Many Masks

Written By - Treina

I

A/N - If you look closely, every Naruto character wears a mask, these masks are not so much a physical object, but a fake personality to cover that who we really are. Why would you want to do that? People do it every day, and if you're honest, you probably do it more than you would admit. We live in a world where being accepted is the difference between accomplishing your life goals, to suicide. In Naruto some are worse than others, but the masks portrayed in this anime are all necessary in order to survive. If you place yourself in that character, you will see that the mask is not a curse, but somehow a gift. Enjoy!

Itachi's Mask

Work, that is what we Uchiha's pride ourselves on. If given a mission, we will finish in less than half the time needed to successfully complete it. As Sasuke's older brother, I was expected to show him what an Uchiha Prodigy should be. It was my duty to make sure that he never strayed his path within the clan. But things were not good. The day I decided to show him what must be done in order to obtain menge sharingan, the day that I would prove being the prodigy was not fun and games. I was punished. Although no one knew, my father did.

This would bring trouble; the village would learn what I had done. The act was illegal and my father went to great lengths to try and tell me that even within the Uchiha clan the act was looked down upon. Shouldn't I know this? What was I thinking? But my father did not understand, Sasuke was lagging behind, there would be no way that he could live up to everyone's expectations like this. He hadn't even graduated the academy yet.

At this thinking, my father slapped me, "your brother is only seven, if he is behind, it's your fault, what have you been doing these past seven years?"

As the blood trickled down my chin, I repeated those words to myself over and over again, 'what have I been doing?' I had gone to great lengths to teach and show Sasuke what was expected of him. That is all I've done in my life. But it was wrong, now the whole village thought I was the prodigy. The whole Uchiha clan would soon hate me for what I did. But why would they be so dense? Why couldn't they see that everything I have done up until this point was for my brother. Do they not see the reality; unless Sasuke obtains menge sharingan, he would never become the prodigy; he would never become what he had destined to be.

As I looked up from the wooden floor, my father held tears in his eyes, "I can never see you again, you have disgraced me. I here forth banish you from the Uchiha clan"
My eyes grew wide with horror, was my father disowning me? For what reason? Hate, anger and fear swirled around in my stomach, but I could say nothing. My father collapsed to the ground with his head in his hands, "go, leave my house Itachi."

In state of shock, I proceeded to my bedroom to change into my uniform. The first thing I would have to do is talk to the Hokage, not that the old man would do anything about the matter, while I finished getting dressed, my brother came in asking about training or something. I told him that I was not able to today...and although some part of me felt bad, for the past month I had been to busy with clan bullshit to take Sasuke out and train. I flicked his forehead and walked out the building, never to come back. Or so I thought.

Five minutes after leaving, I couldn't hold it in any longer and, seeing no one was around, the tears began to flow from my eyes and I wailed to the heavens. But that's when I had learned that I was in fact, not alone. But how? No one within five miles could ever go un-detected without me knowing it. But here it was, someone just beyond the trees, snickering. Eyes red, I stared into the tree's, what the hell was going on? There was no presence of a person, but there was snickering. Unless my ears were deceiving him.

"On your way to the Hokage I presume?" The voice in the tree's asked.
I dare not say a word. It began to snicker again.
"I know what lurks in your heart Itachi, too bad no one else will ever see it. But your brother, now he is one that should see. He is the destined one right?" The voice then began to laugh.
"But the clan seems to have other plans for him ne"
"What are you talking about?" I demanded, who the hell was this fool? What did he know?
"The clan fears where your brother can take them. They hold him back and as proof, exile you"
"Bullshit," I spout, taking a kunai out from my pouch, ready to kill whoever would say such blasphemous things. But as I run into the forest, still I sense no one.
"The only way to keep Sasuke from being corrupted by the clan to kill the clan," the laugh extended high and then abruptly disappeared.
Falling to my knees, ears ringing, I could only nod to myself as tears ran down my eyes. What were they planning to do with my brother?

Finally, I had decided to go and pay my father one last visit. My face pale and drained of all emotion, yet my head was swimming with confusion and pain, I walked into my mother and fathers bedroom. But they would not look at me. They would not answer me. As if I were invisible they stared at the ground in front of them, blocking all my words from their ears. In that instant something snapped within me, something told me that it was the right thing to do. That guy was correct, they would corrupt Sasuke and the future he holds for the clan. My sword raised, I ended their 'plans' for Sasuke's destruction. He would lead the clan to great glory one day and no one but the clan stood in the way.

Hands drenched in blood, I observed my doings, when the snickering appeared right behind me, "you just couldn't help yourself," a dark figure appeared where the voice was heard and was seen grinning.
"I had no choice," my voice calm, a mask of emotionless struggle plastered on my face.
"Of course you didn't, they gave you no choice...but your brother will refuse to see that. You must show him, he must be the first to taste your menge. He must learn what it means and what is expected of him," the voice, so sly, I could feel it running down my spine, "what are you saying?" After all this? I could never do such a thing to my brother. At that moment, my eyes widened, "father?" I ran to the bedroom and found my parents lying where I had left them while in my rage.

The figure appeared behind me once again and began to laugh, "are you surprised? This is what you have chosen to do. This will; benefit your brother and hum future. But your not done yet!" The voice yelled at him and the figure dissapeared. A moment later, Sasuke walked into the room with a look of pure horror carved into his eyes. After that, everything was a blur, before I knew it; my brother was running down the hall and into the darkness. Knowing then what I had done, I knew that I couldn't stay, I knew I would have to leave. My brother, he would hate me for all eternity. But the only way he can kill me, is if he ever fulfills his destiny of Uchiha Prodigy. That much I can do for him.

So day after day I live waiting for the day when my brother will wake up. But that has yet to happen, and now the laws of the Akatsuki bind me.

---------