Bastards and Fangs

This took me forever to write because I wasn't sure where I wanted it to go. But I think I'm on the right path now. I respond to reviews here: http://xiophelia.livejournal.com/

~`~

 

Naruto bolted up out of the bed and excitedly searched the bed for his father. His happy expression shifted to one of confusion, the man was nowhere to be seen in the room.  He was sure that they had fallen asleep in this room together, his father holding him gently. The blond vampire quickly left the bed and flew to the hallway, desperate to catch any sign of Iruka. He called his father’s name up and down the hall, but there was no answer.



The young vampire found Mikoto in the library and the blond approached her, fear in his eyes. “Mikoto, where is Iruka? Why can’t I find him?”



Mikoto sighed heavily, a sad expression covering her face. “Naruto darling, when you came here last night you were in such a rage after you broke down that I had to put you in a trance. I’m so sorry Naruto, but I didn’t know what else to do,” she said as she took Naruto into her arms.



Naruto cried once more, not out of rage but because of the fact that he could not tell the difference between a trance and reality. He clutched tightly at the elder vampires robes. He made a promise to himself that this would be the last time he would cry over Iruka. The man had been his father, but he had no place in this lifestyle and happy endings never occurred. It was ridiculous to cry over something that was so trivial as missing your father.



“Oh sweetheart, it’s not trivial. I wish there was a way we could help you, but our hands are tied.” Mikoto whispered into the taller vampire’s ear. “You are strong to even have gotten this far. Most newborns are killed within the first week of being made.”



That fact made Naruto feel marginally better. But last night was still fresh in his mind. He actually remembered the crimes he’d committed and knew that he would be punished for them. He cursed himself for being so stupid as to investigate on his own. Naruto eventually pulled away from Mikoto and wiped his eyes on his bare skin, not caring if the blood dried there.



“What happened to Neji?” The blond asked with concern.



“Sasuke told me from the time he made eye contact with you he was unaware of his dead comrades. Hunters are very dangerous, especially from the Hyuuga clan. If you had not tranced him, he would have killed you.” The Uchiha said as she took a seat on a recliner.



“I wondered why he touched me first,” the blond trailed off as he touched his cheek.



“Every vampires self defense kicks in when its existence is in danger and reacts accordingly with the situation. We’re not quite sure how this happens, but we are grateful for it.”



“So even though he knew who I was, he would have killed me if I hadn‘t have tranced him?” Naruto asked as he sat on the floor by Mikoto’s feet.



“Yes, he wouldn’t have let you suffer this existence, his Hyuuga pride wouldn’t allow that.”



Silence reigned over the room as Naruto came to terms that he would never see his father ever again. The trance had been so been real that he could still feel his father’s arms around him as he sat there. It was then that he remembered something Iruka had told him long ago.



“People who love one another are never far Naruto. They are connected by threads of love and even if a person goes missing or dies, that connection is still there and we can still send our love to one another,” his fathers words echoed in his head. The blond smiled brightly and sent a little love from his heart through the thread that connected him to his father.



Feeling slightly better, the vampire jumped to his feet and made his way back to  his room. He found it strange that Sasuke wasn’t in the bed that night either. The Uchiha had always slept with him and it was always comforting to wake up to the other vampire in the room, or in the bed. Sasuke’s presence was constant and Naruto appreciated that. He needed stability in this new existence and the elder vampire provided him with it. He remembered the trance from the night before and sadly realized that he would have to hear that same speech again. Mikoto had been thorough with her magic, if you could call it that.



He quickly dodged into his room and made the way to the shower. He had to wash the blood off and change into decent clothes. He wasn’t sure about his fate right now since he had killed humans, even if they were hunters. He didn’t even bother to adjust the hot water as he stepped under the shower head and let the water flow down the contours of his body.



Tears didn’t come this time as he thought of his father. His thoughts wandered to Neji and how the other had been a hunter. He had never known that his friend was capable of such a thing. But then again, Neji never did anything without reason, so he must have had a pretty good one for what he did. He only wished that he had known of the others’ feelings for him. It would have made his human life much more fulfilling. He and Neji had always been close since they were both ignored by their classmates.



Neji was seen as a prodigy and his teachers expected excellence out of him while the other students saw him as a freak for his exceptionally good grades. They had teased him a lot until Naruto had came around and started to threaten anyone who messed with the Hyuuga. In exchange for the protection, Neji tutored Naruto to help the blond improve his grades and make Iruka proud.



They had been like brothers in those years in high school. They hardly ever associated with anyone else until Kiba had transferred in their junior year. Neji hadn’t liked the loud, brash brunet, but Naruto liked him instantly. So the three were always together and their world expanded. And even though they made new friends, they still relied on one another the most. It was that unspoken trust between them that kept them friends.



The blond sighed as his thoughts continued to focus on Neji and their easy going friendship. He was glad now that the memory of last night was wiped from his mind. He wasn’t sure how the Hyuuga would handle it if the knowledge of him being a vampire had stayed with him. He was sure that Neji would blame the fates somehow and damn them for the most part. He couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped his lips. It would certainly be like Neji to go off on a tangent about fate and its cruelty.



