Behind the Mask
Rated: T for language and violence
Disclaimer: Naruto characters (c) Masashi Kishimoto
Summary: We all wear masks. But that only makes it harder to tell the difference between truth and lies.

Note: Thanks to Joele and Starfire201

Please review.

005:书 法
(calligraphy)

Governor Feng's daughter stared up at the ceiling of her roof as she felt the maids cool hands comb through her silky hair. There was a rap at the door and the maid withdrew her hands to answer it. The girl felt relieved at once. She heard footsteps entering her room and she turned her head slightly to see a middle aged man of average height set down a tray of tea and some cakes. His white hair was gathered back into a ponytail and glasses adorned his face.

"Kabuto-xianggong, you come here so often I can hardly think your intentions are good." The maid complained, hands on her hips.

"Shut up." Said the girl sharply. "Kabuto can take care of me now. Leave."

The maid concealed her ill-tempered frown from the girl and bowed her head before leaving the room.

Kabuto removed his cloak and sighed. "You are so tough on them Temari-xiaojie, I don't think any of the maids actually like you."

"Who cares?" Said Feng Temari with indifference as she combed through the rest of the silky strands of blond hair herself.

"I heard you met a shinobi today." Said Kabuto casually as he set out the tea cups on a small table.

Temari turned slightly to look at Kabuto, an emotion resembling affection gleaming in her eyes. She remembered the first time she met Kabuto. She had been trying to climb over the high wall that separated their home from the outside world. She lost her footing and had let out a shrill scream as she fell. The next moment, she had landed on something fairly soft and certainly not the ground. Kabuto had been twenty-five at the time and Temari found out that he was going to be her new bodyguard.

Temari despised him at first. Their family had never needed bodyguards before and she certainly didn't need one now. However, the white haired boy began to grow on her. He viewed the world through a much different lens than Temari was used to and didn't treat Temari like a baby, which was what all the others did. For a while, Temari harbored a crush on Kabuto, although she was far past that now. He may have been past her crush, but Temari still treated Kabuto with some affection.

"I did." Said Temari glancing over at Kabuto. "Where have you been?" She gave Kabuto a suspicious glance. Her ever present bodyguard had been absent for the day and Temari was curious as to where he could have been.

"I had to do something." Said Kabuto curtly in a voice that said he wouldn't be talking about it anymore. Temari was familiar with this tone.

"Her name was Wu He. Do you know of her?" Temari asked, regretting the tone of voice that she had used earlier.

"She's a shinobi." Said Kabuto, putting some disgust into his voice. "They are dangerous. Your father wouldn't want you to consort with them."

Temari eyed Kabuto in the mirror, her eyes had a hard edge in them. She hated it when Kabuto suddenly seemed to remember that she was the Governor's daughter. It may have been his job to protect her life, but it wasn't his job to run it. "I'll socialize with whoever I want." She snapped, her irritation coming out.

"Don't bring danger into your father's house." Kabuto scolded as he set out the small cakes on a dish.

"That's what you're here for." Temari replied.

"You're going to get married soon, Temari-xiaojie." Kabuto said sharply as he looked at her.

Temari pursed her lips, getting aggravated. She did not want to be reminded. Temari squeezed her eyes shut as she spoke. "You are not my mother." She snapped, "I don't want any food. I'm tired now."

Kabuto halted in his work and then replied to her in a cool tone. "Then go to bed."

Temari turned to look at Kabuto and he stared back at her, his eyes appraising her through his glasses. Kabuto finally conceded to her request and stood up, leaving the tea and cakes on the table where they would get cold. He moved towards the window as Temari stared at her mirror.

"Winter is coming. I'll shut the windows for you."

Glossary:
Xiaojie- Chinese honorific, the equivalent of Miss
Xianggong – Chinese honorific, refers to young men

"You...don't think we should stay another night do you?" Said Sakura hesitantly.

"Huh?" Naruto turned to Sakura unexpectedly.

Sakura sat down at the small table that was situated in their guest room and fiddled nervously with a piece of her pink hair. Sunlight shone through the windows and their breakfast remained forgotten at the table they were sitting at. Naruto's gaze turned concerned as he looked at his friend and he quickly took a seat next to her at the table. He put his warm hand over hers. "Sakura, what's wrong?"

