No Matter How You Look At It

don't own Naruto I am just a fan.

Part Two

I

Tired beyond belief due the medications in his system, Sasuke tried to pay attention to what the Hokage was saying to him. His eyes itched behind all the thick gauze and padding that Hokage assured him would come off in three days.

He yawned broadly into behind his right fist, the painkillers and sedatives were doing a number on his body, making him tired and unable to focus. He needed to rest, that was what she first told him, the blend of medications she had him on would ensure that he did sleep for the prescribed number of days without becoming habit forming. Everything was natural and if he wanted, she offered to assign an acupuncturist to him if he wanted off the sedatives. He told her he would think about it.

Once he was settled, Tsunade hovered indecisively at the door before coming to tell him about Sakura. What she was doing was unethical, she knew that, but this once Tsunade allowed her personal feeling to overrule her better judgment but she was desperate. Sakura would die, justice would be served but this was something else; this was personal for Tsunade loved Sakura like a daughter.

She had once dreamt of seeing Sakura wedded to Tsunade's beloved Naruto. She had dreamt of one day seeing them installed as the new rulers of Konoha with all the pomp and ceremony of a royal coronation. Tsunade had so many hopes and dreams for the two only to have them crumble to dust when Naruto had confessed to her that his feelings for Uchiha went beyond the brotherly affection all had assumed and that he loved him.

She wanted to hate Uchiha then. She did for the longest time. During his debriefing and interment, she had been cruel to him, ordering him confined to the Uchiha district with limited contact with others in the village. She would have ordered him to stay away from Naruto but she could keep her gaki away from the one he loved. It took time for Tsunade to change her opinion about Uchiha enough to accept him.

Uchiha was a rather quiet and reserved man with a sharp mind, a dizzying intellect, and a stunning wit. She never had the chance to talk or to know him prior to his defection and it was during his debriefing that he spoke openly and with candor to his interrogators.

The horrors that he had lived through had moved her. Despite all that he suffered and seen, he wanted to return to Konoha because, he said it was where his home was. She later learned that his home was Naruto and wherever he was, Sasuke wanted to be.

It was upon these very emotions that she was trying to play upon to ease Sakura's final days. Sakura wanted to see him. She said she wanted to explain things to him to make him understand. This would change nothing in regards to Sakura fate, Tsunade only hoped that it would give her a bit of closure in her final days.

"This will devastate, Naruto of course." She went back to her previous argument while ignoring the snort of discontent that came from the man. "Naruto thinks of Sakura as his family. She along with Iruka, Kakashi, and I were among the few people he allowed close to him after Jiraiya's death." When he said nothing she continued, "I do believe that Sakura loves Naruto," Tsunade guilt laden voice grated painfully on his nerves. "She would do anything for him."

"Except see him happy with me," He pointed out shrewdly.

A hot flush of shame scorched Tsunade's face forcing her to turn away from the man on the bed despite his inability to see due to the thick bandages covering his eyes. However, she ignored her quilt and pressed on. "Inoki's preliminary report agrees with you." She said honestly, "Sakura has convinced herself that you and she are meant to marry. In her home, personal items and effects where found that were embroiled with Uchiha family crest. The CSU unit also discovered documents that read Uchiha Sakura or Lady Uchiha." She hesitated a moment, not sure how to relay the rest of the information. It was the final nail and the most damaging evidence against Sakura as it spoke directly of her motive for attacking Uchiha.

"Sakura had a standing order for a nursery set placed under hers and your name at a high-end baby boutique. It was the same one that you and Naruto had gone to." She ignored the indignant gasp from the man. "On the day of your attack she started contacting those stores as well as an exclusive interior decorator from Mizukagure. Sakura sees herself as your wife." A bitter laugh tumbled from her lips was slightly edged with a note of hysteria. "She planned to become pregnant, but don't worry, Uchiha, she did not conceive." She refused to think about the wedding kimono found in Sakura's cupboard. "She believes that she is in love with you." She said finally. "However, she has made herself believe that you feel the same for her and that you two are to marry."

"I don't care about what she believes," he said harshly. "Her delusions are of her own making. I have shunned Haruno's affections since we were children. I owe her nothing."

Before she could comment, the door to Sasuke's room snapped closed. Tsunade quickly turned around to see Naruto standing there and he was not happy.

"Tsunade," Naruto began coolly, "what are you doing here?" His eyes moved from her to his husband.

