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. Please review

007: 迷失
(lost)

"Haru…Haru! What are you doing, get in here!"

A busty and very maternal woman with short dark hair stormed out of her house, hands on hips, into the alley of their house where her young son was standing mutely.

"Mama, mama look!" Said the small boy pointing excitedly.

"What, what is it?" His mother asked, bending to pick the boy up. She gathered him in her arms before turning to look at what she was pointing at.

Before her, lay a pale white man. His clothes were matted and dirty, his hair greasy and plastered in greasy clumps about his head. But as he lay there, unmoving, with eyes unseeing, the woman holding her son let out a punctured scream, disturbing the early morning atmosphere.

Sakura drearily followed a servant into Tsunade's study. A dry breeze rippled through the courtyard, blowing a few lanterns that were hanging from the roof. A bird in a tree tweeted happily, but to Sakura, it was just an annoying noise that made her head pound more. It was early morning and she watched the sun start to rise as the sunlight fell in rays across the empty courtyard. It had to be at least five in the morning. Sakura blew out a breath as her eyelids felt heavy.

"Wu He." Said the servant bowing to Tsunade before exiting the room.

Tsunade looked up from where she was sitting at her desk. Her eyes were dull and tired instead of the usual bright honey colored look.

"Anything?" Tsunade asked frantically.

Sakura shook her head sadly. She knew Tsunade had been up half the night trying to find out the exact details of what had happened. Sakura felt dead on her feet. She only got about an hour's worth of sleep because she was trying to track the thief. Unfortunately, there had been no trace of the thief after they fled from Sakura, reinforcing her theory.

"I do have one question though." Sakura said, not sure if Tsunade wanted to hear it. "Has Governor Feng seen the sword?" She asked awkwardly.

Tsunade frowned. "Yes…" She agreed.

Sakura frowned. Tsunade's head perked up as she sensed Sakura's implication. "Impossible, I know he is not involved in this." She shook her head. "He can't be…"

Sakura looked at Tsunade skeptically. The sword was being held close to the Feng guesthouse. No one else knew that the sword was in Tsunade's possession beside those in Tsunade's estate and the Feng's spent the most time in Tsunade's study. It would be easy for someone to have slipped in and stolen it, especially if the rumor that there was a criminal in the Feng household was true.

"But the sword could be in his compound…" Said Sakura.

"Tsunade-nainai!"

Sakura's thoughts were interrupted when Naruto burst into the room, breathing heavily.

"Naruto!" Tsunade cried, standing up. "Where have you been? Are you even aware the Tian Tang Jian has been stolen?" She scolded

"I'm aware." Said Naruto panted, bending down so he could catch his breath.

Sakura shifted uncomfortably. Last night's events were still fresh in Sakura's mind much to her chagrin. She quickly pushed the thoughts aside to concentrate on the situation at hand. Naruto had been gone the whole night and no one had known where he was.

"If you knew, where were you when Sakura was pursuing the thief? She could have used your help!" Scolded Tsunade.

"I know." Naruto said finally standing up. "Orochimaru, he was here last night."

Both Sakura and Tsunade gasped. "He was here last night and I fought him the same time the thief stole the sword." Explained Naruto. "But then he disappeared."

"Disappeared?" Questioned Tsunade. "Without doing anything?"

Naruto nodded his head. "I was up half the night trying to track him. He was particularly adamant about getting away from me. I think he intended on stealing the sword."

"So we were correct." Said Sakura, her blood turning to ice. "Orochimaru was headed toward Peking."

Naruto and Sakura quickly explained to Tsunade about the body they had found at Ten Ten's and how they had suspicions he might be near. Sakura also quickly recounted the rumors Ten Ten had told them about the possible criminal in the Feng household.

"Then the one who stole the sword was his accomplice." Naruto concluded finally.

