Behind the Mask: Bonus Stuff Chapter 2: Deleted Scenes, a naruto fanfic

Author's note:

Hello, everyone! This is going to be a long "chapter" because it's a collection of all of the deleted scenes that were originally supposed to be in the story but I decided to take out for whatever reason. I hope you enjoy!

This first scene was supposed to take place in lieu of the sex scene of chapter 7. It was the scene that I'd intended before I revamped the story and changed Yuriko's character away from a Mary Sue. I decided to delete it because it seemed to move the attraction between Yuriko and Kakashi along too quickly, and also because Yuriko was definitely a Mary Sue when I wrote it. It didn't all go to waste, though. As you'll notice, I kept part of it but moved it to later in the story (chapter 15) to better fit the plot and new character development for Yuriko.

Post-bar; Yuriko & Kakashi sweet moment (ch. 6/7)

Yuriko made her way out of the bar, cringing internally at how much she had to touch and be touched by strangers as she did. She literally had to fight her way through and she was positive that she'd been groped a couple of times as she made her way across the dance floor. She ignored the drunken compliments thrown her way and pushed aside the men who stood in her way, trying to grind their crotch against her and call it dancing, and when she'd cleared the crowd and gotten outside, she sighed in relief, shivered in disgust, and quickened her pace, searching for somewhere quiet to clear her mind.

Shortly afterward Kakashi took his leave as well. As he was leaving, he caught sight of Yuriko's silver locks glimmering in the warm glow of the street lights as she wandered off in a direction that was not leading her toward their apartment complex. He wasn't sure if he'd engage her or not, and if he did, he didn't know what he'd say, but curious and still under orders to watch her, he followed.

Yuriko seemed to be wandering aimlessly through the nearly empty streets. There were a few people collecting outside of bars and late-night restaurants, but for the most part, the village had gone to sleep. Yuriko was lost to her conflicted thoughts, but it soon became clear to them both that she was slowly making her way to the Hokage monument. When they'd arrived, she stood at the base, looking up at the stoic statuesque faces and grinned to herself before walking a bit further to a spot that hadn't yet been carved with a face while Kakashi watched, curious as to what could have brought her all the way out here or what it could have been that had made her grin, even if it was only briefly.

She tapped the toes of her shoes to the ground a few times each, crouched into the starting position a runner takes at a track and field event with her fingertips on the ground, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath before snapping them open with a determined expression and bolting up the face of the cliff. Kakashi's eyes widened in shock at her speed. It was almost as if she'd transported, she was so fast, and she made it seem effortless as her chakra enhanced feet barely made a sound with each step. When she'd reached the top of the cliff, she pushed more chakra into her step and launched herself high into the sky.

Gravity quickly enforced its power and she began free-falling toward the flat of the cliff and fast. A flash of panicked concern overtook Kakashi and he steeled himself, ready to do something—he wasn't quite sure what exactly he'd do, but he'd think of something to save her from plummeting to her death. Before he could do anything, Yuriko weaved a few hand signs, and the cloud jutsu that she'd used in their fight the day before formed below her. She fell silently into it about ten feet from the ground as if it had been a pillow poised and ready to catch her if Kakashi couldn't. It floated there in midair and she just lay on her back, staring up at the sky and stars while the wind gently blew around her. Not wanting to examine from afar anymore, Kakashi's heart rate slowed to normal and he moseyed his way to the top of the cliff via the path and sat at the edge, looking out over the city.

After a moment of silence, Yuriko spoke up; "Hello, senpai… Did I worry you?"

Kakashi glanced up at her, not letting his face or voice betray the bewilderment that she'd figured him out as he answered, "When?"

"Whenever. You've followed me since the bar. I could sense your chakra."

"You had seemed a bit tense…" he stated, and he wondered if she'd noticed that he'd followed her before, too.

"She was digging into something that was none of her business to be digging into…" Yuriko said with a touch of bitterness tinging her words and making them harsher.

"I apologize for Anko's behavior. She has a tendency to make an ass of herself when she drinks."

Yuriko laughed, not expecting such a blunt statement from him but feeling refreshed nonetheless. Another silence stretched between the two of them until Yuriko let her jutsu go and began falling the last little bit of distance to the ground, not realizing that Kakashi was literally right below her. Catching the movement, Kakashi took a step back and held out his arms, unsure if she'd intentionally released her jutsu or if she'd somehow lost her focus but prepared to catch her anyway. She fell into his arms and was shocked, unsure of what had happened until she saw his smiling face and a blush rose to hers, her heart thudding hard against her ribcage.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he gently set her legs down first, allowing her to become reacquainted with the ground and her blush deepened as she averted eye contact.

