Article 14 - Chapter 11 - That Which Lies Beneath A Mask

Warnings: I do not own Naruto, it's intellectual property is owned by none other than Masashi Kishimoto. I own the OC's that I've added to the story and nothing more.

...

Hiruzen sat behind his desk pinching together the last scraps of his tobacco loading it into his pipe. Fatigue crept up on his aged body quicker and quicker. There was no one who were quite capable enough to take over for himself yet. His own students that he groomed for the task had all been outstanding failures in different regards. It was his own fault. He had no difficulty teaching the students power, but developing their character into upstanding and model ninjas is where his deficiencies as a Sensei became apparent.

An expected knock sounded on his door. He forced his body more upright, a posture befitting a kage. "Enter."

The door swung open and in walked Iruka along with several papers in hand. He quickly closed the door behind him and stood at attention.

"So, the matter of Mina Hyuga… What are your opinions?" He asked bringing his pipe to his mouth.

"She is certainly a prodigious talent the like the leaf has not seen since Itachi. Her understanding of academic material goes far beyond memorization. It is in my honest opinion that she holds deductive reasoning and a razor wit that far surpasses that of any of her peers… I would go so far to say it surpasses any student I have ever had."

"Heh, she is certainly a rare talent." Hiruzen leaked out in a puff of smoke.

"Her Taijutsu affinity is uncanny even compared to the Hyuga. It is as if she threw the book out and wrote her own. During her first spar of the day I did not see anything out of place. She simply used enough force to overwhelm her opponent without injuring them and didn't seem to take pleasure bullying the weak."

"I see." The elder said with a solemn nod of his head.

"But during the second spar, when she was pitted against a stronger opponent she showed an uncanny knack to attack relentlessly in a craze until she began to see her victory. If he had surpassed her… I believe she would have had no reservations for his personal safety in the slightest." Iruka finished.

"I see… So what is your unfiltered opinion?" Hiruzen asked with unwavering, hardened eyes.

"She is incredibly anti-social. I am told she only will associate herself with those she deems as exceptional, and even then she treats them with contempt. The satisfaction I could sense from her during the spar, and thirst she had for the combat... made my skin crawl… She strongly reminds me of the Kaguya clans demeanor and brutality. However, where they had mostly been brutes with few talents outside combat, She contains a scary amount of intellect and insight. Truth be told I am afraid of my own student."

Hiruzen chewed on this tip of his pipe for a moment collecting his thoughts. "Tell no one else of this. I will personally investigate and take in interest in her progression. It's a tragedy that one so young was subjected to the suicide of her mother, but it was a small blessing that she was born into the branch family guaranteeing her loyalty to the leaf. Go ahead and advance her the year so she can join the other Hyuga prodigy. It will be much easier to develop a comprehensive psychological profile seeing how she reacts to those close to her." He said finally finishing with a sigh.

They chatted for a few more moments before dismissing Iruka to leave and Hiruzen leaned back in his chair. He lifted a finger and a tile on the roof shifted. A blurr and suddenly there was a ninja who dropped to the floor garbed in traditional Anbu attire.

"Keep an eye on Mina Hyuga whenever she leaves her compound. Don't make yourself apparent to her clan and only observe… You are one of the only loyal subjects I have with the skill set to do this. Please don't let me down. You're excused." He let out.

This girl, not even the age of 5 had managed to attract everyone's attention be it good or bad. He had briefly regretted strong arming Hiashi into keeping the child after all the events that came to unfold. It was as if it were a divine punishment cast down on him.

He loved his village and it's residents from the bottom of his soul. The potential power of the Shikotsumyaku, and the fact that there could be a Kaguya clan heir born inside the walls of the village was too tantalizing to give it up after the wake of destruction and the loss of military strength the Kyuubi attack caused.

He laughed. A slow chuckle that came out more like a rasp. "What would you have done Tobirama?" he let out in a hushed whisper.

...

"On the first day of the academy you already requested advancement?" Haishi-sama asked with anger in his voice.

"You told me to make sure to stand out above my peers… what other way possible than to leave them behind and advance?" I asked earnestly confused.

Hiashi looked me up and down with skepticism and doubt in his eyes until eventually in time it melted away.

"It would appear I overestimated your analytical and decision making skills. You are still but a child after all, even if everyone around you forgets that, including myself.

What? Did Hiashi just admit a personal fault of his own? Only he could be so pretentious to need to bundle it with belittling me to even say it out loud.

"I am sorry Hiashi-sama. I beat the child of the Uchiha's head in taijutsu today without the use of the byakugan, and without any visible use of the Shikotsumyaku. I figured if I proved myself capable of completing the coursework there was no longer any reason to stay in my class. I requested to test out and received a perfect score." I said.

