Kakashi's Summon

Chapter 64: Mask

Tsunade pushed her chair back and stalked over to Rin, her hands cross over her chest as she looked into Rin's piercing red eyes. "How do you know that?" She demanded, "every time you meet, you use a jutsu to wipe your memories clean!" She huffed.

Rin shrugged her shoulders, "It didn't work on me. But Itachi doesn't remember a thing, when we confronted each other during the Kazakage rescue mission, he tried put me under a genjutsu, forgetting those things don't work on me." Her eyes shifted over to Naruto.

His stance was stiff and his eyes were almost fox like in anger. His fists of course clenched to his sides as he glared at the ground. Sakura stood there too beside him but her shoulders relaxed, head down as she fought the tears that threatened to pool at the corners.

"So what do we do?" Naruto questioned.

Jiraiya walked over behind Naruto and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder before looking over to Tsunade. She bit her nail before ripping it out of her mout. Once behind the mahogany desk, the woman ripped open a drawer and pulled it open.

Among the various bottles of sake she hid from Shizune was a scroll. "I've requested Nara Shikamaru a while back on ways to capture Sasuke and I've decided that this specific plan of action is the best way to do so." Slamming the scroll on the desk, Tsunade let the paper flow downwards till it reached the floor, unraveling it for the select floor. "From here I'm installing the Itachi Persuit mission."

"The what?" Naruto asked.

Rin stayed silent as Tsunade explained to the three ninja in the room. "Sasuke has one goal in mind currently and that is to kill his brother. If we capture him we can trade Uchiha Itachi's life for Sasuke's freedom." The room stayed silent as the girl let out a small cough.

"You won't have much time left," Rin revealed. "Itachi is dying and we don't have much information on the Alatsuki to move yet."She said, looking into Tsunade's eyes.

"Well that certainly changes things." Jiriya said, "how do you know?" He asked.

Rin shrugged. "Have you seen the man recently, he's sick and can't get proper medical help...Sasori is technically dead." She mumbled.

"They don't have other medics?" Sakura asked

"There are 12 members in the top of the hierarchy but they all have smaller clans or gangs working under them. Orochimaru built his jutsu empire similar to the way the Akatsuki did. He is a snake after all." Rin shrugged.

"With Rin's information about both of the Uchiha patterns, we could capture Itachi and Sasuke. However team 7 will officially be leading this task force. He is your member after all." Naruto blinked as Sakura looked back and forth between all of the people in the room.

"We're going to bring that Uchiha brat back to this village!"

"Rin wait up!" Sakura called out with Naruto grimly following her. The girl with the dog mask turned around quickly and put a finger over her mask, asking them to be silent.

"I have my mask on dimwits! Don't say my name!" She hissed, her neck craning to look if anyone had overheard them.

"Sorry," Sakura sheepishly rubbed her neck.

Rin sighed before looking at the two of them. "It's fine." She grumbled, "As long as no one heard you." Her eyes shifted away from them as they stood there awkwardly. Well as awkward as they could manage. "Look what I said in there was out of line," Rin whispered, her arm crossing over her torso as she held herself. "I'm sorry."

Naruto's eyes softened, finding it easy to forgive her. "No you're right. As much as I hate to admit it, you were the best pick to do these undercover missions. It's just," he looked over to Sakura as she reached out to hold Rin's hands. "How much are you hiding from us, how much do I- we- really know you?"

Rin gulped. She didn't know how to answer this question even though Sakura was there giving her silent support. This pressure she felt on her chest, it was heavy. Similar to crushing her ribs, like the weight of realizing the fact: the people she called her friends, knew nothing about her.

"I-I," Rin took a deep breath. "I don't know."

Her close friends were limited, she usually chilled with Rouge and Frosch while she was more responsible and affectionate towards Lector and Sting. Madeline, while only lent to her by Beelzebub was and is a close friend. Here she was bubbly with Ino and liked being weird and mysterious around Sasuke. Shikamaru liked to cloud watch with her occasionally and let her feed the deer. Sakura felt like a responsible sister and Naruto felt comfortable like and older brother. The Alatsuki were like her annoying little siblings. With Kakashi she was childish and liked to press his buttons.

"It's okay." Sakura spoke, "It's partially our fault for only realizing now. But promise us," Sakura gripped Rin's hands tighter. "No more secrets."

Rin's eyes brimmed with tears and she was thankful for the mask that hid her face. She let out little puffs of breath to make sure her voice wouldn't shake or worse crack, "You know I can't promise that with the jobs we currently hold."

Sakura gripped her hand harder as Naruto came to place a comforting one on her shoulder. Almost causing the the girl to break down, her eyes glowing a soft baby pink as her own desire filled her. To tell them everything, to reveal every single part of her to them. But she couldn't, not with this occupation and the brewing storm coming along. "We know," said Naruto. His usually bright blue eyes blank as the emptiness of their situation filled him, "Don't worry we know."

Sakura pulled the girl in, bloody clothes and all as Rin broke down in her arms. Her body shaking as the sobs echoed in her own ears.