SHADOWS OF THE VILLAGE (Naruto)

Chapter 2: Porcelain Mask

It had been four years since Sakura had first seen the injured boy. Every day she had walked to training ground three in hope of seeing him again. Like most days, she had been disappointed when he didn't show but there had been many occasions where he had.

Those occasions were unscheduled and unplanned, a mere fluke that Sakura had been present to see the boy un-bloodied and slowly healing. Well, most of the time. His crumpled clothing was often sprayed with dark stains that could only be seen when light caught it. She never did believed that it wasn't blood.

Sakura Haruno had never spoken to or be acknowledged by the boy since their first encounter. She didn't know whether to be hurt or embarrassed but she couldn't just leave him alone.

What if someone came after him when he was at the river? Sakura decided that being silent company, was the best she could do for him.

In the early years, after classes at the Academy she would go see her best friend, Ino. The girls had spent their days together learning the very basics of what shinobi do. Knowing that they would be here for the next four years and Sakura was hoping that she and Ino could remain the best of friends during that time.

< But unfortunately that never happened. The two friends had become rivals after sharing that they both had a crush on Sasuke Uchiha. >

They told each other secrets only friends should know. Gossiped about the cute boys in class and the girls who were a little odd for their liking. They laughed as they promised to tell each other everything.

But even Ino wasn't told about the boy at the training grounds.

In fact, Sakura's parents, Mebuki and Kizashi Haruno, hadn't been informed. She knew her mother would worry, as she's often been very serious about Sakura's safety. Her usually laidback father, would also be concerned if she told him about the strange boy.

She was torn between wanting to help him and worried that if she raised any alarm, he would be hurt again. As confident as Sakura was in herself, this was something she wasn't sure how to deal with it.

She promised herself that when she was strong enough, one day she would help him.

< >

"It won't do us any good to dwell on it, Imori."

"I know, Kuma, but I can't stop thinking about it."

Dark eyes glared through the small eyeholes of the porcelain mask resembling a bears face. He sighed as they pressed forward, nearing the boarder of Land of Waves. Kuma didn't blame his self proclaimed brother. He couldn't stop think about it either.

In a couple of months they'd be fighting to the death as per Danzo-sama's request. It was just the way things were and that wasn't going to change before the battle. No one was going to save them from this.

No one knew they existed.

No one outside of the Foundation.

Or so, Kuma thought.

The blue haired boy with a newts mask, saw land in sight and felt relieved that they'd get to stop running on water soon enough. "What was the task again? I wasn't listening." Kuma laughed, knowing that already. His brother never listened to the initial debrief unless it was a solo mission.