hinges making no sound as Sasuke entered what appeared to be an average bathroom. With the confidence of someone who had done this a thousand times he positioned himself in front of the mirror and waited for the one on duty to show himself. The looking glass lost its reflective shine and transformed into a clear sheet of glass.

Gekko regarded him impassively, far too accustomed to his presence to show any surprise. Without having to say what he wanted, without even waiting for an acknowledgement Sasuke turned around just as a clanging noise signalled the opening of a heavier set of doors. The wall across from the fake mirror slid apart to reveal a stark, cold room. Almost everything inside was carved out of light stone. High arches made of gray stone adorned the tomb. A throne made out of the same stone stood close to the furthest wall. There were intricate symbols etched into the marble floor. The only metal in the room was the three embedded grates forming a triangle that indicated where the Vampire Elders slept. It was an eerie sight, a hushed expectant silence encasing the air within the crypt. Thick glass separated him from the resting place of those lying inside, but being this close to his mentor was cathartic, a sense of calm already soothing his agitation.

Sasuke glanced to his side as someone leaned against the wall next to him. Arms crossed defensively in front of her chest, Ino regarded the interior of the tomb with wry amusement. A flicker of impatient envy crossed her face as she turned her attention to him. He knew that she craved that which he did not want… Neji, in all his conceited glory… If it were up to him, he would gladly let her have the insufferable man.

"It's a waste of time you know?" Ino broke the silence.

"What is?" Sasuke wondered out loud. The blondes' growing irritation pressed against his awareness, but he couldn't seem to bring himself to care.

"Well I seriously doubt Orochimaru would want you freezing to death in here staring at his tomb for hours on end." She explained over patiently, as one would do with a child who repeatedly struggled to grasp a simple concept. It reminded him why he had come here in the first place and he had to fight with the irrational urge to hit something.

"No, he would want the Death Dealers out there right now scouring every inch of the city." His declaration was sure, just like the knowledge that he was right. Sometimes Sasuke felt that Orochimaru was the only one who hated the Lycans more than he did. It was comforting in a way, knowing that he had the support of such a powerful man. "Neji… I'll never understand why Orochimaru left him in charge. He's a bureaucrat, not a warrior." He said softly to himself. It was true though. The other Vampire cared little for the goals of the Death Dealers. One would almost say that he only tolerated them because Orochimaru wished it so.

"Come on, we need to get you ready." The cheerfulness sounded artificial, forced, but Sasuke figured the girl should at least get bonus points for trying. He knew very well how intimidating some found his aloof manner.

"… for what?" He already knew the answer, but once again he chose to play dumb. Maybe she would get the hint and leave him alone. It seemed to work because her next words, even though she tried to hide it, were laced with exasperation.

"The party. Tsunade's envoy will be here any minute." The statement hung unanswered for a few seconds. Finally, when she realised that he was not going to respond, the pretty blond pouted, turned on her heels and left the room.

Sasuke remained where he was… staring thoughtfully into the Elder's crypt.

**- end of chapter one -**

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As usual, a huge thanks to _strangeindividual_ (who usually nudges my muse to life) and _HellzButtafly_ for reading over the story. You two rock ^^


	2. Chapter 2

_strangeindividual_ (my beta and friend) is going to kill me for posting this before she got a chance to fix all my mistakes. But I wanted to upload this now, so she can help me later... ne?

I don't own Naruto or Underworld.

To those reading this, have fun :)

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**Chapter two**

Sasuke sat at his desk, attention fully trained on the open laptop in front of him. Neji and the others could all go to hell. There was something about the Lycan attack that still gnawed at the back of his mind. Some small, yet crucial detail he was overlooking.

With a few clicks of the mouse he enlarged one of the photographs Suigetsu had taken of the mutts as they had been making their way towards the station. The two Lycans, though somewhat fuzzy, were clearly focused on something in front of them… but what?

The door opened and Ino breezed into the room without knocking. She was carrying a clothes hanger on which hung a midnight black tuxedo, a crisp white shirt neatly folded over her other arm. She sashayed over to the full length mirror standing by the window. "Oh yes, you should definitely wear this one, it's perfect." She purred appreciatively to her reflection as she studied the article of clothing. Sasuke was certain that the tux would indeed fit like a glove. It had most likely been chosen by Neji himself. He decided to ignore the other Vampire, instead zooming out so he could get the full view of the photograph. There was a man walking a few paces ahead of them. For some reason he looked familiar. Could he have been the reason they were so distracted?

Clicking a few more buttons, he enlarged and sharpened the image… it was him! The blond stranger from the subway, the one the Lycan had tried to grab even in the commotion of the shootout.

"They were after you." He murmured to himself. Once the words were out in the open, he could feel it, the bone deep certainty that he was right. The shape shifters had been after the human. But why?

Interest piqued, Ino sauntered closer so she could peek over his shoulder. "He's attractive, for a human." Her voice was husky with appreciation. Ino normally had appalling taste in men, she was attracted to Neji for fuck's sake, but this time he had to agree with her. The blond from the subway was indeed gorgeous. Deep ocean blue eyes framed with thick lashes, the light dusting of freckles on slightly flushed cheeks, and the way his lips parted in a silent gasp of wonder when their gazes locked in the station. Yes, the man had definitely left an impression on him.

"Who's attractive?" Neji demanded as he strutted into the room, his bearing oozing poised confidence and tightly controlled anger. Ino took one look at his face and headed for the door. Sasuke was barely aware of her graceful escape, still lost in pleasant thoughts.

"You know I was planning on having you at my side this evening." Neji sounded cool, the statement filled with resentment.

"Take Ino, she's dying to be at your side." Sasuke replied, still too caught up in the revelation that the mutts were risking their safety to follow an insignificant, mortal.

