Title: Genuine Lies

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Summary: "How did you know of this?" "Because I was the girl Itachi saved the night the Uchiha clan died." Naruto's admission startled them all. After all these years, was Itachi really innocent? And who is Uzumaki Naruto? What other secrets is the duo hiding? ItaNaru

Warning: Excessive foul language. Sorry guys but I'm upping this to M Rating.

Chapter 3: Trust

Naruya didn't know how to react or how her friends would react. It was never something that she thought of. If it weren't for Itachi she would never have changed back. Too many awful memories accompanied this form. She didn't know what she would do if her friends, her precious people, turned their backs on her. She didn't want to think of it right now…

Saying that Shikamaru and Neji were shocked would be an understatement. It took a few minutes for the information to digest. Shikamaru snorted and shoved his hands into his pockets. "How troublesome," he muttered as he shrugged. "Figured you'd pull something like this."

Naruya offered a small smile. She knew that that was Shikamaru's own way of saying, its okay; you're all right. Now if only Neji would speak…

A thousand of thoughts floated through Neji's mind and a thousand of whys and what ifs as well. One thing was certain though: this female in front of him was the real Naruto. He gazed slowly down the length of Naruto's slimmer frame and watched in amusement as his friend stiffened and his face turned tomato-red. He raised an elegant eyebrow and looked this female in the eye. "I'm to assume that you no longer go by the name Naruto?"

Naruya's eyes widened and she let out a breath of relief, her stance relaxing subtly. She smiled then, a trace of her old grin returning to her face. "Naruya. Kazama Naruya." She didn't want any more secrets.

Shikamaru scoffed. "Kazama, huh? Any more surprises?"

Naruya laughed, "One or two. Can't let all my cats out of the bag at once now."

"We all have our reasons for our secrets," Neji murmured, his eerie eyes trained on Naruya. "I'm sure you have yours too."

The response warmed Naruya's heart. To Naurya, that was equivalent to Neji saying: You're still you. For Naruya, that was more than enough.

"Shall we go then?"

-X-

The trio left without a fuss, exiting the village later that evening. Naurya was scheduled to meet Itachi within a day's time; it didn't leave much time for discussions. All of them carried a simple green pack on their back. While Neji and Shikamaru wore casual clothes, pants and either a t-shirt or light sweatshirt, Naruya was stuck with a shirt that wasn't accommodating to her gender, and baggy pants that had to be rolled up multiple times around her waist and tied with a draw string to avoid the offending material from falling. With the tight schedule, she didn't have a chance to go shopping for a decent outfit.

Grumbling and constantly fidgeting with her clothes, Naruya was leading the group at a brisk pace as they entered into their third day of travel. Through their efforts, they were trying to appear as a mere traveler in a rush as they entered the Tea Country.

"Where are we supposed to meet up with him?" Shikamaru drawled. They didn't say much as the journeyed, preferring to remain silent as they sped through the forests; only speaking when there was something worth saying. Both men were surprised about of gracefulness that Naruya showed, knowing that his male counter-part had been more awkward in his movements, preferring speed to grace.

Naruya tugged at the hem of her shirt, trying to drag it lower to cover the thin line of skin that was showing between her shirt and pants. "Triple B. The Bed and Beer Bar," she muttered, sighing as she gave up trying to keep her shirt in place. "Stupid shirt - it's some shitty place just outside the capital; sells this gods-awful tea and piss-flavoured beer."

Neji hid a smirk as he stood beside the blonde female. "Quite vulgar language for a lady," he murmured into her ear, amusement clear from his tone.

"Shove it, pretty-boy," she muttered in return, shouldering her pack higher onto her shoulder, trying to appear nonchalant. An amused chuckle rewarded her efforts.

-X-

A few hours had passed before the trio arrived at the designated meeting point: a rundown pub on the outskirts of the city. The place was old and ragged, its windows broken and its roof nearly caving in over the three-story building. It looked uninhabitable and, if it weren't for the yellow lights streaming from the open doors and the sounds and smells of lively, drunken men inside, Neji and Shikamaru might have bypassed it completely. As it was, Naruya walked straight towards it, entering the building without pause.

The inside was almost a complete turn-around from the outside; bold blue sprinkled the pale red walls and obsidian black tables and booths littered the floor. A staircase was absently located in a far corner adjacent to the public restrooms. Yet, it was the black counter expanding the length of the room that Naruya made a beeline to.

Naruya climbed up onto one of the wobbly bar stools lining the counter and signaled the bartender, a tall man with greasy salt and pepper hair and a bold, black moustache. As he walked, his determined strides masked his awkward limp. He smiled brightly at Naruya as soon as he saw her.

