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: Thank you Minatosama, Joele and Starfire201. Please Review

006: 偷去
(stolen)

Sasuke didn't even smile he entered the room. He mindlessly bowed with his brother, intent on making the introductions and the gift giving as fast as possible so he could get out of here. Although Sasuke decided that he would hate Governor Feng and his family for everything that they were worth, it still didn't change the fact that he was engaged.

Of course, Sasuke could guess the ethics of their union; he wasn't a smart boy for nothing. Any child he had would have a good chance of a having the Sharingan – a powerful tool in its own right – plus the Uchiha name which still inspired fear and awe in others although the clan had been severely reduced. The Feng's had nothing to lose and everything to gain through this marriage. The Sharingan and the Uchiha name was an excellent reward for getting rid of only one daughter, considering Governor Feng already had two sons to claim as heirs.

The Uchiha's in return, would be rewarded with a connection to one of the highest ranking officials in the Land of Fire. Governor Feng was an excellent candidate to become the next emperor. Also, as Sasuke suspected, Governor Feng remained one of the few in today's world that Itachi respected. Itachi was very fickle with politicians and those in power for reasons Sasuke didn't even bother to understand. Itachi must really like Governor Feng to arrange something of this magnitude.

None of this made Sasuke feel at ease though. Once there was a time when Itachi would never make him do anything he didn't want to do. But now Itachi seemed to be too distracted to take what Sasuke thought or felt into consideration and it had been that way ever since the clan massacre.

Itachi's words on the ride to Tsunade's estate had been, "Sasuke, you will have to get married someday. You're lucky that I was able to arrange such a good marriage for you." The point that Itachi was missing, was that Sasuke didn't want to get married, ever.

Maybe Sasuke and Itachi would have turned out different if they had embraced each other after their parents deaths, but they didn't...they grew more distant.

Sasuke watched as Itachi stepped forward to greet Governor Feng and another boy who must have been Governor Feng's son. Bored with the exchange, Sasuke let his eyes rove.

Standing behind Governor Feng was a tall boy with blond hair sticking up in all directions. He was dressed in a fine silk outfit of forest green, but there was a painted mask on his face that Sasuke knew marked him as a shinobi of Konoha. As Sasuke stared at the boy, he couldn't be sure if the boy was staring back, but it sure seemed like it. Sasuke stared into the dark eye holes, but could see nothing staring back at him. The image was a little nerve wracking and Sasuke eventually turned his head away to focus on the girl he was supposed to marry.

Feng Temari was easy to spot in the crowd as she looked like she could have been a performer in the Peking Opera. She was slender, but not too skinny and her face was powdered till it was almost white. Her golden hair was twisted and held together with golden ornaments that Sasuke knew must have been a challenge to hold up.

She held absolutely no interest to him.

Yet Sasuke had to admit that it was her eyes that intrigued him the most. They looked so much more experienced and intellectual than they should for an aristocratic girl. They had actually depth to them, not just the ignorant, shallow, petty look that he saw within most women of superior rank.

Sasuke looked away, bored once more by the prospect of marriage to this girl. Sasuke craned his neck as inauspiciously as he could as he tried to see who was standing behind Magistrate Tsunade. At that moment, Tsunade shifted her view so Sasuke could just make out the figure of another shinobi…a female shinobi. Had the girl not been dressed in female attire, Sasuke almost would have assumed she was a man as her slight figure did nothing to prove otherwise.

A woman in a man's world. Sasuke was suddenly fascinated by the idea. Sasuke studied her posture; the way she was able to hold herself with as much ease and confidence as any man could. Sasuke felt his heart quicken its pace and he quickly looked down, suddenly embarrassed.

"Governor Feng." Said Itachi bowing his head. "This is my younger brother Sasuke."

Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts and stepped forward and bowed his head. "It's an honor." He replied, his voice monotone.

"Uchiha-gong." Feng nodded his head. "My daughter, Temari."

Temari stepped forward and bowed her head. "An honor." She said.

