An Uncaring Mask

Naruto awoke with a slight weight on his chest, he shifted slightly, trying to hold onto what little chance of going back to sleep he could before he opened his eyes and looked down to find Hinata's blue-black hair in his vision. He smiled slightly as he gently shook her awake.

"Hinata-chan … its time to wake up" Naruto whispered into her ear.

Hinata stirred and opened her eyes lazily to look up at him. She blushed, seeing as she had woken up whilst lying on top of her boyfriend. She sat up, her legs resting at either side of Naruto's hips as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, clearly she had no idea of the position she was in or the deep blush on Naruto's face.

Naruto averted his eyes from Hinata, doing his best to push down the new feelings and emotions and banish the images entering his head a mile a minute. After a moment, Hinata got off of him, still not seeming to realise quite what had just happened, though it was probably for the best.

He watched as she slowly started putting on her armour and weapons when Naruto stood up and stopped her, snaking his arms around her waist, she dropped her vest back on the chair and placed her arms over his, smiling slightly.

"Good morning Hinata-hime" He said quietly, kissing her check before he let go of her to put his own gear on and to leave Hinata to finish putting on hers.

They both walked into the main room at the same time to find Sakura, sat at the table, giving them both a blank stare. Both teens froze at the possible implication their sleeping arrangements may have had on their team-mate and sat down at the table across from Sakura, neither of the two wanting to speak.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourselves?" Sakura asked seriously.

"Don't worry, we were just sleeping, nothing else happened" Naruto defended immediately.

"Good … at least keep it that way when I'm around" Sakura smirked before she got up and lead the other two inside the main house where they were greeted by Tsunami and sat down for breakfast.

Hinata stiffened when she saw Sasuke sat next to Kakashi, though he hadn't even acknowledged her or her team as they entered, he just kept his head down and his black brooding eyes on his plate. It was then that Hinata noticed his busted lip and painfully swollen black eye, from what she could see of his arms they ere covered in dark purple lines and small burns, his hair and clothes here dirty and he looked exhausted.

Everyone had smiles on their faces except Sasuke.

"Morning guys!" Kiba called as team seven took a seat as far away from Sasuke as possible.

"Morning Kiba-kun" Sakura greeted him with a smile, sitting opposite him.

Naruto looked between Sasuke and Kakashi before he sat down.

"Regarding the incident last night … Sasuke will be brought up in front of the Hokage on a sexual assault charge and assault of a fellow shinobi … unfortunately, the team plans I had yesterday are still going ahead for today, I need to keep an eye on Sasuke and I need Hinata's eyes" Kakashi said simply.

Naruto hated the idea now more than he did the last time he heard it, but it wasn't his decision to make on weather Hinata got to go or not. But he chose to voice exactly how he felt about it.

"If Hinata tells me that he" Naruto pointed to Sasuke with a look of disgust before he continued "Even looked at her funny, I will take trophies next time" he said to Kakashi before he looked directly at the Uchiha who managed a weak glare back.

"I will tear your eyes from your fucking pretty little head next time" Naruto spat darkly, sending a slight shiver up Kakashi's spine. He saw Anko in him as he had said that and that woman had done worse before.

"Don't worry Naruto … I'll keep an eye on them both" Kakashi promised.

"For his sake, you'd better" Naruto replied coldly.

Kakashi never blamed Naruto for how he spoke toward him or Sasuke. After the way Sasuke had tried to force himself on the blonde's team-mate he was livid with the boy himself and ashamed to be his teacher. He had tried to refuse teaching him a few times but unfortunately for Kakashi, Obito's eye made him the most experienced Sharingan user in the leaf village.

Kakashi sighed slightly as he sent a glare to Sasuke before he stood up "Right! Hinata, Kiba and Sasuke lets get going" Kakashi commanded as Tazuna appeared to be waiting to go to the bridge.

Hinata got up reluctantly, Kiba followed her out of the door and Sasuke followed when Kakashi walked.

Naruto sighed once they left and looked to Sakura and Shino "I have a bad feeling about all this" he said as he shook his head, running a hand through his hair.


At The Bridge.

The group arrived to find the bridge covered in a thick mist but more worrying than that was the complete lack of sound coming from the usually busy construction site. The mist cleared a little to reveal Zabuza stood with his head downcast, bodies of the construction workers littered the now dark red soaked concrete.

Tazuna immediately fell to his knees as tears streamed from his eyes, these men had been more than just workers. They had been his friends with families of their own and now they were all dead, because of the man stood before them.

