Perception

Perception by Cynchick
Chapter 18: My Place among the Ashes


Sasuke stared at his hands, at the blood of his brother covering them, blood he had sought after for so long and yet couldn’t bring himself to relish now that it was said and done.


In the end, he supposed he really didn’t have enough hate. He had enough strength to be able to defeat Itachi, but just barely. It really could have gone either way. And he still wasn’t sure exactly how that final blow had been dealt. He had enough strength, yes, but not enough hate. Not enough to feel satisfied with his brother’s death, to feel accomplished. He would even settle for feeling nothing, because nothing had to be a hell of a lot better than…this.


He wanted to hate Itachi all over again for doing this to him, for robbing him of his hatred at the last minute, for taking all the sweetness out of his revenge and leaving him with this bitter, hollow feeling. How could he build it up so high and then just take it all away like that? He didn’t forgive him; the things he had done were unforgivable no matter their reason, but he couldn’t hold the hatred in his heart anymore. Now he knew there was nothing sweet at all about revenge. Kakashi had warned him. They had all warned him, but he wouldn’t listen. He had spat on their ideals and advice and offers of support and friendship.


But still here they were; still offering that friendship. Still holding their hands out, no matter how many times they’d been bitten. Surely they were fools and masochists. But he knew he was no better, and deep down inside he was glad they had never let go.


Sakura felt Sasuke stir beside her, and she finally turned her eyes away from the empty sky and back to the present. His tired eyes traveled from his hands up his forearms and widened when he realized that his wounds had stopped bleeding and were significantly smaller. He looked up at Sakura with surprise and something close to amazement on his haunted face.


She simply smiled. “I can finish it later,” she said quietly. She had poured out a great deal of her chakra trying to save Tobi. Her eyes stung again at the thought of the childlike man who had become her friend, his touching last words and smiling face, and she closed them and tried not to think about it.


As if her words had finally made him notice what was going on around him, Sasuke looked uncertainly and almost warily at Naruto, then Kakashi, and then at Yamato and Sai. He appeared to vaguely remember the two dark haired men. He also seemed to have finally figured out he was alone with them all and was actually looking fairly nervous. If he had any intention of leaving on his own, he had almost certainly just realized that it would not be happening with him in his current condition. His shoulders slumped even further and he sighed, waiting with a tired and resigned expression.


He seemed to think they were about to arrest him and forcibly take him back to Konoha for trial. He should know better than that. They were his teammates, his friends, and they would only do something like that as a last resort. Besides, he didn’t seem to have any intention to resist them. It was as if he didn’t care what happened to him now.


Sakura noticed that Naruto looked like he was about to jump out of his skin, and she knew it was probably taking every bit of maturity he could muster not to start shouting and shaking their traumatized former teammate.


“Sasuke…” he began hesitantly, his hand gripping the other man’s shoulder from where he stood at his side. “What will you do now?”


Sasuke looked up at him, slightly confused that the blond was even considering options and for a moment he wondered if it was even Naruto standing there. He looked away at the ground again, not knowing how to answer.


“There’s still a home for you in Konoha…” Naruto continued. “I know you’re a bastard missing nin and you did a lot of fucked up things,” he reined himself in before he said too much, but Sasuke didn’t even react to the insult. “But I’ll convince everyone your case was special. People actually listen to me now, it’s great!” he grinned. “Sakura-chan will help too, she’s also really important now, and Kakashi-senpai…we’re all here for you. We always have been,” his tone quieted. “It won’t be easy for a while, but we’ll make it work! We-”


“I’m ready.”


Naruto cut off at the interruption, but his mouth remained open at Sasuke’s muttered words.


“I’m ready to…I want to go…home,” the dark haired man finished quietly, still staring at the ground near his knees.


Naruto’s face lit up like the sun. He looked to Sakura with a smile she hadn’t seen in six long years, and she smiled back happily. She didn’t think he’d meant what he said about Sasuke having a choice, but it didn’t matter because his tactic had won. He had kept his vow to her.


“You won’t regret it, Sasuke. That’s a promise!”


As much as the blond wanted to smother him, he had the sense to back off and let Sasuke have his space for now, and he stood up with a soft huff and stretched his arms behind his head. “Man, it’s too bad we didn’t get to wail on some Akatsuki ass this time. I was looking forward to it,” he sighed. Then he caught Sakura’s look and his face fell sheepishly. “What really matters is that you’re ok, Sakura-chan,” he added sincerely.


Sakura gave him a small, tight-lipped smile and looked away, accepting his reluctantly apologetic undertone. He didn’t even know what he was contrite for. She knew she owed them all an explanation. Eventually.


Now that it was all over and the adrenaline had worn off, she felt the biting chill of the snow seeping into her pants and she tiredly stood as well, her legs aching. She paused as a gloved hand appeared in front of her, and she took it gratefully and let Kakashi pull her up. He looked at her curiously when she didn’t immediately let go of his hand, and when she finally did it was to wrap both arms around his waist and lay her head against his chest in exhausted relief. She had missed them all so much, and they had risked a lot to come after her. She fought against tears again, but a few leaked out anyway.


Kakashi noticed, and his arms came up to envelop her warmly. “Sakura, are you alright?” he said quietly, tilting his head down to her.


She knew he wasn’t asking if she was injured. She buried her face into the comfort and familiarity of his jounin vest and nodded, the rough material scraping against her cheek. “I will be,” she murmured.


When she didn’t seem inclined to break away, his arms tightened and he rested his chin on the top of her head, and she smiled and snuggled closer to him. She had almost forgotten how easy it was for him to make her feel better. A long moment passed, and then she felt him suddenly go very still and his fingers briefly pressed tight against her back. She pulled away and blinked at him in confusion, and she saw something dark and unpleasant pass behind his visible eye, and she took a small step back. A second later it was gone; making her wonder if she’d imagined it. Then he crinkled his eye at her. A fake smile.


She didn’t get a chance to ask him what was wrong because she was immediately pulled into a crushing bear-hug by Naruto, who decided it was his turn to dote on their recovered kunoichi. “I’m so glad you’re ok, Sakura-chan,” he whispered into her hair.


Sakura smiled against him and returned the hug, but a moment later he let out a tiny huff and his entire frame went rigid. She felt his chakra flare minutely before he could cover it, not being nearly as smooth and subtle as their silver haired team leader. She tried to pull back and look at his face but his arms tightened and held her to him stiffly. What was going on? Was there something wrong with her?


Naruto’s eyes met Kakashi’s lone one over the top of Sakura’s head in a silent interchange of confusion, hurt and anger. Kakashi gave the younger man a warning look and a minute shake of his head.


He let Sakura go and ran his hand through his unruly hair with a cheesy grin. Sakura was confused about the change in her two teammates, but it was clear they weren’t going to elaborate on what had gotten into them so after a moment she moved away.


She walked straight over to Sai and drew the slightly startled artist into a hug like she had the others. He was still a bit uncertain when it came to emotions and affection, but he was glad she was ok and back with them, so he gave her a small smile and awkwardly rubbed a gloved hand over her back.


“Thank you all so much for coming to rescue me,” she said sincerely as she pulled away from Sai.


Sai looked at her strangely. “You’re our teammate and our friend, Sakura. Why would you be surprised that we would come to get you back?” he asked, truly confused.


She had nothing to say to that, and she simply shook her head and smiled at him. His simple logic was always the blunt truth, and she really was grateful to have them.


Not to be left out of her thankful affections, she moved to hug Yamato next, though a bit more formally as they weren’t as close. “Yamato-senpai, it’s really good to see you again,” she said.


The tall man was not as uneasy as Sai when it came to affection, though he was still rather reserved. But he smiled kindly and placed a hand on top of her head, ruffling her hair slightly. “It’s good to see you too, Sakura. We’re glad you’re safe.”


They weren’t acting strangely, and she told herself she was emotionally exhausted and overstressed and she had just imagined it from the other two.


“Yamato, Sai,” Kakashi’s voice called out to them, and Sakura released her former team leader as they all walked over to the current one. All except for Sasuke, who had finally stood and retrieved his sword from the snowy ground and now stood staring hollowly at the dark blood still covering the cold blade. He was going to need a lot of time.


