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

Note: Thanks for the reviews last chapter. It means a lot. This chapter is shorter than the previous ones, but please enjoy.

4 reviews till next time

027: 醒
(awake)

Being back in Iwagakure was like being allowed to breathe again. It wasn't that the air in Peking wasn't fresh – there were thousands of trees surrounding the entire province – but to Asuka, the air had somehow seemed dense and polluted as if she were breathing in the recycled air of the thousands of inhabitants that lived there.

But as her horse rode through the welcoming gates of Iwagakure, she could smell the sharp sting of the mountain air, the snow covered pine trees, the horses resting in their stables and the moist dirt that had not yet frozen from the cold.

She was home.

As Asuka jumped swiftly from her horse after departing from her fellow companions and riding her horse into the family stable, she found herself enveloped in the arms of her maid. Asuka supposed that after being gone for a few weeks, she had been at least temporarily forgiven for her swearing tendencies.

After pulling away, Asuka patted the maid awkwardly on the shoulder before going to meet with her father.

A blood curdling scream echoed throughout the halls of Tsunade's estate and a few servants stopped dead in their tracks, heads swiveling and ears trained, wondering who exactly was screaming bloody murder.

It was pain, pain that would emblazon itself in her memory for years to come that kept her screaming, screaming until her throat felt raw and dry. It was irrational, she told herself, irrational for her to keep on this screaming, howling out in wild tones as if she were some barbaric creature. Yet it seemed her body knew nothing of what was rational and what wasn't and so she continued, her fingers grabbing fistfuls of the sweat stained sheets, her fingers rigidly clamped so that she felt her bones might break soon under the pressure.

"Please Sakura!" Shizune whimpered, hating to see her friend in such a state. "You need to remain still!" She cried. There was a sheen of sweat across her forehead as she tried her best to hold the pink haired kunoichi down.

Sakura could barely hear Shizune's words, over her own loud screaming. She felt the woman's futile attempts, her hands gripping and her arms and legs, trying to restrain them from lashing out. But Shizune, the world outside, they both took backseat to the pain that had invaded every pore of her body, as if a thousand daggers had sunk into her skin simultaneously and now they were working on repeatedly stabbing her. The pain was intrusive, foreign, like what she had felt in her mind earlier – only a million times worse. It was ripping up her leg, setting her veins on fire, burning away her skin. She couldn't help it as a new scream ripped through her throat, actually causing her physical pain this time.

"Sakura, I'm sorry." She heard Tsunade whimper as she took a reprieve to breathe. The apology echoed in Sakura's brain, but she couldn't seem to process it. She let loose another scream.

Sakura's scream sneered itself into Tsunade's soul and she winced at the sound of it. She glanced at Shizune, who was still struggling to subdue the obviously stronger kunoichi. Shizune helplessly glanced back at Tsunade and she saw that her eyes were rimmed red. Tsunade gritted her teeth and pushed another wave of chakra into Sakura's leg, which caused a fresh wave of screams from the pink haired girl. Tsunade hated hearing Sakura scream; she hated knowing that she was putting Sakura through a great deal of pain. It was probably the reason why Kakashi disappeared so fast when he heard Tsunade announce that the operation had to be performed.

Yet the operation was absolutely necessary if Sakura expected to perform as a shinobi ever again. As it was, Tsunade had neglected performing surgery when Sakura was first found for she feared that the intense pain that usually accompanied re-opening sealed chakra circuits would cause brain damage while Sakura was already in a coma. Now that they had been sealed for a few days, the pain was worse than it normally would have been.

Tsunade bit her lip as her fingers probed up Sakura's leg, trying to judge how much progress she had made and desperately hoping to god that Naruto wouldn't happen to walk in.

The snow covered trees and forested pathways were slowly giving way to the populated outreaches of Peking. Their horse trotted along slowly, hooves crunching along the freshly fallen snow. Soon, the snow fall would be too high, making the forests nearly impassible by foot, leaving travel by tree branch or by horse the only options. Even travelling through the main roads would be hard.

Personally, Baki hoped that he would be back in Suna before the east got any more snow. He could deal with the cold desert winds of the west, but it was the wet snowfall that made Baki irritable. The journey to Peking had been long and arduous so far, but it was nothing that Baki couldn't handle. That wasn't to say it hadn't thrown a few twists and turns along the way.

