• Nightmares Turned Real

    Autumn nights were quiet and eerie. Two men in black coats with red clouds nimbly walked their way through Konoha like it was a walk in the park. The smaller of the two peered from under his straw hat. He squinted and went on walking. His partner asked, “What is it, Itachi-san?” The smaller man replied, “It’s nothing…” His partner chuckled and said, “Puzzling, isn’t it? A pair of Nightwalkers out in broad street night…” The man called Itachi sighed and went on, not really in the mood to talk. He preferred to get the mission done as quickly as possible.
    He looked up and noticed a black wolf up ahead. He snorted and walked on, unphased. His partner sighed and walked with him. They passed the wolf as if it didn’t exist. The wolf suddenly whirled and attacked the smaller man. Itachi looked back in surprise. A girl had taken its place and smiled. She told him, “That was not very smart!” She sprang back and taunted, “Play with me for a while!” The men stood and waited. The girl jeered, “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?” She laughed and charged. The men split up. Itachi watched the girl. She smirked and sprang off. The men landed lightly and watched her. She stood on a pole and observed them. She told them, “Are you guys even warming up? Because I’m not at all that impressed…”
    Itachi asked, “What do you want from us?” The girl replied, “I want to know who you are and then I want you both to leave!” She jumped down in a twister. The wind whipped past their faces, tearing their coats. Itachi lowered his guard. The girl whipped a huge chain line. In her hands was a pair of daggers connected to the chains.
    The men were completely surprised as the chains wrapped around them tightly. The girl asked, “So, who wants it?” She tugged at the chain, tightening the binding. Itachi poofed and reappeared behind her, trying to strike from behind. The girl bent to the side and grabbed his arm with his punch. Itachi then was met with a powerful stab in the ribs from the girl’s elbow. She whirled and sent a kick after it. Itachi sailed and landed in a loud thud. He sat up and wiped away a stray line of blood at the ridge of his mouth.
    The girl watched him. The man from behind raised his sword and brought it down. The girl jumped in a teleportation blur. The blue skinned man froze and looked everywhere. The girl snapped, “Over here!” The man turned and was kicked in the face as the girl held herself up on her hand resting on his sword. She jumped off after impact and landed in front of them. She held her dagger at their throats and asked, “Now who are you?” The man sat up and glared at her. The girl snarled, “Then I’ll force it out of you!” She charged. Itachi jumped. The girl looked up. Itachi came down with a kunai barely at her neck, his weight pushing her down. The girl blocked with her dagger.
    The girl growled, her visors glistening. She pushed him off and attacked. Itachi blocked with his kunai, the two blades at a perfect tone. The two looked at each other. The girl parted and sprang across from him. Itachi landed lithely to the ground. The two opponents watched each other for a while. The girl whipped her chains. Itachi jumped in hopes of avoiding the loop. Too late; another developed above him and got him. The looped formed and tightened. Itachi struggled to get loose, but they were much tighter this time.
    The girl made sure they were good and tight. She threw her daggers and sent them flying at him. Itachi moved to the sides, but then felt the girl coming to his face. She sent a kick and sprang back. Itachi fell on the ground, still tightened in the chains. The girl appeared over his chest and held the daggers over his heart. She declared, “Checkmate…” Itachi told her, “Okay, you have me…” The girl hummed in thought and got off of him. She told him, “Just stay out of trouble…” She turned to his partner and growled, “However, I should go ahead and kill him for the fun of it…”
    Itachi snapped, “No, he comes with me wherever I go…” The girl asked, “What’s he to you?” Itachi replied, “He’s my partner, that’s all.” The girl smirked and grumbled, “Indeed…” Itachi told her, “Just let him go. He’s not worth staining your dagger over…” The girl sighed and unbound him. She told Itachi, “Then get the h*** out of my sight…” Itachi grabbed her arm and told her, “No. you look useful to us…” The girl pulled loose and told him, “Get another human to do your work…” Itachi followed. He asked, “For some weird reason, you seem to intrigue me…” The girl turned, taking off her visors and revealed a pair of purple eyes. She asked, “What do you want?”
    Itachi replied, borrowing her demand, “I want to know who you are…” The girl smirked and teased, “Borrowing my statement?” Itachi’s Sharingan burned brightly. The girl sneered, “That old trick? Honestly, how dumb are you?” Itachi asked surprised, “It doesn’t work on you?” The girl replied, “No, it doesn’t, because I’ve learned to maneuver through it…” She asked, “So what else do you want to know?” Itachi smiled and said, “I want to know your name…” He raised his hand to shake hers. The girl paused, looking at it. She shook and said, “Sabora Kamitenshi…the Divine Angel…you?” Itachi told her, “Itachi Uchiha. My partner is Kisame Hoshigake…” Sabora nodded.
