Disclaimer: [insert creative way of saying 'I don't own Naruto' here]


Chapter Recap:

'No way this is really Naruto' He wanted to think. Yet something about the morbidity and the darkness lead him on another path, one that answered questions he had had for Naruto for quite some time. He stood up and exited the room so fast that his chair was left spinning at the sudden movement. He had to show this to someone. Someone that would be able to explain why a young happy-looking child would write something so dark. Iruka almost felt as though he was intruding on Naruto, as if he had ripped a page of Naruto's journal and was about to expose it to the world.

The need to be a good teacher fought tenaciously and won in the end as he found himself opening a door down the hallway from his own and seeing Kakashi looking at him with a tiny book posed in his hands.

(Back with Naruto)

Naruto couldn't shake himself of what he had told Hinata. It was deeply personal, and yet he told her. Why? He couldn't really think of a good reason, but it had felt good to tell her a little about himself. He looked out the window and saw students beginning to file into the school from different directions. School was gonna start soon. That means more of Kiba, Sasuke, and the others. More of their crap. Just more and more baggage. Naruto could handle this; he was just like the Prospector's mule. 'What load?'


Behind this Mask

Chapter 8: As though nothing happened

Naruto stalked mindlessly into Kakashi's class, completely unaware of the commotion going on around him as the students frantically sifted through their school bags. He plopped down into his desk with exhaustion, and grunted in pain as he remembered the previous night.

"You will most likely-" Naruto was cut-off with a knee to the stomach. When he hunched over and grabbed his stomach Mizuki countered with an upper cut square to the jaw. Naruto was sent backward, tumbling over the beer bottles that still lay haphazardly on the floor. Landing with the bottles jabbing his broken ribs, he crumpled to the floor and grasped his stomach. He should have known that he is ALWAYS wrong.

"I don't remember giving you permission to speak." Mizuki said with an eerie calm in his voice. He stalked, not walked, over to Naruto and placed a dominating foot onto the crumpled up boy, sending shivers of pain throughout his entire body. He loved to play this game with Naruto. Toying with the boy was fun. Like an ever-changing labyrinth, the creator could only win Mizuki's games. There was no correct answer for the competitor, just as there is no correct turn in the changing paths of the labyrinth. And watching as Naruto got lost in the Labyrinth time and time again was absolute pleasure for Mizuki.

Naruto shuddered as the memory invaded his brain. He learned early in life that memories like these were best kept in the back of his mind. After his parents were murdered he began having vivid dreams that would leave him hoarse when he woke up in the morning. Sometimes during the school day he would find his mind wondering and somehow unshelving that memory, which would in turn cause him to hyperventilate. So to prevent panic, he just decided to no longer dwell on anything that happened beyond a few moments ago.

Oddly enough the dead silence that settled into the classroom made Naruto look up in curiosity. Standing in the doorway was Kakashi-sensei. Naruto glanced at the clock in unison with the rest of the class, trying to think if he remembered hearing the bell or not. Kakashi meandered through the students that were to confused to move out of the way and gracefully took place in his table at the front of the classroom, completely ignoring the stares of awe that had followed him. Naruto looked to the desk next to him and saw Hinata sitting soundlessly apperently in deep thought.

The silence was deafening until the bell went off making a few of the girls yelp in shock. When silence lay on the class again Kakashi spoke up.

"Alright class. I would like you to to turn your poems in." It was said as though he did not just walk in on time. As though the bell hadn't gone off AFTER he walked in. As though there had been no poor country that specifically asked for his aid in abolishing their government in hopes of creating a democracy and the only way it would happen was with his help. As though nothing had happened at all. It almost made him want to ask what was the matter.

As the kids began to hand their poems in, Naruto realized that he was the only one that didn't get up. Even Hinata had something and she was new to the school.

"Now we are going to have a little game," Kakashi started, as he slapped the stack of poems on his desk.

