Mask of Deception
By: Kisu
A/N: I want to get to at least the part where Naruto meets Sasuke. XD
Disclaimer: Naruto doesn't belong to me! runs and hides
Chapter 4: Attack
The process of the whisker marks was removed by a type of acid burning the top layer of his skin off. Naruto had refused to look into a mirror until the skin had healed. When they took off the bandages, he had stared his reflection with tears in his eyes. "Is it me?" He had asked.
"Yes and you're beautiful." Gaara had responded as he peered over his shoulder. Naruto had touched his face, his hands running over the place where the scars used to be and he ran a finger over the scar that cut through his right eyebrow. It had scarred from a shuriken that had barely missed his eye. The poison on the shuriken had made it harder to heal and left a scar as a reminder.
"I like it." He said, finally. "It's something to remind of you and my duty to you."
"Is that all it is? Duty?" Gaara asked, leaning back. "Are you next to me because I saved your life? Do you feel like you owe me something?"
"Of course not." Naruto replied, meeting his eyes in the mirror. "I stay by you because I want to. Not because I believe I have to."
Gaara sighed and walked across the room. He sat down on the bed and watched Naruto examine his face. "Gaara?"
He looked up as Naruto turned around. "Gaara, Naruto was my old name wasn't it?" He asked. "I want a new name."
"A new name?" He repeated, straightening. "But of course, I always prefer to call you Naruto."
"Then you can call me Naruto. But I don't want anyone else to call me that." Naruto frowned.
"Frowning will give you wrinkles." Gaara commented slowly. "Satoh Uzutaro. I'll enter that name into the Jounin exam." He fished out something shiny from his belt and tossed it to him. "A forehead protector."
"Arigatou." Naruto smiled, tying it on his arm.
"It's supposed to go on your head." Gaara said, watching him. "Hence the name."
"It's okay. I never liked it on my head anyways." Naruto beamed. "Satoh Uzutaro, Sand-nin. Nice ring to it don't you think?"
---
"I'm sure he recognized you." Gaara commented as the pair walked down the hall.
"He did. But he believes that I'm Satoh Uzutaro." Naruto replied, quietly. "Which is true. Naruto of the Leaf-nins is no more."
"Have you remembered anything?" Gaara asked, observing the blonde.
"That part of me is locked away in the darkness." Naruto said, his emotionless blue eyes staring straight ahead. "I don't want the key."
---
Sasuke grimaced as Sakura swung her arms around him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Is that really necessary?" He asked.
"Of course not." Sakura replied. "But it's for good luck. We won't see each other for a while. After all, we work in separate divisions!" She held a finger to her lips and winked. "Take care, Sasuke-kun!" With that she rushed away to join the other medics in preparations for the war ahead.
"Tomorrow eh?" Sasuke pondered. Naruto had been formally declared as a Missing-nin and Tsunade had still refused to put his name on Konoha's list. "He's dead." Sasuke said, trying to convince himself. "If he was still alive then he should be back by now. He loves getting into fights." Sasuke clenched his fist and slammed it into the wall.
"Hey, hey. Don't destroy public property because you are confused." Sasuke rolled his eyes out of habit and looked up to see the silver haired Jounin smiling down at him. "What's with the frown on your face?"
"Kakashi-sensei." Sasuke asked, his hair hiding his eyes. "Naruto isn't coming back, is he?"
"I don't know." Kakashi replied. "I wanted to become a Hunter-nin to track him down, if it was possible. But the Hokage was against it."
"I miss that idiot." Sasuke admitted. He laughed in irony. "At first I couldn't stand him. He was like me but completely the opposite. He was my best friend." Sasuke sighed and sat down on the ground. "But now, I miss his stupid cheerfulness and his stupid remarks." Sasuke banged his fist on the ground. "It's not fair that he was taken away from us. It was too soon."
"Well, if you talk about him in a past participle, who knows if you actually want him back?" Kakashi said. "Don't you think it's better to believe that he is still alive? Who knows? Maybe he'll show up tomorrow." Sasuke's head shot up and he stared at the spot that Kakashi had stood in. It was now empty and Sasuke lowered his head.
Tomorrow. Yes tomorrow he would get answers.
---
"Orochimaru was seen five miles from here. The ninjas are in great numbers."
"It's time." Tsunade sighed, gripping the necklace beneath her shirt. "Announce it to the Shinobi. I will take care of things here. We are at war." The Jounin bowed prepared to leave but Tsunade stopped him. "Tell someone to find Sasuke and tell him to report to me."
"Hai, Godaime-sama." The man nodded before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. Tsunade directed orders to all that was reporting to her and she smiled when she saw Sakura running to her rank from her tower window.
"Godaime-sama? You called for me?" Sasuke asked, appearing before her.
"Hai. Sasuke, you stay with me." Tsunade ordered. "I don't want Orochimaru to get to you before I get to him."
"But I can take care of myself!" Sasuke glared. Tsunade smiled at him and poured them each a cup of tea.
"I know you can. But Orochimaru is sneaky." Tsunade said. "Besides, I need you to protect me."
"Hai." Sasuke said, sitting down on a chair. He accepted the cup of tea that Tsunade handed him and he stared at the tea leaves. They rested in the bottom of his cup in a shape of a running fox. He blinked and smirked, slightly. "Naruto will be coming home today." He said, outloud as he stared at the leaves.