He finished up his shower and stepped out into the bathroom, steam hitting his skin. He didn’t realize that he had the shower that hot. Of course with being a vampire, his body was cold most of the time and he enjoyed the warmth that the hot water gave him. He quickly dried off and stepped into the main room naked. He was sure that Sasuke wasn’t going to show his face anytime soon so he would strut around naked if he damned well pleased.



The vampire froze as he entered the room, Sasuke was on the bed reading a book. The blond groaned at his misfortune. He was hoping to avoid the other vampire for at least a few more days so that the lecture would at least be tolerable since he had already heard it once in the last forty-eight hours. He silently moved to the dresser and began to pull his clothes, the sound of turning pages the only thing filling the silence.



It grated on Naruto’s nerves on how silent Sasuke was being. Normally the elder vampire would already be going on a tangent right now, not holding anything back. The blond stood at the edge of the bed and crossed his arms, glaring at the older vampire.



“Well?” He asked as Sasuke turned a page nonchalantly.



“What?” The Uchiha asked, never moving his eyes away from the book.



“Aren’t you going to yell at me?”



“I don’t think I will. I believe that you’ve learned your lesson,” he closed the book and looked at Naruto. “I cleaned up your mess. And while it was a hassle…it wasn’t entirely your fault. I never told you about the Hunters. Your safety should come first since you are still inexperienced. Tell me…what was your relationship with him?”



The blond sighed as he flopped onto the end of the bed near Sasuke’s feet. He stretched his arms behind his head and cradled it. “We were friends that used one another. I would protect him and he would teach me. We were alone for the longest time because no one really wanted anything to do with me. And Neji was smart, he was teased all the time about his perfect grades. I had no idea he loved me.”



Sasuke sighed as he sat up and scooted down beside the blond vampire. “Would that have made any difference?”



The younger vampire shrugged. “No one would date me when I was alive. I was undesirable so it would have been nice to have had at least one meaningful relationship before I bit the big one.”



“You were undesirable?” Sasuke asked with an arched brow even though the other couldn’t see it.



“Yeah, people didn’t like my scars and because of my uncle, they thought I was crazy like him. And well not only that just my loud personality in general. I lived my life to the fullest. I have no regrets,” the blond said smiling sadly.



“But it still sounds as though you do,” Sasuke pointed as his hand inched out and grabbed Naruto’s.



“There’s nothing I can do about the situation with Iruka. He knows how I lived my life and knows that I was comfortable with death. Though I’m pretty sure he thought that I would die later rather than sooner.” Naruto answered as he squeezed the hand that was offered to him.



“You’ve grown up,” Sasuke said dryly.



Naruto smirked, “maybe just a little bastard.”



~`~



“Mah, you are a troublesome one,” a familiar voice he hadn’t heard in years say.



The blond vampire turned around and was met with the sight of a man he had once considered a second father. Naruto didn’t know what to say, he was at a loss for words as he stood and approached the other, stopping just a few inches from the vampire.



“You…you were actually here last night?” Naruto asked, furrowing his brows together as the trance from last night began to wear off.



“Yes, your rage went supernova when you saw me. Mikoto had no choice but to put you under that trance. Iruka was the only one who could ever calm you Sunshine.” Kakashi said as he closed the small distance between them and hugged what he had considered his son. “I missed you guys so much.”



Naruto sobbed into the other vampires shoulder. He couldn’t believe that Kakashi was right here in front of him. And he couldn’t tell Iruka, that part broke his heart. His father had never known what happened to Kakashi after his trip and there was a hole in his soul. Iruka had tried to recover from the loss, but never could.



“I’m just so glad you’re still here,” the blond whispered after he was done sobbing. “I just…but Sasuke said you wouldn’t step foot in here!”



Kakashi laughed as he pulled back and ruffled Naruto’s hair. “I didn’t have good enough reason to. I was turned against my will and for quite awhile let’s just say I was more of a handful than you were.”



“You heard the stories then?” Naruto asked, his expression changing to one of horror.



“Yes, but it’s to be expected. There is no such thing as a perfect newborn.” Kakashi answered as they sat upon the bench.



“Iruka is still heartbroken,” Naruto mumbled.



Kakashi sighed and looked to the stars, “I know. But he is meant to stay as he is. I do not want to curse him with this existence. He would never make it.”



The blond looked to the sky as well, what Kakashi had said made sense. “You’re right. He would never have been able to survive the violence.”



Silence fell like a comfortable blanket around. They hadn’t been around each other for years, so it was understandable that they didn’t know how to act to one another. Kakashi had certainly changed from the last time Naruto had seen when he was a kid. The older man had been happy, always had an Icha Icha book in his hand and a goofy smile on his face whenever Iruka walked into a room.



But it seemed that the Kakashi that Naruto used to know was gone. He was replaced with a man that Naruto couldn’t recognize and he wasn’t too sure if they would ever cross paths again. But he didn’t mind that thought as much as he thought he would. He had adored Kakashi as a kid, loved him just as much as Iruka. But the years of not having the man in his life was making it easier to let him go unlike how it was with his father.



