Chapter Text
Naruto blinked, trying to adjust his eyes to darkness. His head pounded with a blunt pain, and he could feel the metallic taste of blood on his tongue. The last thing he remembered was fighting some ghouls that had built a nest next to the village cemetery. He was doing fine - up to the point when something heavy hit him in the back of his head, probably knocking him unconscious. The blonde tried to look around without moving much. The place he was lying in definitely wasn't the cemetery. And, seeing how he was still alive, he was quite certain that whatever or whoever decided to bring him here, wasn't a ghoul. Ghouls would have simply eaten him. Naruto noticed that his movements weren't restrained in any way. He was either saved by someone or the thing that caught him was rather stupid. The blonde slowly tilted his head, and saw his trusty spear lying next to him - unfortunately broken. He frowned, and grabbed the spearhead, still rather suspicious. He didn't see anyone when he was fighting - and he wasn't willing to believe that the ghouls decided to leave him breathing for long enough to let someone - because it had to be someone - find him. Another rather troubling fact was that he was lying in a cave - whoever saved him, decided to go into the mountains and not to the nearby village.
"You've finally woken up," a flat voice muttered. Naruto hastily got up, facing the man with his barely working weapon, ready to attack. The man, a lean brunette smirked at him nastily. "If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't bother myself with dragging you here," he pointed out.
"Who are you?" Naruto questioned, still in battle stance. His neck and left shoulder hurt. So did his right leg. He stole a quick glance at his shin - it was covered with bloodied bandages.
"Someone who saved your sorry ass," the man replied, evidently not amused by Naruto's readiness to fight him.
"I see... Thank you," the blonde replied sincerely. "What's your name? And how can I repay you?"
"...Sasuke," the man answered. "And we're even," he added, looking away. Naruto eyed him uncertainly, wondering what the man meant by it. He was quite certain that he had never talked with anyone named Sasuke. "You should go and report that you've completed the task," he stated. "I assume that was the reason why you were all alone on that cemetery," he mused.
"I didn't kill all the ghouls yet," Naruto replied, rubbing his neck. His skin was hot. He would have to find someone who would check it.
"I did," Sasuke told him. "You should really go now," he whispered and sat on the ground.
"...fine," Naruto agreed. That guy was definitely a rather shadowy one. The blonde decided to not call him out on that. He was hurt, and practically unarmed. And the man did save his life. "I'm Naruto," he introduced himself as he put on his padded jacket. Its sleeve was ripped off. The blonde cursed. He would have to sew it back on. And wash his linen shirt that was brown from dried blood.
He left the dark cave, admiring the dawn, and shaking from cold. It would be winter soon, and he would have to find himself a nice place to stay for the coldest months. Probably a city or at least a town.
Two hours later, he entered the inn, in which he had rented a room, and asked for a tub. It was delivered to him almost an hour later, together with pots of boiling water. He undressed himself completely, rubbed off the mud and blood with a wet cloth, and entered the tub. The hot water was relaxing. He studied his shin, frowning at the ugly bite mark. If it wasn't for hoses, he would probably have an open wound. Luckily enough, ghouls didn't have sharp teeth - the creatures were rather used to crush, and not bite. He felt the stinging neck with his fingers, wondering how did he end up being wounded there. His helmet was equipped with chainmail hood, and it couldn't have simply fallen off. And he didn't suspect ghouls of being delicate enough to take it off without pulling his head out in the process. Naruto's blue eyes widened in shock, feeling a quite distinct bite mark. There were two little holes in his neck. He jumped out of the tub, ignoring the fact that he was spilling water everywhere, and grabbed his helmet, trying to use it as a mirror. Unfortunately, the image wasn't clear enough. He cursed under his nose, and decided that he had to pay Sasuke a visit soon. A vampire wouldn't travel around during a day, and days were getting shorter and shorter.
Naruto put on fresh underwear, bandaged his leg, and clothed himself, once again cursing the ripped off sleeve of his padded jacket. He grabbed a cutlass, making a mental note to repair his spear as quickly as possible, and ran out of the inn, hoping that he would still be able to catch the monster.
