To make sure the link happened without any mishaps it was that Naruto’s presence was required, since as he knew the nature of both kind of souls, he was able to protect them as the link happened.

In matter of seconds, Sakura gave a lengthy sip to her glass. Pretty eager to get the ritual done, she put on practice the unusual abilities that her mentor had taught her on occasions where work gave way to a thirsty and intoxicant night of relaxation.

A few steps of her, Tsunade smiled proudly despite the surprised gesture of the blonde and the entertained one of her immortal partner.

Her heartbeats had not stopped beating with speed and of that Sasuke was pretty conscious, he simply didn’t know what he should say to make her relax —or if he should even try.  She had courage, of that he had no doubt, but she was a human after all. Even if half immortal, this was a side of her she didn’t know about until a couple of hours ago. Of course this was going to test her bravery and determination.

While their thoughts were clouded with the possibilities, their souls started to dance at their surrounding and this they could sense because suddenly they felt lighter, as if they were floating in the air and because of how suddenly a feeling of slumber entered them.

Closing their eyes as the seconds passed, the couple was assaulted by a feeling of cold running through their bodies. Chills hitting them as they felt the soul of the other combine with the one of their partner, they felt the contrast and difference that was between them when warmness and coldness united in both their bodies.

Gasping as they opened their eyes with surprise, they returned to that room before the satisfied expressions of Tsunade and Naruto.

“Did it work?” Sakura wondered still short of breath, feeling her eyes slightly dampened, but without really knowing the motive.

Meeting with the stare of her mentor, she realized she was smiling at her tenderly and approached her to hug her, taking the girl by surprise before the unexpected affectionate display.

“It did” she said to her ear as she tightened lightly the embrace on her body “You’ll be fine now”.

“Tsunade-sama?” the girl of pink hair asked again, still lost after that maternal display that made her heart beat with peculiarity.

Parting a little from the girl, she held with her hands her apprentice’s arms and gave her another smile, this time with pride and confidence.

“I knew you were meant for great things” was all she said and that left the apprentice with her eyes dampening at her words.

A few steps from them, the immortals shared words in which the blonde gave a few smacks at the vampire’s back and he seemed lost in his thoughts so once the blonde followed his line of view, he found he was staring at the girl linked to him.

“She’s a pretty girl, isn’t she?” he smiled without trying to mock him, acknowledging the attributes of the new partner of his eternal rival, who soon reacted at his words and gave him a warning look before getting away from him. As a response, the blonde took his hands to the back of his nape and sighed amused. He could fool many with his cold demeanor, but never the fox who knew him since he was a human.

On his part, Sasuke found rather annoying the blonde fox’s comment. He might be the guardian of mortal lives, but he was not linked to that woman. Sasuke could feel it inside him, she was not just pretty. She was warm and soothing, fresh and free. Made of everything he had never felt before and, that in that moment an unknown feeling had caused him chills.

She must have noticed his presence approaching her, or maybe she felt the same thing he felt when the distance between them shortened. Was this speeding in their chests product of their link? He doubted it since he had noticed it on her previous to the link, but now that his own chest was the one that speeded up without apparent reason, he faltered on his step.

Noticing he was approaching her; Sakura stepped aside from the high priestess and shortened the distance between them. After feeling the cold and empty, firm and clenched, she felt herself sympathize more with that immortal that just hours ago was an unknown threat to her. She felt she knew him a little better now, that she understood him better and the insecurity she felt just minutes ago by his presence dissipated after feeling his heart beat like hers rather than stay impassive and hidden.

Now that he was just a few steps of distance, a new feeling that was not there before the link made them look for the gaze of the other by instinct.

“Ready to bite me?” was all the girl of emerald eyes occurred to ask, hesitating once he appreciated a different sparkle in those eyes usually dark and opaque, letting go unnoticed the suppressed chuckle of the blonde fox and the hit her mentor gave him at his imprudence.

Sasuke couldn’t help to smirk, suddenly after hearing she was still affected by his presence reminded him that this was the same girl from just moments ago. Small and curious, brave but insecure.

“Relax little witch, I’m not going to suck the life out of you” he chuckled, his smile for a moment taking away her breath before responding to his comment:

“Healer!” she reprimanded outraged since she had yet to be familiarized to the ‘witch’ term that she for inertia related to a nature much different to hers.

“Alright, healer, listen up” he humored her. “I need you alive and by my side, do you hear me?”

Sakura remained lost in the depth of his words, unable of speak before the meaning implicit in his words, assuring her without realizing that he would protect her and take care of her. He, an immortal being she only believed capable of destroying and taking away her happiness, her home.

She suddenly smiled without being able to help it, because somehow, he now knew the words she desired to listen.

Now that the trust between the had strengthened, they reunited with the priestess and the fox to discuss more of the information both Tsunade and Sasuke had suspected from the beginning: Since the vampires’ clans had dispersed, many of them roamed the villages Naruto was not able to protect with the amount of clones he could keep to protect said villages.

Fortunately, Naruto had the data of those locations in order for them to part straight to them and execute Sasuke’s plan to impose justice on the souls that profaned his ancestors’ ideologies. With the help of Sakura’s powers, his abilities would increase and he would be able to battle a mayor number of his kind.

