Authors Note

(4,289 words (not including notes) not bad for a first chapter. Please give me feedback, especially if you see something wrong. I'm trying to find a good Beta for this story, mostly for continuity and nonsense issues.)

It stood there, looking through inky shadow as the cruel light slowly faded from the street corners and alleys, beyond the sight of men, waiting with the patience and diligence of a spider watching its web. It wouldn't be long before a little bug came into his net. But for now, it had to wait, had to watch for the light of day to recede into mountains to scorch the sand once more.

And while It lay in wait, It would and try to enjoy the overpowering scent of pollen and grass that seemed to cake the air around it. Why it had chosen this hunting ground was beyond the waiting hunter. It was almost as if something called to It, something that It somehow would become Its prey tonight. And if that was the case, It would eat, and It would eat well.

Hours went by in utter silence. No speech was heard. No footsteps were made. No breath drawn. For the longest time It waited there in a still silence, never wavering nor growing tired, almost like a statue. But before long, that silence was suddenly broken.

The quiet tapping of small footfalls echoed around the street as the prey approached its position, each step making Its palate salivate with each pad of foot to cobblestone. So anxious was It that It wished to jump from the darkness now and feast upon Its oncoming meal. But that would be foolish. To do something so risky, even if there was nary a soul within seventy paces, would be foolhardy and unworthy of Its effort. It would take but a single yelp from the prey to alert nearby plebeians that may be watching the prey from afar. True this thought was a paranoid one, but It could, nay, would take no chances to be seen. No, It would not go to the prey; rather It would make the prey walk into its web as planned.

Its thoughts were stifled as the quiet steps grew louder as the prey came closer to the darkened alleyway, completely unaware of the danger that lurked within the shadows. It had taken a step forward in preparation for when the prey reared its head round the corner and walk past It, which would be soon since the prey was but four paces from sight.

And there it was; the prey, the meal. A small child about six or seven, thick spiky sun kissed hair and tan skin that made It lick Its teeth in child like glee. The boy had walked near the web, now he only needed to step in.

"You…" It whispered in a horse tone. The prey stopped in his tracks and looked about, searching for the source of the voice. "You…" It whispered again, this time adding a rough cough. This time the boy looked directly into the blackened alley, staring at a figure obscured by the shadows. He stepped back in fear when he saw something leave the dark.

From the umbrage came an arm that sent shivers up the youth's spine. The arm was thin and bent, almost looking like a dead, gnarled tree branch. The flesh was a dark shade of green with various boils, scars and burns decorating it. The crooked limb beckoned the boy towards it as the voice spoke once more. "Please… help me… I need…" It did not finish, instead keeping Its façade of illness strong.

The blonde prey took an unfirm step forward, his body and mind trembling in slight fear for what may come. But for reasons beyond him, the sickly person seemed to have a commanding, though dry, tone to them that almost demanded he follow its instructions.

"Come closer…" It muttered followed by another dry hack. "My sight… isn't what it… what it used to be." At this, the boy stepped closer, almost within reach. "Closer…" It whispered once more. And again, the prey obeyed, now stepping within arm's length, though he could not tell as the ill person was still hidden by shade. "Closer…" he took but one step before letting out a muffled yelp as he was plucked from the illuminated streets and into the darkness of Its web. "Step into my parlor." It said with a barley contained chuckle.

The boy was pinned to the rough floor of the alley, his eyes desperately searching for his attacker. But alas, his vision was taken by shadow and his senses were shaken from the sudden change in atmosphere and setting. He tried to let out a scream, but it was sadly muffled by the hunter's twisted green hand.

Said hunter leaned in close, inspecting its catch with the appetence of a starving lion. It felt the hum of the boy's futile cries between Its fingers and cachinnated. "Don't fight," It whispered into his ear. "You have been caught, take solace that you will be serving a greater good."

