A/N: Yes, I wrote another darkish!Naruto fic. :D I'm not going to classify this as pure dark!Naruto/smart!Naruto, etc, because he is smart in my fic, but he isn't necessarily evil. Just...confused... So if you came looking for a Naruto-with-god-like-powers story, this isn't it. And if you came looking for a Naruto story where he gets with someone, this isn't it; there might be hints/kisses between him and certain characters, but he won't stay with anyone. Gen-fic, I guess.

Okay! For those who are staying, I have some things to say. First off, sorry this chapter is beyond short, but the good news is that I'll be updating this on Sunday. I'm still hesitating between updating twice a week or just once a week, since I have more chapters written out, but we'll see. Each chapter will be made up of a few scenes, so they won't be as long as Dark Angel, for anyone who read that. Also on a note of my other fic, The Demon Shop...well my beta's on vacation, so I'm taking a break from that as well xD

Any questions about this fic will probably be explained later. Reviews are very very nice and I love them very much. So review? :)

Disclaimer for whole fic: I don't own Naruto nor do I make money off of writing fanfiction. I wish. Also, because the title 'The Lying Game' sounds like that TV show on ABC...well I've never watched it, so it has nothing to do with this.

Chapter One: To Lie

They gave me a new mission today, and along with the mission, a new disguise. His name is Uzumaki Naruto.

I don't know this 'Uzumaki Naruto' very well at all—he is warm where I am cold, he is loud where I am quiet, he is rebellious where I am obedient. I don't know if I can pull this disguise off, but I don't voice my doubts. They have trained me not to.

On the other hand, my mission is nothing unusual, and I convince myself that my new character is nothing as well. In the end, it's just all about the lies. Lies, lies, lies. That's all I am—one big lie.

But that's all I know how to do.

I can only lie.

I can see them watching me, warily, concernedly.

They don't know who I am or if I mean harm to their village. I smile, because it puts their hearts at ease, if only a little. My goal is to get them to trust me. I think the Sandaime Hokage already does, a tiny bit, but I can still see the deep mistrust in his eyes. There's something about me that sets them off.

I notice it the moment I am introduced to the Hokage. I do what my character requires me to: I grin, I am loud, I am excited. Inside, I wonder how soon it will all be over. Maybe he senses what I'm feeling inside, because when the Hokage gets a good look at my face, he seems to draw back in shock. His lips trace my name once before he shakes his head, placing both hands on his desk.

"Naruto, is it? We're welcome to accept you into our village." His smile is fake, just like mine. I stop grinning; it hurts my cheeks, anyway. Does sunlight hurt eyes that have never seen light before? "Just a few rules before we let you go…"

He rattles off some standard, mandatory laws that I half-note, still distracted by the strange look in his eyes. Before this mission, I have never seen people before—well, that isn't exactly true. I've seen them, but never conversed with them. They were merely my targets, my kills. My prey.

"…any questions?"

I instantly snap out of my stupor and shake my head, putting on a façade of eagerness. "Can I leave now, Hokage-sama? I want to explore the village!"

He hesitates for the barest of seconds before nodding, folding his hands behind his back like a patient grandfather. In that instant, I know that he lies too; but he lies for the sake of his village, while my only allegiance is to that of my masters. "Check in with me daily, Naruto. I don't want anyone bullying you, okay? Make some friends."

"I will!" I shout before flashing him a grin and exiting. The moment I leave the building, I'm aware that there are eyes watching me, following me. Not civilians or ninjas; ANBU. They don't make much of an effort to hide themselves, probably sour over the fact that they got stuck with a ninja-in-training-newbie-brat instead of some super high S-rank mission that befitted their masked status. I don't look dangerous, after all, with my orange and blue jumpsuit. In fact, I stand out, something that slightly bothers me. But if that is what is required of my mission, then I will gladly do it.

I scout out the village casually, lingering in some shops and passing others. I can tell the ANBU are getting bored and even more lax in their vigilance, and before long, they aren't paying attention to me at all. I take that chance to slip away, running in the direction of a tall, brick building. It says 'Academy'.