"Hah!" The uptight man let out before briefly composing himself again. "The fact that you were admitted so young, and sook to advance so quickly will put pressure on the other clans straining our relations with them. After all, you are not an heir, you are but a member of the branch family… Why do you suppose that Neji, as brilliant as he is, has not began early advancement?"

I took a deep look in Hiashi's eyes hoping to gleam the answer he wanted from me. It wouldn't matter what my personal opinion of the matter was.

"... because you requested him not to?" I struggled questioningly.

"... because I forbade him. We started you in classes early so this wouldn't need to happen. I didn't think that it would be necessary on your first day of classes to expressly tell you but I seemed to have overestimated you… or underestimated you... I've yet to decide."

I knew exactly what he was talking about and it took everything I had to hold the smile that wanted to creep out at bay. I gave him a puzzled look hoping to soften him up but he leaked out some killing intent that made my whole body stiffen.

"What am I going to do with you… This is truly troublesome…" He let out before resting his head on his palms. "Take your leave before I change my mind." He spat out. I was moving before he had even finished his sentence. I wanted to escape as fast as possible.

I was surprised to find how opposed he was of my advancement. I had been very fortunate to propose advancement so early before Hiashi gave me express instruction not to. I was right, it is much easier to ask for forgiveness and feint ignorance, than to ask permission.

…

The very next day I rushed to the academy, bag in tote. I leapt along the sturdy roofs of buildings on what was dubbed "The shinobi highway." Chakra was a wonderful addition to life. Humans were the ones who cultivated it into ways to wage wars and violence. If they had used it more respectively perhaps there wouldn't even be a need for shinobi in this world, but that was just a pipe dream.

I was placed in this world no matter the sentiments I hold, and I'm forced to adopt a morality befitting my continued existence, so there is but a single path I am left to walk. I nodded my head having long accepted this but reassuring it to myself.

I arrived at the gates and walked into the grounds. The registrar who was seated in front of the entrance yesterday was gone, likely back to their internal office. Pushing the door open, I stepped inside the building and waltzed up to the front office. There was a secretary seated behind a desk which seemed very engrossed in her work. My head barely reached even with the countertop and sure that she hadn't seen me I reached my hand up 'dinging' the bell.

She shifted in her seat looking side to side before looking down and seeing me. I gave her a brief smile before saying "My name is Mina Hyuga and I'm unsure if I was advanced to a different class."

She eyed me for a moment before looking down at the papers spread before her. After a brief moment, she stood up and knocked on the wood door behind her before sitting back down. "The registrar will be with you soon. You may take a seat," she said while indicating to a row of chairs lined up against the wall behind me.

I waited watching the clocks hand click second by second. With my focus now on it, the sound became all I heard before the influx of kids were sure to come bursting in soon. The wooden door behind the receptionist opened and the same very oriental man stepped out from the room.

"Mina Hyuga?" He announced looking over to where I was sitting.

"Yes!" I responded moving to my feet.

"Come on back," he ushered with his hand as he stepped back into the room he had just left.

I calmly made my way back there hoping that it wouldn't be evident of how excited I was.

After I made my way inside and shut the door I took a seat in front of the desk in the closer of the two chairs.

"You requested advancement I see here… Yes, it seems your request was granted and your room number will now be . . ."

I was overcome with satisfaction. I couldn't believe it. My plans always had met more resistance than this, but I was being handed exactly what I wanted without reservation. Somehow, Hiashi hadn't exercised his power to prevent the school from advancing me. The school didn't have a qualm letting a 4 year old (Be it 4 Years 10 Months) into classes with 7 year olds. This was perfect.

I was rubbing my hands together like I was the antagonistic plotter out of some children's story. The appeal used to be completely lost on me, but somehow I had found myself doing it of compulsion after all of my plans were aligning so well. Perhaps I really am a genius?

I felt very content walking to my new classroom, but I needed to rebuke myself before stepping through the doors. I would be the very best this class has to offer, and if somehow I cause Lee to rise in class rankings out of dead last, my dreams of teaming alongside him would be shattered.

Rock Lee was one of the few… characters? ...that I found myself wholeheartedly respecting. If it were not for the caricature of Lee I held in my memories, I doubt I could have dedicated myself so wholeheartedly to the training I put myself through… Even in my past life, there was something about Lee's indomitable will that had helped shape me as a person. Of Course I would revere this person even if he were just a weak snot nosed brat without any talent now.

Suddenly I felt sick, like I couldn't stomach the idea of Lee seeing past my mask and seeing the person I am.