"Something...has really being nagging at me." Sakura explained. "I was able to delude myself that it wasn't there, what with seeing Tsunade and being in Peking and all, but..." Sakura shook her head. "It doesn't hide the fact that Orochimaru could still be in the city."

"Oh..." Said Naruto, sitting back. His face seemed just as troubled as Sakura's. "You're worried about Tsunade."

Sakura gave him a wry grin. Naruto was like that, always able to predict just what was at the source of her worries. "You know me best." She replied.

Naruto gave her a sympathetic smile. "Tsunade can handle herself, I think. Plus, she was the snake's teammate. No one would know him better than her. Right?"

"That's true..." Said Sakura nodding her head. She allowed herself a small grin, finding it ironic that Naruto used the same reasoning she herself has used. "But..."

"We can stay for a while, just in case." Amended Naruto. "Besides, we were going to treat this like a vacation right?" He grinned, the smile lighting up his entire face.

Sakura nodded her head, smiling in return. "You're right. And I think the hospital can probably function without me for a few days..."

Naruto shook his head as if to shake off the thought. "The hospital will be fine." He said encouragingly. "You've trained everyone there to the best of your abilities. So until Kakashi decides to meet us here, we should just relax! We're in one of the greatest cities in the country!"

Naruto looked exuberant at the thought of exploring the city and Sakura let out a laugh. Naruto was right, there really should have fun, no matter how short of a time they had. So she pushed away her concerns about Tsunade and the thought of a pressing conversation she needed to have with Naruto. She would wait until they were back in Konoha for that.

The maid fixed the last of the dangling gold hair pieces into Temari's hair. She took a step back and admired the work that had taken her little over an hour to do.

"Very good! Hen hao!" The head maid exclaimed from behind them. She clasped her hands, proud of her disciples work.

Temari rolled her eyes. Personally, she didn't care what her hair looked like at this point. She smudged the bright red dye on her lips before turning to the maids. The hair pieces clanked together, swinging around Temari's face creating a harmonious melody that jangled in the air.

"Leave." She commanded, her voice harsh.

The smile on the maid's faces fell as the sullenly left the room. It really was no mystery as to why any of the maids in the Feng household or any household that the Feng's stayed in weren't fans of Temari's. Her harsh attitude scared most of them away and angered the other half.

Temari looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair fell in intricate loops, adorned by hair pieces. Her eyelids were layered with gold paint and her face was powdered till it was flawless. She hated her reflection. She hated the flawless, porcelain doll that was staring back at her. Temari knew, within the deepest part of her heart that the girl staring back at her, the girl that everyone saw, was the exact opposite of the person she was.

The silence in the room was punctuated by a loud yell as Temari shrieked in anger and slammed her hands on the delicate table. She reached her hands up to pull the ornaments out of her hair when her younger brother rushed through the door, grabbing her hands before she could do any damage. She thrashed around, trying to get out of his grip.

"Let go of me!" She screamed.

Her brother lowered her hands by force till she stopped struggling.

"Don't cry." He said calmly as he smoothed back a strand of hair that fell out of place while she was thrashing around. "Compose yourself." He demanded, his voice a tad harsher than it should have been.

Temari shivered once before recomposing herself. She took a fan from off the table and flicked it out. "I'm not marrying him, Gaara." She told her brother firmly.

Temari didn't want to plead and she didn't want to look desperate. Those were the most pathetic things in her book and she would detest herself if she had to do those things in front of her younger brother.

"Temari," Feng Gaara addressed her with authority as he pushed his hand through his red hair. He thought about the best way to answer her before he spoke again. "You have no choice." The truth was painful, but sometimes it really was for the best...

If he could lie to his older sister, he would, but there was simply no way she could get out of this one. At the age of eighteen, Gaara was steadfast and powerful. He made enemies with those who threatened his family and made friends with no one. His father had seen potential in him and made him heir to the family over his older brother Kankuro. Gaara did have one weakness however and that was Temari. Their mother had died after contracting a deadly illness when Gaara had only been a few years old and Temari had been the mother he never had. He would risk his life to protect her, but this was simply something that had to be done. They both knew it.