Although discreet, Temari had studied Sasuke very closely. He was extremely good looking, she had to admit. Both he and his brother looked like they were handcrafted by the gods. During her short time in town, Temari had heard rumors concerning the Uchiha siblings and Temari was almost amused to find that they were true. Yet that wasn't what occupied her thoughts. Temari knew that Uchiha Itachi was a very strict follower of rules.

She wondered if that would be a problem for her. Temari pursed her lips to keep herself from laughing. Who did she think she was and what did she think she would be doing once she got married? Certainly nothing that would interfere with Itachi's sense of justice that was for sure.

Glossary:
Gong - Chinese honorific, equivalent of lord

"W-Where are we going?" A trembling voice asked.

"Shh…" Soothed Kabuto, gripping the man's hand tighter as he led him down an eerie passageway. "Everything is going to be fine now. Sifu Orochimaru needs you."

"Sifu Orochimaru?" The man garbled. "My master?"

"Yes, that's him." Said Kabuto in a light and soothing manner, although his face clearly read irritation. The man was drugged; heavily, which accounted for his spacey speech mannerisms. Orochimaru's victims were often heavily dosed with drugs so that he could foster their loyalty to him more easily. And it also made it easier for Kabuto to manipulate them since they didn't know the difference between right, left, up or down.

Kabuto and the man emerged from the passageway and entered the forest, dusk quickly surrounding them. Kabuto led them farther into the forest until he finally turned, taking in the man's appearance. Kabuto released the man's hand, watching as the man's unfocused eyes wandered around their surroundings, his legs wobbly and his posture uncertain now that Kabuto released him.

Although clearly showing the effects of the drugs, the man was easily recognizable as a branch member of one of Peking's prominent clans. Kabuto had been sure to select one from the bunch that would cause a stir when his body was found.

Kabuto gave the man a comforting smile and the man returned it with one of his own, the corners of his mouth twitching up awkwardly so that it resembled a grimace more than a smile.

Kabuto put his hand on the man's shoulder. "Sifu Orochimaru will really appreciate you for this."

"He will? Oh I…"

The man never finished responding, for at that moment, Kabuto struck the man in his chest with his two fingers. The man's knees buckled and Kabuto caught him before he could fall, laying him carefully down on the forest floor. Kabuto waited a few moments, his hand over the man's mouth to prevent him from screaming in case he should. Luckily, the man was too drugged to do more than gape at Kabuto, his eyes wide, frantic and glistening before his heart finally drifted to a stop.

Kabuto pushed his glasses up on his nose and dusted his hands off before gathering his chakra to his hands. Kabuto glanced at the sky. It would at least be a few hours before midnight, when he was supposed to meet Orochimaru. Currently, Orochimaru thought Kabuto was busy doing his duties as bodyguard. Fortunately, Orochimaru was far too occupied with thoughts of finally obtaining the Tian Tang Jian to bother knowing what Kabuto was doing. He would have plenty of time to do his job and plant the body.

Feeling that enough chakra had gathered, Kabuto placed his hands over the man's heart. He almost felt a pang of sympathy for the man. Almost. But this death was certainly better than what would have been planned for him had he stayed with Orochimaru. And although the job was dirty, someone had to do it.

Glossary:
Sifu – Master

"So…did Uchiha Sasuke seem a little…queer to you?" Asked Naruto, his face scrunched up as if he were trying to piece together a puzzle.

"Queer?" Sakura joked from across the room where she was folding clothes. She and Naruto had retired to their room for the night only a few moments ago. The introductions had been brief, followed by an exquisite dinner.

"Yeah…" Said Naruto as he looked up towards the ceiling looking for the right words. "I mean…Did Uchiha Sasuke seem strange to you?" He asked instead.

Sakura thought back to the dark haired man she had met only hours before. Sakura didn't think there was anything strange about him. Admittedly, he was a very good looking guy although he seemed a bit withdrawn. He seemed cool and collected otherwise.

"I don't think so." Sakura replied finally. "Why? Is there something wrong?"

"The guy seems…unstable." Said Naruto.

