Hi everyone, this is the first story I've ever uploaded onto ! I would say it's my first story ever, but it's not. I've written lots more, but this is the first one I've decided to expose to the scrutiny of the public eye, so scrutinize away! I'm not sure whether or not I'm going to post the others, in comparison to this one, they're probably terrible, but I won't say this story is anything fabulous either. I don't have much confidence when it comes to my writing, so if you like it, please tell me!
I've tried to make it as accurate as possible (even did some research :3), but there are some differences, twists, and scenarios that would almost never happen in the real manga/anime. Some people might be a little OOC, too. Oh, and I suppose there are some spoilers ahead, so if you haven't read the real thing, beware...
This idea came to me a short while ago, when I was looking at some pictures of Anbu Naruto on my beloved Youtube. He looked so cool, I just couldn't resist making a story about it! And I love the NaruxHina pairing. I hope to make this ongoing as well, but I'm not sure how really, so I'm open to any ideas you might have to share with me! On that note, let's get on with the story! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. *Sighs* If only, if only...
Chapter One: Mask
by: VampireNamedRaphael
Naruto rolled onto his back silently, sunlight was streaming through his window, warming his face exponentially. Was it seriously morning already? It felt as though he had just barely fallen asleep, his limps were heavy with exhaustion and he couldn't will himself to open his eyes. His most recent mission had taken a lot out of him, but then again, when didn't it?
Ever since he had been selected and admitted into the Anbu (more forced than admitted) two years ago, he hadn't gotten a days rest. But what had he expected? When he was younger he knew near to nothing about the organization, except that they executed extremely difficult, often A rank, missions that ranged from scouting in enemy territory to assassinations. It was a fairly accurate portrayal of what they did, minus some of the gory details and dark secrets, purposefully held from the public.
This was the extent of an average ninja's knowledge of the Anbu, most villagers knew even less, and the rest was kept confidential. He had been so ignorant when he was young, but as they say, ignorance is bliss. He had seen so many things, regretted so much, and suffered a great deal in the past few years, and these things had changed him. He had grown and matured a considerable amount; emotionally, intellectually, psychologically, and even physically. Change was an odd thing. Naruto was almost nothing like the boy he had been when he was young.
Snorting, he flipped onto his side, partially amused, in a bitter way, that he no longer thought of himself as young. He had been that same boy in his thoughts not three years ago, he was nineteen now.
The sun continued to heat his body until the warmth became unbearable, irritated, he slung his arm over his face. Instantly, the white light that could previously be seen behind his eyelids vanished, to be replaced by a cool darkness. It was odd, he had once enjoyed the sun, flourished in the daytime, reveled in the summer, but now, all of that was gone. Night was his element, the moon brought him comfort and peace of mind, and the cold harshness of winter refreshed him. If only it wasn't mid-July...
Sighing, he flipped back onto his back, removed his arm from his face and opened one emotionless, cerulean blue eye. He stared up at the blank ceiling for a moment before opening the second from which, out of the corner of his eye, he could see the vibrant red tattoo on his left arm. In some way or another, it resembled a spiral, signifying that he was leaf, or so he supposed. They had never really explained why he had to get the thing, just that it was mandatory, a mark to help distinguish him from ordinary ninja.
Naruto frowned in disapproval, it was a brand.
It wasn't that he disliked working under lady Tsunade, she treated everyone fairly and tried to listen to their concerns. In fact, Tsunade helped make the job just a little more bearable for him. She let him rest for a few hours on occasion and always seemed to worry about him. Ever since Jaraiya's death, she had tried to fill the role as a guardian figure for him, but she received no response.
His parents were dead. They had been since he was a baby, so it hardly bothered him, although he often wondered what they had been like. His own father was the fourth Hokage, so of course Naruto was proud to be his son, although not many others knew he was. And of course, his mother had been very beautiful or so he'd been told. He had no photos of either parent.
Finally urging himself to move, Naruto slid his legs off his thin futon and sat up, blinking tiredly. He glanced around the small apartment and yawned widely, his sharp canines glistening like a dogs'. Sighing again, he ran a hand through his blond hair; it was slightly longer than it had once been, but was still manageable and spiky as ever. He stretched lazily, arching his back like a cat until he heard his spine pop, then slowly rose from the floor.