She turned to him and her eyes were pleading. "Please Gaara! You are heir to baba's position! You can convince him!"

Gaara shook his head and turned around. "Taking over for ba is my duty. Yours is to marry. We all have a duty to this family."

Temari turned back in her seat and crossed her arms. She wanted to argue, to yell at Gaara and tell him that he was wrong for once. Unfortunately, the words never came out of Temari's mouth because she knew she would be telling a lie. "I know." She said stubbornly. "Still, it doesn't mean I can't hate baba for making me do this."

"And that is ba's duty. He does what is best for the family, even if it makes us hate him." Gaara placed a hand on Temari's shoulder, but she still refused to look at him.

"Depressing job..." Muttered Temari under her breath. Gaara didn't seem to hear her so she flicked her fan shut and slammed it back down on the vanity. "I won't like him." Temari said coldly.

Gaara knew she was no longer talking about their father. "Maybe in time…" He started. Gaara knew that it was a futile attempt to soothe Temari with the fact that some arranged marriages did end up with the participants loving each other. Fostered love was love nonetheless...

This was Temari, however, and Gaara didn't need to see the future to know that his strong headed and ill-tempered older sister would never love a man she was forced to marry.

"No!" Temari said angrily, much to Gaara's expectation. "I know this marriage is only so we can get the…"

"That's enough Temari!" Said Gaara, putting a stop to Temari's words before she could speak the truth they both knew.

"Why hide it?" Spat Temari. "We both know it's true. I'm just...a pawn for my own father to use to his liking."

"Temari..." Warned Gaara wearily. "Don't speak such words."

"It's true." Temari replied, turning back toward the mirror. "I've been pawned off to become a slave to the Uchiha. A glorified baby maker so they can rebuild their retched clan. The child of such a union would only turn out to be a cursed thing; I'll tell you that now, brother. Maybe I'll miscarry. That's an appealing option..."

Gaara ground his teeth. He hated Temari speaking that way. He hated the fact that Temari would even consider killing her own child just because she wanted to prove something to their father.

"Maybe I won't have a child at all..." Temari mused. "It's a little early to tell anyway..."

"You shouldn't say such things." Murmured Gaara. "I know you wouldn't want them to come true."

"How would you know? You don't even know me." Said Temari.

Gaara looked at his sister strangely. "I think that I of all people know you the best! You've raised me since I was a child!"

"People can change..." Said Temari shrugging her shoulders. She pushed back her chair, edging Gaara out of her way. Gaara stared at his sister incredulously as she grabbed an outdoor cloak from her wardrobe.

"You've been so strange...ever since you came back from the desert..." Said Gaara shaking his head.

Temari whirled on him, her eyes bright. "Don't ever speak of that again. Do you hear me?"

Gaara bit his lip from speaking back to Temari. He might have been the family heir and a male, but he was taught to never speak out against his elders, including his sister.

He closed his eyes and spoke again. "You know that I will support you through this marriage." He explained carefully. "Just don't do anything that you will later regret."

Glossary:
Hen hao-Very good
Baba - father

A light breeze wafted in through the open window in Tsunade's study. Temari sat diligently at the desk, although she didn't look very happy to be there. Temari's head drooped a little as her brush created the delicate strokes on the paper.

Temari sighed. "Why is it even important for me to continue these studies?" She complained as she laid her brush gently on the stone. "I'm getting married."

"Do you think your husband will want a dull wife? It is important for a woman of your stature to be able to fully understand and explain Confucian topics." Explained Kabuto. He folded his hands over each other as he stood guard at the door. "Besides, this is only temporary. I'm sure Tsunade-furen will find you a suitable tutor soon enough."

"And had I been a peasant I wouldn't be forced to take these studies." Temari muttered.

"I'm sorry that you can't have the luxury of sword fighting all day." Said Kabuto sternly. Temari's eyes lifted from the paper and she fixed Kabuto with a stern stare. Kabuto's gaze was unwavering as he looked back.