Naruto tapped his chin. How could he explain what he felt to Sakura? Naruto had studied Uchiha Sasuke and his brother very intently during the betrothal meeting. There had been a strange…aura surrounding both of them, as if they were both hiding some terrible secret. Normally, Naruto was horrible at reading people, but for some reason, there was something in the Uchiha brother that had resounded with him. It was cold and dark and it unsettled Naruto to his very core.

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows and leaned back in her chair as Naruto finished articulating his feelings in the best way that he could. "You believe me though, right Sakura?" Asked Naruto after a minute of tense silence. "About Uchiha Sasuke?"

"Of course." Sakura answered effortlessly. "It's just…odd I suppose. I didn't feel anything like that."

Naruto clicked his fingers on the table. "I just hope Temari knows what she's getting herself into."

"Well…I wouldn't say it is Temari's fault." Said Sakura hesitantly. "Her father is the one who has negotiated this match for her."

"Hmph." Naruto snorted. "What ever happened to marrying for love?" Saying the word out loud almost made Naruto blush.

Sakura bit her lip, suddenly uncomfortable. She could feel the discussion that she had wanted to save for Konoha bubbling up inside of her. "Naruto," She sighed, "There's actually something that I've been meaning to mention to you."

Naruto looked toward Sakura and took in her suddenly apprehensive attitude, his guard rising. He wondered what had suddenly made Sakura so nervous. "Sure…what is it?"

"My…My parents have brought up the topic of arranging a good marriage for me." Said Sakura softly.

Naruto's blue eyes widened and his heart suddenly skipped a beat. "What? When?"

"A couple of days ago." Sakura admitted sheepishly. "I've…been meaning to tell you."

Naruto didn't respond. He felt…sickened by the thought of Sakura being married off to a strange man who she didn't know. Naruo realized with dismay that there were probably plenty of young men who would eagerly accept the Haruno's request for a match for their only daughter. Sakura was a highly accomplished shinobi, she practically ran the Konoha hospital. Not only that, but she was beautiful, easily the most beautiful girl that Naruto had ever seen. What would happen to their friendship then? Would Sakura quit being a shinobi, like her mother had? Naruto couldn't bear the thought. He clenched his fists in frustration.

"My mother says that I'll soon be passing the prime marrying age." Sakura quickly explained, as if to fill the silence. "And…mama says that she'll be able to find a good match. I mean, my mother was born in Peking so it shouldn't be all that hard…"

"Sure, Sakura." Said Naruto quietly. "That sounds great."

Sakura winced, but Naruto didn't notice. "Does it? I've never thought about marriage before, but I guess I'll have to one day. An…an arranged marriage is as good as any right? I mean, it's unlikely I'll be asked otherwise…" Said Sakura, trailing off.

What if he had asked her? Naruto entertained the thought for a brief second. Her parents would never allow it. Naruto knew that her parents hated him, as most elders besides Kakashi did in Konoha. And honestly, could he blame them? He was parent-less with no prospects and on top of that, he was the human vessel for the demon that had almost destroyed Konoha. He was pretty sure that parents wouldn't be lining up to have him marrying their only daughter. As if the Kyuubi hadn't been enough of a burden on Naruto.

Would Sakura even accept? They were best friends, yes, and there was no one Naruto trusted more than Sakura except for maybe Kakashi. And he was sure that Sakura felt the same way, but that didn't mean that she loved him, that she would be willing to spend the rest of her life with him. Naruto was so blinded by his fear of Sakura's rejection that he couldn't even fathom asking Sakura.

"Any man should be happy to have you." Replied Naruto truthfully.

"Maybe…" Said Sakura. It wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear.

It was peaceful outside and there were those milling around outside carrying lanterns and banging the drums that told Sakura it was close to midnight. She blew out a sigh. How long had she been walking around outside? Naruto was probably wondering where she was. Sakura closed her eyes. Her head and heart still felt so confused. She had expected a bit more of a reaction from Naruto when she mentioned her parent's wishes, but instead, Naruto had acted with reserve. She didn't know what to make of it. She didn't even know what to make of the idea of getting married. She was beginning to feel what Temari must certainly be feeling. Sakura turned around to head back again when she heard the faint sound of feet hitting the tiles on the roof behind her. She forgot her problems and whipped around to see nothing. What would a person be doing on the roof now?