But before he could carry out said plan, Sasuke turned to Sakura.

“You might want to change your clothes before the bite” her partner offered, running a quick look at her attire and noticing the dress she wore was a high collar and clear colored dress.

Well, that was thoughtful of him, she thought as she took her hands at the flaps level and blushed. Nodding, she retired herself before the accomplice looks of her mentor and the fox behind Sasuke’s back.

Once in the room Tsunade had given her, Sakura got rid of her clothes, setting them aside and folded beside her bed as she rummaged through her belongings in search for something adequate to wear since apparently high collars and clear colors were out of the question. Not that she expected to lose much blood, but without a doubt it would be inevitable to bleed if what they were looking for was to get rid of the poison in her blood.

She took one of her hands to the mark on her skin, the temperature of her body rising since contrary to a vampire feeding from her with hunger, this would be a vampire —her partner, trying to save her.

Would it feel good? On that occasion because of the shock and fear of seeing that vampire fall at her feet soon after biting her, she had yet to prove if those stories about vampires and their captivating bites.

Taking the garment between her hands to her face in order to hide the strong blush on her face, Sakura widened her eyes when she realized what she was imagining.

This was definitely that rice wine’s fault!

And their linked souls’, or maybe his mysterious personality, or maybe his rather attractive physique, or maybe—

“Are you done?” Sasuke’s voice called for her, and it took Sakura a second to realize he was opening the door of her room.

Turning around in alarm, she clung with strength to the garment between her hands to hide her half-naked figure.

“That’ll do” he pointed out as he entered the room without waiting for the scandalized human-healer’s reply. Taking a seat at the edge of the bed, he raised his stare towards her and met her bright red face. “What are you waiting for? Come here” she heard him command her and suddenly a slight stitch of deception dawned on her.

Had she been too pretentious to think she might provoke a reaction on him, who most certainly must have had plenty of partners before her?

She could not be any further from the truth, though.

When she took a seat beside him, looking straight ahead at the time she reprimanded herself because of her childish thought, she decided to avoid the topic and ask instead:

“Do you plan on biting me here?”

“I thought you might appreciate some modesty” her partner reasoned, shrugging as he glanced at the girl by his side.

“You’re hardly giving me any modesty after entering without permission to my room” he appreciated the pout forming on her features with amusement.

“You’re fine like this” he tried to loosen her a bit, but seeing how she remained tense and with that childish pout adorning her face, he decided to tease her. “This way, I can see better the flow of your blood” he confessed as he moved away with one of his hands the pink locks off her neck’s mark and he was once more assaulted by the peculiar feeling that provoked him exposing that part of her skin.

Suddenly he was the one being affected by the situation. There, inside that small room impregnated with her essence, with her completely vulnerable and at his disposition to take her and explore at his will, surrounded by the reinforced tender and captivating feeling their linked souls provoked.

He swallowed and unwittingly started to lean to her, who soon started to beat faster and Sasuke could only grunt on a whole different tone to the way she had heard him before.

The switch was pushed and unexpectedly his wide hand took her face and turned her towards him. Her emerald eyes opening wide when she noticed the dark look on him turn dull and her lips parted lightly when instead of leaning to her side, Sasuke brought his face close to hers.

Expectant, her breathing stopped, but her heartbeat sprinted inside her chest once she noted their distances fading.

She had closed her eyes with anticipation when she heard him talk:

“You might want to hold on to me for support”

Sakura let go of the air she had been holding in when she heard the raw tone in which he called her and opening her eyes once more, she met with the characteristic scarlet eyes that distinguished his kind, but instead of frightening her, she felt captivated by them.

“Yes” was her faint response.

With her breath striking his elaborated one, she then turned fully to his direction, forgetting at the moment of the garment she had been holding between her hands to cover the light gown of delicate and loose suspenders, one of them falling at mid arm length and the other holding the cloth’s weight, exposing a little of the subtle volume of her chest.

She raised her delicate arms to circle his neck, and this time Sasuke couldn’t help to pant against her neck once he was wrapped in her fragrance and the wave of sensations, she provoked on him.

Sakura felt his face graze her neck and in an unexpected movement, she felt a warmness sink into her skin.

A small whimper escaped her lips and she tightened the grip she had on his neck and back, only to sigh in relief when the warmness of his mouth started to extract from her what she assumed must have been the poison that inhibited of all her faculties, since she had felt that increasing heaviness she had noted the last days to start dissolving.

In its place, due to the sensation of comfort that invaded her, she leaned closer to him and exposed more of her neck. Sighs and elaborated breaths escaping from them with each passing second. A warm sensation descending through her neck and back, but Sakura paid no attention to it as she felt Sasuke reclinate her on the bed, his arms supporting at her sides and it was then that Sakura felt a slight change.

Frowning when she felt a pricking on her temple, Sakura emitted a whimper and opened her eyes feeling dizzy.

“Wait, Sasuke…” her voice was barely a whisper now that she felt her head start to lighten, but after a peculiar suck from him, Sakura shivered and raised her voice “I said stop, you damn leech!”