Baki glanced behind him. Feng Temari was sitting quietly atop his horse, her eyes closed and for once, her mouth shut. He remembered her as a child, when the Feng family had still lived in the Land of the Wind. She was an energetic child, never sitting still and always chasing after her brothers, simultaneously scolding them yet wanting to be them. As an adult, Baki could see that her youthful energy had been transformed into a stubborn willpower and aggression.

She still had much to learn, but Baki supposed he was at least making some headway. When he had first agreed to teach her, she had fought him tooth and nail, no matter her assignment and despite the fact that she had asked him to teach her. She lacked discipline. Any seasoned shinobi could see that and Baki knew that if she was to progress, she needed to learn how to obey. She had talent, Baki couldn't deny that. But talent alone wouldn't be enough on the battlefield.

Although if Baki was being honest with himself, he knew that the battlefield was no place for Feng Temari. Despite knowing her identity, he had done nothing to question why the daughter of a prominent politician was roving the forests of Peking starving and by herself. He respected her autonomy and knew that if she wanted to tell him her reasons, then perhaps she would. But that wasn't to say he wasn't curious.

Temari's meditation atop the horse had distracted her from the fact that they were getting closer to Peking with every passing step. Nonetheless, he planned to leave her on the outskirts of Peking while he conducted his business within the city where he could hopefully gain some answers and she would remain blissfully ignorant of their location until he returned.

Temari slowly opened her eyes as she felt the horse underneath her trot to a stop. She remained silent as she watched the Suna shinobi deftly tie the reins of his horse around the trunk of a nearby tree. Pulling her eyes away, she slowly glanced around. Snow was still drifting down softly through the trees creating a soft white veil around them. The bark of the trees was the only color left in the forest.

She wondered how long they had been travelling; it had been early morning went they had set off and even though it was still light out, there was no trace of the sun in the sky to mark the hours past. Temari reached up and brushed the loose snow off her hair and shoulders. Meditation had left her feeling more relaxed than she could ever remember feeling in her entire life. She had thought about protesting when her newly appointed Sifu had told her to begin meditating, but she now knew this would only earn her a sharp crack to the head. The Suna shinobi was definitely not afraid to punish her.

"Are we stopping here?" Temari asked.

Baki glanced toward Temari. "You are stopping here. I have business to conduct elsewhere and I'll be back later."

Temari's eyebrows knitted in annoyance. What was she supposed to do out here in the cold while he went away? She didn't have time for this…

"Start a fire, if you're bored." Said Baki, as if he were reading her mind. "Good survival skills will be necessary to learn as well as discipline."

Without another word, Baki turned on heel and leapt into the trees, darting off to some unknown location. Temari sighed as she watched him go. He was too good at reading her. She would have to practice schooling her face into an impenetrable mask like the one that sat on his face.

He was looking into the face of an angel.

That was his first, somewhat coherent thought as his eyes drifted open, as if he were waking from a long nap. Now, Yagura didn't boast to know much about angels, but a clergyman from the Land of Crowns that he had met while walking around Shanghai had once explained to him that they were divine beings – the messengers to God himself. As it was, Yagura didn't have much of a notion of Christianity or their God, so he had decided to take the man's word for it. And while the man had also attributed these angels to have such fanciful qualities such as feathered wings and glowing halos, Yagura had assumed that if these angels were good enough to be His messengers, then surely they at least must have been beautiful creatures.

And the creature before him was nothing, if not beautiful.

The creature swept her hand across his cheek and he could feel that her skin was both smooth and rough. In such a daze Yagura was that he thought he would melt at the contact.

But then, as the fog finally started to lift from his brain and his gaze sharpened to his surrounding environment, Yagura found himself to be staring into his wife's emerald gaze. Joy and relief had been apparent in her eyes only seconds before they were quickly replaced with something that had Yagura rightfully shivering in his place.

"I could throttle your neck right now, but I won't because I was scared half to death that you were going to die." Mei responded, her voice harsh.

"Surely my injury wasn't that serious..." Yagura responded lightly, giving her a slight smile. Underneath the covers that were draped over him, Yagura slowly moved his arm and laid it to rest over his abdomen. He found it wrapped tightly in thick, coarse bandages. He winced, remembering as he bent down to see the dagger hilt protruding from his stomach before he had passed out.

"Don't make light of this!" Mei cried, her voice rising in pitch. Yagura noticed that her auburn hair, usually so well groomed was now woven into a knotty braid that hung over her shoulder. "I must have aged about ten years when I saw your ANBU carrying you in, your stomach a bloody mess! I thought I told you to be careful and come back alive!"

"I'm still here, aren't I?" Yagura offered weakly.

