Amaranth
Mythic Evil

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My flower
Withered between
Pages two and three
The once and forever bloom
Gone with my sins

Disclaimer:I do not own Naruto. Nor do I own the song Nemo by Nightwish (above lyrics).

Warning: There is a rather large age gap between Neji and Tenten at the beginning, which will lessen and eventually disappear as Tenten grows older, as Neji is immortal and physically frozen in his early twenties. If you are uncomfortable with that idea, I would advise you not to read the story.

Author's Note: Hi, this is my first fanfic, so I'm slightly nervous...I am aware that the word 'Amaranth' (the title) has several meanings, but in this case I'm referring to the imaginary immortal flower that never fades or dies. I think that's all I have to say, I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Prologue

Hoarse, pain-wracked sobs. Such pitiful cries. They echoed in the dark basement, where nobody could hear.

Neji made his way down the mouldy staircase silently, so as not to alarm the little girl. She would think he was her mother; he wanted to spare her the unnecessary terror.

He couldn't see her, but he knew she was hiding behind that crate in the cobwebbed corner. He inhaled deeply, savouring the scent which was distinct among the dust and brick - her blood, sweet, virginal, innocent. Oh yes, she would be his greatest conquest, of that he had no doubt.

He paused; should he talk to her as he approached, or appear suddenly in front of her with no warning?

"Tenten," he called out, making his voice deliberately soft, deliberately gentle. He heard a high-pitched gasp of abject terror ripped from her throat, hoarse from screaming."Don't be frightened. Do you remember me?"

A head of dirty brown hair that should have been beautiful peeked out fearfully from behind the crate. "N-Neji-sama?" Her whisper would have been inaudible to human ears.

"Yes." He stopped, and stood still in the middle of the floor, a few metres from the crate behind which Tenten was hiding. A test of trust - if she trusted him, she would go to him herself.

Neji had visited this girl about a dozen times over the past few months, always with comforting words and warm food for the girl, who was only given scraps when her mother even cared to feed her. She had never approached him voluntarily. Then again, sometimes she had no choice. Those couple of times her mother had broken her leg, for instance. And Neji tended to her wounds carefully - Tenten never knew it was magic that healed her skin and bones so quickly.

She came to him tonight. Sobbing pitifully, crawling on her hands and knees, so desperate to reach him in spite of her pain. Her mother had overdone it again; her face and midsection were bruised so badly, there was more purple than white skin that had never seen the sun. Her emaciated body was covered in fresh new cuts. Before she had met Neji, she was covered in gaping wounds and burns that were months old - her body was too malnourished to repair the damaged tissue.

But still, Neji's lips curved upwards in a triumphant smile. Scooping her up in his arms, he stroked her hair.

Finally, she was ready.

"Tenten," he murmured in the ear of the girl sobbing on his shoulder. "Do you want to leave this place? I can take you away from here, somewhere far, far away...and you'll never need to see Mama again."

She pulled back slightly, her puffy, tear-filled eyes now wide with shock. "A-away?"

"Yes, we'll go away together. I'll take care of you. Would you like that?"

She didn't need any time to consider once she understood his proposal. "Yes!" She gasped, nodding vigorously. Her arms tightened around his neck. "Please, Neji-sama...please...d-don't go..."

"Hush now." Neji soothed her patiently, carrying her up the stairs. "We're leaving. Nobody will ever hurt you like this again, I promise you."

Chapter One

Possession

"She's coming around." The young doctor murmured, pulling her hands away from the little girl. "She's had extensive injuries - any human doctor would have given up. Fortunately I was able to heal everything; she should be in perfect health once she awakens. I would, however, advise you to refrain from drinking from her until she has settled down, as irresistible as she is...and try not to shock her with displays of magic; it seems she has suffered severe mental trauma as well as physical in her old home."

"I understand. Thank you, Dr. Tsunade." Neji said quietly, unfolding his arms and stepping forward from the wall. He motioned for his servant to come forward. "Lee will show you the way out."

Dr. Tsunade nodded, pulling her gloves back on her hands and rising from the side of the girl's bed. "I shall return tomorrow to perform a last examination." She told him as she exited the room.

Neji made a dismissive gesture in her direction, more interested in watching the human girl rousing from her magic-induced slumber.

