A long time since I've updated, I know! SO, SO, SO, sorry about that!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!
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We All Wear Masks
Chapter 10: Without Answers
Naruto landed softly on the grounds just beyond the borders of the Leaf Village, having already begun to master his father's Flying Raijin technique. A familiar chakra caught his senses, and he pulled out a kunai, readying himself for a fight.
"Calm down, Naruto... I only wish to talk." Kabuto explained, his voice sickly smooth.
"You! You're the one that saved me after I got hurt… I never got a chance to thank you but, I can't stay here anymore." The blonde stated though he didn't feel confident in his ability to fight off the shinobi.
"Oh, I understand. That's why I've come to speak with you. You see, I'm very familiar with Lord Orochimaru and I think if you can get over your fear of him, he'd be able to help you get stronger." Kabuto continued, pushing his glasses up.
"You…you know Orochimaru?" Naruto gasped, realizing that the Jonin must be a traitor if it was true.
"Indeed I do… So, what do you say?"
Naruto growled, his fear replaced by anger that someone he believed to be a comrade would even consider following such a snake, and even worse, offering to take him to the man that had hurt him so badly. "I don't need power! I can't stand the idea of being near that bastard after what he did to me! I-"
"Then acceptance instead" Kabuto interrupted, still sure he could convince the younger without force.
"A-acceptance...?" Naruto questioned, caught off guard. It was true that he wanted to get stronger, but there were other ways than going to Orochimaru. However, being accepted was his weakness, and Kabuto knew that. "Should I go and see if I can conquer my fear of him? I want to go somewhere that I can belong so much I can't stand it…but it's wrong for me to follow someone that betrayed the village in so many terrible ways, isn't it?" he wondered, his eyes downcast in debate.
Kabuto could tell he'd hit the blonde's insecurity on the head and decided to push him a little harder. "For you to be on the verge of deserting the village on your own something must have happened. Surely with your condition, it would be better to be protected by someone as strong as Lord Orochimaru. He could help you gain enough power to destroy the Akatsuki, and in doing so make you a necessary existence for the Leaf. Then you could return as the hero your father had intended for you to be instead of this shell of a shinobi that is too damaged to even be touched by the boy you love most."
Naruto's eyes widened, his resolve to refuse beginning to erode under Kabuto's enticing words. A voice in his mind willed him to say no, to take off running and not look back at either his village or the spy, but he could hear the Fox beginning to stir as well.
"You should go with him, brat… that snake is despicable to be sure, but think of what he could teach you. He beat you, raped you, and is still able to influence you despite not being near. With him as your master, you will have been taught by a Hokage and two Sannin, you'd be unstoppable."
"But I don't care about that! Sure, I want to be strong and to earn everyone's respect, but… but he's an enemy of Konoha! No one here would respect me if I became one of his underlings…"
"Foolish boy…what are your alternatives? Everyone in the Akatsuki is an S-Ranked criminal just as that snake is. Do you really think you have a chance at surviving on your own? They will find you, steal me from you and then kill you. You will never be Hokage or accepted by anyone if you're dead."
"But…"
"Do not act so idealistic! If you wish to be accepted this is your chance. No one here will even look for you other than to protect their precious weapon. Not even the Uchiha brat you covet so wants you and your bastard father doesn't believe in you. Learn from Orochimaru, become strong, kill him and then prove yourself to the village. You say that you will never give up, and this is just another path to take…"
Kyuubi was slowly beginning to believe in his host, but he wasn't tamed yet. This was too perfect an opportunity for him to ignore. Orochimaru was an evil, vile man who would stop at nothing to take advantage of the small hate that still dwelled in Naruto's heart. If he was able to break the blonde down, the Fox knew that it would affect the seal as well, especially without Minato's interference.
"Alright… I guess I don't have much of a choice…" Naruto concluded. "Kabuto… take me to him."
Sasuke sat tapping his finger on the kitchen table. The food he'd prepared had long since gone cold, but he didn't want to wake Naruto if he had been able to fall asleep. Still, something was bothering him about the way that the blonde had acted before he'd gone to the bedroom.
Deciding the teen probably needed food, Sasuke got up and knocked on the door gently so as not to frighten Naruto. When he didn't receive an answer, his stomach began to tighten. "Hey, dobe! I'm coming in…"
To his surprise and dread, the room was empty. He quickly ran over to the bed and checked beneath, finding his friends emergency bag gone as well. "SHIT!" he screamed in anger.
Sasuke ran as fast as his legs would take him to the Hokage's office. He was so flustered that he didn't even worry about knocking and instead pushed the guards out of the way, nearly breaking the door down in worry.
"Lord Fourth!" He cried, stopping short when he realized who all was in the room.