At that the sun kissed child hollered, making the hunter's dried cracked lips twist upwards into a grin. And that's when he saw it. How or why the boy did not know, but for a moment, he saw Its face. Flesh as green and twisted as its arm. Ears bent, cut into unnatural shapes, eyes separated and buggy, nose flat, almost looking as if it were sliced, and lips thin and smeared with dried crimson. But it was the teeth that drew his attention the most. Brownish yellow, misshapen, and most frightening, canines long and sharp, pressing against Its grinning lips.

The boy's eyes welled with hot tears of fright as he looked upon the ghastly creature, and soon, the darkness overtook the alley once more, leaving the boy in complete obscurity with the beast. He began to panic even more so than previously, kicking and screaming and swinging his arms about, praying that he could hurt or stop the monster that threatened him.

But his actions only made the creature smile more at the futility of his actions. And soon, that smile was pressed against the boys sweat covered neck, inhaling the sweet scent of flesh. Its tongue pressed against his neck, feeling for something important. It stopped on a lump and the creature's grin threatened to split Its lips as It moved Its mouth close to the vein. "Find peace in death…" It whispered as Its fangs sunk into the boy's flesh.

The blonde jerked when he felt the teeth enter him, the rough, almost stone like bones scrapped against his veins. He let out a howl of pain, muffled again by the hand that pressed against his mouth. The boy was scared, terrified that this was his end, that everyone he knew and cared about would be saddened by his death. He wanted to escape, but he was too weak, and as the monster continued to suck the blood from his veins, he became weaker. Soon his thrashing ceased, his hollers quieted, and his hopes of escape died. He just laid there, eyes half lidded as his time was quickly ticking away along with his slowing heartbeat. There was nothing he could do. He was just. Too. Weak.

…

"…..Get up you brat….."

Where that voice came from the blonde didn't know, but somehow it had given him back his strength. No. It had given him greater strength than he could imagine. The boy opened his now crimson eyes and glared at the creature that dared attack him. He grabbed Its wrist and carefully pried the gnarled hand off his lips and leapt from the hunters grasp.

To say the hunter was surprised would be an understatement. It thought It had succeeded in Its hunt, that It no longer needed to be watchful of interruption or consequence. But It was unfortunately wrong. "What's this?" It asked with mild irritation in Its voice. "How is it you have escaped my grasp?"

The boy did not answer; instead, he launched himself at the monster, his newly formed claws aimed to tear Its head off. The hunter dodged to the side, batting the preys head like a vexatious insect. The youth landed with a roll and jumped at the monster once more, this time cutting its belly with his claws. The child landed in a low crouch and looked fixedly at the strange black liquid that dripped from his fingertips.

Shrugging at the oddity, he licked his raven covered digits with gusto, smiling as the sticky salty taste made him only crave for more. He leapt at the hunter once again, only he was not as lucky in his third attempt. The monster grabbed his wrists with vice like strength and swung him round to slam into a brick wall. The boy's head hit the hard surface, bringing with it an intense pain as powerful as his anger. He snapped his eyes open and began to thrash about like beheaded serpent, trying desperately to get free, but the hunter had him pinned now, and was slowly closing the distance between them.

"You almost had me…" It said with a mock smile on Its horrid lips.

The sun kissed child mirrored the expression of regalement and whispered. "What do you mean, almost?" he bashed his head against the hunter's and used the space given to him to push off from the wall with his legs. He and the hunter went toppling to the floor with a thud. Now the boy was holding the monster down, staring into Its eyes much like It had done to him no more than minutes before.

The hunter growled at the boy, who returned the sound with a more ferocious tone. "What the hell are you?" It asked as It tried to free itself from the child's bewilderingly strengthened grasp.

The blonde didn't answer; instead opting to stare at the creature before him with his angry scarlet eyes. He looked at Its body, same as Its face and hands. Twisted green flesh varnished with lacerations, boils and bruises mangled into what looked like a hunk of gum that had been left to dry in the hot sun. And thin. Oh how It was thin. This creature had obviously not been given proper nutrition, nor had It been under any form of exorcize, as evident from the miniscule ribs that poked out Its sides, tightly wrapped in deformed skin.