Sasuke frowned, smelling the idiot return to the cave. He shouldn't had fed on him, that was a stupid move. He was well aware of the fact that the man was some kind of a mercenary or a monster slayer, or whatever he wanted to call himself. The brunette cursed under his breath. He was starving for days. He tried to feed on animals, and it did satiate his hunger but he felt himself growing weaker with every day. Sasuke was still astounded by the fact that he didn't suck the blonde dry.
The brunette looked through the cave entrance, noticing that it was almost dusk. He would be able to hide the moment the sun would disappear behind the horizon. He never killed a man, and he didn't plan to start now. Sasuke crouched, ready to pull out his sword. He smelled the man getting closer and closer. He could hear his steps. The brunette unsheathed his weapon. He saw the blonde lurking into the cave, also ready to attack.
"Why do you want to attack me?" Sasuke shouted, hoping to distract the man. There was a chance that he wasn't a complete moron - after all the blonde was wounded. And he had lost some blood. Perhaps he would be willing to negotiate.
"You're a monster, and heroes kill monsters," the man shouted back. Sasuke rolled his eyes. He never believed in the stories about hired swords having any kind of ideology.
"Then find a hero," he yelled. He heard the blonde grit his teeth. He probably shouldn't have said that.
Sasuke raised his sword, defending himself from the blonde's attack. Luckily enough, the man was right-handed and didn't use a shield. That meant he had to be used to defending himself from attacks aimed at at his left side, and not right. Sasuke threw his sword - slightly longer than the blonde's cutlass - into his left hand, catching it gracefully. He tried to hit the man on the hip - the wound wouldn't be fatal but it would hurt as hell. The man was rather slim, and his bones weren't protected by fat tissue. Sasuke raised an eyebrow - the blonde blocked the attack. They were dueling for a while, unable to hit one another. The brunette noticed that it was already dark outside. He just had to move closer to the cave entrance and he could run away.
"I've never killed anybody," Sasuke muttered under his breath.
The blonde stopped moving for a while, evidently dumbfounded by the confession.
"...well, you still should be put out of your misery," he mumbled out uncertainly.
"It's my misery. I don't want to be put out of it," Sasuke replied. "Just let me leave," he demanded, trying to move forward. The blonde blocked his way.
"I can't let you roam the world and feed on innocent maidens," the man protested stupidly. Sasuke snickered unwillingly.
"So you consider yourself an innocent maiden," he pointed out, attacking the man, forcing him to move forward.
"...or brave men," he added. "That's against the Code," he explained, sounding rather guilty.
"I'll try to target innocent men and brave maidens then," Sasuke retorted, trying to walk around the moron.
"You can't feed on people," the man whined.
"You don't want to kill me," Sasuke realized. He hissed when the blonde's cutlass sliced his wrist. The wound started to heal, and he dropped his weapon, unable to withstand the pain. The blonde rammed him into the wall, holding his blade next to Sasuke's throat. "Are you going to cut off my head now?" he muttered, staring straight into the blue eyes. "Is this how you plan to become a hero? By killing a man who saved your life?"
"You're a monster," the blonde opposed, visibly hesitating.
"Maybe not all monsters deserve to die," Sasuke suggested. The man looked away, and the brunette tried to free himself from his grip. He only managed to make him drop his cutlass.
"...maybe not," the blonde agreed unexpectedly. "But I can't just let you do whatever you wish. There's no telling when you'll deserve to die," he pondered, his forehead covered in wrinkles.
"I'll be nice," Sasuke promised, trying to shake off the man's arms but to no avail.
"If you really want to live, then you're going with me," he decided. Sasuke tilted his head. If he was to agree to the idiotic request, then he would probably be able to escape.
"I want to live," he admitted. The blonde smiled at him warmly, and rammed him against the cave wall again, knocking him unconscious.
Naruto tied the vampire with a rope, and draped him over his shoulders as if he was a doe. His body was rather light, his skin cold. He smelled like a graveyard, and the blonde wondered whether vampires even took baths. This one would have to at least try to.
Naruto brought the man into the inn, feeling curious stares of the locals.