"Y-Yeah… Sorry. I didn't realize that you were directly below me," she explained.

She'd cringed having to get through the crowd at the bar because of how much she'd had to touch and be touched by strangers, but Yuriko was baffled that she hadn't recoiled or withdrawn from Kakashi's touch despite his reputation. With the realization that his hand was still at the small of her back, her confusion and blush strengthened.

"You can let go, now, senpai. I'm fine… really," she muttered and it was Kakashi's turn to blush, not realizing that he was still holding her steady. Her shy demeanor and the downcast of her lavender eyes had caught him in a bit of a trance but he quickly removed his hand and took a step back, dispelling the thoughts that were slowly creeping into his mind.

"It's getting pretty late. Would you like to walk back home together?"

Yuriko nodded and the duo walked slowly back toward the center of the village to make their way home in silence. Kakashi walked with his hands in his pockets and shoulders slumped, his demeanor and expression never betraying emotion or thought, and Yuriko walked poised and stoic beside him.

Author's note: This scene was supposed to take place when Kakashi took Yuriko shopping after he broke down her door during a storm. It was supposed to be in lieu of the argument at the end of chapter 11. It was deleted because it seemed to move the attraction between Yuriko and Kakashi along too quickly, and also because Yuriko was definitely a Mary Sue when I wrote it.

Kakashi buys clothes for Yuriko (ch. 11 argument alternate #1)

She sighed as she handed him a pile of clothes, keeping only one outfit and walking toward the register. Upon further inspection, he noted that the only items she'd kept had had clearance tags on them confirming his suspicion that she was out of money. One of the employees, the brunette, came over and asked if there was anything she could take from Kakashi, so he handed her the pile of clothes that Yuriko wasn't purchasing with a smile.

"Sorry about you having to put all of this back," he apologized for Yuriko.

"Oh, don't worry about it. It's a part of the job," she smiled back pleasantly before walking off to return the items to their proper places on the racks.

Yuriko walked away to pay for her new clothes and as soon as she was out of sight and earshot, Kakashi called out to the clerk before she could actually put anything away.

"Excuse me, miss," he called quietly.

"Y-Yes?" she blushed.

"You have a restroom here, don't you?"

"Yes, sir, in the back."

"Thank you. And before you put those away, will you take out the shorts and crop top and bring everything else up to the register for me, please? And quickly. I don't want the kunoichi with me to see them. It'll be our little secret."

Kakashi smiled with his index finger to his lips and a wink, and the young brunette blushed and nodded vigorously before walking away in a daze. Yuriko was almost finished paying for her clothing items when Kakashi meandered over to her, hands in his pockets and she glanced at him, wondering what had taken him so long.

"Sorry. I had to use the restroom," he explained as if he'd read her mind, or had he noticed the suspicious look she'd unknowingly given him?

"That's alright. I'll go change into this now and then we can leave."

"Take your time. I'm in no rush."

Yuriko made her way to the restroom with her newly purchased clothes and while she was away the brunette began ringing up the items and Kakashi made a clone. Within a few short moments, the transaction was complete and Kakashi's clone was walking out the door with the other clothes in hand. The workers were blushing and ogling at him in a romantic stupor, fawning over how cool he was and that he must be the best boyfriend ever to secretly buy clothes for his girlfriend like that. When Yuriko returned dressed in her own clothes, she asked for a bag to carry the clothes she'd been wearing in and the two of them left to continue on their day and leave the two employees to their fantasies about what kind of relationship she and Kakashi might have for him to be so generous.

The silver-haired shinobi duo continued wandering around the city in content silence, just enjoying the sights and sounds of the bustling city and each other's company. Eventually, Yuriko's growling stomach and lack of money called her home for a late lunch, and fortunately, her door was fixed. As she and Kakashi parted ways, she smiled warmly at him and bowed.

"Thank you so much for today, senpai. I apologize for being such a burden, but it's been very enjoyable spending the day with you even if we didn't say much. It was relaxing."

"Don't mention it. It was nice to get out and enjoy the city with someone who doesn't feel the need to fill the empty space with idle chatter," Kakashi smiled back. "Enjoy the rest of your evening."