A maid entered the room, disrupting the tension between the two and gave a slight bow. "Excuse me Feng-xiao jie, Kabuto-xianggong. Wu He-nushi is here to see you."

Kabuto narrowed his eyes. "You must tell her Temari-xiaojie is busy right now." Said Kabuto in a firm voice. He had orders to keep the shinobi away from Temari...

The maid bowed her head to him. "I'll tell her." She said as she turned to leave.

Temari didn't look up from her work as she addressed the maid. "Show her in."

The maid stopped and looked momentarily shocked before she quickly bowed to Temari. "Yes." She gave a bow again and quickly left.

Kabuto sighed, aggravated at Temari's nerve. "She will only bring trouble." He warned.

Temari ignored Kabuto's remark and wiped her brush clean on ink and placed it on the ink tone. "I have a guest." Temari stated coldly. Although veiled, it clearly told Kabuto that his presence was no longer wanted.

It seemed to Temari that ever since Kabuto had learned that there were shinobi here, he had become tense and un-agreeing. Temari was going to make it a point of hers to get to the bottom of why Kabuto was acting so strange, but right now he was just making her angry. Kabuto pursed his lips before quietly slipping from the room.

"This way." Said the maid gesturing through the doorway with her hand.

Sakura nodded before entering. She thought it would be nice and courteous of her to visit Governor Feng's daughter again as Naruto was taking the time to visit Izumo. The maid left as Sakura stepped into Tsunade's study. She spotted Temari at Tsunade's desk as Temari got up from her seat. Sakura noted that Tsunade's study was quickly losing its status as Tsunade's own private place as Temari seemed to have made it her own.

"Wu He! How nice to see you again." Said Temari, a light smile on her face as she walked over to Sakura and grasped her hands.

"You aren't busy now are you?" Asked Sakura as she tilted her head slightly at Temari.

"No." Said Temari as she waved her hand in a dismissal fashion. "I'm bored." She sighed, still grasping Sakura's one hand while she led her farther into the room.

Sakura's bright green eyes darted around the room, quickly taking in the surrounding area. A lingering chakra signature registered on Sakura's senses, putting her on guard. Sakura's thoughts had been consumed by Orochimaru, but now Sakura recalled Tenten's ominous statement about their being a thief in the Feng household. Unfortunately, the chakra signature was too faint for Sakura to really analyze it.

"You are doing calligraphy?" Sakura asked, her eyes finally resting on the paper and brush on the desk. She pushed her suspicions to the back of her mind. All the thoughts of Orochimaru and a criminal in the Feng household were making her batty.

"I can write your name, if you'd like." Temari offered. She dropped Sakura's hand and walked around to Tsunade's beautiful lacquered desk, and flipped to a new sheet.

Temari carefully sat back down in her seat, folding her dress behind her. Temari picked up the brush she had previously left and dipped it in some ink before holding up her silk sleeve and putting the brush to the paper. Sakura followed the quick and decisive movements of her hand.

Temari stopped, her brush ending in a light movement. She placed the brush down, the light smile still on her face. "There." Said Temari, pleased with her work.

Sakura stepped closer to inspect Temari's work. "Beautiful. Your calligraphy is so graceful. You know calligraphy is similar to fencing." She noted.

Temari met Sakura's eyes through her mask. Temari's face was impassive as she answered. "Maybe it is...I wouldn't know."

Sakura nodded politely.

"Please." said Temari standing up and gesturing towards another chair by the window with her hand.

Sakura sat down on the window seat that overlooked one of Tsunade's many beautiful gardens. The window gave them a view of some willow trees and peonies that were slowly wilting with the autumn air. Temari joined her by the window and sat down next to her. "Your clothes look very elegant today." Sakura breathed, eying the delicate folds in her expensive silk outfit.

"Yes, they are aren't they?" Said Temari, a slight tone of resentment in her voice.

"I must thank you for seeing me today." Said Sakura bowing her head. "You must be so busy with preparations. Your wedding is soon right?"

Temari tilted her head, the ornaments in her hair clinking together. "Yes…" She replied hesitantly, "But I find that it is better if I don't think of it too often."