“The two of you should go on ahead to Konoha and report what’s happened. We’ll follow you shortly,” the masked ninja informed. “Tell the Hokage that Sakura is safe, and she was unharmed. Also, inform her that we are bringing Sasuke back of his own free will, and tell her what happened here.” He paused, thinking for a moment before taking a deep breath. “But only report what is necessary,” he added quietly.


The last part was directed to Yamato, and understanding passed over the other man’s face briefly before he nodded. Sai and Yamato wasted no time and with only a few words of parting, they left. The original members of Team Seven would follow after at a slower pace, taking time to recover and perhaps heal some of those old wounds before the storm of chaos hit them once they got back.


Sakura knew Kakashi had been talking about her and what they’d seen her do today, and she moved away from the group as a heavy feeling settled over her. She had never wanted them to lie for her, but now she realized she should have known they would whether she asked them to or not, just as she would have done for any of them. A lie of omission was still a lie. They would bury the lie within the facts. No one was better at that than ANBU, and that was what Kakashi had conveyed to Yamato. She still didn’t feel ashamed of anything she had done, only now she felt guilty that she had dragged them into it with her. And they didn’t even know the half of it yet. They would keep her secrets, but would they understand? Would things ever be the same again?


She located her pack, which had been dropped carelessly in the snow nearer to the building knowing she wouldn’t need it one way or another until after. She rifled through it until she found what she was looking for and slung it over her shoulder. Then she retrieved Sasuke’s cloak that he had lost during the curse-seal transformation and walked over to him. He was shivering and she seemed to be the only one who had noticed he was bare-chested; the torn remnants of his shirt hanging from his belted waist after his transformation, and the fool was turning blue from being exposed to the cold winter air.


“Here,” she said quietly, holding out one of her long sleeved shirts that she was pretty sure would fit since he was fairly lean. It was a men’s shirt anyway. He stared at it, then at her, and then looked at himself as if he just now realized his physical state. Men are hopeless, she thought, giving him an expectant look. The shirt was going on even if she had to force it over his spiky head. He finally took it and pulled it on with a light wince as his closed but sore wounds stretched. It was snug, but it fit, and she handed him his cloak next. He didn’t thank her, but she could see the contrite and appreciative look in his dark eyes, and she simply smiled before walking away and giving him his space. It seemed Sasuke was still Sasuke after all.


She walked over to where Naruto and Kakashi were standing. “We should bury them,” she heard Naruto say as she walked up. They had gathered the bodies of the two shinobi who had come with Sasuke and laid them together. “They came here to help Sasuke, didn’t they?” he asked, turning to Sakura.


Sakura couldn’t help but raise her brow minutely. “They came with him, yes,” she said rather stiffly.


“What’s the matter, Sakura-chan?” the blond asked at seeing her expression.


“That one,” she inclined her head at Karin, “she tried to kill me.”


Naruto’s head snapped to look at the burned body of the kunoichi like he expected her to get up and try to kill Sakura again. “Oh,” he said with slight distaste.


“They still deserve a proper burial,” she added, though it was very hard to say with images of Tobi’s smiling face flashing through her mind.


“Did you kill her?” he asked.


I would have, she thought darkly. “No, Deidara did. Right after she killed Tobi,” she said thickly.


Kakashi straightened slightly, as if he’d just picked up something in her undertone, but he was still silent and unreadable. Naruto looked like he was thinking hard to try and figure out the same thing.


Finally he looked at her with a slightly suspicious expression. “Did he kill her because she killed his partner, or because she tried to kill you…?” he asked.


Sakura raised her chin and looked directly into his azure eyes. “Both,” she answered quietly, her tone slightly defensive.


Her best friend stared at her with a troubled expression for a long moment, trying to understand. He didn’t look angry, only confused. “Sakura-chan…” he began.


He was cut off when Kakashi raised a casual hand. “We can talk about this later. We need to hurry and move out; it’s not a good idea to hang around here and we’ll want to make it out of the mountains before nightfall or we’ll be in a bad situation now that Yamato’s gone,” he said informally before opening his pack and pulling out a collapsible trench spade.


He shoved the spade into the ground. “Another thing, we probably don’t have enough supplies for the trip back,” he alluded, glancing at Sakura.


“That’s true,” Naruto remarked as he pulled out his own spade and unfolded it. “Hey, is there anything in that building we could use?” he asked Sakura, completely missing his team leader’s subtlety as usual.


Sakura nodded tiredly.


“Good, we can grab some stuff after were done-”


“I’ll get them,” Sakura said.


Naruto looked like he wanted to say something, but he closed his mouth after a moment and Kakashi spoke up before he changed his mind.


“Go ahead, Sakura. We’ll take care of this,” he said with a casual eye-crinkle. She could see he didn’t like it, but knew he understood why she had to go alone. Kakashi always understood her, and she gave him a small, grateful smile before turning away and walking toward the old fortress.


“We’ll wait here till you come out, Sakura-chan,” Naruto called after her, finally seeming to pick up on the situation.


After she had gone inside, Naruto paused in his digging and turned to Kakashi. He was about to speak regarding earlier when to their slight surprise Sasuke walked up to them.


He stared at the lifeless forms of his comrades. He had somewhat expected this to happen, but he would have wished a different end all the same. They had come here for their own selfish purposes; Suigetsu to take another of the seven legendary swords, and Karin because she had nowhere else to go and had taken it upon herself to follow him for all the wrong reasons.


He frowned as he gazed upon the mutilated form of the kunoichi. He had seen her try to kill Sakura, and he had seen Sakura beat the hell out of her with very little effort, something he was still trying to wrap his head around. Karin had acted foolish, and she had paid the price. There was no use in holding anger toward the dead.


“I’ll help,” he said quietly, eventually looking over at Kakashi. They hadn’t been his friends, but they had been with him for three years. Even if it had been for their own reasons, they had come this far with him, and this was the least he could do.


Kakashi nodded in understanding and held the handle of his spade out to the younger man. Sasuke took it silently and began to dig. Naruto watched him for along moment, and then returned to his task as well.

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Back inside the old base, Sakura finally let her calm and collected guard down. Her friends were concerned about her, and they were confused and probably a little suspicious. She didn’t want them to worry, but it was so hard to not let show how deeply affected she was by all of this. They weren’t ready to hear the tale she had to tell.


She walked slowly down the corridor, her footfalls echoing softly against the thick stone walls. Only a few hours before, it had been multiple steps echoing and cloaks rustling as five shinobi headed outside to meet their fates. Somehow she hadn’t thought she would ever step foot inside this place again, and now she wished she hadn’t. It felt like walking into a tomb.


From the entrance corridor she entered the common room, and she paused when she realized how different it was now. The splintered remains of the billiards table were still piled in the corner, and she smiled fondly at the memory of Kisame smashing it to pieces in frustration. But her smile quickly faded. It was so cold in here, so empty. The enormous hearth was dark and cold, the fire long burnt out. The night before it had blazed warmly as she and Deidara had said their private goodbyes. She tried to block out the emotions and feelings she had felt standing there last night, and quickly made her way across the room and down another corridor into the kitchen.


She didn’t stop until she reached the large pantry, trying hard to focus on what she came here to do. She gathered anything that looked like it would be useful on their journey home and put in her pack. When she had finished, she found herself rooted to the spot as the memory of Tobi rustling around in here and coming out to make her tea when she was upset flashed in her mind. Oh, Tobi... She sighed heavily and hung her head for a moment in sorrow.


When she recovered she quickly exited the pantry and found herself moving to sit at the kitchen table, at her usual place, and tiredly put her head in her hands. The four empty chairs stood as silent reminders of what was gone. Two of the occupants had left this world forever, and the other two she would never see again. It was too much. This place was haunted. Memories flitted across her mind like ghosts, and she saw and felt them as if they had only just happened. She could hear voices and laughter echo hollowly in her ears, conversations held right here at this table, ranging from deeply profound to mindlessly entertaining. But now it was all gone.


It was too cold. It was too empty. The silence was mocking her.


With another heavy sigh she stood, grabbed her pack and left the room. She was finished here, she had done what she came to do and there was no reason to linger, yet she found herself wandering slowly down another cold stone hallway, toward the private quarters.


She paused at a particular point in the corridor that was achingly familiar. It was here that Itachi had held her against the wall and kissed her gently in a sweet, stolen interlude. She closed her eyes and could still feel his lips on hers, and her hand found its way into the inner pocket of her cloak, closing around the cool metal of his necklace.