A sudden muscle spasm in his leg sent him sprawling back down onto his stomach on the hard, wood floor. Eyes widening in shock, he sat up and pulled up his pant leg, only to find a semi-healed gash that ran from the inside of his ankle, up his calve, to his knee. This awareness of one pain led him to discover a second. He looked down at his chest, well muscled and covered in little scars, and found that a fresh wound could be found just below his heart.
Oh yeah... He had had a very close call last night. His enemy had been more clever than he had anticipated, the ninja had feigned death until Naruto was upon him, then quickly slashed him twice with an agile katana before Naruto could jump back. It had been a stupid mistake on his part, apparently having almost cost him his life. It was just so easy to underestimate your enemy when you knew you were so much more powerful. He finished the job soon after the nin surprised him.
He was unsurprised however, that he had failed to remember the injuries that had been inflicted upon him the previous day. It wasn't that he no longer felt pain, just that it's constant presence had somehow made it more tolerable, or rather dulled his senses. All the same, he would stop by the hospital and let the medical ninja heal his wounds sometime later.
He continued to lay there on the floor, thinking about all of his friends and acquaintances, Sakura was doing incredibly nowadays. She had continued to train underneath the lady Hokage for the past few years and her medical jutsu was unrivaled, along with her inhumane strength. She was tall and pretty, and no longer relied on others to protect her or give her encouragement. She smiled often and was kind to others, the villagers all knew, loved, and respected her; a fine woman.
But despite all that, Naruto no longer felt the way he once had about her. He hadn't loved her from the start, at least, not really, it was more of an infatuated obsession than love. What was love anyway? He hadn't any idea, having never even received it from his parents as a child. Anyways, Sakura hadn't once looked his way in all the years he had spent watching over her.
Truly, he never had a chance. To this day she pined after him. Sasuke. The village had stopped concerning themselves with the missing-nin approximately one year ago, when there were rumors spoken of his leaving the country, of his disappearing from the continent altogether. No one knew why, except maybe that there was nothing left to hold him there, having taken revenge on his brother. There hadn't been a single sighting of him since. In fact Naruto had given up on dragging Sasuke back to Konoha before the villagers, even. The burden was too heavy, he was tired of suffering, desperately trying to fulfill his obligation to Sakura, and already knowing that the outcome wouldn't be successful. His former team mate was never coming back and it didn't matter, did it? The world would go on without the selfish, vengeful boy, not many people even cared that he was gone. The last Uchiha. Like an endangered animal on the verge of extinction. There was nothing to be done for him.
Sai was doing just swell, the artist had somehow managed to escape Danzo's clutches and between missions he spent his time drawing and attempting to build relationships. Naruto could no longer see the resemblance between the two men, they were nothing alike, in appearance or otherwise, and he couldn't believe he had once compared Sai to Sasuke.
Everyone else was doing fine as well, some, like Ten-Ten, Kiba, and Chouji, moved on to become Jounin and receive teams of their very own. Ino retired from the ninja world in hopes of pursuing her true calling of inheriting her parents flower shop. Others, such as Shino and Neji, became successful and recognized, developing new techniques and rising through the ranks. Many even went on to find romance amongst themselves,although Naruto hardly payed attention to who was coupled with whom. The only other admitted into the Anbu being Shikamaru, the so called genius, and probably Naruto's closest friend.
Silently standing for a second time, Naruto began to dress in preparation for another long day. Quickly, he donned a tight, black, sleeve and shoulder-less undershirt, smoothing the fabric carefully over the cut on his chest so as not to agitate it. He was already wearing the black ninja pants, pouch still strapped around his right leg with white tape. He slipped on the white Anbu vest, carefully zipping up the armor that had spared his life many a time. He gloved his hands in black material that extended until several inches below his shoulder, where they cut off smoothly, clearly exposing his horrible brand. Over these went long white forearm guards, designed to be light and efficient. He buckled a belt, upon which more pouches full of his gear rested, around his waist, while stepping into a pair of basic, black, ninja sandals. Scrutinizing his appearance in the mirror located near his wardrobe, he wrapped more white tape around the tops of his gloves in order to hold them in place.
