Naruto waited in her arms for what felt like the longest few seconds of his life. Any moment now he would surely feel those unnaturally sharp teeth pierce his flesh...
But instead he felt a falling sensation. Perhaps this was part of death...?
"Oof!" Air rushed from his lungs as he hit the ground, eyes snapping open.
Through tear blurred vision Naruto saw a tall figure at the end of the alley, silhouetted by the flashing lights of the city. The newcomers long coat snapped to the side in another gust of wind. Faster than Naruto could track the figure was down the alleyway and Naruto was looking at his heavy leather boots from his position on the ground. Scrambling out of the way Naruto saw the man held an umbrella pointed at his attackers chest. In a quick stab he embedded it's sharpened end between her collarbones. She gave a pained screech and backed away her skin peeling where she had been stabbed. She wasted no time on her injury, instead running at the man again, this time with nails and teeth bared. She launched herself at him hands reaching to scratch at him with steely nails.
Naruto gave a shout of warning that left him after the man had already dodged. His rescuer now held a long thin sword in place of his umbrella and Naruto watched, stunned, as electrical currents ran down the metal length, sparking and chirruping. Quicker than Naruto thought possible he swung the sword at the vampire, lightening leaving it's metal confines to fly at her in a deadly arc. But she was as fast a he was and pushed off from the ground to jump nearly ten feet in the air, effectively dodging the lightening which hit Naruto's home with a cracking explosion. Naruto drew in a sharp breath as she landed behind the man and wrapped strong fingers around his neck with a cry of triumph.
Naruto instinctively leapt to his feet, planning to do this man the same courtesy as he had done Naruto. But before he had taken two steps towards the pair the vampire gave another pained screech as she was thrown backwards. Naruto watched in shock as electrical currents skittered across the mans pale skin before dissipating.
The stranger ignored him as he looked around the alley for something. Naruto looked towards where the vampire had landed to see a charred corpse. She was dead. And he was glad.
The man was now picking up his umbrella. Naruto watched as he sheathed the sword inside the umbrella and turned back towards the corpse. He walked easily over to the body emitting the unpleasant stench of burnt flesh.
"What are you going to do about that mess?" Naruto asked, forcing his vocal cords into action.
For the first time his rescuer looked him in the eye and Naruto felt his voice leave him again. The man was not much older than him, he looked about 19 but radiated a confidence that made him seem older. The darkest eyes he had ever seen fixed him with a calculating stare as he raised one shaped eyebrow in a mocking gesture.
Turning away again he spun his umbrella through practised fingers before hitting the dead woman between singed eyebrows with what Naruto knew to be the hilt of that concealed sword. Naruto was about to ask why he'd done that when he realised the body was decomposing before his very eyes. Within seconds all that was left was dust and that was quickly scattered by the wind.
Without a word that man began to walk away. Naruto looked behind him at his burning home. The box with his few belongings in it was slowly burning to a cinder.
"Oi wait up!" he called running after his rescuer.
The man didn't stop so Naruto ran around him to stop his retreat from the alley. He was fixed with another questioning glare which struck a nerve. Grateful as he may be to this man for saving his life, he had just been left even more homeless than he had been before.
"I hope you're going to pay for that!" Naruto demanded glaring back and pointing at his burning home.
"Hn, was it actually worth something?" the mans deep voice rolled easily over Naruto's ears.
"Yes!" spluttered Naruto, pissed off now that his rescuer was turning out to be such a bastard.
"Whatever."
Stepping around him the stranger walked away setting a quick pace. Naruto stood for a second, stunned, staring back and forth from his rescuers back to his burning home. His belongings, everything he had salvaged of his life before now, was literally going up in smoke. With one last look at the box he turned away and followed the bastard from the alley onto the streets of the red light district.
"Don't follow me," the man said coldly.
"Try and stop me!" yelled Naruto defiantly.
"Don't tempt me," growled his rescuer speeding up until he was almost running.
But Naruto wasn't the kind of guy to give up without a fight. Jogging to keep up he pursued the man past countless dodgy bars and clubs.
"What did you do to that woman - I mean vampire - anyway?" he asked. "I never even believed in vampires before tonight. She was a vampire, right? I mean she acted like a vampire."
"Yes she was a vampire," the man gritted out, looking anywhere but at Naruto. "Now leave me alone!"
"But what did you do to her? You hit my box with lightening, I understand it was an accident, but I'd still like an apology! And then she grabbed you and then she went flying."
They had turned down another alley and were still walking at top speed.
"Hey teme, I'm trying to talk to you here!" shouted Naruto getting fed up with being ignored.
This guys attitude was really grating on his nerves. Reaching out Naruto grabbed his shoulder to turn the man around. The man whipped around and Naruto was fixed with a dangerous glare.
"You want to know what I did to her?" the man spat furiously. "Watch closely!"
Next second Naruto was swearing loudly and clutching his hand to his chest. Where his hand had been resting on the mans shoulder he had been electrocuted! Naruto's hand throbbed and tingled painfully. It had been more of a surprise than anything though and now Naruto did indeed know what had happened to the vampire. She had been electrocuted just like he had but on a much more deadly scale!