"If you ask me, you take this warrior business far too seriously." Sasuke suppressed a snort, as if someone like Neji could ever understand what drove his insatiable need to wipe out every living, breathing Lycan. "You can't undo the past, no matter how many you kill... and besides, what's the point in being immortal if you deny yourself the simple pleasures in life?" He crooned leaning too close and Sasuke had to bite back the scathing comment hovering on the tip of his tongue. I'm sure that you're one of the pleasures you're referring to, he thought dryly to himself. Best course of action when faced with an overbearing ass like Neji was to deflect attention away from oneself.

"Do you see this human?" He motioned vaguely towards the image on the screen.

Neji's composure was slowly slipping in the face of Sasuke's persistent refusal to acknowledge his advances. A small, vicious part of Sasuke, tucked away somewhere in the back of him mind, enjoyed watching the man seethe in silence. "What of him?" Neji gritted out.

"I can't be positive, but I'm beginning to think the Lycans are…" Sasuke's sentence was cut short as the excited barking of the guard dogs preceded the crunching sound of tyres on gravel.

Stepping away from the Death Dealer, Neji voiced his irritation. "BIast!" Peering through the window, he allowed himself a satisfied smirked as a dark limousine pulled into the driveway.

"Put on something elegant and be quick about it." The clipped order was given with the air of someone who was accustomed to, and expected, being obeyed.

Sasuke suppressed another rude snort at the presumptuous manner in which Neji treated him. The Vampire was clearly under the impression that, like everyone else in the covenant, Sasuke was going to roll over and wag his tail like a good boy… not fucking likely. Neji might have reasoned that one single command was enough to end the conversations, but Sasuke's pride would not let him bow down to anyone… especially the Vampire that was now waiting expectantly for him to say _'aye-aye-sir'…_ not happening. There had to be a good reason why the mutts were suddenly showing interest in mere humans. They needed to act quickly, snag their target before the Lycans got the chance. He needed to convince Neji somehow.

"Neji, I'm serious. I think they were following him." He tried again to stress how sure he was, how deeply he believed that there was something important afoot.

Rolling his eyes, Neji stalked over to the door. "Other than food, why would Lycans stalk a human?" he sneered before heading downstairs to greet his guests.

xxx

Kabuto was in his element. Sure he would have loved to have access to better equipment, but he had live humans in his dusty laboratory and he was allowed to actually play with them. Not that this was a game, some passing interest that would soon be replaced with something more entertaining. No, Kakashi had given him this bloody task, and with the survival of the Lycan race depending on his 'research' he intended to produce results.

Ignoring the humans suspended limply from the roof by bound wrists, he made his way over to where a timer was going off noisily. With a steady hand he deposited a drop of Lycan blood onto a waiting microscope slide. Slipping off his glasses, he peered through the microscope eyepiece and grimaced at what he saw. Moving over to where his syringes were displayed he chose one and started prepping the vicious looking instruments before walking over to one of the suspended humans. The man was barely conscious, but the prick of the needle in his carotid artery roused him enough for a strangled whimper to break free from his dry cracked lips. Kabuto ignored the man's feeble show of distress, instead looking up at the Lycan who just entered his domain.

"Any progress?" Kakashi directed the question at him with impatience. Kabuto could hardly blame him. So far they had only been met with failure and they were running out of candidates. It was only natural that Kakashi would be anxious to determine whether the newest test subject was a match.

"Let's find out." Kabuto replied taking the now blood filled syringe over to a glass beaker. He deposited some of the still warm blood into the milky white fluid. Within seconds the colour changed to a flat opaque black – another failure.

"Negative." He said with a hint of honest regret. Kakashi hid his disappointment well. Kabuto had expected some reaction to the unfavourable announcement, any indication of just how fed-up the Lycan leader was with the repeated failures. Nonetheless, Kakashi firmly held on to his composure. In was a testament to Kakashi's self restraint, quite admirable if you thought about it.

On one wall of his work area there was a wall filled with newspaper clippings and names. It looked like a much more complicated version of a mind map that college students might use for study purposes. Only, in the place of facts and formulas, the wall was filled with all traces of the Uzumaki bloodline they had been able to find over the years. Kakashi remained silent as Kabuto crossed off yet another name.

Kabuto turned around as another, half-naked Lycan joined them in the laboratory. Kabuto arched his brow in silent question. Not because of the man's lack of clothing, as a Lycan that was something you quickly got used to, but rather because the man was carrying a body. Aside from that, bright glinting disks of silver where embedded deeply into the man's broad chest. He looked like shit.

Unceremoniously Tenzou dropped the lifeless corps onto the metal table. "We were ambushed" he said as way of explanation. "Death Dealers, three of them."

"And the candidate?" Kakashi enquired. His voice was steady, but hard and cold as newly forged steel. Kabuto squirm in anticipation.

Obviously Tenzou did not share his enthusiasm, because looked mildly nervous as he answered. "We lost him."

"You lost him?" Kakashi asked lowly, his tone dropping another few octaves.

Kabuto was enjoying the show. It was rare that Kakashi got upset with his second in charge. Then again, it wasn't often that Tenzou did anything to warrant such a response. This day was just getting better and better. Not only did he get to experiment on live humans, but he got a free show and there was a bloody body lying on his table. "Look at this mess." He said with poorly contained glee as he pulled open the tattered shirt of the dead Lycan.

"Eighteen rounds, I counted." Tenzou supplied, relieved to have a distraction. He was probably feeling a bit tense being this close to an angry Kakashi… "Preventing him from making the change." He continued the assessment.

Kabuto smirked to himself as he grabbed a pair of long pliers and dug the first piece of metal out of the deceased.