Finally satisfied, he went and retrieved his mask from his bedpost and examined it carefully for any nicks or scratches. The animal mask, worn by each and every member of the Anbu, was a little piece of their identity, chosen specifically for them and designed to portray an image of the beast they most resembled. It not only concealed one's true identity, but created a new one for them, and was probably the most valuable possession any Anbu had.
Naruto's mask, was that of a kitsune, a fox, and he had never once let anything ill befall it.
He carefully placed the thing over his face, using the thin black ribbons to tie it behind his head, then letting the long strands fall down his back.
It was snow white, with erect ears and slanted eyes, similar to the eye slits in the mask Haku had once worn. It had a short muzzle with a black triangle, the nose, at the tip, and an expressionless mouth to match. Near the eyes were graceful red swirls and the ears were colored as well. It was an incredible work of art and he was almost proud to wear it.
Lastly, he clasped Tsunade's necklace around his neck (yes, he still wore it) and on his way out, grabbed his ninjato from by the door, slinging it over his shoulder as he went. He had never quite given up on his dream to become Hokage, but he realized now just how far from attaining that position he was, therefore he no longer felt the need to boast about it. Had he really ever been that immature? The prospect seemed not only improbable, but impossible.
The moment he stepped over the threshold, he vanished completely, only to reappear in a flash upon the thick branch of a giant maple tree located nearby. It was uncommon for anbu to walk around in the open, let alone broad daylight. In the past, it signified that something was amiss, the village was in danger, under attack, or something of the like. Maybe someone important had died. Whatever. Eventually, Anbu became somewhat of a bad omen and over time, many began to fear the mysterious ninja.
Yes, it was definitely best to stay hidden, he didn't want to cause a panic or disturbance of any kind.
Without making so much as a sound, he flashed from tree to tree, examining the goings on of the villagers from afar.
Speed and silence were two skills he had to either learn, or die a young death at the hands of his enemy. Those two talents were essential to survival as an Anbu, the first things a ninja had to learn on joining the organization. He had taken longer to develop them then the average guy, having lacked both beforehand, but was now close to their fastest man.
Naruto hardly thought of where he was going, his feet knew the way by heart (if feet had hearts), even with the detour through the trees. He sped up until the scenery rushing by was just a blur, then leaped to the rooftops, putting little to no pressure on the slats so as not to alert the inhabitants of his passing. He glanced down at the tops of the heads of the townspeople as he flew by, recognizing few. As he neared his destination, familiar buildings began springing up in front of him, he cast a longing glance at Ichiraku's shop. He hadn't eaten there in well over a year, but it would always be his favorite.
He was so close now. The mountain in which the kages' faces were erected was looming over him already.
Suddenly, just yards away, he began to feel faint, lightheaded, and even mildly sick to his stomach. What was wrong with him? He hadn't done anything today! Balancing on the edge of a high roof, he paused to regain his breath directly in front of the tall Hokage building. His breathing was labored and, feeling a sharp pain, he pressed his hand to his chest. It was wet. Bright blue eyes widening in shock, he looked down, only to find his vest and hand to be stained with his blood. Oh yeah. He had forgotten about the gash. Again. He examined his leg and found the damage to be even worse than it had been that morning.
His vision was blurring, it didn't help that all he had to see through were the thin slits in his mask, and a warm feeling was spreading throughout his body. His mind drifted and he couldn't think, remember where he was, or where he was going, or even what he had intended to do upon arrival.
Then he was falling, making no attempt to stop himself from doing so, until he finally landed with a loud thud one the ground two stories down. He didn't even feel the impact. Dust swirled around his body, his sightless eyes were half lidded, completely caught up in the feeling of contentment and easy simplicity that he had slipped into. He no longer cared that people around him could see him or that they were shouting worriedly. Nothing mattered enough to hold him there. Wouldn't it be so much easier to just lie there forever? He had no reason to get up, to keep moving... All these thoughts ran through his head, over and over, as he slowly lost consciousness.
...
An immeasurable number of hours of dreamless sleep later, he slowly blinked awake. He stared up at a plain white ceiling, not unlike his own, and realized that he was lying on a fairly soft surface. Well, at least he wasn't still on the ground.