“I won’t see you after this will I?” Naruto asked sagely.



“No you won’t,” Kakashi said softly. “I have something that I’ve been carrying around since I was turned, I want you to have it.”



The younger vampire waited as the other rooted around in his pocket for something. And when a thin piece of paper was pulled out, the blond stretched his hand out to take it. He pulled the paper close to him and saw that it was a picture of the three of them together before the trip that Kakashi had disappeared on.



“You kept this the whole time?” Naruto asked amazed.



“You two were the only ones in my heart, even now. You’ve grown into a fine young Naruto, I couldn’t be more proud of you,” Kakashi said with a hint of pride in his voice. “Try to get on Sasuke’s nerves as much as possible. The brat deserves it and you give the best hell.”



Naruto grinned crookedly. “I can do that. I can’t help but feel that you’re saying goodbye.”



“I’m going to take the slumber for a long time,” Kakashi went back to looking at the stars. “As long as Iruka is still alive, I will be drawn to him. I don’t want him to have this life and the longer I’m away, the more I crave him.”



“So only for a bit huh?” Naruto quipped.



“With our existence, yeah just a bit. Don’t let the Uchiha’s bully you and Madara isn’t as bad as the others make him out to be.”



“Really?” Naruto asked surprised.



“Yeah, he was this extra sense of knowing things. He knows what he’s doing. I’m off kiddo, there isn’t much time until daybreak. I’ll look you up once I’m back,” the older man said as he rose and offered his hand out to the younger vampire.



Naruto took it and was surprised when he was pulled into a bear hug. He brought his arms around and crushed Kakashi the same way he was crushing him. He would be sad to see the other man go, but he understood where the other was coming from. Kakashi had fought and long to even get Iruka’s attention and when he had it, he held onto the man.  



Kakashi pulled back and gave him one last smile before taking off to the trees, like he was never there. A slight wind blew and Naruto could detect fall on the air. It was getting closer to Halloween and he still hadn’t talked to Sasuke into the masquerade ball just yet. Maybe he would bother the youngest Uchiha about that.



A presence made itself known as the blond turned around. He was once again face to face with Madara. The other was studying him as if he had discovered some great secret. The blond must have had a questioning look on his face because Madara was supplying an answer a moment later.



“You’re descended from my brother. I can’t believe I didn’t notice it at first.” Madara said as he ran a hand through the blond spikes.



“How can you tell?” Naruto asked with his head cocked to the side.



“Your blood, Mikoto accidentally scratched you last night and I caught a whiff of it. It doesn’t matter that he lived millennia ago, blood never changes.”



“So…does that mean…that I can’t be…with Sasuke?” Naruto asked in a hushed tone. He hoped that he could trust Madara with his confession.



“Your Uchiha blood is very diluted Naruto even though it’s still there. It’s nice to know that my brother’s line survived.” The Uchiha said as he sat down on the previously vacated bench.



“Was it lost?” Naruto asked, intrigued by what the Uchiha had said so far.



“After a few centuries, it was hard to keep up with all the members. And then I thought they had died out.” Madara said sadly. “But here you are! Where my brother should have been.”



“It sounds as though you miss him.”



“Greatly. He chose to remain human, I was able to barter for his life. After I learned to control the bloodlust I watched out for him as best I could.”



“I’m sure he would have appreciated it.”



A call of Naruto’s name had the blond turning around. Sasuke had entered the garden and as he approached the bench, the younger vampire turned back to Madara, but the other was gone. Shaking his blond head, Naruto turned back to Sasuke, smiling.



“Dumbass what are you doing out here?” Sasuke asked as he sat on the bench.



“Kakashi was here,” the blond stated as he looked up to the sky. “He’s taking the slumber.”



“So tyou now know the truth,” Sasuke sad, it sounded lame to his ears but he was at a loss as to what to say.



Naruto’s laughter filled the garden. “That was lame bastard.”



Sasuke gave Naruto a crooked grin. “So about this masquerade you so desperately want, what exactly did you have in mind?”



Naruto lit up at the mention of the masquerade. “Well masks are a must! And with us being vampires…I think it has the potential to be fun! I mean I’m sure you guys have awesome threads hanging around somewhere!”



“Yes actually we do have period clothing if that’s what you want. And it is authentic,” Sasuke answered as he was sucked into Naruto’s enthusiasm.



The rest of the night was spent planning the masquerade. And both vampires had agreed to include Mikoto in their future planning. The woman was a genius when it came to parties and of course they knew that there would be hell to pay if she ever found out about the party before it was thrown. Mikoto was a social butterfly much like Naruto himself and needed to be surrounded not only by family, but friends and acquaintances as well. It was a good way to bring in Samhain, at least to Sasuke it was.



He explained to the blond vampire that their kind always celebrated the ancient custom. It was a way of mourning the loss of their own death, but also embracing what they were. Naruto held onto every word and absorbed everything Sasuke had told him. Neither had noticed that their hands had found one another and linked together.