Behind the Mask
Rated: T for language and violence
Disclaimer: Naruto characters (c) Masashi Kishimoto
Summary: We all wear masks. But that only makes it harder to tell the difference between truth and lies.
Note:Thanks to Joele and Starfire201. Next chapter will be posted when there are reviews.
009: 故事
(story)
Sasuke shook his head, trying to rid the sweat from his forehead. The cold wind blew past him and the wind chilled his over worked body. He performed the familiar hand signs with quickened speed.
He put his fingers to his mouth. "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"
The large fireball blew out of his mouth as he jumped back. He landed on the ground panting. The fireball jutsu was the Uchiha's signature jutsu, something that Sasuke had learned personally from his father, not long before his death. Although legend had it that the mighty Uchiha Clan had once hailed as shinobi from Konoha and had possession of the mighty Sharingan, it had been a long time since any Uchiha could properly wield it correctly let alone perform any jutsu. It was why Itachi had been heralded as the prodigy of the Uchiha Clan – not only had he unlocked his Sharingan had an absurdly young age, but he had also mastered all of the known Uchiha jutsu, something that hadn't been done in a very long time.
Although Sasuke had unlocked his own Sharingan at the age of twelve, Sasuke knew that he was nowhere near as good as his brother was at that age. So Sasuke kept practicing. Practicing for the day when he would wield his knowledge against the bastard who killed his family.
Sasuke wiped his forehead, deciding maybe it was time to rest. He had been training night and day recently because it was the only thing that kept him busy. When he wasn't busy, his thoughts started to stray. Strayed thoughts were no good when they only led to thinking about a certain pink haired kunoichi. He walked back inside from the courtyard.
"The Leader wanted me to personally thank you for your contribution with the foreigner."
Sasuke stopped. Voices were coming from Itachi's study. He hadn't been aware that his brother was home, or that he had visitors. The voice, cold and high strung was female. Sasuke had never heard the voice before, nor had he ever seen his brother in the presence of a woman.
"Thank you," Came Itachi's cool voice, "Although you may inform the Leader that I was only doing my duty."
Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows and strained his ears. Duty? Since when did Itachi have a duty to report to anyone but himself? He was the Chief of Police.
"I will. The Leader feels that he hasn't been able to utilize you efficiently, not since you were able to-"
"Ah." Said Itachi, cutting the woman off. His voice was powerful and authoritative, but with a hint of urgency. The word menacing came to Sasuke's mind. He forgot what it was like to hear his brother speak like that. "Please, I would rather not have you speak of that here."
He heard a chair scrape against the floor and Sasuke quickly backed away and moved to make it look like he just came in. The sliding door was pushed aside.
After a moment, a slender woman dressed in a simple black qi pao walked out. Her dark eyes flickered to Sasuke and then she quickly cast her eyes downward before leaving. Itachi stepped out of his study, shooting a quick look at Sasuke before turning to leave. Sasuke paused a moment in the doorway, wondering exactly who that women was and what she was speaking with Itachi about. Sasuke thought back to a similar encounter he witnessed, many years ago.
Sasuke thought the paper flower in her hair didn't suit her at all.
Glossary:
Qi pao – Chinese dress
Gong - Chinese honorific, equivalent of Lord
Sasuke quickly grabbed his books from his room where he had left them the previous night and hurried out the door. Itachi was still home, so maybe he would walk Sasuke to his studies. When Sasuke got outside and past the gate, he saw Itachi standing with an older, strange looking man. Intimidated, Sasuke quickly hid.
The man looked like a peasant, judging from the clothes he was wearing. His skin was a weird shade of blue and Sasuke thought he looked more like a fish than a man. The blue man reached out and lightly shoved Itachi. Sasuke scowled. How dare this peasant touch his brother!
But Itachi stood there and did nothing.
"Initiation is tonight, kid." The man chuckled. His teeth looked sharp and pointy. "Time to prove your worth."
"I am well aware." Said Itachi calmly as he looked around. He did not see Sasuke.
"I don't know what they are thinking, letting a punk ass thirteen-year kid like you join. You be offering them something good..." The blue skinned man grinned.
Itachi finally brought his eyes up to look at the blue man. "Don't you worry about what I have planned. Now if you'll excuse me, please leave. I would appreciate it if we didn't speak about these things when others are around." Itachi cast a meaningful glance at where Sasuke was hiding and then turned and walked through the gate.