Sasuke turned his head in the direction of his husband's voice. Tsunade almost felt guilty at the look of relief that appeared on Uchiha's face. "It is nothing you should concern with yourself, love. The Hokage was just leaving."

Naruto frowned at obvious flub yet he chose not purse the matter for the moment. Sasuke was still recovering from his surgeries and the attack, Naruto did not want to upset him by fighting with Tsunade.

Naruto walked over to the small chest of drawers in that was between the closet and bathroom and placed a black overnight bag on top of it. Tsunade watched as the man quietly hung up a spare set of clothes for his husband before carrying a travel case with Uchiha's toiletries into the bath. Naruto's hair was damp and his faded orange tee shirt with the picture of some band on the front clung to his shoulders and back wetly. He ignored her questioning stare about his appearance while he made the room as comfortable as he could for his husband's weeklong stay in the drab little room. Thankfully, the clothes that Sasuke had been brought in had confiscated as evidence. Had they not Naruto would have burned them until they were ash.

Damn it, his hands were shaking again.

Angrily Naruto snatched Sasuke's sleeping clothes from the bag before turning towards the bed to remove that horrid hospital gown. He hated what it implied. He hated why they were here in the first place. He hated this entire bloody situation—so why in God's name was Tsunade here begging his husband to visit his bloody rapist?

He dropped the clothes on the bed looked up at his Hokage meaningfully. It was all he could do to keep himself from throwing himself at her. Naruto did not trust himself to speak to her while his anger was so fresh.

It seemed that Tsunade understood she had worn out welcome and she knew that this was not over. For now, Naruto wanted to—needed to concentrate on his family.

Sasuke started awake when Naruto touched tie at the back of his neck. He had slipped in a light doze when Naruto started to move about the room. Now he was awake, both were intensely aware of the tension surrounding them at that moment. Sasuke was disoriented and half asleep, Naruto was still in shock and confused.

Naruto hated this situation. He hated feeling this way. He was so afraid to touch Sasuke, to speak to him—Naruto just didn't know what to do and he hated this so fucking much.

"I'm sorry," Naruto whispered.

Sasuke felt Naruto hand draw back from him, falling to brush at his demin clad legs…away from him…

Before either of them knew what was happening, Sasuke had grabbed Naruto, pulling the other man to him, pinning him beneath his body, holding on to Naruto while the other man fell apart in his arms.

Sasuke wasn't ready to deal with this, not yet…He was didn't give a damn about Haruno and what would happen to her. When he got out of the hospital he would put that bitch out her fucking misery and splay her entrails over the Uchiha district gates as a warning to all others who dared to fuck with either he or his family again. However, Naruto was a different matter.

Strong wiry arms pulled the bigger man down until Sasuke completely covered Naruto's body, hiding him from the horrors Naruto was not ready to face.

His world had been shaken to its bedrock. Ever since he woke up in his hospital bed, Naruto's thoughts were on how could he fix this?

Naruto's hands clinched the back of Sasuke's gown. He had gone to the ANBU detention facility wanting to see how the hunt for Sasuke's attacker was going. So imagine his shock when he was told that was his former squad mate and the Hokage's own student had done—Sakura, his one time friend, his former sister, had drugged and raped his husband…

Sakura.

It had taken nearly five cells to hold him down until Captain Yamato could fully suppress his chakra. One of his ten clones had reached Sakura's cell and was bringing a kunai down on her bared neck when he disappeared.

While all attention was focused on him, Sakura came barreling out of her cell with the kunai in her hands. She was screaming his name, wanting to kill him, only to be thwarted before she could leave her cellblock.

Yamato escorted Naruto home and he was currently waiting for him outside Sasuke's door. Naruto expected to be written up for attacking a prisoner, but he really didn't care at this moment.

He was going to kill Sakura first chance he got, that was a fucking promise.

She had touched his husband in a way that no one other than Naruto had the right to. Hell, she didn't have the fucking right to lay one damn finger on Sasuke, that nasty cunt. He was going cut off each her bony fingers and shove them up that viscous hole she thought made her worthy of his Sasuke.

Did she think that because Naruto lacked a mammary glands and vagina that his marriage to Sasuke wasn't real? Did she think that because they had hired a woman to share her eggs with them and agree to birth their child that he and Sasuke were not really becoming parents, starting to complete their family?

