Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Dawnwalker ❯ The Mask ( Chapter 6 )

Dawnwalker

 

.VI.

 

Twenty-four hours later, Naruto was still recovering from his shock. After finally realizing what Sasuke had said about joining the mission, his mind had snapped. He had reacted without even thinking. Fists were exchanged and insults were flying in the air for a good few minutes before Shikamaru and Kakashi finally stepped in. And even then Naruto was still torn between extreme relief and extreme anger. The mere sudden arrival of Sasuke had split him into two. And the way Sasuke appeared—it baffled him completely. There was no warning, no preparation, for this type of shock.

 

Naruto sat cross-legged on the floor, staring at Sasuke, who was diagonally seated away from him. When Shikamaru and Kakashi dragged him away from the barely resisting Sasuke, they decided then to head back to Yulidas to gather their supplies and belongings before heading off again. The journey through the desert took most of the day and they had been forced to seek refuge in flimsy tents whilst the cold night blew around them. By that time, however, all of them were too exhausted to complain.

 

Now it was nearing early afternoon again. Shikamaru had strategically kept Naruto and Sasuke separated for the better part of the morning as they investigated the town located several miles from where they had set up site before finally arranging the meeting. Naruto looked at Kakashi, who was sitting directly beside Sasuke. He could not fathom the older man's behavior. It was as if Sasuke had always been with them. There was no reaction indicating his shock besides the initial one and Naruto grew annoyed at this fact. Kakashi had always harbored a particular fondness for Sasuke—he knew it—and Sakura knew it as well. But he couldn't understand how he was able to behave so normally around him—no questions asked.

 

And boy did Naruto have a lot of questions to ask.

 

But he was forced into silence at the moment as Shikamaru took up the head.

 

“All right, it looks like we're making good time. Our traveling circus is located in the next town. They'll be staying there for two weeks as a part of their running tour. We should be able to finish this mission pretty soon.”

 

Lee whooped. “We can finally go back home!”

 

Shikamaru gave a half smile. “Seems so,” he said before looking at Sasuke. “Hokage-sama will decide your fate from then on.”

 

The latter barely flinched. “And what makes you think I'll be following you home?”

 

This time Naruto could not hold back. He stood up angrily. “What are you talking about, huh? Of course you're coming back with us! There's no way I'm letting you out of my sight ever again!” he shouted.

 

Sasuke gave a small smirk. “You think you can stop me?” he evenly challenged.

 

“Oi, we shouldn't be fighting amongst ourselves, guys! Try to save it for when the mission's over at least!” interjected Lee helplessly.

 

Naruto continued his ranting for a good few minutes before Sasuke finally snapped. Catching both Naruto and the others by surprise, he held the redhead up by the scruff of his neck, a kunai steadily placed by his left temple.

 

“You really want to try it out, Naruto? Because I don't mind—but nor am I in any particular mood to listen to you talk,” he said quietly.

 

Shikamaru jumped up in alarm. “Let him go, Sasuke,” he ordered sternly.

 

The dark-haired man smiled slowly, but never took his gaze off Naruto. “Do you think I'll kill him, Captain?” he asked mockingly.

 

“Sasuke,” Kakashi said finally, “drop him.”

 

“It's not your day to die yet,” murmured Sasuke as he released Naruto roughly. He hid the kunai within his sleeve before heading out the tent. “I'll be looking around.”

 

For a while there was only silence after Sasuke left. Then Lee scratched his head and sighed loudly. “Ah, Shika…do you really think it's a good idea to have him with us?” he asked worriedly.

 

The shadow user smiled wryly. “Well, I wonder.”

 

Naruto clenched his fists tightly. “Goddamn him!” he cursed before leaving the tent also.

 

“This is getting too bothersome,” muttered Shikamaru darkly. He looked at Neji. “Mind tagging him to make sure he doesn't get into anymore trouble?”

 

Neji nodded and left silently.

