Sleepwalking Past Hope

Chapter 1: Return

I hid the keys to unlock love's heart;
To hold you in my sweetest pain and suffering.

-HIM

...

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled as Sasuke struggle to stand, but to no avail. After their long and strenuous battle he didn't have any stamina left. "I'm taking you back, finally…" Naruto said as he watched Sasuke fail in his attempt to stand on his feet from a few feet away from him.

Sasuke was kneeling on the ground covered in blood and bruises, nothing he would die from, but enough to keep him down. It was a close battle, and in the end, just like last time Naruto relied on the rasengan while Sasuke relied on his Chidori. The only reason Naruto could still stand was because of the fox's chakra inside of him which made him heal quickly.

It was like déjà vu, once again Sasuke and Naruto were across from each other standing in the Valley of the end. The same place where they had fought all those years ago, but this time the outcome would be different. This time Sasuke wouldn't walk away from Naruto. Instead this time they would both go back to the leaf village.

He would finally bring his friend back.

"I can't go back…" Sasuke managed to speak, breathing heavily and avoiding Naruto's sympathetic gaze.

"Sure you can teme, it's your home. You've been missed and you still have a goal to achieve, don't you?" Naruto chuckled slightly and suddenly saw Sasuke tense in response.

"Naruto's right Sasuke, there's no reason why you shouldn't come back. You're a war hero along with Naruto, you'll be welcomed back." Kakashi said stepping from the trees into the clearing in where just moments ago Naruto and Sasuke had been fighting.

Naruto and Kakashi were right. In the end, after everything was set and done Konoha would always be his home and no matter how much he'd like to run away from that fact there was no use. Plus…he promised Itachi that he would cease the destruction of Konoha and restore the Uchiha clan to its former glory. That goal hasn't been accomplished yet.

Konoha had been the place where he was born, where he grew up and learned what pain was. It was there that he made the unbreakable bonds. He was part of Team 7. He became Kakashi's favorite student, Naruto's best friend, and Sakura's…

Now that he looked back at Naruto and Kakashi he wondered why he saw no sign of pink. The pink haired girl who had always been there in his line of vision was nowhere in sight. The girl that along with Naruto had always come after him with the hope of returning him to Konoha, the same girl he had time and time again pushed away and went so far as trying to kill.

Somehow he did notice that the reunion wasn't really complete without her.

"Naruto… Kakashi… Where's Sakura?" Sasuke managed to ask looking around the clearing for a sign of pink hair.

"Sakura's not here." Kakashi said flatly watching Sasuke with his visible eye. Sasuke looked over at Kakashi in confusion.

"She wasn't able to come, teme." Naruto spoke uncomfortably looking away from Sasuke to the sky above them. Sasuke was sure there was more to it than what Naruto was telling him, but decided not to press the matter.

It wasn't like he cared.

He just thought that the girl would come and gloat at him.

"Even if you get revenge it won't bring anyone happiness."

She had once said to him. It turned out she was right. He got revenge from Itachi for killing all his clan, from Danzo for making Itachi do such a thing to his family, and Madara or in reality Tobi who had assisted Itachi in killing the clan. It never once brought him happiness just more pain.

He should've listened to her.

He thought the girl who once said she loved him would be here now that they were finally taking him back to Konoha. Wasn't that what she always wanted? Yet she was nowhere in sight, it was just Naruto and Kakashi.

"Even if I assisted Naruto in defeating Tobi I wouldn't be welcomed back in Konoha. I killed Danzo." Sasuke spoke trying not to hope. He had said good bye to any chance of going back to Konoha the day he killed Danzo and tried to kill his team mates.

"Tsunade found out why you killed Danzo, he ordered your brother to kill your clan… I knew you wouldn't just kill him without reason." Naruto frowned. Naruto had never accepted the fact that Sasuke had killed Danzo just because he felt like it; he knew there was more to it.

"The elders who had also been in on it all were thrown in jail for treason and Danzo's death won't be held against you." Kakashi spoke from Naruto's side and he saw Sasuke's eyes widen slightly in surprise.

"I can go back…" Sasuke spoke in disbelief looking at the ground below him. He felt hope pushing through him and felt vulnerable. But he didn't care. In spite of himself he wanted to go back to his village, to his home.