"I don't doubt it." Tsunade replied as she took a look at the bottom. Her leaves were in a similar pattern.
---
Orochimaru looked up as two ninjas walked up to him. The ANBU on either side of him shifted into a defensive position and Orochimaru tugged the rim of his hat lower. He waved his hand to tell them to stand down.
"Kazekage-sama, Gaara reporting in." Gaara said, kneeling down on one knee.
"Satoh Uzutaro." His masked companion said, repeating the same process. The ANBU turned to stare at the stranger and Gaara got up. Uzutaro followed him and stood next to him in a relax stance.
"You know your mission?" Orochimaru asked.
"Hai." Gaara nodded.
"Then I wish you luck." He replied.
The ANBU stepped in closer to Gaara and with a swirl of sand, they disappeared.
"How old is that ANBU boy, Kazekage-sama?" One of the ANBU spoke up.
"18 years old. The youngest to be admitted into the level." Orochimaru smiled. "Someone with great potential."
---
The ground shook beneath their feet and Tsunade ran over to the window. Smoke was rising from the distance and she clenched her fists. "Orochimaru has begun to move." Tsunade whispered as the room swayed wildly. Sasuke gasped and pushed her to the side as the window broke. He threw his cloak over them and a swirl of sand appeared in the room. The sand formed a figure before dissipating back onto the ground.
"Gaara!" Sasuke growled, staring at his rival. The Sand-nin calmly raised his eyes and smirked.
"Long time no see, Uchiha Sasuke." Gaara greeted him. His eyes slid to Tsunade who was getting up on her feet.
"Did Orochimaru send you?" Sasuke demanded. Gaara gave a brief nod.
"But I'm not for you. I'm here for her." Gaara pointed. Tsunade narrowed her eyes and shifted her posture lightly. The sand began pouring from the gourd strapped to her back and Sasuke took a step back. He glanced over his shoulder at Tsunade.
"I'll hold him up here, you should escape." Sasuke ordered.
"Lord Gaara, I'll take care of him." A new voice interrupted them. Gaara paid no heed to the voice but Sasuke and Tsunade watched as a masked figure materialized from behind Gaara. The shadows releasing from him as he stepped into the light.
"An ANBU?" Tsunade whispered as the figure stepped up to Gaara.
"Are you sure?" Gaara asked him. The person nodded.
"You can capture the Hokage while I deal with him." The ANBU said.
"All right." Gaara replied. Both the ANBU and the sand at Gaara's feet rushed forward at the same time. Gaara had his sand wrapped around Tsunade before Sasuke could blink and the ANBU had delivered a blow to his midsection.
"Godaime-sama!" Sasuke yelled. A ball of sand formed around Tsunade, trapping her inside.
"Don't worry, she'll be fine." The voice behind the mask was kind. Nothing a killer would have. "You shouldn't interfere, I can kill without any regret."
"My job is to protect the Hokage." Sasuke smirked. "I'll do my job at all costs."
"I admire you." The ANBU said, his tone light and friendly. "After all, we are both doing jobs." The ANBU disappeared in a flash and swept below him. A kunai was in his hand, raised to stab him. At the last minute, he disappeared and appeared behind him. Sasuke looked over his shoulder and rolled out of the way, and the kunai missed him by an inch. It slammed into the wall and the force made cracks from the kunai spread out like a web. Splinters and chips dusted the ground. Sasuke stared at the wall before staring at the ANBU.
His eyes formed the sharingan and he dashed forward. Remembering a combination from long ago that he had taken from Lee. But the ANBU avoided his attacks easily and sent a kick that slammed him into the cracked wall. The wall collapsed and buried Sasuke beneath the rubble.
"Who was that?" Naruto asked Gaara.
"Uchiha Sasuke." Gaara responded as they stared at the pile of rubble.
"Oh." Naruto replied. "He was a nice opponent." He commented, happily.
"Baka." Gaara said. The rubble shifted and Sasuke shot out of the rubble. He dove forward and Naruto instantly stepped in front of Gaara. Naruto took out two shurikens from his pouch and threw it at Sasuke who evaded it easily. A loud noise that sounded like an enormous amount of chirping filled the room and Gaara widened his eyes in alarm. Naruto kept a vary eyes on Sasuke as he disappeared from his line of sight. He turned quickly and watched as Sasuke appeared before him but disappeared again. "Uzu! Watch out!" Gaara yelled, fear overcoming him. Sasuke dove up from the floorboards and aimed his Chidori at Naruto's head. Naruto stepped on the back of his cloak and leaned back but Sasuke caught a piece of the mask from his right side. The energy in Sasuke's hand was slammed into wall, making a perfect hole. Naruto watched as the piece of his mask fell, revealing his right eye. Blood trailed down the side of his face from the cut along his forehead.
"That was close." He commented. Sasuke withdrew his arm from the hole, bringing a shower of plaster with him. Naruto sighed and stripped off his cloak. "Well, I don't need this anymore. I ripped it." When the cloak was ripped away and thrown onto the floor, Sasuke could only stare. Blonde hair was revealed, falling down his back in soft waves and the one blue eye beneath his mask. He wanted to see his whole face.
"Who are you?" Sasuke demanded.
"Satoh Uzutaro." Naruto smiled. His visible eye closed. "Pleased to meet you."
TBC! ^_^