What happened after that was quickly enough to figure out the details, but suddenly Sasuke was leaning against the wall beside the door as it opened with shock only to give entrance to an alarmed Tsunade.

Looking with amazement at the panting woman, she returned the glance with confusion, one of her hands cupping on the area Sasuke had been so engrossed. Now, both expectants looked at her face with surprise.

And that was because not only had she pushed a vampire of superhuman strength away like he was a feather, but also now, on her forehead, that mark that not only indicated her as a descendant of an immortal but also as a Senju, adorned her.

Sakura had arrived to said small village on one of those nights where demons chased her away of what once was her home, only to find shelter in the only place where they accepted her to keep her safe: The small botany of the high priestess Tsunade Senju.

Thankful with her act of kindness, Sakura volunteered to be her apprentice and devote completely to the maintenance of the small botany while its owner was in charge of her duties as high priestess to the community of the village.

Her duties went from looking after the herbs, prepare some tonics and solutions, tidy the place, labelling the spices that were grown at the store and order the books of recipes that the owner herself had created with the passing of the years —which, were a lot for someone of the age the high priestess resembled.

Soon the learning became a routine. Quickly absorbing all the knowledge that small but generous place could offer, Sakura had turned into the right hand of the high priestess inside the village, acknowledged by the other villagers to treat any of their needs, she was now ready to face bigger dangers.

She did not count, however, with that danger arriving without previous notice.

On one of those nights of October, when the skies were covered with a mantle of dense clouds and the wind started to blow with fresh temperatures, the bell of the main door from that store ringed while it opened letting in not only the fresh breeze, but rather a presence far more imposing.

“I’m here to see the high priestess” the figure in the shadows spoke demanding.

From the other side of the counter, Sakura accentuated the frown on her brows.

“She is not here at the moment, what is it that you need?” she responded while she turned to face him, previously occupied saving the herbs in their respective shelves behind the counter.

She had noticed how the wind had stopped waving the bell of the store and the branches of herbs hanging above the large window stopped making noise.

Flooded in silence, save from the confident strides of the figure approaching her.

Her hands planted themselves on the counter, searching to anchor themselves in order to avoid falling upon the presence now in front of her.

He was tall, wearing a large coat that covered his dark but fancy attire. His hair was also dark and grown beneath his chin, some strands of hair hiding his face and the faint light guarding a little his factions.

“I need a high priestess, are you one?”

Even if it was that way, she had no reason to fear, she reminded herself. She now carried great abilities as she had demonstrated when she pushed away without difficulties the super strong vampire.

She smiled to herself without noticing she continued to be observed with detail by her partner and he, by her mentor.

Releasing a sigh, the high priestess rose up from her seat and after searching through on of her drawers, she called for the attention of both by placing a new scroll on the counter.

“Naruto left his map; it marks the point he has been protecting and the point where danger could possibly be in danger. With Sasuke’s powers help, you should be able to reach these locations in matter of minutes.” Her mentor explained before the attentive gazes of both, then turning her attention to Sakura, who returned the glance with concentration “But it’s important, that before you face these creatures, you are able to control your abilities”.

Frowning with doubt, Sakura made a grimace with her lips.

“Even if you tell me that, Tsunade-sama, who would I go to put them in practice?”

“Obviously you can try them on me” her partner intervened, making her attention to return to him.

“But, what if I hurt you?”

Arching one eyebrow, Sasuke smiled entertained.

“That’s cute” he suppressed a chuckle when he heard her click her tongue. “You can try, if you want. But you’ll have to heal me if you manage to scratch me”

Sakura emitted a growl in frustration.

“That’s what I mean, if I have yet to know how to control my powers, how am I supposed to even attempt to heal you?”

“Oh, he doesn’t mean you need to heal him with your powers, but rather to feed form your blood” Tsunade explained, and it was then that Sakura felt her cheeks to warm up when she noticed how that would happen. Shrugging, Tsunade continued: “You are bound after all, your blood has been chosen to be his medicine”.

Not wanting to be much distracted appreciating the adorable and shy expressions of his partner, Sasuke decided to interrupt his line of thoughts before he was led back to that heated situation of just moments ago. Instead, he stood up before the gazes of those women and took the scroll off the table.

“Alright, now that we have a lead, it’ll be better to get moving”.

Sakura had never traveled before in the formal sense of the word but, something told her that this was not a usual way.

Although, truth to be told, this was about an immortal being after all. His magic abilities allowed him to be able to teleport through dimensions, different places. Even if she clung to him with strength and he circled her form with his arm, Sakura could not help to feel that at any moment she would fall to some abysm with no way out since all she saw before her were flashes of light.

Being unable to keep for much time her eyes open before so much radiance, Sakura closed her eyes for a few moments until suddenly that sensation of void stopped invading her. Opening one of her eyes tentatively, she noticed that before her was a dessert of golden sands and rosy sky.

“We are here” she heard Sasuke say, his voice rumbling inside of his chest to which she was clinging with urgency and Sakura raised her gaze to him, who had his own still fixated on the horizon and she squinted.