Sasuke quietly got up and snuck away. Had Itachi known he was there just now? Impossible. Sasuke shook his head and concentrated on what else his brother had said. Initiation? Maybe Itachi had gotten invited to join a new prestigious organization. Sasuke grinned. Maybe when he came home, if he asked if he could come with, Itachi would let him. Sasuke added a little bounce to his step as he thought about it.
The sun had passed its highest point in the sky but the sky was a dull instead of the bright blue of a few days ago. No clouds littered the sky and the sun was not much more than a pale yellow ball in the sky. The wind wasn't too powerful and it blew through every once in a while, but when it did, it cut through like a bunch of knives. The cold wind was blowing in from the north, making the street vendors of Peking dress a bit warmer than they normally would. The harsh winds were quickly blowing the leaves off the trees and they drifted to the floor, littering the ground in yellows, reds and oranges.
It had been a few days since the disappearance of the Tian Tang Jian. Sakura had hoped that her talk with Gaara and Temari had put some pressure on Temari to return the sword, but so far nothing. Sakura was anxiously waiting, hoping that she hadn't made a mistake in suspecting Temari. Really, all the evidence pointed to her, but since the Tian Tang Jian still hadn't turned up, she couldn't be sure. Naruto and Kakashi were confident in her assumptions and told her to relax, that it would turn up. It was frustrating, however, for Sakura to just sit around and wait for Temari to return the sword of her own free will. Even Naruto had wanted to do something, anything into pressuring her to give the sword back. But Tsunade had warned them all to proceed with the utmost caution, lest Governor Feng find out they were accusing his only daughter of thievery.
Sakura took her bag of fruits from the outdoor vendor as she dropped a few copper coins into the balding man's hand.
"Xie Xie."Said Sakura, thanking him. He bowed as Sakura turned to walk away.
Sakura looked down into her bag, wondering how on earth she could start making Naruto eat more healthily, when the sound of her name made her jump.
"Wu He."
With a startled look, she glanced up to see Sasuke standing in front of her, looking startled and perhaps even a little unnerved to see her. "Uchiha-hou." She said with a bow. "Ni hao."
"Ni hao." Sasuke murmured. "Please call me…call me Sasuke." He said, turning his face away from her.
Sakura was a bit taken back, but she quickly bowed her head. "Of course…Sasuke-hou. Are you enjoying a day in the city?" She inquired politely.
"Yes." Said Sasuke looking away. "I was just taking a walk through the city."
Sasuke's heart was suddenly beating wildly in his chest and Sasuke for the life of him could not fathom why, nevermind that he had been thinking of the pink haired shinobi ever since he had seen her at Tsunade's estate.
Sakura nodded her head amicably. "Well I should be going, enjoy your walk, Sasuke-hou." Sakura bowed her head before to moving to walk off.
"Wait!" Said Sasuke suddenly, the words tumbling from his lips. When Sakura turned toward him expectantly, Sasuke could feel his cheeks reddening and he fought to keep the blush from coloring his cheeks. He had spoken on impulse – anything to get her to stay with him for a little while longer.
"Actually, I was hoping to discuss something with you, perhaps you would be willing to come to my estate?"
Sakura's eyebrows raised under her mask. What could Uchiha Sasuke possibly want to discuss with her? She was almost scandalized by Sasuke's suggestion for her to go to his house. But then, she realized that the Uchiha's must have a multitude of maids and servants that worked in their estate, ensuring they wouldn't be there on their own. Besides, Sakura would be lying if she said her curiosity wasn't at least a bit piqued at what the elusive Uchiha wanted to discuss with her.
"If that would be easiest, I would be pleased to discuss something with you." Said Sakura respectfully, bowing her head.
Without a word, Sasuke quickly turned around and started to walk away, back down the dirt road that the vendors were lined up on. Sakura quickly jogged to catch up with Sasuke's brisk pace before she lost him in the crowd of shopping people and selling vendors. Sakura realized with some annoyance that Sasuke didn't seem to be much of a people person. They continued walking, and the shops soon began to thin out. Sakura looked around, quickly taking in the sights. She had never been to this side of Peking before. Sasuke took a turn onto another, more refined path and kept walking. The trees hung over the road, creating a lush landscape.