Every centimeter of that hideous carapace disgusted the small child, making him crinkle his nose in repugnance as Its scent continued to tarnish his breathing space. He couldn't believe, wouldn't believe that this abomination tried to kill him. Looking at It now, the boy no longer saw a powerful, bloodthirsty nightmare that could bring the very Gods to their knees in sheer terror. No. instead he was now looking upon a sickly, weak, atrocious being that drank blood as if It were a drug. He no longer feared it. He pitied it.

All thoughts of escape and survival left his conscious mind as his distaste for the creature grew with his anger. He no longer wanted to flee from this thing. He wanted to watch it die. And as he raised his obsidian claws to the sky, he knew he'd do just that.

The thing in his grasp looked up at the tiny hand stained in murky blood and smiled.

A scream. A rip. A splatter. And silence.

The boy looked at his atramentous arm that extended through the green thing's chest, his hand scratching and digging at muscle tissue and bone as it hunted for the monster's still beating heart. His lips once again turned up in a malicious grin as he saw the look of horror on the creature's gnarled face, its eyes glazed over as pain wracked its every pore.

"I…" the creature whispered in a chocked voice. "I…have…"

The boy cocked his head to the side and leaned in closer to hear.

"I…have a ques…tion." It coughed. "Do…do you know…" It leaned Its head up a little to whisper in his ear. "Did you know you already tore past my heart, and are now just scraping at muscle tissue and cartilage?" It asked, a wide grin replacing Its horrified expression.

The blonde jerked his head up in surprise at the amusement in the creature's voice and looked at It with both anger and horror. And as if to further his confusion of the situation, his fingers suddenly began to scratch against something. It was a flat; gravely surface that was ice cold to the touch. It was the concrete beneath the monster.

The child's eyes widened in shock as he felt the hard surface and stared into the uncaring, almost amused eyes of the beast that he lay atop of, the sound of nails against concrete sending shivers up his spine. Soon his anger was replaced with slight fear as he desperately tried to retract his arm, only for the monster to grab it with Its free hand.

"No no." It said with Its twisted smirk stretching further up Its mangled face. "You had your chance, now it's my turn." With that said, the thing tossed the boy to the side, slamming him onto the hard ground now wet with Its shadowy blood. It hopped on top of the child once more and flashed Its razor canines, plunging them back into the child's neck.

The boy jolted in pain as the familiar pricks entered his blood stream and began to take his valued fluids once again. And just as he did last time, he attempted futilely to escape the monster's grasp. And again, he failed.

Soon the recognizable feelings of fatigue and pangs returned to the youth as everything was being drained from him. All his raw emotion that fueled him earlier was now dying out in equivalence to his blood. No longer did he want to tear the monster atop him apart. Now he wanted only to rest as he felt his eyelids become heavy again. And as he realized that he would meet his end here in this ally, the boy decided to take one last look at himself, before he went with Kami-Sama to heaven.

He let out a stifled squeal of discomfort as he moved his sore arm up to meet his ocean blue orbs. But as he looked at his blackened hand, the child noticed something odd. While it was difficult to see compared to the dark fluid soaking his limb, there was a small blotch of sanguine upon his anicubital space. Bringing it closer, he stuck his tongue onto the wet, fleshy surface and licked up his arm, letting the salty taste give him what would no doubt be his last meal.

And as the scarlet and inky fluids slid down his small throat, the boy finally felt his heart beat slow as he anticipated.

Thump thump…thump thump

Thump..thump

Thump….thump

Thump….thump…..

Thump…..

…..

An anguished sigh escaped a pair of old, dry lips as a certain elderly man stared into the blackened alleyway, a small battered corpse being one of its only occupants. The others in the ally were dressed in black cloths with grey armored vests, each wearing a white mask painted and shaped like various animals. His brow furrowed into a squint as he laid eyes upon the tuff of familiar blonde hair attached to the victim, causing his eyes to grow sore and wet.

One of the men in the ally was kneeling next to the body, his hand pressing against two holes in the young person's nape. With a shake of his head, the man, wearing a frog mask looked up to his partner and slowly picked up the corpse. He approached the old man, carefully handing the pale body to him. "Hokage-Sama…" sheepish eyes veiled by stone looked into the eyes of the leader, noting the sadness held beneath them. "It appears Naruto-San's blood was drained through two pricks in his neck from his Jugular."

