Masked Rivals /A Kakashi Fanfiction\

Chapter 1

I held back the groan that dared to betray me as my back slammed against a tree trunk.

Just as fast as I was thrown, my silver haired foe was there keeping me pinned to the tree. I slipped my hand into the weapons pouch on my thigh, slowly pulling out a kunai. I flipped it around on my index finger, then clenched it in my fist, aiming for his ribs to destabilize him on the unsteady branch we stood on.

But he was a step faster than me. His forearm pinned my chest, allowing his other hand to seize my wrist. He slammed it roughly against the tree, trying to knock it out of my hand. I didn't care for the position I was in, which is when I really noticed how close we were. Our masked faces were only mere inches from each other's, giving me an idea. If it weren't for the cloth covering our lips, we probably could have kissed with how close I leaned in. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours." I whispered huskily, referring to our faces.

While his eyes kept steady and unphased, a blush rose high enough on his cheeks that his black mask just couldn't hide. Obviously his mind had wandered somewhere else, falling right into my trap.

Hoping I had truly caught him off guard just enough, I threw my weight forward to create some space between our torsos, then threw my knee up into his gut.

I knocked the breath out of his lungs and he stumbled back just long enough for me to grab the branch above. I flipped up and landed with a crouch, hiding myself amongst the tree limbs above.

Taking this moment while Kakashi regrouped, I quickly looked over to assess how my partner was faring. The Akatsuki recently started to partner Kakuzu and I together on occasion-like we were some kind of masked duo.

Personally, I found it and him annoying. My mask was by no means a fashion statement. Kakuzu's reasons are his own, just as mine are; and we certainly aren't one in the same.

Our current mission was to 'retrieve' a special liquid from a small mining village...well, it was really more like stealing, but what do the Akatsuki care. Tomato, tomatoe-retrieve, steal. It's all the same to them.

Orochimaru had requested a 'favor' of the Akatsuki, and the two of us were sent to retrieve it. However this liquid was also quite rare. So rare, in fact, that even though the village could only produce a little at a time, they depended on being able to sell it and purchase food and supplies to keep their town afloat with its earnings...and the current vial Kakuzu and I had obtained was what they were depending on to make it through the next year.

Kakuzu had failed to inform me of this detail. I did most missions on my own, which made it easy to keep any suspicions of me at bay. But, from the very first one in which we had been paired together, he had become suspicious. Not of my loyalty to the Akatsuki-no, no one would ever question that after everything they did for me. But he believed I had a weak heart that no amount of training could correct-and a weak heart could mean hesitation. So he decided this mission would go a lot smoother if I didn't know what taking this vial meant for the village, but Kakashi and Gai didn't waste time bringing me up to speed as they were sent to retrieve it back.

Gai and Kakuzu certainly kept each other's hands full with one another, but I could tell by Kakuzu's stance that he was fully in control of the situation at the moment-which was the opposite of what I was about to be.

"Deal" I heard Kakashi say suddenly right next to me.

My brain not processing what he said. I snapped my head in his direction where he was now standing on the branch across from me...with his mask hanging around his neck

. My eyes started at the chiseled before that beauty mark practically begged me to take in that teasing smirk.

"What the-" Kakashi smirked at my slack jawed and wide eyed stare.

He jumped over to the branch I was on and my breath caught in my throat as he came closer. "I showed you mine." He said coyly, his hand reaching for my face.

Startled by his sudden change in behavior and closeness, I couldn't help but jump when his fingertips grazed my cheek and stumbled back. I stupidly allowed myself to be caught off guard and fell back from the tree branch.

But not before Kakashi used a kunai to swiftly tear the tether that held the vial to my body.

Before I even hit the ground, Kakashi used teleportation jutsu to grab Gai from under Kakuzu's oncoming attack and then disappeared entirely from the clearing.

*-*-*-*-*-*

"I'm sorry, my ears must have deceived me. Where did you say the vial was, again? Cause I know it's not in my hand." Nagato, aka Pain, sneered at Kakuzu and I.

We were both knelt on one knee in front of him and Orochimaru, our heads bowed in shame having returned empty handed.

"Jonin Kakashi of the Hidden Leaf village has acquired it." I answered, keeping my eyes on the ground.

"I do not care what rank of ninja has taken it!" He roared at my answer.

Orocohimaru stood beside him and eyed me for a moment, his eyes looming over the high collar of his black robe. Then with the flick of the wrist, one of his snakes appeared, wrapping itself around my waist and threw me back into the wall. The wall shook from the impact and a sconce just above had fallen loose, leaving me with a welt where it fell.

"Kakuzu-you will go back out at once to get it back from the Jonin" He spat, mocking my choice of words, "And when you do, you will finally put an end to Kakashi Hatake." He ordered.

'Put an end'...They mean to kill him?!

I quickly brushed myself off and scrambled up from the wall to take a serious stance. "Please, Pain, let me handle Hatake." I shouted. I bowed my head, trying to make up some respect after speaking out of turn.

"You just allowed him to humiliate you and failed the mission. Why should I entrust this with you." He asked suspiciously. He narrowed his eyes, ready to study every word that came out of my mouth.

"Because he humiliated me. I will show him his own humility as I teach him what the Akatsuki are really made of. Give me this chance to redeem myself." I answered, making sure he only saw rage burning in my eyes as he watched me.

"Fine." It was Orochimaru who interrupted, raising his hand to cut off Nagato when he opened his mouth to give his answer. "Now leave."

Not wasting any time, I just gave a curt head nod and quickly ran from the room to start tracking Kakashi before he got much farther away.

Orochimaru and Nagato shared a glance, then as if they were thinking in unison, they turned back to Kakuzu.

"Kakuzu." Nagato started.

"Follow her." Orochimaru finished with a smirk.