He dropped the smoking shrapnel into a small water filled container. "No use in taking out the rest. It seems some have penetrated his organs, regeneration is impossible at this point." It was a shame that the Lycan was dead… it was always more fun to hear them scream as their bodies healed from such severe wounds. Oh well, things could still get interesting. There was after all another, live and injured, Lycan in the room.

Turning to pick up another medieval looking instrument he turned to the injured Tenzou. "Let's take these out." The Lycan looked less than eager. An understandable reaction as the shuriken-like disks no doubt had barbed blades that would make them hurt more coming out than they did going in. "Relax." He instructed, gripping the first disk firmly and yanking it out. Tenzou grunted, but other than that he showed no other signs of discomfort... how disappointing…

Kakashi studied his second in command intently. He looked troubled that the pickup had been interrupted. "The Vampires didn't realize you were following a human, did they Tenzou?"

"No…" Another, louder grunt escaped the Lycan as Kabuto roughly removed the second disk. He could be gentler, make it less painful, but where was the fun in that. Besides, he was more interested in the reactions of the Lycan leader. "I mean, I don't think so." Tezou finished once he regained his composure.

"You don't think, or you don't know." Kakashi snapped. Inside Kabuto did a little happy dance, Kakashi was losing it... personally he thought that it would be better for the white haired Lycan to give in to his anger more often. It would be better for his sanity, and everyone's safety... it's just not natural to keep everything bottled up so tightly.

"I'm not sure." Tenzou snarled in pain as Kabuto ripped a third disk from the man's heaving chest.

Before Kakashi could give his own heated response, a timer broke through the tense atmosphere. Kabuto scurried into the other room and over to the table where yet another glass flask was filled with the same milky fluid. Adding and stirring in the human blood, Kabuto watched as the liquid changed colour… negative… again. Well, that was that. He had tested every human they had supplied him with, and none possessed the qualities they were looking for.

Slowly Kabuto re-entered the room where a hushed silence blanketed the occupants. "Negative." He reported pulling off his now soiled latex gloves. "We really must have a look at this Naruto…" he said with an eager smirk.

Kakashi closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. "Must I do everything myself!" He spat at the room in general, frustration laced with anger radiating from him. Whipping around he marched out of the room.

Kabuto was so busy watched Kakashi's retreating form that he missed the moment when Tenzou tore out the final silver disk, the Lycan's roar of pain and remorse echoing through the laboratory.

xxx

"You heading home?" Sakura asked brightly, fluffing her bubblegum pink hair.

"Yeah, Shizune gave me a couple of hours off." Came the somewhat muted response. Naruto didn't really have a problem with his fellow intern. Sure the girl could be nosy and pushy sometimes, but you learned to deal with her. It was that, or walk around with a permanent tension headache. He just wasn't up to talking about the incident from earlier that day, and if he hung around she was sure to pester him about it. He had never been good with sharing, probably as a result of spending the first ten years of his life in an orphanage, and Sakura's over interested attitude didn't exactly inspire confidence.

Sakura seemed to pick up on his reluctance and thankfully changed the subject. "By the way, they said you did a terrific job today with the surgery." The comment was not lightly given, and Naruto appreciated the gesture. He had been good during the surgery… even though he was pretty much running on autopilot.

"Yeah," Naruto nodded as he made his way over to the door. He felt numb, still not having fully processed what had happened that day.

"Take it easy!" Sakura called after him. She sounded concerned. He couldn't blame her for worrying. He was definitely not feeling his usual exuberant self. If he closed his eyes he could still hear the loud echoes of gunfire. It was unnerving to think that he had come so close to death… again.

xxx

Neji was going to have the mother-of-all bitch fits, Sasuke was sure of it. But now was not the time to worry about the bruised ego of that pompous ass. After Neji left his room, Sasuke looked up the name and address of the blond - now identified as Naruto Uzumaki. From there it had been a piece of cake to acquire the address of the fetching young human. Yes, there would undoubtedly be repercussions for his insolence, but if he could find out what was so special about this particular human, Sasuke was more than willing to face the consequences.

The drive took almost no time at all, and Sasuke soon found himself outside the blonds' somewhat shabby front door. He could hear no sounds from inside, so knocking was out of the question. With a calm nonchalance, Sasuke kicked against the wood, the force shattering the flimsy lock and flinging the door wide. The apartment was dark inside, further proof that no one was home. Inside it looked much like you would expect of the living space of a single male. Clothes were lying on the living room furniture, other odds and ends littered the countertops. A small side table drew his attention and Sasuke wandered over to investigate. Pulling open the only drawer, he removed a heavy white envelope. They were photographs. A much younger version of Naruto smiling brightly at the camera from where he was wedged between an older looking couple. The next showed a now noticeably older Naruto hugging a petite dark haired girl to his side. The two were grinning at each other, completely oblivious to the photographer. A lover? Sasuke wondered to himself. It bothered him seeing those sparkling blue eyes so lovingly trained on another, but for the life of him he could figure out why.

Sasuke looked over to the door as a soft ping sounded from outside in the corridor. The doors of the lift rumbled open and quick, loud footsteps tramped down the corridor. The question of who was coming was soon answered when the stranger realised the door to this particular apartment was broken down. The footsteps faltered, slowing down noticeably, becoming softer and more careful. The sudden ringing of a phone had him jumping, startled. Glaring evilly at the device, Sasuke almost didn't notice when something eclipsed the light streaming into the dim apartment, someone was coming in. Sasuke melted into the shadows, waiting.

Before the person, could open the door the phone stopped ringing, a soft click announcing the activation of an answering machine. Sasuke's attention snapped back to the door, the abused hinges cringing in protest as the door was pushed open. The blond from the subway halted hesitantly only a few steps into the apartment - listening.

A voice, presumably the human's, spoke up from the electronic device next to the phone. "Hey this is Naruto, I'm not in right now but please leave a message."