Was it so hard to believe that someone could love him just as much as he loved them? If this was something else, Naruto would have laughed it off, shrugged away the stares, and smiled when others had cursed him. Neither he nor Sasuke changed how they behaved in public to feed the idle gossipmongers. They were mindful of their duties and their positions as leaders in the village. Naruto was finally the hero his father had wanted him to be. He finally had the life he always wanted, so why did someone—his friend—why did she have to try to destroy it?

It wasn't fair.

Why couldn't other people just stay out their lives and leave them alone?

Why couldn't Sakura just move with her life and find someone who loved her just as they had?

Why couldn't she just be happy for them?

Why had she come into their lives again?

What the hell did she think was going to happen after she slept with Sasuke? Did she honestly think that Sasuke was going to leave him and their life together? What was she thinking? What did she hope would happen?

Naruto had spent his life since Sasuke defection trying to protect him. He nearly killed the Mizu-nin, Haku thinking the boy had killed Sasuke in battle. He would have fought Itachi tooth and nail and killed him several times over for making Sasuke feel one moment of pain. Nor would he ever forget Orochimaru. That bastard had been killed by the Uchiha brothers on separate occasions, thus avoiding the fourth battle against Naruto. It was against the perverted shell that Kabuto had become that Naruto finally brought down his wraith on the wretch. Nothing remained of the pretender when Naruto left the field.

Sasuke was his. Naruto had fought for him, fought against him, and loved him unconditionally for a better part of his life. Sasuke was his.

"Naruto?" Sasuke's deep, melodious voice wrapped about Naruto's frayed nerves.

He would never let Sasuke go.

..sn..

Not long after she left the hospital, Tsunade returned to her office to find that the news of Uchiha's attack had been leaked. Members of the Council and representatives from Jounin unions were waiting for her and they wanted to know what she planned to do about Sakura, who they feared could become another Orochimaru.

Tsunade was very forthcoming with her plans on what to do with Sakura. She used the last fifteen years of her reign pushing for more legislations and protections for children's rights within the village, especially for parentless children that village council for years seemed to ignore or threat indifferently until they could be pressed into military service.

She fought an uphill battle about sexual harassment issues while seeking more protection for victims of sexual assault by championing a progressive stance on reproduction rights, arranged marriages, and forced servitude. In all these things, Tsunade had been thinking that she was changing the landscape for the women of the village, who were more often victims of most domestic crimes and sexually battery; it was bitterly ironic how those new laws were going to be applied to her own student.

Both councils left feeling pleased and confident that a disaster had been adverted, parted from the meeting confident in their Hokage and her wisdom.

Tsunade remained at her desk long after the others had departed, staring at the order of execution. She could sign it now and when Sakura's sentence was read, there would be no delay to have the order read. This would be one swift stroke and then it would be over.

So why was her hands still shaking?

A harsh sob escaped her lips before Tsunade could clamp trembling hand silence the sound.

Oh, dear god, she this hurt. It felt as if someone was attempting to pull her heart out of her chest for her pain so great! Tears ran like rivers from her clenched eyes as her body shook from the force of the sobs she fought to suppress.

Oh, why was Fate so cruel to an old woman who had lost so many? Was this her punishment? Would she forever suffer for the crimes of those had loved by loosing those precious to her?

Her heart ached in despair as memories of Sakura danced through her head and Tsunade broke down anew.

A few hours before dawn, Tsunade found at the ANBU detention facility in front of the cell where her student was being held.

This was not where this bright-hearted girl was meant to be. Tsunade though. Sakura had been dressed in a plain non-descript gray smock dress and a pair simple off white slippers that was the uniform for female inmates. As a precaution, her head had been shaved and her fingernails had been clipped to prevent her from harming herself or the guards.

She did not resemble the woman that had been in Tsunade's office the evening before. Sakura was huddled in a corner, her features haunted by whatever methods Ibiki had implemented to make her confess her crimes. She was utterly broken.

Tsunade had hoped to protect her or at least spare her the worst by appealing to Uchiha compassion during his moment of weakness. However, she underestimated Uchiha misogyny and Naruto's protective nature when it came to his family.

Sakura had lost her place in Naruto's heart along time ago and she lost the only person who could have possibility saved her. The metal door slid open with smallest amount of chakra. Sakura looked up when as her cell opened, her large eyes were swimming in tears, there were dark bruises under her eyes from either her lack of sleep or her crying, Tsunade could not tell. Sakura was broken, trembling in fear, and was so confused—Tsunade's heart broke as she pulled the sobbing woman to her bosom and just held her. Sakura fell against her, sobbing out her misery and her fear.