"So perhaps the criminal in the Feng household is actually an accomplice of Orochimaru's then?" Questioned Sakura. "That's a scary thought, not to mention that there were two that I encountered yesterday. Someone threw a senbon at me when I was fighting the thief. I don't believe it was Orochimaru…" Speculated Sakura.

"Hmm, well that's just great." Muttered Naruto. "Two rats to find."

"So we have three possibilities." Surmised Tsuande. "Either someone is trying to set up the Feng's, or the criminal is a petty thief merely residing in the Feng household and Orochimaru is a separate incident, a coincidence or…" Said Tsunade rubbing her temples. "The thief was stealing the sword for Orochimaru and now he has it. Either way, we must inform Kakashi. None of these options are quite favorable…"

Naruto and Sakura both exchanged worried glances. "I think I'd rather go for the first two options…" Naruto murmured.

Tsunade sighed. "I need alcohol."

Glossary:
Nainai – Grandma

"His Imperial Majesty the Emperor will now see you." Called out a shrill voice.

Governor Feng turned his head, nodding to the white haired bodyguard beside him and stood up, brushing off his red robes. They walked silently into the reception room, their shoes clacking on the smooth polished tiles. Behind them, several other elegantly dressed men followed, their faces solemn. Governor Feng held his head high, knowing that among these men, he alone held the highest rank.

The men all knelt down in a row. Governor Feng knelt down carefully, folding his robes underneath him. Kabuto stood behind, him, arms crossed. Several servants wearing the imperial crest scurried before them, placing tables down and maids followed quickly after, setting down tea cups and refreshments. They moved with a quiet and quick efficiency that was remarkable to behold.

A knocker knocked on the floor and the men all quickly adjusted their positions. A door opened and six well-dressed men entered the room single file. Each man had a different crest emblazoned on the front of their robes, marking them as members of the Emperors Ministry. They took their seats below the dias as Governor Feng and the other men bowed their heads.

When the Ministry members had situated themselves, another knock resounded on the tile floor. This time, Governor Feng bowed his head, placing his hands on the floor in a triangle pattern. Behind him, Kabuto and the rest of the bodyguards knelt in a manner that announced their servitude nature – their bows were lower to the ground, humble.

Governor Feng could hear shoes clacking on tile, robes swishing as more men walked through another door that was closer to the dais. There was the sound of a man settling into a seat and it was only then that Governor Feng knew he could pick his head up. He sat up, straightening his robes out so that they fell just so before he looked up into the face of his Emperor. Although he was sitting a good twenty feet away from the dais where the emperor sat, Governor Feng could see how shrewd his eyes were, even in his old age. Another man stood to the Emperor's left. A wide hat obscured his face from view and he wore a long white silk robe that fell to the floor. His arms were behind his back.

"Gentlemen." The Emperor said, scanning over each and every one of the men seated. "I'm glad that we could all assemble on this auspicious day. Please, enjoy the refreshments before you as we discuss the current matters."

Each of the men bowed their heads in respect. The Emperor was about to continue on when there was another shrill knock and one of the Emperor's attendants came scurrying in. His face was nervous as he bowed before the Emperor and murmured something to him. The Emperor's face twitched in irritation for a second before he nodded his head. The attendant walked off the dais in a calmer fashion now and approached the main doors where a guard stood watch. The guard opened the door and the attendant walked outside.

The doors swung open once more and another man came in, striding confidently toward where Governor Feng was sitting, a bodyguard at least twice the size of Kabuto falling in step behind him. The man bowed humbly, a few paces away from where Governor Feng was sitting.

"I must apologize for my lateness, Bixia, there was traffic." The man replied. Delicate murmurs rippled through the Ministry members and the men sitting beside Governor Feng in response to the man's apology while Governor Feng gave a concealed snort.

The man picked his head up, smiling as he straightened his robes and adjusted his posture as servants quickly moved to accommodate him with a table and refreshments.

"Your humor is appreciated." Said the Emperor dryly. "Perhaps now we can continue on?"