The aged Kage nodded and looked down at the pale, peaceful face of Naruto Uzumaki, his lips turning further into a saddened frown at seeing one so close to him lay still and lifeless. 'The fact that the Kyuubi's Chakra hasn't healed the wounds is proof enough that he's gone…' He could hardly believe it was only minutes ago that he saw the headstrong youngster in his office, talking about his day in class and all the "useless" information given by Iruka, was now lying in his arms as dead as stone.

Turning his attention back to the ANBU member in front of him, the Hokage asked. "I thought Kuma was watching him, where is he?"

Kaeru looked to the rooftops as if searching for the person in question before shaking his head. "I'm afraid we've been unable to find him." He replied. "We haven't heard anything from him, and Neko and Gachou haven't found him yet."

"So the attack may have been planned." said the red robed Kage with a hint of anger in his tone. "And what of the black fluid staining the ally walls?" he looked past the Ninja at the thick, obsidian liquid that dripped from the brick walls.

The Frog Masked Nin shook his head once more. "We have yet to determine what it is, but Inu says it might be blood."

At that the old man cocked his head in confusion. "Blood?" he asked disbelievingly. "What kind of blood is black?"

Kaeru scratched his head while looking back to his partner in the Dog mask. "He says it smells like blood, mixed with tar and ash."

The Fire Shadow shook his head at the ANBU member and turned to look down the empty street. "Gather up as much as you can and bring it to the lab for storage. I will return Naruto to his home for now, then I must see to his burial plans…" he said, heading for the complex. The old man sighed as he said the last part, knowing full well that he would most likely be one of the very few to attend the funeral, while the rest of the town would be lit in celebration. Yes, they would dance and drink and shout in joy over the death of the "Demon of Konoha" as soon as word got out that he had died.

And what saddened him most about that fact was that he could do nothing to keep them from acting like such fools over something so saddening. The boy's father forbade him from speaking of his heritage to anyone but the boy and his Godfather.

That also reminded him of how he'd have to break the news to Jiraiya of his student's legacy dying before he had a chance to prove the forgetful village wrong in their accusations. He could already see the look on the Sanin's face when he would find out; sadness, followed by anger, then silence, just as he felt now.

The only solace that this situation gave was the knowledge that Naruto would no longer have to suffer the ire of the village again, and could finally rest. While that wasn't the most comforting thought, it provided the old Nin with some relief.

Sighing in discontent, the aged Kage opened the door to Naruto's apartment. The scent of ramen, milk and salt filled his nostrils as he entered the small, dirty room. The area was littered with old ramen cups and milk cartons, giving the place a sense of rotting and decay. However, by now the old man had gotten used to the smell that seemed to emit from the very walls.

He stepped into Naruto's bedroom, which was slightly more cleanly than the rest of the apartment. Laying him on his bed, the old Kage let a few stray tears fall from his wrinkled cheeks and onto the bright blonde hair that was now matted with dirt and possible black blood. The small salty droplets ran through the youth's hair and down his face as the Hokage quietly wept above.

Wiping his eyes with his arm, the Fire Shadow rose his head and turned to leave, but not before lovingly tussling his surrogate Grandson's hair. "Goodbye Naruto Namikaze…" he whispered as he began to walk away.

SMACK!

The Hokage's heart stopped beating for but a second, and his breath was cut off within his dried throat. His mind numbed, eyes widened like saucers and blood ran stone cold as he felt an icy, strong, small hand grip onto his bony wrist with vice like strength. He stood stock still as a lump began to grow in his throat the size of his fist, skin shivering like it was exposed to ice water.

The elderly man slowly turned his head around, his ears hearing the creaking of his neck every inch it turned. When he saw the source of his sudden jolt of fear, his eyes widened more, almost feeling as if they would begin to bleed from torn flesh. But who would blame him, since what he gapped at was something most shocking, if not frightening.