“Where?” she wished to know since all she looked was ground and air.

“Your training area” he clarified as he separated from her and took a few steps to the front before turning around in her direction so he could face her “You can try to attack me here”.

“But I don’t want to” she looked at him with bewilderment. She had never assaulted someone intentionally, the insinuation seemed so absurd.

Sasuke suppressed a smirk, it had been quite some time since he had found a human that provoked in him the variety of reactions that she did to him. Instead, he kept his serious expression.

“You’ll have to learn to do it, you must be prepared for the worst”.

“That’s not what you promised!” she exclaimed frustrated at the same time that a sound similar to that of a canon made echo in the abundant infertile land that surrounded them.

Alarmed, both turned their faces in direction to that sound, throwing glances to the other, Sakura could not help but to address him:

“What was that?” she asked worried.

With his scarlet gaze now alert to the distance, Sasuke whispered “I don’t know, but it should not be anything good”

“Are you saying that this place is not safe? Was that not the reason why you brought us here?”

“They can teleport like I do, Sakura. Naruto’s coordinates were just an approximation” he explained without tearing his scarlet gaze away from that golden and rose horizon.

“So, what are we still doing here? We should go!” she started to say, agitated at the prospect of facing more immortals to which she would not be able to deal with in her inexperienced condition.

“If we move now, it’ll be easier for them to track us” he quickly explained and, had it not been because Sakura had her stare fixated on him as he explained, she would not have been able to distinguish the silhouette of Sasuke grabbing her, successfully managing to protect her before a bomb fell on them with what Sakura thought was a veil of violet energy.

“What the hell?” she heard herself whisper between his partner embrace, who now stared with intensity to a point at his right with those eyes usually a shade of scarlet now wearing an impair tone. One of them shining with the same shade of violet as the energy that surrounded them.

“Who knew we’d be this lucky, eh, Sasori?” they heard someone call between the mantle of sand that still dissipated at their around. Sakura noted how the grip on her figure clenched lightly at the sound of the voice and she gasped.

“Sasuke?” she meant to ask what was it that made him look ferocious however, before she could manage to voice out her doubts, the new voices interrupted her.

“To cross paths with the famous Uchiha survivor and…” Sakura directed her gaze to the direction Sasuke looked so intently only to soon see a black figure, they wore a black mantle like Sasuke’s only that it had red clouds sewed to it. “Well, well, is that not that pinky girl from that time?”

This time as Sakura gasped agitatedly between Sasuke’s arms, he grunted and its sound echoed against her body. Her emerald eyes widened as she recognized the figures, as she saw they knew her.

“So we meet again little girl?” the voice that talked this time was from the other companion, their figures now clear at just few meters of distance.

Both of them wore the same mantle, a black mantle with red clouds decorating the long cloth that covered their bodies but, while one of them was taller and of blonde tresses, his companion was shorter and wore his red hair short and rowdy.

“I’ll distract them, but I want you to run in the opposite direction. I’ll look for you once I get rid of them” she heard Sasuke whisper to her, without removing at any moment his stare from those vampires.

“I can’t do that” she refuses to continue with his plan; searching for his eyes only to be met with his tense profile, not wishing to lower his guard before those immortals. “I don’t want to leave without you”

She could barely register the spark of discomposure cross his gaze, only to soon pronounce the frown on his eyebrows.

“I’m not asking you, Sakura. You’ll do it”.

“At least take my blood now!”

“I’ll gladly do it, little girl” the blond responded from that distance, managing to distinguish her words as soon as she screeched elevating the volume of her voice.

Just like moments ago, she sensed once more the quick movement of flashes blinding her and, suddenly, she was alone in the middle of leafy green trees, away from the previous infertile and desertic scenario.

Stunned, Sakura cried out the name of her partner, only to be replied with the sound of birds flutter between the trees and nothing else.

“Who would say that the powerful and proud clan Uchiha end up subdued before the charms of a child” the blond smiled with sneer and Sasuke felt his violet aura blaze with more strength. “Itachi would be so disappointed…”

In a blink, that violet aura extended to them with velocity, in its pace letting a black flame as trail of their possible destiny had it not been thanks to their good speed that managed to make them react just a moment before being consumed in flames.

Instead of eating out their bodies, the flame managed to capture the black mantle with distinctive red clouds and turn it into ashes just seconds earlier so they could appreciate the burning cloth convert.

Astounded with the ferocity of said power, his blonde opponent observed the cloth still incredulous while his redhead partner addressed his gaze to Sasuke with caution.

“Your powers, they’re stronger than before” he observed but the Uchiha kept silent “It’s her, isn’t it?”

“Her? Are you idiotic, Sasori?” his blonde companion exclaimed indignant, reacting as he heard what seemed to him, a nonsensical declaration “She’s just a human”.

“You’re the idiot, Deidara. Did you not see the mark on her forehead?”

“The mark on her… Ah! Was that—”

Before they could continue getting their own conclusions, Sasuke lashed out against them once more.