Tenten moaned softly, burying her head into the pillow. Never before had she woken up without pain, never before had she known the luxury of a soft bed or warm blanket. She wanted to stay here forever...

She blinked open her eyes blearily, stretching her arms out above her head in a childish yawn. Fear gripped her for a brief instant when she couldn't recognize the dark form looming above her, before she gathered her mind. "N-Neji-sama?"

"Tenten. You're awake." His voice was like dark velvet compared to her mother's screech, which was the only voice she had ever heard.

"Mhmm..." Tenten sat up slowly, looking around the unfamiliar room with a child's curiosity. She winced slightly at the light that filled the room - she had never seen more light than a crack between the floorboards above the basement she had been imprisoned in all her life.

The silk sheets between her fingers were a soft rose that complemented white wood that weaved around her bed; it was circular, and large enough for her to grow into. Had Tenten ever seen one, she would immediately have realized the startling resemblance the bed bore to a cat basket.

Outside her bed was a large room with creamy wooden floorboards and large paintings of elegant birds on the stark white walls . A long white leather couch and low glass table sat against one wall, near the glass that separated the room from the balcony. A glass desk and white leather chair stood on the opposite side of the room, in front of floor-to-ceiling windows with white curtains. Against to walls stood a large wardrobe of dark polished wood, a tall filing cabinet and a bookshelf already stacked with volumes of data and legal documents.

"Where...?" She struggled to find the words - her mother had never bothered to educate her.

"That's your bed. This is my room." Neji told her in as few words as possible. He frowned, the responsibility of having such a young and mistreated mortal pet striking him for the first time. It seemed she would need several tutors before he could take her with him in public - Hyuuga Neji could not be seen with a simpleton for a pet.

He wasn't disappointed, however, in her physical appearance. He had had Lee bathe her after she had slipped into a state of unconsciousness, and the result was very pleasing.

Her hair, once tangled and knotted and covered in dust, now framed her face in shining straight dark mahogany strands, bringing out the shimmering colour of her large eyes, the reflection of late afternoon sunlight on shards of a broken beer bottle. Her unnaturally pale skin gave her beauty an ethereal aura, her timid movements and hunch of her shoulders added a sense of delicate fragility.

And of course, her scent. It was even more potent now that it wasn't smothered by dust and dirt. Sweet innocence in the highest degree...oh yes, she would be unrivalled once she was complete.

Her eyes now met his with uncertainty at his silence. "Neji-sama?" She reached out a hand towards him.

He stepped closer and took it, with a rare smile that few people had ever seen. "Don't worry, my Tenten...you'll be perfect in time." He pressed his cold lips to her hand.

"And the riots in Sunagakure?" Uchiha Itachi asked, throwing a stack of documents onto the desk with a bored flick of his wrist.

At this, all members at the table turned to the sullen redhead, who until then had been gazing at the windowless wall.

"Arrest them all." He said quietly, his gaze never moving.

"Are they still whining about the new trading policies?" The dark-haired ivory-eyed woman at the opposite end of the round table sneered. "If they hadn't been smuggling forbidden items half price, they wouldn't be in this position, would they? Might as well lock the criminals up for a couple of centuries."

"But Hanabi, many are starving in Sunagakure...some are too weak to perform magic, or even to cross over to the Human Realm and there isn't enough food being brought back. Inflation was rising rapidly and then with the new trading policies, a lot of them lost work...maybe..." the soft-spoken lady hesitated, "maybe we should offer some...help."

"If we do that, Onee-sama, all the other pathetic villages in the north will start rioting for 'help' as well." Hanabi rolled her eyes.

"Then maybe we should help them too."

Hanabi arched an eyebrow at the quiet defiance. "And how exactly would you go about doing that? It's not as if we can start carting hundreds of humans off to them. They're just a bunch of criminals anyway; that's the reason the new policies affected them so much. You know what people go to Sunagakure for."

"Then we should help them, instead of-"

"Enough." Both sisters turned to Neji, Hinata in nervous frustration, Hanabi in smug triumph. "While Hinata does have a point, Hanabi is right - we simply don't have the resources to help them right now. Perhaps in the future." Neji closed the subject deftly. "What's the next item on the agenda then?"

Itachi turned to his secretary standing behind him, who shook his head. "That's it for today."