There was a beep before another voice filled the silence. Hey Naruto, it's Sakura." The female on the other side of the line sounded concerned and slightly breathy. Was this the mystery woman in the photograph? The curious thought flickered unheeded through Sasuke's mind as the person continued talking. "The Police were just in the hospital looking for you and they were convinced you were involved with a… a shootout. Hey, I told them there would be no way you you'd be involved with something like that, but they're looking for you, right now."

Ah, so the mutts have clearly worked out where the blond worked, and that meant it was only a matter of time before they made an appearance here. Sasuke thought. With frustration fuelled determination, and barely contained anger Sasuke stepped forward grabbing the human by the throat and pinning him to the wall.

"Why are they after you!" He snarled tightening his hold on the surprisingly thin neck of the terrified human. The fear with which the other regarded him made his skin crawl. It wasn't a good look for the young blond and it bothered Sasuke that he was the cause of it.

There was no chance to wrangle an answer out of the man. Bone chilling howls filled the nigh and a loud crash cracked the ceiling, plaster raining down from above. It seemed the Lycans were faster than he had anticipated. Several more crunches sounded over his head, animalistic growls accompanying the ruckus. Sasuke unceremoniously dropped the blond in order to retrieve his gun. Without hesitation he fired a few rounds into the ceiling, the human wisely wasting no time as he scrambled for the door. Sasuke spared a glance at Naruto's retreating shape. It would really suck if he managed to get himself killed by the shape shifters. With this thought in mind, Sasuke took off after his target.

xxx

Naruto ran… there really was no other choice. Somehow, since he got up that morning, his life had turned upside down. First the violent gunfight at the station, the break-in at his apartment, the freakishly strong dark haired man that so effortlessly pushed him up against his own fucking wall. And now it sounded as if something was tearing the building apart from the inside. Something big…

Reaching the lift, Naruto ducked inside, grateful that the lift was still on his floor. The doors slid shut and he breathed a sigh of relief. If he could just get out onto the street, surely somebody would help him get away from the psychos chasing him.

The journey to the ground floor took an eternity, long enough for him to grow nervous again. How long would it take his attacker to descend the five flights of stairs down to the lobby? A ping announced his arrival and Naruto bounced on the balls of his feet, body tense and ready to make a run for it the moment he got a chance.

Lady Luck was evidently pissed at him about something. As the doors slid open he found his escape route blocked by an imposing man with an eye patch and a mop of startling white hair.

"Hello Naruto." The man crooned with a self-satisfied smirk, his voice soft and filled with dark promise. How the hell did the guy know who he was? Naruto backed up further into the confining space desperate to get away from this new danger… because this man was dangerous. He could feel a deep set, tightly coiled rage emanating from the man standing before him. It made his very blood run cold. His heart rate sped up again as fresh adrenalin was released into his body. Screw the fight part, all he wanted was to get away from the craziness that somehow spilt into his otherwise dull existence.

He never got the opportunity to find out what the newest addition to his personal nightmare wanted. There were a few loud burst of sounds and Naruto watched on in horror as one… two… three bullets rocked into the man barring his way. The stranger lost his footing under the assault, body falling forward into the open lift. The man reached out instinctively for support and Naruto felt himself being dragged to the floor by the momentum of the other. Then, unexplainably a piercing pain blossomed at the juncture of his neck and shoulder. Then it changed, the throbbing ache spread, overriding all his other senses. Everything hurt, every muscle, every cell… it was unlike anything he's ever experienced and it felt like it lasted for an eternity. Only when he was roughly yanked out of the grip of the dying man did he realise that he had been bitten.

His would-be saviour, abductor, or whatever the pale black haired man was, directed him out of the apartment building and over to a waiting car. He got in… really, what other option did he have? Out of all the people suddenly out to get him, at least this one hadn't tried eating him… yet.

"What the fuck is going on!" he demanded as the dark eyed man slid in next to him. Rubber squealed against the tarmac as the car pulled away, the driver choosing to ignore his panicked query. They were racing through the back streets now, avoiding the main roads, warehouses nothing but blurring shapes stretching out on either side of the car. He didn't know why they were in such a rush, wasn't the other man dead? For fucks sake, he saw him take a bullet to the head. No one got up after something like that.

Naruto took a moment to study the person next to him. Hair, so black it shone blue in the dim flickering light from the passing streetlamps, framed an almost delicate face. His eyes, focused on the road glittered darkly, the irises undistinguishable from the pupils. The guy was disturbingly attractive.

Naruto's silent study was abruptly interrupted as something heavy landed on the roof of the speeding car. There was no time to wonder what would happen as the initial thud was shortly followed by a wickedly sharp-looking blade. Well, he guessed it had to be sharp, otherwise how would it be able to pierce metal so easily? The blade was retracted only to appear miraculously a few centimetres to the side. Again it disappeared only to return moments later, this time finding its mark.

The car never slowed down, even as a pained shout left the driver mouth. He was going to die. Naruto was sure about it now. Another car crash, who would have guessed? Then again, it only made sense that this was how it would all end.

He was pulled from his morbid musings as the car unexpectedly came to a standstill. The man with the white hair, who, according to all scopes of reason should be lying dead in a puddle of blood, was propelled forward rolling to a stop meters from the now reversing vehicle. And then he got up… again. Who the hell were these people? Naruto was jolted back in his seat as the car came to a split second stop before it was once again hurtling forward, directly at the guy that shouldn't be there. Before the car could power over him, the man jumped… jumped straight into the air angling his body so he could roll uninjured over the roof of the speeding car.

They were going too fast, the man next to him bleeding profusely from the deep gash in his shoulder. He could see those previously intense eyes going dull, drooping slightly as the blood loss started taking its toll. "Stop the car." He ordered evenly, softly as if he were speaking to a skittish animal. When he got no response he shouted with more desperation leaning forward to draw the attention of the bleeding man. "Stop the car!"