Mei let out what sounded like a mix between an anguished cry and a cry of relief before she bent forward and buried her face in the crook of Yagura's neck, her hands cradling his face. "I swear I'll rip the Amekage apart the next time I see him." She whispered against his skin.

Yagura responded by slowly lifting his arm out from under the covers and softly smoothing her hair. Of course, if Yagura had any say in the matter, he would let his wife nowhere near the Amekage, no matter how accomplished a shinobi she may have been. No, Yagura was sure that he wanted that right reserved for himself. While nowhere near the death Mei had claimed, the attempt on Yagura's life had been enough to set him straight. Fear was an irrational emotion within the shinobi world and Yagura had allowed himself to be plagued by it.

Perhaps he had allowed himself to become docile, disillusioned by the perfect world he had imagined himself creating with Saizo. A pacifist he may have been at heart, Yagura now realized that word had no place within the shinobi's world – not when he had people to protect and there were those who would do anything to take them from him. The question was, now that the Amekage had made things personal, how was Yagura going to return the favor?

Sakura opened her eyes and for the first time in what seemed like a long while, she saw the world with clarity. Sakura brushed the hair out of her eyes and pushed herself up; a motion that she struggled with at first. Her arms felt weak and her chest sore which didn't exactly fill Sakura with joy. She would have to begin training again immediately if she wanted to regain her strength.

Looking around, Sakura saw that someone placed a cup of water on the table next to her bed. Sakura quickly reached over and grabbed it. The water felt cold and refreshing as it washed down her throat. How long had it been since she had last had a drink? Or better yet, how long had she been out for? Sakura couldn't recall the last time she had actually been admitted to the hospital, let alone been out of it. Normally she was the one helping patients recover, not the other way around.

"Sakura!"

Sakura quickly turned her head and spotted Tsunade in the doorway. The blond woman quickly rushed into the room and set down a bowl of water and a towel on the table before pulling Sakura into a hug. "You don't know how happy I am to see you awake." Tsunade murmured before pulling away. "How do you feel? Are you cold? Hungry? Thirsty?" She asked quickly.

"I'm fine, Sifu!" Said Sakura, giving out a weak laugh. "Don't worry about me."

"Hmph." Said Tsunade giving her a sour look. "That's all I've been doing for the past couple of days."

The smile fell from Sakura's face and she pulled her eyes away from Tsunade and toward the bed. It seemed that she had caused more trouble that she had intended. Tsunade sighed, realizing her mistake and she reached over, tucking a strand of hair behind Sakura's ear. "It will be alright now."

Sakura mustered up her will and pushed back the tears that she could feel were starting to form. It would do no good crying about it now. "Where…Where's Naruto?" Sakura finally asked, picking her head up. The blond shinobi wasn't present which Sakura found extremely odd. Sakura didn't want to presume anything or take Naruto for granted, but she couldn't see Naruto being anywhere else but by her side. She knew she would have done the same had he been in her position.

"That kid…" Said Tsunade shaking her head and a scowl marred her face. "He's been in here night and day, constantly asking questions and driving me nuts. As if I didn't have enough to worry about I had to worry about his wellbeing too…" Tsunade trailed off, her lips pursed.

Tsunade's words brought a tentative smile to Sakura's lips. That was the exact behavior she would have expected from Naruto. She knew that she would have to treat him to his favorite meal to hopefully repay him for the worrying she had caused.

"So where is he?" Sakura asked, looking around as if she expected the hyperactive shinobi to poke his head through the door or come bounding through the window.

"I haven't a clue!" Said Tsunade. "That's the strangest part. He was gone before I came in to perform surgery."

Sakura frowned, but before she could concern herself with Naruto's whereabouts, Tsunade put her hand on top of Sakura's. Sakura looked up surprised, her green eyes meeting Tsunade's honey colored ones. "Sakura," Said Tsunade, "I know this may not be the time, but…we need to talk."

Sakura stared at Tsunade for a beat before she passed her hand over her face. "Yes…You're right." She said hesitantly. Everything seemed so hazy and it hurt to think back, but there was something important she needed to tell Tsunade.

"You fought someone." Tsunade prompted. She figured it would be best to start out simple so Sakura wouldn't feel so overwhelmed.

"Yes." Said Sakura. "The night I returned to Peking, I felt a strange…aura…" Her memories of this were clear. She remembered handing her reins to the guard on duty before jumping into the forest to follow the source. In hindsight, it probably wasn't the smartest decision she had made. It was a miracle she had even been found in time considering she hadn't given anyone her location or told them what she was doing.