"Sasuke." His father said dangerously, eyes narrowing at his son. "This is a private meeting that you are not privy to."
Danzo, the village elders, and the Hokage looked equally as displeased. It was only Itachi that seemed to understand the urgency. "What is the matter otouto?" he asked, his voice holding a slightly anxious tone.
Deciding that he didn't care what anyone thought about him barging in, the younger Uchiha gave everyone the deepest glare he could, exuding determination that would rival his blonde crush. "Naruto is gone. He said he was going to lay down while I made him food. When I went to get him I discovered that both he and his go-bag were missing." He explained.
"You fool!" Danzo shouted, his cane thudding on the floor in irritation. "You were supposed to be watching the jinchuuriki and now he has run off?"
Sasuke growled loudly and activated his Sharingan, "I didn't leave him for more than an hour, just as I was instructed! It was you all who pushed him towards this so-"
"There is no point assigning blame at this point, Sasuke, Lord Danzo," Itachi interjected, trying to end the dispute between the two. "Besides, if Naruto has truly left the village then this isn't the time to be fighting amongst ourselves. We have to find him before someone with less honest intentions does, or he loses control of himself as he did on his last mission."
"You were the one who sent him on that mission!" Sasuke snapped, his brothers' usually calming presence having no effect on his anger this time.
"I sent him because Naruto has a very peculiar way about him and I was aware that the Sand would be sending their Jinchuuriki as well. I had hoped that they would be able to bond and make our alliance stronger. In addition, if his unstable mental state became a problem I knew you would step in to help." Itachi replied, deciding that until Sasuke was under control nothing further could be discussed.
"Then why didn't you assign me to it at first huh! Explain that!" The younger cried, his emotions continuing to get the best of him.
"You had to want to go of your own free will to protect him. I already told you that Naruto blamed himself and felt that he was being a burden to you. Had I sent you along on the mission as his babysitter from the start, that type of thinking would have only been enforced. Instead, he was able to suppress the Nine-Tails on his own because in his heart he knew you'd come to help him, not to fulfill a duty." Itachi concluded, his piercing eyes boring through the younger intently.
Sasuke gulped and stepped backward defensively. As usual, his brother had thought of everything, even things he hadn't considered. Guilt began consuming him once again, and he lowered his head in shame.
"Now," Itachi started, "Lord Fourth, what will you have us do?"
The Hokage's face was not much different than Sasuke's at the moment, having already been told of who had assaulted his son and why Naruto refused to divulge the name. "I've failed so many times over the years, but never so much as with my son. We must save him."
The village elders nodded their approval, though they were already conspiring with Danzo to have Naruto locked away. "Send out several Anbu squads. We must protect the Leaf."
Sasuke leapt through the trees alongside Itachi, Kakashi and an Anbu named Yamato. They were all quiet in thought, each suffering from their own personal dilemmas.
Itachi and Sasuke were tense from their previous conversation.
Kakashi and Itachi had yet to reconcile after their sexual encounter.
Kakashi was nervous that Sasuke would find out that he'd one-night-standed his brother, while Sasuke thought he was a pervert with a borrowed Sharingan.
Poor Yamato could feel the intense awkwardness surrounding the other three, making him uneasy. With his lack of information, he believed they were worried Danzo had gotten to him and convinced him to eliminate the Nine-Tailed Jinchuuriki.
All in all, there wasn't a more dysfunctional team being sent out. However, there probably wasn't a more effective Tailed-Beast capturing one either. Itachi broke the silence to contact the other squads. He'd decided not to go with Anbu for the initial search since they were often cold and distant. Instead, he'd assigned all of Naruto's friends in an attempt to use their comradery for an advantage.
"Team Asuma, Team Kurenai, Team Guy, have you had any luck with the search?" he asked, though he didn't have much hope since none had reached out yet. When they each replied with no, he reached out to the fourth team which consisted of Jiraiya, Tsunade, Shizune, and Sakura, who had been taken under the legendary sucker's wing right out of the academy.
"None of them have found anything!" Sasuke hissed after hearing that even the blonde's godparents hadn't been able to locate him. "Just where could he have run off to?"
"You know him best, Sasuke" Yamato stated, "are you sure there is nothing we might have missed?"
The younger Uchiha looked down at the ground as they leapt through the trees. He couldn't think of a single thing that Naruto had done that would give them a hint as to what he was thinking. Just as he was about to say so, the intercom buzzed, shocking everyone.
"Captain Itachi, we've received word that one of the top medical shinobi has gone missing as well." The man said worriedly.
"Who?" Kakashi asked, already looking at Itachi who nodded in agreement.
"Kabuto Yakushi." The man buzzed back.
The four shinobi stopped, Yamato and Sasuke looking confused while Itachi and Kakashi, concerned.