Sakura lowered her eyes. The animosity in Temari's voice was apparent. "Your family is so honorable for setting up such a good marriage." Sakura replied neutrally.

Temari frowned. "I'm afraid I cannot agree. This marriage is all for gain." She said with harsh contempt.

Sakura paused, unsure of how to speak. "But…your parents love you and I'm sure they only want what is best for you. They must be proud to set up such a beneficial marriage for you." She hesitantly placed her hand over Temari's.

"Don't talk to me about my parents." Said Temari in a surprisingly harsh attitude. She quickly withdrew her hand from under Sakura's. "My mother is dead and my father doesn't care a thing about me. If he did, he wouldn't force me to marry. He would let me live my life the way I want to." Her argument with Gaara seemed to follow Temari, resounding in her thoughts.

Sakura was shocked by Temari's outburst. Her mind was reeling by what Temari had revealed to her. "Temari-xiaojie, I…"

Temari quickly turned her head away and cast her eyes downward, as if she suddenly remembered her place. She covered her mouth with her hand. "Excuse me, Wu He, that was very rude of me to lose control like that. I'm so embarrassed; I hope you can forgive me."

Sakura noted that Temari didn't look embarrassed at all. Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but Temari cut her off. "I am meeting my future husband today. You should accompany me! It would ease my tension so..."

Sakura was taken back. She opened her mouth to speak. "Isn't that sort of against tradition...?" Sakura said instead. Sakura's statement was true. Usually, marriage proposals and betrothals were negotiated between the families of the bride and groom. Traditionally, the two didn't meet until the day of the wedding unless they were acquainted with each other prior to the engagement.

"My family is a bit...un-traditional in this sense..." Said Temari, wielding an overly sweet smile. Sakura could tell she was hiding something. "We would all be honored by your presence." She continued.

"I don't think..." Sakura began awkwardly. Sakura didn't want to disrespect Temari, but she couldn't quite shake the discomforting feeling she got around the young woman. Yet at the same time, Sakura felt bad for her. Sakura felt the sense of longing for adventure and freedom when she met Temari the other day. The fact that Temari seemed to hold a grudge against her father fueled her belief of this, but somehow, Sakura also got the feeling Temari wasn't all that she said she was.

"Please," Said Temari once more reaching out for Sakura, "Let's not distance ourselves. I'm already so embarrassed by what I said earlier; let me make up for it by inviting you. Besides, I already think of you as my mei mei." Said Temari smiling.

Sakura paused, but then nodded her head, not wanting to dishonor their new bond. "Hao."

Glossary:
Mei mei- Younger sister
Hao-Good
Xiao jie- Chinese honorific, the equivalent of Miss
Furen - Chinese honorific, used for women of high rank
Xianggong - Chinese honorific, used for young men
Nushi - Chinese honorific, equivalent of Ms.

Itachi looked at the portrait of his father as he took a sip of his tea. He had a strong jaw and perfect aquiline nose that complimented the dark, slightly greying bangs that framed his face. His eyes were dark, severe and unflinching as he stared straight ahead, into the viewer's eyes. All his life, Itachi couldn't remember seeing a different expression on his father's face.

After the death of his parents and the rest of the clan, the few in the Peking Police Force who had not been Uchiha had insisted on putting up Uchiha Fugaku's portrait as a reminder of what a great and noble man he had been. They often lamented how tragic Fugaku's death in particular was, how he had been a decent man who could have accomplished so much more had he not died.

Itachi had done nothing to stop the men from putting the picture up – it would have been rude of him to refuse them. But Itachi himself tried to avoid the picture, tried to avoid looking directly into his father's dark eyes. It only served to remind him of something that was lost to him forever.

"Uchiha-juzhang, what do you think?"

Itachi pulled his hardened gaze away from his father's face and looked at the young man who spoke. Umino Iruka was staring back at him, his brown eyes showing both curiosity and admiration. Although only a year younger, Iruka seemed to look up to Itachi as if he were someone twice his age. People had been doing it to Itachi all his life and he should have been used to it, but sometimes he found it still unnerved him.