This would be the last time Tsunade would see her like this again.

II

Sasuke came home from the hospital a week later. His bandages were off and his heart was in better shape than it had been in years and the same for his eyes. The Sharingan still was functioning properly; Tsunade had him go through each phase before she signed off on his release forms.

News of Sakura's impending trial was now the main news in the close-knit shinobi community. Those who knew her personally was shocked and horrified, those that heard of her in the general village gossip were surprised but as shocked as her friends and coworkers in the Medical Complex.

Naruto wasn't surprised when the housekeeper announced Yamato and Kakashi that evening. Naruto reluctantly allowed them into his study; he put aside his work and met the somber face of Yamato and the grief stricken face of Kakashi. Sasuke was in the den having fallen asleep in his chair with book on his chest. Naruto did not want to disturb him so they stayed in his study.

After the housekeeper left after placing a small tea service and a small tray of biscuits on coffee table, Naruto asked had they come.

Kakashi was looked terrible. He had just returned from mission only hours before. He had met the Hokage who told him about Sakura in private. Kakashi was very close to each of his former students for they had become family to him and he knew that they felt the same about him.

This was a devastating blow to him and the Hokage was worried.

Kakashi wanted to see Sakura and reluctantly Tsunade had granted him permission. He spent less than ten minutes outside her cell before he could not stand to see her anymore. When Yamato found him, Kakashi was at the Shinobi Memorial.

Naruto was tired. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days. Kakashi looked down at the small blue cup in his hands. He did not know what to say.

Yamato decided to end the silence and the other two men wished he hadn't.

"Sakura had been court marshaled and the Jounin Council had set her trial date for early next month." He paused, looking over at Naruto before continuing. "Her psych evaluation has realized Sakura's mental state makes me wonder how she managed to become a Jounin at all. Her obsession with Uchiha dominates every aspect of her life, all of her career decisions, the way she dresses, and her behavior is based on what she has convinced herself is what Uchiha's wife should be. She does not see Sasuke as a person," Yamato was saying. "He is a prize to be won or a possession that she can claim without any regard for his wants, needs, or opinions. Uchiha Sasuke, the person that we all know, does not exist in Sakura's mind."

"Nor in the minds of many others in this village," Naruto hissed bitterly. "All everyone has ever seen was the last Uchiha Prince, the Avenger, the former child prodigy, they have never seen him."

Yamato nodded. "His old school records reveal the same things. His teachers had treated him with a certain bias after the massacre. He was separated from the other children by the idea of elitism and perfection from the Council down to the common villager; it is very little wonder now why Orochimaru had been able to get at Sasuke."

"Sasuke had come from a large family that was interdependent and self-sufficient," Kakashi interjected quietly. "The Uchiha Clan did not associate with village except in an official capacity. They intermarried, they had created their own fighting style that went beyond anything that was being taught in the other clans, and they were their own people. Even before the massacre, Sasuke would have been reserved and distant to those outside his clan. He attended school only for a few hours every few days as was required for most children training before entering the Academy full-time."

Naruto knew this already, Sasuke had revealed all of this more during their joint therapy sessions and most Naruto had assumed based off Sasuke's reticence behavior from their childhood. The idea of peers was lost on a person who only understood family.

Still, this was not about Sasuke and Naruto was tried of others dragging his husband into Sakura's delusions. Even when they were teenagers, it had always been about Sakura's feeling about Sasuke and never anyone else.

Just because she was female, Sakura felt that her emotions and decisions were elevated to some kind of higher status than others, such as Naruto, when it came to Sasuke. She had somehow got it into her head that she had the authority to decide Sasuke's fate while he had been with Akatsuki. He knew that others of his peer group had made the decision and gone to Sakura for her fucking permission—Naruto would never forgive any of them for that betrayal—but then she, that callous bitch dared to come to him like she was some fucking sacrifice laying out before him as she tried turn him away from Sasuke. She offered herself up on damned platter of self-delusion and grandiose ego, like she was some bloody prize to be won in a contest between the two young men on her team.

Naruto quickly made sure she knew that what he was doing was not about her.

After that, it was hard for Naruto to trust Sakura. He did forgive her because she had been only thinking of trying to spare Naruto and do right by him, but he would never trust her and it was a cold comfort in knowing that he had been right about Sakura along.