The Emperor opened his mouth and thus started the meeting as a scribe off to the side hastily scribbled away. Governor Feng subtly slipped a peek at the man who had just arrived and was sitting only two men away from Governor Feng. He found him sipping his tea good naturedly. He spied Governor Feng's subtle look and gave him a wink.

Governor Feng abruptly turned away, angered by the man's crass. If anyone at all challenged Governor Feng's move toward obtaining the position as emperor, it was the man who had just arrived. Governor Feng's position as the Viceroy of Zhili was the highest ranking position under the Emperor and he had direct control over not only the capital of Peking, but the entire Zhili province.

Although Governor Feng was originally from Xinjiang - the Land of Wind in the west, his wife, Karura was the oldest child of the Kurama Clan's head. The Kurama Clan was once Peking's most powerful Clan – even mightier than the Uchiha. The Kurama Clan Head served as not only leader of his own clan, but also as Magistrate of the city of Peking meaning they held immense political power. Over time, however, the Kurama had dwindled in numbers. Governor Feng's marriage to Karura had given him the door he needed to enter politics as he assumed the Kurama Clan's duties as Magistrate. It had taken Governor Feng a lot of effort to get to the position that he was currently at. That's why it angered him when he witnessed the man's crass and over-confident antics. The man was Shimura Owashi and was currently the Viceroy of Shantung.

Unlike the other Provinces, the Land of Fire had two Governors. And it annoyed Governor Feng because 'technically', his duties as Viceory should have extended to Shantung as well. It was only through the forgiving nature of the Emperor during the time when Shantung was first taken over that he allowed Shantung to keep their own Viceroy instead of giving the duties to the Viceroy of Zhili.

"Bixia." Said the man to the Emperor's left, bowing his head. Governor Feng snapped out of his thoughts and trained his focus on the man in the white robes.

The Emperor turned his head slightly, acknowledging the man's words. "Hokage-gong." He replied.

"I think we should discuss the matter of your succession." The Hokage said, his voice deep. His mask was a bird's face, painted with brilliant reds, yellows and oranges. Governor Feng knew him by his shinobi name Huo Du Ya. The Hokage of Konoha was required to be present at every important political meeting that the Emperor held. The Hokage was one of the highest military officials that the Emperor had, considering that Konoha shinobi made up their top military ranks. Ironically enough, the current Hokage was relatively unknown on the battlefield unlike his predecessors.

"Hm." Said the Emperor, a light smirk on his lips. "Perhaps you are right."

Governor Feng's eyes narrowed, praising the Hokage for his shrewdness. It was common for the title of Emperor to be passed on within the family, usually to the eldest son. The current Emperor, however, had no children to pass the title on to which caused an uproar as the matter of succession would need to be resolved soon.

Naturally, thoughts turned to Governor Feng, the Viceroy of Zhili. He was an accomplished man who had wielded his power without corruption for so long. The Emperor had claimed whoever he felt wielded the Tianming within his current regime would be given the title of Emperor.

This had put the citizens of Zhili and Shantung to rest, but to politicians like Governor Feng and even the Hokage, they knew it for what it really was – a clever way for the Emperor to say whoever would suck up to him best would be given the job.

Although the next Emperor wouldn't affect the current Hokage's position, the next Emperor would have a say in whoever would be made the next Hokage. The Hokage was merely looking out for his village, appraising each of the men to see whose decision he could respect. And in turn, Governor Feng respected him for that.

Governor Feng risked another look at Shimura and found he was doing his best to look humble. The bastard. The Emperor shifted his gaze between Feng and Shimura. One of the Ministry members cleared his throat and the Emperor acknowledged him.

"I speak for the entire Ministry, Bixia." Said a balding man bowing. "We have been discussing this matter for some time and webelieve that the position should be given to the Viceroy of Zhili…or the Viceroy of Shandong."

Governor Feng's second of glowing pride faded as Shimura was mentioned. He should have expected the Ministry would have given a non-committal answer. They couldn't risk favoring one Viceroy over the other.

