iShinee:
The reasons why I deleted "Master and Maid" and "The Secret Garden" was because I realised I had jumped right in, and hadn't really thought about where it'd go after Chapter One. This time, I also used pictures. Courtesy of Nami86, go check out her work. (They're a little naughty, but who doesn't like naughty SasuSaku?)
Enjoy!
The Secret I Keep
Chapter One: Mission Start
Winter had come early to Konoha, but even then, the weather didn't vary by much. Only maybe a slight breeze or a light shower would disturb the clear skies. Five of these winters had passed, since his departure.
For a while, when Shikamaru left with Naruto, Neji, Choji and Kiba, I had stood foolishly by the gates of Konoha everyday, in hope that I could see Sasuke walk back, in the cool attitude that he always kept. Lee had waited with me, day by day while he recovered from his ordeal of the Chuunin Exams.
Looking back on myself then, I would have to admit, I was annoying. Those words I'll never forget, "You're annoying" weren't insults, but the harsh, but honest truth.
Training with Tsunade-sama has radically made me stronger, but when Naruto had come back from his training with Jiraiya, I felt almost as if my training had no worth. Naruto had grown up, physically, mentally and emotionally.
"Forehead girl!"
I closed my eyes, smirking. That familiar high voice rang through my ears.
"Ino-pig." I whispered.
I guess the relationship between me and Ino could be described by the word 'rivals'. But to tell you the truth, it was far from that. It was a love-hate friendship, nurtured by our 'love' for Sasuke and our competitive spirits.
"Are you going to the onsen later today?" Ino asked, grinning in the devilish way she always does.
"And be spied on by Jiraiya and Naruto?"
And it struck me. It had always been a habit. I clasped my hand to my mouth and realised; there would be no ero-sennin to spy on us anymore.
Tsunade rubbed her cheek, trying to get the ink smudge off her face before Shizune came in. Scrolls and scrolls lay on the desk, varying from genin lists to the list of Missing-nin. The Bingo book was the subject today, opened at a particular page.
"Uchiha..."
What was left of the Uchiha clan was marked inside that book. Uchiha Itachi, member of the Akatsuki and Uchiha Sasuke.
Mission after mission failed, hope was dimming as each team returned, heads down in shame. It was time for one last run, before they gave up on him for good.
"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune dropped the scrolls she was carrying, "You fell asleep again!?"
"I need to see Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, Hyuuga Neji and Rock Lee."
Tenten panted as she leaned against her hand resting on the tree.
"You're getting better. But that chakra point is still off." Neji said, his eyes closed.
He was sitting beneath a straw dummy. Unlike the other dummies they used to train with, these had no targets.
"I'll... get... there..."
Neji had taken to teaching Tenten where the main chakra points were, and with Lee's expertise of the human body, she was learning quickly.
"Neji! Tsunade-sama wants to see us!" Lee yelled euphorically as he emerged out of a nearby bush, unscathed, despite a vigorous 200 laps around Konoha.
Neji sighed. Yet another mission. His long hair falling over his shoulder.
Tenten sensed Neji's reluctance to go and accept another mission. Neji had been plagued with missions ever since he's advanced to Jonin, and has even done a few ANBU missions too. She reached out a hand to hold his and gave it a light squeeze.
He saw the smile of reassurance on her face. She had so much faith in him and she had trusted him with her life on several occasions.
"I'll be right back."
"Sakura-chhhyannn!" Naruto said in a sing song voice. Naruto's cheesy smile could only be surpassed by Lee or Gai-sensei.
Ugh, I really hated it when he did that. I thought he would have stopped calling me "Sakura-chan" since he's seeing Hinata.
"Tsunade-baa-sama wants to see us. Something about a new mission, so let's GO!!"
Impatient as ever.