Sakura focused on Sasuke's back. She noted with some surprise that he wasn't in the clothes she normally saw the aristocrats in. Gone were the long beautiful silk robes. Sasuke was instead wearing black pants that fell to his ankles and sleeveless kimono style black shirt, tied off with a white sash. Tiny goosebumps peppered his arms, making Sakura speculate that he either left his house in a hurry or he was trying to seem tough and badass. Neither one seemed too far-fetched for the elusive Uchiha.
Sakura wondered with mild interest if he had been working out. His arms were hard and sturdy and she could see the movement of his shoulder blades through the black material.
Sakura quickly looked up into the sky. The sky was turning gray and Sakura was hoping another storm wasn't coming their way. Finally, a gate appeared bearing the Uchiha Clan crest. Sakura recognized the symbol from the Peking Police headquarters. Sasuke kept walking and they entered the Uchiha complex. Sakura followed Sasuke up some cement steps, each side guarded by a stone lion. Sakura took in the sights as she heard Sasuke unlocking the doors. The main Uchiha house certainly was impressive. It had probably been more impressive when it was first built, but now it seemed just a bit worn and decayed with age.
The house compared considerably with Tsunade's, although Tsunade had people maintaining her estate. It was obvious no one cared about the well-being of the house here. Sakura heard the door unlatch with a loud click and she turned to see Sasuke opening one of the two massive red oak doors. There was a chain of keys dangling from his hand. Sakura raised her eyebrows amused. The Uchiha's certainly were keen about their privacy…or was it their safety?
Sakura's hand grazed one of the glass window panes as she walked inside and Sasuke followed her.
"You can take a seat." Sasuke said roughly. His voice echoed through the house.
Sakura removed her shoes and padded across the dark wooden floor towards a low table in the middle of the room. She sat down beside it, folding her legs underneath her before looking around the room. Sasuke disappeared. Everything was in its exact place, yet the house seemed bare. Everything was dark and cold. Sasuke came back moments later holding a teapot and two cups on a tray. He set them down on a table. Sakura looked at him quizzically. Surely he had a maid to do those types of things.
"We only have one servant." Explained Sasuke, as if he read her mind. "And she is out today, doing errands." He said stiffly.
Sasuke cleared his throat and took a seat opposite of her. "I'm sure you've heard of the circumstances concerning the massacre of my clan." His voice was stiff when he said it and his eyes gazed at the table.
Sakura was too dumbfounded to respond. The way Sasuke had said it made it sound as if it was common knowledge in Peking – and it no doubt was – but Sakura wasn't as well conversed with news in Peking. Looking around the house, it all made sense. It was so obviously and completely devoid of any human presence. Sure it was clean and neat, but it just didn't looked…lived in.
"You didn't know." Said Sasuke. His voice was emotionless.
Sakura lowered her gaze even though he couldn't see behind her mask. "I'm sorry."
Something stirred with Sasuke as he heard Sakura's words. Ever since the massacre of his clan, never once had Sasuke heard someone say they were sorry. Sure he had heard people say it, but he heard the pity in their voices when the said it. They were sorry for him, but they didn't mean it. But when Wu He said it, he could hear the emotion in it. As if she did truly mean what she said.
Gripped by an overwhelming desire, Sasuke suddenly wanted more than anything to see the girl shinobi's face. To verify that she truly meant the words that she said and that she looked as she had sounded. But Sasuke knew it was against shinobi protocol that a civilian should see their face. He instead bunched his hands into fists and held them underneath the table.
"Would…would you mind telling me what happened?"
Sasuke was startled by Wu He's soft words. He had never spoken about that night to anyone…in fact, no one had ever asked him. Itachi had done most of the speaking, when he recounted the macabre tale for the non-Uchiha police officers and for the media. Itachi, after all, had been the one to discover the massacre and had begun to set to the gruesome task of moving the bodies. It was just an unfortunate mishap that he hadn't gotten to their parents bodies before Sasuke arrived home that night.
Sakura paused, reading Sasuke's silence as an unwillingness to share his story. "I apologize." She recounted quickly. "If it is too painful…"
"No." Said Sasuke suddenly. He wanted to tell it.
When Sasuke ran home, twilight had already set upon Peking as the moon cast its eerie glow over the streets from its full position in the night sky. Books tucked securely in his arms, Sasuke kept a watchful eye out on the streets. He hoped that he wouldn't incur his father's wrath, who often warned him about the dangers of roaming Peking at night.