She continued down the dark corridor, her fingers loosely clasping the memento he had unexpectedly given her in their final moments, until she reached the door to Itachi’s room. The room she had shared with him for three nights of incredible passion and deeper understanding. Her fingertips lightly touched the cold surface of the door and she closed her eyes. As much as it called to her she could not go in there; there were nothing but bittersweet memories and sorrow behind that door. All that mattered was already locked deep in her heart, to be her secret treasure. It was how he wanted it to be, and she thought perhaps he had found some small measure of elusive peace in his last days and hours with her. She wouldn’t grieve for him; he would not want her to.


She continued walking. She had no idea what she was doing or where she was going, but it seemed part of her wanted to take one last look, to remember everything that had happened here one last time and see if there wasn’t more she could take with her back to the life she had known before, and wasn’t sure if she fit into anymore.


She was mentally and emotionally exhausted, and physically drained from large chakra output and a lack of sleep and food. Her teammates would be busy with the burials for some time and they would not bother her in here, so she thought she might take time for a hot shower, and she made her way to the bath facilities.


When she entered the cold tile room she wearily removed her cloak and set it on the bench. It needed to be cleaned, it was spattered and smeared with blood; Tobi’s, Itachi’s, Sasuke’s. Far too much blood for one cloak in a single day. She remembered thinking that Akatsuki cloaks were stained in blood when Deidara had offered her his. She’d meant figuratively, but she realized there had to be quite a bit of the literal in there as well, and now she figured it was inevitably true even for the ones without red clouds.


She prepared herself against the cold rush of air to her exposed skin, stripped off her garments and turned on the water. She stepped into the steaming stall and let the hot water run over her aching exhausted body with a relaxed sigh. She hadn’t really done much fighting but she was still sweaty and grimy and there was blood on her hands and even on her face. Not to mention she was wearing the same clothes as the day before since she had gone straight outside this morning…

Oh, God…


Dreaded realization hit her so hard she had to brace a hand against the shower wall. That’s what had been wrong with Kakashi and Naruto…She had spent the night with Itachi, in his bed, engaged in amorous acts…and when her teammates had each held her, gotten that close to her…their heightened senses of smell had given her away.


She squeezed her eyes shut tightly with a small groan. She hadn’t wanted them to find out like this! In fact, she hadn’t planned on telling them about her intimate relationship with Itachi at all. But the damage was already done. No wonder they had barely suppressed their surprise and hurtful anger. Did they think he had raped her? No…if they could smell him on her then they could almost certainly smell the remnants of their shared passion and traces of her own arousal. How humiliating.


Her understanding of the men who had kidnapped her and the eventual friendships she had developed with them she had high hopes that her teammates would understand…but this, this she was sure would go beyond their capacity to accept from her. She was a fool. She had promised herself, had promised Itachi, that she would not regret the things that had happened. But it was hard not to when faced with what was sure to happen within her team. They had risked their lives to come after her, and they were willing to lie for her to protect her from the possible ramifications of what she had done while in captivity. She knew they would even lie about this, but would they forgive?


She had been monumentally selfish. They had finally gotten Sasuke back, they were all safe and alive and going home. Their little family had a chance to be whole again. And now because of her actions, she may have ruined everything.


It was the final weight on her already heavy shoulders, and she could take no more. Something broke inside of her, and she sank weakly to the floor, the hot streams of water pouring over her head and shoulders. All of it was just too much to take.


She had barely begun to know Itachi on a deeper level. She had earned his trust and he had showed her a side of himself that no one else knew, and now he was dead; killed at last by the brother that was like a brother to her as well.


Tobi…loveable, naïve, kind-hearted Tobi, who fought well and yet died from a cowardly and despicable act, who had smiled in his last moments because he was with his friends.


Kisame, the man who could smash through a pool table in a single swipe yet drooled on the table when he passed out drunk. She would never hear his jokes again, or hear him tease her and everyone else in that voice that always sounded like he was enjoying his own private joke.


And then cocky and reckless Deidara, who had become one of the best friends she had ever met in such a short time, such a naturally kindred spirit who made her laugh with such little effort. Now she had lost him to the division of their loyalties and chosen lives, and she would miss him for the rest of her life.


Sasuke, who was broken and hurting and needed their help but didn’t know how to ask for it…would he even want anything to do with her once the shock wore off and he thought about what he had seen between her and his brother? Would he hate her?


Kakashi, Naruto and Sai…would they be able to understand? Would they even want to? Had she become someone they no longer wanted to know?


Overcome with sorrow and dread of what was to come, her emotions broke free of their tenuous restraints and Sakura wrapped her arms around her knees and wept. Naked and alone on the cold tiles, the water pouring over her like the tide of her grief, she didn’t bother to muffle her sobs.

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Sasuke didn’t speak for four days. He kept almost entirely to himself, and they all did their best not to push him when he wasn’t ready, though it was hardest for Naruto who wanted nothing more than to be up in his returned friend’s face and talk about anything and everything until his voice gave out. But he didn’t, and Sasuke noticed this.


It was just another reminder of how much he had taken for granted, how much he had given up and thrown aside like so much rubbish, and how much they had all changed. Of how hard they would have to work to rebuild what had been broken.


Deep down they were constantly worried that Sasuke would try to take off. The closer they got to Fire country the stronger the concern became, wondering if he would change his decision to come home with them and try to leave on his own. That would force them to use force, and that was the last thing they wanted to have to do. But every morning he was still there, and as distant and depressed as he was he looked like he was where he wanted to be, and they were glad.


Sakura had been nearly as withdrawn as Sasuke since they had left the sight of the battle. She had come out of the old base with their supplies and an ‘everything’s ok’ smile that never reached her eyes. No one asked her why she had taken so long in there, and she was grateful for that.


During the day they traveled without conversation, only speaking occasionally for necessary communications. At night when they made camp, Sasuke would sit by himself a small distance away and stare off into space, still involved in his inner struggle to come to terms with everything in the last twelve years of his life. Sakura would also sit by herself, introverted in a way she hadn’t been since things between Team Seven had started to crumble all those years ago. Naruto was going out of his mind from not knowing what to say or do with either of his best friends, and Kakashi would bury his nose in his dirty book and pretend he didn’t notice any of it. When they were ready to talk about it, it would happen on its own.


On the fourth day they re-entered the village of Kanna, and Sakura shut down completely. It was clear that whatever happened here was painful to remember, and Kakashi asked her if she wanted to forgo staying in town for the night, but she had insisted she was fine and that it was no problem. It probably had more to do with her not wanting to keep them from a comfortable night’s sleep on her account than anything else. But she insisted, so they chose a small, minimally occupied hotel some distance from the one they knew she had stayed in while here before.


That night they had dinner in the quiet little restaurant attached to the hotel. The four of them sat in a secluded booth near the back because no one really wanted to deal with anyone outside of their little group just yet. Naruto tried to maintain a light conversation because all the silence and depression and walking on eggshells was driving him crazy.


“Hey…I wonder what we’ll do now that our long-ass mission is finally complete,” he said after several minutes of generic rambling about the food and anything else he could think of to keep it from being silent.


“It’s not complete until we get back to Konoha,” Kakashi pointed out casually.


“Ah, that’s true I guess…but it’s as good as done. You’re not going anywhere, right Sasuke?” he grinned.


Sasuke had been looking at Naruto strangely since he had started this particular topic, already suspecting the truth.


Naruto saw the other man’s consternation and his grinned widened. “That’s right, Sasuke-teme, our mission for the last three years has been to find you and drag your ass home. That, and spying on the Akatsuki.”


“Don’t worry; the mission isn’t to bring you back for trial…as long as you come willingly,” Kakashi added, seeing his former student’s eyes narrow suspiciously. Naruto still didn’t think about the things he said sometimes. Thankfully, Sasuke didn’t look as though he was ready to bolt.


The blonde’s grin only turned more fox-like. “The village wants to help you restore your clan, teme, they’ll probably be throwing girls at you left and right. They may even let you have more than one wife!” he laughed.


Sasuke did not look amused. In fact he looked a tiny bit…nervous?


“Naruto…Sakura…Kakashi…” Sasuke muttered quietly after several minutes, his voice a bit hoarse from days of silence. They all turned their eyes to him in surprise, but his dark gaze remained fixed on the tabletop. “Thank you…for coming after me all those times…for not giving up on me…”


Naruto was momentarily stunned speechless by the foreign sounding words. Sakura simply smiled, but this time it was genuine.