The sound of wooden chairs scraping against marble filled the room. The Uchiha brothers were the first to leave, after a brief farewell, Uchiha Sasuke murmuring something to his brother on the way out. Gaara left next silently, followed by the elder Hyuuga sister, who gave her cousin and sister only a nod before she left, her face flushed.

"You didn't need to be so condescending." Neji said quietly to Hanabi as they slowly gathered their papers.

"Her suggestions are always ridiculous and unreasonable." She retorted, snapping her briefcase shut. She gave Neji an exasperated look. "You know, fifty years ago we would have been laughing about this together. I understand how you feel, but honestly, Hinata-oneesama has no place here. The sooner we scare her off the better."

Neji didn't say anything in reply. The next time he met her eyes, he was smiling. "Would you join me for dinner, Hanabi? I have a table reserved at your favourite restaurant."

Hanabi sighed. "Always so evasive. I miss the times when you were on my side only and always, Neji."

'And I miss the times when you could tell right from wrong.' "Is that a no?"

"Oh, I'll come. Rather dine with you than go home and look at her pathetic face while the room is filled with the rancid odour of her choice of dinner." She rolled her eyes. "Always the saint, my sister."

"Hanabi."

"Alright, fine, fine," she conceded at the quiet protest, "but seeing as I can't find anything good to say about my dear sister, let's change the subject. How's the new pet you were telling me about? You shouldn't need to be reserving places at restaurants when you have one."

"She isn't ready." Neji told her as they strode out of the room. "She was already fragile when I took her from the Human Realm; her mental health isn't good enough for me to drink from her yet."

"Fair enough. But you have to do it soon, or she'll get a big shock when you do. And you know what that does to mortals while we drink."

Neji supressed a wince at the thought. "I know."

Six months later...

"Lee?"

"Yes, Tenten-sama?" The enthusiastic youth answered, dragging the cloth across the surface of the piano with vigour. Neji's double storey penthouse apartment always took hours to clean, partly because of Lee's own meticulousness. Not a single piece of dust should be left on the white-carpeted floor, not a smudge on the floor to ceiling windows all over the apartment and not a smear on the golden doors of the elevator that opened straight into the living room.

"What's this?" Came Tenten's voice from behind him.

"What's what?"

"This."

Lee looked over his shoulder, shaking his damp hair out of his eyes, which widened when he saw the object of Tenten's curiosity.

"Tenten!" He shrieked.

Tenten was sitting on the carpeted floor in front of the black velvet couch, her legs folded neatly next to her. She had yanked the neckline of her white dress down clumsily to reveal the acid green cross on the creamy skin above her heart. She traced it now with her finger, a frown on her face.

Lee discarded the rag in his hand, and hurriedly pulled her hand down from her chest and adjusted her dress.

"Tenten, it is improper to...to...to do this with your clothes!"

"But I want to know what it is, Lee." Tenten whined, but allowed him to fix her dress without resisting.

"Uhm...uh..." Lee broke out in sweat; he had never been able to lie. "I-I'm afraid that's a question Neji-sama should answer, youthful blossom."

She tilted her head to the side, a long braid draping over her shoulder and the other stroking her neck. "So I should ask Neji-sama when he comes back?"

"Um..."

He was extremely relieved when a faint 'ding!' came from the elevator, and the doors slid open to reveal their master.

"Good evening, Neji-sama!" He said unusually loudly, practically running towards him. "May I take your coat?"

Neji handed him his coat with a raised eyebrow, before turning to Tenten.

She immediately lifted herself off the floor and dipped into a well-practiced curtsey, as she had been instructed. "Welcome back, Neji-sama," she greeted him with a bright tone that did not match the formal greeting.

He nodded in approval, and crossed the room to sit on the couch beside her. She gazed up at him adoringly from the floor, resting her head against his leg as she always did. She could feel his fingers running through her hair, lifting a braid and brushing it against her cheek.

"And what have you been doing since I last saw you, Tenten?" Neji asked her as he loosened his tie with his free hand.

"Uhm..." Tenten's brow creased as she tried to think through the delight that surged through her at Neji-sama's fond smile. "I slept for a while, then Shizune-san came to dress me....then Iruka-sensei came again to tutor me...and then Kakashi-sensei came...and then Tayuya-sensei came to teach me the flute again..."