    She looked around and told them, “The Anbu will be wondering why I don’t have you both tied up…” She told them, “Come with me. I live outside of Konoha in the Forest of Death.” Itachi asked, “What’s a girl like you living in a dangerous forest?” Sabora whirled and held the dagger at his throat. She growled, “Because I’m not human…” She snorted and turned to her home. She took off at a speedy rush. Itachi and his partner Kisame followed Sabora. A few minutes later, they stood in front of the huge training field. Sabora growled, “If you’re afraid of getting lost, follow me…”
    She stepped over the gates and walked in the woods. Itachi and Kisame followed slowly. Sabora turned and saw them lagging behind. She snapped, “Hurry up!” Itachi asked, “Impatient much?” Sabora growled, “No…it’s just you guys are slow…”Itachi sighed and hurried up. Sabora asked, “So what brought you to Konoha?” Itachi told her, “We’re here to get the legacy of the Fourth Hokage…” Sabora asked, “Naruto, you mean?” Itachi paused and nodded. Sabora shook her head and said, “Ridiculous mission, if you ask me…” Itachi grumbled, “Sounds it…” Sabora nodded. She told them, “We should be at the river in a minute…” Itachi and Kisame looked at her. They asked, “We’ve been walking that long?” Sabora asked, “Would you prefer to go faster?” The men looked at each other and nodded. Sabora jumped into a tree branch and took off. The men jumped after her and followed.
    Sabora reached the river in fifteen minutes. She waited for the men. They came shortly after. Itachi and Kisame landed panting and tired. Sabora told them, “Get a drink of water. You should feel fine in a minute…” Kisame drank from the river. After a few minutes he felt better. Itachi rested against the tree. Sabora looked at him and asked, “What’s wrong?” Itachi replied, “It’s nothing…” Sabora snarled, “Something is wrong because you’re lying…” Itachi looked at her and asked, “How do you know?” Sabora told him, “Your eyes are dilated…get a drink of water.” Itachi crawled over to the river and got a drink. Sabora growled in content. Itachi looked up. In her place was a black wolf. Itachi asked, “What are you?”
    Sabora replied, “I’m a wolf. Don’t you see?” Itachi nodded. He muttered, “A wolf, eh?”Sabora smiled and asked, “You’re not afraid?” Itachi shook his head. Sabora smiled even bigger and said, “Good, because that’s my secret…” Itachi looked at her. He told her, “I don’t understand…” Sabora told him, “I’m the guardian wolf of Konoha. I keep the village under my watch and kill any criminal who are stupid enough to hurt my people…” Itachi nodded. He asked, “I thought your nickname was the Divine Angel?” Sabora told him, “That’s my wolf name…” Itachi nodded, finally getting it.
    Sabora smiled and reformed before his eyes. She told him, “You’re not like the other humans…what are you?” Itachi told her, “That’s a business I keep to myself.” Sabora nodded. She looked up at the sky and sighed at the moon. She watched Itachi and Kisame shift uneasily. She reformed back to her wolf and threw back her head to howl. Itachi listened to her song. He sighed and stared into the sky. Sabora quieted her howl and watched the clouds pass through the sky. She told Itachi, “Well, I’m off…” She climbed down and curled up near a root. She slowly fell asleep, the light of the moon shining like a nightlight.
    Itachi and Kisame jumped into the trees for better comfort. Itachi watched Sabora from below. He sighed and watched her. Although black, she looked blue in his eyes. He smiled. He never felt comfortable around a wolf, but Sabora seemed different. She spared their lives when she had the opportunity to send them to the prisons. He jumped down and stepped over to Sabora. She woke and asked, “What is it?” Itachi bent down and told her, “I want to know exactly what you are, that’s all…” Sabora sighed and told Itachi, “I’m a wolf. Happy?” Itachi smiled and replied, “Yes. Satisfied, actually…”Sabora sighed and asked, “Now will you let me sleep?”
    Itachi told her, “Er…I don’t think that is a possibility…” Sabora asked, “Why?” Itachi told her, “We’re nocturnal, so we can’t sleep…” Sabora grumbled, “I’ve never heard of nocturnal humans in a while…” Itachi kept his mouth shut, afraid of letting his secret slip. Sabora growled, “Now…good night…” Itachi growled and jumped back into the tree. He got up and jumped around the area for a while. He had to let out some of the spazzing energy that he had built up from traveling. As he raced around the forest, he spotted a sleeping tiger nearby. His stomach growled; it had been about three weeks since he last fed. He gulped and slowly made his way to the tiger.