The Emperor stroked his chin, appraising the man. "And you have reason to believe that the Tianming will be passed to one of these men?" He did, after all, have to keep up with the illusion that it wasn't he who would have the final decision in electing the next emperor.

"Ah, yes." Said the balding Ministry member, nodding his head.

"Very well then." Said the Emperor. "But which of them will be picked…" He mused out loud.

The Hokage then placed a hand on the Emperor, a daring move even for him considering the Emperor was the tian zi – Son of Heaven. The Emperor, however, didn't seem to mind and turned toward the head shinobi.

"Yes, my friend?" He asked, his voice curious.

"A thought just occurred to me." The Hokage said, his voice thoughtful.

Shimura's face soured at the Hokage's words. While the Hokage's preference between the two was unknown, the Emperor was known to show slight favoritism toward the Viceroy of Shantung, simply because he held a soft spot for the underdog. Anything under the Hokage's suggestion would be a loss for Shimura.

"Do tell." Said the Emperor leaning back in his seat and bringing his hands together.

"War has us in her shadowy hands." Said the Hokage. Disgruntled whispers rippled through the room. Even the Emperor himself bristled.

"It's no secret." The Hokage continued. "That to the south, the Land of Crowns and the Land of Roses have been pushing at this country's borders, vying for illegal trade. So long as the United Trade Alliance holds steady to their negotiations, we should have no problem. But should things go sour, we can be sure to be attacked."

"Furthermore," Continued the Hokage, "May I remind you that Orochimaru, the Konoha traitor has been sitting idle for far too long. His last attempt at the destruction of Konoha and this great province brought about utter destruction in the areas around both Peking and Tianjin."

"What are you implying?" Asked the Emperor, raising an eyebrow.

"You, Bixia, are not on your death bed. Why hastily choose a successor? They say a man reveals his true self in the face of war. Wait to see which of these two honorable men is most appropriate to hold the Tianming." And with that, the Hokage sank back to the Emperor's side.

Shimura was not so subtly scowling while Governor Feng allowed himself a smirk. So that's how the Hokage would play it. After all, the most honorable man on the battlefield would be someone the Hokage could trust.

How shrewd indeed.

Glossary:
Bixia- Your Imperial Majesty
Huo Yu Da – Fire Raven
Tianming- Mandate of Heaven
Gong – Chinese honorific, equivalent of Lord

Naruto blew out a sigh as he walked farther from the guest house. He managed a few hours of sleep after the briefing with Tsunade, but had woken up with a start after dreaming of Sakura marrying the Kyuubi. As bizarre as that sounded, the idea really frightened Naruto. He was still reeling after his discussion the previous night with Sakura and his talk with Orochimaru only made matters worse.

Naruto had been scared of the Kyuubi ever since he realized that it existed inside of him. As a child, he sometimes used to hear the Kyuubi whispering to him. Scared, he had always run crying to Kakashi. Then, when Naruto was ten, he and Sakura had their first full-fledged mission as shinobi where they encountered the rogue shinobi Zabuza and his protégé Haku. Kakashi had almost been killed and in his anguish, Naruto had allowed the Kyuubi to take over. The damage was insurmountable and he had almost killed Haku and Zabuza before regaining his senses. Ever since that day, Naruto had locked the Kyuubi deep within him, worried that if the Kyuubi ever escaped again, he wouldn't have the strength to rein him in. Orochimaru's words the previous night reminded him of his deep seeded fears.

Naruto entered the main courtyard just as a palanquin pulled up. Some servants walked up to open the door before Governor Feng stepped out.

"Look at this!" A servant yelled. He waved his hands as he stood by the wall. Naruto saw a white flyer on the wall before a group of servants gathered around it.

They were all whispering anxiously as Governor Feng and his white haired bodyguard approached it. Remembering their place, they parted ways for Governor Feng who snatched it from the wall.