I was mildly surprised to see Lee and Neji. Lee was in a calm state, as if ready to take on anything that Tsunade hurled at him. Neji, however, looked a bit annoyed. She knew that he was dating Tenten, and because he had been on so many missions, he couldn't spend much time with her. Tenten had recently confided in her when they were at the onsen together; out of the 57 nights they had been seeing each other, she had spent 48 sleeping in an empty bed. I knew how it was, to sleep in an empty bed, but I had never been able to share such a bed with anyone else. Neji doesn't know this, men are oblivious to such detail (which was really quite ironic, since Neji is all about detail). All he knows is that he hasn't been spending as much time like some others did.
"You may think this is a mission you've attempted before." Tsunade began and I snapped out of my thoughts.
My heart pounded abnormally hard against my ribs. I felt a sudden sinking feeling in my stomach, and from intuition, I dreaded the mission. I could even sense Naruto's uneasiness. Neji and Lee looked suspiciously at Tsunade, as if an angry boil had suddenly erupted on her face.
"Your mission is, Uchiha Sasuke."
A let a sharp intake of breath. Uchiha... Sasuke...his hadn't been mentioned in ... at least two years. Ever since our encounter as the new Team 7 with Sasuke, Naruto hadn't mentioned anything to me or Kakashi.
Jiraiya, he couldn't talk to. He had been killed during his battle with Pein.
Naruto's face seemed to lighten up slightly. It would be another chance to make his 'promise of a lifetime' come true.
"Don't look so happy yet. There's nothing happy about this mission." Tsunade had instantly shot down the small glimmer of hope that Naruto held.
Tsunade paused and waited for Naruto to fully prepare for what type of mission she had for them. "Uchiha Sasuke's name is down on the Bingo Book."
Oh god. The Bingo Book. It was-
"For assassination."
I remember my insides freezing, starting from my core and spreading. My brain felt numb. I didn't know what to think. Mechanically, I turned my head to look at Naruto. I could see the shock clearly on his face, like a grey cloud in the blue sky.
Assassination?
I knew it was going to be hard on Naruto. His promise was to bring Sasuke back to Konoha, not to assassinate him.
"Hai, Tsunade-sama." Naruto and I replied, along with Neji and Lee. My heart felt heavy, as if a great boulder had dropped on it, crushing it and everything I held in my heart.
I kneeled on the floor in my room, my back pack sitting on my thighs. It would be a long mission. When I had finished packing my supplies, I threw my coat around my shoulders clasping it at the front.
I was just about to leave when something caught my eye. The photo frame sitting on my desk, behind the piles and piles of medical books and scrolls. I picked it up and dusted off the glass with my gloved hands. Our Team 7 picture.
The annoyed look that the boys were sending each other when the photo was taken made me wish that I had never participated in the first round of Chuunin Exams. If I had been stupid enough to believe the genjutsu, perhaps, Sasuke would be here now.
I brushed off the thought as I heard Naruto's impatient voice outside.
Tenten and Hinata walked us to the Village gates. Tenten was kind enough to give Neji one last kiss, on the cheek, to spare us the embarrassment. Hinata was blushing like mad when Tenten did that; she, no doubt, was very uncomfortable with PDAs (Public Displays of Affection).
"YOOSH! LET'S GO AND USE OUR YOUTHFULNESS TO ASSA- I MEAN, BRING SASUKE BACK!" Lee almost let it slip.
We had decided to keep it between us that our mission was not just to find Sasuke and bring him back. We were to kill him, and then bring his body back, if it would allow us.
"Anou... Naruto-kun?" Hinata said shyly.
I didn't understand how Hinata could be so shy around Naruto, even if they'd been going out for at least eight months.
"Eh?"
Hinata quickly stood on her tip toes, and brushed her lips on Naruto's lips. And ran off, her face bright red.
Naruto smiled gently.
"We should go now, it'll take us some time to find where Sasuke is."
Mission: START!
iShinee: Please review. I thought it was rather good :D
Also, if it's OOC tell me please? I'm not used to writing Naruto characters.
Flames welcome. (They boost review count)