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Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing the Prologue. And also thanks to littleredcoat for all her hard work fixing my numerous mistakes. Here's the next chapter, complete with a time skip, up for your reading pleasure.
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The Truth behind the Mask by elle6778 – Chapter 1
(beta-ed by littleredcoat)
This mission was not progressing as planned.
Itachi periodically glanced back to check on his comrades as he kept moving forwards. Blades of grass taller than all of them whipped against their bodies as they ran away from their pursuers. Unfortunately one ANBU was injured, which hampered their overall speed somewhat. It was something they did not need, considering how relentless the Sound nins were in their pursuit. This was not unexpected, since one of their vaults had just been broken into by four Konoha nins.
"They are gaining on us!" Tenzou, the injured ANBU rasped out as he stumbled.
Itachi darted a glance sideways at the other pair of ANBU in his squad. "Hyuuga, carry him." He detached a scroll from his vest, throwing it at the Hyuuga. "Protect this."
"Yes, Taichou."
"Return to Konoha while Shiranui and I distract them," Itachi ordered, bringing his hands together to create four clones.
Uncertainty clouded Tenzou's voice as he said, "But there are at least ten of them back there."
"We'll manage. Now go."
Itachi halted as the two obeyed his order and left without him. Then his four clones scattered in diverging directions, while he went in another. It would be difficult to keep his movements secret, as the blades of grass would give away his position swiftly. The clones would help distract the Sound nins, but not for long. He needed to break away from this large expanse of grassland, otherwise they would be forced to battle the Sound nins.
"Shiranui, is there another town or village close by?"
The masked ANBU shook his head. "Not so close by." Jerking his head eastwards, he said, "There is one beyond those mountains."
Itachi knew that there was a town back in the direction they had come from, but it was unlikely that they could backtrack fast enough to reach the town before the Sound nins. He needed to move further away in another direction to divert the Sound nins' attention away from Tenzou and the Hyuuga.
Suddenly, a foreign chakra spiked some distance away.
Before Itachi could react, an explosion cracked through the air. The blast of energy shook the very ground beneath his feet, making him stumble. His Sharingan alight, he turned towards the origin of the commotion. It came from the east where the grassland gave way to some rocky formations.
"What the hell?" Shiranui Genma burst out. "Sound nins?"
"Unlikely."
The Sound nins would not destroy their own country needlessly. Whatever this was it could serve as a distraction, Itachi immediately thought. The only thing he had to do was to get close enough to the explosion that their pursuers would track them there. Once there, he and Shiranui would hopefully lose the Sound nins.
Smoothly, Itachi started to move in the direction where there was now a tall plume of grey smoke and dust mushrooming into the air. It was a visual testament to the magnitude of the explosion that should send fear coursing through anyone who saw it. Itachi, however, was more focused on the fact that it could help his cause.
Slanting a glance at the shinobi close by, who had stopped when he did, Itachi ordered mildly, "Come, Shiranui."
"What? We're heading towards that blast?" the nin returned incredulously.
"Aa."
"There's another fight going on down there. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's none of our business," Shiranui pointed out. "You're thinking of joining in or what?"
"Distraction."
Itachi did not bother explaining further. He knew that Shiranui would obey as always, no matter how much he grumbled beforehand. Without delay he sped off towards his destination. Once they made it there they would bypass the mountains and disappear into the town beyond, where they could blend in with the civilians. The Sound nins would hopefully be distracted by whoever it was that was causing the explosions.
Another spike of chakra pulsed out without warning, followed by a thundering sound of exploding rocks.
Itachi skidded to a stop as recognition slammed through him.
It could not be. She was dead. So why was he sensing her chakra? It was impossible. Wasn't it? Unless… He felt blood rush away from his face, leaving him cold. There was only one explanation he could come up with to justify what he had just sensed.
"Taichou, did you feel that?" Shiranui asked in an unusually grim tone. "That's not who I think it is, is it? Because that chakra feels real familiar."
"Hn."
"You think it's that shit Kabuto used to resurrect dead people?"