"Yin Cang She? Here? Impossible." Said Governor Feng with disregard as he shook his head. The white haired man looked troubled, as if he were about to disagree with Governor Feng. Then the moment passed and he halfheartedly agreed with him.

"Let Tsunade-furen know I wish to speak with her." Naruto heard Governor Feng say as he walked away. The other man nodded before reluctantly crumpling the flyer into a ball and tossing it to the ground. Naruto picked it up and studied it. It was an illustration of Orochimaru's mask, blaming him for the robbery. Naruto knew the fliers were Tsunade's doing, an effort to keep people on the lookout, but Naruto thought there was something suspicious about the white haired man's reaction.

Naruto heard another horse trot in through the gate and he heard the servants chatter as they ran to help the newcomer. Naruto looked up and was greeted by the unsuspecting sight of his teacher. Naruto shut his eyes and then opened them.

Naruto sighed and pushed his hand through his hair. "Wo Lang-laoshi."

Glossary:
Laoshi – teacher

Uchiha Itachi blanched at the sight before him and quickly averted his eyes. There were far too many similarities…the same pale skin and dark hair... Even after ten years, Itachi could still not forget, but he quickly banished the images from his mind and regained his composure before anyone could notice.

Itachi sighed in regret. This man was far too young to have his life taken away from him. To make matters worse, Itachi recognized the man as one of Peking's clan members – it was the Hyuuga that had been reported missing only a day ago. He bent down close to the body and stuck his hand out. He was quickly handed a pair of disposable gloves and he snapped them on his hands.

With slender fingers, he slowly probed the body. Sweeping back locks of matted greasy hair, Itachi found a series of green markings across the man's forehead.

'A Branch member.' Thought Itachi sullenly.

Itachi was well acquainted with Hyuuga politics to know that all Hyuuga branch members were marked with the Hyuuga Soke no Juinjutsu that prevented the secrets of their Kekkei Genkai the Bakyugan from being known. It was an archaic tradition, but the Hyuuga were far too invested in their old, useless traditions to abandon the branding of their members. Itachi also knew it was mainly used today as a way to keep the branch members in line, but he pushed these thoughts aside, reminding himself to stick to the task at hand.

There was no blood or any sign of external injury. Frowning, Itachi stood up and motioned for two members of the Peking Coroner Squad, a branch of the police force, to turn the body over. Once they did, Itachi bent down again, his fingers probing for any sign of injury. He sighed and stood up, pealing the gloves off.

"Umino-jueshi." He said, gesturing to the young brown haired cop.

Iruka was at his side in an instant. "Uchiha-juzhang?"

"Collect all the missing person reports as well as the reports filed for every dead body found within the last two weeks. Make sure the autopsy reports are there as well." Said Itachi wearily.

The boy nodded his head. "Yes, sir."

Itachi looked back to the body, gesturing for the Coroners to take it to autopsy. "Thank you, Umino-jueshi. I'm going back to headquarters. Have someone alert me when the autopsy is done." Iruka bowed and Itachi swiftly mounted his horse and galloped off.

This was the third body found in two weeks that didn't appear to have external injuries. The last two victims that they found had died of a bizarre disease. The morgue had claimed they died of old age, although each of the victims had been relatively young.

Itachi had a hunch – and usually his hunches were correct – that this victim would be the same. If he could find missing persons reports for the first two victims, it would mean that whoever was kidnapping, was also disposing of the kidnapped. The question was why.

Itachi had another theory, but he wasn't sure that he would be so happy if he proved himself correct.

Glossary:
Huuga Soke no Juinjutsu-Hyuuga Main Family's Cursed Seal Technique
Juzhang - Chief
Jueshi – Lieutenant

Sakura breathed in the scent of her tea, not knowing how to face her teacher. Tsuande had sat them all down immediately, presented them with tea, and then left them to discuss what had happened last night. Sakura didn't know if it was because Tsunade was too busy to talk with them right now, or she was too stressed and was hiding away so she could drink.

