Title: Eve of the Blood Moon
Author: Fatcat648
Rating: PG-13 ( T )
Challenge: Triangulation
Pairing: SasuHinaNaru

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The stain appeared as a rusty blood-red on the light purple kimono fabric, eliciting a horrified gasp from the wide-eyed Hyuuga Hinata. The wine glass clumsily rolled off the clothed table, shattering to pieces as she jumped straight out of her chair. She reached for a napkin but her companion was faster, dabbing at the dripping fabric all the while repeating a guilty apology.

"Gah! I'm so clumsy Hinata-chan! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry!" jittered Uzumaki Naruto, furiously trying to clean up his mess.

However Hinata felt herself a little too breathless to answer her frantic date as his close proximity gave her chills and a shock similar to a deer caught in the headlights. His thick blonde hair brushed tantalizingly close to her skin and her eyes felt drawn to those lips that wouldn't stop apologizing. Yet the moment only lasted a second before Naruto waved a clueless hand in her dazed tomato-hued face to catch her attention.

She stuttered incoherent sounds to catch her breathe.

"Geez Hinata-chan, I'm sorry I ruined tonight for you. I know it's been so long since we've been able to go on a date but I guess I'm kinda out of it tonight. I'm sorry," he said, sky blue eyes cast downwards in remorse, his hands shaking slightly as they picked up the broken shards.

Her heart softened and shyly she lifted his chin to look deep in his eyes as she spoke, "No Naruto-kun. P-please don't b-blame yourself. T-tonight may not have been p-perfect but the important thing is that I'm h-here with you."

His face exploded into a grin at her words and Hinata found a small smile to share with him too. His tanned hands cupped her face, tilting her gaze to spill unto his own inching closer to her face. A warm and lethargic spell overtook the moment and dazedly Hinata heard Naruto growl, "Wow, you're so beautiful. And you smell so… delicious."

Hinata's eyelids fluttered to a close when an electric bolt froze her movements. A hot searing pair of scarlet eyes glared hostilely at her, drawing her attention to the shadow that encompassed it. Her moon dipped eyes pulled to the shadow but the eyes were gone – swallowed by the inky darkness cast by the night.

Her brow knitted in confusion at the sight when she felt Naruto's lips kiss her unguarded cheek. Her hand immediately cupped the blushing skin as she blinked at a sheepish Naruto, coughing awkwardly to hide his failed attempt.

"Uh, you ready to er.. leave, Hinata-chan?" asked Naruto, idly scratching his head.

She nodded distractedly, her eyes still straying to the unmoving shadow behind them. Naruto heaved a disappointed sigh and rummaged through his pockets to find his wallet. When all he pulled from his pocket was lint, Naruto felt the evening hit an all-time low and nervously called out, "Er.. Hinata-chan? I can't seem to er… find my wallet."

The street lights the couple walked under were flickering erratically as strong winds pulled and pinched their clothes and hair. Hinata attempted to tuck herself in closer behind Naruto when the wind blew so hard she was force to release his hand or be blown down. For a moment her eyes caught sight of a laughing woman clutching a body-sized fan before the figure disappeared.

She blinked at the flickering lights and wondered tiredly if maybe she was going mad. Several times on the trip home, strange people had darted at the edge of her vision – all of them wearing painted white masks of animals. However none of the hallucinations she had so far were of the scarlet searing eyes she'd seen at the restaurant.

"Ack! Hinata-chan! Where are you!?"

She quickly shook her head from her thoughts and tried to call out to Naruto who was slowly disappearing behind a corner.

"N-Naruto-kun! W-wait for me!" she cried out. Nonetheless the strong wind carried her voice away from the blonde ignorantly turning the corner while calling out her name. Her feet pattered on the streets, but the kimono made it difficult to run and before she knew it, Naruto was no longer in sight.

She chewed on her bottom lip, looking around the area to recognize anything familiar when laughter echoed the deserted street. Chills crawled through her trembling legs as her eyes darted around in fear.