Sakura crept closer to the building where she last heard the sound. Sakura found with some trepidation that the building was Tsunade's study. Looking up, Sakura saw nothing but darkness and the moonlight falling in slants across the tiles. Sakura pulled a kunai out of her holster and gathered a small amount of chakra to her feet. Giving herself a push, Sakura felt the air flow around her before she landed on the roof. Her sandaled feet made a slight click. At first she saw nothing, when a foot seemed to come out of nowhere and swiftly kicked Sakura in the stomach, sending her tumbling off the roof and on to the paved pathway, landing on her back.

The breath was momentarily knocked out of Sakura, but she recovered and quickly sprang to her feet. Sakura grit her teeth. She allowed someone to get the drop on her. A figure, suited in all black suddenly peeked over the roof. Sakura quickly flung her kunai at the figure and watched as they ducked. Sakura noted a large, long object that was strapped to the figures back, a white tassel billowing out and blowing in the wind. Sakura's eyes widened in horror.

"Help!" Screamed Sakura. "Help, it's a thief!"

The figure grabbed the tiles off the roof and flung them at Sakura and the oncoming guards who heard her screams. Sakura quickly dodged before springing up onto the roof once more, giving chase to the thief who had wisely decided to flee.

"The sword! They stole the Tian Tang Jian!" Sakura screamed.

Naruto was still sitting in the exact same spot as when Sakura left him to go get air. He blew out a sigh as he supported his head on his hands as he gazed wearily at the door. How long had she been out getting air? Naruto scratched his head.

There had been so many times when Naruto had wanted to confess his feelings to Sakura and each time he bit his tongue. There was just no way that Sakura would accept his feelings, let alone return them. If he told her how he really felt, there was a greater chance that he would ruin their friendship than anything else happening. And Naruto treasured their friendship more than anything, so he wasn't willing to risk it. But he still didn't want to think of her getting married.

Naruto got up, finally resolving that he should go look for Sakura when he heard the screams. His head perked up immediately.

"It's a thief!"

It was Sakura. He could recognize her voice anywhere. He broke off in a sprint towards the north courtyard when he saw a shadow dark dart into another court alley branching off to the left. He stopped short in his tracks and remained completely still.

'There's another.' He thought.

Naruto took a running leap before gracefully launching onto the roof above the court way. He landed silently and could see the dark shadow racing forward a few feet ahead of him. Naruto ran silently along the roof before jumping off and landing in front of the shadow.

"Stop!" Yelled Naruto.

The figure jolted to a surprised stop before jumping onto the roof opposite the one Naruto jumped off of. Naruto let out a groan before following.

Sakura still heard the yells and screams behind her as more and more guards were filing out with lanterns and searching the roofs. She took a sharp turn into an alley as she kept the black shadow in sight on the roofs above her. She watched the shadow enter the south courtyard and moved in the opposite direction to cut them off. It was lucky that Sakura knew the layout of Tsunade's estate fairly well. The figure jumped onto another roof and slowed to a stop looking around.

Sakura smirked, sensing her chance as she quickly masked the feel of her chakra before leaping silently onto the roof behind the figure. Flicking out a kunai, Sakura prodded the kunai into the figure's lower back, gently probing a sensitive pressure point. The figure froze.

"Return the sword and I'll let you go." Said Sakura in a harsh voice.

Silence echoed between the two when suddenly Sakura sensed a surprising flare of chakra. The figure spun around and knocked the kunai away with the flat of their hand, engaging Sakura in hand to hand combat.

Naruto, meanwhile, was chasing the other figure in the opposite direction. He quickly performed the customary hand signs of his signature jutsu.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Ten more Naruto's appeared, popping into existence and cut off the figure, quickly surrounding him. The figure turned around, ready to fight. There was a low chuckle as the shadow laughed. Naruto got ready to fight.