"So Tsunade thinks that this is a ploy to set up Governor Feng." Said Kakashi breaking the silence.

"More or less." Said Naruto. "It's one of three theories actually. I actually have a theory that there is something suspicious going on with the Feng household. Governor Feng might not be directly involved, but someone in there is."

"What have you found out Naruto?" Asked Kakashi.

Naruto paused before pulling out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. He smoothed it down on the table. Sakura looked at it with interest. These were the fliers that Tsunade and put up to implicate Orochimaru, what did it have to do with the Feng's? Kakashi frowned at the picture of Orochimaru.

"Impossible." He said. "Why would he come to Peking?"

"We've heard rumors about a criminal being harbored in the Feng household." Sakura said finally finding her voice. "We think the thief might be working for Orochimaru. It's either that or the thief is unrelated to Orochimaru and both just happened to show up on the same night to steal the sword."

"I don't believe in coincidences." Kakashi sighed. "This is bad."

"He's always been after the sword." Said Naruto shrugging.

"And there would be no place safer than to plant someone under Governor Feng's nose." Sakura concluded.

Kakashi nodded. "Maybe I can finally avenge my master." He said with some remorse. "Who pursued the thief?"

"Sakura did." Said Naruto. "I confronted Orochimaru."

Kakashi turned his attention towards Sakura. Sakura shifted nervously. "You have no thoughts on who the thief was?" Questioned Kakashi.

"No, I suspect that Orochimaru has two accomplices though, there was another there." Said Sakura, her eyes trained on her tea cup. She quickly explained to Kakashi about her fight with the sword the thief and the senbon that had almost hit her.

"Did you question those at the Feng's?" Kakashi asked when she was done.

"No." Said Sakura feeling embarrassed.

Kakashi drummed his fingers on the table. Sakura finally looked up. "You can blame me for the loss of-"

"Orochimaru must have had another reason for planting someone within the Feng's, he couldn't have known that the sword was coming here." Interjected Naruto.

Kakashi looked at Naruto. "Hmm…good thinking Naruto."

"I don't blame you for the sword Sakura." Said Kakashi giving her a happy look. "I'm sure you did your best."

"Sakura and I will get the sword back, don't worry Kakashi-laoshi!" Naruto gave him a thumbs up.

Sakura smiled gratefully at them both. "Naruto is right however. It was too sudden for Orochimaru to have known about the Tian Tang Jian, he must have other business in Peking." Explained Sakura, her confidence returning.

"There was a body in the forest." Naruto explained. "Ten Ten found it and the autopsy results pointed to Orochimaru."

"A body..." Kakashi shook his head and pushed his hand through his gray hair. "Maybe the reason Orochimaru has come to Peking is because he's looking for a new host." He said. "Orochimaru frequently changes bodies when those bodies are of a lesser...caliber..." He said, his voice sounding disgusted. "Maybe he's looking in Peking for a more permanent one."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Maybe he has found one in the Feng household! Perhaps he was coming to Peking to collect?" Sakura asked alarmed.

Naruto made a face. "Sorry, but it doesn't seem like he would find anyone worthy in the Feng household."

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders. "We should keep all possibilities open. We should also consider that the criminal in the Feng household is Orochimaru's spy. Remember that Orochimaru has his finger in everything, including politics most likely. Maybe the spy is keeping him up to date. Maybe he was coming to check up and found out the Tian Tang Jian was here. Who there knows about the sword?"

Sakura grinned. "That's what we're going to find out laoshi."

Glossary:
Laoshi- Teacher

Kakashi watched as Naruto and Sakura left the room while spinning his tea cup in his hands. With a slight sigh, he rested the tea cup firmly on the table and stood up, leaving the room. It seemed like he was going to have his days busy with trying to track Orochimaru's whereabouts down.

"Not so fast", Said Tsunade as she rounded the corner, giving Kakashi a look that he knew not to mess with, "We need to talk." She said sternly, herding him back into the room he just left.