Sakura, she was obsessed with her own desires, had little to no regards as to how her obsession effected her relationship with others, just as long as she obtained what she desired. She ended her friendship with Ino because she decided that she wanted Sasuke. While Sasuke had been with them as Team Seven, Sakura never tried to cooperate with Naruto and had abandoned him to run to Sasuke's side with little regard to Naruto's well-being. She had even planned to abandon the village had Sasuke asked her to join him the night he left for Sound. In her fucking little happy world, it was always and only her and Sasuke, there was never any room for anyone else not even reality.

As far as Naruto was concerned, Sakura had this coming. Sakura possessed no sense of loyalty or honour to her fellow shinobi or the village if it interfered with her desires. She was selfish and wanton in her need to be superior others shinobi from ancient clans. Sakura needed to be seen, to be acknowledged through being the Uchiha bride. When they were younger, it had been easy to accept that she was infatuated with Sasuke, still at some point she should have out-grown her childish fantasy, and saw the reality of how things were and just moved the hell on.

There was of course Ino and few other female shinobi who were still infatuated with Naruto's husband but for the most part, they had backed off and found their own lives, except for Sakura. She fooled them all for years, moving beneath the radar, moving herself into position until she was ready to make her move.

This was all like a game to her, that she was the fucking princess in some fucked up fairytale…A sudden memory of white eyes and sickening sweet smile flashed through Naruto's mind, but he quickly pushed them aside.

"Sasuke is asleep in his study." Naruto said quietly, his dark blue gaze settled on Yamato, "Before you arrived he had sent a notice to both the civilian and the Shinobi journals announcing the impending birth of our son and in a roundabout way announcing our marriage to village. It will be in the morning papers and by this time tomorrow, the entire village will know and hopefully these people will finally take the hint."

"And Sakura?" Yamato asked worriedly. He was still playing the gentleman to the very end. Even Kakashi knew not mention her at this moment.

Naruto didn't attempt hide sneer that appeared on his face as spat out, "This has never been about Sakura."

III

All her life, the only thing Haruno Sakura had ever wanted was to be Uchiha Sasuke's wife.

From the first moment she saw him, Sakura knew she was seeing her future. The quiet boy, standing silently beside their sensei after he preformed another feat of skill, silently endured the thunderous praise from his fellow classmates and the instructor. He ignored them all, he was so cool, aloof, and mysterious, every girl in the class just wanted to be near and it was always been that way. However, Sakura was different, what she felt for Sasuke wasn't the same as those other girls they were all so superficial with their long hair, waif like figures and bleached skin. They desperate for riches and the fame of being with last Uchiha, but none of them really knew Sasuke or cared about him. Not one of them could ever manage to feel the depth of emotion Sakura had for Sasuke, for truly and honestly loved Sasuke and she dreamt of the day that he would return her affections. Yet the years were passing and she was growing older, her beauty would begin to fade in a few years and the number of years she had remaining for giving birth were quickly becoming limited and she more desperate.

With each day since Sasuke's return, Sakura became more desperate as he failed to return her affections. He refused her gifts, all her sublet signals that she was ready (more so than ready) for him to begin courting her—nine years she waited patiently before she decided that she needed to matters into her own hands.

She had gone to Ino's wedding last summer and now her friend was expecting her first child. Sakura envied the other woman who, although not in a love match, seemed content and very happy in her new roles as wife and expectant mother. Ino had married her clan's heir, putting in her position of power and respect within the village pushing Sakura back into the crowd as another face in the crowd.

Sakura was frantic, desperate, and woefully confused by Sasuke. She simply could not understand why Sasuke had not come to her father and asked for her hand in marriage. She had waited patiently, so patiently but Sasuke never came and Sakura stopped was tired of being patient.

Her private journals from her childhood days in the academy to the present were entered into evidence against her by the prosecution.

The doctors and litigators testified before the panel of judges it was her family's greed, which had corrupted her young mind and was the cause of her disassociation with reality. Her barristers argued Sakura had been a victim of her clan's mental abuse. They painted a terrible picture of young girl growing up in a household of emotional and mental neglect, who was treated as an object for their own gain. She was taught that all females were her enemy, should another female show interest in the young lord, Sakura's duty was to do everything to make appear unworthy in the lord's eyes. They entered into evidence an affidavit from Ino and several of their female classmates that described Sakura's lack of female friends while she was in the Academy, how she declaration of war on Ino, and her violent attack on Naruto when he had been accidentally pushed into Sasuke.

Iruka had testified against her, Shikamaru spoke against her, her father unwittingly admitted all the prosecution had claimed as he consigned his daughter to death. Even after all these years, her family was still pushing her towards a man that did not want her, but Sakura's brainwashing had been so complete that she honestly believed that she was Uchiha Sasuke affianced bride.