"I've dealt with your ghouls problem," he informed them, grinning widely. The vampire twitched on his back, grunting something incomprehensibly. The people cheered him, evidently deciding that whatever was his reason to bring a bound man into the inn, it had to be a good one. He went upstairs into the room, eying the cold water in the tub.
"You need to take a bath," he informed the vampire. "I've ordered some hot water for you," he added, wondering how his relation with the monster should look like. He didn't trust him enough to let him walk freely but if he was to be bound all the time, then he would become a liability. The vampire glared daggers at him, probably still pissed off about the rough treatment. A servant came in, and poured hot water into the tub. Naruto checked the temperature - it was lukewarm at best. "Hop in," he ordered the monster. He had heard about collars that were used by scholarss that were studying monsters. The collars were connected to a charged crystal which, if it was to be destroyed, would turn the collar into a noose that would instantly tighten around the subject's neck. Naruto wondered whether he would be able to get one in the city.
The vampire stared at him for a rather long time.
"Am I supposed to enter the tub with my clothes still on?" he inquired, frowning. The blonde cleared his throat, and freed the monster's hands, pointing the cutlass at him. The vampire smirked nastily, and started to take off his tunic and shirt. His skin was unhealthily pale, somewhat grayish. He undid the belt, and straightened his arms, waiting to be bound again. Naruto tied his wrists together. He felt weird, almost too shy to look at the monster he was supposed to look after. He made the vampire sit down, and unbound his legs. He made a leash and a collar out of the rope, and put it on the monster. If he was to pull the leash, the collar would tighten and cause him pain. The vampire frowned, evidently more upset about the fact that he was treated like a dog than because of physical discomfort the ties caused him. Then he took off his pants and underwear, and Naruto fixed his eyes on a point over his head, doing his best at keeping a straight face.
"Now clean yourself up," he ordered, looking away when the vampire climbed into the tub. Naruto threw him a piece of soap, and sat on a chair next to the tub, tightly squeezing his end of the leash. The monster acted in an oddly calm way. He didn't say anything, the blonde could only hear water splashing. He watched him wash his hair, visibly struggling with rinsing the soap out of it. Naruto cleared his throat, feeling strangely uncomfortable. "How often do you need to eat?" he inquired.
"I'm not your pet," the vampire retorted.
"I still need to feed you," the blonde stated, unfazed by the monster's outburst. "Will one rabbit per day suffice?"
"If you want to starve me to death," he muttered.
"...so...three rabbits," Naruto suggested. He bit the insides of his cheek. He would either have to spend a fortune or waste his time on hunting.
"They have to be alive when you bring them to me," the monster murmured, smiling nastily. Naruto frowned. That was just another problem. He hoped that once he would put the obedience collar on him, he would become useful enough to at least make up for all the troubles. "You could always let me feed on you," he proposed, trying to scrub some dirt off his feet.
"You're not going to suck out any more human blood," the blonde opposed.
"Then I'm going to eventually die. You know what would spare you all of these troubles? If you were to free me..."
"I'm not freeing you," Naruto protested, rubbing his forehead. The vampire stood up, and left the tub, looking much fresher. The blonde kept his eyes on the monster's face.
"You've got some towel or do I just stand here until I'm completely dry?" he inquired sourly. Naruto got up from his chair, and approached the bed, pulling the leash. The vampire didn't budge from his spot.
"I don't want to hurt you," the blonde complained, and threw him a towel he caught despite having his wrists tied.
"Then don't," the monster retorted. Naruto frowned at him, watching him dry himself up. When he finished and tied the towel around his hips, the blonde walked up to him, and loosened the makeshift collar. The vampire's skin was somewhat warmer, probably due to the water. And he stopped smelling so badly. Naruto heaved a tired sigh.
"We should wash our clothes," he uttered. "I'll lend you something to sleep in," he added. He tied the leash to the bed, fully aware of the fact that it was mostly symbolic, unsheathed his cutlass, took off everything but his braies, and threw their clothes into the tub, starting to wash them. The vampire was standing next to the bed, watching his every move. "How often do you need to feed on humans?" Naruto questioned.