"Back off!" A gun was pointed at him before he even registered the other moving. It was unsettling to know his abductor not only had inhuman strength, but lightning fast reflexes too. Naruto pressed his back against the passenger side door to give the other the maximum amount of space.

"Okay… okay…" he tried to appease the bleeding man. He eyed the trickle of blood steadily gushing from the deep cut. Despite the precarious situation he found himself in, he really was worried. He needed to take a look at the man's injury, for both their sakes.

"Alright, but you've lost a lot of blood." Naruto tried again to make the driver of the speeding car see sense. Just to be safe he kept his hands up to show that he had no intention of forcing him into doing anything. "If you don't stop the car you're going to get us both killed. I'm not screwing around."

All he got for his trouble was an acrid glare. With an annoyed huff the dark haired man slammed the car into fifth gear and accelerated more. "Neither am I, now shut up and hold on, I'll be fine." There was no way to argue with that tone and Naruto resigned himself to the blind hope that this was all a bad dream and he would wake up any minute now.

He just settled back into seat when he felt the car swerve towards the dark water of the harbour. In the few seconds he had looked away, the other man lost consciousness.

"Shit!" he swore leaning over to grab the steering wheel, but it was already too late. They were going too fast and the water was too close. With a stomach churning jolt the car flipped over hitting the sudden unyielding surface of the water with a sharp slap. The impact flung him to the side and his head connected hard enough with the window to crack the thick glass. Black spots danced in front of his eyes, threatening to pull him into unconsciousness as the murky water embraced the rapidly sinking vehicle. Naruto knew he needed to get them out somehow, and fast. The striking black haired male was still bleeding, and still out cold. Fumbling with trembling fingers he managed to retrieve the man's gun from where it landed when the car entered the water. Through his impending panic Naruto marvelled at the solid feeling of the cold metal as the firearm rested snugly in his palm. Pointing the gun at the cracking window he took a deep breath, closed his eyes and squeezed the trigger. The shock of the recoil was somewhat diminished by the eager press of water and shards of glass being flushed into the car.

Somehow he made it to the surface dragging the unconscious man with him. when they reach the closest bank he took a quick look at the stranger's injury. It was deep and would need stitches but for now he would have to be content with stemming the bleeding. Pulling off his top with a small twinge on regret, it was one of his favourites, he ripped of a strip and tied it securely over the cut. Satisfied with his handiwork he collapsed gracelessly onto the soft sand. Still studying the striking profile before him he sank into oblivion.

* * *

Yay! All done. Now I have to finish chapter 4 before I can post chapter 3. Please let me know if you find mistakes.


	3. Chapter 3

What is this? Another chapter in under a month?!

Ha! I'm really into this fic at the moment. There are parts of this movie I've watched over 10-25 times just to get the dialogue right :) Love how I'm sticking to the plot of the movie so closely.

Just to clarify, 'xxx' indicates a change in pov while '-' just jumps from one scene to the next.

Same disclaimer as in chapter one and two.

Have fun.

* * *

**Chapter Three**

Kakashi was back. Izumo and Kotetsu, inseparable as usual, had rushed ahead to inform him of their leader's return. He hadn't been able to gather much from their exited yapping, only that Kakashi did not have the Uzumaki with him.

Hurried footsteps announced the arrival of the silver-haired Lycan and Kabuto smirked openly at the other's dishevelled state. "A second escape?" He mocked Kakashi with a familiar ease. "Impressive, maybe Tenzou wasn't overstating matters."

Kakashi met the good-natured teasing with a grin of his own. It was a sight that made Kabuto experience something that closely resembled normal happiness - not the giddy blood lust that usually brought him joy. It had been a long time since he had seen his friend this light-hearted… not since Iruka.

Kakashi withdrew a small vial from inside his long coat. It was filled to the brim with blood so dark it was almost black. "Tenzou didn't bring back this." He said smugly offering up the tube. With trembling hands Kabuto accepted the proffered sample, an almost demented little chuckle bubbling from his lips. It wasn't enough, nowhere near enough, but years of working in substandard conditions had given him enough practice at being resourceful. If he was careful he might be able to run the most important preliminary tests, enough to confirm whether this Naruto character was the one they were looking for. That thought left him with a twinge of unease.

Face serious for a moment he looked earnestly up at Kakashi who was still regarding him with glee. "If this Naruto is indeed the carrier, the Vampires…"

"Relax old friend." Kakashi interrupted, brushing aside his concern. "I have tasted his flesh, only two days till full moon. Soon he will be a Lycan, soon he will come looking for us."

Well that explained a lot, Kabuto thought as he made his way over to his workstation. If Kakashi had indeed marked the human it would explain his abnormally cheerful mood, and give them some answers. If the Uzumaki descendant died he couldn't possibly be the carrier. If he lived, if he turned and survived, he would have no choice but to seek out others of his kind. It was that or die. The Vampires, through their ignorance, would show him no mercy.

With a much steadier hand, Kabuto drew some of the precious blood into a syringe. A white fluid-filled glass beaker was one again standing expectantly nearby. "It's a shame we don't have more," he mused softly as he gently stirred in the crimson fluid and waited anxiously for a reaction to take place. If he was honest with himself, he had very little hope in achieving success. He fully expected the opaque black that accompanied every negative result… Instead, the milky colour remained, the blood twisting and turning, graceful as smoke, within the liquid.