He was truly afraid that Shiranui might be right. He was referring to the Edo Tensei jutsu. Had someone used Orochimaru's and Kabuto's resurrection technique to summon her soul into a sacrificial vessel? Whatever it was, he had to find out more.
Itachi followed the plume of smoke and dust, speeding up as urgency overtook him. This time, his intention was not to bypass the commotion. Instead, he was heading straight for it. He was conscious that he should be concentrating on escaping the Sound nins, but at the moment another issue took precedence. The Godaime would no doubt agree with this assessment.
Without even looking at his comrade, he called out, "Let's go, Shiranui."
When they came closer to what used to be a tall rocky formation, he saw that it was now reduced to piles of rubble with dust obscuring the majority of the area. She was somewhere inside the area clouded by the dust. Worse still, the pulse of chakra he had felt earlier was dissipating, making Itachi feel increasingly desperate to find where it had originated from before it disappeared completely.
His sense of urgency multiplied when he sensed another's presence. This stranger's chakra was raw and strong, further solidifying Itachi's suspicion that this entire phenomenon could be the result of Edo Tensei. With gritted teeth, he sped forwards, bent on reaching her, or rather her resurrection.
Then something broke out of the top of the smoke and dust, causing Itachi to stop suddenly to look up. Tensing, he watched as a large white bird, seemingly made out of clay and powered by chakra, shot up higher into the sky.
It was carrying two passengers.
Stopping suddenly and looking up, Shiranui gasped, "What the hell is that?"
"Follow them."
Itachi kept his eyes on the bird as he ran, trying to discern the identity of its passengers. The one in front possessed an impressive chakra level while the smaller one's chakra signature is dormant. They were both cloaked in sky-blue robes, but he could make out a flash of gold underneath the hood of the one in front. This was the one with the chakra powering the bird. The one behind had to be the one who was responsible for the chakra he had recognized earlier.
Was it a resurrection?
Or was it actually her?
"We're not going to reach them, Taichou," Shiranui yelled out a few steps behind him. "They're too fast on that bird."
He realized that no matter how fast they ran the bird was faster. So he stopped and formed a series of seals. A murder of crows burst into life and immediately flew after the white bird. Itachi watched intently as they closed in on the target.
He was not surprised when less than a minute later, what seemed like hundreds of projectiles hit his crows midair and sent all of them spiraling down to the ground.
The chakra-powered creation soared higher, and was soon gone out of sight.
There was no time for Itachi to come up with a plan to pursue them because the next moment, he sensed the Sound nins' approach.
"They are almost upon us. Let's go, Shiranui."
000
000
It was a typical hot, humid day in Waterfall Country. Usually, the air would be filled with the thundering sounds of waterfalls crashing down from the cliffs but at this particular location, the only sound ringing out through the relative silence was the chirping of crickets in the undergrowth.
Sakura remained in her crouched position, her eyes following the movement of the wild boar ahead. It was huge and looked menacing, but it was the loveliest thing she had seen today. But she had to be careful. She was not yet close enough to capture it and the last thing she wanted to do was to spook it. Seeing that the next closest village was a day's travel away, it was important that she caught it because she was hungry and she did not want to wait any longer for food.
Her stomach rumbled in agreement.
Ready, ready… Her eyes narrowed as she prepared to launch at her target.
The leaves overhead rustled loudly, startling both her and the wild boar.
NO!
She darted forward, but it was too late. The wild boar was already gone. Growling in frustration, she kicked the nearest tree truck, causing a crack to split through its middle.
"You're hopeless, yeah."
Gritting her teeth, Sakura spun around to glare at her 'partner'. The smirking man was leaning against a large tree trunk with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Shut the hell up!" she shot back, backtracking to snatch her pack off the ground. "I don't see you doing any better," she bit out as she strode away. Her stomach hated her for abandoning the hunt, but she refused to embarrass herself again. Unfortunately, her monstrous strength and perfect chakra control did not come with any notable grace or speed.
The blue-eyed blond kicked off the tree to join her, chuckling as he did so. "Have I ever told you that you're the rudest woman I've ever met?"