There are several trees outside the school. I pick one and settle in it, watching as students slowly begin to trickle out from the building's confines. They are the ones that I will be interacting with, after all. I should observe their habits a little; know what I should act like in return, before entering their society. I'm a little bitter over the fact that my masters didn't give me time to prepare before thrusting me into Konohagakure. All in all, it's a little overwhelming to change from a tiny, dark room to a large, bustling village in an instant.

I sigh before refocusing on the students. Most of them exit in clumps, laughing and cheering as they realize another school day is over at last. They exit in trails, some heading off to what I identify as a playground and others going home. Several have parents or siblings waiting for them; one such student is a boy with red marks on his cheeks and a smiling older sister. Another is a trio of dads who have equally similar children, except their kids are two boys and a blonde-haired girl.

Then there are those who flock after someone else, almost like fans of an idol, except the boy they're cooing over is anything but a god; even I can observe that. His posture is defensive but aloof, alone but cold. I find myself flashing to another tree to further observe this strange black-haired boy. There is something in his eyes that is heartbreaking in its loneliness, heartrending in its familiarity.

There's something about this boy that I know. Something about him that reminds me of me. He is alone too.

I don't follow the boy as he heads off to the training grounds. The gaggle of girls behind him disperses eventually, sighing with longing and reluctantly moving off to enjoy their own afternoon activities. Among them is a startling bright girl with long pink hair. She looks almost like the odd one out in the bunch; she doesn't feel as if she truly belongs in the throng chasing after a boy who will never respond. But then again, none of his 'fans' actually do—they all have mothers and fathers and siblings, where that boy obviously has none. He wouldn't look so sad and alone if he did.

At last, all the students have evacuated the school. A couple teachers step out from the building as well, conversing briefly before another ninja shows up beside them. The new ninja makes a few hand gestures and then they all depart, leaving me without a task…but I'm not idle for long.

I stiffen as something touches my shoulder and whip my head around in a panic. The expression on my face must be something like that of a child whose hand has been caught in the cookie jar, although I haven't (technically)been doing anything wrong.

There is a man behind me, with spiky gray hair and a mask that covers his lower face. He looks to be in his late twenties, maybe early thirties, and his one visible eye is curved in a smile. For some reason, the smile doesn't give off a particularly pleasant aura, and I hesitantly shrink back from his touch.

"Now, what might you be doing? Skipping school?" His tone is amiable. I am not deceived.

I don't know how to respond to him, so I chuckle nervously. The sound seems off a little, but I can't pinpoint the difference between true and forced laughter. I haven't laughed before, so this is a first for me. Luckily, the ninja seems to let me off the hook, and settles back on his branch, opening his eye to stare speculatively at me. I shift nervously. Does he notice that I haven't been around much before? Does he know that I'm not actually a student—yet?

There's something strange in his eye, I notice abruptly: an emotion. It's not mistrust like the Hokage, nor is it the closed friendliness a stranger would give. It's almost like recognition. Familiarity. And the smallest stirrings of suspicion.

"So, what's your name?" he says at last, quietly, easily.

"Naruto," I answer, just as plain and simply as he spoke. The man blinks and nods thoughtfully.

"I'm Kakashi. Nice to meet you, Naruto." The words are false and brittle, a mask we are forced to put on for the sake of normalcy, even though in reality we both really just want to get away. Kakashi nods when I don't say anything back, and raises a hand and calls to someone behind me. "Yo! I think you're looking for him right here."

I whip around and catch an eyeful of white and red and gray. Fantastic, it's the ANBU, my guards. They reach out for me, obviously harried and distressed. How would they face the Hokage, knowing they had let their target out of their sight? That they had failed in shadowing a little kid not older than thirteen? I snicker on the inside—and then, realizing that my personality probably requires me to laugh on the outside as well, I do. The ANBU seem affronted and quickly grab me, muttering thanks to Kakashi before whisking me away to my apartment. It's not like they can really do anything to me, since I'm already a legal citizen of Konoha, and I flaunt this fact in their face by calling loudly to all the civilians I see. They smile indulgently back at me, while the ANBU quietly steam. I guess they don't like being shoved into the spotlight anymore than I do, but my logic is this: if I have to put up with it, I'm dragging as many others as I can with me.

They leave me in front of my new apartment, key in hand, and flit off toward the Hokage's Tower. I smile silently to myself before cautiously opening the door to the apartment, deciding that that's enough action for today.

TBC! Next update: Sunday, 7/22