"At least once a month - if you just want to keep me alive," the vampire answered.
"...what if I wanted to keep you healthy?" the blonde asked.
"...then you wouldn't be healthy," the monster stated. "Possibly not even alive," he added, sighing heavily. Naruto stared at him with a puzzled expression on his face. He was quite certain that he had never heard about a vampire caring whether their meal was feeling well. He was also sure that he had never heard about one that wouldn't suck their victims dry. It would probably explain why nobody in the village complained about a vampire. Naruto wondered how many such monsters lived among people without raising their suspicions.
"...I feel well enough," the blonde said.
"That's because I didn't drink much," the monster retorted, sitting on the bed.
"Was it enough to last you a month?"
"...no," he replied. Naruto squeezed the water out of their clothes, and hanged the garments near the chimney. Then he approached the vampire, pointing the cutlass at his heart, untied the leash, and sat next to the vampire, resting the blade against his throat.
"Drink up," he ordered. The monster licked his lips, visibly barely able to refrain himself from ripping his throat apart. Naruto pushed the blade stronger, slightly slicing the vampire's skin. He frowned, probably pained. The skin around the wound reddened and started to heal. "...drink up," he repeated. His heart was pounding loudly in his chest. He had to admit that he was afraid. He was literally inviting a vampire to feed on him.
The monster tilted his head, placing his moist lips on the blonde's neck. Naruto swallowed the excessive saliva, feeling a cold tongue and sharp teeth. He pushed the blade further, wincing in pain when he was bitten. The vampire stopped, probably once again hurt.
"Sorry, continue," Naruto whispered. He could see the monster's Adam's apple moving up and down with every gulp. He could hear quiet slurping. His neck and shoulder hurt, and his head was getting dizzy. "...stop," he pleaded. The vampire obeyed, and raised his head. He wiped his lips, and licked off the blood. Naruto felt sick.
Sasuke observed the man, whose skin lost its warm color. He had probably drunk too much. The man lay on the bed, throwing the cutlass away, and pulling the leash. The blonde closed his blue eyes, and rubbed his temples. Sasuke licked his lips. The man was still holding onto the leash, tightening the noose around the brunette's neck. Sasuke regretted ever claiming that he had wished to live. He had probably simply prolonged his suffering.
"I don't feel too well," the blonde whimpered. He got up abruptly, and, still pulling Sasuke with him, grabbed a bowl, into which he barfed. The brunette frowned.
"Are you going to ruin my each and every meal?" he complained. To his surprise, the blonde sent him an apologetic stare. Then he threw up again. His neck was still bleeding, and, even though it was covered in blood, Sasuke could notice that it was swollen. "You're going to have bruises," he said, and loosened the noose around his own neck. Then he noticed that during all of that commotion he had lost the linen towel. Sasuke sighed tiredly, and lowered his arms to at least try to cover his nudity. The blonde turned around, and faced him. A color appeared on his face. Red color. "You fancy me," Sasuke smirked nastily.
"...I don't fancy monsters," the blonde protested, looking away. He opened a wardrobe and threw Sasuke some clean underwear.
"Are you going to keep throwing stuff at me?" the brunette whined, and put on the underpants. He didn't remember when was the last time he had an opportunity to sleep in an actual bed. Somehow, humans weren't too interested in inviting him into their homes. "Besides, I have a name," he added.
"I don't care about your name," the blonde muttered. Sasuke frowned.
"You were the one who asked about it, Naruto," he uttered, suddenly remembering the male's name. "And you were the one who forced me to undress the moment I got into this room," he snickered. "And then you took off your clothes as well, and now all of them are wet..." the brunette mused, enjoying the flustered look on the moron's face. Naruto glared at him hatefully. "If you've told me sooner, I would've left you more blood for other activities," he added. A group of servants came to take the tub and the bowl. Luckily enough, the blonde quickly covered his neck wound with a piece of cloth. One woman blushed heavily, noticing the leash. "Now everybody thinks that we're sodomites," Sasuke snorted.
