The Mask I Hide Behind

Don't Cry and Don't Speak

Naruto was released back into the village not long after everyone else had left. He made an effort to go straight home. He almost made it too. Almost.

"Hey, look, it's that Demon again. Looks like he thought he could get past us. Nope, not this time. You're going to pay for not only killing Lord Fourth, but tarnishing his name by painting all over his Great Stone Face. Don't think we forgot, brat." a man, clearly and Inuzuka, taunted. Naruto didn't want to make matters worse, so he said nothing and just kept walking; hoping the man would look the other way. No such luck. The man didn't even hold back, he just took a kunai and threw it at the boy. Naruto winced in pain, but just continued walking. Maybe that would satisfy the man's anger.

Nope.

"Hey, guys, the DEMON thinks he can get away! Let's get him!" a whole bunch of the man's friends from every clan; Hyuga, Yamanaka, Nara, all except for Hatake and Uchiha, started converging on the Uzumaki. Not wanting to get hurt, Naruto began to run. He knew that if he took the kunai that was penetrating his back out, he would bleed out and quickly lose energy, so he left it in. 

It took about 30 minutes to shake them off and then get home. Naruto checked the time and there was only 15 minutes until he was due at the village gates. But he had to clean his wounds, take a shower, redo all of his bandages, eat, and pack. He already had a late start having to stay in the Hokage's Office earlier. "Dammit." he cussed. No use rushing.

He carefully removed the kunai and wrapped bandages around his chest and back and took a shower. He dries off and redoes every single one of his bloody bandages from wounds and bruises that don't heal. Even Kurama can't fix them. Then he puts on his fishnet shirt and a new pair of bright orange ugliness. A pair that doesn't have a kunai pierced hole in the back. He then ate some prepackaged ramen and packed his few possessions in a bag. It consisted of his Team 7 photo, some seals for his bandages that need his specific blood to open, so that no peekers can look inside, he also packed everything valuable, which was almost nothing, that lingered in his apartment because the landlord would come in and steal it. It was his necklace, the first Hokage's necklace. He  just knew that would be stolen if he left it. 

Afterward he shunshined a couple meters away from the gate so nobody would see him do it and winced every moment he moved because of the bruises and scars.

(10 minutes earlier)

"Baka Naruto. He's always late. So is Kakashi Sensei. It's so annoying." Sakura complained. "Yes, but I think Naruto has a valid reason. Why, because I don't think he was feeling well. He looked in pain when we left earlier. Not to mention the fact that he had to stay in the Office a little later than the rest of us." Shino said, very matter of factly. Neji, Shikamaru, and Sasuke nodded. "Yes, but that doesn't explain every other time the dobe's late. But he's still never this late. Something's up." Sasuke replied, this time Neji and Shikamaru were the only ones who nodded. Shino just stopped caring.

(10 minutes later)

"There he is. Stupid Naruto, he's always late. That's why he was the dead last." Ino said, loud enough for Naruto to hear but he didn't give a shit about Ino, so....

As Naruto was wincing in pain and ran toward the group, the four observant boys as well as the jonin sensei noticed. Everyone else seemed blind to it. "What's up with Naruto? He looks in pain." Asuma said, releasing some of his cigarette smoke. "Maybe he got hurt. I'll try healing him." Kurenai offered. "WHAT A YOUTHFUL IDEA, KURENAI! LEE, FOLLOW THIS VERY YOUTHFUL EXAMPLE!" 

"GAI SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI SENSEI!"

"LEE!"