Naruto watched as the man continued down the alley his long coat flaring behind him. Naruto thought this man fitted the appearance of a vampire hunter and he was curious to find out more. 'You know what they say; curiosity killed the cat...' thought Naruto nursing his hand. He had a strong feeling that if he tried to follow the 'vampire hunter' he was just going to end up getting hurt again but on the other hand he had nothing to go back to.
Slipping into the shadows Naruto followed the 'vampire hunting bastard' as quietly as he could although the sounds of a nearby club sufficiently masked any sounds he did make. They turned several corners until the man came to the entrance to the street. Naruto ducked down behind a dustbin when the man looked back obviously checking to make sure he wasn't being followed anymore. When he heard the man move on Naruto crept from the shadows and moved quickly to the mouth of the alley in time to see his rescuer enter a busy club. The lit up sign over the entrance read 'Gin no Daiyamondo'. The nightclubs facade wasn't too shabby and there was a steady stream of extremely dressed customers passing the doorman.
Naruto hurried over and entered the club close behind a large group of gothic styled people adorned with piercing's, chains and fake dreadlocks. His own clothes were thankfully dark though plain and worn. Naruto moved quickly through the crowd trying to blend in as much as possible as he searched for the 'vampire hunter'. The nightclub was packed with odd looking people with inventive hairstyles, heavy makeup, neon jewellery and every other fashion item you can think of that would make them seem out of place during the daytime. Naruto let out an exasperated sigh as he reached the bar; he would never find his rescuer in this place and Naruto thought that had perhaps been the mans plan.
"Looking for someone?" asked a smooth voice in his ear.
Naruto turned around and for a split second he thought his rescuer had found him when he laid eyes on pale skin, black hair and black eyes. But it wasn't him. This man was slightly older, slightly paler and showed a lot more skin with a cropped top and leather pants riding low on his slim hips.
"Er..." Naruto was at a loss for what to say to this strange man. Then he decided on the truth. "Yeah, actually I am. You haven't seen a guy in a black trench coat have you? He's got pale skin and black hair that sticks up all funny at the back... oh and he was carrying an umbrella."
The man raised an eyebrow at Naruto's description smirking a little, "Yeah I know him."
"Really?"
"Would you like me to take you to him?"
There was something a little off about the mans smile but Naruto was grateful for the helping hand so he nodded eagerly. The strange man led him across the room, his hips swaying confidently. At the other end of the bar was an unmarked door. As his guide pushed the door open Naruto suppressed a nervous feeling. They entered a small, barely furnished room just as a pair of girls entered through the opposite door. A large man with a vacant expression and ginger hair stepped aside to let them pass and Naruto caught glimpse of a steep spiraling staircase before the doorman closed the door with a decisive click.
"Sai! What are you doing?"
Naruto's attention was diverted to the girls who had just climbed up those stairs. The one who had spoken wore a tight fitting outfit of red leather and had bubblegum pink hair. She stood with her hands and her hips and was glaring at Sai as if waiting for an explanation. The blonde haired girl beside her wore purple leather and had her hair held up by metal chopsticks. She was glaring at Naruto.
"Who is he?" the blonde girl asked, also turning to Sai. "I hope you weren't thinking of bringing him in here."
"He has business with Sasuke," replied Sai.
Naruto looked towards his guide, "Sasuke..." he muttered after hearing his rescuers name for the first time.
The girls both seemed to be sizing him up and Naruto had to resist the urge to shy away from their appraising gazes.
"You know Sasuke won't want to see you," said the blonde girl.
Naruto bristled at her attitude, "I don't care!"
"It doesn't matter anyway," said the pink haired girl speaking to Sai again. "If he can't get past Juugo by himself he isn't going downstairs."
"Who's..." Naruto began, "Oh..." he trailed off as the imposing doorman shifted importantly.
Naruto eyed up Juugo nervously. 'Get past him? He looks a bit much for me to take on in a fight.'
He was just about to say he didn't need to see Sasuke all that urgently when Juugo produced a battered pack of tarot cards. Naruto watched with apprehension as the large man removed one and held it up with the blank side facing Naruto.
Seeing his confused expression Sai leaned closer. "You're supposed to tell him what's on his side of the card."
Naruto turned back to stare at the card. 'How the hell am I supposed to know when I can't see it?' But Juugo was looking expectantly at him. 'May as well take a guess...' Naruto thought quickly of the old tarot cards a friend had shown him a long time ago. He peered closely at the decorated back of the deck. 'Here goes nothing...'
"The Fool?"
Four pairs of eyebrows rose in unison.
"Lucky guess," muttered the blonde beside him.
Naruto looked at her in confusion, surely she couldn't have seen it any better than he could?
"I don't like it, he's not supposed to be in here..." said the pink haired girl uncertainly.
"It's the rule though, right Juugo?" said Sai smiling at the doorman.