Sasuke's stomach growled and Sasuke hoped that with any luck, his mother would have set aside a plate of dinner for him, or at least would have persuaded his father not to punish Sasuke for coming home at such a late hour by having him forgo his dinner. It was perhaps a mistake on Sasuke's part, for not coming straight home after his lesson with his tutor. But the day had been so inviting and the weather warmer than usual that Sasuke had stopped at the park, eager to master the Katon jutsu that his father had taught him. He had simply lost track of time.
Sasuke was nearing the Uchiha compound now. With any luck, his father wouldn't be home yet. As Sasuke stopped to adjust his books and pick up his robes, a strange feeling overcame him, rooting him to the spot. It was foreboding and it felt like the blood had run cold in his veins. But in an instant, it was gone. Sasuke looked up, peering at the roofs and trees surrounding him, but he saw nothing but the shadows created from the street lanterns.
Unnerved, Sasuke suddenly couldn't wait to get home. Picking up his robes and not caring much for propriety, Sasuke ran at full speed toward the Uchiha compound. When he reached the entrance, he felt overwhelmed with the feeling that something just wasn't right. While the Uchiha weren't known to be an obnoxious bunch, bouts of children's laughter and of people talking could usually be heard. Yet tonight, the entire compound was silent, only the wind fluttering the lanterns outside the door.
Sasuke's books slipped from his grasp and Sasuke ran to his house – the main estate within the compound. As he flung open the red oak doors, that's when he saw them.
Slaughtered, each and every one of them.
The maid who was closest to the door – perhaps she had been sent to escort Sasuke home had been sliced diagonally across the torso from collarbone to navel. She hadn't even had time to scream. Her face was splashed with blood and crimson colored her menial robes.
Sasuke screamed and bolted, but everywhere he went, it was the same thing. The cooks in the kitchen had all been cut down – with their own cutlery no less, the maids that kept the Uchiha household running had been either been stabbed or had their throats slit and were now lying in a pool of their own blood. They all had the same look of horror in their eyes.
Running outside, Sasuke found it was no better. His aunt and uncle, whom Sasuke loved dearly, were both slumped over the railing of their porch where they had run out, maybe to see what was causing such a commotion. Their blood was now dripping down the railing to the gravel below. Down in the courtyard, a couple of Sasuke's distant cousins were lying dead, their weapons on the ground. Perhaps they had tried to fight back, but not a speck of blood was seen on their swords.
The sight of his dead grandfather and younger cousin in one of the alleyways was enough to make Sasuke vomit up the lunch he had earlier. His grandfather's eyes were open, Sharingan activated. Had that not even been enough? The most horrible thing about the scene was there was recognition written on his grandfather's face, as if he had known the attacker.
Wiping his mouth, Sasuke pushed on. He hadn't screamed before, but the sight of his dead grandfather induced him to do so now. "Mama! Baba! Itachi!" Sasuke screamed.
More dead maids and servants in the alleyways. A few more cousins in the other courtyards and on the porches. Weapons were always drawn, yet blood didn't mar any of them. There were scorch marks on the wood. Sasuke screamed until this throat was raw and his voice hoarse. His legs ached and his head was pounding. Yet there was still no sight of his parents or his brother.
Finally, Sasuke reached the stables. Inside, he could hear the horses whinnying and stomping their hooves, as if they knew of the carnage outside. Sasuke collapsed in the hay, not noticing the one of the stable boys who was lying dead on his stomach. Sasuke bolted to his feet upon seeing him and the large gash in his back. With red and weary eyes, Sasuke cast his glance into the dark stables.
When he ventured inside, that's when he saw them. He was too late.
His parents had gotten farther than the rest of his clan in that they had almost succeeded in their attempt to escape. They were at the back of the stable, as if they had been backed into a corner. The stable boy had probably been bringing them their horses when he was cut down. There was blood everywhere, it soaked into the hay and stained his parents clothing. His kind, beautiful mother had been the first to die. She was lying face down in the hay. When Sasuke rolled her over, her mouth was gaping wide, horror and shock written on her porcelain face. Tears had been streaming from her eyes and had now dried into ugly marks upon her face. The blood had splashed and stained her perfect white skin and her clothes.
Sasuke's once wide eyes were now brimming with tears as they slid down his cheeks. "Mama…"He moaned.