"Well, I think that doubling the patrolling force might be a good idea. Peking is a large city with a lot of miles to cover." Itachi agreed. "Also, the transition from the first unit to the second unit should occur both smoothly and quickly." He said, recalling what was being said with little difficulty.

Itachi looked over looked over at Iruka and nodded his head. "Good work Umino-jueshi." The boy beamed brightly at the praise. It didn't come often from Itachi.

"I'm afraid I have grim news." Said Captain Ohgata stoically, as he stroked at his greying beard. "News came in last night that there is a Hyuuga missing."

Murmurs rippled around the table as the high ranking officers shot each other panicked glances. Itachi closed eyes and let out a deep sigh. Of all the citizens in Peking, the kidnapper had managed to get his hands on a Hyuuga. Itachi wasn't even sure how that was possible. The Hyuuga's, like the Uchiha were a very prominent clan within Peking. It could be said that the Hyuuga were an even older clan than the Uchiha and that the Sharingan came from their Kekkei Genkai, the Bakyugan. It was a very heated debate years ago, when there had been more to the Uchiha Clan than just two boys.

The fact that the Peking kidnapper had managed to get his hands on such a prominent figure would mean that their case, which would have hardly caused a blip on the Peking social radar before would now become the talk of the town. The clans, especially the Hyuuga would be demanding immediate results which Itachi knew he could not give them. If left unsettled, it could grip the Peking clan's into a paranoid frenzy that Itachi had been good to prevent since the Uchiha massacre.

"Get every officer out scouring the streets." Itachi commanded. "Infiltrate the underworld, get them to talk, see if the gangs know anything. The Hyuuga are going to want answers."

"Of course Uchiha-juzhang." Said Captain Ohgata bowing his head, "I will send you a status report in an hour."

"Excellent." Said Itachi. "This meeting is adjourned. If you will excuse me, I have another matter to attend to." Said Itachi briskly as he stood up. The other officers at the table immediately shot to their feet, bowing before him as Itachi swept from the room.

Itachi walked out of the Headquarters of the Peking Police and into the cool autumn air. The wind blew around him, caressing his face and whipping his silk black hair around. Itachi walked as quickly as he could back to the Uchiha compound, realizing with dismay that his uniform as Chief of police would probably not be very appropriate at a betrothal meeting.

Itachi sighed, a hint of weariness detectable. Itachi had hoped that upon joining the Peking police force and taking control after his family's death that he would be able to right all the wrong that remained in the city. And he had…for a while. Under his tight and efficient control, Itachi had managed to clean the city up, throwing murderers and perverts off the streets in the easiest fashion he could manage. Many had praised him for the fine work he was doing, commenting that crime rates had never been so low. But then the Peking kidnapper had strolled into town and it seemed as if Itachi could do nothing right.

To make matters worse, Itachi was also contending with making the perfect match for his brother Sasuke, something that Sasuke didn't seem to appreciate much. It was only with a touch of irony that Itachi realized in his attempts to fix the city, to correct the mistakes his family made, he was committing an even bigger mistake by neglecting the only family he had left.

The walk from the police headquarters to the Uchiha compound wasn't long and before Itachi knew it, he was strolling through the welcoming gates. The air seemed to still as he entered, as if Itachi had entered another realm, one that could only remember death and destruction. The wind whistled around Itachi as he quickened his pace toward the main Uchiha estate, howling through the empty and vacant houses like it would through a ghost town.

If Itachi had a choice, he would have run with Sasuke. He could have taken his brother in the aftermath of the massacre and fled the city. Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke could have just been two more casualties on an endless list of dead Uchihas. The clan would have been finished and the Uchiha no more.

But he hadn't and he couldn't. He was bound by too many invisible strings to this city, to his name and they weren't ties that could easily be severed. Sasuke had asked him once if Itachi ever thought about the past. Itachi hadn't answered him, but he knew the answer quite well.

If Itachi dwelled on the past, he would be stuck there and he would never be able to move forward.

Glossary:
Juzhang – Chief
Jueshi - Lieutenant

Naruto looked over, watching as Sakura nervously fastened and unfastened her forehead protector from her around her head. He studied her, his eyes curious before he kicked his feet up on the table that he and Sakura were sitting at.