“That’s what teammates are for, Sasuke,” Kakashi said, giving him a lighthearted eye crinkle. “They help each other and want to do what’s best for each other, even if that person doesn’t want help,” he finished, and the wistful look in his visible eye told he had prior experience with the subject.


“That’s right!” Naruto added enthusiastically, recovering from the Uchiha’s uncharacteristic expression. “We strays gotta stick together. You always thought you didn’t have a family, but you were always a part of ours.”


Sasuke simply stared at Naruto, and then looked to Sakura, then to Kakashi, and when he saw the same resolute affirmation in all of their expressions, his own expression changed from surprise to guilt to deeply moved. He couldn’t find a way to speak any of these things, already having displayed more emotion than he was used to expressing in a year, but he gave them a quiet accepting nod of gratitude and returned his gaze to his lap.


It wasn’t much, but somehow the air between them now felt a little lighter.

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The next two days were stressful even though a lot of the tension between the four of them was gone, as they passed quickly and quietly through Earth country. Stone was furious about the recent events happening in their territory and if they spotted any Leaf ninja passing through it would put even greater strain on the already fragile ceasefire between their nations, and may even lead to an incident. Fortunately they were able to push straight through along the eastern edge, spending only one night within the borders before successfully crossing over into Grass undetected.


The sheer effectiveness of their stealth and mobility and ability to perform as a team surprised Sasuke; they were so much better than he’d ever thought they would get, and not for the first time he almost regretted leaving and not accepting their help.


Things were slowly getting better between the former and current teammates. At night Sasuke wouldn’t sit so far from them anymore, and he was speaking a little. Sometimes he would answer Naruto’s questions and even ask some of his own, which always got the blond highly excited.


Sakura was the one they were really concerned about. She would talk, but only if she was spoken to. She would smile, but it was almost always fake. There was a distance to her, like a wall she had put up not to keep them out, but to keep herself in.


On the night they entered Grass country, Naruto decided he’d had enough. He wanted his family back, the way they should be. He needed to know that things were going to get better, and he was never the type to let a problem work itself out.


He looked over to the pink haired kunoichi where she sat a few feet from the central fire. “Sakura-chan…come over here,” he said invitingly, patting a spot next to him on the dry leafy ground.


She looked at him curiously and after a hesitant moment she crawled over and sat a few feet away from him.


Naruto let out a loud sigh of exasperation and rolled his eyes. “I said come here, damn it…” he leaned over and grabbed his surprised teammate and easily hauled her over to the spot he intended next to him. He locked a concerned and brotherly arm over her shoulders and fixed his cerulean gaze onto her perplexed jade one.


“Now,” he continued, giving her shoulders a light squeeze, “what’s the matter, huh?”


She shook her head. “I’m still just a bit worn out from everything,” she said quietly.


He frowned. “Oh come on, Sakura…you can’t lie to us that easily.”


She looked away self-consciously, knowing he was serious by the fact that he dropped the –chan from her name. She also noticed that Kakashi and Sasuke were both looking at her now as well, and she knew this time she wouldn’t be able to back out of it. It was time to tell them the truth.


Naruto continued speaking. “It’s been almost a week since we left that place, but it’s like you‘re still back there. It’s like you’re not happy to be back with us…”


Sakura felt a pang of guilt at hearing her friend’s slightly hurt tone. “It’s not like that…I don’t want any of you to ever think something like that…it’s just…” she trailed off, not knowing how to begin.


“You think we’re angry with you,” Kakashi spoke up quietly, and she looked up to meet his piercing dark gaze. “And you think we may be suspicious of you from the things we saw back there and along the trail.”


Sakura blinked. She hadn’t even thought about what they may have learned while following them across the countries, but apparently there were things that contributed to their suspicion of her. She stared at the flames and nodded slowly. “There were things that happened, things I said and did while I was with the Akatsuki that were completely unexpected. I don’t feel ashamed or guilty about those things, but I didn’t want you to think badly of me because of it,” she explained, still looking at the fire.


“You assumed we would think you had committed a betrayal,” Kakashi assessed.


Sakura blinked a few times and gave a tiny nod of her head.


“Well…did you?” he asked softly, without accusation.


She looked up then. “To all of you…no. To Konoha…possibly.”


Naruto squeezed her shoulders again. “I don’t believe that, Sakura-chan,” he smiled. “We know you would never intentionally do anything to hurt us, or the people of Konoha. Breaking the rules isn’t always the same thing as betrayal. Just look at all the times I’ve broken the rules,” he laughed. “Betrayal happens in the heart. A person’s actions can be looked at as circumstance, just look at Sasuke-teme. We all understand why he did what he did and that he thought he had to do it, we just wished he would have trusted us more.”


The dark haired man looked uncomfortable with being the new focus of attention, but he held Naruto’s gaze with an expression of newfound respect.


“We all love you, Sakura-chan,” Naruto continued. “I think even Sasuke does, in his own bastard way,” he grinned, and Sakura couldn’t help but smile as she thought she saw the stoic Uchiha blush slightly. “We would never just write you off no matter what you’ve done.”


“It’s true that there are things that are…concerning, to us,” Kakashi said, looking at Sakura again. “But like Naruto said, we knew you wouldn’t deliberately do something you knew was wrong. We agreed to trust your judgment and trust that you had your reasons, and to wait until you could explain.”


She smiled gratefully at the silver haired man. “Thank you. But, I really don’t know where to begin…”


It was quiet for a long moment. Then Naruto looked down at her and spoke up. “How about…the fact that you stopped a fight between us and the Akatsuki. You asked that…” he caught himself. “Deidara…to stop attacking Kakashi-senpai, and he did. Just because you asked him to…The Akatsuki aren’t known for their mercy…so why would he do that?”


Sakura took a deep breath. “Because he was only there on orders from their leader; he disliked Itachi and he really didn’t care about capturing the Kyuubi. And as much as he has issues with you, he knew it would hurt me…to see any of you get hurt. Because he became my friend,” she explained, quiet and confident.


Naruto frowned in confusion. “Your friend? You remember what he did to Gaara? Not that he fought him and took him away to be killed, I get that was just his mission. But what he did after…with Gaara’s body…He’s crazy Sakura-chan...”


Sakura fixed her friend with a reproving glare. “I know he is. But he’s no more ‘merely the mad-bomber of the Akatsuki’ than you are ‘merely the demon-fox container of Konoha’. You of all people should know better than to label and judge others strictly based on preconceptions,” she reprimanded.


Naruto snapped his mouth shut and looked away.


This time it was Sasuke who spoke, surprisingly. “So you’re saying they’re good people underneath?” he asked, his tone a mixture of incredulity and genuine curiosity.


She gave a tiny shake of her head. “Not good people, necessarily…just people. Real people…not monsters. There are good things as well as bad about all of them, and they have reasons for being the way they are. They are shinobi, like us. Their objective is intolerable to people who want peace, and their methods are often cruel and overly violent. But in all honesty there are things we ourselves do in the name of duty that are less than noble. I realized all of this while with them, and they never once treated me cruelly, and in time I was able to see them for who they were, and not what,” she finished quietly, hoping they understood.


Kakashi nodded perceptively. “It’s a universal truth that almost all shinobi come to understand in time and with enough experience in our way of life. Sometimes it makes it harder to do our duty, knowing that in the end we aren’t so very different from our enemies. Sometimes it makes it harder to sleep and night and feel right about the things you’ve done. True wisdom always comes with a price, but in the end it’s always worth it. What’s important is that you didn’t lose yourself along the way. I’m proud of you, Sakura,” he finished with a warm smile, which she returned with all her heart.


Naruto looked deep in thought for a long moment. “You have a good heart, Sakura-chan. And you have good instincts. I still don’t understand it…but I want to,” he said finally, loosening his hold around her shoulders and turning to fully face her. “Will you tell me about it? About them?” he asked, searching her eyes.


So she did.


She told them about Deidara, of how she destroyed and then healed his arm, and how he had opened up to her once he began to trust her. Of how he stuck up for her in his own way when she struggled with the demanding expectations of their lifestyle, including the origin of her new cloak. She talked about his amusing relationship with Tobi, and how it was similar to the brotherly love-hate Naruto shared with Sai. She told of how they identified with each other on so many levels and how much he had made her laugh and raised her spirits when she was spiraling downward. And of how he had wanted a way out of their situation almost as much as she did, even if only for her sake.