"'Ho there Hime Princess! Thought I'd be seein' ya 'round soon." His voice was like a foghorn: loud abrupt and attention grabbing. He greeted Naruya to a warm smile as he placed a mug full of amber liquid in front of her. "'Tis here's been quiet without ya."

Naruya paid no heed as Neji and Shikamaru took a stool on either side of her and sat down; he attention was focused completely on the barman. "Sato you liar!" A grin quickly took over her face. "It's never quiet in here."

"'Kay, maybe not quiet. 'Tis place's loud and noisy and uneventful and-get your feet off me counter ya fools!" The guy Sato had been addressing promptly lost his balance and toppled to the floor at the bartender's bellow. "Feh! Fool…" He shook his head and nodded to the mug as Naruya grasped the handle. "Cup's on the house." He leaned on the counter, eyes crinkling as he watched hers, his hands drying a wet cup with a rag.

Hummed in acknowledgement, raising the mug to her lips and taking a long sip. A look of horror and disgust filtered across her face. "Ugh! This taste's awful! What d'ya do-piss in it? Or did a rat crawl inside and croaked?"

Sato tossed his head back, roaring with laughter. He leaned over, patting Naruya's shoulder heartily. "Goodness! Rat you say? Ho – that's a good one. Have to remember it. My girl, I haven't laughed like that in ages," he paused as a chuckle escaped his lips. Naruya cocked an eyebrow at him. "That, m'dear," he motioned to the cup. "Was our finest liquor that ye just insult'd. Hoo' boy!"

Naruya scowled at him, glaring into her cup. "If this is your best, I'd hate to see your worst." She muttered dryly.

"Hon. That is the nation's famous cocktail. Three kinds of rum in that there mug. A hint of whiskey to top it off, too. Adults get drunk just drinking one of that thing!"

Naruya let out an undignified snort and, grabbing the mug once more, downed the alcohol in one fair swoop. A chant erupted from the bar, urging her on. She slammed the empty cup on the mug, causing a burst of cheers to erupt around her. She smirked at Sato. "Big Boy? I'm still underage since the last time I was here. I'm still a kid. I'm not drunk. And I still think your beer sucks."

Sato clutched his large belly, letting out a whopping laugh. "Yes. Been too quiet without your wit 'round here. Put me in my place you did. Cup's on the house." He turned his back still chuckling as he started to clean up the back counter.

Shikamaru and Neji watched the scene with detachment, both impatient to finish the unorthodox mission. They had become accustomed to the more delicate, gruesome missions and weren't used to the odd bantering between the pair. Shikamaru sighed, standing up, assuming that they'd be continuing with the mission. Neji followed suit, though he faced Naruya, watching her.

Naruya, at the moment, couldn't care what the other two thought. Her eyes remained locked on Sato's back, a serious glint flickering over them. Sato grabbed another clean mug and began filling a client's order. She remained seated.

"Hey? Sato," she called, voice low and solemn. "Got a rat problem?" She jerked her thumb to the ceiling.

Sato took a moment to respond as he filled a spare cup with liquor from a tap. "Got a professional checkin' it out day after next." He flicked the knob off and expertly slid the mug along the bar to its respective client.

Neji rocked on the balls of his heels, eyes locked on the back of Naruya's head. Shikamaru stopped once he noticed that no one was following him and looked back.

Naruya shrugged. "I'm not busy. My friends and I can check it out for you. Cheaper price then those 'experts' can give you. We've got some time."

Neji watched Naruya. He wasn't dumb and normally wasn't impatient. Naruya, though, was pushing all the buttons the Naruto could with him. He frowned; they didn't have time for meaningless games. Shikamaru however, ignored the obvious and focused on the hidden meanings behind the words.

Sato leaned onto the counter in front of Naruya. "Yeah…okay. Sure. You do that. Greatly 'preciate it. They're scurrying 'round on the second floor. Counted twelve of the little hellions m'self. Nasty buggers, them rats. Don't envy ya." He laid his hand briefly on her before turning away, never seeing her still at the contact. Unfortunately, ANBU were more observant. They kept their thoughts to themselves.

Naruya smiled, pretending nothing was amiss. "We'll see what we can cook up."

"Don't scorch the place. Terrible time replacing the furniture."

Naruya let out a cheerful laugh. "Memory of an elephant, dear Sato." She grinned as she stood. "We'll try though. Back in a flash." She jerked her head to the stairs, signaling to Neji and Shikamaru. She reached the stairs, her pace casual and light. They caught up with her when she reached the first step. "What's wrong?" she asked, confused, when Neji laid a hand on her shoulder.