"W-w-who's there?"

The laugher grew in momentum and was soon followed by the slow sound of shoes slapping the asphalt of the street. The streetlight she stood under flickered to an end, leaving Hinata in total darkness and silence.

The laughter had stopped.

All she could hear was her own labored breathing and the crunching of shoes that stood a mere foot away from her.

"Who are you? S-show yourself!" she called out, clutching her purse tightly.

The presence took a step closer. Her ears attuned to the sound of another person breathing softly when a hand brushed her hair causing her to jump back.

"Don't touch me!" she cried.

A low deep chuckle – purely male – responded.

Hinata's eyes darted to the chuckle's source, staring hard in the darkness to make out a person. Slowly her eyes adjusted to the thick darkness and she found herself staring at a young pale man, skin as white as snow. A white mask of a snake covered a majority of his face but she could still make out his eyes reflecting blood while his hair strewed thick ebony bangs upon his head. And yet the smirk echoing in his tone sent shivers and a warning in her mind.

Especially with the way his eyes gleaned in the cloudy night.

Those were the same eyes she'd seen glaring at her in the restaurant. She watched as he pulled the mask down to allow her to see his whole face.

She almost stopped breathing at that moment.

His marble skin was smooth and slopped sharply to define strong cheeks and an arrogant nose. He was entirely beautiful – inhumanly so. And yet, she felt an oddly familiar feeling well inside her at the sight of the young man. Had she known him before?

"Ah, so you can see me now," he spoke. His very words wove a clear musical tone, casting a spell that caught her eyes upon his bloody red pupils. He approached at a leisurely pace, every step graceful and cautious when his hand reached out to smooth her hair behind her ears.

"Tell me woman, are you afraid?" his long fingers wrapped around her chin.

Hinata felt her whole body trembled as her voice cracked, "W-What do you want with me?"

His lips held a bruising purple hue in their smirk as he released her face and took a step backwards to look her up and down. "Well personally, I want nothing of you nor could I care less what they do to you but since I'm being paid, I'm here to protect you," he said in an utterly bored tone.

The tension broke from her shoulders as confusion hit her hard.

"P-protect me? F-from who?"

"From the creatures who want to kill you. And don't stutter."

His blunt words left her silent and stunned.

"Kill me? Why?" she whispered.

"Your eyes. You have the Sight and anyone who can see them is always a threat."

"W-what do you mean? Sight?"

He sighed at her lack of understanding but spoke anyways.

"Listen, you can see me, right?" he paused to let her nod. "Good, then understand that no ordinary human can see me."

She blinked in utter confusion causing the man before her to grunt in frustration.

"God, you're slow. Just forget it for now. All you have to know is that you're different from everyone else and that difference may get you killed. Now follow me, it's almost midnight."

He turned away from her, his long leather coat following his movements seemingly unaffected by the strong wind. She clutched her purse tighter to her chest, wondering what to do. She couldn't listen to a madman, could she?

Her heart thumped faster at the strange things she had begun to experience all night. The things he had told her, no matter how vague or insane they sounded, seemed to explain the panic and odd feeling she had felt. But then again, strangers were dangerous and this man definitely screamed danger.

She could still hear the man's echoing steps slowly leave her spot and decided to make a run for it. Naruto would protect her. It hadn't been too long since she'd been separated from Naruto so maybe she'd be able to catch up to him. She took another glance at the retreating man's back and carefully slipped off her sandals.

Her hands pulled at her long kimono to loosen around her legs and with another glance at the man, she made a run for it. She was running faster than she ever did during gym class or track practice and had just finally turned the corner when a hand gripped her waist tightly, pulling her backwards.

She screamed out for Naruto before the man could cover her mouth.

"Damn it woman! Didn't you listen to a damn thing I said?" hissed the seething man.