"Ah … It feels good to warm up before a good fight" Came Zabuza's voice as he looked up at Kakashi's group with a twisted smile.

"Zabuza, these men were unarmed … why kill them?" Kakashi asked, sending a glare toward the Nuke-nin.

"I got bored whilst waiting for you to arrive with your team …" Zabuza smirked, hefting his blade up to point at the team before settling on Hinata.

"You, girl, I have a special surprise in store for you" Zabuza glared as two figures appeared, one either side of them. Zabuza looked to the left to find Haku.

"You take care of the two boys, Kakashi is mine" Zabuza stated as Haku stepped forward, retrieving several senbon needles from her utility pouch.

Zabuza's head snapped over to Hien, her shoulders slumped "And you Hien … Kill the girl" Zabuza spat at the woman.

Zabuza glared at her when she didnt move or acknowledge his command. He brought his hand up in a single seal. Hien jolted and held her stomach in agony. She fell to one knee as the pain ripped its way through her, her skin felt as if she were being burnt, her ears rang with absolute pain. she screamed out load, holding her head in agony with one hand as she held he stomach with the other.

"I Told you to do something!" Zabuza snarled.

Hien took deep, ragged breaths as she slowly got back to her feet and slowly stepped forward toward Hinata when she stopped, her head toward the Hyuga girl in front of her as she still took in huge breaths of air.

"I'm sorry child … but I have to kill you …" Hien said sadly before she charged at Hinata full speed.

Hinata froze for only a second before she dodged Hien's attack and landed behind the woman.

Hinata made a single seal and took her Taijutsu stance "Byakugan!"

Hien turned slowly and smiled sadly "So … you really are a Hyuga" Hien said sadly before she rubbed her head in pain from the seals effects.

"It makes little difference what clan im from" Hinata said as she charged.

Hien quickly ran through a set of hand seals before she called the name of her technique.

"Hyouton: Koori no Yaiba!" Hien called loudly, slamming her palms on the ground in front of herself. The ground in front of her shot upward in jagged shards of ice, coiling around Hien's right hand, she pulled her arm free, producing a Katana-like blade of finely serrated ice.

Hinata allowed her eyes to widen at the weapon as Hien charged straight for her, slashing and slicing at Hinata, the blade whistling as it arced through the air at high speed.

Hinata caught Hien on the chin with her open palm, knocking the woman through the air, only to land on her feet gently. Hien whipped her blade back, the very edge of the blade glistened with the reddish tint of Hinata's frozen blood.

Hinata's hand reached up to her upper arm to cover the shallow cut.


Meanwhile

Sasuke and Kiba had been trying furiously to keep up with Haku's speed, let alone actually physically hit the fake hunter nin. Haku sidestepped a wild and furious head on attack before he easily dodged a punch from Sasuke.

"Not even close … If this is really the best you can do, you're going to die" Haku spoke with a tone of disappointment before dealing a devastating kick to Kiba's head, sending the boy shooting into the concrete with a crack as he landed on his shoulder.

Kiba howled in pain as Sasuke simply ignored him in favour of attacking Haku with a kunai, only to find Haku blocking with a single senbon with little to no effort before backing away from Sasuke and Kiba.


Hinata.

Both of them panted for breath, Hinata had managed only a single hit whilst Hien had scored several shallow cuts along Hinata's arms. The both concentrated on the other as Hien started to speak.

"I really don't want to fight with you … but I have this seal you see, so I have no choice" Hien cried, she felt absolutely horrible that she was going to have to kill this girl.

Hinata honestly felt for the woman, she had seen the suffering and pain that seals caused and didnt hold it against her for trying to kill her, but that didnt mean she was going to make it easy for her, she had her own mission and her own hopes and dreams to fulfil.

"I'm sorry … but I cant simply roll over and die for you" Hinata said sincerely before she watched Hien scream in pain, holding her forehead as the woman's tears seemed to seep through the cloth of her headband and down her cheeks.

Hinata seized this opportunity and dashed in to Hien's defence to quick for the pain racked woman to defend. Hinata struck at the woman's arms, shutting down some of the tenketsu before she sent a double palm thrust to the woman chest, sending her hurtling back through the air and skidding along the ground for a few meters.

"I missed ..." Hinata scolded herself, watching as the woman slowly got back to her feet, the blade of ice melting into water instantly as she hacked up blood, she seemed to face Hinata as she panted heavily.