Without moving, he took in the room around him, it was small and white, with hard, tiled floors and a little window from which sunlight still streamed. So he really hadn't slept that long. Of course he hadn't. He could no longer sleep for more than a few hours at a time, a big part of the reason he was always so tired. Insomnia. That didn't stop him from feeling extremely rested, though. There was one wooden door to his left. Long counters covered in equipment of some sort lined the walls, and a couple of chairs stood next to the single bed in the center of the room, which he currently occupied.
He was in the hospital. Ugh.
His vest and shirt had been stripped from his body, the wound on his chest wrapped. His pant leg had been rolled up so that the slash on his leg could be treated too.
With a start, he discovered that his mask had been removed as well, nd he almost instantly slipped into a panic. He couldn't have lost it could he?! Cold dread clencahed in his stomach and squeezed his heart. Where was it?! He leaped off the bed, looking around wildly. Franticly, he began rooting through the cabinets above the smooth counters, tossing the hospital utensils over his shoulder as he searched. He tore the the sheets from the bed, already sure that it wasn't there. There were no hooks on the walls from which it could be hung either. The piece of porcelain wasn't in the room.
This was most certainly bad, he hadn't been without the thing since he had joined the Anbu, it was his identity, the only material possession that he cared about in the slightest and he valued it more than anything! Maybe even his own life!
Desperate now, he ran to the door, grasped the knob and yanked as hard as he could. It was locked. Damn. Someone had known he would try and escape. He stood there for a moment, struggling with an internal conflict. He could break down the door, but it would draw unwanted attention toward him, not to mention the doctors wouldn't be too happy with him for it, but if he did, he could get out sooner. He whirled on the little window, but it was just that, little. He could never fit through the tiny square opening and it didn't have a latch either. Turning back to the door, he rattled the knob violently with one hand, pounding on the wood with the other. The brass piece would be in grave danger of snapping off if he didn't stop stressing it, fortunately for the knob, a key was inserted on the other side, causing him to release it almost instantly.
Naruto stepped back, allowing whoever it was on the outside of the room to enter. The door swung open slowly, just an inch or two, but so slowly that he was tempted to grip the edge and tear it from it's hinges. All the sooner to continue his search for the mask. Someone was murmuring quietly outside.
He waited. Finally, the door was flung open, slamming against the adjacent wall to reveal a tall woman with long, soft, pink hair (she'd let it grow out again) and fierce, green eyes. She was glaring daggers at him.
He stared at her for a moment, waiting for her to speak and impatient to escape from the hospital and commence with his search. But she wouldn't say a thing! Her mouth was set in a hard line and she seemed content to just stab him with her eyes. He decided he had best initiate the argument that was most certainly inevitable.
"Sakura," he acknowledged her in a calm voice, disguising the anxiety and sense of loss he truly felt.
She snapped. "Don't Sakura me!" she screeched. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" Her long, white, medical coat swished furiously around her knees.
He didn't even flinch. "Whatever do you mean, I'm perfectly fine," he replied coolly.
"Fine?! FINE?!! You just collapsed from blood loss!! You could've died!! You IDIOT! What were you thinking!!
"I wasn't thinking..."
"Well, maybe you should start!! Preferably some time soon! Ugggggggghh!! Why didn't you come in last night?! Surly you knew that injuries such as those (here she gestured angrily toward his bandaged wounds) require immediate treatment?! So, what? You sleep on them then decide to go running the next morning?! You don't heal as fast as you used to, Naruto!
I had to take time from my schedule, which is extremely busy mind you, in order to stop your profuse bleeding, stitch those hideous gashes, and give you a blood transfusion!! It set me back a great deal, I was just apologizing to yet another patient who has to wait while I check up on you!"
He let her rant, never giving her any reason to suspect he wasn't actually paying any attention to the words, while his thoughts traveled back to his mask...
"Are you even listening to me?!" She screamed.
Apparently she could read minds.
"This is serious!! How many times have you been in here, just this month?! Six?! Seven?! You need to start taking better care of yourself, I swear one of these days.." she trailed off.
"I understand, I'll do better next time." She didn't answer, she'd just glanced around the room and was absorbing the amount of damage he had caused with a look of horror that was quickly transforming into fury. Before she could explode again, he decided it was time to take his leave. "Well, if that's all, I'll be going. Thank you for everything you did."
He was striding down the hall two seconds later when he heard her running after him. He rolled his eyes and quickened his pace.