Neji frowned. "When did you last eat?"

The rise of colour in her cheeks, however, was absolutely adorable. "...not too long ago, Neji-sama."

He supressed a smile; Kakashi was doing his job well. He cleared his throat. "Lee," he called.

Lee appeared immediately in front of Neji, back straight and shoulders square. "How may I help you, Neji-sama?"

"You seem to have forgotten to feed Tenten." Neji told him, his tone icy. "Would you please prepare some food for her as soon as possible?"

Lee's eyes widened. "O-of course, Neji-sama! Please forgive my forgetfulness, I deserve to be punished severely! I will prepare a feast for Tenten-sama! I shall cook the best food, I shall prepare all her favourite dishes, I shall serve everything-""

"Go." Neji waved at him dismissively, bored. Lee hurried into the kitchen, wondering how he could ever have forgotten little Tenten-sama's meal.

Tenten bit her lip as she watched him go - she hated to see Lee being scolded because of her.

Her eyes snapped back to Neji, however, when she felt his finger on her bottom lip. She tensed as he leaned closer to her, her hands fisting on the delicate white fabric of her dress. His hand travelled downwards, tracing her jawline and lifting her chin up so all she could see was the ashy ivory of his eyes. She had to rise to her knees as he cupped her chin and pulled her up, leaning closer and closer...

"Didn't Kakashi-sensei tell you...your eyes must never wander from your master." He breathed into her ear, his hand now stroking one of her long braids again.

She shivered, though definitely not from anything close to repulsion. "I-I'm sorry, Neji-sama..." She didn't realize she had been holding her breath until he withdrew.

Neji made a mental note to mention this little transgression to Kakashi, but was undeniably proud of his newly acquired pet. The eight-year old had proved extremely intelligent and willing to learn ever since he had saved her from that hell. Six months ago her vocabulary had been limited to less than twenty words, and she had been almost mute. Now, she was reading human novels written for teenagers and learning to talk faster than she could control herself. Her lessons were each twenty four hours apart; the breaks in between were for Shizune to come and dress her, to read, to eat, to practice her flute, to spend time with Neji, and, of course, sleep (because humans needed to sleep for a ridiculously large fraction of their day).

Tenten had never seen the world outside his penthouse apartment, nor had she ever asked to. Compared to the hole she had been locked in her whole life, this was probably enough for her. But Neji had plans to take her out as soon as possible and show her off.

For he had been right, no other human pet of any vampire in the Vampire Realm even came close to his Tenten. Oh of course, many surpassed her in beauty, in grace, in intellect, but not one matched her innocence. A young child, naive and innocent, a child that had only suffered her whole life and never had the chance to sin. And that was what was most important in mortal pets, wasn't it, the innocence, that was how they were rated, regardless of their other qualities - a pet with a beautiful face and unrivalled intelligence would be worthless if her life in the Human Realm was tainted with sin. Because blood contaminated with sin tasted bitter, and innocence tasted sweet. And it was that sweetness in a human that every vampire coveted, a pure, innocent human, even better if they could be taken alive.

And Neji, genius that he was, had accomplished both.

Lee came stumbling out of the kitchen in his haste, which caused him to trip and slam the domed platter down on the table with a loud 'CLANG!'

Neji sighed, and put a hand up to his brow. Really, Lee was supposedly the best servant on the market...Neji had paid a near fortune for him.

For this.

"Lee, one more display of your carelessness and I will throw you out, is that clear?"

"Yes, Master! Please forgive me! I will do my best from now on!" Lee cried, sinking into a deep bow.

"I should have seen 'your best' from the beginning." Neji snapped, rising from the couch. "Tenten, eat before you faint from hunger."

Tenten rose off the ground and made her way to the dining table, moving as fast as she could with the amount of grace required of her. Her dress, white, of course, to emphasize purity, seemed to drift around her in an elegant cloud as she went.

Neji followed her to the dining room. Lee pulled back the chair at the head of the long mahogany dining table with his head respectfully low, desperately trying to redeem himself for his mistakes. Neji took his seat, Tenten on his right hand side, and crossed his legs languidly, watching the girl eat.