On the bed sat – not laid, but sitting up – Uzumaki Naruto. His flesh was whiter than when the Hokage last looked at him ten seconds ago, and seemed to become paler as the seconds went by. His eyes were closed but showed signs of awareness as the eyelids shuddered every now and then. But his hair; that was what drew the most attention from the Kage. The boy's once bright and yellow hair was turning dark and dry, small locks even began to fall off his head as more time went by.

Sarutobi turned his entire body around to face the boy who was now sniffing his arm with a strange interest that could only be described as hunger. And before he could say something, the six year old opened his mouth, revealing a group of razor sharp fangs that dripped with hungry saliva, and sank his face into the old man's wrist.

The Fire Nin jumped with both surprise and fear as a sharp pain came from his Ulnar Artery. Meanwhile, the blonde turning brunet boy seemed to be enjoying the experience as he drank the life giving fluid from his Grandfather figure, stopping his sucking to lap up small droplets that escaped his lips.

Snapping to his senses, Sarutobi pulled at his captured arm… only for Naruto's teeth to tear a larger hole in his arm. The Kage began to panic as more and more blood left his veins and entered the small boy. He tried to once again retrieve his arm, but it was to no avail as Naruto seemed to have a vice like grip on the limb.

"N…Naruto…" he whispered through clenched teeth. "Let go of me… PLEASE!" as much as he didn't want to, the old Ninja was forced to use Chakra. Focusing on the area that the blonde was attacking, Sarutobi felt the blue energy strengthen his muscles, and with a quick yet strong yank, his hand was free from the child. Working quickly, the Kage pulled from his pockets some gauze and white cloths that worked quite well against his wound, though he would need to have it examined at some point for infection.

Now that his wound was looked after, Sarutobi returned his attention to the now alive boy that lay on his bed, his eyes still refusing to open. But the fact that he wasn't looking at him didn't bother him, not when the blood, his blood was smeared all over the youth's face. However, before he could move, Naruto let out a quite, but audible squeak.

The squeak soon turned into a squeal, then into a louder scream, and finally, a horrid screech as his body was wracked with pain the Kage couldn't possibly comprehend. Naruto lashed about, tossing his arms and kicking his legs as his body began to go through physical hell. His blood felt like it was boiling within his veins to the point that large red blotches began to appear all over his flesh. His hair, or what little there was as there was but a few black locks left on his head, curled and shriveled into dust. The boy's skin started to bubble, some flesh and blood pockets bursting and spattering crimson onto the sheets and walls. But the worst feeling and sound that escaped him was the cracking of his bones as they churned within his body and bent and snapped in order to contort him into an unnatural shape. Naruto let out one final shriek as his eyes shot open, revealing two blackened orbs that looked to the heavens as if begging for the pain to end. And it did. After all his lashing and screaming and shivering, Naruto stopped moving as the unbearable pain subsided, and let a relived breath escape his cracked lips.

Meanwhile, Sarutobi was backed into the corner of the room, eyes wider then he thought possible and fixated on the once blonde body that lay stone still on a small blood soaked mattress. The lump that had formed in his throat finally slid down his esophagus as everything became dead silent, and he hoped the madness was finally over. Of course, looking at Naruto's physical condition indicated that it had merely begun.

Speaking of which, the small boy seemed to be showing signs of living, if his rising and falling stomach was any indication. Said boy slowly sat up, cringing as his hands made a squishing sound against the sanguine bed. He turned his head to face the frightened old man who he had considered a grandfather.

"Jiji…" he called in a dry, cracked tone that sent shivers up the Fire Shadows spine. "I…what…please help me… please… help me…"

Authors Note

(Yeah… I know anyone with the slightest hatred for the Twilight series will want to say how this is going to suck, but I'd like to inform those people that I plan on taking this story seriously, i.e. Naruto will be the opposite of Edward Cullen. Consider this to be like Daybreakers, the anti-Twilight. Of course the actual "rules" to this story's Vampires will be either discovered by Naruto, or told. Anyways, feel free to give criticism or praise.)