With sadness in her voice she talked about Tobi, of how he was so willing to forgive and forget what others did and said to him, of how funny he could be with his naivety and childlike mannerisms. How kindhearted he was and how he just wanted everyone to be friends. She told them she thought he had probably only been with the Akatsuki by chance, that he had just wanted to be part of a group, to have people to belong with. With tears in her eyes she talked about his last moments, and how he had been so happy to leave the world with friends at his side.


She talked about Kisame and his gruff cheerfulness, and how he always talked in that crazy laughing-voice. Of how he loved to tease her and loved to be teased, and that he had the crudest yet funniest jokes. She told them about his silly nickname for her and of his battle with the pool table. Of how he was clever but not intellectual, and how he was the master of a good innuendo. She laughed and told them about their drinking contest; how she had won and that he had never figured out why.


When she talked about Itachi her voice became somber and quiet and it was here that her words were most guarded, out of sensitivity to the dark haired man sitting across from her, and from her own desire for personal privacy. She didn’t tell them about healing his eyes, but talked about the conversations they’d had during that time. Of how intelligent, polite and cultured he was. How if you understood his subtleties, he was not as cold as he seemed, and how he would sometimes even be teasing, especially to his partner. She did not explain the intimate nature of their relationship, though she knew they were already aware of it, and was grateful they did not ask. She simply told them that he was not a monster but rather the tragic product of his upbringing, and that while he had certainly lost his sanity somewhere along the way, she had seen that there was indeed a human being inside and that he had eventually trusted her enough to show her that part of himself. She looked into Sasuke’s eyes as she said this, and saw a flicker of understanding there in the dark depths.


When she finished her tale it was silent, the three men speechless and thoughtful as they processed everything she had told them. Naruto simply wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to him tightly, and this time she returned it with a true smile, happy knowing he would understand in time and that he held nothing against her.


Later that night, as they settled down to sleep, Sakura crawled over to where Kakashi sat with his back against a tree as he took up the first watch. She settled with her side pressed against his and leaned her head on his shoulder. “Thank you, Kakashi…for understanding,” she said softly.


He looked down at her with a slightly confused look in his visible eye. “Hmm? Understanding what?” he murmured.


“Everything,” she whispered drowsily, and nestled herself further into his side as sleep began to overtake her.


“Of course, Sakura,” he said quietly, and without disturbing the nearly-asleep pink haired woman much he lifted his arm from under her head and placed it around her shoulders, letting her head settle against his vest. She smiled, and he did as well beneath the mask before returning to his book.

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Two days later the four members of the once Team Seven finally approached the enormous red gates of Konohagakure. They knew they had been spotted long before, and were being allowed to pass undisturbed. Sai and Yamato had no doubt returned and informed the Hokage of events and their delayed return.


Sasuke had an air of apprehension and uncertainty about him, but he was walking with his head up and at a steady pace and seemed to have resigned himself to whatever awaited him inside the walls of his former home.


Naruto walked at his side, nowhere else in the world he’d rather be at that moment. Sakura walked on his other side with a smile on her face. They had dreamed of this day, of coming home to Konoha with Sasuke willingly at their side, and after six hard years that day was finally here. Only now she walked with her boys, side by side with her head held high, the days of watching their backs long gone. The autumn sun was shining, the cold of early winter left behind as they traveled back to their native climate, just as it seemed a burden they had all been carrying was left behind with their southward journey as well.


But they also knew it was not going to be that east and perfect. As they got closer they could see two squads of ANBU waiting inside the gates and along the top of the wall, and almost reflexively Naruto slung and arm over Sasuke’s shoulders and Sakura linked her arm with the Uchiha’s from the other side. They would be there for him no matter what happened next.


Sasuke looked a bit startled at the unfamiliar contact, but he didn’t protest or resist. He was glad they were there.


“Sasuke…do you want us to come with you to wherever they take you?” Sakura asked.


Naruto looked at her like she was crazy; he fully intended to go anyway and planned to stick to Sasuke’s side even if the Uchiha’s final destination was a prison cell.


Sasuke turned his head to look at her, and after a moment he gave her a small nod. She smiled and squeezed his elbow where it was linked with hers, and he turned his gaze forward again.


She looked back to where Kakashi walked behind them, just like he had always done when they were still Team Seven. He had just put his book away knowing there would soon be business to deal with and he gave her a patented eye crinkle. She smiled and stretched out her arm to him, and with an amused glint in his dark eye he eventually reached out and grabbed her smaller hand in his, letting her pull him forward to walk with the rest of them.


They entered the gates that way, but stopped and disentangled just inside when the ANBU moved to surround them as expected.


“Hatake-senpai,” the captain spoke, addressing the team leader. “The Godaime has ordered that Uchiha Sasuke be escorted under guard to the Hokage’s office immediately upon entering the gates.”


Kakashi nodded. “Understood. You have been informed that he is returning without resistance and is to be treated accordingly?” the Copy Ninja said asked casually, with an undertone of warning.


“We have,” the masked captain replied with a curt nod. “The Godaime has also asked that Hatake-senpai, Uzumaki-san, and Haruno-san accompany Uchiha to the Hokage’s office for debriefing.”


“Well, that makes things easier,” Kakashi said lightly, stuffing his hands in his pockets and relaxing into his usual slouch. He started to amble toward the Hokage Tower, and the ANBU picked up his lead.


The white-masked nins moved to a guard formation around Sasuke, but didn’t get too close upon seeing the warning glare from Naruto that read ‘he’s not a prisoner yet, so back off’. Even the ANBU knew better than to cause unnecessary trouble with the Kyuubi container. Sasuke noticed this silent exchange with small amazement, but still gave no outward reaction to his current predicament.


As they made their way toward the Hokage Tower they earned many surprised and curious stares from civilians and quite a few shinobi due to the fact that ANBU were rarely seen out in the open during broad daylight, and a couple of the ninja they passed even recognized who the masked elite were guarding and raced away to no doubt tell everyone they knew. It was clear the news of Sasuke’s return would be all over Konoha in a matter of hours.


They finally entered the tower and ascended the stairs to stop before the great carved double doors. The ANBU captain knocked and announced their arrival and then opened the door upon hearing the short command. The two squads stayed back, watching vigilantly from the hallway while the other four ninja moved into the Hokage’s office.


Upon entering the large room they saw the Godaime half-sitting against the front of the massive desk with her arms crossed over her ample chest, and Shizune standing off to the side. The first thing Tsunade did was rush forward and sweep her youngest protégé into a tight embrace.


“Sakura! I’m so glad you’re ok! I’ve been worried sick, are you alright?” she exclaimed in one long breath.


Sakura gave a small, breathless laugh and returned the older woman’s suffocating hug. “I’m fine, shishou.”


Tsunade pulled back to look her apprentice in the eye, grabbing her shoulders. “I’m sorry, Sakura,” she sighed, shaking her head. “I can’t believe I let something like that happen, to you of all people. Are you sure you’re ok?”


Sakura nodded. “Really, Tsunade-sama, I’m ok. They never did anything to hurt me,” she smiled.


The Godaime gave her a strange look. “Really…well, I’m certainly glad of that, and I suppose it’s something we will discuss later, in private.” She straightened and turned to face the other occupants of the room, fixing firm amber eyes on the long-missing Uchiha.


“Well, Uchiha Sasuke…you’ve finally deigned to return to Konoha?” she said sternly, crossing her arms over her chest once more.


Sasuke met her eyes and gave a curt nod. “Yes.”


“And you return of your own free will, with no ulterior agenda?”


“Yes, Hokage-sama.”


“And you intend to stay, permanently?”


“That is my wish,” he said quietly.


“Are you aware of how much trouble we’ve gone through to bring your ass back to Konoha?” she asked sharply.


Before he could form an answer there were sounds from outside the office, and they turned to see the recently summoned Yamato and Sai appear in the doorway and enter when Shizune waved them in.


“Ah, good, there you two are.” Tsunade addressed them without looking, still glaring intimidatingly at Sasuke, who was doing remarkably well at holding up under her intense gaze. “You’re just in time to hear his explanation; from why he took off to why he’s returned and everything in between.” She raised a delicate eyebrow at the young man before her. “Well then, Uchiha…start talking.”