"You too, senpai."

Yuriko walked into her apartment and noticed that the construction workers hadn't done a very good job of cleaning up after themselves, so she quickly did that before going to her room to gather her dirty laundry to wash it all and the clothes she'd borrowed from Kakashi. As soon as she'd walked into her room, she noticed a bag on her bed with a note attached to the handle. It was the same bag as the one in her hands so she instantly knew who it was from because there had only been one person with her the whole day.

She opened the small attached note and read, "I'm sorry for causing such a big inconvenience to you today. Please accept these as part of my apology. I'm sure they'll look great on you despite your saying otherwise earlier. –Kakashi"

Yuriko looked through the bag and concluded that he'd bought everything that she'd tried on except for the skimpy outfit that he'd picked out. She really had liked everything else, but she couldn't afford it. She felt her cheeks redden realizing that he had been paying close enough attention to her to notice despite her not having ever said anything about not having the money or even about liking the items at all. It made her wonder what else he'd noticed about her in the little time they'd spent together despite how little they spoke and she felt her heart flutter in excitement that she hadn't felt for anyone since Eiichi.

"Senpai…" she whispered, clutching the baby-doll tunic to her chest. "Thank you so much."

Author's note: This is the second iteration of the scene that was supposed to take place when Kakashi took Yuriko shopping after he broke down her door during a storm. Yuriko is slightly less "Mary Sue" in this one but it still rushed the attraction between Yuriko and Kakashi and it was a bit forced. Also, it was out of character for Kakashi, more so than the rest of the story and I didn't like where it was going, so I scrapped it.

Kakashi and Yuriko visit memorial (ch. 11 argument alternate #2)

"Sorry about you having to put all of this back," he apologized for Yuriko.

"Oh, don't worry about it. It's a part of the job," she smiled back pleasantly before walking off to return the items to their proper places on the racks.

Yuriko walked away to pay for her new clothes and as soon as she was out of sight and earshot, Kakashi called out to the clerk before she could actually put anything away.

"Excuse me, miss," he called quietly.

"Y-Yes?" she blushed.

"You have a restroom here, don't you?"

"Yes, sir, in the back."

"Sorry. I had to use the restroom," he explained as if he'd read her mind, or had he noticed the suspicious look she'd unknowingly given him?

"That's alright. I'll go change into this now and then we can leave."

"Take your time. I'm in no rush."

"So, where to now?" Kakashi inquired, his hands in his pockets again as he lazily made his way down the street, Yuriko by his side with enough space between them to fit another person.

"You don't have to stay with me if you don't want to, senpai. I appreciate you coming with me, but now that I have my own clothes to wear, I'm ok. I can handle myself. Thank you for your generous hospitality and for taking care of me. It really does mean a lot," Yuriko blushed, fiddling with the bag in her hands. "And I'll wash and return your clothes as soon as I can."

"Don't worry about it. It's good for me to get out of the house every now and then."

Yuriko couldn't help the relieved smile that played across her face that he actually wanted to spend time with her, even if he had said it in a very roundabout way. It gave her an odd sense of satisfaction that she didn't quite understand, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. "Well, I'm out of money, so maybe we could just go for a walk or something if that's ok with you?"

"Sure. Is there anywhere in particular you'd like to go?"

"This might seem odd… but can we go to the cemetery?"

"Why the cemetery?"

"Naruto-kun's parents are there," she stated and Kakashi was taken aback. "I'd like to pay my respects and let them know that I'm doing the best I can to look after their son in their absence."

They slowly made their way to the cemetery and walked straight to the memorial. Yuriko set her bag aside and folded her legs under her, sitting on her feet and pressed her palms together before she bowed her head and prayed. Kakashi watched her, wondering what she could have been saying in her prayers and awestruck that she was praying and paying her respects to complete strangers whom she never had and never would meet. When Yuriko had finished, she stood up and turned to Kakashi with a smile.

"Thanks for waiting."

"How did you know about Naruto's parents and this memorial?" Kakashi inquired.

"Iruka Umino. He's Naruto's teacher at the academy and was scolding Naruto for sneaking into the women's changing room. When I'd told Naruto to go home, he'd grumbled, saying that there wasn't anyone waiting for him, so I asked Iruka and Genma what happened to his parents and they told me about this memorial."

"I see…"

"So, what now, senpai? Do you think they've finished repairing my door yet?"