Tenten drained her soup bowl impatiently, moving quickly onto the crab on her plate. Neji's intense gaze didn't bother her, she was used to him watching her eat - he himself never seemed to eat, somehow.

"Finish your vegetables, Tenten," came Neji's amused voice when she started on her souffle.

"Yes, Neji-sama," she answered automatically, suppressing a very immature pout. Kakashi-sensei told her never to display any negative emotions towards her master, or whatever he said to her; she even remembered the way his eye widened dramatically when he told her about the 'severe consequences'.

Neji watched with a sort of mesmerized fascination as she picked up her glass and took a sip of water, the way her white throat moved as she swallowed, the gloss the water left on her rosy lips as she set the glass back down on the table. Most vampires found all human gestures and movements enthralling, but Tenten captivated him in a way no other pet had ever done, with her clear, high voice and large brown eyes...

He noticed when her eyes darted towards him for a fraction of a second.

"You have something to say, Tenten?"

Tenten wasn't surprised he knew - Neji-sama always knew everything. She found that skill of his very useful after she had learnt that she was not allowed to speak to him unless spoken to.

"Neji-sama, I..." She bit her lip, unsure of how to phrase her question.

Her eyes widened when she felt his thumb brush her lip, her gaze darting reflexively over to him.

He was smiling.

"Don't bite down on your lip like that, Tenten." He said softly. "You might break skin. I don't want you flawed in any way."

She gulped and nodded; she could hear her rapid heartbeat in her own ears.

Neji bit back a moan as the heady aroma of her blood grew suddenly ten times stronger. Six months he had resisted her, with great effort, waiting impatiently until the day she would be ready...

'Soon...'

"I just..." her timid voice broke through the haze in his mind, "wanted to ask...about..." she hesitated, but seemed to quickly steel herself to get the words out.

"This."

Neji watched, straining to keep his composure, as Tenten tipped her head back and pulled down the neckline of her dress with both hands, exposing his seal on the skin directly above her heart.

Damn. He was hoping she'd assume it was something she'd had her whole life and never ask about it. After all, as far as she knew, every human could have that on their chests.

"That...is only something to protect you." He said at last, slowly. "Don't waste your time thinking about it."

"Protect me?" Her puzzled voice came. "How-" she stopped herself when she realized she had just been given a direct order, and her voice became immediately apologetic. "Sorry, Neji-sama. I won't waste time thinking about it anymore."

He could have left it at that, but seeing her pick sullenly at her dessert made him sigh. He leaned forward, to her surprise, and gently pulled the side of the dress's neckline to straighten it. The scent of her blood became stronger again with her adorable blush.

"It's my seal. It's called 'The Caged Bird'." He explained to her patiently as his fingers ran slowly across her neck. "It proves that you belong to me, and me only; no other of my kind will dare touch you, as long as that seal is engraved on your skin."

Her eyes widened. "Your...seal? But..." she frowned again. "Caged..."

Her voice caught in her throat as she felt the cold press of Neji's lips against her forehead.

"You're mine. And that's all that matters." He whispered against her skin.

Tenten couldn't understand the shiver that coursed through her as she nodded breathlessly.

The hostess led Neji through the exclusive restaurant, past the priceless human paintings and rich burgundy velvet drapes and crystal chandliers, to a small table by an arched French window. A graceful brunette was waiting there, her legs crossed and arms folded, leaning back in her leather seat. Her eyes brightened, though, when she noticed Neji approaching, and she sat up.

"Hanabi." Neji greeted her with a smile.

"Neji-niisan," she drawled as he sat down, "can't say I wasn't surprised when you asked me out for a meal for the fourth time this week. Media will get interested, you know." She winked.

"I don't like to dine alone." Neji murmured in reply, slightly exasperated, snapping his fingers at a nearby waiter. "This won't take long. I placed a special order."

Hanabi raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "A special order? I wasn't aware you had time to be wandering the Human Realm looking for some perfect victim to put on the menu."

"I didn't have to wander around for this one."

"How may I serve you, Hyuuga-sama?" The waiter asked courteously when he arrived at the table, bowing low.

"I have a special order waiting for me. Bring it out, please."

"Of course. And you, Hyuuga-sama?" Here he turned to Hanabi.

Flipping her long ponytail over her shoulder, she ran a manicured nail down the human faces on the menu, skimming over the descriptions.