His stomach churned again, but this time, he only heaved up water. He found his father, some feet away. He must have put up a fight, because his sword was drawn and his Sharingan activated. Burn marks scorched the hay and some of the wood. Yet in the end, His father had been stabbed in the stomach and his throat slit. Sasuke heaved again and kept heaving, but his stomach had nothing else to offer.
"Sasuke!" The voice made him jump as Itachi burst into the stable and quickly ran to his younger brother.
"Gege!" Sasuke cried, running into his brother's arms. Itachi grabbed him, crushing Sasuke's body against his own and cradling his head against his shoulder. His brother was safe. But his parents...his parents...
"I didn't want you to see this…" Itachi murmured softly in his ear. He cradled his brother tightly to his chest. "I was looking for you. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Sasuke..." Itachi's body shook, as if he too were crying.
Itachi was rambling, something Itachi never did, but Sasuke was too distraught to notice. "Mama, Baba…" Sasuke moaned. "Why? Why?"
Itachi didn't reply as Sasuke screamed and cried, instead just stroking his hair and shielding their parent's dead bodies from his eyes. Itachi released him and Sasuke brushed the tears from his eyes, only to find more coming.
Just then a roar of thunder boomed overhead shaking Sakura out of the trance that she had been in. Sasuke looked away from her and toward the window as thunder boomed once again. He seemed more withdrawn now, after having shared his story. A dark and weary look had entered his eyes. There was a crack of lightning and Sakura could hear the rain thundering down now. It seemed to echo ghostly through the whole house. Sasuke bent down and pulled out a drawer from the beautifully engraved table in front of him. He pulled out a partially used candle and set it on the table. He furrowed his eyebrows, trying to remember when he last used the matches.
Sakura cleared her throat, as if to fill the space and pulled out a box of matches from her tactical vest. She flicked a match against her gloved palm and then lit the candle. The candle offered light to the surrounding area which had quickly grown dark with the storm. It cast a warm glow over both Sasuke and Sakura.
It had just been a way for Sasuke to spend time with her, but in telling the shinobi his story, Sasuke felt…different? Had speaking of it finally brought closure to Sasuke? Sasuke still felt the burning need to avenge his clan's death. But it had made Sasuke feel…closer to Sakura. She now knew a deep part of him that no one else really knew. The desire to see her, to really see her felt stronger now.
"I'll get a warm pot of tea." Said Sasuke suddenly standing up.
Sakura watched Sasuke pick up the tray and move off toward the kitchen. Uchiha Sasuke was…strange, to say the least. He was beautiful in the way that only gods could be beautiful. Yet he was cold, distant and unemotional, sometimes rather rude. He was like a puzzle, just waiting to be pieced together. The tale that he had just revealed to Sakura had helped to put one piece in place, but Sakura could still sense there was so much more that she was missing. The maternal side of Sakura wanted to help him. The feeling that he was just a lost little boy was not completely unfounded on Sakura.
Sakura's green eyes roamed the bare threaded room. Her eyes finally rested on what seemed to be a family altar the corner of the room. Sasuke still hadn't returned with her tea yet; it couldn't hurt to take a peek. Silently moving across the room, Sakura looked at the altar. Used incense littered the table along with a few dried flowers and small tangerines. Sitting side by side in beautiful frames of oak, were what Sakura assumed to be Sasuke's parents. Sakura picked up the frame of his mother. She was beautiful, Sakura could tell that much from her portrait. She had a serene and lovely face. Sakura could tell that many of Sasuke's facial features came from her.
What a poor kindred soul, to be taken from this world forever…
A hand grabbed Sakura's wrist and the frame was violently wretched from her hand. Sakura looked to Sasuke, her green eyes a mixture of shock and rage behind her mask. Sasuke made no motions to let her go, even when Sakura tried to jerk out of his grasp. He was surprisingly strong…
He ignored her, delicately placing the frame back on the table. Finally, as if he remembered Sakura's presence, he released her wrist, as if her skin had burned him.
Sakura yanked her wrist back, clutching it to her chest. "I…I should go now." She said, whipping around and walking back toward the door.
Sakura slipped on her shinobi sandals and opened one of the massive red oak doors. She turned back to Sasuke, who had followed her to the door. Sakura bowed to him. "Thank you for inviting me in your home, Sasuke-hou." She said curtly.