Sometimes meeting our heroes helps us realize that we are all just human, but what if I wasn't even human anymore? Can someone who persists against the will of a divine being truly be called a human, or have I transcended into something else entirely… whether it be for good or bad?

Even more, What if Rock Lee didn't like me? What if he thought I was a monster?

My heart sunk in my chest and my skin felt icy all over.

"Why am I getting all worked up?!" I admonished myself

There was nothing more I could do, I had prepared for this moment long ago, All I can do is walk the path before me.

I gulped, steadying myself before walking into the class.

...

I avoided associating myself with anyone except Neji in the class, which was fine because he had no desire to associate himself with anyone else either. We kind of had a love hate relationship at this point and I'm sure it wounded his pride to see me now in his class after starting the academy only yesterday. We made small talk and completed all that was asked of us. It seemed I didn't have any obvious secret admirers in the classroom, perhaps because I was much younger compared to them, or because of the air of unapproachability I kept up.

I want to make the least possible impact on this class as possible unless I start seeing unfavorable changes from what I was to expect from the canon story. I just want some trustworthy and strong teammates I can surround myself with.

School ended without anything of particular importance to note. I received my pass from the registrar before I left school to be able to enter the medical library. I started making my way to the hospital before stopping in my tracks.

Something was off… I didn't know what it was, but something in my body told me not to go to the library right now. I kept walking around the village for a bit, stopping in stores without any intent to buy anything.

I had this eerie feeling about me that was unsettling.

Everytime I entered a store, I would browse around until I could get enough privacy to activate my byakugan. Each time I didn't see anything concerning or repeat shinobi signatures like they were following me.

Somehow that made things more unsettling for me. Was I just being paranoid?

I didn't know but I would rather be overly cautious than ignorantly incompetent. I continued taking these pit stops until I noticed something peculiar. There were some bugs that never seemed to stray too far from my position. They were completely devoid of chakra which made them easily dismiss-able, but how many times they had shown up during my searches was unsettling.

It would seem an Aburame could be following me… or I am deeply paranoid. I decided to go to the library anyways.

After arriving I checked in and was lead back to the trove of knowledge. I decided it would be idiotic to go for Orochimaru's research papers while I had a potential tail on me, so I merely sat in the common area and stacked medical text beside me starting to read and read. It's not like I still can't do productive things and establish a precedent that I come to this library just for light medial text.

Although the sheer number of documents and volumes of text I studied could in no way be considered 'light.'

Everything that had to do with anatomy, physiology, and chakra pathways I read greedily.

I needed it for the future.

I found myself uncomfortable and propping my head up with my hand slumped over trying to continue reading the text, but I was becoming slightly restless.

I looked up to the clock and realized it was becoming late. I had been excused from the clan's physical training today with the blessing of Hiashi. I told him I wanted to start learning the concepts behind physiology to help the effectiveness of my byakugan, and he admitted that it's a method used by many of the clan.

I wasn't allowed to access anything other than general documents of the Hyuga archives because of my lowly position in the clan and the fact I was not yet a full fledged shinobi. Hiashi considered to allow me entry but said that many of the main house would feel personally slighted if he let me. He seemed in favor of me dedicating my time this way.

I pulled my hood over my face activating my byakugan again. The same few bugs seemed to hover around the area outside the library and even noticed one inside on a roof panel.

I was now 99% certain I was being spied on… but why, for what reason? What could I have possibly done to the Aburame? Surely this wasn't some quaint recon on a blosseming pupil, why would they still be following me?

I started to feel a bit out of my element and I cursed to myself under my breath.

I cursed the one name I held in contempt over any other.

"Damn you Being-X."

…

Authors Notes: Zemptai-sama again, I'm thinking that there should be about 2 more chapters till the the impending Uchiha massacre. I've recently read over all my chapters after a few comments and realized that the quality of writing I was outputting was too low for my standards. I really want to continue pumping out content so I'll likely go back and edit/tweak the chapters in the future to fix this. This is my first attempt with 1st person and I've been neglecting my editing and revisions because when I start getting in that mode I never stop. I compulsively edit and revise endlessly until I lose the passion to write new material. I'm definitely a perfectionist at heart and I believe that it would be better if I post content quickly, get opinions, and revise later.

Thanks so much for sticking with my story this far! It means a lot to me. -No, really. I appreciate every reader and expect a much more smooth, polished story when I finally get to revisions!

Enjoy the story and I earnestly ask anyone who is willing to, to write me a review. I will cherish each and every one of them and respond as best as I can. I write so I can share with you guys, and it warms my heart to hear your opinions and interact with the readers.

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