Hinata struggled to be free when she heard another person come running down the street, shouting her name. She bit down on the man's hand taking glee at his howl as she yelled out "Naruto! Help me!"

Suddenly her blonde knight came into sight, but froze at the sight of who held her captured.

"Sasuke, what the hell are you doing here? Let go of Hinata-chan."

Hinata, confused at their familiarity with one another, turned to look at the one called 'Sasuke' only to notice he had gone rigid and cold. When he dragged his eyes up to Naruto's questioning gaze, Hinata gasped at the spinning tomoe swimming in the bloods of his eyes. With a fluid movement, Sasuke pushed Hinata backwards and pulled a silver unsheathed sword from his leather coat.

His hands easily swung the sword to slice the air as his body fell into a tense form. Hinata kept silent, watching the two and the intricate runes inscribed on the sword crawl on the gleaning surface.

"Sasuke what the hell do you think you're doing?! Especially in front of Hinata-chan! Put the damn sword away!" shouted Naruto.

"No. You shouldn't have run away Naruto. You're a danger to everyone, yourself, and this girl. Besides, Kakashi decided we couldn't wait anymore for her Sight to mature. They're on the move and we needed to recruit her now."

"Bastard! Leave Hinata-chan out of this! She doesn't have that God damn Sight!"

"Really? Then why can she see me?"

The answer apparently stunned Naruto, leaving him only to quietly stutter "B-because you're allowing her to see you!"

"I'm not. My glamour's still on so she shouldn't even be able to look at me. Now come on, you have to go back to the Circle or else your condition will only worsen. I've followed your pathetic date all night, and I can tell you're struggling to control yourself."

Beads of sweat dripped from Naruto's brow and even from behind Sasuke's form, Hinata could tell Naruto was trembling. She watched his fingers twitch erratically – his nails appearing longer and sharper.

Especially at the appearance of the pale moon dyed a sickly pinkish-red hue.

"Damn it Naruto! The moon's out and I can tell it's changing you!"

"No.. I-I can… h-handle it!" groaned Naruto, clutching at his pounding skull.

"Damn it all to hell! If you aren't going to come peacefully, then I'll use force!"

Hinata couldn't figure out what exactly was happening between the two men but felt a sudden dread in her heart at Sasuke's last words. Something had gone wrong. Her heart clenched in anticipation as the two men tensed at Sasuke's words.

The wind suddenly died down in its force, leaving the atmosphere tense and suffocating. Hinata felt herself rooted to the street, waiting for the nightmare to end. She watched Sasuke pull his mask over his perfect face as changes began to happen to her Naruto-kun.

A deathly and rotting aura solidified in a bubbling orange smog surrounding Naruto. She heard Sasuke curse before launching himself at the gasping Naruto. His silver sword gleaned despite the sickly hue of blood cast by the full moon as he raised the blade high above his head.

Hinata couldn't make herself scream or shout at Naruto to move – the fear clutching her throat as tears slid from her eyes. She was almost tempted to shut her eyes in hope that all this would be a dream, but she could move nothing.

Nonetheless when she didn't hear the slice of Sasuke's sword plunging through Naruto, her heart raced a little less. She looked up, focusing her eyes on the two men farther down the street when her sight ultimately changed. She gasped at her vision detailing the fight in perfect record, everything pulsating with so many motions and colors. She could see everything so clearly for the first time.

Her body collapsed under the strain of her eyes and her hands flew up to massage the building pressure behind her eyes. Shakily her fingers traced the bulging veins connected from her eyes and flowing like a river to the side of her head. What was happening to her?

She threw that thought away when she heard a human scream, twisted with such suffering that her whole body was paralyzed in fear. Tears dripped from her eyes once more as she watched Naruto shake from some horrible inner force. The scream that was ripped from his throat began to transform into an entirely different noise as did Naruto's body.

