How To Break a Mask (Sasunaru)

The Apartment

How to Break a Mask

Author: Kinomi Akai

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, the characters would solve their differences with dance offs.

Summary: An incident at the festival on Oct. 10th reveals that there is a lot that everyone doesn't know about Naruto. Smart!Naruto, Sasunaru/Narusasu, Rated M to be safe

Pairings: Sasunaru/Narusasu, mentions of KakaIru as of now.

Warnings: Shonen-ai, yaoi, boy x boy, whatever to want to call it. Former chapters had mild Sakura bashing, that will start to ease off in this chapter.

"Blah" - talking

'blah' - thinking

'blah' - Kyuubi talking

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Last time:

Tsunade smiled tearfully, and ruffled Naruto's hair. "You're dismissed. Have Pakkun stay. I need to speak with him about something I found in Naruto's bloodstream," a thought seemed to pass her mind, and she added, "you lot have the week off. I think you all need a chance to redo the whole get-to-know-me bit, hm?"

Just before they went out the door, the Hokage spoke again. "Oh, and Naruto? Happy birthday."

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Chapter 8: The Apartment

As Pakkun left, Tsunade collapsed her head into her hands. She really needed to think. The villagers had been getting away with far too much for the past few years. But the worst of it was that those who attacked Naruto were not regular villagers: they were fellow ninjas, or former ninjas. This resentment had a deep root, and it was clear that there were more than just these people who were at fault. She would have to be talking to the Uchiha to get names, and Kakashi as well. Perhaps even Iruka might have noticed certain people who treated Naruto differently.

There was a very large part of her that wanted to cry and yell at the injustice of it all. That side of her was urging her to leave, get some sake, and spend tonight doing absolutely nothing productive. But it had been Naruto that had convinced her to stop listening to that side of herself, and she would honour him by acting properly.

She lifted her head with newfound determination as she began to plan.

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The door closed behind them and they walked in awkward silence. It didn't take a genius to guess that they were embarrassed that all of them had forgotten Naruto's birthday. He sighed.

"Don't worry about it," Naruto said, correctly guessing the others' thoughts. "I don't think I ever told you when my birthday was."

"We never asked," said a quiet voice that Naruto barely recognized as Sasuke's. There was an odd tone there that Naruto had never heard before, and caused him to glance back at the boy. Sasuke, however, was looking away, and his expression, whatever it was, was covered by his long black hair. Naruto sighed, and reached up to rub the back of his neck. He didn't really know what to say to that.

Kakashi, who had been fairly quiet for the past few minutes, spoke up. "How about we go and get some ramen?"

"We can get take out," Naruto added, realizing that going to a public place for the inevitable conversation was probably not the greatest idea. Kakashi glanced at Naruto for a second, and then looked away. Sakura was not so reserved, and asked;