"Shut up or I'm going to gag you," the blonde growled. The brunette shrugged his shoulders. His situation was already awful, so a muzzle wouldn't change much. The man pulled him towards the bed. "Go to sleep," Naruto ordered him. The blonde seemed weakened. If Sasuke was to act fast enough, then perhaps he would be able to escape. He still had some time before the dawn. He lay on the bed, frowning when the man tied his arms and legs to the bed frame. Then Naruto grabbed him by the collar, and lay next to him. Sasuke hoped that he would loosen his grip after falling asleep. He turned away from the male's gaze, staring at the wall. He regretted saving the idiot.
Naruto glared at the monster, questioning his motives. It would had been probably better if he was to kill him. Even if the vampire didn't lie when he had claimed to never kill anyone, even if he had saved his life, he still wasn't human. The blonde tried to recollect everything he had known about the specie. The latest study had shown that vampires weren't really dead - their hearts were pumping blood, and they had a pulse. Some scholars claimed that vampirism was in fact an incurable illness. Naruto was rather doubtful about that. He had seen what vampires were capable of - and they were rather cruel creatures that would leave a trail of tears and dead bodies behind them. Only this one didn't. Naruto had been in the area long enough to learn about a predator, and the only complaint he had heard was about the ghouls.
The blonde rubbed his temples, wondering how much longer it would take for his body to regenerate. The healer he was usually visiting, Sakura, claimed that Naruto was healing exceptionally fast. Perhaps, if he was to rest, then they would be able to set out on the next night. Not being able to travel during daytime was just another problem but a rather minor one. The bigger one was to find a shadowed place for them to stay during their journey.
"How much shadow do you need during the day?" he inquired. He saw the vampire sigh heavily, and got irritated. The monster was probably unaware of the fact that if Naruto was like the other mercenaries, then he wouldn't be even alive. Not to mention that nobody would care whether he had eaten enough or got enough shade. The blonde squinted his eyes, glaring daggers at the pale back that didn't have any scar on it. He had noticed that the infamous vampiric regeneration ability came with a price - it apparently caused much more pain than the wound that was being healed. He shook the monster who growled at him. "I'm just going to sell you to some scholar so they could study you," Naruto muttered angrily.
"...don't," the vampire replied quietly. "I'd rather die," he stated. The blonde wasn't surprised - he had read some of the studies, and, well, scholars didn't treat their subjects with care. Some years ago there was an uproar - some people were questioning whether treating intelligent monsters - that is ones that could speak - was morally justified. There was founded a faction that wanted to protect them but it fell apart after the faction leader was killed by a lich.
"Then answer the damn question," Naruto demanded. "Would a tent suffice?"
"...no, the sunrays would still come through the fabric," he uttered.
"I have a thick woolen blanket," the blonde pondered. "Would that be enough?"
"I'm not willing to check if it would," the vampire retorted.
"But you'll be fine in here with the blinds closed?" Naruto asked. The monster nodded his head. "Then you'll be fine in a tent with a blanket," he decided. "We're heading to the city on the next night. I can't walk you on a leash when we're among people, though," he mused. "They can't know that you're a vampire," he added.
If the authorities were to learn that Naruto was having a monster as his companion, then he would have to face a trial, and the vampire would be left tied to a stake so the sun could kill him. That would be counterproductive. Somehow, killing the monster didn't seem right. On the other hand, he had no idea as to what he should do with him. He knew that he couldn't let him walk freely - that would be a tragedy waiting to happen. If he could force the monster into obedience, the vampire would probably prove himself to be a worthy companion. He could fight. Naruto would be able to accept tasks he wasn't able to clear on his own. He used to have a companion before – unfortunately, Gaara was killed. The blonde was still grieving after his death - he also wasn't willing to have another person die in front of his eyes. Having a tamed vampire would solve his problems. After all, he wasn't a person.
Sasuke sighed tiredly. Apparently the blonde could hold onto his collar even when he was sleeping. Whenever he tried to change his position, Naruto would wake up, and pretend that he was still asleep, evidently checking what would Sasuke do. The brunette turned on his other side, refraining himself from hissing in pain when the ties hurt his skin. He eyed the blonde disdainfully.