“So we touched a delicate point huh” Deidara said avoiding the attack only by little, while his partner dispersed in the distance. Feeling the aura of the redhead disappear at his side, Sasuke cursed. “Don’t sound so disappointed, Sasuke. We can still play a little while your little pet plays with a new master”.

Instead of responding, Sasuke limited to send him a scarlet stare in which his black iris wheeled and ended up catching his blonde opponent in an illusion to the void of his mind in gloom.

“Do you think I have not been in this situation before? I knew your brother, you know?” even in this reality of black and white images, the blond wandered in the darkness, shrugging as he spoke: “Although, the reason he had gotten so defensive was because I spoke of his clumsy little brother, not because of a simple human

“Or, maybe I should give you a little recognition now” he continued to speak, allowing him to continue digging his grave, Sasuke kept silent as he planned his next point of attack “, you ended up being attracted to a strength different to your species. That is an unusual feat on Uchihas”

Gravitation, that was how they called the phenomenon that attracted two beings together. Having his soul linked to Sakura was another way to call it, but the result was the same: the inertia to protect what was linked to a vampire by sharing blood.

Deidara was right, the instinct of an Uchiha to protect someone who was not their direct descendant or precedent was unusual for them. His father had gravitated towards his mother, his mother towards Itachi and him to Sasuke. Sasuke, by having his family taken away, seemed to be gravitating towards Sakura. It was clear to the wanderer before him, most likely it was also clear to the redhead that had just disappeared.

Which only ended up in encouraging his resolution. While he was distracted making his monologue, Sasuke took the chance to propitiate him a strike of blue lightning bolts that ended up extracting Deidara’s breath and soul only moments before he could watch him fall in that dark abysm and bring them back to the golden soil now dampened in scarlet liquid.

As Deidara’s corpse collapsed a few steps away from him, little trails of smoke made way around Sasuke indicating the blond also planned to attack him as soon as he moved from his position. Not counting with the Uchiha not needing to move to stab him with his lightning bolts and ended up dying before he could blow his ground bombs.

Tsunade seemed taken aback before such declaration. Her mind quickly making the connection of his intentions after listening to him.

“I see, so you’re not looking for the alternatives of your clan after all”

Observing how little by little Tsunade went on responding favorably to his intent, Sasuke confirmed the high priestess’ suspicions by continuing explaining:

“If I could link my soul to that of the white witch, the possibility to gather my kind and impose order over those wrecked souls, would not only help my species, but also to mortals themselves”.

In silence, the blonde priestess walked behind the counter to hide the rest of the objects that were located on it.

Sasuke reluctantly withdrew his coat off the furniture and placed it over his lap, finding a seat in one of the stools near the area Tsunade was emptying.

He was about to question what were her intentions when the girl of pink locks entered again to that room. Soon after, she walked to the main door and locked it. Before that, Sasuke reserved to only observe with curiosity.

“Since Sakura arrived to the outskirts of the village, I could sense there was a strangeness to her” Tsunade explained as she placed the wood box right at the center of the table.

It looked like an inoffensive box, made of wood and saved between books to some clusters, laid the wine bottle the priestess had mentioned.

It was only until Tsunade started to place on the counter the contents of that box that he realized the precedence of said objects.

Area maps, scrolls in extinct languages, emerald gems and branches of cherry blossoms. This was the archive of Sakura, the girl who had arrived to that small protected village in search of aid.

“I’ve been studying the origins of Sakura, all of them indicating that her village was eradicated by the same beings you seek to confront” Tsunade explained, spreading one of her scrolls so they all could appreciate it and, before her words, both Sakura and Sasuke raised their gazes only to meet with the other.

“You’re one of them” Sakura whispered, her face showing how her mind quickly worked to gather the information implied after that explanation.

Sasuke, although surprised, couldn’t help but smile at the girl’s cleverness. Surely one of the traits why Tsunade had decided to keep her under her care.

“However, none of the registered information on my files indicates they could survive after a bite or even poison an immortal being” the elder continued explaining and, before this new information, Sasuke’s eyebrows furrowed in contemplation.

“There’s no register of such precedent either” the dark-haired male agreed “Are you sure the bite was made by someone of my kind?”

Nodding as response, Sakura, who was located on the other side of the furniture, collected her pink strands and took them to the other side of her shoulder in order to reveal her long neck and fair skin profaned by two marks perfectly aligned in the joint between her shoulder and her neck.

Still wallowing in concentration, as a reflect movement he led his hand to cover his face -or rather, his nostrils. Since even if that was a subtle move, her fragrance wasn’t for someone like him. Swallowing, his mind tried to compose itself after such improvise.

“There’s a possibility, though” Tsunade continued after a second to make sure Sasuke regained his composure. “To try the theory that brought you here”

Removing the scroll from the table, Tsunade displayed a book in a different language, one Sasuke was rather very familiarized.

“All these species that assaulted and eradicated Sakura’s previous home were just neophytes. Falling to their desires without the ability to control their instincts and maybe not as resistant as the founding clans”.

“They all wore crimson eyes, but, according to Tsunade-sama’s records, only a vampire of high status could wear the three tomoes on their eyes” Sakura continued, eager to find out more about the kind that had chased her away of her previous home.