    He treaded lightly to the tiger. He found a good spot behind its heel. He made a small cut with a sharp nail and led the blood rise. He lightly latched on and sucked quietly. The tiger purred, twitching its ears in content. Itachi licked the wound and sprang back into hiding. He growled; the blood was not going to be enough to hold him, but it would have to do. He sighed and walked back to the group. He looked up at Kisame and hissed, “Hey, do you have any bottles from three days ago?” Kisame looked over and grumbled, “It’s about time you asked, you vamp-tramp!” He tossed a vial and told him, “Drink up. You’ll need to…” Itachi uncorked the bottle and chugged down the dark liquid. He sighed in satisfaction as the liquid raced through him.
    Kisame told Itachi, “We can’t continue living off of bottled and animal blood forever, Itachi. We’ll need fresh blood soon…” Itachi told his partner, “I know…” He looked at Sabora and told Kisame, “I won’t take hers, though…” Kisame nodded in understanding. He told Itachi, “Still…we’re not going to last very long here…” Itachi nodded and commented, “True…” He told Kisame, “We can ask Sabora if she can get us a room in Konoha. We’ll be fine in the dark until we have the kid in our grasp…” Kisame frowned. He told Itachi, “The kid’s probably in Tanzaku town by this time. We need to hurry. We can’t stay around and dawdle…” Itachi snapped at once, “Kisame, I blooded you! I can still kill you!” Kisame hushed and said, “Sorry…”
    Itachi sighed and growled. As his Sharingan faded, the red iris remained. It was a trademark among vampires to have a red iris, and it was an advantage for Itachi as well. He could switch to and from the Sharingan as often as he wished and still confuse his enemies. But what was more important to Itachi and Kisame was that they would have to travel by night. The sun, as everyone knows about vampires, would burn their skin from staying out longer than three hours. Itachi and Kisame shifted their weight constantly in the trees as they waited for daylight. They hated spending their daylight hours hunting for Naruto when they could sleep and recover.
    As the sun rose over the horizon, the vampires felt sleep crawling over their shoulders. Itachi shook himself awake, struggling to stay awake for the future hunt ahead. He growled when a ray of light hit his face. He hissed and climbed higher in the tree. He growled, “Wretched sunlight…” Sabora stirred and yawned. She stretched and opened her eyes to adjust to the surroundings. She got up and shook her fur. She blinked and exclaimed, “I get paid today! That’s right!” She called to Itachi and Kisame and told them, “I’m going into Konoha to get my paycheck. Stay here and I’ll come back for you!” With that she raced off.
    Itachi looked at Kisame and told him, “Come on. We need to find the nine-tailed fox kid…” Kisame whined, “Aw! At least in a couple of hours?” Itachi snarled, “Um, no. Now!” He jumped down and waited for Kisame. Kisame grumbled and jumped down with him. He told him, “Don’t forget your hat…” Itachi pulled from around his neck a straw hat and put it on. He told him, “You, too…” Kisame griped, “Don’t I always…?” His partner put his on, and both men made their way to Konoha once again. Kisame asked, “Where are we going to find such a loud kid?” Itachi replied, “We’ll find him. Just wait…” Kisame huffed. A pair of jonin appeared before them. Itachi recognized them and muttered, “Asuma and Kurenai…what a surprise…” Asuma stated, “Only a shinobi of the Leaf would recognize us that way…” Itachi tilted his straw hat and shown his Sharingan. The jonin gasped and stated, “Itachi Uchiha.” Asuma asked, “What brings you back here?” Itachi warned, “Look I don’t want to kill you. Just step aside and let us pass…” Asuma readied a pair of knives and told him, “For a ninja who committed parricide, that’s an odd thing to say…” Sabora rushed through the woods happy that she had gotten paid. She was so happy she didn’t see the tree root and tripped she landed right in the middle of the little discussion she looked at them and said, “Hey I guess I came in at a bad time.” She looked at Asuma and asked, “God what ugly tree did you fall out of?”
    Itachi looked down and saw her. He exclaimed, “What are you doing here?” Kisame brought down his huge sword and whined to Itachi, “He bothers me. Can I kill him?” Itachi rolled his eyes and said, “Looks like we’re not going to get out of this one without a fight…just don’t overdo things…” Kisame sneered, “Understood.” Itachi bent down and helped Sabora to her feet. Sabora told Itachi, “It wasn’t my fault I was so excited that I got paid and that darn tree root had to go and ruin my day. Then I have to look at mister ugly over there.” Itachi shook his head at her sense of humor.