"...I shouldn't have saved you," he muttered. "I should have let the ghouls eat you," he added. Naruto opened his blue eyes, and locked them with Sasuke's black ones.
"Do you want me to gag you?" the male questioned in a sleepy voice. Sasuke frowned at him. Somehow, he had been denied all of his rights the moment the idiot had learned about his unusual diet.
"Do you plan to drag me along tied and gagged?" he asked.
"Yes, unless you shut up," the blonde whispered.
"We need to go to one more place. I want to take my things," Sasuke requested.
"So you're not a caveman," Naruto snickered. " I'm not letting you lead me into the woods, though," he declared decidedly. "Say goodbye to your precious things," the blonde added and yawned. Sasuke bit the insides of his cheek. He realized that escape wouldn't be as easy as he had anticipated it to be. He had to somehow earn the moron's trust.
"Hurry up," Naruto ordered the monster, who glared at him questioningly. They were just one day away from the city, and it was a bliss because the vampire turned out to be rather whiny. He didn't like being bound, he didn't like being treated as a baggage - as he had named it, he didn't like spending the day in the tent, and now he was being picky about a stray sheep Naruto had found for him.
"How do you expect me to feed on it?" the monster inquired stupidly. He frowned, showing off his teeth. "Am I supposed to suck the blood out of its wool?" he questioned.
The blonde looked at the poor animal that was making panicked noises. Apparently animals didn't like vampires. Naruto had a hard time forcing his horse to move with a bundled up monster tied in front of the saddle. The sheep did have a thick coat. The blonde kneeled in front of it, and cut out some of the wool with a knife.
"Better?" he asked. The vampire glared at him hatefully. Then he attacked the screaming animal and bit it.
Naruto looked away, hoping that nobody would hear or see them. He flinched when the monster threw the dead limp sheep at him. He caught it instinctively, letting go off the leash. The vampire's eyes grew wider, and he made his move, trying to run away. Naruto dropped the animal, and ran after him. Luckily, the monster wasn’t too fast – he was probably hurting from the uncomfortable journey and being bound practically all day and night. The blonde jumped at him, and pushed him to the ground. He pulled his dark hair, making him wince in pain.
“Don’t run away,” he requested, and got up, forcing the monster to stand up as well. His horse whickered loudly. “Just accept that you’re mine now and everything will be much simpler – your life would get more pleasant,” he said in a hushed voice.
“I’m not yours,” the vampire protested. “Besides, what do you even need me for?” he inquired. There was still some blood on his teeth. Naruto shrugged with disgust.
“You will help me out in my job,” he explained. The vampire glared at him with a puzzled expression on his face. “Yes, eventually you will be walking without the rope ties, and, perhaps, I will even allow you to have a weapon by your side,” he added. The monster’s eyes widened in surprise, and Naruto smiled at him. “So be nice,” he demanded, and tied the vampire again.
“So, as you can see, it’s quite convenient,” a scholar stated in a dull voice. Sasuke eyed him and Naruto, feeling panicked. “I’ll just mark your vampire like this,” he said, and painted a geometric shape on a piece of paper, “then I’m going to charge a crystal so it would respond to that single mark, and then you’ll be more or less in control. The mark will kill the monster if you crush the crystal – and you have to be rather careful with it, these things break easily,” the scholar said and chuckled softly. “Of course, the curse will be also activated if your vampire decides to move away further than one mile from the crystal,” he added, and patted the blonde’s shoulder. Naruto stared at the man wide-eyed. “I can show you how it works, I think that one of my subjects is already close to death-“
“Don’t,” Naruto interrupted him. “That won’t be needed,” he added, breathing heavily. Sasuke glared at the man, scared to death. Saving the blonde was the worst decision of his life. “Just... do the thing,” he muttered in a half-voice.
“Naruto, don’t do this to me,” Sasuke pleaded. “What if you crush it by accident-“
“I’d call it good riddance,” the scholar replied, smiling warmly.
“...you know that I don’t want to hurt you,” Naruto whispered, rubbing his temples. “Shino, please, let’s get it over with,” he uttered, addressing the scholar.