So for the first time ever Sasuke related all the facts. Of how Itachi had repeatedly tortured him and threatened to eliminate all of his weakness by killing anyone he ever got close to. Of how Orochimaru had attacked him in the Forest of Death and the things he had said while giving him the curse-seal, and later how he had offered to make him strong enough to eliminate his brother once and for all. Of the nature of the curse-seal and the effect it had on him, how it fed upon his darker emotions and amplified them, making it difficult to focus on anything else, and how it compelled him to seek out its origin; Orochimaru. It was more open and honest than anyone had ever heard him be, and more than anyone had ever heard him say in one sitting, but what he said here would undoubtedly save or condemn him.


“So you’re saying the curse-seal drove you to leave Konoha and seek out Orochimaru,” Tsunade said flatly.


“It caused my judgment to become clouded,” he admitted. “But I do not offer that as an excuse; my actions were of my own choosing.”


Tsunade nodded absently. “Keep going.”


Then he talked about his time at Sound, and of his training with Orochimaru. He told how the snake had distrusted him and withheld from him because he had refused to bend to his will, because he would not kill his defeated training opponents, and because the Sannin was afraid of letting him get too powerful when he was still not a loyal follower. He talked about the circumstances surrounding the snake Sannin’s death, and how it had stemmed from him trying to leave Sound after realizing Orochimaru had no further intentions of teaching him.


He talked about the past three years and how he had traveled in search of his brother and who had been with him. Finally, he talked about his discovery of Sakura’s abduction and how he had followed the trail meant for Naruto to find Itachi and confront him, eventually resulting in his brother’s defeat, and that afterward he had agreed to return to Konoha with his former teammates.


“Why didn’t you return before, after you left Sound?” The Godaime questioned.


“Because I still needed to avenge my clan, and I needed to be sure nothing would stand in the way of that. Also, because I didn’t want anyone I had cared about to get involved and become potential targets for my brother’s provocations. And because…I wasn’t sure if I would be allowed back,” he finished quietly, the humility in his tone surprising them all. It seemed despite his pride and arrogance; he still knew when to check himself and when respect was due.


“And yet, still not knowing that, with the possibility you may be tried for treason and executed, you agreed to return anyway?”


“Yes, Hokage-sama.”


Tsunade looked at him long and hard. “Very well. Is there anything else you have to say for yourself?”


Sasuke took a deep breath. “Only that I apologize for any trouble I have caused for Konoha by my actions, and I will accept whatever decision is made regarding my fate,” he said quietly.


The Hokage gave a short, scoffing laugh. “Like you have any choice in the matter.”


Naruto huffed and crossed his arms, mimicking her pose. “Oh, come on, Baa-chan…he came back on his own and he wants to be part of the village again. Don’t be such a hard ass…”


“Naruto!” Dual exclamations from Shizune and Sakura rang out at his brash words, but Tsunade appeared to ignore his disrespectful tone, as often happened in the young man’s case.


“Tsunade-sama, would you like us to wait outside while you make your decision?” Sakura asked hesitantly.


“That won’t be necessary,” the blonde Hokage answered sternly. “I’ve already made my decision.”


Taking this to mean bad news, Naruto quickly backpedaled from his earlier defiant stance. “You have? Baa-chan…are you sure you don’t want to think about it some more? Take in all the facts…?” he asked nervously.


“I’ve had a whole week to deliberate while waiting for you four to come back. Hell, I’ve had six years to figure it out. In actuality Sasuke’s story is of no importance. Most of it I already knew. But how honest he was willing to be, and how much detail he would go into about his actions and whereabouts was a way for me to gauge how genuine and serious he is about returning to our village.”


There was a long pause as she stared judgment down upon the dark haired man.


“Uchiha Sasuke,” the Hokage began, and the room held its breath. “You were trained and assigned as a shinobi of Hidden Leaf, yet you left the village without permission to pursue your own selfish ends. You joined forces, however loosely, with enemies of Konoha. Subsequent efforts to return you to this village resulted in Leaf shinobi being injured by those associated with you, and twice our shinobi were injured by you directly, one to the point of near-death. That would be Naruto, by the way,” she added pointedly, and Sasuke frowned slightly.


The Godaime continued. “Those are all facts. However, it is also confirmed fact that you have never killed, allowed, or even witnessed a Konoha shinobi being killed by any of our enemy forces. Nor did you share any information about this village or secrets of our jutsu with others, and there is no evidence that you have ever plotted against Konoha with our enemies.”


Tsunade’s eyes narrowed at the boy. “You are a selfish, arrogant little prick with a rather unmerited superiority complex who cares only for himself and his own needs, and cares nothing for how he hurts others to get what he wants. I would hope that living in hell with that snake bastard has taught you a thing or two about appreciating the good things in your life and not disregarding what should be precious to someone who has been through what you’ve been through. But that remains to be seen in time and is irrelevant to this case.”


The blonde Hokage straightened and returned to her professional, authoritative tone. “The combination of all of the facts leads me to one conclusion; your circumstances are highly extenuating to say the least. You have endured a great deal of emotional and psychological trauma and have been conditioned from a very young age by those who are masters of manipulation, both Itachi and Orochimaru. The nature of the curse-seal and the effects it can have on an already damaged psyche have already been proven with other victims of Orochimaru’s experimentations, and that also must be taken into account with you. It is because of these things, and because you eliminated a huge threat to this village in defeating Orochimaru, and because you are a highly skilled shinobi with the potential to be a great asset to this village, and because you returned of your own free will and are prepared to face judgment like a man, that I have made the decision to pardon your actions and reverse your status as a missing nin.”


Sakura let out the breath she had been holding in a wave of pure relief.


“Haha! See, Sasuke? I knew it would all work out!” Naruto cheered excitedly, pumping his fist in the air.


Tsunade raised her hand haltingly. “There are conditions, of course.”


Everyone sobered somewhat, though the excited feeling was still there.


“You will be placed on probation for the course of one year, effective immediately. During this time you will be under watch by members of our Jounin elite. You are not allowed to carry weapons or use ninjutsu for the first three months of your probation. Taijutsu will still be allowed, in training. If you are caught breaking these rules your status as a shinobi will be permanently revoked, your chakra will be sealed and you may be subject to additional punishment. After the initial three months you will be allowed to use weapons and ninjutsu only under strictly supervised training for an additional three months. If you comply satisfactorily in the first six months those restrictions will be lifted, but you will not be allowed to leave the village for the remaining six months, and your supervision will continue throughout the one year period.”


“You will also undergo periodic psychological evaluations from our medical staff and ANBU investigation. At the end of the one-year probationary period you will be returned to active status and assigned missions. I am aware that your skills are easily on a level with the elite of our jounin ranks, but in adherence to protocol you will be reinstated as a genin; your last received rank. You will of course be free to participate in the soonest chuunin exams following the lift of your probation, and providing you pass you may proceed to take the soonest jounin exams after that. I’m sure you will have no trouble finding the necessary references,” she added wryly, glancing at Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi, who all had looks ranging from nonchalant to downright devious. “Upon receiving jounin rank you are free to pursue your own career path, though I doubt I would be wrong in assuming you will want to be assigned with your former teammates.”


“The final condition of your pardon is this: you will cooperate in returning the Sharingan bloodline to Konoha. This is no doubt one of your own personal goals. You will be allowed to choose a wife for yourself of course, but you must do so within the next five years or a suitable candidate will be arranged for you.”


Naruto snickered into his hand, but ceased when Tsunade and Sakura both shot him warning glares.


“Do you understand and accept these terms, Uchiha Sasuke?”


“I do. Thank you, Hokage-sama,” he said quietly, and even gave a small respectful bow.


“One last thing, Uchiha: you’re damn lucky you have these two on your side,” she said, indicating Naruto and Sakura. “I hope you appreciate everything they’ve done for you.”


Naruto was grinning from ear to ear and he moved over to Sasuke and nudged him with his elbow. “Looks like we gotta get you a girl, teme. You may be a pretty-boy but you kinda got a stick up your ass. Want some tips on playing the field?” he winked slyly.


“What would you know about playing the field? You turned into a pathetic pile of lovesick goo when you came back and Hinata batted her pretty white eyes at you.” Sakura teased.