 

Shikamaru crossed his arms. “Kakashi-san…what are you thinking?” he inquired.

 

The silver-haired man lied down on the matted ground lazily. “Hmm… It's hard to say,” he replied.

 

“But you're one of the people who know him the best, Kakashi-san! You must be able to tell what he's thinking somewhat!” exclaimed Lee. He pouted deeply. “He seems so distant. It's like he's here yet not.”

 

Shikamaru grunted in agreement. Kakashi closed his visible eye wearily.

 

“He is no longer the boy he was eight years ago—and I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing.”

 

**

 

Sasuke eyed the town darkly. It was one of the bigger ones, which was probably why the circus would be making a stop here. The buildings and houses were made up of concrete and wood—creating a somewhat modern twist to the entire place. In comparison to Yulidas, this place was a flourishing city. But unlike Yulidas, shinobi were not welcomed in the slightest. Any that were caught were immediately sentenced to exile—weapons and belongings stripped away completely.

 

A snap alerted Sasuke of an approaching figure. He didn't have to turn around to know who it was. He slowly smirked to himself.

 

“I assure you, I don't plan on leaving anytime soon.”

 

Naruto sniffed. “Who fucking cares.”

 

Sasuke finally looked at his former teammate. It was strange. He hadn't seen Naruto or the others in eight years and yet they remained exactly the same as he remembered. Certainly they were stronger and smarter, but their personalities were still intact. Naruto was still as brash and sensitive as he was as a child of twelve. Sasuke's gaze grew clouded by thought. It was to be expected, though. None of them had abandoned their home for the sake of revenge. None of them had sought for the power of one of the mightiest—and most vile—shinobi ever lived. None of them had to endure Orochimaru's torture or maniacal behavior whilst dealing with the rest of his insanely dedicated minions. No, they did not experience any of that.

 

“How'd you escape?”

 

The question brought Sasuke back to reality. He stirred as Naruto bore his eyes into his own seriously. For a second he paused. Then he shrugged carelessly, slipping his usual mask on. “What does it matter?” he replied before turning back.

 

Naruto clenched his fists tightly as he suppressed the urge to tackle the taller man. “You could try to be a little more civilized! Goddamn it, you haven't changed at all!” he exclaimed.

 

Sasuke stopped. “At all,” he repeated tonelessly. “You're…” Then he froze.

 

“What?”

 

Naruto whipped around. There was nothing behind him except the sandy desert. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Sasuke. “What are you—?”

 

But the man was gone.

 

For a while Naruto could only stand in his place, contemplating what had just happened. It was not surprising—especially since it was Sasuke. He just did not expect such a disappearance so abruptly. And it annoyed him to no ends. How did Sasuke always manage to leave like that? Naruto shook his head furiously. It was incomprehensible. The dark-haired man simply excelled at hiding himself. He had done it now for eight years—five, really, if you wanted to exclude the time he spent with Orochimaru, though no one could track him down even then when they knew where he was.

 

“Fuck…damn… FUCK!”

 

“Naruto.”

 

“Shiiit!”

 

The redhead jumped as Neji suddenly appeared beside him. Naruto stared at the older man coldly. Of course now fate was just teasing him. Give him one man who could disappear without a trace and then replace him with another who could appear suddenly without warning. The irony did not amuse him.

 

Neji blinked in surprise when Naruto poked him hard with his finger. “You people need to start making some sounds,” he heard the younger man mutter under his breath. Neji did not know what to say to this, nor did he think it was meant for him to hear. He frowned slightly. “Naruto…are you all right?”

 

“I'm fine, I'm fine. It's that bastard that's making me stressed out.”

 

The redhead gritted his teeth and looked angry with himself. Neji followed Naruto's gaze. “He does seem a bit…unstable.”