Kakashi's clone had returned to the apartment complex to the continued construction of the door only to find out that there was still a couple of hours' worth of work to do, so he waited in his own apartment with the surprise gifts.

"I doubt it. There was quite a bit of damage," Kakashi answered.

"Yeah… I don't know what else to do, though," Yuriko blushed.

"What do you usually do in your free time?"

"I don't usually have free time to spend on enjoyment. I was always moving, wandering. If I wasn't wandering, I was training or watching people to figure out what the daily lives of the locals were like if I'd just gotten to a new place to better fit in."

"Did you people-watch when you got here?"

"Yes. Before I had my meeting with Hokage-sama, I'd been here for a week already."

"How did you afford it?"

"Honestly?" she inquired, glancing at her teammate from the corner of her eye.

"Should I have you arrested?"

"No. Not in Konoha. I'm sure I'm wanted somewhere else, though, for one reason or other."

"Why? What have you done?"

"I've survived."

Her tone of voice had darkened again and Kakashi noticed her grip tighten on the bag.

"Well… No one can fault you for that," he stated and Yuriko's gaze turned bewildered as she looked at him, unsure if she'd heard him correctly.

His gaze remained stoic and forward-facing, his demeanor still relaxed with his hands in his pockets as they continued to stroll aimlessly and Yuriko smiled, comforted.

Author's note: This scene was supposed to take place at the end of chapter 29 when Yuriko joined Team Seven on their mission to the Land of Waves. I decided to take it out because it seemed like filler and didn't have any significance to the rest of the story. It could have, had I continued the story into the actual plot of Naruto, but I didn't, so I scrapped it.

Yuriko and Sakura have one-on-one girl talk

It was a full day's travel before they'd reached a small village and they reserved two rooms to rest and recharge for the night before they continued in the morning. The boys were all in one room while Yuriko and Sakura shared a room and while Yuriko prepared water for her tea and relaxed on her bed with her book open, Sakura took a bath. It wasn't long before she'd finished and sat on her own bed as she towel-dried her hair, looking in Yuriko's direction with curious eyes.

"Yes, Sakura-chan?" Yuriko inquired, glancing at the young kunoichi who had been staring.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to stare. I'm just curious."

"About what?"

"It's nothing really," she laughed nervously, playing with her hair.

"Go ahead. Ask. I don't mind." Yuriko's smile was genuine as she set her book down giving Sakura her full attention. It wasn't often that she was able to get one-on-one time with students or subordinates, so it could work as a bonding moment, she thought.

"Well... first of all, what's the real reason you're here on this mission with us?"

"I'm here to support you guys on your mission and help facilitate training exercises with Kakashi-senpai, as well as administering medical aid should the need arise."

Sakura's expression was suspicious and disbelieving that Yuriko was telling the whole truth and Yuriko smiled, impressed by her perceptiveness. She lied saying that that was really all she was there to do, knowing that Sakura knew she was lying but she didn't push the issue.

"What else?" Yuriko goaded.

"How do you know Naruto-kun, Iruka-sensei, and Kakashi-sensei?"

"Well, Kakashi-senpai and I used to work together, and we also happen to be neighbors. I met Naruto-kun when he'd painted the Hokage monument a while back. I had just gotten to the village and didn't have many friends, but I walked a lot and when I saw it, I couldn't help but laugh and it had been such a long time since I'd laughed like that. He was being chased and they were gaining on him, so I helped him to escape and clean the monument and we've been friends ever since. And I met Iruka-san through Naruto-kun, actually. Naruto had gotten into trouble and was being chased by Iruka-san and I was out in town talking with a friend when Naruto saw me and tried to use me as his cover from Iruka-san."

"Naruto is always getting into trouble like that. He's such a menace and an embarrassment to our graduating class. He got terrible scores in everything and was always in the last place."

"He might not be great at academics, but he's got a lot of heart and drive. I wouldn't doubt him so much if I was you. I'm sure he could surprise you if you let him."

At that, Sakura went silent and stopped playing with her hair, a look of shock on her face that Yuriko had not only spoken fondly of Naruto but also praised him. None of the other adults in the village did, so why was Yuriko so nice to him? Yuriko smirked and sipped her tea as she returned to her book, suggesting that Sakura get some rest. Sakura nodded in understanding and made herself comfortable in bed while Yuriko waited for her tea to take effect.