"Kakashi, why are you giving me the Tian Tang Jian?" Tsunade asked as soon as she slammed the door shut.

Kakashi stood a moment considering things before he sat back down in his seat. "It…was time to move on." He said, keeping his answer curt and his head bent down towards the table.

Tsunade fixed him with a stern look that said she didn't believe him. Kakashi's cheeks grew heated under his mask as he caught Tsunade's look.

"I'm not lying when I say that, you know, it's the truth." Said Kakashi emphasizing his words as he looked Tsunade in the face.

"But the whole truth?" Asked Tsunade skeptically, "I know that you have had to do things with that sword, things that have made you…"

The feeling of metal slicing through flesh, the staining red crimson blood, the brown eyes that held nothing but happiness, the spidery fingers that caressed his cheek...a kiss that should have never been.

Kakashi squeezed his eye shut. "I'd rather not speak about it." He said, cutting her off. He got up from the table ready to leave.

"Then give me the reason," Tsunade demanded as Kakashi opened the door to leave, "The real reason why you're giving me the sword."

Kakashi paused. "There are just some things I would rather not relive. The first time was far enough, yet every time I pick it up..." Kakashi paused, his head on the door frame.

Tsunade approached Kakashi and laid a hand on his shoulder. "I don't pretend to know what you are going through Kakashi," She said softly, "But to give up the sword…I know what it means to you. Minato gave it to you for a reason."

"I'm sure laoshi will realize that I am making the correct decision." Said Kakashi turning his head back towards the door.

"Kakashi…" Tsunade sighed. "You've had a rough life, rougher than most shinobi. You've given up and lost so much already, I just don't want you to regret this."

"Tsunade…I…I realize all that you have done for me over the years. I'm really grateful, but there are just some things I would rather not talk about." Said Kakashi hanging his head.

Tsunade stared at Kakashi, unsure of what to say as she watched the weary man remorsefully. "Alright, Kakashi." Said Tsunade finally conceding. "But I'm here, you know, if you need to talk." She said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I know Tsunade, you always were." Said Kakashi lifting his head. "And thanks again…for taking the sword off my hands."

"When you want it back, you can take it at any time, considering we find it." Replied Tsunade.

Kakashi shook his head as he reopened the door. "I almost considered letting the thief keep it when you first told me, but it would be a disgrace to laoshi's memory. I'll get it back, don't worry." And with that, Kakashi left the room.

Tsunade shook her head. "It's not the sword I'm worried about, kid."

Glossary:
Laoshi-Teacher

"Argh!" Orochimaru yelled, his scream a few decibels over Kabuto's comfortable hearing range.

Kabuto discarded the extracted kunai on the floor and continued to heal Orochimaru's chest. It almost gave him some sick sort of satisfaction that Orochimaru had been bedridden with a kunai protruding from his chest all day while Kabuto had done his daily duties with the Fengs. Of course he did rush over a soon as he had a chance, but that was beside the point.

Once Orochimaru's chest healed, the snake man pushed Kabuto away and stormed over to the window, putting his fist through the glass.

"Who was the bastard that got the sword before we did last night?" He raged.

"Language, Sifu Orochimaru." Said Kabuto as he picked up the kunai he discarded to properly throw it away.

"I don't care." Hissed Orochimaru. "I want to know who it was!"

Kabuto had a theory on who it was. The chakra signature was unmistakable to him, but he didn't want to reveal it to Orochimaru just yet.

"Who else could have known about the sword?" Kabuto questioned.

"Why don't you tell me that?" Orochimaru snarled at Kabuto. Really, his bad temper wasn't at all flattering.

"You know what, I don't care." Amended Orochimaru. "I want you to find that sword for me, and you better find it quick." He said, prodding a bony white finger in Kabuto's chest. "It's somewhere in this damn city, find it!"