"I'm sure you've met many," she tossed back dryly.
"And they all love me."
She shot him a disgusted look. "Most women don't stay long around you, from what I can tell. They don't even last an hour before they walk away." Holding up a finger when he was about to protest, she added, "I've seen it happen with my own two eyes."
"Except you." He waggled his brows. "Wonder what that means, hm?"
"You are the one following me like an irritating pest I can't get rid of," she pointed out heatedly, even though she knew that this particular topic of conversation would head absolutely nowhere. They had had the same 'discussion' almost every day for the greater part of a year now, after all.
"Someone has to keep you out of trouble, yeah."
"And who asked you to volunteer?"
He placed a hand on his chest, feigning hurt. "You can't possibly expect me to leave you to wander around alone. Such a fragile, helpless girl like you will get into all sorts of trouble, yeah."
"Fragile?" She snorted. "I bet you won't think I'm so fragile when my fist meets your mouth."
"Tsk… Such a violent girl. Why do I even keep you around?"
"You're just using me like your personal medic. And that's the only reason you're still here after a year, tagging after me like a puppy."
"Ah, yeah, can't argue that having a personal medic is quite useful at times. Amongst other things," he leered. "Especially when this puppy trails behind you."
Rolling her eyes, Sakura trudged forward.
As per their usual manner, both of them were silent as they journeyed across the unoccupied land. Waterfall Country was beautiful, but this type of beauty was not something Sakura could appreciate when her stomach was cramping up in hunger at regular intervals. It did not help that her 'partner' was lagging behind already.
They travelled for a few more hours before she turned to him irritably. "Hurry up!"
He smirked. "Hungry?"
She actually growled at him. "I'm leaving you behind."
And it was about time too, she added inwardly. It was his fault that she had to be more careful nowadays. Things had been easier when no one noticed her, as disguised as she was with her distinctive hair changed to black and the color of her eyes changed to an unremarkable brown. She had spent a little more than a year traveling cautiously, thankful that no one associated a lone girl with short black hair with a certain pink-haired Haruno Sakura. It had not been hard to achieve, considering her abilities as a medic nin. All she had to do was to ensure that she manipulated the natural melanin levels in her hair follicles to produce the right thing. As along as she did it every few days or so, it kept her hair jet-black without much effort.
Shortly after she had left her hiding place at the south coast of Wind Country, she had encountered this loud-mouth Iwa missing nin. A private client had hired both of them separately, thinking that the job had a better chance of success with two shinobi working on it. She had every intention of finishing the job, getting the money and then going her own way, but Deidara had other ideas.
When he had gotten injured during that mission, she had used her considerable skill to heal him. She really should not have done it, but the medic nin inside her refused to allow her to let him suffer through that gaping hole in his chest. He would have died if she had not done anything.
Now, because of her stupid compassion, she was saddled with the ex-Rock nin. The last thing she needed was someone loud like him by her side all the time when she was trying to keep a low profile. But Deidara was like this dog that refused to leave no matter what she said to him. So there they were still together after a year.
If she had been ruthless like the typical missing nins, she would have killed him to get rid of him. She was still mad at him for what he had done last week. His idiocy was the reason she was now walking in the middle of nowhere instead travelling through civilization, where she could buy food instead of hunting. Also, because of that, she could not even dig for information as there was no one around to ask, which meant that she could end up losing her target's trail after covertly following it so far. What annoyed her most was that the explosion in Sound had not been necessary at all. They had gotten what they had gone there for and they could have left sooner. But no… Deidara had to display his art for all to admire.
Including the Konoha ANBU.
She had caught a glimpse of them as she flew off on Deidara's pet bird, enough to send her into a panic. Their masks and uniforms obscured their identity. But if they knew her or had worked closely with her before disappeared from Konoha one and a half years ago, they were bound to recognize the chakra she had used to bust Deidara out of the collapsed rocks. If they had recognized her, they could potentially find her by tracking Deidara's bird, which they had tried using those crows Deidara had shot down. Worst of all, the crows meant that one of the ANBU was possibly someone she really did not want to see.