"You missed my heart … you should have killed me, I wont hold back on you any more" Hien said as she made a hand seal.

"You cut off the majority of my Chakra flow to my arms … it is unfortunate" said Hien as she lifted two fingers to her upper arm and jabbing it gently in several locations.

Hinata's eyes widened as she watched the woman re-open her tenketsu … only a Hyuga of strong blood and a highly developed Byakugan could achieve this.

"You're-"

"Yes … a Hyuga … or, I was, I am dead to that clan" Hien spoke as she tore of her headband to reveal the distinctive eyes and veins of the Byakugan, glaring at Hinata.

"I … I don't know you" Hinata spoke as she stared at the woman in front of her.

"Good … all the easier for you to kill me" Hien said as she dashed forward, making a single hand seal before she lashed out at Hinata with a flurry of lightning fast strikes. Hinata managed to dodge most of the hits but the few that did get her were surprisingly light and painless, until she felt herself slowing down and taking more and more of the hits. Quickly she realised that Hien was using the ice element in combination with gentle fist, causing whatever muscles or tendons she hit to stiffen and constrict with an almost freezing effect.

Hinata leapt away from the woman, landing a few meters away and tried to move he now stiff arms.

'Crap … she's an advanced gentle fist user … and that ice element give her a clear advantage over me … and she's still holding back' Hinata thought to herself as she rubbed her arms to increase blood flow ant try and shake off the effects, if only a little, though she noticed that her hands were quickly going numb.

"You don't wear your headband on your forehead to hide your shame like the rest of the cadet branch" Hien spoke.

Hinata smirked slightly, she'd take this chance to stall the woman and try to regain some of her lost feeling in her hands.

"I'm not of the cadet branch … and neither are you, I cant see the caged bird seal on your forehead"

"Then … you are of the main house, and therefore … you must be the heiress" Hien stated as she looked Hinata up and down.

"Perhaps … but why would a Hyuga be running around with a missing nin? And an unsealed Hyuga at that?" Hinata asked, trying to get any information as to the woman's past.

"I was once a head house Hyuga … I was betrayed, an elder Kidnapped me a few hours after I had given birth with the help of two ANBU, he branded me with a bastardised version of the caged bird seal and had me smuggled out of the village and to a slave trader in water country where I was sold into servitude to Zabuza" Hien spoke, her voice as cold as the ice she so easily wielded.

Hinata listened intently as she stared at the woman before her before she asked another question "You have children with the clan? Who?"

"I have said far too much already! Use the seal to kill me or you're going to die!" Hien screamed as she rushed Hinata.

Hinata jumped back further, unleashing a hail or shuriken, slowing Hien down as Hinata raced through hand seals as quickly as she could but it was useless as Hien was upon her within less than a second, causing Hinata to abandon her jutsu and dodge out of the way. Hinata quickly made two Mizu bunshin to distract Hien whilst she took out some Kunai and wire.

Hinata threw the kunai and jerked on the wire, wrapping it around Hien tightly. Hinata allowed herself a small smile before the wire around Hien strained and shattered, falling to the ground like shattered glass.

"You're going to have to use the seal to kill me!" Hien shouted as she raced toward Hinata again.

"I never have and will never use the caged bird seal for my own selfish needs!" Hinata said as she watched her two clones being turned to ice by Hien's touch.

'all of my jutsu wont work on her … she just freezes the water or makes my tools brittle enough to snap with ease … I don't think I cant win this, and im running low on Chakra" Hinata thought to herself as she once again found herself assaulted by the woman.

Hinata dodged Hien again and again, her muscles tightening with every hit the woman made. Hinata dodged Hien's fingertips narrowly before she was blasted back to the ground a few feet away by Hien's open palm to her chest.

Hinata slowly managed to prop herself up on her elbows and scoot back a bit as Hien moved closer, the blade of serrated ice forming in her hand once more.

"I'm sorry" Hien spoke as she raised her blade high, struggling to bring it down on the girl when Hinata suddenly yelped in pain as several senbon needles pierced her throat and back before she fell limp.

Hien looked to the direction of the senbon to find Haku with his arm outstretched, his mask's marking portraying a cruel crimson smirk from his angle before he himself fell back into battle with Sasuke and Kiba,

Hien looked back to Hinata's still form and fell to her knees … the pain she was feeling at that moment was so intense and overwhelming that the caged bird seal on her back tickled in comparison as she quickly checked for the girls pulse and found nothing. Hien simply knelt next to the body of the girl as she let her tears fall down her face, turning to ice before falling away in the wind like dust.

