OneShot #2: Don't Ask.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything related. Just like the show, a lot! :D

A/N: This is the Second of Three. Please read the Note at the end. Thank you!

Blood ran down his neck, the hot and sticky substance staining his clothing. He was panting, his breath coming in short little gasps as he nearly fell over a wooden beam on the ground in the alley, leaping over it at the last minute as he staggered to catch himself before taking off full speed again.

He came out in front of the Uchiha compound side entrance. The wall was taken in a moment, and he sighed in relief as he heard the footsteps thunder by. He made it. Eyes glittered from the darkness on his right as the boy leaped back over the wall.

"Dead. They're dead." Naruto whispered, hunched over on the bed in his underground office, running a hand down his face. His team. Ragna...his blood boiled at the name. They did this. Why...why wasn't he fast enough! Why?

"Hey."

"What?" Naruto snapped, irritated as he was trying to get paperwork done, glancing at his newest captain, Bear. The man blinked before he sighed. He had been told the story.

"Well...I just want to say that I really hate little kids. But...you seem kinda cool, so I'll let it slide. Don't let me down." Bear winked before he vanished. Naruto blinked now, shock on his face.

"Bear was taken out."

"Taken out? By who?"

"He was sent to deal with the rumors of the Uchiha massacure occuring tonight...it appears that...well..."

"Spit it out!" Naruto glared at Lizard who sighed.

"Uchiha Itachi has broken off and gone rouge nin. Class S. Killed Bear when Bear tried to stop him."

"W-What?" Lizard saw fear for the first time in the boy's eyes before Naruto was gone.

Swirling red eyes. Transforming into something more than they were before. Death. They screamed death.

ITACHI!

He sat up, panting. Sweat covered his body, a cold sweat, and he shivered as the wind blew the trees above.

"Taichou? What's the matter?" A voice asked from his right. Naruto stiffened and turned to glare at the ANBU, a faceless mask, as the normal for new recruits.

"Nothing." He snapped, vanishing. The new ANBU blinked in shock before he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't take it to heart. You're new...and this is your first overnight mission with him."

"...he do that a lot then?"

"Yeah. It's this unspoken rule in ANBU. You don't ask." The woman he was with, Tiger, patted his shoulder before falling back into her comfortable sleeping position.

The new recruit frowned. He had been in ANBU for only three months, but he would have expected to hear something of this. He saw the captain as he laid back, blinking in shock. The little boy that could easily pound him into the ground was far above the them, barely visible in the dark. The moon came out and framed his small body and the recruit realized with a start that the Captain's mask was off. Spiky hair was all he could distinguish. Then, suddenly a shout came up from his right. The commander was down in seconds, mask in place and kunai in hand.

However, it was quiet as Tiger walked over to pull up the dead scout. Fox retrieved his kunai and the recruit frowned. He never even saw his Commander throw it.

"They're close...Tiger, take the left battlement. I'll help him with the right." They split and the recruit struggled to keep up with the Fox Commander. It was silent as they waited for the enemy to appear, but the boy next to him spoke.

"You...did I say anything?" Fox asked. The recruit blinked.

"...Y-yeah." He mumbled. The boy stiffened.

"What? What did I say?"

"...Blood. Dead...and Nii-san." The recruit remembered the restless ramblings as he tried to ignore his commander's sudden tense atmosphere.

"That...all?"

"Yes."

"Good. Forget you heard any of it." Naruto ordered. The recruit blinked before nodding. In moments they were on the enemy, the bandit group of missing nin taken out in mere seconds. Blood drenched the clearing when they heard Tiger call out in the forest.

The pair flashed to her location quickly, the recruit falling behind as his captain launched into the trees double the speed from before. When the recruit arrived in the clearing, he only saw his commander with the mask standing over Tiger with a single bloodly kunai. Another ninja was dead next to the pair as Naruto helped Tiger to her feet.

"Thanks." She muttered. Naruto just nodded and glanced at the shocked recruit.

"Let's go. This mission is done." He stated before heading to grab the leader's head. A sealing scroll later and the head was gone. The pair followed Naruto back and the recruit nudged Tiger.

"What happened?" He whispered.

"Grabbed from behind. The leader was in the pack with me and I didn't notice until he was on me. Good thing Fox was so fast..." She trailed off as Naruto stopped. He heard every word and looked back at them. The recruit could almost feel the thrum of supressed emotion in the air.

"I would rather die then lose any of my subordinates again." Naruto half growled before leaping off. The recruit frowned. Again? Those dreams...just who was this kid?

"As I said—it's an unspoken but well kept rule in ANBU. Don't ask what the commander has been through, and you'll do just fine." Tiger stated before following him. The recruit followed with a frown. What could have happened...he shook his head furiously. No. He was new. He had no right. Maybe if he worked his way up, maybe then he would ask...maybe.

Until then, he would follow the rule: Don't. Ask.

A/N: So, oneshot #2. I am planning a Third before I launch the first book of the Three Part Saga. I am brushing it up now and then will put the third oneshot in later. After that the launch, and therefore true story behind Naruto, will begin! Whooot!

Be looking for the next OneShot here, and then the launch of: 'A Fox's Mask: Book One: Captain Commander' soon to follow!