She had managed to stay undetected all this time, but Deidara had to mess things up. The threat of being discovered made her feel so agitated that she felt like throttling him.
"You like my company too much. I don't think you can stand to leave me behind, sweetheart," Deidara drawled, drawing her out of her contemplations.
"Don't call me that," she growled irritably and glared at him.
Deidara smirked while reaching forward to tug the black bangs hanging over her eyes. "Alright, Sa-ku-ra-chan."
She tensed at the name. Without fail, each time he uttered her name that way, she was reminded of Konoha and everything she had left behind. Fury roiling through her she paused, and then reached out to snag the neckline of his mesh shirt and yanked him close to her.
His brilliant blue eyes widened as the tip of their noses touched. Even through her anger, she grew uncomfortably aware of just how close her action had brought them. Despite that, she held on long enough for him to look sufficiently apprehensive before she released him.
"And don't call me that either," she hissed. "I'm leaving!"
With that, she turned and stalked away.
000
000
That girl's temper was beautifully explosive.
He would have thought that by now she should have realized that pissing her off was one of his favorite past times. It was fun to see her blow at the slightest provocation. And man, was she easily provoked. It gave him no end of entertainment.
Shaking his head wryly, Deidara grinned and was about to form the seals for his clay bird when he recalled Sakura's agitation over the past one week. For some reason, she was really freaked out about being discovered. Her temper was volatile enough on a good day, but it had gone downhill since that day in Sound. Every little thing seemed to set her off, and not in a good way.
"Girl's probably a nukenin, yeah," he muttered to himself as he fucking walked in the direction of the main road. He could not believe he was actually doing this instead of flying.
She had always been worried about potential clashes with Iwa hunternins since that time when one spotted him and had given chase. Those stubborn bastards just never gave up. It had been nine years since he left the Iwa Explosion Corps at fifteen, gaining freedom from that village and his uptight Sensei, and they were still after him. They should get a life. It was not as if he was targeting their village or anything like that. All he wanted was the freedom to create his art unrestricted by village rules and regulations.
Other than those Iwa hunternins, Sakura had never been too fussed with other villages' shinobi. She had never gone out of her way to avoid them until she had spotted those Konoha ANBU. Seeing them had really done a number on her and it made him curious about her reasons. Every time he tried to pry personal information from her, she'd clam up tighter than a mussel. It was no skin off his back, but it'd be nice to know a little more about someone he had been traveling with for the last year.
He froze mid step. Wait, had it been a year already? Damn. Time sure went by faster than he'd realized, yeah. He scratched his head thoughtfully and continued walking, although now he felt a little uneasy. He had not set out to get close to her, or anyone for that matter, but what else could this be called?
It had all started with that mission in Wind. He'd been looking forward to it because the client actually paid for him to blow up this old hideout. It was occupied by some bandits, but since it was located on a popular black market trade route it was beginning to affect the 'merchants'.
He had turned up at the site only to find Sakura there, this little slip of a girl facing off at least forty bandits. Her stance told him that she was a shinobi. It had briefly crossed his mind that the girl would never survive this fight, but that did not interest him for long. Instead, he had flown past her, catching the dumbstruck expression as she looked up. Her surprised had soon turned to fury when she clearly realized that she would have to fight him for the client fees. The money was never a priority to him, but fuck if he would let her blow up the base buried underneath all that sand with some puny exploding tags.
He would show everyone how it should be done.
The bandits had spotted him then. Chaos had reigned as they split their attention between him and the kunoichi. They had used some large, clumsy artillery to fire cannonballs at him but he was too swift on his bird. He had retaliated by blowing them apart with some minor clay jutsu. Horrified shouts had rung out as one after another they were taken down.
A thundering crack had caught his attention then. And in that one single instant, he had seen the earth fracture under the force of the girl's feet. Ground had exploded upwards with in a cloud of shimmering desert sand and sent her attackers flying in all directions.
It was beautiful.
It was art.
And best of all, it was the Art of a Single Moment.