Her bridal chest was brought forth and all of her private things were laid out like some macabre display to pick over and paraded for all in the chamber to see as the final bit of evidence that damned her.

Her parents had been properly confused and outraged on her behalf. The crimes against their daughter were ridiculous as they were impossible to understand. Sakura had come to them only the week before with news that they had waited almost two decades to hear, the Uchiha Lord had asked Sakura for her hand, she had hinted to her mother that they had already consummated their relationship and she might be pregnant.

The rape kit was presented and for the Haruno it meant that they had the leverage to force the Uchiha lord to put this all to an end by coming to Sakura's defense and declaring that he was going to wed Sakura.

Sakura's advancement and connections had given her family some influence within the village and the Harunos were ready to implement their newfound influence to turn this travesty into their greatest social triumph.

Sakura's father strode into the Uchiha District three days after Sasuke's release from the hospital with an official matchmaker and his family's barrister. He was dressed in a traditional haori for this formal occasion for the man had every belief that by the end of the day, his daughter would be freed and she and women of their family would be planning her wedding to the Uchiha Lord.

Sasuke and Naruto were seated on to low chair on the other side of low table with two cups of tea before them and an elegant tea service between them. Tea was not offered to their uninvited guests.

The matchmaker continued to cast subtle glances at Sasuke and Naruto's commissioned wedding portrait. It had been delivered that morning and they were now waiting for the workmen complete work in their private gallery so the painting could be hanged. Now it was perched on an easel for their appraisal.

Neither cared to have others pry into their private life, the announcement of their son's impending birth was as public as either could stand, but they decided that safety of their family demanded that such actions be taken. Sakura's father could ignore the announcement in the papers, but not when he was seated in the men's home, seeing the matching wedding bands, and a few photographs of just the pair on an elegant console table; however, Haruno-san would not deterred. His daughter's life, and his family's reputation, depended on his forcing Uchiha to give up his perverted lifestyle and agree to marry Sakura.

The matchmaker shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She looked to the barrister who was placing the official marriage documents that Haruno-san had asked for on the table before Uchiha-sama as the self-important little man continued to prattle on about duty and honour. His was a futile gesture born of desperation and greed.

Haruno-san could not accept that it was over. Everything was set against him and his clan's ambitions from the beginning. He just couldn't accept that there was never a chance of Uchiha-sama marrying Sakura. Still the man sat there like a fool, thinking he had the power to browbeat and shame the other man like he done to Sakura despite all of her accomplishments and the honours she won her clan—he knew that he accomplished the greatest feat in the village.

Sasuke calmly took up the marriage documents and returned them to the barrister.

"I understand you wish to spare your daughter from execution," Sasuke said his voice was even despite rage and disgust tempered each word, "But you have come to wrong man for cowardice and intimidation. I am a married man, Haruno, a happily married man. You have come entered my home and insulted my husband and our family with you blustering and threats. If you want to live to see another day, you will leave and never approach either of us again. Do you understand me, Haruno?" The Sharingan coloured Sasuke's eyes and before the civilians could even blink, Sasuke was standing over the pompous little man with a kunai at his throat.

The matchmaker was screaming and the barrister was scrambling out his chair, his face was white with fear and Naruto was sure the man going to piss himself at any second. Haruno did, unfortunately do just that. As the blade pressed closer to the pale, wobbly flesh of the florid face little man he suddenly released his bladder. Naruto calmly sipped his tea while his husband menaced the arrogant little prick and finally drove home the fact that Uchiha Sasuke was not weak, helpless man ruled by tradition and the expectations of others. That boy died the day Sasuke killed Danzo.

This pitiful little creature did not know what the hell he provoked when came here, but now Haruno understood and now he was afraid. Good, Sasuke smirked, he looked more like a demon than a cold-blooded killer and it had the desired effect.

Haruno blubbered, he was crying, begging for his pitiful life. Sasuke moved back and the three unwanted guest thundered out their front door.

Naruto rose from his seat, he pulled his flowing robe close over his loose linen tunic and light trousers. Sasuke's eyes followed the strong lines of his husband's body as it was outlined in the light cloth. The though of never seeing this beautiful man ever again cut Sasuke to the quick. He opened his arms and Naruto moved into them. When Sasuke had his love safely tucked beneath his chin and the fingers of one hand buried in the soft blond strains. A soft smile caressed his lips when he felt Naruto press a tender kiss to under side of his chin before he nuzzled his face in the open neck of Sasuke's belted tunic.

