NaruHina: Clandestine

Chapter One: The Witch

"Take off your mask," the blue-eyed Hokage told her.

Hinata seethed beneath her wolf mask but did what she was told. She had no choice because this was her boss.

Still, that didn't mean she liked the irritating tone he had when he gave his orders.

"You Anbu with your damned masks," Naruto muttered as he flicked a glance to the mask she held in her hand. "I get that it's a disguise, but I don't like talking to a completely expressionless and lifeless face."

Too bad, Hinata thought, because that's all she would give him as she plastered on her other mask, the poker face she'd honed over the years as being a specialist in the force.

"So you're Hinata Hyuuga?" he said as he leaned back in his chair. He folded his arms, frowned at her, took in the lavender eyes gazing at him coolly, the long hair that fluttered at her back, the dark uniform of her corps. He then flashed an irritated glance at his advisor. "She's the best option we have?"

Sasuke shrugged unrepentantly. "She's stealthy, and Shikamaru highly recommends her for the job."

"I still don't get why I need her to travel with me," Naruto growled.

Sasuke's expression was annoyed. "We've had this conversation before, Naruto. Quit being so freaking stubborn."

Naruto sighed with frustration and glared at Hinata like it was her fault. "Well, I hate the idea. I don't need a babysitter."

With deliberate patience, Sasuke explained, "With your temper, you need one. And just accept it because we, as your council, all found it in your best interest to travel with a bodyguard to Kiri who can double as your girlfriend."

It took all her control not to show her surprise.

Shit.

She was already going to hate this mission. Just like the Hokage, she didn't want to spend time with him, with his unpredictable temper and his tendency to rush into situations without coolly looking at the options.

She knew he was Hokage because of the Kyuubi, because he possessed the strongest power that Konoha had. He was a skilled shinobi, and for that, he earned her respect.

Still, he was brash and opinionated, prickly, and easily irritated by the silliest thing.

She watched his eyebrows pull down into a fierce expression of distaste, a sneer across his mouth.

And she was expected to do lovey-dovey couple stuff with this ogre, she thought to herself.

Double shit.

She felt the advisor's eyes on her and met his sympathetic gaze.

Sasuke was smiling at her. "Yes, I know. And I'm sorry to do this to you, Hinata."

Naruto raked a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Well?" he snapped. "You heard Sasuke. Can you pretend to be my girlfriend?"

Like she had a choice?

Face still impassive, she said, "Yes, sir."

Even if it killed her.

***

She almost killed him a day later.

First of all, he was late. He made the train and the waiting passengers depart fifteen minutes later than scheduled. And he'd been unapologetic about the whole thing. He glared at everyone and dared them to say something, but nobody said a word to him.