The blond laughed sheepishly and scratched his neck. “Yeah. Hinata actually loves me, Sasuke-teme, isn’t that crazy? Man, you gotta get a girl, it’s so awesome…”


“You three can play catch up later,” Tsunade cut him off. “There is still a matter I need to discuss with all of you.”


They all turned their attention back to the Hokage.


“The Akatsuki are still out there,” she continued, sobering the group. “And their goal is still you, Naruto. In fact, now that they have the other eight Bijuu their only goal is you. Jiraiya tells me that they are running out of time, and they will no longer be able to achieve whatever it is they’re after within roughly a year’s time. They are getting desperate and will use any means to capture Naruto. The Kyuubi is the last piece in the Akatsuki’s plans. We absolutely cannot allow them to get ahold of it. Because of this, the council and I have decided that Naruto, you will not leave the village again until the Akatsuki threat is neutralized.”


“What!” Naruto shouted.


Tsunade held up a hand and gave him a hard look. “This decision is final, so don’t even start. Also, given how easy it was for this last attempt to draw Naruto out into the open, it’s highly likely that they will try it again, with more force and more sinister methods. The people closest to Naruto must now also be put under protection and kept within the village. Sakura, Hinata, and yes, Kakashi, this even includes you.”


The surprise was visible in the Copy Ninja’s eye and you could even see his mouth hanging open beneath the mask, clearly shocked that after over twenty-five years of service to the village, he was being grounded.


“I understand how you feel about this, Kakashi. I thought about sending you back to ANBU with Sai and Yamato where you would be anonymous, but you’re just too well known now. Instead you will be with Naruto as the elite jounin keeping watch over Sasuke, and will assess his training and supervise his reintegration into Konoha. Your skills will be more effective that way. In addition you will be close to Naruto and in a position to protect him should anything happen; that task is more important than any S-rank mission I could assign you. Besides, you’ve shed more blood, sweat and tears for this village than anyone, and it’s about damn time you took a rest. Think of it as an extended vacation with pay. And if you’re that opposed to a vacation, I could easily draw up mission papers for it. That goes for all of you,” she smirked slyly.


Kakashi simply sighed and gave the Godaime a resigned nod. Naruto had been ready to flip out, but calmed a bit at hearing he would be spending most of his time with Sasuke, and that Hinata would be around all the time as well. He felt guilty that so many people were being taken off of rotation because of him, but at least they were getting paid, and deep down he was happy they would all be safe from his enemies.


“I understand the impact of taking so many of Konoha’s finest off of active mission status, but in the end it will be worth it if their lives are not needlessly sacrificed and the Akatsuki never get their hands on the Nine Tails. That is more important than anything else. This has nothing to do with your individual strengths. Your ability to fight against the Akatsuki is not in question, but they will almost certainly act in force, especially now that there are so few of them, and that is too much for even the best to handle. Now, Sakura, you will be supervising Sasuke’s psych evaluations as you know him well, at least better than the rest of the medical staff or ANBU would. The rest of the time you can spend at the hospital or with your teammates. Sai, when not on missions with ANBU, you will also train with your regular team. Does everyone understand the situation?”


Everyone gave their nods and somewhat reluctant agreements. Sakura inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Tsunade had the foresight to make sure what had happened to her would not happen again, and she was secretly glad that she and the people she loved would likely never come into contact with the Akatsuki again. That way, she would never have to face the prospect of facing off as enemies with the men she had come to call friends.


“Man, this is gonna be super boring,” Naruto sighed. “But I guess it’s not so bad if were all gonna be in the village together.”


“After three years of almost constantly being away and living in trees, I think we could use a nice long break,” Sakura said cheerfully.


Naruto’s grin turned fox-like as he faced his old rival. “It’s me and you all the time now, teme. I’m gonna kick your ass all over Konoha!”


Sasuke simply glared at him indignantly, and Sakura smiled at the two of them. Just like old times.


Naruto laughed. “Aww, come on Sasuke-chan, you know you missed me…” he teased wickedly.


The dark haired man’s scowl deepened, but the corners of his lips betrayed him by curling just enough to notice. “Shut up…dobe.”


Naruto flashed the biggest grin yet. Somehow, he just knew everything was going to be ok.

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Sakura walked unhurried through the quiet streets of her village, the bright yet cool atmosphere of a late afternoon in autumn giving her a slight chill. Yet it was still too warm for her cloak, and the familiar cut of it earned her odd stares as well, but she missed it; she had worn it nonstop for so long that she felt lacking without it.


Or perhaps there was a deeper significance there, and it was more than absence of simple cloth that pulled at her subconscious.


She turned the corner onto the familiar path she had walked so many times in her life. Up ahead her destination came into view, and with a smile she noticed that he was already waiting.


Sasuke leaned casually against the wooden railing of the old red bridge with his arms crossed over his chest and his head bowed slightly. Team Seven’s bridge. Was he feeling the same sense of nostalgia she was right now? Perhaps more so, since she and her current teammates still met here regularly for any number of reasons.


But still, now Sasuke was part of the equation again. Still standing like he always had, though now he was much taller. He was still wearing that same wide collared shirt with his family crest on the back, though now it was black. He looked much more like his brother than he ever had and yet the differences had never been clearer to her. It was all a reminder of how far they had come, and how much they had all changed.


He looked up at her approach, though he gave no other sign of greeting, and she felt her nerves flutter a little when she thought of the reason for their meeting.


“Have you been waiting long?” she asked when she drew up next to him, remembering his penchant for being ridiculously early to everything.


“Not really,” he shrugged.


“Naruto hasn’t been driving you too crazy has he?” she smiled knowingly, imagining the antics their blond friend had been up to in the two days since they returned to the village.


Sakura herself had been busy in debriefings with the Hokage and ANBU, relating her experience and what she had learned during captivity. In the end the ANBU were placated, but Tsunade was a very wise and perceptive woman, and she had sat down with Sakura later to talk about the whole truth not as her Hokage, but as her mentor and surrogate parent. She had been shocked to hear certain things to say the least, but Tsunade had her own experiences with many of life’s shades of gray and had eventually understood.


“Hn,” was Sasuke’s reply, though she could hear the tone of exasperated amusement in his usual grunt.


She chuckled lightly. “He’s just excited to have his best friend back. So am I.”


He looked at her then, and she saw what may have been gratitude and a mutual feeling pass behind his dark eyes. But this was Sasuke, of course, so the sentiment never made it past his thoughts. But it didn’t matter; she could see right through him anyway.


“What did you want to meet me about?” he asked.


Sakura felt her nerves again. “I wanted to talk to you about what happened with Itachi,” she said quietly.


He stared at her, his eyes narrowing slightly. Did she want to know what happened in those final moments inside the Mangekyou…?


“I mean…about me and Itachi…and what happened between us,” she continued, biting her lip apprehensively.


Sasuke straightened and inhaled deeply, staring out over the stream that fed into the hot spring. He was quiet for an agonizingly long moment. “You don’t have to explain. I don’t need to know what went on,” he said finally, his tone guarded but sincere.


She nodded and took a deep steadying breath. “I know, and it means a lot to me to hear you say that and mean it. But I want to. I want to explain everything to you, not the others; because there are things you should understand about him, and maybe about me as well.”


He looked at her for a long moment, searching her eyes, not sure if he really wanted to hear what she was about to tell him. Then he gave a small sigh and nodded.


She closed her eyes for a moment and readied herself before beginning. “First of all, I want you to know it had nothing to do with you. It wasn’t because he looked or acted like you or any other subconscious thing. I got over you a long time ago,” she smiled wryly, and he gave her a small smirk in return. “Itachi knew that as well, and you need to know that it had nothing to do with you for him either. What developed between us was unexpected and for a long time unwanted on both our parts. We were both caught unawares and we both struggled against it, but it was real and in the end we both decided to take a chance. It’s important for you to understand that it was equal ground and that I knew what I was doing from the very first moment, and that I don’t in any way regret what happened, quite the opposite in fact.”


She waited, and after a moment he gave her a small nod to indicate he understood.


“How did it start?” he asked guardedly, surprising them both.


She raised her brows and thought a moment. “Well, at first he was an intolerable asshole, just like you can be sometimes,” she smirked. “And I was afraid of him and hateful toward him because of the things he’d done to you and Naruto. But he surprised me, because he wasn’t at all the evil monster I had always imagined him to be. He was ridiculously polite and courteous, soft-spoken and intelligent. He began to intrigue me to the point of fascination, and he admitted during one conversation that he thought the same about me; we were both more than the other expected us to be.”