"I'll take number 1217." She said after a moment, snapping the menu shut and handing it to the waiter. "Clothed. And sedate it before you bring it out. I'm in no mood for kicking and screaming tonight."

"Of course, Hyuuga-sama. Excuse me." He left, bowing.

Neji gave Hanabi a disapproving glare once the waiter left.

"Something wrong, niisan?"

"Hanabi." His face was stern. "Who gave you that?" He averted his glare to the extravagant bracelet on her wrist, made of large sparkling diamonds and glittering pigeon-blood rubies.

Hanabi smirked, holding her arm out to let Neji have a better look. "Don't you like it? Courtesy of my new boyfriend, Kiba-kun."

It was Neji's turn to raise his eyebrow. "Hinata's old love? I never thought you'd stoop so low, Hanabi."

She rolled her eyes, leaning back in her seat. "It's only for a few years. He gives me anything I want just to spite Onee-sama for leaving him. She shouldn't care anyway - she's engaged."

"And so are you."

She rolled her eyes again with a groan. "I'm not going to marry Uchiha Itachi for another two hundred years! Although, Father's thinking about cancelling that little arrangement." She grinned, and dropped her voice. "Rumour has it that Itachi-san is responsible for Uchiha Shisui-san's murder."

Neji was unimpressed. "But the fact remains, you still are engaged; you shouldn't be ruining your reputation by fooling around with every wealthy male you come across. Sai, Deidara, Chouji, Kiba...do you have a list?"

"I'm not the one at fault here. They're the ones who ask me." She said airily, still grinning.

Neji shook his head in resignation. But he did understand all the attraction to the cousin he had practically raised himself - tall, slender, daring, beautiful and brilliant, who wouldn't want her? Not to mention the fact that she was a descendant of vampire royalty.

"Anyway," she tucked a stray strand of glossy dark brown hair behind her ear. "Is everything alright with you and your new pet? I assume you still haven't drunk from it yet, which is why you have to keep dragging me to all these restaurants."

Neji didn't bother to mention the fact that Hanabi had never once declined an invitation. "She's nearly ready. In the next ten days, hopefully."

Their conversation was cut short when two humans were brought to their table. The female was shackled in golden chains and leather cuffs, while the angelic young blond male was carried in the arms of a waiter, his eyes half-lidded.

"What the fuck is this!" The woman screeched. Her black hair was in complete disarray and her lipstick was smeared unattractively. "I'll call the fucking police if you assholes don't let me go now! NOW! GET THE FUCK OFF ME!"

The hush had fallen over the entire restaurant, all the wealthy patrons now watching Hyuuga Neji's choice of dinner in fascination.

"What is that, niisan." Hanabi recoiled slightly in horror. "I would have thought you'd chosen a sweet girl, if you'd bothered to take a special order. That thing," she sniffed in distaste, "I can smell the sin off her skin. Her blood has turned foul. Has there been a mistake?"

"There has been no mistake." Neji rose from the table and, to everyone's shock, suddenly slapped the woman across the cheek. "Quiet down." He hissed at her.

"Fuck you, asshole!" She spit at him in the face. "You sick-"

Her next insult was cut off with a harsh gasp as Neji's fangs came down at her throat, tearing the flesh deliberately instead of just draining her. The next sound that followed was the collective gasp of all in the restaurant - in vampire culture, causing pain to your victim was considered gravely rude. So was creating a mess by spilling blood everywhere. And here was a royal, his pale face splattered with crimson blood as it gushed out from the artery.

Neji struggled to keep his face hard - the taste of her blood was sickening.

But the thought of revenge was sweet, sweet enough that he kept on drinking until the woman finally lost energy to scream and fell limp in his arms.

Two waiters came quietly from the shadows to clean up the mess, as Neji took his seat again.

"And what did the prostitute do to deserve that?" Hanabi asked, her eyes trailing after the woman's (what she considered) carcass as it was taken away.

"That," Neji said, taking out a handkerchief and wiping the foul-tasting blood from his mouth, "was the mother of my pet."

Thank you for reading, please leave a review and let me know what you think (constructive criticism is welcome). Pets of the other vampires will be making an appearance in the next chapter, so please keep reading.

Mythic Evil