Naruto walked up to him and Sasuke looked up at him in question as he saw Naruto extending his hands toward him for him to take it. Sasuke stared at the hand for a moment before finally deciding on taking it.

Kakashi watched as Naruto helped Sasuke to his feet. This was a sight he'd never thought he'd see, Sasuke had finally decided to come back to the village along with Naruto. Somewhere along the years Kakashi had started losing hope that it would ever happen.

"Let's go back together. Okay, teme?" Naruto smiled his eyes holding unshed tears.

Sasuke smirked at Naruto and nodded. He would finally return, everything would be the same as it had been back then. They would be a team, and they would be together.

...

...

As Naruto and Kakashi stepped through Konoha's gates along with Sasuke Sasuke could see people's gaze on him. The last survivor of the Uchiha clan, the one who betrayed his village killed a leaf shinobi and in the end assisted Naruto in killing Konoha's greatest threat.

Some of the people who watched him stared out of curiosity, others in surprised that he had actually come back to the village he once left. But he could see some who instead of staring were actually glaring at him; he wouldn't be completely accepted in the village that he knew. But it didn't matter. He could hear them whisper as they glared at him.

"Why did he even come back?"

"Maybe he's come to kill the Hokage this time."

"Better not get in his way."

Sasuke couldn't bring himself to care about the villagers opinions, if they wanted to hate him then so be it. He did what he's always done best, ignore everyone. He walked between Naruto and Kakashi through the village while he ignored the stares and glares coming his way.

Sasuke walked with difficulty and slowly still hurt from the previous battle with Naruto. He tried not letting it show how much it really hurt, but he knew Naruto and Kakashi noticed. Naruto was lucky he healed quickly.

"We're going to the Hokage tower… unless you would prefer to go to the hospital first Sasuke." Kakashi spoke as he walked and stole a glance at Sasuke.

"The hospital can wait." Sasuke spoke sounding annoyed. Kakashi knew he wouldn't have wanted to go to the hospital first it was like admitting he couldn't handle the wounds and he was a proud Uchiha, after all.

"Then to granny it is!" Naruto exclaimed cheerfully raising a fist in the air and smiling brightly.

They walked the rest of their way in silence and he was glad he hadn't seen any of the rookies back when he was in the village. In fact he had barely seen any ninja since he got in the village, apparently most of the shinobi in the village where out on missions.

When they got to the Hokage's office Sasuke watched as Naruto opened the door brusquely without knocking while Kakashi sighed in annoyance. It seemed to him like it was something that happened often, something they were used to.

In the room was the Hokage drinking and when the door burst open she quickly tried hiding the sake from view.

"Slacking on the job, huh, granny? Maybe you should pass the tittle of Hokage to me already." Naruto laughed out loud and Kakashi smiled slightly.

"What have I told you about knocking on doors Naruto!?" The Hokage asked angrily to the uncaring Naruto.

It was then that she noticed the silent Sasuke standing between Naruto and Kakashi watching the scene unfolding in front of him with mild interest. He looked beaten up and she guessed it was probably from the fight between Naruto and him. In the end Naruto did bring him back.

"I see you've brought Uchiha Sasuke with you willingly." Tsunade observed

"Yeah he's finally back home." Naruto chuckled.

"Well Sasuke you are a war hero that along with Naruto defeated the masked man and you've also eliminated various threats to Konoha so I won't punish you… much." She smiled at him. "You'll be on a one month probation in which you'll have to settle in the village and won't be able to work as a shinobi. After that month you'll once again be a Konoha shinobi, assuming the rank you had before you left the village: genin."

Sasuke frowned. He couldn't believe they were going to make him a genin when he was stronger than most of their anbu's probably, but he knew he couldn't do anything about it so he just stayed quiet.

"Don't worry Sasuke we can take the chunin exam together next time." Naruto laughed.

Sasuke looked at him surprised; he couldn't believe Naruto was still a genin. Though he should be glad he wouldn't have to suffer through that torment again alone.

"So the three of us will have to take the chunin exams again?" Sasuke sighed.

"Nah, Sakura-chan is a jounin now. We'll have to find someone else." Naruto pouted.

Sasuke was actually surprised at that, but of course didn't show it.

"Well Uchiha, you're hurt so you need to get yourself to the hospital. And don't you worry; the best medic there will heal you. Kakashi and Naruto will take you." Tsunade finished talking shooing them out of her office. Probably to keep drinking sake and wasting time, but no one could defy the Hokage.