"I promised I would protect you," Naruto whispered. "I promised and I failed."

Sasuke hushed him softly, pressing his lips against Naruto's hair. "Neither of us was at fault. I let my guard down, we assumed that I safe here, and—"

"We could leave," Naruto leaned back in Sasuke's arms to look up in his face. "We can go to Rain, they swore their loyalty to you, we can go there and Konan will protect us and we can raise our son in a place without all this pretentious bullshit from the Council, the villagers, and prejudice."

"And what about our dreams, your dreams, and our plans to remake the Uchiha clan with a little Namikaze/Uzumaki flare?" Sasuke cocked an elegant raven wing brow at him.

Naruto snorted, "Says the man that laughed at my orange tong while you were pulling it out of my ass with your teeth."

"I was drunk, the ass floss was just too tempting to ignore." Sasuke smirked. "But we had fun. The private spring, the champagne, all those exotic dishes, and we made love on the beach, in the woods, and the spring." He leaned down to kiss Naruto's grinning lips. "Since we are both on leave," he ignored Naruto's scoff, "we should take a holiday. Maybe go to that little seaside village you visited with your Master that you are always talking about." He kissed Naruto again before asking, "Sound like good idea?"

Naruto frowned, "They want us to testify—"

"And we will," Sasuke drew him back against his chest and gently pressed Naruto's head against his heart. "I just want to get you out of here. I want to get out of here. We both need to clear our heads and get our focus back on our family and us for a little while. I am certain the Hokage will understand and be sympathetic to my reasoning."

Naruto tensed slightly at the mention of their Hokage. He was still not ready to forgive Tsunade for that stunt she pulled the day after Sasuke's surgeries, and eventually when he did forgive her, Naruto knew his trust in Tsunade would never fully be restored. She was one of the few people with the exception of Sasuke, who held Naruto's complete confidence, but that before that afternoon he found her badgering his husband, trying to find compassion for Sasuke's rapist.

Naruto pressed closer to his husband's body, his arms going around the heavily muscular chest and back as Naruto tried to meld his body into Sasuke's. He could have lost him, had he not come home or was even delayed a few hours, Naruto was certain he would have lost Sasuke. The though chilled him to bone and simultaneously added fire to his low simmering rage.

"Yeah, after the trial, I think we should go away for awhile." Naruto whispered. "I would like that."

IV

Uchiha Sasuke was an imposing figure in the courtroom, dressed in his full military police uniform with his ANBU insignias proving his rank as Captain-Commander of the Special Operations Strategic Strike Force. To see him, not as just the victim of this crime, but the titles, the positions, and leader Sakura had attacked and nearly killed.

It was terrible to see the hopeful, loving expression that appeared on her gaunt features, Sasuke had no affection or sympathy, he did not even deem to acknowledge her presence unless required and then he it required. He was professional, clipped in his answers, his tone chilling although it commanded respect.

He retold the events as he recalled them from that night. He had no memory of seeing Haruno at the bar, he had no idea how wound up at her apartment; he just barely recalled going home or being found by his husband. His only lucid memory was waking up in the hospital with bandages on his eyes.

When asked about his relationship with the defendant, Sasuke replied that they had no relationship outside the professional on which was almost non-existent due to his position and duties and hers. They had no contact during their work or outside the jobs, they had no contact whatsoever, Sasuke cold, dark eyes settled on Sakura then, she could only gape helplessly as he crushed her dreams. Crystalline tears rolled down her pale cheeks and she lowered her head to the top of the table.

He was gone.

Her attorney was talking to her, she felt his hands on her shoulders trying to get her to sit up, face the judges and the next witness. Yet she could not face them for her heart was broken. Sasuke, her love, her husband-to-be, he didn't love her. He didn't even care—and Naruto! Naruto, he was all over Sasuke, touching him, being the center of Sasuke's attention—his entire universe…She was on her feet and over the divider before anyone knew what was going on, she was tackled quickly and restrained just as fast.

She was thrashing violently on the floor, screaming vile threats at Naruto as flecks of foam flying from her mouth as she raved. Naruto had started to move forward, ready to meet her attack head on but Sasuke was holding him back, holding him close before Naruto could move, and they were bundled out of the chamber and out of Sakura's sight. Her last image of her former teammates, her beloved and her friend, was of Sasuke holding Naruto to his chest. Naruto did not resist the hold, he just allowed Sasuke to turn his body around and then they were gone.