" I am going to read a poem aloud, and then you are going to guess who's it is. Whoever gets the most right, gets extra credit."

It was at that point when Naruto began to tune him out. He didn't want to hear kids' rhyming dog with hog.

(With Hinata)

She didn't understand how he could do that. She kept glancing out of the corner of her eyes the blonde haired boy sitting stoically next to her. She had seen it yesterday too, when the class had laughed at him. His eyes seemed to moment she first saw him, his eyes were blue. Curiosity or contentness she quickly dubbed.

The next moment his eyes would be dark blue, like when the class had all laughed at him. Anger came to mind. Then, at other moments, like when he would blankly stare at his desk or just at nothing in particular, the would be and intimidating dull blue with tints of an amber color. That expression remained nameless.

She wanted to ask him about it several times when he was walking her to Iruka-Sensei's classroom, but she had chickened out and asked something else. She wanted to ask him right now. But she could never get what she wanted. She only got what her father wanted. She never wanted to move. She never wanted to be hated by her father. She never wanted her mother to walk out on them, but all of those things did happen. Regardless of if she wanted it to or not. She wansn't in control of her own life. She couldn't even make a decision without second guessing herself.

She glanced toward Naruto again, aware of the quicker pace her heart took.

Just another thing that she couldn't control. His effect on her. His expression seemed to strained. So painful. She couldn't find the right word to describe it. The noises that the students were making in their guessing wasn't helping her thought process.

She almost jumped when his gaze flicked over to her. As quickly as she could she snapped her head toward the front of the classroom. She could feel her face get warmer and her throat tightening. She then glanced back at him not sure if she wanted him to still be looking at her or not. She saw that he was looking straight at Kakashi-sensei with wide eyes. A new expression for him. She knew that she was shy, but she wanted. No, needed to know more about Naruto. She then turned her head to the teacher and started listening to what would be the tenth or eleventh poem.

Kakashi's voice sounded different as he read with a more serious inflextion;

"My smiles are false, a lie, a ruse.

It's all just a hoax, a mask that I use.

The way I portray, the things that I say

Comes from my mask of which I display.

When I am questioned, I give an excuse.

Through wide grinned smiles, I hide my abuse.

Preposterous it is, to open the heart

Inevitably it is, to soon fall apart.

My unshed tears hide behind blue eyes that are lit.

My dark thoughts behind a mask with a perfect fit.

A smile says you're happy, they simply decree.

If smiles did the talking, mine would say 'help me.'"

The class reached that similar silence that they had earlier in day.

"That's kind of depressing Kakashi-sensei." One of the girls in the back spoke up as a few began to guess random people. Hinata looked at Kakashi-sensei who was in a stare down with Naruto, who continued to stare at Kakashi with bewilderment on his face. Hinata was trying to think if she had seen Naruto hand in a poem, but could have sworn she hadn't. Maybe she was wrong. Was it his? Did he really write that? She looked back at Naruto whose expression returned to normal. He was staring blankly at his desk again.

Kakashi shifted his stare from Naruto and smiled at the class.

"Sorry. This one doesn't even have a name on it. I guess this person will get no points at all." He said as he casually crumpled it up and threw it into the garbage can. The class all laughed and continued as though he hadn't read that poem. As though Kakashi didn't stare down a shocked Naruto. As though nothing had happened at all.


[Earlier with Kakashi and Iruka]

"Kakashi, we have a problem." Iruka's voice seemed strained as he walked over to Kakashi's desk, his stride not broken by the curiosity of the nameless book posed in Kakashi's hands. He tosses the sheet to him with impatience.

Kakashi studied the sheet for a breif moment.

"What's the problem?" He asked tossing the sheet back to him.

"Didn't you read it?" He asked as though that were supposed to clear it up.

"Yes I did. It is pretty angsty.I never knew you were so dark." He commented emotionlessly. Iruka rolled his eyes.

"It wasn't written by me." Iruka said with slight annoyance.