"An aura?" Said Tsunade questioningly. "What kind of aura?"

Sakura closed her eyes. This next part wasn't going to be easy. "Sifu…the aura was coming from Uchiha Sasuke-hou. He…he had been marked with Cursed Seal of Heaven." Said Sakura, looking down at her hands.

Tsunade let out a sharp gasp and she instinctively leaned toward Sakura, her free hand gripping the bed sheets. "That cannot be possible." She said sternly, her eyes narrowing. "Uchiha Sasuke cannot-"

"But he does." Sakura interjected, cutting Tsunade off. "Sifu, I saw it for myself. That's why I knew I had to stop him before he could get to Orochimaru."

Tsunade shook her head and covered her face with her hands. "That snake bastard." Tsunade hissed. "How does he get his hands on everything?" It was as if Sakura could visibly see her getting older the longer she stared at her.

"Sifu," She said, hoping to break Tsunade out of her stupor. "I'll find him. I'll finish what I started and bring him back."

Tsunade shook her head and slowly lifted her face from her hands. "He's the one who did this to you?"

Sakura paused for a moment, closing her eyes as if thinking before shaking her head in disagreement. "Uchiha-hou may have had the cursed seal, but I am a shinobi of Konoha." Said Sakura with strength in her voice. "I was weak, and I did injure my leg, but I had him." She said angrily.

"Someone else came," Said Sakura, putting a hand to her head. "A man that knew Medical Ninjutsu very well."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "That worked for Orochimaru?"

Sakura shrugged. "I guess? I feel like I've seen him before…" Sakura trailed off. He had seemed so familiar to her. He had said something to her. He had known her, she was positive. Yet…

Tsunade put her hand on Sakura's, causing the pink-haired girl to lift her head. "You've told me enough." Said Tsunade. "You should take it easy now. You still have to recover."

Sakura looked at Tsunade before sighing and nodding her head. While it pained her to remain inactive, Tsunade was right; she would still need a bit more bed rest before she could even think about going back out and training. Tsunade smiled at Sakura once more before she stood up, ready to take her leave.

"What will you do about Uchiha-hou?" Sakura questioned before Tsunade could retreat out the door.

Tsunade paused. What could she do, now that the brother-in-law of one of the most powerful men in the Land of Fire and heir to one of the greatest clans in Peking had willingly become a pawn of one of the most dangerous men in the world?

After traveling in the silent forests for so long, with nothing other than the howling winds and the occasional sounds of birds to disrupt the peace, the city of Peking was an utter nightmare. People were talking, merchants were shouting and displaying their wares in the middle of the street, wagons groaned and creaked as they passed by and the clink of dinnerware and the sizzle of food could be heard at each restaurant and café Baki passed.

Although the snow was still falling, the weather was doing nothing to dampen the ongoing lives of those who lived in Peking. Even so, as people pushed and shoved passed him with little care, Baki couldn't help but be amazed every time he set foot in Peking. It was nothing like Dihua and it was definitely nothing like Suna. The capital of Dihua had its fair share of people and merchants, especially since the city was none too far from a popular trade route that easterners and westerners travelled alike. But the warm sepia tones of Dihua were lost here in Peking where everything was awash in color. And the temples, government buildings and estates were built at a scale that Baki could scarcely comprehend. Sometimes he stared in awe and sometimes it just made him want to return to his own small one roomed home in Suna. Baki favored the simplicity of the Land of Wind to the grandeur that was found elsewhere.

Lady Tsunade's estate was one such marvel to behold as he was ushered through the entrance gates. It made Baki a bit uncomfortable to imagine commanding a household such as this. There were servants everywhere and the complex was like a giant maze. Baki could imagine himself getting lost inside.

He was quickly given a seat within Governor Feng's own guest compound when he informed a maid that the governor was expecting him. She explained that Lord Feng was currently in a meeting and that he would be with him shortly. Her glance on him had lingered before she walked away and Baki found some of the other servants staring at him as well while he waited. He supposed the sight of shinobi was rare here, let alone a Suna shinobi. It was only because the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind were on such good terms with each other that it had been so easy for him to enter the city.

Baki had only been waiting for a few minutes when a figure in long robes approached him. Baki got to his feet. "Gaara-gong." He replied, bowing his head. "It is good to see you after so long."