Hien slowly and carefully pulled the body of Hinata up into her arms, finding her to begin growing cold already as she held her tightly, crying silently, she had come here ready to die today. To die and be forgotten, to disappear from the world and memory.

"I never wanted to see you like this ..." she whispered to herself as she bent down and kissed the dead girls forehead softly before opening her eyes to stare at the small girls face. She let her tears flow freely, a small sad smile tugged at her lips as she brushed some of the girls hair away from her face.

"My little girl's dead … because of me …" Hien sobbed to herself quietly as her body shook with every breath, holding Hinata's body as close as possible.


Earlier, elsewhere.

Naruto smirked as he watched Gato's two samurai wannabes walk up the path toward Tazuna's house. Naruto allowed himself an evil smirk as he simply relaxed and observed from his comfortable position on the roof. It was funny that these men hadn't even looked the house over to see if there were guards outside, they were over confident.

"These poor bastards don't even realise they were dead the minute they started walking up the path" Naruto whispered quietly to himself with a silent laugh.

Down below the two samurai had stopped when Inari had walked out of the house and frozen as he had caught sight of them.

Both of the thugs smirked as they drew their Katana without even the slightest of elegance in their movement, causing the small boy to stiffen with fear as the two murderous thugs walked toward him slowly, resting their blades on their shoulders.

"Hey there kid … your mum home?" Asked the smaller of the two with the beanie hat whilst the other just grinned with sadistic glee.

Inari relaxed completely and smiled as his image wavered to reveal an older girl clad in black with pink hair.

"What the-" the taller of the started before he instinctively grasped at his throat to try and stem the blood spurting from his throat as he collapsed, a look of horror etched onto his face.

Surprisingly his partner immediately brought his hands together and released Sakura's Genjutsu to find his partner was indeed still gargling his own blood.

"Surprising … a hired thug who knows about Chakra is, very surprising, let alone using actual jutsu" came a cold voice from behind the thug.

He turned quickly to find a boy in a grey high collar coat and sunglasses staring at him.

The thug lifted his sword as Shino lifted his arm "I'm afraid you're out of your league" Shino said as his hive burst forth from his sleeve and engulfed the man entirely.

A few silent moments past as Sakura walked up to Shino.

"Got to be honest … your bugs still creep me out a little, but damn … the fear in his eyes as they swarmed him was just ..." Sakura spoke.

"Epic" Naruto finished for her as he landed next to the other two silently.

Sakura simply nodded and Shino smiled slightly before hiding it just as quick as it came. Shino looked between his fellow comrades and spoke.

"I believe it is safe to say that Mitarashi-san's teachings and ... mannerism have somewhat rubbed off on you both" Shino noted, looking back down to the now still corpse his Kikai had started to feast upon.

"And I had no idea that Kikai were carnivorous" Naruto said as he knelt down to admire the bugs Piranha-like frenzy over their feast.

"Omnivores, actually, they will eat anything from human flesh to rotting wood and vegetation, but they prefer Chakra, being able to harness the energy themselves as a source of nutrition, something that my clan have been studying for generations" Shino spoke, almost enthusiastic, getting looks of surprise from both Sakura and Naruto.

After a slightly awkward and silent staring contest, Naruto simply shrugged before addressing the other two

"You two stay here, I'm going to back up the others at the bridge, no doubt Zabuza and his hunter nin are making things difficult … besides … im itching for a scrap with one of the legendary swordsman of the mist" Naruto said with a feral grin as his hand s instantly gripped his Wakizashi hilts with raw excitement and anticipation.

"Naruto … you've been trained by Konoha's absolute best Kenjutsu specialist! But don't forget … Zabuza is an a-ranked missing nin … he is famous for his use of his sword … be careful, because one single slip up, and he will kill you" Sakura warned him seriously as he began to walk away.

Naruto stopped when she finished speaking and turned to her with a look of serene calm and nodded before turning away from Sakura and Shino and disappearing from sight.

Sakura new the look she had seen on Naruto's face, having seen it only once before, that same serene calmness. Oh she remembered that day, and would for the rest of her life. The day she found out just how brutal her chosen career path could be.


Flashback.

Team Anko walked down the dirt path road toward the next town to deliver a scroll, it wasn't really that far to go there and back, so the team had decided on a leisurely walking pace, besides it was only a d-rank … nothing special.

"Sakura, you know you can eat whatever you want and still maintain a good figure, look at Anko sensei … all's she eats is shite and she doesn't get fat … much" Naruto smirked, his hands clasped behind his head as he walked.