“Then stop hurting me,” Sasuke yelled. He backed away from the man, who tried to approach him, and hissed at him. Naruto grabbed him by the arms, and forced him to tilt his head. “Just kill me already,” the brunette shouted, feeling tears welling up in his eyes. He winced, feeling something moist on his neck. Apparently the scholar started marking him.
“I’ll let you feed on me after we’ll be done with this,” the blonde promised stupidly.
“I hate you,” Sasuke retorted.
“Isn’t he a feisty one,” the scholar mused merrily. “I have some already tamed ones downstairs, we could trade-“
“There’s no need,” Naruto muttered hastily. The scholar returned to his desk, and took out a small blue crystal. He murmured something in a language Sasuke didn’t know, and the crystal shone with a faint light. He handed it to the blonde, who looked away, as if ashamed about what he had just done. Sasuke didn’t care about the idiot’s feelings. For the last week his life had been in constant danger – he could had been killed if he had done something the moron would deem improper. Now he could die by accident. The brunette realized that he would have to kill the moron before he’d be killed.
“It’s done,” the man informed Naruto.
“I had to do this,” Naruto whispered, addressing the brunette, who had chosen to ignore him completely. He had already untied him but that didn’t seem to lift his spirits. The vampire also declined when he offered him some of his blood.
The blonde was still shaken after his visit at Shino’s. He didn’t suspect scholars of such cruelty. Somehow, after spending just a week with the vampire, Naruto started to question everything he had read about them before. The brunette didn’t seem more dangerous than a human. And he was quite good when it came to draining animals from blood. The blonde didn’t remember when was the last time he had eaten so much meat.
Naruto had sewn the crystal into a pouch, and hanged it around his neck on a chain, making sure that it wouldn’t get destroyed accidentally. Then he returned to smoothing the new shaft for his spear. He preferred it to the cutlass – sometimes the range meant everything.
The vampire apparently had decided to starve himself to death. He refused to eat anything over the course of six days, and his skin was becoming even grayer and colder. Naruto wondered when the innkeeper will get irritated about the three rabbits that were sitting in a cage in their room. The blonde knew he should look for a job but he was quite certain that he couldn’t trust the vampire enough to not tie him up when they were sleeping or to give him a weapon.
“You have to eat,” he whispered, staring at the brunette, who was lying lifelessly on the bed. “Sasuke,” he said in a hushed voice. The vampire turned his head at the sound of his name. “Sasuke, eat something, please,” Naruto pleaded.
The brunette glared at him coldly, and returned to staring at the wall. Naruto heaved a worried sigh.
“How old are you?” the blonde inquired, hoping that it would distract Sasuke.
“Twenty four,” he replied after a longer pause, letting out a pained sigh.
“No, I mean your real age,” Naruto clarified.
“...twenty four,” the vampire repeated. “I... changed... two years ago,” he explained. The blonde felt a pang of guilt. He didn’t suspect the brunette to be younger than he was.
“...sorry,” he stated quietly, and checked whether the spearhead would fit the new shaft. It didn’t. “I’ve never met one as young as you are,” he said.
“How many have you killed?” the brunette inquired in a strained tone.
“...less than ten,” Naruto confessed. “But they were different,” he mused. “Four of them were already unable to talk,” he added, glancing at the brunette, who turned his head towards him. “I did this,” he whispered, grabbing the pouch that was hanging on a chain around his neck, “just so I would be able to stop you if you were to become like them,” he stated.
“I’ve saved your life, and you’re ruining mine,” the brunette repeated for the umpteenth time that week. “That one thing will never change.”
“...would you have followed me if I asked you to?” Naruto asked. “If I didn’t force you into doing it?”
Sasuke eyed him with disdain. The blonde didn’t blame him. He would had probably hated himself as well.
“...perhaps,” he answered. His black eyes widened in surprise when Naruto threw the chain and the pouch at him. He caught it skillfully, tightly gripping it.
“You’re free to go,” Naruto declared. “Bear in mind that I will kill you if you start being dangerous,” he said incoherently. The brunette quickly rose to his feet, grabbed his belongings and rushed out of the room.
The blonde chuckled bitterly to himself. He had probably violated every single regulation of the Code.