 

Naruto gave a short and humorless laugh. “Unstable? That guy's been unstable since the day Itachi killed the entire clan. I don't blame him, obviously, but his instability is the one stable thing in his personality. Now he's just completely out there. I won't even try to imagine what's going on in his head. It'll just give me a headache. Fuck, I can't even understand what's doing on in my head now.”

 

Neji shot the younger man a sympathetic look, but could offer no condolences. There was nothing he could say or do that could possibly reassure Naruto. Sasuke was simply the greatest wild card they could have encountered in this mission. Considering the circumstances, Neji thought Naruto and Kakashi were holding up very well. The silver-haired Jounin, naturally, was very skilled at hiding his emotions on the matter, but Neji knew for a fact that he too was just as disturbed as Naruto. They simply expressed it in different ways. And Sasuke… It was too hard to try to read his motives. Neji had attempted once to study him with his Byakugan, but either the jutsu was losing its edge or Sasuke had simply learned to master his thoughts to the degree that not even he himself was aware of them.

 

And that was not an impossible idea—though highly complicated. Even those from the Hyuuga Clan had not learned to master their minds in that sense. Separation of mind from body—so that one could hide their innermost secrets even from themselves. It would not come as a surprise if an Uchiha accomplished this feat, though. Considering their most advanced techniques involved illusions and alternate planes, it would appear that they would be most fit to completely separate and cut away their minds at will.

 

“You still trust him, though,” Neji stated quietly, recalling the conversation they had a few days ago at Benjiro's house.

 

Naruto stayed quiet for a while. Then he sighed and stood up. “I would like to say no. But for some reason…I still do. Even after all this.” He turned to leave. “But maybe I'm just living in the past.”

 

Neji narrowed his eyes at the younger man's departing figure. Sasuke's arrival had caused serious damage to his psyche, that much was obvious. His presence alone entailed uneasiness within the group. Shikamaru was cool enough about it as long as Sasuke didn't pull off anything risky. Lee had recovered from his shock long ago. In fact out of everyone there Lee was taking it the best. He had even gone as far as trying to talk to the dark-haired man. But that was simply in his nature. Lee, despite all other oddities about him, was the most adaptable of them all. He would walk around in a state of shock for a day or two at most before reverting back to his normal self. It was an enviable trait.

 

“He's grown up a bit.”

 

“He's worried about you.”

 

Neji had known all along Sasuke was close—something inside had alerted him to the other's presence. Had Naruto been of a calmer and steadier composure, he would have noticed it as well. Sasuke had merely hidden himself for a while. Neji didn't know how much he had heard. But it was likely that even if he had not heard them talk, he still could have read their lips from afar.

 

“I wonder why,” Sasuke replied sardonically.

 

Neji looked at him sternly. “If you're going to be on this team, that attitude has to go.”

 

“Ooh. Acting like the true Vice-Captain now are we?” replied Sasuke with a smirk.

 

“What are you after?” Neji asked, deciding not to rise to the younger man's bait.

 

Sasuke's gaze became vacant. For a second Neji thought he was on the verge of collapsing before he came back again, alive and as mocking as ever. “Revenge,” he said.

 

“Haven't you had enough of that?” Neji countered icily.

 

The younger man shrugged nonchalantly. “I'm an avenger. It's my way in life.”

 

Neji frowned slightly. Now was one of those times he knew Sasuke was hiding something—what, he could not decide. The latter's words became hollow and his eyes blank. It was like talking to a puppet. And then Sasuke would return. Perhaps he really had learned to hide his true thoughts beneath the surface. The mind was truly an extraordinary thing.

 

“You left Orochimaru. You can have a second chance at life. I don't know why you aren't taking it.”

 

Sasuke grew distant again. “I don't believe in second chances.”

 

Neji shook his head slowly. “You really are hopeless then.”

 

Sasuke smiled slightly. “That took you a while to notice,” he said. He looked at the town behind them. “So about this scroll… What do you know about it?”