"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed desperately, "Sasuke—"

The chamber doors were closed and she hauled up to her feet and dragged out of the chamber. Kakashi held her close as she sobbed against her chest, broken and confused. Kakashi had no answers to her sobbed questions. His only regret (one of so many) was not trying to curb Sakura's infatuation with Sasuke. He allowed her to idolize and fawn over the boy instead of forcing her to see him as an equal and potential rival. He never should have allowed her to play the part of weak, helpless damsel. He should have pushed her more, he should have challenged her and made her into a real shinobi—instead he let her cry, he smiled down at her, patted her head and treated her like a doll and then ignored her when she became the Hokage's student. Sakura had always been there but never really there just more in the background even when they were all together, Kakashi seemed to favor Sasuke and Naruto,

He wasn't sure it was a conscious thing on his part, it just happened.

Kakashi stood outside Sakura's cell watching her sleep off sedative she had been given shortly after her second breakdown that day. The prosecution had rested it case shortly after Sasuke's appearance on the stand and the defense did not call any witnesses. The jury meant for less than two hours before finding Sakura guilty on all counts and recommended the death penalty. The warrant for her execution was read immediately much to the shock of her family and her former teacher.

Kakashi knew Sakura was going to be executed, but God, why was this happening so fast? Two months, it's been only two months, why the hell were they rushing things?

Sakura was guilty, Kakashi could not deny it, her crimes demanded that she be put to death, but this was too fast, it seemed surreal. Kakashi felt that he had just blinked and he was now watching the executioner bring standing over Sakura's headless body.

Kakashi heard Sakura's mother screaming and few others weeping loudly. Sasuke and Naruto were absent, they had left town the week before and would not return for a few months. Kakashi had asked them to attend the execution in memory of who their Genin team if for no other sentimental reasons beyond that. Sakura was denied the chance to restore her honour through ritual suicide and she would be buried in shame, she cried when she was told that news, but the Hokage, in her last act of generosity towards her former student, allowed Sakura a final request.

Sakura's final request was list of people she wished to have witnessed her execution. She wanted to see Sasuke and Naruto in her last moments. She asked Kakashi during one of his visits if he would deliver a letter to Sasuke and Naruto for her. Tears were streaming down her face as she offered him a watery smile.

"Please," she had said softly, "Kaka-sensei, I just want them to understand…"

..sn..

Sakura's ashes were scattered in the Field of the Forgotten and her name was removed from all the shinobi rolls and the Harunos were banned from the Shinobi Academy for two generations.

The Council was pleased and the village felt vindicated on the behalf of it's most favored son. Tsunade was blind drunk as she signed the documents that were a final slight against misguided girl. It was over, Sakura was dead yet still the village wanted blood and she tried of having to be the one feed it to them.

How much more blood could you squeeze out of a pile of ashes, she wondered. There was nothing left, the Haruno clan and their ambitions had been ruined and shamed. Sakura had been dead three months, Naruto had been restored to active duty almost immediately and Uchiha was recruiting shinobi for the military police force. Yet still the village demanded more.

Had been Iruka had been showing of the latest ultrasound photos Naruto had given him of the Uchiha's unborn son for the last month and the village was abuzz with each rumored addition to Uchiha's nursery and people were clamoring over themselves to congratulate both men on the impending birth of their son. It was if they village was awaiting the birth of it's crown prince. Yet even had not been enough.

Tsunade drew a weary breath as she looked at a photograph of smiling girl with rose blonde hair and bright green eyes as she clung to shoulders of a blond hair blue eyed young man who was laughing at dark haired youth standing a little bit in the distance. It was team seven, the last time they would ever be together, they were barely nineteen and all three were Jounin and had been returning from a mission were they had performed a feat that only their masters had ever accomplished…

Tsunade closed her photo album and locked away her memories, along with her hopes and dreams of what could have been. She was feeling far too old to handle the demands and lust of the village anymore. Besides she her done her duty, there would be no second Orochimaru, Danzo would never resurface and the village was safe for another day. Putting aside the album, Tsunade performed her last act official act of the Hokage.

She had just affixed her final seal as the new Hokage and the Chief of the Military Police entered the office.

Tsunade had given the village everything it had wanted to atone for her student's sins.

The End

Thank you all for reading. I hope all enjoyed this story as much as I did.

Sean.