"Wait." Said Sasuke. "I didn't mean…"
Sakura turned back toward him. "I appreciate you telling me about your parents. I can't tell you how terribly sorry I am for your loss. I apologize I couldn't be of more help to you."
"Hn." Replied Sasuke in a non-comitial tone. He glanced away and Sakura noted it seemed to be a habit of his. He didn't like confrontations. "The portrait of my mother…" He began, still looking away.
"I apologize, Sasuke-hou." Said Sakura stiffly. "Thank you for showing me my place."
There was a spark of emotion in Sasuke's eyes as his head snapped up to look at her. "That's not what I meant."
"Regardless…" Said Sakura. "It wasn't my place. She was a beautiful woman, for what it's worth."
Sasuke didn't speak as he looked at her, but his eyes, his deep, dark emotionless eyes seemed to be trying to tell her something. His hand hesitantly reached up toward Sakura's face, his fingers almost delicately caressing her cheek.
Sakura was almost lost in the moment. The urge to discover what was wrong with him, to help him was overwhelming – and there was something to him and Sakura wanted to know what. But Sakura was also repulsed. Maybe Naruto was right. Maybe there was something dark and dangerous in Uchiha Sasuke, maybe she had seen a glimpse of it when he had grabbed her wrist only a few seconds ago. Maybe Sakura didn't want to know what he was capable of.
Sakura regained her senses and stepped out of Sasuke's reach. "Maybe you forget your place as well, Sasuke-hou." She murmured lightly.
Sakura stepped out of the doorway and stood out on the concrete porch. The roof overhead was at least a few feet over the door so it provided ample overhead protection from the rain. Sakura could hear the rain pattering on the steps and the gravel pathway as she looked to the misty forest beyond. The rain made everything look like an illusion.
"Wu He…" She heard Sasuke murmur behind her, his voice painted with veiled emotions.
"Zai jian." Sakura said briskly.
Glossary:
Xie xie - Thank you
Katon - Fire release
Baba- Father
Gege – older brother
Ni hao- Hello
Hou – rank below lord
Zai jian- Good bye
Temari was sitting at Tsunade's desk, her hand completing the punctual marks as she wrote the characters on the sheet before her. But her mind was not on her work. In the days that had passed since Wu He had met with Temari and her brother, the shinobi's words had plagued Temari. It seemed that Wu He was blaming Temari for the theft of the sword. But was she blaming her for the kidnappings of many Peking citizens as well? Something wasn't adding up.
Kabuto seemed to sense Temari's mind was elsewhere as he stood guard by the door. Wordlessly, he shook his head but a small tsking noise escaped his lips. The room was silent so the sound seemed to amplify in Temari's ears. Sensing that Kabuto was going to break into one of his lectures, Temari grit her teeth as she threw her brush against the ink stone, splattering some black ink on the desk's surface.
"What?" Temari snapped, her eyes were blazing.
Kabuto's grey eyes slid toward Temari. "You're distracted, Temari-xiaojie. I was hoping you would complete your studies with at least some vigilance today." He said after a moment of silence.
Temari rolled her eyes and her eyes shot a glance toward the opposite end of the room where the black lacquer box still stood empty. "I'm sorry if I can't find a shit to give about these useless studies."
Kabuto narrowed his eyes, his mind cursing not for the first time that his charge was so temperamental. "Do you think Uchiha-hou wants a dull bride?" Kabuto asked instead.
Temari gave him a look that was easy to interpret before she pushed away from the desk and stood up.
"You're marrying him whether you like it or not." Kabuto warned as Temari pushed past him. "It doesn't matter whether you love him or that boy you found in the desert. Uchiha Sasuke is the one you are marrying. You best remember that." The stress in his voice was on the verge of becoming apparent as his constant double duty between the Feng's and Orochimaru's was beginning to take its effect.
Temari whirled around, her eyes wide as she considered Kabuto's gall. "Watch your mouth." She said, her voice low.
Kabuto shook his head. The room was devoid except for the two of them, so they were both free to speak plainly. "Why did you even come back?" Said Kabuto, edging Temari on. "You were gone for a month. You could have been free to run wild like you always talk about doing! So why did you did you return?"
"Shut up Kabuto, you don't know what you're talking about." Said Temari with concealed rage. Her hands began to ball into fists.
"I do." Said Kabuto, stepping forward. "You complain endlessly about your studies, about your duties as a Governor's daughter, about your obligation to marry. You had the chance to escape it all! And you blew your chance! Why?" Kabuto challenged.