Naruto's pores oozed at a sheen coating of blood that soon ruffled into the likeness of thick fur while the thick smog doubled and whirled to surround the man. It was getting difficult to see, but with more focus and a single pulsating vibe her eyes recaptured the scene in excruciating detail. Naruto's spine cracked and readjusted to a new form crawling its way through Naruto's body. His nails elongated longer than a butcher's knife and sharpened to a point rivaling Sasuke's blade.

When the smog finally disappeared, a demon had taken Naruto's place – wearing his skin in patches like rags. A manic laughter echoing more than one voice took presence of the whole vicinity as the demon examined his new body.

The fear that had paralyzed Hinata when the fight first began held nothing to the gasping fear that chained her to the spot as Sasuke bravely launched himself at the demon. It easily parried Sasuke's sword and pushed the man flying into a wall. Cracks appeared behind Sasuke's impact as he pulled his mask away to cough a spat of blood, wiping his mouth on the dark leather sleeve of his jacked.

He slid the mask back in place and stood still for awhile. Slowly a soft chirping noise began to accompany the fizzling and jumping electricity pumping through his sword. The electricity grew in power and force, heat blowing its way back to Hinata.

Gracefully Sasuke jumped higher than ever into the pitched-black sky – disappearing for a moment in Hinata's empowered eyes – before speeding back toward earth with his sword crackling with so much electricity the telephone poles sparked at the power. His sword came crashing down right upon the demon's skull, pushing the demon into the pavement of the street with a screeching howl.

With the blow down, Sasuke flipped backwards from the demon breathing hard. His body was still positioned in its tense form, hand clutching the sword tightly. Nothing happened for quite awhile.

After a minute or so of waiting, Sasuke pulled his sword away and slipped the mask off his face. He smirked in the direction of Hinata and turned his back to the battle when a claw outstretched from the pit to slam Sasuke against the wall. His body crumbled at the impact as blood slipped from his mouth.

Hinata cried out in angst as the demon slowly crawled out from the hole in the street. She watched it shake the rubble from its patchy fur before turning on Sasuke's limp form. Its claw was brought high to finish the killing blow when she screamed out, "NARUTO!!"

The demon froze before turning to her – eyes a rotting bloody red. She saw a fleeting flash of recognition in its eyes before it was pushed deeper with in the recess of its mind. Oh the horror she felt when the demon started to approach her.

"N-Naruto, please w-wake up. It's m-me Hinata. D-don't you remember?" she cried.

The demon seemed to be fighting an internal battle as its steps slowed at the sound of her voice. She swallowed the fear and continued to talk, trying to reach deeper to find the Naruto she knew.

"Naruto-kun, we've known each other since middle school. Do you remember when I first gave you my letter? I-I was so nervous. A-and I remember when you first opened it. You didn't seem to understand my letter at all. I was s-so mad and frustrated that I ended up yelling out t-that I liked you…"

The demon groaned, clutching its pounding head and for a moment Hinata heard Naruto whisper her name before it erected itself. The manic laughter began again and the dread sunk Hinata's heart as she whispered, "N-Naruto?"

The demon whipped around screeching, "DON'T SAY THAT NAME!!"

Its claw gleaned menacingly in the blood moon night slicing the air to reach her. Hinata closed her eyes for the first time that night, waiting for the blow when she felt someone push her out of the way. The two slid a distance away, Sasuke groaning as he pushed himself off her stunned form.

"Don't stand there next time, woman. That thing has its control on Naruto too deeply for talking just to get it," reprimanded a pissed Sasuke.

He shakily stood up, pulling Hinata up with him. He took another glance backwards at the approaching demon before picking Hinata up in his arms and making a run for it across the house roofs. Their speed sent her head in a dizzy spin, almost nauseating.

"S-Sasuke-san?" questioned Hinata, trying to ignore the warmth her cheeks felt from their proximity.

"No –san. Now I have to ask you a favor if you don't want the both of us to die. Help is on the way, but I don't think they'll be here fast enough before that damn demon kills us both. I'm a little anemic at the moment so I need some of your blood."

