ERADICATION

Bloody Twenty-Four!

"Sasuke"

He woke up with a startle, beads of sweat trickling down his skin. It took him a moment to realise the sound of heavy breathing came from him. Sasuke sucked in air, trying to calm his racing heart.

Finally opening his eyes, he met the eerie purple ones of the creature. Her pupil's were dilated with intensity, mouth slightly open to reveal sharp pointy teeth. It was almost as if she'd fallen into a trance.

Until she moved.

Mei couldn't help herself from drawing closer to the source of the negative emotions. It rolled off the boy in waves, drawing her, drowning her.

He must have had a nightmare. Not that she cared much about the contents of the dream when compared to the wondrous effect it was giving. The creatures of the night were naturally drawn to despair and anguish. No amount of taming could eradicate the evil that she was made of.

She moved, he backed away. She was on all fours. His back was against the wall.

Predator and prey. 

The thought sickened him. And he hated himself more for his helplessness. Hated her.

As always.

She leaned in and breathed. Close enough to scare, far enough from touch.

"I will give you everything. In exchange." 

He gulped at the tonation. It was inhuman. Monstrous. Her fingers wrapped around his neck, exposing the flesh. He could feel the teeth on his skin before they even landed. With whatever will he had left he pushed her away.

He sat up with a startle, breathing heavily.

On the other side of the room the creature watched him curiously.

"Is there something on my face?"

Ah, he'd been dreaming.

"Get out."

------------------------------------------_

"So you're getting a C-rank mission." A soft voice cooed.

Naruto opened his eyes to meet the sickly pale face he'd grown familiar with. With a huge smile across his whiskered cheeks he replied

"Yes! That geezer finally gave us one dattebayo~!"

He got up eagerly to meet the vampire. She was dressed in her usual black. And her bottle was dark violet, doing its job of hiding the contents inside. He'd noticed it was slightly bigger than the other ones she showed up with.

She saw his stare and blinked

"Is there something wrong?"

"N-no there's nothing." The Uzumaki answered, scratching the back of his head.

Truth be told, there were a lot of things that were wrong with his childhood saviour.

The fact that she wasn't a ninja even though she was strong, that she could appear and disappear in a blink anytime and anywhere, that people knew her yet she managed to live with no identity except 'that strange girl', that she always wore black, that she always carried that bottle around, that she mostly followed the Uchiha around, that her presence was very unearthly, that—

There was basically too much that could make one curious or suspicious.

But this was Naruto. A boy who had himself been labeled suspicious even if he stared at a mask in a shop. The last thing he was going to do was corner someone about something they wanted to keep a secret.

Which was a funny thing because Mei would have told him everything then and there if he'd only ask.

He wouldn't know the full story until years later.

"Where will you be going?"

"That's uh-um—"

"The Land of waves" A monotone voice cut in.

Sasuke stood a few feet away, hands in his pocket and a set expression on his face.

"Are you ready Sasuke?"

"Hn."

As if by command, she immediately begun trekking behind. Naruto had promised not to ask anything. But this was one thing he couldn't seem to wrap his head around.

"How do you know each other?"

He thought she wouldn't hear so it surprised him when she turned and replied, "We're childhood acquaintances."

That did little to end his curiosity. Perhaps if he'd asked a more direct question about their relationship. He'd have gotten something along the lines of, "He's my master." instead. Or better yet,

"He offers me his blood in exchange for my power "

That was a straightforward answer. But if there was a reverse case where the Uchiha was to ask what relationship she had with the blonde, that would have been messier.

"The closer I get to him the hungrier I become, but I also have an urge to protect him hence I can never kill him."

But the Uchiha never questioned it. As far as he could tell, she'd probably taken a liking to the boy's blood and added him to her ever growing list of 'precious people'. The thought didn't bother him that much. After all,

He was her most precious person.

She needed him as much as he needed her.

"I've never been that far from Konoha before." Mei mumbled against her straw.

She wanted to join. This was the part where he was supposed to ask her to join him. The Uchiha however, remained quiet. She frowned.

Sasuke glanced round and when he was sure no one was around, sighed and run a hand through his hair. There was no way he was gonna let her on the trip. Not when there was a jonin watching his every move.

Mei paid him no mind. As far as she knew, he was no threat. Just a really tasty treat.

"I'd like to join you, Sasuke. " She said. There was no way he could dodge it now.

"I'll be hungry." She added when he stared at her blankly.

It would be bad if he returned only to find out she'd gone on a rampage. Right?

"Hn." -No

She chewed on her straw. Truthfully, she'd always been at the Uchiha's side. He kept her full and she...well she didn't care what she gave him. Though he'd never really used her these past few years. If anything she'd been the one attached like a parasite.

"Ten litres." He said.

Ten litres of blood. How could anybody manage to draw such an amount? So much blood. Sweet, delicious, intoxicating blood.

"That should cover you until I'm back. In return...."

She listened to the second condition.

She grinned.

It was a deal.

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I think it's time we hopped on the plot. There's something dark lurking in the shadows. It's waiting patiently with a grin. In Bloody twenty-five.