His inattention to the bandits had come at a price though. The fools had managed to aim well enough to stick a cannonball through his bird's wing and then his chest, taking out a chunk of him. Pain had blinded him enough that he lost control and crashed to the ground.
He had looked up at the blindingly bright sky while the hand in his pouch kneaded an army of large clay rats to blow sky high whoever that was stupid enough to come near him. To blow them sky high. The hole in his chest was a problem, but he would deal with that later. Somehow. He had only hoped that the forbidden technique lodged in his chest had survived the injury.
And then someone had blocked the light. He had not been able to make out her features clearly, but he had to be deaf to not hear her spewing curses at him and at herself while she… what the fuck… healed him. And then, she had stood up and had the nerve to announce that she would be collecting the client fees. Not him.
No freaking way!
He had released his spiders, allowing them to burrow underground to the base. The girl stomped her feet just as his spiders disappeared from sight. A moment later, the base had exploded under the combined force of her chakra and his clay detonations.
It was an impressive sight.
They had then raced in the direction of the client's base, each intending to arrive before the other. Throughout the half-day journey they had snarled at each other non-stop. Her mouth and foul temper had ignited a response in him, one that he could not ignore, so he had retaliated in kind.
Deidara did not remember having so much fun. Ever.
The client had given them a wary look when they arrived, and wisely paid them both the full fees.
Now a little more than a year later, Deidara felt himself grin when he thought of how he had followed her just to irritate her after that, claiming that he would like a convenient medic at hand. She had tried to lose him countless times, but she had never realized that he had tagged her medic pouch with a very discreet smear of his special clay. Actually, she still had no idea that he could find her anytime he wished, even now, provided she did not leave her precious medic pouch behind.
He grinned wider when he realized just how pissed she would be if she knew.
Now, that would definitely be jaw-droppingly explosive.
000
000
Several hours passed but her temper was still frayed. Worse still, there was now this feeling of unease inside her. It was probably just because she was not used to being alone.
She sent out a chakra probe, but much to her relief she sensed nothing behind her. Yes, relief. Because she really didn't need Deidara hanging around her all the time. They were both missing-nins from different countries. They were not supposed to hang out together.
She continued to travel relentlessly through the trees and ignored the hunger pangs. There was no sign of Deidara, which suggested that maybe he finally decided that it was a good idea for them to go their separate ways. Maybe he had decided that if he was alone he would be able to do everything his way instead of having to compromise.
About time too, she thought darkly.
And yet, she could not deny that uncomfortable pang she felt at the thought that he would no longer be around. He'd been with her for so long, and like it or not she had gotten used to him. He was a good partner since their characters melded quite well. Granted, she knew almost nothing about his past but it was the same the other way round as well. What would their relationship be like if they shared their past with each other?
She immediately squashed the thought, dismissing it as pointless musing, the result of her empty stomach. In fact, her empty stomach was also probably responsible for her harsher than usual attitude towards Deidara, she thought with an uncomfortable spike of guilt.
She really needed to stop thinking about all these stuff and concentrate on finding some food.
It was then that she felt a flare of familiar chakra overhead.
Steps slowing, she looked up to find Deidara descending rapidly on one of his clay birds and grinning away like he was so happy to see her. By the time he landed, she had already dropped to the ground and was her head in exasperation. Alright, so maybe she should not be surprised, since the last ten times or so they had 'separated' he had turned up without fail not long afterwards.
Hopping off the bird, Deidara strode towards her with that wide grin still firmly in place and a large sack swung over his shoulder.
"Happy to see me?" he asked, stopping in front of her.
"I thought…" she broke off, knowing that whatever she was about to say would come out all wrong. Instead, she planted her hands on her hips and lifted her chin challengingly. "What are you doing back here?"
"You didn't think you'd get rid of me so easily, hm?"
She scowled darkly at him.
He dropped the sack at her feet. "Here's a present for you."
She eyed it suspiciously. "Present," she echoed flatly, not entirely sure what to think. Deidara could be unpredictable at times, and for all she knew this could be one of the times he thought it was fun to play a practical joke on her. She could open it only to have it blow up in her face. That would not be funny at all.