Hinata jolted back at his words stuttering, "My bl-blood? W-why?"

He sighed at her endless questions.

"I told you, I'm anemic at the moment. Vampires are at their strongest after they've just feed."

"Vampires!?"

"Damn it, woman! Now's not the time to ask questions. Are you going to do it or let us both get killed?" he yelled, stopping on the current roof they landed on.

The snake mask had been destroyed upon impact of the wall, leaving Sasuke's face to the full view of Hinata's widening eyes. His eyes had dimmed in their redness almost coloring a husk of the black night that surrounded them. But through his eyes, Hinata could detect the desperation and utter need of his request and with a shaky breath she said, "My name is Hyuuga Hinata. And I'll do it."

His smirk sent her knees knocking as she pulled her long hair to the side, exposing the paleness of her neck. He took a step forward, his form easily towering over her shaking one. His hand gently held both her sweating palms in an easy grip as he tilted her chin to the side whispering, "Close your eyes. It won't hurt a bit."

His voice lulled her into relaxation and it was through a haze did Hinata feel the sharpness of his fangs pierce her skin or the gentle flow of blood redirected into his mouth. Slowly she felt her consciousness slip when he pulled away from her, his tongue licking his lips dry of her blood. His skin now held a warm glow and she could feel heat reverberating from his form.

Hinata felt woozy just standing near him and felt her knees finally fall when he gently caught her. He chuckled, slowly placing her down on the roof top whispering, "Thank you. I'll protect you no matter what, Hina-chan. It's good to see you again."

Hinata vaguely wondered where she'd heard that nickname before slipped into unconsciousness.

Sasuke softly pushed a tendril of her hair behind her hair and then turned to face the demon that had finally caught up. With a smirk of excitement, he drew out his sword once more and took relish at the sparks of electricity that immediately surrounded the blade.

He attacked first, driving the blade straight into the demon's chest. The blade only managed to slice the demon's shoulder but the electricity drove into the wound singing the demon's fur. The demon growled grasping the blade and pulling Sasuke towards it. With quick-thinking, Sasuke managed to kick the demon square in the face and retreat a few steps away.

The battle continued to rage on and the new strength Hinata had given Sasuke was diminishing radically. In the back of his mind, Sasuke wondered where the hell back-up was when the winds started to pick up again. Shadows danced in the blood moon's light, all binding the demon to his spot while sand and leaves circled the demon.

The demon spat and growled through the sand, struggling to be freed when Sasuke felt four other presences arrive.

"Took you long enough," sneered Sasuke, spitting out a glob of blood.

"We apologize to the utmost, Uchiha-san. But I congratulate you on handling the situation quite well!" exclaimed an exuberant Lee. His partner, Gaara, only ignored the green-man's antics turning to give Sasuke a nod of approval before concentrating on his efforts to bind the screeching demon.

"Don't be such an ass, Uchiha. We got here as soon as we could," scolded Temari, blowing her fan harder while Shikamaru muttered under his breath, doubling his efforts in controlling the shadows.

Sasuke watched silently as the demon soon grew tired, putting up less and less of a fight. It wasn't long before the creature collapsed and the team immediately set out to put seals on the area and binding spells on the demon before they could transport it back to the Circle.

With the fight finally done and over with, exhaustion seeped deep into his bones and he held onto a sigh before catching sight of Hinata. Her hair had been messily tangled during the battle and he found himself softly brushing his fingers through the long locks when Lee caught him.

"Oh Uchiha-san! Are the winds of love finally beginning to blow for you? Oh happy day! Love is such like a blossom and I can see this maiden's beauty even through the trouble of battle!" shouted Lee at the top of his voice.

Sasuke groaned, pulling his hand away from her hair. But even so, his eyes just couldn't seem to concentrate on anything else but the sleeping form of Hyuuga Hinata.