...

...

As soon as they entered the hospital Sasuke knew he didn't want to be there, he wanted to be as far away as possible from there and let his wounds heal on their according time. Hospitals had never been such an attracting idea to Sasuke when he was the one hurt. Naruto and Kakashi on the other hand walked easily and comfortable. Kakashi didn't normally like hospitals, but as long as he wasn't the one being admitted he was alright.

Already in front of the front desk they stopped and Kakashi spoke getting the secretary's attention. "We're here with Sasuke Uchiha."

She quickly stood up to get a glance at the beaten up Uchiha. "There were rumors of him returning, but I didn't think they'd be true."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, rumors sure traveled fast in Konoha.

"I'm afraid she's with a patient right now." The secretary smiled up at Kakashi.

"Well, well, look who's back, Sasuke Uchiha." Spoke a voice from behind them and when the three of them turned around they saw no other than Neji Hyuga. Sasuke remembered him, he was from Team Guy.

"Hyuga." Sasuke recognized briefly looking at Neji who looked like he had taken some beatings of his own. Neji kept staring at Sasuke as if studying him closely paying no attention to neither Naruto nor Kakashi. Then with not another word he just walked away.

"Well I guess you can go up now, she seems to already be done with Hyuga Neji. You know the way right?" The secretary spoke from her desk as she took her seat.

Kakashi turned briefly to her nodding and then walked away leading the way while Naruto and Sasuke both followed. They walked in silence going through a series of corridors they found some stairs getting up to the third floor. Sasuke could feel stares coming his way but ignored them all.

They kept walking until Kakashi stopped at the door and spoke "Here we are." Then he turned to Sasuke and said "Wait here." as he opened the door without knocking. He poked his head in the room.

"You should really learn how to knock. Ughh! You and Naruto are just as annoying." Spoke a woman from the inside exasperated by Kakashi's lack of manners. The voice was vaguely familiar to Sasuke.

"And you and Tsunade are just as bossy, with a temper to boot." Kakashi chuckled.

"What are you doing here?" She spoke ignoring Kakashi's comment. It was then that Sasuke recognized the voice. It was Sakura, and he cursed himself for not noticing earlier that the medic that would heal him would be her. After all, as far as he knew she was a medic and the Hokage's apprentice.

"Let me through!" Naruto finally tired of waiting pushed Kakashi through the door and got himself in. "Sakura-chan!" He yelled happily as he ran to her wrapping his arms around her in a hug and she hugged him back.

"Now that I think about it I haven't seen you two in a couple of days. What have you guys been up to?" She asked as she stepped out of Naruto's hug.

"Well we've been on a mission." Naruto spoke carefully; Sasuke noticed from outside the office still how he suddenly changed his mood.

"Well you two can't be here for medical attention. First Kakashi wouldn't come willingly, second he's not hurt at all, and third you're a bit beat up but it's nothing the kyuubi's chakra can't heal. So why are you here?" Sakura was suddenly cautious.

"Well… we've brought you a patient. He's real beat up and only the best can heal him." Naruto chuckled nervously.

"Well I'd be happy to help, where's the patient?" She smiled brightly.

"Just outside." Kakashi sighed.

"Well, let my patient in. You two can be so rude sometimes." She said as she passed a hand through her long hair combing it.

Hearing everything from outside Sasuke opened the door and came face to face with Sakura. His face remained the same as he looked over her. Her hair was a lot longer than the last time he saw her it was practically as long as when they were genin. Her green eyes were slightly wider with shock before she settled on a cold mask just as he; she showed him no expression aside that slight shock than lasted no more than a second.

She couldn't believe what she was seeing, it was no other than Uchiha Sasuke in her office looking all beat up and as emotionless as ever, the only change in his expression had been a raised eyebrow as he looked over her but it lasted no more than a moment. She wanted at the moment to kill Naruto and Kakashi for not telling her anything.

"Uchiha Sasuke." She spoke with an even voice settling her gaze on him.

A/N:

Well a new story inspired by the song "Sleepwalking Past Hope" by HIM. It will be a multi chapter story and I hope you liked it.

Any questions, ideas, comment, well you can write something in the box below. :P

Review and I'll update. ;)