"What was that all about?" Neji asked, eyes narrowing.

"What was what about?"

Shikamaru stepped forward with a sigh. "Sounded like a code to me. What was it for?"

Naruya jerked her shoulder from Neji's grasp. "You never questioned my actions before." She crossed her arms, taking two steps up backwards. She would have told them if they'd asked. She didn't because they interrogated.

"This is different."

"Why? 'Cause I don't have a dick?" She took another step up the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Shikamaru asked. "We still have to find our weasel-" Their name for Itachi. "-We don't have time for this."

"He can wait," she turned around, he back to them. "We got to fix this rat problem first. I owe it to Sato."

"Why?"

She didn't turn back, just tilted her head in their direction. Her eyes were as cold as ice. "You think you know everything? Figure it out then." She walked up the stairs. She didn't turn back. "I may have a rack and no rod but I'm still Naruto." She left them behind, speechless.

It was then they realized what they were doing. They trusted Naruto with their life without a doubt. They treated Naruya as though she was inferior. Had so much really changed? They didn't know. All they knew was that they, in a sense, betrayed Naruya by not trusting her.

-X-

Shikamaru and Neji caught up to Naruya on the second floor. She was standing in front of room 212. Second floor, twelve rats. A code. The realization only served to make them feel lower than trash.

Naruya refused to even glance at them. She knocked smartly against the door. There was a sound of something heavy colliding with the wooden door. She smiled.

"Up, up, and away! Heave ho! Get up you pile of lazy bones! You missed the red sunset! Up, up! We might yet catch the morning sunrise if you hurry!" Naruya grinned as another object collided with the door. They were falling into a familiar pattern. "Come on! I got dominoes and a shogi board! Uppity up, up!"

The two thumps this time had Naruya shaking her head in amusement. "I'm coming in!" She placed her hand on the knob and turned it, walking right into the open room. Neji and Shikamaru, not knowing what else to do or how to apologize to their friend, followed her inside closing the door behind them.

The room was dark, the only light coming from the moonlight streaming through an open window on the far side of the room. The place was a simple two-room concept with the bedroom separated from the rest of the room across from the doorway. A simple couch and TV filled the empty space with a table and a partially full coffee machine in the corner. A figure appeared in the bedroom doorway, his features hidden in the shadows cast around the room.

"So you actually did it," the figure commented, his voice a low baritone. Naruya stepped closer to him.

"I promised I would." Naruya whispered, stopping inches away from him. They both knew that she kept her promises. She raised her chin higher, looking directly into his eyes.

He stepped forward, using a finger to lift her chin and brushed his lips against her brow. He smiled when he felt all of her unconscious tension ease away. He raised his eyes, staring coldly at the two ANBU. He figured most of Naruya's anxiety came from these two. He stepped around his Naruya and placed himself partially in front of her, protectively in front of her. "Hyuuga. Nara." He greeted.

Dressed in simple black jeans and a black fishnet shirt under a black t-shirt stood Uchiha Itachi. His hair was loosely tied in a leather strap and his face was more angular but it was still the same man. He didn't look happy.

Naruya turned around slowly and stood next to him. "Behave now. Tsunade was really willing to let me leave by myself and she chose them."

He made a low sound in his throat but let the subject drop. He didn't want to argue with Naruya, not when she was having trouble adjusting to her old – new? – form.

"So am I cleared?"

"She wants to talk to you."

"Hn."

"It makes sense. I mean, I've been lying to her and you've been lying to her so its not like she's going to trust us anytime soon."

Itachi wondered if she realized how her eyes darkened with pain despite her light voice. He watched her as she went over and plucked the pot of coffee from the machine. She flipped over a cup and poured some in.

She smirked as she raised the cup to her lips taking a sip. She turned to the two ANBU standing silently by the door. "You two are awfully silent. Weasel got your tongue?"

All three men glared at her. She apparently didn't care.

Shikamaru sighed. "So troublesome. Look, Naruya? We want to–"

"Save it," she interrupted, draining her glass. "I don't want to hear it." She replaced the cup and turned away. "I don't care really." She walked to the door. "You're bags packed?" she asked Itachi.

Itachi shrugged. "I travel light."

Shikamaru tried to, once again, apologize to Naruya only to be blown off once again and ignored when she left.

Itachi walked to the door, shouldering past Neji and Shikamaru with little more than a small black bag on his back. "You hurt her again and I'll have you head on a platter." With three brisk strides he was out the door, following Naruya to the stairwell and leaving the two behind gaping in the doorway.

Et Voila! C'est magnifique! This turned out SO much better than I could have hoped for. Hope you guys and gals enjoy this treat.