"Who the hell are you?" Yelled Naruto.

The figure pulled off the hood of his black outfit and Naruto saw the intricate mask covering their face and the narrow eye slots.

"Yin Cang She!" Yelled Naruto. "Orochimaru!" Naruto, enraged by his presence, charged. "You killed Huang Shan Guan!"

Glossary:
Yin Cang She- Hidden Snake
Huang Shan Guan – Yellow Flash - refers to the Fourth Hokage

Sakura brought her knee up, ready to immobilize the figure. There was a sharp intake of breath and the figure brought their hands in to block Sakura's attack just before it hit. Their hands taking the brunt of the impact, the figure was still safe, yet the force of Sakura's attack pushed the figure back, sending them flying practically to the roof of the opposite building. There was a clatter of tiles as the figure landed.

"Shit!" Growled Sakura.

The figure stumbled up and took a glance back at Sakura before running away. Sakura found herself in pursuit once more, jumping from roof to roof chasing the figure.

Her earlier suspicions that the thief was Orochimaru had been dispensed once Sakura had engaged them in hand to hand combat. No, this thief was much more inexperienced and definitely not as seasoned a shinobi as Orochimaru. But that didn't make them any less deadly. The figure didn't even seem like a shinobi, considering the lack of mask or even forehead protector. Sakura quickly speculated ways to quickly immobilize the figure before they got away. Unfortunately, the figure was fast. The wind seemed to be breezing them away before Sakura's eyes.

"I know who you are!" Sakura blurted out impulsively. Oh, how she wish she did.

As expected, the figure turned around, surprised. The bunshin that the figure was looking at vanished and the real Sakura, who was in the alley below, whipped a bale of hay – the first thing she could lay her hands on, at the figure. It smacked into them at full force, knocking them down into the alley in front of Sakura. Sakura grinned, using a Shunshin to appear in front of them.

The figure tried to jump up again, but Sakura caught their foot and brought them back down, before once again engaging them in another round of Taijutsu.

'So fast!' Thought Sakura as the figure blocked all her attacks.

Glossary:
Bunshin-Clone
Shunshin-Body Flicker

Naruto felt a cold sweat break out on his neck as he dodged a kunai. Naruto thought back to the body back at Ten Ten's complex and he felt sick to his stomach. Orochimaru has probably disposed of that body in favor for the one he was sporting now. The Narutos on both sides of Orochimaru charged in to attack him. Orochimaru outstretched his arms and they turned into snakes. Orochimaru quickly dealt with the clones before going into attack Naruto. Naruto stopped short and jumped out of the way. The snakes zoomed towards him and Naruto formed the rapid hand seals.

"Futon:.." Naruto yelled, clapping his hands together. "…Reppusho!"

Naruto released a huge gale of wind from his hands, pressing it toward Orochimaru and his snakes. Orochimaru's eyes widened in surprise under his mask as the wind moved toward him with incredible speed, pushing him back into the next roof. There was an explosion of dust as he hit the tiles. Orochimaru sprang up, wiping the dust off him when three rapidly traveling kunai came soaring out of the wind as it dissipated. Orochimaru swerved around the first, but not before one landed in his forearm and the other in his chest, just above his heart.

Orochimaru gave out a surprise gasp of pain. The boy had good aim. Had he not swerved the first time, the kunai would have hit him in the heart. Considering the speeds that the kunai were traveling in, it would have killed him.

Orochimaru pulled the kunai from his arm, tossing it aside. It clattered on the tiles before falling to the alley below. He opted to leave the kunai in his chest. He didn't want to risk anything before Kabuto could fully examine it.

"Haha!" Orochimaru yelled. "You know quite a variety of jutsu, little boy!"

Naruto grunted and prepared for his next attack. Hopefully, he would just have to stall for a little longer before someone came to help him. Naruto didn't plan on letting Orochimaru get away, not unless he died.