"Oi!" She called to his retreating figure. "I wasn't finished lecturing you!" When he showed no signs of stopping, she gave up and stood in the middle of the hall. "Lady Hokage wants to see you immediately, I've already told her about the incident! And try not exert yourself too much today, I won't treat those wounds of yours a second time!"
He raised a hand in farewell and hopefully to communicate to her that her concern wasn't necessary. The message must have gotten through because she didn't say anything else, except to huff loudly at him. He could hear her footsteps disappearing down the hall.
He knew that she meant well with her nagging, after all, she did care about him in her way, but it was still annoying. As well as time consuming... Now, he had to go directly to the Hokage's office, without searching for his mask.
His chest was still bare but for the bandages, when he exited the building. Thankfully his residence was nearby, and he flashed in and out of his apartment in less than twenty seconds. When he came out, he had on another plain, black, sleeveless shirt.
From there he moved quickly towards the Hokage building, staying out of view, and ever conscious of his injuries, unlike his previous exploit. It took longer, but soon he stood in front of the place he knew the old woman was. Sighing, he stared up at the structure for a moment, then disappeared. He rematerialized in an instant, standing in the center of her private office.
"Tsunade-sama." He addressed her by name.
Her chair had been facing the window as she surveyed the town below her, now it swiveled around so that her eyes could pierce his. She didn't speak at first, waiting for him to, just as Sakura had. Like Master, like apprentice.
"Haruno-san said you wished to see me?" He hated the formalities, but it was custom, and Naruto no longer broke the rules.
She sighed. "Yes, I suppose she did, although you would have come anyway, wouldn't you?"
"Of course. I must be briefed on my next mission."
"Not today." He frowned, unsure what she meant by that. "Or tomorrow, or the day after," she continued. "Do you have any idea how big a disturbance you caused this morning? A big one. Anbu don't just collapse in the middle of the road. It took a full hour to assure those who witnessed it that everything was fine. Your recklessness is not only affecting you, but the people around you. Sakura has expressed her concerns to me, she says you've been by the hospital quite a lot lately. Your slipping and one of these days a simple mistake could end up being fatal for you. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't have complete confidence in your skills, but to tell you the truth, even I'm a little worried..."
He nodded at her words. "Yes, forgive me, I'll be more careful..." he stared longingly out the huge window.
"Is something wrong? You seem a bit... Distracted." She was as observant as ever.
"It's nothing. I seem to have misplaced something very important to me..."
"Ah," she replied knowingly, "could it possibly be... This?" she pulled his Anbu mask out from underneath her desk with a flourish and watched as his eyes widened in shock. "Yes, I had Sakura bring it to me. It's been a while since I've seen your real face." she said chuckling. "You've changed a lot."
Self-consciously, he covered his eyes and nose with one hand.
"Anyways, I agree with Sakura. You've been overworked and it's having a negative effect on your health, relationships, mind, and well-being. I'm clearing your entire schedule for the next couple of weeks. You aren't allowed to go on any missions or think of your job at all during that amount of time. You're on sick leave. I just hope this is something you can recover from."
Naruto was about to protest, claim that everything was fine, and demand his mask be returned to him, when the woman interrupted him before he could begin. His frown deepened.
"I've already made my decision, so don't argue, you can't change my mind. Think of yourself as being on vacation, if your needed desperately for a mission, I won't hesitate to let you back, but trust me, you won't be needed. We have no shortage of Anbu, so go out and do something! Visit your old friends, relax, train like you used to, get some ramen, anything! I'll hold onto this until that time is up." she traced the mask's left eye slit with her pinky finger.
Naruto didn't reply. He hadn't expected this in the least. What was he supposed to do for two whole weeks?! He was also slightly irritated that she didn't have faith in him, had he really changed that much?
"That's all, you may go," she said tiredly, obviously hinting the the conversation was over.
He left the room without a word, the little crease between his eyebrows still present.
~X~
Well, that's all for now! Hope you liked it! I know there was no Hinata-chan in this chapter, but there ought to be next time! Until then!
Please review! Onegai! If you do, I might be tempted to put out the next chapter sooner! Eh, eh? Great offer right? And, I'm not sure who would, 'cause I think it's mean, but no flames! It's damaging to my self-esteem. Constructive criticism is welcome! Bye-bye!
~Raphael-chan