Glossary:
Sifu – Master

Kakashi was pacing around the room Tsunade had provided him. Kakashi didn't know for sure whether the Tian Tang Jian was in Orochimaru's possession or not. Kakashi let out an aggravated sigh. It was not possible that Orochimaru found out about the Tian Tang Jian so quickly. It was a spur of the moment decision, there was no way he could have acted so quickly. But he must have had some accomplices. Sakura was right, maybe he was in Peking for a different reason. Kakashi collapsed back on the bed and looked at the ceiling.

The thought of the Tian Tang Jian in Orochimaru's hands was a dangerous thought.

The smell of ash was heavy in the air and there were thick plumes of smoke still visible above the treetops. The usual misty field where the Konoha memorial grave stood was seemingly untouched, but there was an unnatural path that led to the forest that was created by a bunch of toppled trees, as if someone had rolled over them.

Kakashi licked his lips underneath his mask as he stood alone in front Konoha memorial grave. The names from last night had yet to be added, but Kakashi still felt at peace standing there. Kakashi squeezed his left eye shut before he opted to pull his forehead protector over it. The pain in his left eye was just as raw as the pain in his heart. The Tian Tang Jian felt heavy on his back. He wondered why his teacher decided to give it to him.

Kakashi had promised himself he wouldn't shed anymore tears, especially after the death of his father. But now, he felt dangerously close to doing so. He had just lost his teacher and his only best friend. He had probably been standing there for at least an hour, ever since the battle ended. His eye was burning and he felt weak. He realized he should get to the hospital, but he didn't want to move from that spot.

Just then, he felt uneasy. He clutched at the forehead protector covering his eye. He honestly wondered if the eye was killing him. As he continued to stand there clutching his eye, he realized it wasn't him at all. He could feel the presence of someone else's chakra and they weren't doing a very good job of hiding it. He heard a rustle of leaves in the forest and he jumped to face the spot and armed himself with a kunai. Orochimaru staggered out of the forest.

"Kakashi." He rasped.

Kakashi noticed that Orochimaru was still battle worn from last night. His clothes were ripped and his face peeling.

"Give me the Tian Tang Jian." Said Orochimaru.

Kakashi automatically gripped the hilt of the sword.

"It doesn't belong to you, it belongs to me!" Orochimaru yelled.

A few birds flew out of the trees cawing at the loud sound. The once again eerie stillness was around them before Kakashi whipped the sword out of the sheath on his back with surprising speed. The sword felt right in his hands.

Kakashi took a gulp, trying to summon the last of his strength. Orochimaru had taken enough from him already and he wouldn't let him take his sword from him too. "You're not strong enough to take me on." Kakashi said angrily.

Orochimaru gave out a cackle. "Little boy, I'll kill you then take the sword!"

Orochimaru flew towards him as Kakashi pulled his forehead protector up to reveal his Sharingan eye. It was still red and blotchy from yesterday. Kakashi flew forward to meet Orochimaru and swung the sword with amazing speed and slashed Orochimaru's arm off. It sprayed blood through the air before landing in the dewy grass. Kakashi landed behind him as Orochimaru fell to the ground in a ragged breath as he clutched the stump. The red blood dripped between his white fingers.

"Impossible..." He whispered before disappearing.

Kakashi pulled his headband over his eye again before kicking Orochimaru's arm in disgust. His eye began to throb painfully and Kakashi felt his heart start to pound irregularly. He knew immediately that he had made a major mistake in opening his eye. He fell to the ground, unable to do much more. He felt so vulnerable, but there was nothing he could do.

The blood left the grass soaked in red.

Note2: The Mandate of Heaven is a Chinese philosophical belief that heaven would reward just rulers with the right to rule, but it would be displeased with a corrupt ruler than thereby withdraw its mandate which would lead to an overthrow. The Mandate of Heaven passes between those who rule best. Sometimes, famine or natural disasters under a rule would allow citizens to believe that the Mandate had been taken away from them.