    Asuma told Sabora, “Get away from them! They’re enemies and rank-S criminals!” Kurenai added, “You wouldn’t want to be hanging around a group of bad guys, would you?” Itachi snarled in response, “I prefer a mercenary, thank you!” Kisame raised his sword and brought it down to them. Asuma swung in and blocked for Kurenai. Kurenai made quick hand signs and disappeared. Itachi stayed calm and told Sabora, “Go hide.” He made her face him and said, “I’m glad you got paid, but now’s not the exact time!” Sabora nodded and said, “Gotcha.” She turned to Asuma and said, “I’m gonna be nice…I hope you don’t die too soon smoky dude.” Sabora laughed a little and went to hide.
    Itachi laughed; that was funny! He felt tree bark wrap around him. He stayed still. He looked up and saw Kurenai materializing above him. He waited. Kurenai told him, “You’re finished.” Itachi blinked. At once Kurenai stood in his place. Itachi stood before her and said, “Weak genjutsu doesn’t work on me…” Kurenai cleared the jutsu and felt herself bend down to evade Itachi’s kunai knife. His hat flew off and left his black hair flying. Itachi saw this and paused. Kisame and looked over and paused. Asuma tried to attack. Kisame blocked his oncoming attack.
    Itachi left the pause sitting until he snapped, “D***!” He rushed into the trees and hid, unknown to him that Sabora was nearby. Sabora sighed as she remained hidden she muttered, “Stupid smoky ugly man and crazy old lady had to come and ruin a perfectly good day. I hate that about old people they always find a way to ruin everyone’s day.” Itachi asked, “Always quick to insult humans, huh?” He paused at what he said, remembering his secret. He hissed as Kurenai came at him again. He jumped out into the sunlight. He hissed and withdrew his arms into his sleeves. He felt a kunai at his throat. Itachi muttered, “Late as usual, Kakashi…” Sabora backed up a bit and muttered, “Oh crap this day could not have gone worse than it is right now that’s it it’s official god hates my guts.” Itachi heard her thoughts and asked Kakashi, “What are you doing here anyway?”
    Kakashi replied, “I thought I smelled the fingerprints of scum.” Itachi growled, “This is none of your business to interfere, Kakashi. Now if you don’t mind, Kisame and I have to be on our way…” Kakashi told him, “Um, I can’t allow that.” Itachi sighed and growled, “All right, if you insist…” Itachi swung an attack at Kakashi. Kakashi ducked. Soon both of the ninja were stuck in combat. Kisame and Asuma joined up later.
    Sabora huffed and grumbled, “Fighting’s boring…” She spotted a butterfly. She barked, “Hey! Come here!” She pounced after it, getting as far from the fight as possible. Itachi and Kisame held off the jonin as long as they could. Finally, Itachi declared, “That’s it! I’ve had enough!” He turned to Kisame and snarled, “Let’s go! We’ve wasted too much time on these stupid people!” He and Kisame raced off in amazing speed. Kisame asked Itachi, “Don’t you think it was about time we head for the shade of the trees?” Itachi nodded and jumped in. His partner followed. As the ninja raced through the woods, Itachi grumbled, “We’re not going to be able to find the child there. We need to get to Tanzaku now.” Kisame nodded.
    When they stopped for rest, It was only a few minutes after that Sabora came after them. She told them, “Your trail reeks of death…it stinks!” She grumbled and griped as she made her way up with them. Itachi scooted over for her to get up. Sabora sat beside him and huffed, “I enjoy fighting, but jeez, sometimes it’s a pain!” Itachi laughed and said, “It’s pointless, huh?” He sighed and told Sabora, “Kisame and I are going back on the road. I think it would be safer if you stayed here…”
    Sabora snorted, “To h*** I’m not!” Itachi asked, “Why not?” Sabora told him, “Well, first off, you both are fun to annoy. Second, you both need to be looked after because it seems like you can’t go anywhere without having some babysitter watching out for you…” Itachi asked, “And how is it that you became one?” Sabora blushed and turned away, grumbling, “Shut up…” Itachi laughed anyway. He told her, “It’s your choice really.” Sabora told him, "Well, I'm conign and that's that!" Itachi sighed and dosed slowly to sleep. Sabora climbed down and sat below them, sleep taking over as well.