“The tomoes could be worn by any clan of my species, it is not a matter of blood, but rather a matter of maturity” he discarded the girl’s suspicion while he shook his head. “But that does not make them any less resistant to human blood, but rather, they’re on that experimental phase where their hunger is related to their physiological search of the kind of blood that it compatible to their diet”.

Sakura made a face trying to suppress her disgusts, Sasuke ignored it and Tsunade clarified:

“Would it be like carrying out an allergy test?”

“But no vampire is allergic to human blood, not even the oddest. There must be something else that is poisoning them after trying her blood”.

“What about her magic ability?” Tsunade ventured.

“A human foreign to the Senju clan with magical power?” Sasuke questioned incredulous.

“But Tsunade-sama, I’ve never executed any conjury. How could I possibly—”

“You have not had the need to make them since your hands absolve it once you try to heal”

“Absolve?”

“White magic, the ability to heal and amend” Tsunade clarified, certain of her suspicions “Not even a priestess of my clan has managed to execute healing conjures without the aid of herbs or symbolisms. Contrary to the white magic that only requires the will of its carrier, only possible if the person inherits the magic abilities from an immortal being”.

“But” Sasuke interrupted, contemplating the facts Tsunade had just recited “, these abilities can only awaken if the human gets to establish contact with an immortal being. Like the neophyte’s bite.”

Sakura, who had remained petrified at the end of the table, processed the information laid before her.

“A white witch…” she murmured to herself, still unable to believe what she was listening.

“As I suspected, those barriers were not only to protect your village, but to avert her from my kind’s sight” Sasuke said.

“The only thing I did was protect the mortals endangered by the other species” Tsunade continued, denying the vampire’s suspicion.

“But she is not just a human, if she is a white witch, she must have the descendance of an immortal” Sasuke discerned.

“Or a Senju” Tsunade completed.

Sakura, who processed the avalanche of information, closed her eyes while she denied before opening them and voice out the doubt that had her agitated:

“So, are you saying I am an objective to them?” referring to the vampires, and in general, to all the immortal beings outside those protective barriers that Tsunade had made.

With their attention returning to the unusual girl of pink hair, Sasuke explained:

“A healer, or white witch, is idealized as the perfect partner to my kind” he empathized he referred to his kind, that information that had caught his attention and that, after Sakura listened to his words, only made her blush lightly at his choice of words since ‘partner’ could be interpreted differently according to its context. “Whoever manages to link to a white witch, gains the recognition as the strongest of our clan”.

“But it the link doesn’t work, both bodies start to degenerate” Tsunade added.

“Both!” Sakura exclaimed alarmed, soon turning her face in the direction of her mentor in search of help, to which the high priestess could only answer with an apologetic look.

“Through all this time I’ve been looking for a way to reduce the adverse effects to that bite, but I’ve run out of options” the high priestess explained, and then, turning her face to the immortal contemplating these revelations, she extended the bottle of wine to him.

“Maybe it’s time for you to take your alternative” they heard Tsunade say at the time she took him out of his absorption and observed the bottle of liquor before him with attention.

Of course, he thought. Wine rice.

To link two souls, it was necessary to drink the same wine rice. Old ancestors linked their souls together with this symbolic liquor far earlier than religions, far earlier than the sacred writings.

Hence, it was an oath that prevailed as unique to those unions without distinction of species, gender or preference.

This was a knowledge that the legendary priests transmitted with the passing of time to heir disciples for generations, until reaching Tsunade’s knowledge, one of the high priestesses with the greatest knowledge in that kingdom.

However, by sharing this information, it took them a little to both prospects believing this would method would work to ese their worries.

She, a supposed healer of unknown precedence, and him, a first-generation vampire of one of the oldest clans to exist in the world.

Both looking for something in common: survive.

He belonged to the founder clan of his species, however, jaded with the lidering ways of the forerunners, his kind soon suffered intern disputes that lead his clan to disintegrate and give way to only a few wandering survivors among the shadows the world allowed them to habituate.

He, survivor of his clan’s massacre, had the responsibility to gather his kind once more to keep the balance in this world.

But, even if this was about his respectable clan, not even with all the abilities he had developed over the years, could he confront the stubborn souls that abounded in his species. He was obligated to face them if the wanted to prevent more innocent lives from dying and his kind to lose all the respect and admiration his clan had tried to demonstrate with the ideologies that his relatives had impressed on him.

When he was able to find that one old library that contained the knowledge of the world was that he found a solution: Find the Oasis protected by the Senju, and there, a descendant will contain the power to unite worlds.

Which lead him to investigate more about this Senju clan that his ancestors’ tales spoke. Of course, in his experience he had come to meet one of them, but it was about a clan of humans with the ability to profess spells in order to protect and heal.

As opposed to his clan, which held the ability to destroy and burn.

He had expected to meet an old lady, it was only a mortal after all, time passing by was something inevitable for their race and all stories about the high priestess lead to imagine she was someone with plenty of knowledge —knowledge only a human with many years of experience could keep. But what he found once he arrived to that blissful place, was a young woman of colorful pink strands, graciously fluttering because of the wind only to then face him and discover that her extravagant hair color was not her only distinctive feature.

Big, expressive emerald orbs looking through him with indiscreet curiosity.

It was nothing like what he had in mind when he thought of a high priestess, but he could sense it. An odd aura emanating from that girl. Almost ethereal.

Maybe it was only his nature, that of being attracted to humans and, since she was one with unusual features, certainly linked with the collide of emotions she was provoking him.

It was only natural for him to question if he was standing in front of the great high priestess. In all the years he had existed on this earth, the vision of that human was unusual to his kind.

Or was she only captivating for him?

“I see you managed to find us on time” someone called behind him, interrupting in an instant the short exchange between that human and him.

Turning on his heels to face the source of that voice, he faced the high priestess, wearing that distinctive garment of said charge.

Although she was not an old woman, she was a grown person that had managed to improve her appearance thanks to that seal now decorating her forehead. Seal that could only be conveyed by that clan he had read and heard so much.

“Tsunade, right?” he ventured to make sure, even if he knew better.

“Senju-sama” she corrected with a distrustful and cautious stare. “Sakura, make some tea for our visitor”

Fitting, he thought as he heard the name to which the other woman in that room responded to before hearing her give some rushed steps to the back door of the store.

Once the silence make itself present in the room, Sasuke relaxed a little and removed the coat only to carry it on his forearm since the high priestess had continued to observe him cautiously without offering to even point where could he hang his garment.

“You won’t find what you seek here”

“How do you know what I’ve come to seek?”

“Is it not power what you seek?”

Sasuke chuckled with sarcarsm and approached the counter, deciding to place there his long cloth and turned to address the tense human still in the same position.

“I think you’re mistaking me for someone else”

“Are you not Uchiha Sasuke, first generation vampire?”

His black orbs squinted briefly but he conserved his passive demeanor.

“I’m not here to make trouble, if that is what you fear. As soon as I get your help, I will continue my journey much quicker”

This time Tsunade reacted by changing her posture and crossed her arms over her chest.

“What’s her story?” he asked when the girl at the back of the store made a noise that indicated movement at that zone where he could not see.

“You can’t have her”

“I’m not saying I want to have her; I’m asking what’s her story. Clearly she does not belong to this village”

“She lives here because she is part of the village”

“But she doesn’t plan to stay here forever, have you asked her? Her look screams freedom, because she is attracted to danger”.

And because her aura is different from the one emitted by the other humans in that village, but that, the high priestess already knew.

“I’ve said you can’t have her”.

“Seems a little bold of you to speak for someone who has its own voice”

“Just tell me at once what is it that you want”

Smiling victorious, Sasuke took a second before answering:

“A white witch”.

Of course, he had to come to the high priestess, creator of this Eden, expert in species and incantations, for answers. Only in a place like this could the possibilities of finding that soul, meant to help him accomplish his resolutions, could be found.

Unfortunately to the high priestess, his sharp senses managed to distinguish the moment she held her breath, confirming his suspicions.

“He’s right, Sakura. Among the abilities of some vampires there is that of extracting and healing poisons. A defensive mechanism that they developed through the years” she reassured and Sakura looked at her mentor with distrust, her hand still laying on her neck’s mark.

“Even if you tell me that, Tsunade-sama, a vampire’s bite turns you if it doesn’t kill you, doesn’t it?”

“It won’t be your case, we’re talking about a white witch after all” Sasuke refuted at her back, his tone almost irritated but passing unnoticed by the apprentice.

“Just moments ago, it was only a theory and now you are telling me all this with such certainty. Forgive me if I put it in doubt” Sakura alleged, still fearful of the alternative they were offering her.

“Because prior to this encounter, it was not possible to discard these doubts” Tsunade reasoned, approaching her apprentice to call upon her attention by placing her palms on the young lady’s small shoulders. “Sakura, you’re a healer by nature, and if you’ve survived to this day it’s because there’s a magic in you fighting to keep you alive. The white magic”

Her words were reassuring, and by being her mentor the one who was saying them, the young lady could not help but to keep silence while she eased her fears. This was the only person that had offered to shelter her when no one else had done ever since she ran away from her old home, giving her a roof, food and water, treating her wounds only to teach her soon after how to do the same. Giving her a new purpose when she had lost it all.

Sakura wished to keep doing so. She wanted to be as a good healer as the high priestess.

Sasuke, although remaining silent, observed the scene with detail, his arms crossed over his chest and his gaze inclined while he perceived the changes on that girl’s body. Her heartbeats easing as seconds passed by and her aura spiking with a warmth that invited him to catch.

Had he been any other vampire, his instincts would have led him to cloud his better judgement. But, since he was a vampire with the experience he had, although tempting, his curiosity to find out the type of partner this girl would be for him was greater.

“Alright” they finally heard Sakura agree. “Let’s continue with this” in her tone, the resolve and determination pretty ingrained. Sasuke smiled anew before the character she demonstrated, that human soul’s bravery visible on her delicate features.

Without a doubt, a very interesting partner.

“Great. Now that we all agree, let’s make this formal” Sasuke interrupted the sentimental exchange between the mortals and approached them with the bottle on one hand. When he was only a pair of steps of distance, he extended his other hand towards the young lady of pink hair “Uchiha Sasuke, first generation vampire”

Noticing then that until that moment they had not had the opportunity to introduce themselves, Sakura deviated her gaze from his hand to his face, captivated once more by those dark eyes of deep stare, she gulped while she responded the greeting.

“Sakura Haruno” was her short reply since her provenance was a mystery even to her.

“We are forgetting the most important element” Tsunade observed while she smiled entertained and crossed her arms at the vampire’s direction.

Growling, Sasuke rolled his eyes and Sakura stared at the reaction with strangeness.

“The cups?” the apprentice ventured, getting rid of the contact with the immortal and looked for the shelf where they kept said objects with her eyes.

“That too” the priestess commented still entertained, noticing how the vampire understood what she meant. “But I was thinking more about how this was a ritual that links a mortal and immortal”

Sakura frowned for a brief moment before widening her eyes in surprise and realization. This she had read on one of the many books at her mentor’s library, curious about the many stories and rituals of the immortal.

“We need the testimony of the wise fox”

“That person has no wisdom”

“Do you know each other?” the girl of pink threads couldn’t help to wonder, her emerald eyes sparkling with curiosity. She was cute, Sasuke thought, but he’d rather she didn’t show so much interest toward that annoying topic.

He flicked his tongue instead of answering, he occupied himself by opening the wine bottle and, after noticing he wasn’t going to bother replying, Sakura pouted. Soon her mentor called after her while she rummaged through her belongings at the shelves behind the counter, the scroll with the nine-tailed fox seal.

“Vampires and foxes are natural enemies, being one of them the one that feeds from living beings and the other one the one that protects said beings of the nature, the conflict of interests has taken them for generations to clash from time to time” Tsunade explained, refreshing her mentor’s memory, certain she had caught her on more than one occasion reading such tale. “Although, this particular pair is another story”

Sasuke huffed before such comment “It is not” he corrected, but Tsunade continued to smile entertained and Sakura remained expectant with curiosity.

“That is not what he has told me”

“You know him too, Tsunade-sama?”

“He’s a frequent client, he’s very impulsive” her mentor nodded before being interrupted by the immortal being.

“Stupid” he corrected and the high priestess rolled her eyes while she opened the scroll between her hands and then let it fall on the floor.

Once the scroll extended completely along said surface, this one started to brighten before the expectant stares of Sakura, Tsunade and a bored one of Sasuke from the other side of the room.

From that scroll emerged a curtain of smoke that little by little revealed an amorphous shadow, only after it stopped casting invocation radiances, did Sakura manage to recognize the blonde tails of that creature start to disperse the smoke. Nine, just like the tales she had read said, the fox with the most power carried nine tails.

He was backwards and, when he turned to face them, she managed to appreciate his features better. He was half human, tall and of blonde rowdy hair. His eyes were a brilliant shade of sky blue, and on his cheeks, three lines adorned each side. Even with the extensive tails behind him, to Sakura he seemed like human like her.

“Old Tsunade!” the blonde effusively greeted, passing unnoticed the presence of the other two and continued to talk with such enthusiasm. “It’s been a while but I don’t think I can accompany you to drink I —Bastard!” he interrupted himself when his senses finally repaired on the other presence in that room and his friendly demeanor changed into an annoyed one.

“Are we going to continue wasting time?” the Uchiha ignored as he placed the cups, he had found when the humans had been invested in realizing the invocation, on the counter.

“Hey, don’t ignore me you damned” the blonde started to wince but was interrupted on this occasion by the high priestess.

“He’s right, Naruto, we are in a pressing situation. We need you to carry out the wedding” Tsunade explained, to which both the aforementioned and her apprentice, cried out in unison:

“Wedding!” they both said, and after hearing their coordinated reply, they turned to see each other in surprise.

“Who are the prospects?” Naruto wondered, changing his expression to a serious one as he addressed the priestess.

“Who said anything about a wedding? I thought this was only a spiritual ritual” Sakura questioned on the other hand, noticing how the other immortal remained calm. Walking towards him with strong steps, he stood before him again, looking steadily until he returned his gaze to meet hers. “Tell me the truth, exactly what do you intent to do to me?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did you wish to hold a human wedding? We could also do that if that is what you wish” he smirked, very entertained with the adorable way the girl’s cheeks tinted with her irritation. He could sense her heart start to beat quickly and her blood flowing through her veins as a result to her emotions and he found such incidence so captivating.

The little witch was really good at tempting him, so he decided o play with her a little longer.

“I must make clear, however, that my kind does not celebrate what you call a ‘honeymoon’, but we do hold a ‘bloodmoon’” he tilted his face when not only did the blush on her cheeks spread, but also noticed when the girl’s eyes widened flustered. “which is a bit rougher of what you habituate”.

Parting her lips in search for something to reply, Sakura remained faltering until Naruto’s voice called upon their attention.

“Okay, lovebirds, time to celebrate a wedding!”