"A present, yeah. Open it," he ordered, giving her a shove against the shoulder. "I know you don't get many of those. Who wants to give presents to such a bad-tempered girl? But seriously, this one won't kill you."
She tossed him a glare. Still, she cautiously reached for the sack and unraveled the string that bound its end. And then she carefully upended the sack onto the grass.
To find herself faced with a colorful array of fruits.
Her mouth watered as her eyes widened.
"Deidara…"
"I know, I know. You can thank me properly later," he told her with a suggestive leer. "On your knees, maybe, yeah?"
She did not know whether to laugh or to strangle the cocky nin. Instead, she settled for grabbing a large pear and biting into its juicy flesh with a satisfied moan. A few tasty mouthfuls later, the pear was gone and she was reaching out for a peach.
"Thanks, Deidara. Where did you get these?" she asked.
"A travelling vendor. She was transporting the fruits back to Iwa when I bumped into her."
She stilled with the peach halfway to her mouth, concerned by his words. "From Iwa? He didn't recognize you, did he?"
Smirking, he flipped his blond bangs out of his eye. "She was too busy flirting to recognize me."
She ground her teeth together in irritation. "Deidara, this is serious. I mean, it's the reason we're avoiding towns and villages, since Waterfall is so close to both Fire Country and Earth Country. Iwa has hunternins after you and by now, thanks to your blast last week, Konoha is probably after us as well."
Her words must have gotten through to the reckless nin, for he sobered up slightly. "I know, yeah. But the girl was a civilian, and besides I had a henge in place. You expect me not to know a basic technique?"
She let out a relieved sigh and then took a bite of the peach. "Good."
He reached out to tug her hair. "Don't worry, yeah. I'll be fine."
"Who said I was worried?" she shot back.
He swung his arm around her shoulder, and ignored her attempts to shrug it off. "I do."
Sakura snorted.
"So, what has gotten you so riled up about Konoha, hm? I thought you said you're not a missing nin." He raised a brow. "Or is that a lie?" he asked pointedly.
Sakura froze, and then cursed her own carelessness when she realized what she had just blurted out. Without the Konoha hitai-ate, coupled with the change in her hair and eye color, no one could tell that she was from Konoha. She had never volunteered this information to Deidara, though she had mentioned that she was staying in the south coast of Wind Country before she met him.
"So, what is it, hm? You're a Konoha nukenin?" he prompted, the light in his eyes betraying the shrewdness he always hid behind the carefree exterior. "I don't think I've seen you in the Bingo Books though."
"I'm not. And it's not any of your business."
As far as lies went, that was worse than lame. Deidara was clearly unconvinced, based on his knowing smirk.
"How stupid do you think I am, hm? We've been together a year and I haven't seen you as panicked as when the Konoha ANBU saw us. What does that say, yeah?"
She stared down at the half-eaten peach, her appetite suddenly gone. Yes, she had been careless and she had let her guard down around Deidara. To be honest with herself, she was no longer as cautious around him as before. She had allowed herself to get close to him. It was stupid of her and dangerous. But was she able to turn back and start holding him at arm's length again?
She almost groaned out loud. This was not good.
"Oi, Sakura."
She glanced up to find Deidara eyeing her with an expression that looked suspiciously like concern. Discomfited, she scowled sourly at him. "What now?"
He blinked those blue eyes once, twice, and then he grinned. "Just forget it, yeah. Both of us have our little secrets. We don't have to tell each other anything unless we feel like it."
Unable to resist, she asked curiously, "What are your secrets?"
He laughed out loud, drawing a grin from her. "You have some cheek, yeah. I'm not sharing anything until you spill yours." Then he stabbed a finger at her half-eaten peach. "And are you going to eat that or not? I didn't go through all that trouble for you to waste it. It was hard work flirting with that girl, you know."
She rolled her eyes at him, but somehow she felt much lighter in spirit when she started eating again. Deidara might be an ass sometimes, but at other times he could be really sweet.
000
000
A/N: Hope you've all enjoyed the first chapter. Please review if you can. Thanks!
:elle6778: