A Soul's Salvation

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, guys. I really appreciate them, and enjoy reading them. Now we are going to get to see Sakura and Naruto moving towards each other, and all of the little pitfalls that are in between. So, enjoy this newest chapter and enjoy.

~!~


Sakura's eyes widened as she saw the large amount of people waiting to gain entry into the stadium, where the trial was going to take place. Many of the spectators were nobles, but there were quite a few villagers also waiting, eager to see the men responsible for injuring their ambassador, held accountable.

When they entered the stadium, Masahara nodded in satisfaction as several people called out Sakura's name, and cheered her as she walked by, offering smiles and nods to them. He could tell that she was loved in her village, though he was a bit put off by the fact that he was being ignored.

When he caught sight of the hokage, he patted Sakura's hand and softly said, “I will be back in a few moments. Go on to our seats, and I will join you shortly.”

When she walked away, his retainer quickly showing her to their seats, he walked over to Tsunade, and gave her a hard glare, to which she blushed.

“So, how angry are you?” She asked, her tone soft. She knew it was wrong, but someone had to do something to kick things into gear.

Masahara regarded her coolly before saying, “She is in love with the blonde ninja. However, I do believe that I might be able to show him the error of his ways.”

Tsunade grinned. She met Masahara several years ago, before she became the new hokage. Though he was cold, she knew that he held honor above everything else, and because he owed her a favor, he would follow through with her plan.

“How is Sakura fairing? I suppose she is a bit nervous about the trial.” Tsunade said, her pretty eyes meeting the golden eyes of her partner in crime.

“I doubt that she will be thinking about the trial. I brought up the prospect of marriage to her, and I think that she will be thinking of ways to get herself out of it. Though I have not properly asked, I did make it clear that it was my intention.” He replied.

Tsunade bit her lip. “What if she decides to say yes? What will you do then?” She asked.

Masahara smirked. “That boy, who loves her, will not allow our union. But, if she did accept, I would take it as far as the day of the union, and then bow out, telling her that it would not be honorable of me to marry her, when her heart belongs to another. This way, it gives her an out, and will force the young man to make a choice: Either take her, or leave her. If he leaves her, then he is a fool.” He stated, and then looked up when the announcement was heard that the trial was to begin. “I will see you later, and we can discuss things further. Until then, keep this quiet. I want her to think on things.”

Nodding, Tsunade watched as he gave her a small bow, and then walked away. Shaking her head, she allowed a grin to cross her lips and sighed happily. If anyone could force Naruto and Sakura to admit their feelings, Masahara could. He was the best when it came to playing mind games.

Walking to her own seat, and giving a smile to the leaders of valley and Suna, she directed her attention to the crowd and motioned for all to be silent.

“Today, three men will be on trial for the destruction and vandalism to valley, and to the assault upon Ambassador Haruno. Bring in the three men, who stand accused.” She ordered and allowed her features to harden as the accused were brought into the stadium.

The crowd booed, and spewed curses at the men. Sakura watched as the men shouted curses at the people in the stands, and shook her head. Even now, they showed no remorse for those they hurt. Glancing over at where the witnesses were seated, Sakura noticed the village girl, who had been the victim of their unwanted advances, sitting in a seat, her back ridged and her face lowered.

If there was a victim here, more worthy than her of getting justice, it was this girl. She could almost feel the girl's sadness and shame at being fondled, yet was there to testify on her behalf. No justice would be gained for her, and she would get to live with the memory and knowledge that another woman was more important that she was; that her body had been violated yet no one cared.

Tsunade called for silence, but Sakura could not keep quiet any longer. Rising from her seat, and ignoring the curious glances from those around her, Sakura directed her gaze to her sensei, and said in a strong voice, “I wish to ask a request of this court.”

Tsunade, Gaara, and Anikumo glanced at each other, but nodded. Besides, after all that Sakura had accomplished, they could accommodate her wishes.

Glancing down at the girl, whose sorrowful eyes were now looking into her own, Sakura asked, “Do you have any training as a ninja?”

The girl paled, but quickly shook her head. Her eyes lowered when Sakura said, “That's what I thought.” Turning her eyes towards the three leaders, Sakura said, “I wish to drop the charges of assault.”

The crowd gasped, and Sakura saw Masahara stand up beside her, while Hinata tugged on her hand, silently telling her to reconsider, but she could not be detered.

“Instead, I wish to enter assault and battery charges on the men for the young woman who is sitting in the witness box. I am ninja. I expect to be harmed, and do my job with great pride. However, the young lady who was assaulted, is not a ninja, and could not have protected herself against them. As ambassador, I am accountable for the well-being of everyone. Nobles and non-nobles. My pain and suffering is nothing compared to that of hers, and she must also deal with the aftermath of her attack. However, she has just as, if not more, right to justice, than I. Therefore, I demand as ambassador to both valley and Konoha, that these men be held accountable for the attack on her, and I will not rest until she receives that justice.” Sakura demanded, her tone hard.

Tsunade and Anikumo looked at each other, while Gaara held a smirk on his face. Finally, Anikumo stood and said, “The charges for the assault upon Ambassador Haruno, are dropped. However, the charges for assault and battery upon Lei will be entered. If there is nothing further, let us begin.”

Sakura smiled and looked down at the girl, who looked stunned, and waved at her. The girl waved back as tears began to slide down her face, and Sakura knew that she had made a difference to her, just by standing up for her. Just that knowledge gave Sakura more satisfaction than any guilty verdict could have. This girl would be avenged.

Masahara helped her back down into her seat and quietly berated himself for allowing Tsunade to talk him into this ridiculous plan. If he had not agreed, then he could have gone after this smart, compassionate woman with no regrets. But, he did have a saving grace, and that was if the boy, who Sakura had feelings for, did not go after her, then he could go after her without regret.

After three hours of testimony, the panel of three leaders found the three men guilty of all counts, and sentenced them to prison. The three men shouted curses and at one point, even pointed up at Sakura and warned her that she had not heard the last of them.

That statement earned them a severe beating by the ANBU who were standing by to escort them to their new home.

Nodding in satisfaction, Sakura watched as the men were carried away, and smiled at Hinata, who let out a breath of relief.

“I am so glad that it is over.” She said, her face pale. “Do you think that they will follow through with their threat?”

“They'd be stupid, if they did.” Kiba replied, his tone lazy. “If anything happened to Sakura, then they would be the first to feel the wrath of Konoha and its allies. Besides, Sakura has so many bodyguards, they'd never get close enough to touch her.”

Giggling, Sakura playfully slapped at Kiba's arm and said, “It's nice to know that I'm loved.”

Akamaru barked, and nuzzled up against her, as Kiba hugged Hinata to his body. “Of course you are.” He said, but then thought, 'And the one who would protect you the most viciously had better pull his head out of his ass or else I'll do it for him.'

Hinata invited Sakura to the Hyuuga compound for dinner, and included Masahara in her invitation. However, the young lord politely declined. “Your hokage invited me to dinner, and I have some issues to discuss with her. Perhaps another time.” He replied, his tone smooth.

When Hinata nodded, Masahara turned to Sakura and reached for her hand. Gently, he kissed her knuckles and said, “I look forward to getting to know you better, Sakura. Especially with what you and I discussed earlier. Enjoy your evening, and I will be in touch.”

Once she nodded, he turned and left. He was quite aware of the blonde ninja glaring at him, but he couldn't help it. After all, he did enjoy a good game.

Sakura blushed as she turned to look at her friends. Hinata and Kiba were looking at her expectantly, and she cleared her throat. “I'll tell you guys at dinner, ok?” She asked, her voice squeaking. She didn't want to tell anyone about the conversation. At least, not yet.

~!~

Sakura laughed as Kiba told her the story about how he and Hinata got stuck in a cave, while Shino went for help. The more he got into the story, the redder Hinata got. Finally, just as he was getting to the good part, where they had to strip off their clothing, just to keep warm, Hinata's hand clamped over her lover's mouth and calmly said, “Let's not bore Sakura with all the details. Let's just say that help came, and we were saved. Story over.”

Being a smart man, Kiba knew when to stop. Especially when her cousin, and protector was glaring at him and probably thinking of different ways to inflict pain.

Turning to Sakura, Hinata asked, “Now tell us about the conversation between you and Lord Akio, before the trial. You seemed pretty nerved up.”

Sakura glanced down to fiddle with her shirt. She had changed from her kimono, to something more comfortable. Now, she was anything but comfortable. Peeking up, she saw that Hinata was determined to know what happed, and she wasn't getting out of it.

“He mentioned that being in a union would strengthen ties between our villages, and the bonds of the villages who were united within the alliance.” Sakura muttered, her tone soft.

Hinata was quiet. Neji narrowed his eyes as her words processed through his mind. Kiba, was not as quick as his companions. “What kind of union are we talking about?” He asked, and took note of his companions sour expressions.

“It means he wants her as his wife.” Neji snapped, his irritation showing. He felt Sakura stiffen beside him when he mentioned the word, 'wife'.

“You are not seriously considering this, are you, Sakura?” Hinata asked, her hand now resting on top of her friend's.

Sakura shook her head, but then sighed. “Not really.” She said. “But, I can't help thinking that it would be nice to be in a relationship. You have Kiba, and I have no one. I-I'm lonely.”

Silence filled the room as the occupants allowed her words to absorb. Finally, Hinata said, “Please. Please don't give up on Naruto. He does love you, and I know that if you two talk, you can work through this.”

“I've talked to him, Hinata. I saw him earlier today, and he didn't say anything to me, except that you looked beautiful, last night. No, whatever Naruto and I could have had, is gone. It's dead, and I have to accept that.” Sakura said, her tone wistful. “But, I am done crying over what could have been. I have to let go and move on with my life. I won't let my past mistakes bring me down, and that means putting Naruto and my feelings for him in the past.”

Hinata bit her lip and looked over at her cousin, who was scowling. Kiba allowed his hand to stroke Akamaru's head as he lost himself in his thoughts.

When she looked up at the clock, Sakura was shocked to see how late it was. “I didn't realize that it was so late.” She murmured. Standing up, she stretched and grinned when the other three stood up, as well.

Hinata hugged Sakura, and whispered, “Please wait before you make any major decisions. Promise me, Sakura.”

Sakura regarded the woman before her for a few moments, before nodding. “You have my word. I won't make any major decisions without thinking them through.”

She said her goodbyes, and left the compound quickly. Walking down the quiet street, she was shocked to see someone walking towards her, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

She stopped in her tracks as the man stopped a few feet away from her. His eyes studied her, and he quietly asked, “What are you doing out here, all by yourself?”

Snorting, she crossed her arms over her chest, and said, “I'm a big girl, now. I can take care of myself.”

Kakashi nodded and then turned. “I'll walk you home. I wouldn't want anything to happen to my favorite cherry blossom.” He replied, knowing that it would irritate her.

Glaring at his back, Sakura walked after him, and soon caught up with him. She noticed that he was deep in thought and asked, “So, how are you doing?”

Kakashi allowed his eye to slide over to look down at her, and he shrugged. “I'm fine. I've just been busy. Last night was not my idea of fun.” He said.

Glancing down, Sakura nodded. “I didn't have a good time, either. The highlight of my night was being able to go home.” She replied.

After several moments, Kakashi asked, “Why did you leave flowers on Uchiha Obito's grave? I also noticed the same kind of flowers on Rin's grave. Why did you leave them?”

Sakura bit her lip. If she told him that Obito had visited her from the grave, he'd think that she was nuts. So, she decided to say, “I have heard that he was in a similar situation that my group was. He loved Rin, Rin loved you, and you loved duty. It sounds just like team seven, in our younger days.”

Kakashi's face hardened. He remembered those days. He could still see Rin's adoring eyes, and Obito's love for Rin, written all over his face. He could hear Rin's last word, “Obito”, as her life slipped away, and he could still feel the pain his heart had felt.

“At least, your teammates are still alive.” He muttered, and directed his gaze forward.

Sakura's eyes narrowed. Was this why Obito had originally returned? Was he supposed to confront Kakashi, to ease the pain that obviously lived within him?

“You've never forgiven yourself, have you?” She asked, prepared to take whatever anger he had. The tall man froze in his tracks and he quietly said, “Leave it alone, Sakura. It isn't any of your business.”

“Yet you have no problems butting into business that doesn't concern you, especially when it concerns one of us.” She returned, her tone neutral. “You can't forgive yourself, can you?”

Whirling around on her, Kakashi's eye blazed with anger and he snapped, “What in the hell would you know about it? You walk around Konoha, your head hanging, and you mourn what could have been with Naruto, had you not fucked up so badly. Who in the hell are you to talk about forgiveness?”

Sakura simply nodded. “They can hear you, you know.” She said, her eyes soft. “Every day you go to them, and you apologize. You tell them about how much you regret losing them and the mistakes that you made, then walk away only to do it again the following day. They hear you, Kakashi-sensei and they still love you. Even if you can't bring yourself to believe it. They love you and had forgiven you a long time ago. The only person who still holds a grudge, is you.”

She knew that she had crossed the line, but she would not back down. Instead, she said, “Yes, I messed up with Naruto. I love him, Kakashi. I always will, but I can't change the past, nor am I going to try. I mourn the love that I could have had with him, knowing that he would have loved me more than anyone else, besides my parents, and he would have protected me until our dying day. I will never gain his forgiveness, and I accept that, but I have forgiven myself. I am not perfect, Kakashi, and neither are you. The only one who thinks that you should be, is you. That's why you can't forgive yourself. Until you realize that, you will never get over the pain of losing them.”

The man before her glared at her, but then quickly made several hand signs, and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. When the smoke cleared, Sakura glanced up at the moon, which was full, and quietly said, “Obito, I hope that he finds the forgiveness that he needs, but I don't think that he is ready yet. If you can, please help me help him.”

~!~

Sakura spent the next few days training with Akumitsa-sensei. The man was relentless as he taught her new sword techniques. When he finally dismissed her, he glanced over his shoulder and calmly said, “You've done your father proud, girl. It would seem that when your head is out of your ass, you are one hell of a ninja, just like he was.”

For Sakura, that was the highest compliment that he could have paid her. To say that she was just like her father, a man who was honored for his skills as a ninja, was a true honor.

But, when she attempted to practice the moves that she had been taught, by herself, she found that she simply could not get her hands to grasp the hilt of her sword correctly. She tried different ways, but none of them were comfortable, and she was quickly losing her patience.

She was about to give up for the day, but froze when she felt a familiar chakra approaching her. Glancing up, she saw Naruto slowly walking towards her, and when he stopped in front of her, he shoved his hands in his pockets and gruffly said, “You're doing it wrong, you know.”

Blowing her hair out of her eyes, she nodded. “I can't seem to get the hang of it. I've tried, but every time I rearrange my grip, it feels wrong.” She replied, almost shyly.

Her eyes moved away from his, and he took in a deep breath. He took note that she smelled faintly of strawberries, and another scent that he couldn't quite place. Before he could stop himself, he walked around to stand behind her and placed his hands over hers, moving them to where they needed to be.

Sakura took in a shaky breath and mentally scolded herself for reacting to him in such a way. He didn't want her, and he was only doing this because she had healed his hands.

Naruto felt her shaking beneath his hands, and unconsciously, moved closer to her, molding his larger body around her smaller one. He kept his hands over hers, and slowly helped her move through the moves that her new sensei had taught her.

When the final move was completed, neither moved. Sakura could feel his warm breath on her ear, and she closed her eyes as his scent filled her nose. She wanted nothing more than to turn around and wrap her arms around him. She would love to hug him, and feel his arms hug her back.

Naruto, too, had closed his eyes and was enjoying the feel of having the woman he loved in his arms. The heat from her body was quickly invading his clothing and he sighed as he felt her relax. For several moments, the training ground was quiet and they enjoyed a stolen moment of peace. Now he knew for sure. This is what he wanted, and from her reaction to him, she wanted it, too.

However, the peace was shattered when someone cleared their throat. Two pairs of eyes turned to the intruder, and saw Sasuke standing a few feet away, his mouth twisted into a smirk.

“The hokage is looking for you, dobe.” He said, his tone bored. “I would suggest that you don't make her wait for you. She is in one of her moods.”

Glaring over at his rival, Naruto slowly released Sakura, who immediately felt the loss of body heat. When she turned to look at him, she found that he was glaring at Sasuke, who was returning the glare with one of his own.

Before he could turn and walk away, Sakura placed her hand on his arm, and quietly said, “Thank you for all of your help. I really appreciate it.”

Naruto's eyes softened for a moment, and he nodded. Turning away, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and he walked away. He didn't look back, because if he did, he'd end up beating Sasuke into a bloody pulp.

Sakura watched as he walked away, and forgot that Sasuke was standing a few feet away. It was only after he coughed, did she look over at him.

“Hi.” She said, her tone soft. Sasuke fought a scowl as he noticed the blush on her face. But, he simply nodded and said, “Hi, yourself. Do you have a few minutes?”

When she nodded, he extended his hand and watched as she stared at it for a few moments, but then placed her hand in his.

Leading her away from the training field, he nodded when she requested that they stop by her apartment so that she could put her sword up, and change clothes. He was curious to see what her apartment looked like, since he had been denied the pleasure of seeing it when he attempted to see her after she returned from valley, injured.

As they walked, his mind swirled with things he wanted to say to her, and he knew that the time to make his move was at hand. He was sure that after he explained his intentions, Sakura would be putty in his hands.

He could not wait to mold her into the perfect Uchiha bride.