The red haired heir was easy to recognize although he had been just a child when Governor Feng had left with his children. He had always seemed like a quiet and sullen child. Now, he was almost as tall as Baki himself and commanded respect with his presence. His silk robes were dark in color and he had a disconcerting amount of black kohl around his eyes. Baki wondered his appearance had anything to do with his sister's disappearance.

"Shamo Ying-xiansheng." Gaara greeted, remembering Baki with little difficulty. "You are here to discuss and renew the terms of Sunagakure's current alliance with the Land of Fire?"

"Yes." Said Baki. "Your father is expecting me, I believe."

Gaara's face faltered for a brief moment in which an indescribable emotion crossed his face. But before Baki could identify it, Gaara's face regained its composure. "Yes, well…follow me, please. I believe we have much to discuss."

Gaara lead Baki into an ornate study and shut the door behind them, leaving Baki with silence once more. Baki took a deep breath, letting the silence wash over him before gratefully accepting a seat from Gaara.

"Are there any refreshments you would like?" Gaara asked politely after Baki had seated himself. "You must have travelled a long way."

Although a warm cup of tea would have been nice after the countless nights out in the cold, it wasn't in Baki's nature to impose, even if it wouldn't have been much of an imposition. "I'm fine, thank you." He replied. "Your father, will he be joining us soon?" Baki inquired.

"Shamo Ying-xiansheng, you have traveled such a long way and I hate to burden you with such news so soon, but I regret to inform you that my father has passed on only a few days ago."

Gaara delivered the news with such grace and efficiency that Baki suspected he must have been prepared to give such a speech. Baki gripped the armrests of his chair, his knuckles turning white underneath his gloves as shock coursed through his body. With sudden realization, Baki's thoughts swiftly traveled back to the forest where Temari was waiting. Was she completely unaware of her father's death or was that what had driven her from home?

Baki wanted to inquire about further details of Governor Feng's death, but he knew it was not his place. Instead, he bowed his head before Gaara. "You must be quite used to hearing this already, but my sincerest condolences for you and your family during this difficult time."

Gaara nodded his head solemnly but offered no words of thanks.

For a moment, Baki was left dumbfounded by the turn of events. He had not intended on bringing Temari up as Baki believed it would be best if he stayed out of the situation entirely. But now that he had news of Governor Feng's death, should he tell Gaara? The unity of family would be important in a time like this and Baki knew that Temari had played a large role in her brother's lives.

The decision weighed heavily on his shoulders.

A small crunch of snow alerted Temari to Baki's reappearance in the forest. She had laid a blanket down on the snow and with some trial and error, finally got a small, but steady fire burning within a small collection of tree branches she managed to find. It was hardly enough to warm her, but at least it kept her hands from freezing as she held them over the flame.

"Not bad." Baki appraised as he approached.

"That's it?" Temari said after a beat when Baki said no more. "No other critiques?"

Baki paused for a moment, staring at her. She may have had her mother's eyes, but she had her father's will. The moment passed and Baki quickly untied his horse's reins from the tree that Temari had hitched him to.

"She should get a move on before it gets too dark out."

Glossary:
Shamo Ying – Desert Hawk

Character Corner

Name: Nara Shikamaru
Shinobi Name: Ying Guo Wang
Age: 18
Height: 5'-9.5"
Specializes: Ninjutsu, Taijutsu

Shikamaru is the only child of Nara Shikaku and Yoshino. Born in Konoha, Shikamaru is part of the prestigious Nara Clan who specializes in shadow jutsus. At the age of 6, Shikamaru began to train under his father's tutelage. At the age of 12, Shikamaru participated in the Chunin exams and passed. Shikamaru, however didn't want to deal with the responsibility of being a Chunin so he defected from Konoha and fled to the west. There, he was confronted and almost killed by the notorious Black Cloud Gang - a gang of thieves who raid in the desert. After a demonstration of his abilities, Shikamaru was accepted into the gang by the leader. Shikamaru was named the next leader of the Black Cloud gang once the old leader had died and has successfully commanded the group from then on.

Shikamaru has always had a lazy demeanor and doesn't like to apply himself to much, instead preferring to sit and watch the clouds. However, Shikamaru has always been smart, even rivaling the intelligence of Haruno Sakura. With time, Shikamaru can provide a solution to any problem, even going so far as to plan out three or four moves in advance. He deems anything that involves thought 'troublesome', including women which he typically avoids. Shikamaru only accepted the duties as Black Cloud leader because the gang had treated him as if he were part of their own family and he felt that he had a debt to pay. His shinobi name means Shadow King.