"I figured as much, and?"

"Don't you think that there might be a problem with a student? This seems pretty serious, don't you think?" He asked.

"Look Iruka if we got worked up over ever simple case of teenaged angst we wouldn't be able to walk into this school without having a heart attack." Kakashi explained, replacing the book into his hands.

"But Kakashi, the student that wrote this-" He was cut off by Kakashi.

"If you found a drug addict with a needle, you wouldn't be surprised right? So why should you be surprised to see some teenager with depression? Its pretty common now. Like wearing long-sleeved shirts over short-sleeved shirts. Its' kind of popular now." He finished.

Iruka was silent for a moment as though to wait and see if Kakashi was done or not.

"The student that wrote this was Naruto." He said flatly. The interest on Kakashi's face was obvious as he snatched the paper back and read through it with new eyes. There was a long pause as Iruka waited for him to say something.

"How can you be sure?" He finally spoke up.

"I know my students' handwriting. I know that the custodian had emptied the trash, and that Naruto was the only one standing by the garbage when I walked in to see if had stopped by. I know its him. What I DON'T know is how I can help him. He's obviously been hiding this. I just can't imagine who would want to harm him." He said, wishing that he hadn't. As soon as the words came out of his mouth Kakashi seemed unintersted again.

"You need to pay attention better then. The kid is bullied by nearly every student in this school. Nearly the whole school has had detention at least once for harassing the poor kid. And with harassment comes depression. I wouldn't be surprised if the kid brought that gun and-" He stopped himself and looked down at his table. There was a long stretch of silence.

Iruka didn't want him to finish what he was saying either.

"Alright, I am going to look into it. I'll confront him about it." Kakashi said quietly, but his voice faltered at the end.

"Okay then." Iruka just wanted to be out of there. He turned around and hustled out of the door.

Kakashi stared at the sheet of paper. He picked it up and gently set it in his drawer with his book and a photograph of a younger version of himself standing unwillingly next to an older, taller blonde man. He smiled as he shut the drawer and walked out of the room to the Teacher's lounge. School would start in a little over an hour. He should probobly think of a way to confront Naruto without the kid being able to see it coming or be able to leave.


[Back with Naruto]

He couldn't help but stare at Kakashi. The moment that he heard those words he could feel his chest tighten. As though he had inadvernantly told the whole school what was happening at Mizuki's house. His breaths came in short ragged bursts and he fought hard not to make it so obvious that he was shocked. He sunk lower into his seat finding himself in a staring contest with the teacher. He knew that he should be worried or scared, but all that he could feel was shock and anger.

Shock that it was being read aloud. Anger that he couldn't stop it. That it was going to be cast out there with no life line to reel it back in. No way to retreve it on unhear it.

It was helpless.

He was helpless.

And to make the matter worse, Kakashi was staring at him with obvious suspicion in his eyes. How much did he know? How did he even get that stupid thing? Does he even know, or is he playing a mind trick on me? He couldn't look anymore. He cast his look back toward his desk, defeated but not submissively. He heard the interest in Kakashi-sensei's voice as he said that the poem was anonymous and was going to recieve no points. He knew whose it was. He was just mocking him. Naruto ignored the curious look Hinata was shooting him.

He couldn't tell if she was worried or just plain curious.

Why should he worry though? It wansn't as though he knew it was his. The best thing-no, the smartest thing to do would to act as though nothing happened.


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A/N

Okay. I actually have a good excuse as to why I hadn't updated. Listen to this. Are you paying attention? Okay. My computer exploded. True story. I was scrolling up on a website, the computer made this crazy buzzing noise like when you drop your furbee on hard pavement, and then the monitor smoked. We just got a new monitor (On Christmas) and that is the reason I haven't updated. I actually feel good for having a good reason! Well anyway, I kind of feel bad for the three people that like my story. I think that this chapter is alright. I just wrote it today. Hope you enjoyed it. Critisism welcomed. R&R