Sakura was running up the wall after the figure, her chakra control so precise it was practically effortless for the pink haired kunoichi. The figure stumbled a bit before spinning around, swinging their leg around in a high arch to kick Sakura away. Sakura swerved, losing her footing. Sakura gathered the chakra to her fingertips, catching the wall before she completely tumbled to the floor. Bringing her feet back up, she continued to run. The figure was still in front of her, but they hadn't been able to capitalize on the time Sakura was incapacitated. Sakura noted that their chakra control was far from perfect. Maybe she could use that to her advantage.

As the figure ran, the wall that they were running on suddenly started to wave and ripple. Losing whatever chakra balance they had, the figure lost control and fell to the ground.

Sakura grinned, releasing the Genjutsu before dropping to the alleyway. Sakura gathered the chakra to her fingertips and hit the figure in the area right between the shoulder blades. The figure hissed in pain and swung around, slapping Sakura across the face. Sakura's mask clattered to the ground. Sakura turned around to hide her face before she flipped behind the figure once more and tore a piece of black cloth from their outfit, tying it to the bottom half of her face. As the figure turned around, Sakura gave a good push and the figure stumbled back a few steps and then stopped.

Sakura's green eyes flashed dangerously.

"I'm afraid I don't have time to fight you today." Orochimaru laughed as he punched Naruto into the next roof.

He quickly fled, jumping from roof to roof toward the north courtyard. Orochimaru heaved and put a hand to his chest where the kunai was still protruding. Orochimaru scowled, aggravated that some Konoha shinobi had managed to best him.

"Arg!" Behind him, Naruto jumped out of the rubble and chased after Orochimaru, throwing some kunai out.

Orochimaru deflected them with his own kunai effortlessly. Scowling, Naruto once again called on his customary jutsu. Sometimes he hated that he used it so often, yet with chakra reserves like his, it was the easiest jutsu to take advantage of. The clone leapt into Naruto's hands before transforming into a huge fuma shuriken. With Orochimaru clear in his sights, Naruto whipped the shuriken forward.

Orochimaru turned around in the nick of time and jumped, his feet soaring above the shuriken as it went past him. He allowed himself a small smile as he landed. He saw Naruto, some distance behind him when he disappeared with a pop.

Surprised and caught off guard, Orochimaru's eyes roamed the rooftops, searching for the blond shinobi. A shrill whistle made Orochimaru turn. The real Naruto stood, the fuma shuriken in his hands. Orochimaru's eyes widened. He hadn't even known the boy was standing there! He had completely been able to mask both his chakra and his scent. With a yell, Naruto charged forward, driving the shuriken into Orochimaru's stomach.

A large pop went off before a bale of hay fell in Orochimaru's place. Naruto cursed out loud. To hell with whoever created the kawarimi technique and decided to teach it to every novice shinobi. Without a moment's hesitation, Naruto went off, once again in hot pursuit of Orochimaru.

Glossary:
Kawarimi- Replacement

The figure flew through the air towards Sakura and they started to fight again. They were almost equal in hand to hand combat, but Sakura was slowly starting to gain the upper hand. Where the figure overwhelmed Sakura in the sheer speed of their attacks, Sakura made up for it in skill. Sakura, however, could see the figure was becoming sluggish, no doubt the result of Sakura hitting them in the back earlier. Sakura swiped her leg, hitting the legs out from underneath the figure. Before they could hit the ground, Sakura had the figure cornered against the wall.

Sakura grinned. Her hand moved in to grab the mask from the figure when she flicked her hand up to catch a pointed senbon. Sakura's eyes darted over behind her to the opposite wall where another figure disappeared.

The figure wiggled out of Sakura's grasp and knocked Sakura to the side. Sakura back-flipped, getting back on her feet and quickly whipped out a few shuriken at the fleeing figure. The figure jumped over them and continued running toward the opposite wall.