 

The sudden change in topic surprised Neji. He had not expected Sasuke to mention the mission in any way.

 

“It's important. The client accidentally sold it off. We don't actually know what's written on it, though. Tsunade-sama kept that information from us,” Neji debriefed.

 

Sasuke listened attentively. It was strange to note the difference in his attitude now, Neji thought. The shinobi in the younger man had surfaced now and there was no trace of his former self present in his face. The calculative gleam in his eyes ignited some old memories in Neji's mind. It was hard to believe how much Sasuke had changed—yet it seemed not everything had changed. When it came to missions, he appeared to be as alert and diligent as he was as a Genin—if not more considering he now had much more experience and skill behind him.

 

“And that doesn't strike you as strange? The Hokage should trust her shinobi with this sort of information.”

 

Neji blinked. “I'm sure she had her reasons.”

 

Sasuke arched a slim eyebrow. “Of course,” he said. “Ever think of the possibility that there's something more behind this supposedly simple mission?”

 

All at once Neji remembered the rogue Cloud shinobi they faced off against at Benjiro's home. “Why don't you ask your Hokage? Or rather—Orochimaru?” He frowned deeply as he stared into Sasuke's face. The latter was calm and there was no glimmer of amusement in his eyes that bespoke of him merely playing around with Neji's mind. Sasuke was serious. And it made Neji nervous.

 

“What else is there?” he asked slowly.

 

“Who knows… Maybe you'll find out soon.”

 

Neji felt the ripples of impatience tinge his temper. “If you know something, Sasuke, you should tell us—especially if it has to do with the mission.”

 

The mocking smile was back. “I'm only helping you to fulfill my own goal. And besides, you're full-grown ANBU agents. You shouldn't have to depend on an outsider for assistance when you can do it all yourself,” were Sasuke's words.

 

“You're unbelievable.”

 

Sasuke's smirk widened. “You should get angry more often. You look good at it,” he commented idly before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

 

Neji only stood in his spot for several seconds. Then he took a deep breath, clenching his fist tightly before blocking the attack headed his way. Neji smirked to himself. Sasuke had certainly learned some new tricks. Attempting first to rattle his opponent before attacking from afar. The fact that he had been speaking to a shadow clone only hit Neji right before he sensed the assault coming.

 

“Not bad, Vice-Captain. Let's see what else you can do,” came the cocky challenge from behind the buildings.

 

“This is not the place to fight,” Neji stated sternly.

 

A laugh echoed all around him. “No? Well, I beg to differ. Haven't you noticed that there isn't a single person here?”

 

Neji frowned deeply. “What do—?”

 

And then he finally noticed it. There hadn't been a single passerby since he first arrived here—since he last spoke with Naruto. The entire village was empty and silent. A genjutsu? Neji activated his Byakugan. No, it was not an illusion. This place was real and yet it wasn't. He scanned the area until he finally found Sasuke, who was staring straight back at him.

 

“So this is the full capacity of the ANBU from Konoha, huh?”

 

“What did you do?” Neji demanded.

 

If there was one thing Neji hated more than being made a fool, it was being made a fool twice. Sasuke had already proved himself a champion at verbal debate. Neji would not stand him proving to be the better fighter.

 

“Ah, that's right. Keep that face up. You look simply gorgeous.”

 

There was no abashment in Sasuke's face as he said those words. Neji narrowed his eyes in anger. “So you're going to tease me all day?” he replied sharply. “Fine.”

 

With uncanny boldness Neji made the first move. Sasuke watched him amusingly until the longhaired man was upon him. Then he defended. The Jyuken from the Hyuuga Clan was not to be taken lightly. Neji could have easily severed his chakra flowage if he was not careful. Sasuke grinned. Oh, he had missed this type of battling. But fighting against a Hyuuga in hand-to-hand combat was nearly suicidal—especially with a renowned genius. So Sasuke decided another approach.

 

He activated his Sharingan and leapt away from Neji's range gracefully. The older man did not look pleased. Sasuke gave a slight smile as the Sharingan quickly morphed into the Mangekyou. “Should you really be staring at me so intently, Ueda-san?” he asked.

 

Neji had realized his mistake all too late. Nothing happened to him, though. But he knew that he had fallen under the bewitchment of the Mangekyou Sharingan. It was all up to Sasuke now. He barred his teeth frustratingly. He had known it would be risky to fight Sasuke up front, but that was all he could. Fighting him in long distance combat would have been much too undesirable. Though Sasuke was indeed a talented taijutsu fighter, Neji knew he would have still had the upper hand. But the Sharingan was too unpredictable. The only times he had ever seen it in use were by Kakashi—and those moments were very short and rare. Sasuke handled it differently, though. Unlike Kakashi, he was an Uchiha, and therefore did not have the same limitations as his former sensei.

 

Which meant a good amount of stress for Neji.

 

“Do you know what the Mangekyou can do?”

 

“Briefly.”

 

Sasuke appeared before him. “I'm sure Kakashi would have explained some of its powers to you. But even he doesn't know everything. After all, who else held the most sacred scrolls on the Sharingan's multiple forms and techniques but the Uchiha Clan?” he said, smiling in a way that unnerved Neji greatly. He moved away from the approaching man.

 

“And your point is?” he asked, bumping into a wall.

 

The younger man stared at Neji. There was that strangely blank expression on his face again and Neji's heart ran cold. But just as suddenly as it appeared, it disappeared again. He stopped several inches away from Neji's face.

 

“That you don't stand a chance against me now that you're under my control.”

 

And then he laughed. Laughed. Right before Neji's stunned expression. Sasuke's eyes crinkled from his amusement. He looked remarkably younger. But his laugh was chilling. Inhuman. Like the man himself. Neji began to consider his rate of success should he attack. Then, as he watched the laughing man before him, he chanced it. Sasuke couldn't kill him even if he wanted to. Kakashi and the others would have hunted him down—and no matter how good he had gotten, he still could not outrun them.

 

Neji guided his hand into a targeted jab to a point in Sasuke's left shoulder. If it landed successfully, it would sever some of the chakra flow in that area. But Neji didn't count on it.

 

And sure enough, Sasuke had been able to see the movement clearly and unfailingly despite their intimate proximity. He dodged fluidly and grinned. “My turn, Vice-Captain,” he said, and Neji found himself paralyzed.

 

The scenery around him changed into a snowy wonderland. The sakura trees, however, were in full bloom. The petals from the flowers swirled all around him and Sasuke vanished behind their foliage. Neji was standing alone in this field of white and pink.

 

“What's your purpose behind this?” he called out. He had no idea how much time had passed, but he was sure they were well beyond their allotted period.

 

He felt Sasuke appear behind him. “What, you're not enjoying this? Come on. I'm helping you out here. I don't reveal the Mangekyou to just anyone you know.”

 

Neji wanted to turn around and punch Sasuke. He resisted against the invisible hold over his body. “This is hardly help,” he said bitingly.

 

“You're fun to watch. Considering how composed you normally are, this is a real treat.”

 

“Sadistic bastard.”

 

“Ooh…Nice comeback, Hyuuga-san. I suppose that's it for today.”

 

And then everything was back to normal. Neji found himself standing on the same rooftop where he found Naruto, people strolling along, laughing and talking, on the streets below him. Sasuke was perched beside him. He placed a hand to his chin thoughtfully.

 

“Weird, isn't it? Though it may have felt like hours it hasn't even been five minutes. Next time, you won't be so lucky.”

 

Neji narrowed his eyes. “Why are you doing this?”

 

Sasuke smirked. “Maybe because I like you.”

 

TBC

 

Triple-installment as means for an apology for my extreme lateness. *_* Hope everyone has a happy New Year! ^^