"Positive." Kabuto whispered in disbelief… Naruto was the carrier they had been searching for…

xxx

Sasuke regarded the sleeping blond with some interest. After waking up under the pier with only minutes left till dawn he had brought the unconscious human back to the mansion. Throughout the day Sasuke had been keeping watch over him, waiting for the man to wake up. Night was once again setting in, and if it wasn't for Naruto's shallow breathing and the restless movement under his lidded eyes, he might have thought the human was dead. Now that he finally had time to study the other male, Sasuke couldn't help but marvel at his striking features. Soft spiky blond hair framed an almost boyish face and Sasuke had to fight the irrational urge to run his hand through the golden strands. A fine dusting of freckles peppered the smooth skin across the bridge of a straight nose. His bottom lip was slightly fuller that the top one. Sasuke felt his chest constrict painfully. It was the first time in his existence that he felt so drawn to another. It made him feel off balance, he was used to being in control. This human unsettled him and he couldn't quite place why.

With a gasp Naruto jolted back into consciousness and promptly tried to get up. Sasuke placed one hand on his shoulder and firmly pressed him back down onto the couch. "Lay still, your skull's taken a good knock." He ordered gently and Naruto complied without protest. The blond was trembling uncontrollably, clearly distressed and confused about the unfamiliar surroundings he found himself in. His reaction was quite understandable considering what he has been through, but Sasuke found his own response worrying. Seeing the human upset made him angry at whoever was the cause of his unease. Why would he be so concerned with the emotional state of a human he barely knew?

"You've been unconscious for a while." Sasuke continued, the sound of a more familiar voice piercing the panicked fog that gripped the blond and it seemed to calm Naruto down somewhat. It did not stop him from nervously studying the room he woke up in. "Do you have any idea why those men were after you?" Sasuke pressed hesitantly. It made him feel heartless to question the blond when he just woke up, but it was crucial that he find out why the Lycans were so interested in him.

Finally Naruto focused on him and Sasuke marvelled at the bottomless blue of eyes meeting his own. "Where am I?" he asked softly and the words sounded more like a plea than an actual question. It had Sasuke once again feeling that strange protectiveness towards the blond. What was going on with him?

"You're safe." He replied reassuringly. "I'm Sasuke." He had no idea why he felt compelled to give the now calmed man his name, but it seemed appropriate after what they had been through. He owed the blond that much at least. Whether Naruto heard him or not was a mystery. Once reassured that he was safe, Naruto quickly drifted back into unconsciousness.

Sasuke stayed where he was, perched on the edge of the couch thoughtfully considering the sleeping man. He was fully aware of his bedroom door being opened and Ino entering. "So for once the rumours were true." The blonde Vampire said, swiftly summing up the scene. "The whole house has been absolutely buzzing about your new pet." Sasuke spared her an impatient glance and turned back to watch the sleeping man. Realization dawned in Ino's eyes and she gasped in amazement. "Oh no, you're going to try to turn him, aren't you." She breathed in delighted horror.

"Of course not." Sasuke spared the persistent blonde another scathing look. Some days he couldn't decide what his feeling towards the woman was. Was it hate or just a strong dislike? At times Ino acted like they were best friends, but she was an incorrigible gossip and had no qualms about spreading rumours. Never mind the facts.

"Then why did you bring him here?" she breathed in a conspiratorial whisper. Sasuke suppressed a tired sigh. Yeah, Ino was in her best-friend mode right now. She was practically bouncing on the spot at the prospect of gathering some tidbit of information that she would no doubt spread around the mansion in record time. When she got that sparkly look in her eyes the only way to get rid of her was to give in and tell her what she wanted to know.

"He saved my life." Sasuke glanced back down at the sleeping human. It had been a long time since he found himself in a situation where someone did something simply because it was the right thing to do. If their roles had been reversed, if Naruto had been the one knocked unconscious, he wouldn't even have thought of saving him. Naruto doesn't know him, doesn't know this world he now unwittingly finds himself in. For the past few days he has been harassed by supernatural creatures born out of nightmares… and still he had the compassion to help someone who was unable to help themselves. Was that the difference between humans and the immortals? The ability to feel empathy for those around you? Because if he was honest with himself, Sasuke knew that he no longer gave a flying fuck about the feelings of those around him. Three centuries of killing would do that to a person.

Ino was still hovering over his shoulder, the cloying sweetness of her perfume overwhelming his senses and clinging to the back of his throat. He had a headache and Naruto was proving to be a puzzle whose pieces just refused to fit. "Why are you here?" Sasuke asked the blonde Vampire tiredly. A lock of the human's corn yellow hair was resting against his forehead and Sasuke reached out carefully to brush it aside. There was a barely audible hitch in Naruto's breathing as their skin met and Sasuke felt his own heart give a few harder-than-normal beats. What the hell was going on?

"Neji sent me," Ino said in apprehension, the tension in her words automatically alerting Sasuke to Neji's apparent state of mind. The head Vampire was no doubt having a mini internal bitch-fit over being defied. "He wants to see you… now." She continued soberly. The look she gave him was filled with just enough pity that he could almost believe that she was concerned for his safety. In reality Sasuke knew that Ino relished every moment Neji's scorn was focused on him. It gave her a bigger chance of getting into the raven haired Vampire's pants.

xxx

He was angry. No, angry was too mild a word to describe his current mindset. He was livid, furious, he wanted to pull Sasuke over his knees and spank him like a disobedient child. Neji could not understand why the Death Dealer would go to such lengths to destroy his reputation. Hadn't he done enough to accommodate Orochimaru s pet? Hadn't he given the younger Vampire enough freedom to pursue his obsession with killing off the Lycans? Sasuke was the only one who could get away with his belligerent attitude over the years. Neji had hoped that with time Sasuke would mellow out, realize how fortunate he was and embrace the offer of power presented to him. But no, Neji now realised that allowing the Death Dealer so much liberty and freedom was a grave error. One he intended to amend.