"It is," answered Juugo shortly.
Then he stepped aside, opening a door and revealing a dark staircase. Naruto gave them all curious looks, this was all very strange. But he did want to see Sasuke and Naruto knew he could take particular pleasure in knowing that Sasuke hadn't expected Naruto to follow him this far. So he moved through the door and began down a steep spiral staircase of solid stone. He heard Sai and the two girls follow him, obviously whatever they were doing wasn't as entertaining as watching him surprise Sasuke. When Juugo closed the door they were plunged into complete darkness.
There was not a single light down the staircase, which would probably put most people off. But Naruto wasn't scared of the dark and anyway as he continued downwards he found he could see so perhaps there was a light source somewhere. The temperature dropped quickly as they descended. They continued further down until Naruto thought they must be about three stories underground.
Finally they turned into a narrow corridor. Naruto could make out a door at the end by the cracks of light surrounding it. As he paused Sai reached around him and gave the heavy door a hard shove. It opened to reveal a dimly lit lounge like bar. Strangely stringy music filled the room bouncing off of stone floors, it sounded offbeat to Naruto but not unpleasantly so. Around the room were many booths and sofas all covered in the same blood red velvet and the walls were hung with a dark grey shimmering material. Naruto had only a few seconds to take in the colourless fire burning in many braziers around the underground room before one of the girls gave an inpatient huff and Sai pushed him gently over the threshold.
As he followed Sai across the room, Naruto found himself attracting a lot of looks, few of them friendly. Every direction he looked in he saw more people dressed like Sai and Sasuke. To his left a girl with her hair in buns was throwing a knife at a dart board and then retrieving it, without touching the knife! To his right a pale eyed man sat cross-legged and deathly still as though in a trance, he looked blind but even as Naruto passed him those milky eyes followed his course across the room with an eerie intensity.
At the end of the room two corridors led away on either side of a highly polished bar. Sai walked confidently down the left-hand one for a while before turning left again and then right. He stopped outside one of the many identical doors and rapped briskly on it. A few seconds later a familiar face appeared at the door with a familiar glare firmly in place.
"Sai," gritted out Sasuke. "What is it?"
"You have a visitor."
With that Sai pushed Naruto into Sasuke's line of vision and stepped away. He gave a sadistic smile as Sasuke's expression darkened.
"I told you not to follow me."
"I don't take orders from you!" Naruto replied angrily.
"It would be in your best interest."
Sasuke's voice was icy and Naruto heard the girls shift nervously behind him. Sasuke turned his attention to them. Sai was still smiling as though nothing could make him happier than seeing Sasuke in such a position.
"Sakura, Ino, how did he get down here?" Sasuke asked the girls with a tone of superiority.
"Sai showed him the way," replied the blond named Ino.
"Well I can guess that. But what about Juugo?"
Naruto took his chance as they hesitated to reply proudly, "I got the right card."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him before turning back to the girls, "Out of curiosity, which card was it?"
"The Fool," answered Sakura promptly.
"How... fitting," drawled Sasuke.
"Teme!" Naruto shouted angrily. "I didn't come to this hellhole just so you could insult me! You owe me a fucking apology!"
"What did he do?" asked Sai immediately.
Before Naruto could answer he was being dragged by his jacket into Sasuke's room. He heard Sai laugh as Sasuke slammed the door. Then he found himself being pinned to the wall, Sasuke's hand now at his throat.
"You don't know what you've gone and done by following me back here."
"Oh? Why don't you explain it to me then?" Naruto managed to gasp out.
Sasuke gave him a long, piercing look as he slowly cut off Naruto's air supply. Then he stepped away. Naruto's knees hit the floor as he gasped for air. Just as he'd seen in the alleyway, this guy was strong!
Naruto pulled himself to his feet and glared at Sasuke.
When Sasuke remained silent Naruto felt his temper boiling, "I never got a 'sorry', teme!"
"I never got a 'thank you', dobe," countered Sasuke.
The two young men glared directly at each other with all the amnosity caused by the night's unfortunate events. Then they both looked away, their eyes still burning with anger. Sasuke walked over to an ancient four-poster bed and sat gracefully on the love-seat at it's foot.
"Are you going to explain it then?" asked Naruto to break the heavy silence.
"Explain what?"
Naruto felt his temper flare at the mans unhelpful attitude. "This! This whole place! Your little underground Goth coven! What you did earlier! Who are all these people? What do they do? How does it work?"
"That curiosity will likely get you killed one day. I have already answered one of your questions though, you have already had a second taste of 'what I did earlier'. Did you enjoy getting your question answered?"
"What? No! It bloody hurt!"
"That should give you some clue as to your other answers."
"Why are you speaking in riddles dammit?!"
"Because it's forbidden to give you your answers."
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Chapter notes: Here we go, first full chapter is done! Thanks to the people who reviewed, much appreciated especially when starting a new fic. ^^
Chapter end notes: *bites lip* What do you think? I must admit I had fun with the image of the underground club room. ^^