"Zhong Hu!" Came Tsunade's angry voice, not even a second later. "Get those damn feet off the table." She growled.

Naruto sighed and brought his feet off the table, noting that Sakura was now staring at him, her hand in front of her mouth. Naruto had spent enough time reading the body language behind wearing a mask to know that Sakura was laughing at him. Naruto smiled, knowing that he seemed to break Sakura from whatever nervous streak she seemed to be having.

Currently, he and Sakura, along with Tsunade and Governor Feng's family were sitting in one Tsunade's more elaborate sitting rooms, waiting for the arrival of Temari's fiancée to deliver the customary betrothal gifts. Sakura had informed Naruto earlier that afternoon that they had been invited to attend the meeting. Naruto had objected at first, because formal affairs weren't really this thing. He had been told on numerous occasions by dozens of people that he lacked the proper manners. Nonetheless, Sakura begged him to come with, practically to the point of threatening and Naruto really didn't have the heart to say no. As it was, studying Sakura's behavior, she really seemed to be nervous and Naruto couldn't fathom the reason why.

"You really shouldn't test Sifu Tsunade." Sakura murmured, her voice light and slightly teasing. "She really will have your ass for embarrassing her."

"Nah." Said Naruto, dismally waving his hand. "I can take her."

Sakura gave a scoff of laughter and Naruto noticed that her posture was definitely more relaxed than it was a few seconds ago.

"Wu He," Said Naruto leaning closer to her. "Is there something wrong...? You're awfully...rigid..."

Sakura stared back at him and Naruto could tell her expression was blank. Then her head tilted, showing Naruto that she was smiling. She placed her hand over his. "I'm ok. Thanks for asking." Then she sat back in her seat and Naruto followed suit, frowning.

Sakura was normally so cool and confident around others. Plus, she was an excellent public speaker. Was it something about the Feng's that had Sakura so uptight? Naruto bit his lip. Now that he thought about it, Sakura always did seem to be a bit awkward when they were required to attend formal parties thrown by the clan heads in Konoha. Sakura always seemed to stick close to Naruto during those times and she spoke little to the clan heads when they spoke to her, always blushing bright red.

Naruto put his hands behind his head. Was it because she didn't deem herself worthy enough? Naruto recalled her struggle to become shinobi, considering her parents were at the bottom of the elite shinobi pyramid. Sakura mentioned a few times how she felt inferior to the other shinobi of their age group because of their so called 'bloodline'. Was the same thing happening now? Was Sakura feeling nervous and inferior because they were surrounded by those of the upper class?

Naruto gave a short laugh, ignoring Sakura's glares. What a foolish girl. Naruto knew that Sakura was one of the most accomplished shinobi in the village and she had no reason to feel inferior, especially compared to some of the clan heirs who had nowhere near the amount of talent that Sakura had. Sakura had worked hard to get where she was and it hurt Naruto for Sakura to think that she was still inferior because of her birth. Naruto opened his mouth to once again issue words of comfort to his pink haired companion when a voice interrupted him.

"Excuse me."

The maid had entered the elaborate sitting area where they were staying. Sakura and Naruto immediately flew out of their seats. Next to Sakura, Temari remained in her seat, as still and as beautiful as a china doll. Her face twitched a bit when the maid entered. Beside Temari sat Tsunade and Governor Feng. Sakura and Naruto had both flinched a bit upon meeting Governor Feng and Temari's younger brother Gaara. If Temari had been intimidating at one point or another, then the Feng men were worse. Kankuro, Temari's older brother however, looked slightly more approachable. He had an air of amusement around him and looked bored with this arrangement.

"Tsunade-furen, Governor Feng," The maid bowed to each of them. "Your guests are here."

Tsunade nodded her head. "Send them in." Said Feng with a rough wave of his hand. The maid scurried out of the room and then came back with two very dark haired men.

"Excuse me, Governor Feng, Tsunade-furen. May I present Lord Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke."

Glossary:
Sifu - Master
Furen - Chinese honorific, Used for women of high rank

Note2: wow, did I really use the phrase Winter Is Coming? It's like I was foreshadowing a future obsession.