There was a firm knock on his study door and Sasuke entered without waiting for an answer. Even through his growing rage, Neji couldn't help admiring the younger Vampire. Sasuke was beautiful. Under the warm light in the study his pale skin was luminescent. Dark hair framed his almost delicate face and Neji could tell, just by looking at Sasuke that the younger Vampire was on guard. Sasuke probably knew he was in trouble and if his expression was anything to go by, this conversation was surely going to end in an argument.

Neji couldn't help it. Seeing the defiant set of Sasuke's jaw, the unapologetic pull of his mouth, it was all too much for his tenuous self restraint. Sasuke had barely managed three steps into the room before Neji started ranting.

"This is completely unacceptable!" he raged. Sasuke, momentarily startled by the outburst, quickly regained some of his composure and made to interrupt. Neji was having none of it however. Without giving the younger a chance to brush off the anger aimed in his direction, Neji pushed on. "You go against my orders and spend the night away from the shelter of the mansion with a human. A human that you've since brought back into my house!"

And there it was. The whole reason he was so upset in the first place. Sure, Sasuke had spent the occasional night away from home in the comfort of another's embrace. Everyone did. Spending centuries cooped up in the same house, no matter the size, was bound to suffocate the strongest of wills. But this, this was different. The Death Dealer had the audacity, the pigheaded arrogance to parade his newest acquisition where everyone could see him. Neji had no doubt that he was the laughing stock of the entire mansion. It was no secret that he harboured some feelings towards the dark haired Vampire. So for Sasuke to drag a half dead, injured human home was like a slap in the face. A blow to his pride that he could not let slip by.

Sasuke was glaring at him, his onyx eyes hard and filled with something close to hate. "As far as I'm concerned, this is still Orochimaru's house." Neji ground his teeth together at the others blatant lack of respect. As predicted, Sasuke was being as difficult as possible. "Look, I don't want to argue." Sasuke tried reasoning, the fight going out of his voice leaving him sounding as tired as he looked. "I just need you to understand that Naruto is somehow important to the Lycans."

Any hope Neji had of turning this into a reasonable conversation, between immortals that have experienced enough of life to know how to choose their battles, fled. "Oh, so now it's Naruto?" He sneered angrily. Not only was Sasuke waving the human under his nose, but now he had given the thing a name! What was next? Inviting it to sit at the same table?

"Neji, would you just hear me out?" Sasuke pleaded, a hint of his previous vexation seeping through the cracks in his composure.

Seeing the fight returning to Sasuke's demeanour fuelled his own fire and Neji barrelled on, not caring in the least that he was sounding more than a little crazy and borderline hysterical. "It's just beyond me why you're so obsessed over this ridiculous theory." Neji felt like pulling out his hair in frustration. Sasuke needed to let this whole conspiracy-theory business go. If, and that was a big if, the Lycans were interested in this Naruto character, what concern was it of theirs? "Kakashi wouldn't be the slightest bit interested in a human, Naruto or otherwise."

Neji realized the mistake he had made the moment the words slipped out of his mouth. Sasuke was bright and would undoubtedly pick up on his slip. "Wait a minute… you're infatuated with him, aren't you?" Neji accused in an attempt to distract Sasuke from what he had said.

"Now that's a ridiculous theory." Sasuke deadpanned without even a moment's hesitation, giving him a disbelieving look.

A twinge of apprehension crawled up Neji's spine at the way Sasuke so quickly dismissed his statement. "Is it?" Neji wondered bitterly pinning the Death Dealer with a scathing stare. It was time he took a closer look at their newest guest.

Without another word he brushed roughly past a now fuming Sasuke. Neji ignored the curious glances of the other residents as he strode purposefully to Sasuke's room. What he intended to do once he got there was a mystery, but it was time he personally ascertained what all the fuss was about. Sasuke silently dogged his long strides, animosity radiating off him in waves.

As they drew closer to Sasuke's personal chambers there was the sound of a loud thump followed by defensive hissing. Neji sped up, not really knowing what to expect. Just as he reached the door there was a softer bang and the hissing stopped.

Throwing open the door he barged into the room only to find a somewhat rattled Ino inside. The blonde looked like she had seen a ghost. Neji spared her half a glance before making his way across the room to the wide open windows. With the aid of his enhanced night vision he could faintly make out the retreating form moving rapidly away from the mansion. The guard dogs bark frantically, eager to have a go at the fleeing human. Seconds later their enthusiastic yapping changed into mournful howling. Their hunt had obviously been unsuccessful.

The temperature seemed to drop a few degrees as he spun around to face a terrified Ino. "Leave us!" he ordered madly, the irrational rage from earlier returning full force. Shocked at seeing his loss of self-control Ino turned and fled from the room. Sasuke faced him unflinchingly and at the Death Dealers failure to look at least partially guilty for the commotion he had caused Neji finally snapped.

There was a loud, sharp crack as Neji's hand connected with the flawless skin of Sasuke's cheek. Neji allowed himself a sliver of satisfaction at the way Sasuke's head snapped to the side. Unwilling to spend another minute in the company of the flippant youth Neji brushed past Sasuke and strode from the room.

Neji knew that he would now have to contact Kakashi to sort out the mess caused by the Lycans indiscretions. It was not a welcome prospect, but he had been meaning to speak to the shape shifter anyway so he might as well sort this out at the same time.

xxx

Sasuke often worried about his mental wellbeing. What did it say of him that the only places he truly felt comfortable in were the crypt of a half dried out Vampire and the shooting range? Shrugging off his pointless musing about his sanity Sasuke instead focused on the target at the far end of the room. Keeping his stance relaxed, both hands wrapped around the handle of his gun, Sasuke breathed out slowly and squeezed the trigger. Not fighting the recoil after each shot he watched proudly as each bullet effortlessly found it's intended mark.

With a little bit of imagination it wasn't too hard to put Neji's head on the target he was aiming for. There was something off about the Vampire's action… more than usual. The arrogant prick's only claim to fame was that he supposedly killed off the leader of the Lycans. But was there any proof?