Temari remained silent at Kabuto's words – for the first time – as they hit home. A single tear slipped down her cheek after a moment before she turned and stormed out of the study.
Glossary:
Hou - Rank below Lord
Xiaojie - Chinese honorific, equivalent of Miss
Naruto had a fistful of his covers gripped tightly between both of his hands. The air inside the small guesthouse was quiet and still. The night was overcast and the sky was not quite black, but instead a sickly color that made Naruto wonder if it would perhaps snow soon. Naruto shut his eyes experimentally, but the flared back open within a second. He groaned in frustration.
Across the room, behind a silk partition, Naruto could see Sakura's slumbering form as the candle lit on her bedside table flickered back and forth. Knowing Sakura, she was probably bundled up to the chin with her heavy blankets. If only Naruto should be so lucky.
Closing his eyes again, Naruto tried to think positively. Sakura had told him more than once that he should always try to have positive thoughts because negative thoughts could affect him adversely in battle. Naruto let out a deep breath, knowing that he needed to have confidence in himself. But when he closed his eyes, all he could seem to picture was a pair of red eyes staring at him thought a large gate.
Orochimaru's words on the night the Tian Tang Jian was stolen seemed to have awakened some deep seeded fear within Naruto. He felt as if the Kyuubi were going to burst forth at any moment. And it only made it that much worse at night, when the shadows created sinister faces that leered at him in the form of the Kyuubi and nightmares plagued him one after the other. Naruto's sleeping patterns had been restless and he found himself having to pop soldier pills during the day just to keep awake. He didn't want to admit to eith Sakura or Kakashi that he was afraid to sleep at night.
But as Naruto tried to keep the image of the Kyuubi's cage at bay, Naruto knew that he would have to get a grasp on himself sooner or later, before something bad happened.
Orochimaru had always been a man of…ambitious means. His thirst for knowledge had certainly been unparalleled by either of his teammates – the oaf Jiraiya and the meddlesome Tsunade. Only his teacher, Sarutobi Hiruzen had understood his ever evolving quest to discover new things. In the beginning, after his parents died, Orochimaru read. He was constantly reading and he read anything that he could set his hands on. He found wuxia novels trivial – unlike half of the Konoha shinobi population – but he instead read tomes on the history of the country, he read about the important battles that had taken place, the founding of the Hidden Villages, medical almanacs and how-to guides.
He had no prospects of being a shinobi, not without parents to scout out a Jounin instructor for him, so Orochimaru sought to better himself without the help of others. When he attracted the eye of celebrated shinobi Sarutobi Hiruzen, Orochimaru naturally thought himself better than his soon to be teammates. After all, he was one who had been selected for his merit unlike Tsunade and Jiraiya who had been chosen because of their familial connections.
But knowledge was power and power was seductive as Orochimaru soon found. He was able to master every Ninjutsu given to him but it was never enough. As he got older, some began to call him 'sick' and 'twisted', but Orochimaru never saw it that way. He was planning for something great, much greater than they could ever even imagine. There had been drawbacks along the way, many drawbacks including the loss of the Kyuubi and the fact that Konoha was still standing, but that was in the past.
The Sharingan was within his reaches.
A delightful Kekkei Genkai that would make Orochimaru's quest only that much more obtainable. He had read the shinobi lore concerning the Sharingan, years ago when he was still a child. He could scarcely believe that such an fantastical thing existed until practically 20 years later when he witnessed those eyes first hand in a foolhardy boy who had stood against him with only a kunai in hand. It hadn't been hard to plunge a sword into the boy's stomach, but looking back, Orochimaru realized maybe it would have been wiser to keep the boy alive a little bit longer. Had he known the stupid boy would have given an eye to Hatake Kakashi, he would have taken both eyes for himself.
But now he was presented with another chance. And this time he wouldn't mess it up. Poor Uchiha Sasuke was a boy after his own heart. He had lost his parents at an early age and he had an insatiable lust for power so that he could one day avenge his parent's murder. It hadn't been all that hard to nab the sole Uchiha maid while she was out doing errands and make her talk. They did say the maids knew everything…
He would be patient in getting this one. He only need pick the right strategy and watch the pieces fall into play.
Glossary:
Wuxia -term for martial arts novels
Jutsu:
Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu- Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu
