Chapter 18

Ino immediately shot down my idea of finding another woman for Madara to focus on because she said she's too familiar with his thoughts and doesn't believe he's capable of fully focusing on someone else at this point. She said I'm too late to change things and that left me feeling defeated.

That is, until the next morning when Sasuke and I ran into the man in question leaving his room with Mito Uzumaki in tow on our way downstairs for breakfast. I quickly looked between the two, eyes wide, before averting my gaze forward and unconsciously walking slightly quicker.

Oh hell no. Fuck no. This can't be happening.

The moment I saw them, I felt…not necessarily jealous, but maybe protective as though Mito's somehow threatening his well being. It's the blood talking, that's all it is. That has to be it. Since he's one of my masters, my entire being reacts to him in ways that don't necessarily reflect my own, genuine, emotions.

Truly, I don't care if he fucks everyone in Konoha, man or woman. It's none of my business and even if the Uchihas in Konoha are more reserved than other vampires, they're still incredibly sexual beings.

Ino even told me a couple months back that both Itachi and Madara often adapt to other city's culture when visiting, Suna's included. She said that Sasuke and Sai used to, as well, before we came along. After that, she admitted to not being opposed to maybe trying it out at some point, to my mortification. All of that news put some very unwelcome images in my mind, but I'm trying my best to adapt because it's not their race now: it's ours.

Everyone from the rescue mission, Obito and Rin included, joined in the dining room for breakfast. Per Fugaku's instruction, no one should venture far away from the castle for the next week just in case Amegakure goes against expectations and retaliates for our underhanded way of rescuing Obito.

The meal actually seemed rather comfortable with a soft, warm chatter dusting the air until Shikamaru suddenly spoke above the sound, "Forgive me if my asking is offensive or unwelcome, but Lady Haruno, is it true you were turned with three masters?"

A blush rose to my face at the incredibly formal way he addressed me, not to mention at how the room got silent and everyone turned to look at me. I could only nod, not sure what to say or how to act.

"Three? That's crazy! What's it like?" Izumi asked with what was obviously genuine curiosity.

Madara met my eye and I formed an unhappy glare, frowning, "I'm unsure if it's only three, at this point. I wasn't aware I had more than one until just days ago."

I dropped my gaze down to my plate then, a bit regretful that I'd let my emotions get the better of me like that. Speaking so rudely at the dinner table is definitely not a show of good manners. Mito was right when she said it's hard to control new vampires. Before, I would've been able to keep it together much more easily.

"How could you not know? What about the drea-"

"Oh, Izumi! I've been meaning to ask if you'd like me to make you a dress before your departure! You too, Mito! Temari, I finished yours just yesterday if you're available for a fitting, as well." Ino saved me from having to admit in front of all these people that I've had some awfully naughty dreams about not one, not two, but three different men over the past couple weeks.

Immediately, Izumi seemed to realize what happened and allowed the conversation to change, "You don't mind? Can you make it purple? That's my favorite!" The table fell back into its casual chatter after another few moments.

After the meal, Ino, Izumi, Mito, Temari, and myself walked to Ino's shop. After glowing Minato and Kushina to disregard any strange things they may overhear, not to mention that Mito is almost a dead ringer for Naruto's mom, I began brewing some tea while Ino took Mito's measurements, Naruto took Izumi's, and Kushina showed Temari to the dressing room so she could try on the dress Ino constructed for her.

Hinata isn't here this time, which makes me a little sad because I'd been hoping to talk to her about what I learned Neji did with Tenten.

As it brewed, I sensed someone staring at me and turned to see my mother standing at the other end of the dining table. Her eyes are wide with disbelief. I gave her as normal a smile as possible, "Um, good morning Mebuki. Would you like me to prepare you a cup of tea?"

"Is it really you, Sakura?"

My brow furrowed and I turned the rest of my body so I was fully facing her, "Yes, it's me. Are you alright?"

My mother raised a shaky hand to her lips and seemed to suddenly be close to tears, bewildering me completely because she hasn't ever acted like this, "You're just like her now, like Lady Kaguya!"

The soft sound of the others talking in the other room quieted down and my mouth fell open slightly in surprise. I eventually overcame it, "H-How do you know that?" Sure, she was being held captive by Kaguya's lover, but she'd been glowed to forget it all.

"I remember everything now. It came to me maybe four months ago."

Naruto suddenly showed up in the doorway connecting to the shop, "Why didn't you say anything?" He sounded angry, which also took me off guard.

Mebuki came around the table to get a closer look at me. I flinched when she touched my face, used to her hitting me anytime she gets this close. "Those things, those vampires, they're all sent from the devil. Speaking of such monstrosities would be disrespectful to the lord."

Naruto hissed, grabbing her hand away from my face and making both she and I look at him with wide eyes, "You could've helped rescue your daughters, Mebuki! Ino was pregnant!"

Ah, that's why he's mad. He's right, too. If my hypothesis is true and her memory returned because Madara killed Tenji, the man who glowed her, we wouldn't have been stuck there for months and Ino could've gone through her pregnancy and given birth in the safety of the castle.

As I glanced behind him, though, I realized Temari and Izumi both were glaring our way, eyes glowing with rage. In an attempt to save the woman's life, I desperately grabbed my mother's jaw and made her meet my eye. Acting on instinct, I felt my irises tingle slightly as they began to glow and wordlessly begged, pleading with her to apologize for her very offensive words against vampires before the two angry ones in the other room lost their composure.

To my surprise, she pulled herself away from both me and Naruto to stand before the room full of women and bow politely, "Please forgive me. I suffer from a type of religious deliria that often hinders my ability to act and speak politely. I'm just scared and don't know any better."

Temari and Izumi looked between her and me a few times before Ino burst out into loud laughter, holding her stomach as she covered her mouth and leaned forward. Naruto soon joined, followed by Izumi. Mito seemed slightly amused, but didn't say anything and Temari at least didn't seem about to murder anyone so that's enough.

Ino wiped at a tear as she sobered up a minute later, "Maybe don't be so literal with your orders next time, Saku."

My eyes widened, their color fading back to green, and I held my hands to my cheek with a gasp, "I-I did it! I glowed someone and I didn't even lose control or anything!"

Since he's the closest to me, I hugged Naruto excitedly. He patted my back, still chuckling. Then I smelt his blood so close, under his skin, and removed myself from his side, busying myself with taking the tea off the stove with a red face.

Only Naruto and my mother seemed confused. In fact, Izumi snickered, "Yeah, I was struggling, too. He smells really good." I glanced over to see the look of realization on Naruto's face and he gave me a reassuring grin that he's not upset or scared of me.

"It doesn't hurt that he looks like that, either."

I looked over in shock. Temari's the one who said that. To this day, she's never really tried to converse casually with us and only seems to tolerate us for her husband's sake.

Ino scoffed, reacting much quicker than me, "He's off limits. You don't want him anyway, he's as dumb as a box of rocks."

The Subaku princess sighed, turning back to face the mirror so she could inspect how the beautiful, forest green gown Ino made for her looks on her body, "That's too bad. Intelligence is sexier than anything else."

Naruto complained loudly as he took the tray of filled teacups out into the shop so he could begin passing them out to everyone, "You don't gotta be so rude about it, Ino! You're not the brightest either!"

Before my sister could respond, Izumi chimed in, "I don't mind if you're dumb. You're still super cute."

My best friend's face turned red and he spoke bashfully, "I'm flattered, but I'm loyal to my fiance."

I joked, trying to save him, "We could always introduce her to Kiba."

Both he and Ino grinned at me, but Izumi spoke again, "I'll just use one of the men at the castle. No worries!" That cultural difference is really starting to stand out.

Naruto and I shared a shy look before being stunned further by Temari interrupting, "You can ask my husband if he's to your liking. He's sure to satisfy you."

I nearly dropped the teacup in my hand, but that seemed to be the extent that my mother could take because she wordlessly left the room and went back upstairs to her room, muttering under her breath about praying for all of our souls.

"Madara is quite skilled, as well, if he's more your type," Mito casually noted.

Ino and I shared a look and I sensed her amusement at my mortification, only making it worse by joining in on the conversation as she went back to taking Mito's measurements and writing them down on a sheet of paper, "I would like to offer my husband as well because I know how good he is in bed, but I'm still new to this type of thing so maybe if we all three do it together? Do you think it'll make it easier to get used to it that way?"

Izumi squealed, "Oh my gosh, really? I heard that you Konoha vampires are prudes, but I didn't believe it! I'll tell you what-" She paused to make an almost comical thinking face, "How about we ask the men what they want to do when we get back?" All of the women, minus Kushina who's been in a glowed haze this entire time, agreed and I let out a sigh of relief as the incredibly inappropriate conversation finally came to an end.

Naruto whispered to me, even though I'm sure they could all still hear him, "Do vampires, like, have orgies all the time or something?" I nodded, sitting down at the dining table and lightly thumping my forehead against it.

He gasped, sitting across from me with a red but curious face, "I can't imagine you or Sasuke doing stuff like that!"

I groaned, "Shut up, Naruto!" I can't tell him that Sasuke apparently used to, and often at that, because the Uchiha man himself likely isn't aware that I know.

He snickered, "I'd never be interested in that kind of stuff, but I can see the appeal."

Aha! An opening to turn the tables on his intrusive questioning, "So you and Hinata are a little more outgoing behind closed doors, then?"

Sweet satisfaction filled me when his face got so bright it was almost purple and he stammered to come up with a response, "T-That's-! S-S-She's…Oh, shut the hell up, Saku!"

~

When we returned to the castle, I forced myself to confront Madara before I could chicken out. After knocking on his bedroom door, I heard him from behind it, "Come in," and did, shutting it behind me so no one would be able to eavesdrop as easily.

He looked up from his desk, where he appeared to be reviewing some documents under a lamp, before sitting down his pen and rising to stand, "This is a surprise."

My eyes narrowed and I crossed my arms, "We need to talk."

He grinned sheepishly, gnawing at my nerves because he knows very well why I'm here, "Sure. What would you like to talk about?"

Losing my temper slightly, I uncrossed my arms and glared angrily, "How could you do this to me, Madara, or to Sasuke?"

That easy-going act quickly fell and he moved to stand against the side of his desk, dark eyes narrowing slightly, "My nephew means nothing to me. The only reason I haven't gotten rid of him is because you'll try to kill me if I do." He didn't add that he'd kill me if I did, but he didn't have to.

I took a step toward him, getting angrier, "And what about me? How could you do this when you know I didn't want it?"

His arms uncrossed and his posture straightened as he hesitated before finally admitting, "Because I wanted to."

I knew that was the answer, but I didn't expect him to be honest and actually say it. It should've helped me calm down that he's being sincere, but instead it made me angrier and I recalled the memory I saw of Sasuke's because the wording was similar.

"Right, I forgot. No one matters except you. What you want, you get, right?" Those narrowed eyes fell into a glare, but I didn't stop. I took another step closer, angry heat crackling around inside me as my eyes began to burn, "You'll drink, kill, and torment whoever you want. You're selfish, Madara!"

Suddenly my back was against the door and my wrists were pressed against it near the sides of my head. Smoldering red eyes bore into mine as Madara leaned down to my eyeline. His voice was low and menacing as he whispered, "If that were true, you'd have been mine long ago and you know it."

My body betrayed me then. In truth, him pinning me to the door like this with that angry expression still makes me a bit frightened, but this time around it sent a wildfire up my insides that had me trembling as I held back from pressing against him.

He noticed immediately, a smirk tugging at his lips, "I must say, knowing I'm an object of your lust is quite flattering."

Through grit teeth, I argued, "It's just your blood talking. Let me go right now."

My wrists were released, but he didn't step back, instead he held my gaze with a wordless challenge to prove that I can control myself. Instantly, I gripped his shirt, face coming closer to his as I glared. Everything in me is dying to tear his close off and take him here and now, but I can't let these vampiric instincts get the better of me. I love Sasuke and doing something like that would break his heart.

So, I shoved him back, hissing lowly, "I don't know what your plans are, but I'm giving you just this one warning: If you try to use this to hurt Sasuke in any way, I'll hate you 'til the day I die."

The slightly-amused expression on his face fell and was replaced with an irritated one, but I left the room before he could respond.