A/N: This is a revision of the story. It was brought to my attention that the timeframe didn't make sense from a reader's perspective. Having looked over it, I realize my mistakes and have smoothed the story out. Hopefully it'll make sense now ;P
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, and I don't do this for payment. I merely enjoy writing.
Redemption
By: Ky Hakubi
Sasuke stared at the moon as he reflected on the events that had brought him here.
-ooo-
Twenty years had passed since his betrayal of Konoha. A lot had happened in that time. Team Seven had been divided, each trained by one of the legendary Sanin.
Naruto, who wanted to protect his friends, and his village was trained by Jiraiya, the Toad Hermit.
Sakura, who wished to heal and ease suffering was trained by Tsunade, one of the greatest medical nins in history.
Sasuke who wanted the shortest path to power to avenge the slaughter of his clan and his pride had fled Konoha to train under Orochimaru.
For two and a half years they had trained under the Sanin. Naruto managed to confront Sasuke some time later and beat some sense into him. He had, after all, made a promise to bring Sasuke back, and he didn't fail in his personal ninja code. He forced Sasuke to realize the price of his quest for vengeance. The Uchiha's wall of indifference and arrogance had crumbled when Naruto had defeated him, and at the words Naruto said when Sasuke could no longer fight back. He had come to take Sasuke home.
A moment of clarity had come over Sasuke's blind ambition. He could no longer deny the pain he had caused to his friends. He could no longer distance himself from emotion. Sasuke realized that betraying his village, and causing this agony to the ones he truly loved, his teammates, had made him no better than his brother. He remembered the words Kakashi had told the three of them when they had passed his trial and became full fledged genin, 'Those who break the rules and codes of the ninja world are trash, but those who don't take care of their comrades are lower than trash'. Sasuke had redeemed himself by joining forces with Naruto and together brought Orochimaru down. Without their leader, the Village Hidden in the Sound quickly fell apart.
Sasuke had returned to Konoha with Naruto to face what he was sure to be his trial and immanent execution. He could see no other way to atone for his failings. He had jeopardized the village, and caused the ones he loved anguish. He was shocked when he wasn't sentenced to death.
'Sasuke Uchiha, you are being granted leniency in your sentence,' the Hokage Tsunade proclaimed. 'While you have indeed betrayed Konoha, we see this partly due to the corruption of the power of the cursed seal. Your active role in defeating Orochimaru is also a factor to be held in your favor. Your sentence shall be confinement to Konoha and the revoking of your ninja license. In time you may be re-evaluated in your dependability and your license may be reinstated'.
He spent the next year in shame. He could no longer look his friends in the eyes. Naruto and Sakura visited him almost every day, and Kakashi even stopped by to say a few words to his former pupil now and then. In time even the others of the 'Rookie Nine' forgave him and offered him warm greetings when the passed on the street. Slowly his guilt lessened. He did what he knew he should have done a long time ago. He opened himself up to his old comrades. He admitted to himself and to them how important they where to him. He allowed the warmth of their friendship to guide him.
Naruto followed his example. He revealed the secret of Kyuubi to them. Naruto had been braced for rejection, but Sasuke couldn't think to hate his friend. Why blame Naruto for something that he had no control over? Naruto was, is, and will always be Naruto. He was grateful that he had regained the trust of his friend that Naruto would tell him this. The others had similar feelings.
By the time his eighteenth birthday had arrived, Sasuke had fundamentally changed. Sakura and Naruto marveled at how different the once cold and distant Uchiha had become. Before them stood a laughing young man with warmth in his eyes. He and Sakura had been becoming quite close during those months since his return.
Sasuke decided to break tradition and give a gift to someone he cared about, as opposed to receiving one. He asked Sakura to go out with him. It was the best day of her life. They started double dating with Naruto and Hinata, who had finally gotten together a few months before. Their friends had thought it was about damn time, too.
Weeks later Sasuke was re-evaluated and returned to being a licensed ninja. The next two years went by peacefully. His relationship with Sakura was a salve for his wounded spirit he had needed for a long time, and the rest of the village had either forgiven him, or at least tolerated him. In this he had newfound respect for Naruto, who had lived with the misplaced contempt of Konoha since Kyuubi was sealed within him.
That had also changed in the aftermath of the war with the Sound. Naruto was now considered a hero. He was acknowledged by the villagers. He had finally gained the respect he had wanted for the whole of his life. That didn't mean he had giving up his dreams of being Hokage of course.
In the fifth year of Sasuke's return to Konoha he proposed to Sakura. They were married within a month. Naruto was his best man, and Hinata was the Matron of Honor. She and Sakura had become as close as sisters over the years.
One year later his daughter was born. Akari Uchiha, heiress to the Uchiha clan. She was raised in a loving home, and trained by her father and mother in the ways of the ninja. She had a flair for pranks, a trait gained from her 'Uncle' Naruto and his and Hinata's son Hikaru.
Akari and Hikaru attended the ninja academy like their parents before them, and, taking after their fathers, Akari was at the top of her class while Hikaru was 'Dead Last'. Unlike their fathers before them though, they were best of friends.
They even ended up on the same team when they became genin, along with a very lazy Nara, Shikamaru and Ino's son Shigen.
-ooo-
"Daddy?"
Akari's voice drew Sasuke from his quiet reflection.
"Yes Akari-chan?" he asked his daughter.
"Mom said it's time for dinner."
Sasuke smiled at his daughter and nodded. He gave the moon another glance as he went inside to join his family.