"I sure hope you never get pissed off at me." A lazy voice drawled from next to him and Sasuke glanced to his left. Shikamaru had quietly joined him while he was lost in thought and was now leaning against the side of the booth. The spiky haired weapons expert studied him with fond amusement and Sasuke had trouble suppressing the answering smile that wanted to stretch across his face. Using more force than what was strictly necessary he ejected the now spent magazine replacing it with a fresh one. He was angry and didn't want anyone to forget it.

"Hold on," Shikamaru stopped Sasuke before he could take out more of his anger on the immobile targets. "Check this out." He said cocking a heavy looking fire arm and holding it out towards Sasuke.

Wordlessly Sasuke took the weapon. It was bigger and heavier than the one he had been using. At the push of a button Shikamaru summoned a fresh bust and Sasuke took aim. "Go ahead, squeeze off a few." Shikamaru prompted.

The recoil from the new gun was a bit more powerful than he was used to, but years of toting firearms had given him the edge to handle the shock with ease. Sasuke lowered the weapon after firing a few rounds. In amazement Sasuke watched a slow silver trickle pouring from the points of entry. "Eject the mag." Shikamaru said softly from where he was leaning casually against the wall. Even though his whole stance conveyed a calculated air of boredom and indifference, Sasuke had known the man long enough to pick up the carefully concealed excitement.

With sure movements Sasuke slid the magazine free. It didn't take long to understand why the normally apathic Vampire was so happy. The silvery fluid inside the casing glinted as it caught the bright lights of the shooting range. No matter how annoyed he had been moments before, nothing could stop the smile that slowly spread on his face.

"You copied the Lycan round…" Sasuke breathed in wonder, turning towards his friend, "silver nitrate."

"A lethal dose." Shikamaru confirmed with a proud smirk.

Sasuke couldn't fault his unusual animated response. This new ammunition would cancel out the advantage the mutts thought they had. It would give them a chance to root out the cancer slowly spreading through the underground. "They won't be able to dig these out like they do the usual rounds."

"Straight into the bloodstream, ain't nothing to dig out." The other Vampire assented smugly.

Thoughtfully Sasuke studied the disassembled weapon in his hands. There was still a little voice whispering in the corners of his mind, telling him that there was something he was missing. Something important…

"Tell me Shikamaru, do you believe Kakashi died the way they say he did?" The question slipped past his lips before he could stop himself. It was dangerously close the being traitorous, but the bitterness caused by his last encounter with their leader was too fresh, and suddenly Sasuke realised that he didn't care.

"Neji been telling war stories again, ey?" Shikamaru sounded amused, willing to overlook the little discretion by laughing it off. It was exasperating to know that even someone as self-assured as Shikamaru would be intimidated by Neji. It wasn't hard to see that Neji was coming up short in some areas of governing the coven, but no one was willing to question his methods, or even how he came to possess the esteemed position in the first place.

"Well that's my point." Sasuke shot back, annoyance making his words seem, and sound, harsher than they normally would. "It's nothing but an ancient story… his story. Not a shred of proof that he killed Kakashi, only his word."

Shikamaru was staring at him incredulously, disapproval clearly written all over his face. It was hopeless, and Shikamaru's next words only confirmed his fear. "I've never underestimated Neji's lust for advancement, but Orochimaru believed him and that's all that matters. Now where are you going with this anyway?"

"No where." Sasuke replied edgily. As long as Shikamaru refused to use his head, arguing would be a pointless waste of time.

There was a very good chance that his actions would get him into trouble. Big trouble, but Sasuke just couldn't bring himself to care. Something was going on with Neji, with the Lycans and the blond human. The three were somehow connected and he was determined to find out how. Even if it meant breaking into the library to look at the heavy history books locked up there. Sasuke had to refrain himself from paging too roughly through the brittle pages of the ancient book. A small paragraph at the bottom of one of the vivid illustrations caught his eye:

_Of the scores of brave souls who entered Kakashi's fortress, a single vampire survived; Neji, who was richly rewarded for not only setting the great blaze, but for returning with evidence of the Lycan master's demise: the branded skin, cut from Kakashi's very arm._

Paging back to the drawing of Kakashi, Sasuke felt his stomach flip painfully. Around the Lycan leaders neck hung an amulet… the very same amulet he had seen the previous day… around the neck of the man who attacked Naruto.

Feeling nauseous, Sasuke left the library. He had made up his mind, he knew what he had to do. The thought was both exhilarating and terrifying and it made him want to laugh and cry all at once… it was insane, but it was all he could think of to do.

He had barely taken three steps down the corridor when Ino caught up to him, relief radiating from her overly tense body.

"I've been looking for you everywhere." The blonde gushed anxiously. "Your human, he's been bitten."

Sasuke stared at her in disbelief. With the way Ino felt about Neji it wouldn't be hard for her to be manipulated by the arrogant ass. The notion was so absurd that it was the only thing that made sense. "Did Neji put you up to this?" Sasuke huffed in exasperation.

"No, I saw the wound with my own eyes, I swear it."

It couldn't be… Ino looked so sincere and Sasuke could find no trace of deceit written on her face. If she was telling the truth, Naruto could be in danger…

Without another word Sasuke turned and started down the hallway.

"But what about the covenant? You know it's forbidden!" Ino tried calling out to him, but Sasuke couldn't waste time, there was something he needed to do.

* * *

Whoop whoop! And there you have it folks. As always, thanks to _strangeindividual _for going through this... if there are mistakes blame her :P Now I just have to start and finish chapter five so I can post chapter four. Drop me a note to let me know what you thought.

After the next chapter I'll be changing the rating to M and deviating from the actual movie plot ^^


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