"Watch your mouth you little blonde prick" Anko warned with a grin.

"Banter, Anko-sensei, all banter" Naruto grinned back at her, making the Jounin glare at him slightly, though she couldn't help but smile a bit.

"Ah! You smiled! I'm off the hook!" Naruto laughed at Anko.

Anko just shook her head whilst her Genin team laughed. She'd allow it, this time. After all she had been training them into the ground … literally. But she had grown attached to her two new students, more so than she thought she would have, though nowhere near on the level of the relationship she had with Naruto.

She watched her team talk and laugh with each other when a chill went down her spine … and she noticed Naruto twitch ever so slightly too. Good. He knew.

Naruto tensed up slightly before he relaxed and continued to talk and laugh with Hinata and Sakura, though his mind was focused entirely on something else.

Only seconds later did a group of five men run out in front of the Konoha group, blocking their path.

"Hand over whatever your carrying and you can all walk away unharmed! Come on quickly!" demanded one of the bandits, clearly the leader.

"excuse me gentlemen, but we have somewhere to be and I'd rather not hand over my possessions … now, if you'll kindly step aside-" Naruto started as he continued walking forward. He got halfway past the bandit leader when the man tried to shove Naruto back.

Naruto reacted quickly and with a metallic click Naruto was still stood where he was, no one had seen him move, yet all save Anko were shocked when the man slid down to the ground. Naruto hopped back slightly to avoid the quickly advancing pool of blood that seemed to spread from the still body now on the ground.

"The little shit was hiding a blade! Kill him!" Shouted one of the other bandits who immediately took a swing at Naruto with his club.

Naruto drew his Wakizashi at lightning speed as he leapt past the man, leaving him to limply fall to his knees before falling forward, his waist line flowing with dark blood.

Another bandit attacked Sakura only for her to dodge and instinctively lash out with a kunai.

The one who attacked Hinata tried to swipe at her with what she guessed was … a sharpened garden rake? She simply dodged him with ease, it wasn't hard, he was quite clueless with the way he swung his gardening rake of doom from left to right. She even started to have fun, tapping him every now and then just so she could piss him off more.

Anko didnt even bother moving, she just smirked as her Genin either toyed with their prey or outright killed it …. more like slaughtered it in the most cruel and terrifying ways. She never felt so proud …she smirked at how this was much like how the giant tigers in the forest of death watched their offspring make their first kills.

"Girls … Finnish up, didnt your mothers ever tell you not to play with your food … I mean … victims?" Anko said, confusing herself in the process. Stupid tigers.

Sakura took what Anko said as a command and with the first chance she got and with a yell of fury she drove her kunai into the bandits stomach and ripped it out quickly, bringing the bandit to his knees before Sakura grabbed a hand full of his hair, yanking his head to the side before she repeatedly plunged her blade in and out of the man's neck, blood spattering over her face as she let out her frustration on the poor goon in front of her. When she calmed down she came to terms with what she had done, looking down at her hands covered in her opponents blood.

She slowly backed away from the body before she turned to vomit.

Anko had watched, amused and impressed before she looked over to Hinata's fight to see the girl standing calmly in front of her opponent who looked to be out of breath … and unfortunately out of time as Hinata's Byakugan activated. She dashed forward and slammed her palm into his forehead, effective turning off his brain … in a manner of speaking.

She too quickly followed Sakura's example and threw up her lunch on the bandit in front of her, seeing this, Anko actually had to laugh. It was the most hilarious end to a fight she'd seen in a while.

Then she looked over to Naruto as he just finished the third and final bandit with a downward slash to the face, cleaving through muscle and bone with ease. He straightened up and turned to look at his team mates, his face an unreadable, emotionless mask of calmness.

This was the face Sakura saw when she looked up, the look on his face was burnt into her memory for the rest of her life, a face of such calm uncaring and yet not cold or remorseful … just absolute neutrality.

Flashback End.

Sakura shivered slightly as she tried to shake the images of that day from her mind, she was kind of annoyed she would miss out on an epic battle at the bridge but glad she wouldn't have to witness Naruto's soon to be brutal rampage.


All done for this chapter, sorry for the long wait. I had a major case of skyrim and world of warcraft … but I was sick with shingles ^^; . . .

admittedly, i had some difficulty on this chapter. im sure you can see where.

aaaaanyway as always, I hope you've enjoyed it. Let me know what you thing :3