"What is it?" Sasuke asked, noticing the glance his brother had given Kakashi earlier.
"Itachi and I found it strange that Kabuto brought Naruto back after being raped with no evidence of who had assaulted him. Only a top medic would have been able to achieve such thoroughness, and though Orochimaru is formidable, he is usually far more crude with his methods. Kabuto was put under Anbu surveillance after the incident, but it seems that our fears were true and he was skilled enough to get away." The copy-ninja explained.
"It is likely that he is working with the exiled Sannin and took advantage of Naruto's breakdown, ultimately convincing him to defect to Orochimaru," Itachi stated, doing his best to control the irritation he felt.
"But Sasuke's reports stated that Naruto was struggling to even deal with regular men, much less than one that attacked him!" Yamato exclaimed, looking to the younger Uchiha for confirmation.
"I agree, it doesn't seem possible for him to go with Kabuto if Orochimaru's lair is the destination. Are you sure that Kabuto's disappearance isn't a coincidence?" Sasuke questioned.
Itachi closed his eyes, remembering all the times he'd try to sway his little brother to walk a straight, right path and failed. "Otouto, you should know better than any what fear of failure can do to a person… what extent one will go to in order to avoid it. You've lived your whole life trying to be what the clan wants, and impress father. Imagine what Naruto must be experiencing at this very moment. Pain and shame from being beaten in such a way…isolation from his father and even his closest friends… guilt from nearly starting a war between Uchiha and the Leaf… in one word, failure. If those feelings are strong enough he may very well be able to suppress his fear of Orochimaru."
The younger bit back the tears he felt burning behind his red eyes and knew it was true. He wished with all his heart he hadn't let himself be so easily swayed by his clan to treat Naruto poorly, especially when he was already fragile.
He made up his mind that when things settled down, he'd ask Itachi how he was able to push back against the teachings of their clan so easily.
~Time-Skip: 1 Week~
Itachi sat meditating under the stars, hoping the calming night would bring peace to his turmoil-filled mind. There had been no sign of Naruto despite the many search missions that had gone out, and even his brilliant mind couldn't find a solution.
"What are you doing here, Kakashi?" He asked calmly, his eyes not bothering to open.
The elder sat down next to him and leaned back against the tree as well, not sure what to say. It bothered him that he couldn't see the Uchiha's dark orbs, knowing he was probably trying to hide the anxiety he was no doubt feeling. "You know, the stars are very bright tonight…" he finally muttered.
"Is that really what you came here to tell me?" Itachi asked, though he obliged the Jonin and looked over.
Deciding that right now wasn't the time to worry about duties or pride, Kakashi wrapped his arm around the younger and pulled him close, ignoring how Itachi tensed beneath his touch. He used his hand to gently press the Raven's head down to rest on his shoulder, kissing the top of it.
After a moment, the elder spoke again, having noticed that Itachi had yet to relax into the embrace. "Do you want me to let go of you?"
The Uchiha didn't respond, for the second time that night he didn't know what to do. He couldn't deny that the very presence of Kakashi comforted him, but still, he had reservations after being blatantly avoided.
"Your little brother is distraught with Naruto gone, but I suppose you already know that. It seems your wager that they would fall for each other has held true, and I'm sure you're beating yourself up over setting up the current situation. But trust me when I say it's never wrong to push for two people to be together when it's obvious they are meant for one another." Kakashi offered, assuming that his crush would get the double meaning. The Jonin was just as upset with how he and Itachi were now that they'd been separated, even if it had been his own doing.
The Uchiha smiled softly, his eyes closing in contentment. "It seems you and Sasuke are alike in that neither of you can just come out and say what you are really feeling."
Kakashi winced in embarrassment, knowing that he'd just been called out. "At least he's relaxed now though, I can feel him starting to lean into me…" he thought. "It's just… you're the future head of your clan and if both you and Sasuke fall for men you can't-"
"I knew that's what you were thinking when you jumped out of my window, Kakashi. You have no need to explain." The Uchiha interrupted, "I'm well aware of what is expected of me as Fugaku's son, and what would fall to Sasuke should I try to defy that destiny."
"Then… what are you going to do?" Kakashi asked, his heart starting to race in anxiety. He wanted the Raven desperately, but he also knew of how dearly he cared for his little brother. If push came to shove, Itachi would selflessly take the title of clan leader and produce more heirs so that Sasuke could be happy with Naruto.
"I don't know…" the Raven answered truthfully, raising his head so that they stared into each other's equally distressed eyes.
He leaned forward and kissed the copy-nin gently before resting his forehead against his lovers. "I just don't know…"
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Okay… so that was longer than I had anticipated, but oh well! I hope you all enjoyed.
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