Disclaimer: I love walruses..Oh and...Naruto ain't mine.
"Talking."
(Me addin' crap)
Four years I had been in the Akatsuki, four years being Tobi's partner in replacement for Deidara, and I still hadn't seen his face.
Always, always, I had only seen the swirled orange mask. Even when I closed my eyes and tried to think of what he truly looked like, all I saw was that mask. That mask that was his face in everyone's eyes.
We walked through the twisted hallways of the base, trying to find the room that was ours. That was the problem in being an evil villain, you didn't want anyone to find you so you hid your self in a fuckin' elaborate base that no one could get in too.. but then you get lost yourself.
The big flaw in Pain's design for the base.
Biiig.
I looked at Tobi from the corner of my eye, glaring slightly at the corner of his mask. I wanted to rip the damn thing off his face, it was so ridiculous on an S-rank criminal. Now I could understand why Deidara was always so annoyed with Tobi before he died.
Tobi was singing under his breath, not walking in a straight line, swinging his arms in a childish way. It wasn't Akatsuki like at all. But it was endearing in a way.
"Tobi likes sinnnging. Singing makes Tobi haaa-ppy."
My lip curved into a slight smile as I brushed a wisp of pink hair from infront of my face.
"Tooobi! Tooobi! Tooobi!"
He threw his hands up in the air as he said the last three 'verses', his voice betraying the fact that he was smiling as well.
"Tobi is tired, Sakura-Chan."
He drawled the A's, trying to make himself sound exasperated. But I knew he really wasn't tired, he was bored. Tobi seemed to get those confused sometimes, because obviously someone couldn't say they were tired and almost literally be running a marathon.
"Alright, Tobi."
I stopped in the middle of the path and started walking a-ways into the woods, before stopping and setting up a tent. I was used to sharing a tent with Tobi, he was just like having a younger brother in your room with you. He just wanted to be nearby, not in your pants.
He ran circles around the tent as I hammered down the pegs, singing again. I couldn't help but look at the mask in wonder again as he ran, only catching it in quick small glimpses. But that was enough to bring me again to those nagging questions that didn't seem to go away.
Why did he wear a mask? Was his face deformed, did he have something he didn't want someone to see? Didn't he realizing hiding it like that would only make people curious?
I crawled into the tent with my thoughts, rolling out my blanket and laying down on it as I watched his shadow move around the tent.
"Can Tobi come in now?"
"Mhmm."
He was always so polite. I yawned as I watched the zipper go down and him run in, zipping it quickly behind him before ripping off his cloak and diving down to the ground.
"No blanket Sakura-Chan?"
I nodded in direction of the front of the tent as his bundle of stuff and he jumped up again.
"Oh, Sorry Sakura-Chan!"
Sometimes I wondered how he always could stay so chipper. He never seemed to be brought down by anything, even when Deidara died he was only sad for a small while. It really made you think if he really did give a damn about anything. Or if he was even aware that Deidara or anyone he killed was actually dead.
I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't, he didn't exactly act sane.
He sighed loudly rolling on his side and resting his cheek against his hand.
"Sakuraaa-Chan?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm bored."
"Mm.."
I could have sworn I saw him wince.
"Sakura-Chan?"
"Mm?"
"You sound like Deidara-Senpai."
"Yeah?"
"Yes."
"Mhmm.."
"Please stop."
I looked at him and nodded, confused slightly. Maybe he was bothered? I couldn't tell from the other side of his mask.
"Okay Tobi."
"Thank you, Sakura-Chan." He settled back down onto the blanket and put his arms behind his head, orange mask faced towards the ceiling of the tent.
"No problem..Uhn."
His looked snapped back towards me.
"Sakura-Chan." He snapped.
"Yeah Tobi?"
"Sakura." He had dropped the suffix on my name, something he rarely did except when he was angry. We were making progress, I think.
"Hmm?"
The next time he said my name is sounded gruffer, darker. It didn't have the childish tone his words usually held
"Sakura. Don't."
"..Okay.. Uhn."
He pounced on me, his hands going for my throat and my hands going for his face.
"Don't make fun of Deidara-Senpai!"
My fingers curled around the edges of his mask and I tugged, the orange piece of material flying off his face and into my hands. Almost immediately his gloved hands went over his face and he shrieked, crawling to the corner of the tent, not facing me anymore.
"Damn..you."
My gut twisted and I crawled after him, sitting behind him, cradling the mask. I had gone a bit too far to see his face..
"Tobi?"
"Shut up."
"..Tobi.." I gently touched his shoulder and he twisted away from me violently.
"Shut up."
"..Tobi please." I pleaded, gently prodding him again.
Silence.
"Tobi."
Silence.
"Tob-"
He whipped around to face me and growled, cutting me off. But I didn't see what I excepted to see, his orange mask still lay in my hands. His whole half of his face was scarred, and his eye was sewn shut. But the eye that was alright, on the untouched side of his face, was a dark onyx color. Just like Sasuke's..
"I hate you!" He spat, crossing his arms. But I knew he didn't.
"Tobi..Your..face.." I reached over to him, to touch the scars but he covered his face with his hands again.
"Tobi forgot..where's Tobi's mask?" He said, his anger gone and replaced with dejection.
I laid it on his lap and turned away slightly, cheeks red. He had been covering himself because he was ..scarred. And I had reminded him of that. He was happy with his mask.. and I had taken that away.
"I hate you." He said again, but with less zest. Like he was tired.
"Come here Tobi." I asked quietly, sitting on my knees.
The mask fell back into place with a click and he edged towards me slowly, sadly.
"Come on, Tobi-kun." I whispered, using a kun which I rarely used for anyone anymore.
He sat infront of me and I took his head gently and layed it on my lap, and soon his body followed, letting him lay on the ground. I ran my fingers through his hair, trying to imagine what it was like before he had his mask.
I could imagine children laughing at him, pointing and being cruel.
"I'm sorry, Tobi-Kun."
He didn't answer me, but he nuzzled my leg slightly before going still again.
I spent the next few minutes stoking his hair, calming him down like a mother would with a small child until he spoke again.
"Deidara-Senpai was the only person who saw my face and didn't flinch, Sakura-Chan. You flinched too."
I felt my stomach flip flop as I looked down at him and saw he had turned on his back to look up at me from the hole in his mask.
"Tobi is ugly."
"No your not."
"Yes Tobi is, Sakura-Chan. You know Tobi is."
"Your not."
"You winced when you saw Tobi's face."
"No." I huffed, before reaching down to pull the mask off, and leaning down to kiss his forehead.
"Your beautiful."
And when I sat back up a lonely smile was spread across his face, his real face.
Not the mask.
