Homecoming

Part Sixteen
INTERLUDE (Memories from the Leaf #5)

Naruto paced back and forth, looking at the heavy shut door with prowling eyes. The council meeting had been going on for already six hours and still no decision had been made. He had been called to testify, but that had been three hours ago already. Tsunade told him to go home, but there was no way he could pass the time in his crummy apartment, with nothing to do and with no idea what was to happen.

It’s been two hours before, he remembered, when he had visited the underground holdup cells. Those cells served as temporary detention cells, before the prisoners were judged and sent to jail. Usually it didn’t take more than 2-3 days to transfer a prisoner, but Sasuke had been held up in that cell for almost 2 weeks. Failing to rely only on the cells’ special block of chakra, Sasuke was also given shots to block and suppress his chakra.

Sasuke just spent his time sitting on the bench inside in the cell in silence. He raised his head when he heard the commotion outside.

“I don’t care about visitation hours and that only one visit is allowed per day!!” He heard Naruto’s unmistakable voice. “I have permission from the old hag – I mean, Hokage-sama!”

Finally, Naruto skipped into the dark cell, all smiles and shine, as though he hadn’t been close to committing a crime just a moment ago.

“Sa~suke!” He smiled brightly and stuck his face between the bars, a huge grin on his face.

“What do you want?” Sasuke asked with a sigh. “Moron, stop making the people here feel uncomfortable.”

“Well they should know better.” Naruto disregarded the comment. “An~e~way…” he chanted, and Sasuke wondered how that boy could look so jolly in such a bleak and dreary place.

“I just finished speaking on your behalf at the special council meeting.”

Sasuke raised his brow. “You did?”

“Yeah! I’m sure they’re gonna finish soon and then you’ll finally be free to walk out of this stinky pit and join our team again!”

“Hn.”

“We will pass the Chuunin exam this time! For sure!”

“Idiot. I’m a traitor. I turned on the village. They will probably dispose of me. It would’ve been better if I died.”

“Shut up.” Naruto cut him off, in a serious, brash voice. “Assholes like you, who throw away their life so easily, are worse than traitors!” His voice trembled and he stared intensely at Sasuke.

“Naruto…” Sasuke started saying.

“If you talk like this again, I’ll never forgive you.” Naruto turned his back to him and left.

Naruto fidgeted a bit, impatient. Though he told Sasuke it would be soon, it felt like forever had already passed.

“What the hell takes them so long!!” Naruto huffed. He put his ear against the door. It was rather useless, he could only hear a murmur as though many people were speaking at once.

Finally, the large door opened, and the council members started pouring out. He walked inside to face the Hokage.

She gave him a look. “You’ve been waiting here all this time?”

“Can Sasuke go home now?” he asked bluntly.

“There's still some long procedure to follow…” she started saying, but looking at the impatient young face, she smiled lightly. “He will be free in a couple of days.”

“Yay!” Naruto jumped for joy.

“However,” she continued. “The council has regarded him a habitual criminal, despite my protest, and as precaution they’ve decided to inject him a drug that will decrease his chakra potential for life.”

“What?! Is that possible?”

“Yeah, it’s like a seal. However, we’ve managed to convince them Sasuke is an asset to the village, so they will only limit his chakra level to 70%. That should still be powerful enough for Konoha’s gain.”

Naruto pondered quietly. He knew Sasuke wasn’t going to like it. But it was better than being thrown to jail, or worse, being disposed of.

Naruto felt accomplished that he had managed to bring back Sasuke. His once despised rival was more important to him than any one could understand.


It was hard, but Naruto allowed Sasuke some time alone when the boy was finally free to go back home.


At least for an hour or two.


“Sa~suke!” Naruto dangled down from Sasuke’s window, jumped to the porch and walked inside his room.

“Let’s go to Ichiraku.”

“Don’t want to.” The dark haired boy brushed him off.

“Come on, let’s go let’s go… you probably have nothing to eat here and the last thing you ate was that nasty miso soup in the holdup cell.”

“You’re the one who had the soup…” Sasuke reminded him. “And besides, Sakura brought over some food.”

“Did she cook it?” Naruto asked carefully.

“How would I know?” he asked in anger.

“Didn’t she tell you? Something like – Sasuke~kun, I made you some cookies!” Naruto mimicked the girl.

“No. she didn’t say anything at all…” Sasuke said.

Naruto sat down on the floor and wrapped his arms around his knees. “Well… it might take some time, but things will return to normal again…”

“No they won’t…” Sasuke huffed. “Nothing will be the same again.”

Naruto knew well what Sasuke was talking about. Everyone regarded Sasuke as a traitor now, and in addition to that, they also feared him. So if he walked down the street, everyone would hurry to go the other way. It reminded Naruto his childhood.

“Well, you’ll always have me.” He smiled brightly and got up, facing his friend.

Sasuke glared at him. “Hurray?”

“Stop being such a grump and get on with life!” Naruto started losing his patience. “With time people will forget, and whatever you do from now on, they’ll judge you again for your future action…. So show them you’re not a traitor anymore!”

Sasuke sighed. He forcefully grabbed Naruto’s arm, his eyes flickering red.

Naruto just stared at him, a little confused.

“I could kill you now…” Sasuke snarled. “At least that might stop your yammering.”

Naruto grabbed Sasuke's wrist, forcing him to let go. “Like you could do that… you’ve already tried.”

“Naruto… I’ve asked this before… why the hell are you so hung up on me?”

“I told you, you’re like a brother to me.”

“I killed my brother.”

Naruto frowned.

“You’re not my brother… I would never see you as a brother,” Sasuke said coldly.

Naruto tried to speak, but he felt he might cry if he opened his mouth. Maybe Sasuke noticed something. He grabbed Naruto’s hand.

“Naruto, I…” he started saying, a little red tint appeared on his pale cheeks. “I like you…”

Naruto opened his eyes widely. He had never really heard any affection from Sasuke’s direction, except for when he used some amused tone to call him a moron.

“I like you too…” he replied quickly, with a bright smile.

“I don’t mean it that way…” Sasuke said quietly.

“Huh? Then what way?”

Sasuke leaned over and planted a short kiss on a stunned Naruto’s lips.

“This way,” he said softly.

Naruto looked mortified. He covered his mouth and moved away from Sasuke, in near panic.

“Ho-ho-ho-homo?!!”

Sasuke shrugged. “Whatever. I have no interest in anyone, but I would guess that is correct.”

“A-a-a-and you’ve been doing it… with men?!” Naruto continued to ask in shock.

Sasuke clenched his teeth and smacked his fist on the blond's head. “Of course not, idiot! I’m just saying I… you… in a not so brotherly way… don’t make me repeat myself, idiot!”