“That particular conversation was about you, actually, and the things he hinted at that night that made me realize there was far more to him than anyone realized. What he told me confused the hell out of me and I got angry. I got in his face and yelled at him.” She saw Sasuke’s brow raise in surprise as if he too thought that was a suicidal move. She smirked. “I went too far and he got angry, like what I said bothered him, and that was really surprising because he wasn’t supposed to care. I thought he would harm me then, but…that night he nearly kissed me.”


Sasuke frowned slightly, but he stayed silent.


She took this as a positive sign to continue. “There were several more times when he seemed to forget himself, and I have to admit it was the same for me. We seemed to be attracted to each other in spite of ourselves, and as much as it scared me to think about it, it was more than purely physical. After thinking long and hard about everything that had been happening, one day…I decided to make him an offer…and I healed his eyes,” she said very cautiously.


Sasuke blinked and his gaze fixed on her sharply.


“It wasn’t for him that I did it, Sasuke, it was for you,” she explained calmly, and his eyes narrowed a bit. “I knew you were aware he was losing his sight from overuse of the Sharingan. And I knew that your revenge was so important to you that you wouldn’t feel it was complete if you only defeated him because he wasn’t at full power. I told him this, and he agreed to it anyway. What may be more important than the fact that I healed him is that he allowed it, knowing that I could easily kill him. I think he was beginning to trust me, and he also knew that I would never do anything to him that would interfere with your revenge.”


He glanced at her. “I appreciate that,” he said simply, and looked out over the water once more.


“One night the Akatsuki were discovered by hunter nins and we had to fight. There were a great many of them, and Itachi got poisoned. I saved his life that night, because his death belonged to you and honestly someone of his caliber deserved better than such an insignificant end.” Sasuke nodded reluctantly, and she took another deep breath. “I think I know some of what he showed you inside the Mangekyou…because that night in his delirium he told me things…about his past and why he had done those things to you. Later, he told me that he wanted me to tell you…after. He knew you would kill him, Sasuke, he wanted you to…he-”


“I know. He showed me…everything…all of it, in the end,” he said quietly, his voice nearly dropping to a whisper.


Sakura nodded in understanding. “Then you understand what I mean about there being…more, to him…”


He sighed heavily and straightened, uncrossing his arms and turning around, his hands bracing the wooden railing as he bowed his head and gazed into the running water below. He nodded wearily, and after a long moment of silence she realized he was waiting for her to continue.


She turned around as well and stood side by side with him, mimicking his posture with her hands on the rail. “In the end, we were only really together for three days, before you all showed up at the base,” she said softly. “But I learned many things about him, about myself, and about the world in general while I was with the Akatsuki. I can’t say for sure, but I think maybe…he was able to find some sort of peace at the end, that maybe I helped him somehow…I hope I did, anyway,” she murmured.


Sasuke didn’t respond, but inwardly he found that he agreed. Though he could never admit it out loud, deep down he was ok with that, and a tiny part of him was perhaps even grateful to her for it.


“Watching the two of you fight…” she continued quietly. “It took everything I had not to interfere. I didn’t want either of you to die, but I knew from the beginning that it would come to that. There was no way to save you both. Itachi’s death was the only way to save you and Naruto, and in the end it was the only way to save Itachi as well. It was what he wanted more than anything, and he would only allow you to do it.”


He nodded, and his expression was again haunted. “I just wish I would have known,” he murmured.


She gave him a sad smile and shook her head. “No…because then you could not have done it, Sasuke, and he knew that. He set you free, and in the end you did the same for him.”


He looked her, and her heart wrenched at the brightness of unshed tears in his dark eyes at the memory her words invoked. He looked down at the water again and she lifted a hand from the railing and gently placed it on top of his, and after a long silent moment, he shifted his hand and returned her grasp by closing his fingers around hers in a gesture of gratitude and understanding.


Never in a million years would she have thought to be here with Sasuke like this, but standing there beside him she was glad it had come to be this way between them, and though it was a far cry from the fancies of her twelve-year-old self, she wouldn’t have it any other way.


After a moment he let go and straightened up off the railing, and she did the same. He seemed to silently debate saying something for a moment, and when he did she was surprised to say the least.


“Did you love him?”


She stared at him wide-eyed. He was serious and he was waiting for an answer, and after a moment she let out a quiet sigh. “I don’t know,” she said softly. “Love is about accepting the entirety of a person, and there were so many things about Itachi that I could never have accepted, too much of what he was and what he had done were beyond forgiveness no matter what their reason. Too much of him was impossible to love. And as for him, I believe he felt for me as much as he could…but I don’t think it was possible for him to feel love in that way, given what he had become and what was done to him. But he loved you…he told me so,” she said, offering him a smile. He said nothing, and she continued after a moment.


“But there were also things about him that were not bad or insane, things that were almost even…good…the way he was in private with me for one... It was those aspects of him that I came to care for. I honestly can’t define what it was between us. I don’t know if I’ll ever know the nature of my feelings for him, only that what we had in that short time was real, and that it will always hold a special place in my heart,” she finished with a bittersweet smile.


Sasuke looked at her for a long moment, assessing everything she had just told him. “Good,” he said finally.


Sakura raised her brow in surprise, giving him a questioning look.


He sighed and explained himself. “If it had been merely some physical thing, or a way to get back at me somehow, I would probably think you a whore and hate you,” he said. She frowned at his harsh words, and he shrugged before continuing. “But because it was more than lust and truly meant something to you, and maybe to him as well…I think I can understand, and I don’t hold anything against you.”


She gave him a small smile. “I didn’t need your acceptance, but it means a lot to have it. Thank you for understanding.”


He stared at her, amazed again by the enormous difference in her personality, in her confidence and the way she carried herself. This new Sakura kicked asses and took names, and she didn’t back down or apologize for any of it if she believed in her heart she was right. Maybe deep down she had always been that way, and he just never noticed. He liked her this way, and thought that now they could truly be friends.


She noticed the appraising way he was looking at her and she cocked her head quizzically. “What?” she asked with a playful grin.


He shook his head and smirked. “You’ve changed,” he said simply.


Her grin widened and she nodded sagely. “We all have.”


“That’s true. Things won’t be the same as before,” he said quietly.


“That’s probably a good thing! And anyway, severe dysfunction never stopped us before,” she teased, and he emitted a huff that sounded suspiciously close to a small laugh.


“Oh! It’s time to go, we may even be a little late…” she said suddenly, noticing that the sun was setting. They were meeting everyone at Ichiraku for dinner, the whole group; Naruto, Kakashi, Sai, Yamato, and even Hinata would be there. She’d asked Sasuke to meet her here beforehand and they had gotten caught up in their talk and lost track of time.


Sasuke nodded, but looked slightly hesitant about being around so many people. Sakura knew his issue and swatted him playfully in the arm. “Come on now, you better get used to it! If we force Kakashi into going every week you better believe you don’t stand a chance,” she laughed.


He stuffed his hands into his pockets and resignedly fell into step beside her.


“So…” he said after a moment as they walked unhurried down the path. “I suppose you’d probably say no if I asked you to marry me and help restore my clan…”


Sakura stopped dead in her tracks and gaped in shock at the dark haired man. She stood utterly speechless with her mouth hanging open like a fish, debating whether or not to punch his lights out, until she noticed the sly curve of his lips and the devious look in his dark eyes.


“Sasuke…” she said in awe. “Did you just…make a joke?”


His smirk only widened into a small half-smile, and he casually continued walking. She stared after him, still in shock at his unknown capacity for devastating humor, and after a moment he looked back over his shoulder at her, still smirking. “Come on, Sakura, they’re waiting for us.”


Sakura laughed mirthfully and hurried to catch up next to him, and they continued walking down the road to meet their friends.


-

End ~


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A/N: Well, that’s it everyone: the official ending. I didn’t want to end it with angst, but rather with hope. I hope everyone was pleased with it.

Also, I fibbed a bit when I said this was the last chapter, because I’ve written an epilogue. This is still the official ending, and you don’t have to read the epilogue if you like where it ended here. The epilogue will be about how Sakura moves on with her life, and hints at what her future holds.