Sakura cursed her luck and used another Shunshin to appear directly in front of the figure. Surprised, the figure took a step back before regaining their composure and springing above a ready to attack Sakura. The figure bounced off the wall, using their foot before spiraling in the air to sail over the wall. Sakura grunted and started to perform the same maneuver when the figure appeared back at the wall. Just as Sakura was about to reach the top, the figure flicked out a fan and gave it a wave.

A strong gust of wind, enhanced with chakra flew out at Sakura and sent her flying back into the opposite wall. She hit the wall with a thud and fell to the ground on her hands and knees. Groaning, Sakura looked up to see the figure had disappeared. Luckily, Sakura hadn't gotten too hurt as she absorbed most of the impact with her chakra. Standing up, she swiped her mask off the ground and put it back on.

So the thief had a second accomplice, the one who threw the senbon at her. Sakura sighed. She'd have to warn Tsunade, and Tsunade wouldn't be pleased, especially when she heard her theory.

Glossary:
Shunshin - Body Flicker

Orochimaru was jumping from building to building with Naruto following. Orochimaru looked back, aggravated to find Naruto was still in his hot pursuit. Where the hell was Kabuto?

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

A few more Naruto's burst out of midair to attack Orochimaru, but he easily got rid of them. As the clones disappeared in a burst of smoke, a hidden clone appeared and tackled the unsuspecting Orochimaru off the roof. They both fell to ground with a muted thud as the clone disappeared once again and the real Naruto slammed Orochimaru up against wall, his forearm cutting into Orochimaru's throat.

"Where are you going in such a hurry you snake bastard?" Naruto snarled angrily.

Orochimaru gave a throaty chuckle. "I know who you are." He said finally as he reached up and grabbed a fistful of Naruto's hair.

Naruto grunted in response as Orochimaru leaned closer to Naruto, almost as if he could see right through Naruto's mask.

"You're the Jinchurikki, the Kyuubi Jinchurikki." Then Orochimaru leaned his head back and laughed.

Naruto angrily banged Orochimaru's head into the wall, but Orochimaru continued to laugh. "The poor little innocent soul The Fourth used as his sacrifice." Orochimaru laughed. "I'm surprised they even let you become a shinobi, I thought for sure they would have stoned you by now."

"Shut your goddamn mouth!" Naruto roared angrily.

"Is that you talking or the Kyuubi?" Asked Orochimaru, now that he stopped laughing. "Because the Kyuubi always did have quite a temper. If you don't recall, I'm quite familiar with him."

A snarl echoed through Naruto's head as Naruto pulled his fist back and socked Orochimaru hard in the face. He heard Orochimaru grunt and struggle in his grasp, but Naruto kept him pressed against the wall.

"Stupid little brat." Said Orochimaru, the mirth gone from his eyes. "You think that you're in control? You might be in control now, but give it time and you'll find that you're slipping." Said Orochimaru, all the humor in his voice gone.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto demanded.

"I can see it even now. You're becoming like the Kyuubi more and more every day. I wouldn't be surprised if one day you just woke up and decided to kill everyone. You wouldn't even be able to stop yourself."

As Naruto absorbed Orochimaru's words with a mortified expression, Orochimaru used his fist to punch Naruto hard in the stomach. Naruto faltered a little and Orochimaru broke free from his grasp.

"Don't act so shocked. You know that it's inevitable." Sneered Orochimaru.

Just then, a kunai with an exploding tag flew by an exploded in midair. Orochimaru looked at it with confusion before turning back to Naruto.

"Till next time, my little fox." Then he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Dammit!" Naruto yelled angrily, his fist punching into the wall where Orochimaru had disappeared.

Glossary:
Kyuubi Jinchurriki- Nine Tailed Fox Host

Jutsu:
Kage Bunshin no Jutsu- Shadow Clone Technique
The user is able to create clones of themselves that have a free will and their own chakra network

Futon: Reppusho-Wind Release: Violent Wind Palm
Wind is compressed between the hands and then released to create a powerful gale. Especially dangerous when paired with kunai or shuriken to do damage.

Note2: To answer Minatosama's question, yes, will eventually be a Narusaku fic, but that isn't the main focus of the story.