Thanks For Being Stupid
By Bashfulglowfly
Chapter One
"SAKURA!"
Sakura turned at the call of her teammate, smiled and opened her arms wide. Naruto strode quickly to her side and the pair held each other in a firm hug. Naruto's chin rested on her head while her head lay against his chest.
Sakura, on occasion, resented the fact that most of the males in her life towered over her but she loved the encompassing feeling of their hugs. They loved her and she loved them right back.
She looked up at Naruto. The last few years and his new responsibilities had matured her friend and it showed on his face but there was something in his eyes this time that made her worry. "You were gone for a long time. Where'd you go? Are you all right? You aren't hurt, are you?"
Naruto pulled gently away from her but kept his hands on her shoulders. "I'm fine. Not hurt at all." He hesitated for a moment then spoke again. "Sakura, I kept my promise."
Sakura laughed. Naruto had made many promises to her over the years, many of which he'd kept. "Which promise was that?"
"I brought Sasuke home."
Sakura tensed and from the look on Naruto's face he felt her reaction. It was her turn to pull away and he let her go. She walked over to the window of her office and stared unseeing over Konoha. "He's here?"
"ANBU headquarters. Ino's questioning him now."
"I see."
Naruto walked up behind her and put his arms around her. He understood what she was thinking and feeling. He wasn't as ignorant of people's feelings as he used to be. He had felt the same things she was feeling now. Fortunately she wasn't mad at him since she leaned back and let him support her weight. "After Ino is done talking with him, you'll need to give him a physical. We won't be bringing him to the hospital; he has to stay with ANBU HQ, so whatever you'll need you better bring with you."
Sakura didn't even bother to ask "why me." She knew why. She was the best medic in Konoha. But she did have one question to ask. "Does Kakashi know?"
"Yes."
"When do you want me there?"
"One hour."
"I'll be there."
"Thank you, Sakura." She felt a light kiss on the top of her head and Naruto was gone, quietly shutting the door behind him. Leaving her alone with her thoughts and memories of days long past.
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Sasuke looked at the crowd of people sitting or standing in front of him. Behind him he could feel the faceless stares of the masked ANBU.
The ANBU wanted him to try something so that they would have an excuse to beat the hell out of him. He'd been surprised that they were taking orders from Naruto when they had surrounded him there in the mountains of Snow Country. They had been surprised that he didn't fight them. He was tired. Tired of being angry. Tired of running. Just…tired. So when Naruto said that they were taking him back to Konoha, he agreed.
Ino stood next to Morino Ibiki. She was a masterful interrogator but she was still a gossip and she filled him in on pretty much everything that had gone on in the village. The Hokage, Tsunade, sat at the center of the table but the old farts that'd been the council weren't. They'd been killed when Konoha was destroyed. Naruto wasn't the Rokudaime yet but he was Tsunade's right hand. On her left was Shizune. Shikamaru was there and looked bored as ever. Neji sat next to him and glared. Hinata stood against the wall behind Naruto and looked anxious. Tenten stood next to her along with others he didn't recognize.
Sakura was not there. Neither was Kakashi.
"Yo."
"You're late!" snapped Tsunade.
Kakashi stopped his languid stroll across the room and blinked at her. "But I'm always late." Came the mild reply.
"Never mind." Tsunade waved one hand irritably. "Go sit down. I want to get this over with. There are more important things to be taken care of."
Kakashi resumed his stroll and sat down next to Neji.
Tsunade looked at Sasuke. "Uchiha Sasuke, I'm not going to go through the litany of what you have done. Everyone here knows what you did and there's no point in ripping off scabs and making them bleed again.
"You are very fortunate that you are not being sentenced to death. In many ways, for many reasons, you deserve it. But, thanks to your former teammate, the council and I were talked out of it."
Sasuke smiled inwardly. I don't know why Sakura isn't here but I'm glad that…his thoughts were disrupted by Tsunade's next comment. "You will have to give profuse thanks to Naruto for speaking so eloquently about why you should live."
Naruto spoke up? Not Sakura?
Tsunade continued. "It is Our decision that your chakra be Sealed for a period of two years. During that time you will meet every week with a psychiatrist for counseling and who will evaluate your mental health. You will also been under constant ANBU observation. You will not be allowed to leave the confines of the village. At the end of the two years, there will be a review and your fate will be determined at that time."
My fate will be determined in two years? In other words, my death penalty is simply postponed?
"Listen up, boy!" Sasuke looked at Tsunade. "You have something else you will have to during that time. Within the next six months you are to find a woman and marry her. A child is to be born within a year of your marriage."
Sasuke glared at her. I am not some sort of gods be damned breeding stallion…
"Don't you glare at me, boy! I'll pluck those eyeballs of yours right out of your head!" Naruto laid a hand on Tsunade's shoulder and whispered in her ear. Tsunade sighed and rubbed her face with one hand. She relaxed and looked at him. When she spoke again, her voice was softer. "We aren't ordering you to get married because we only want the Uchiha bloodline to continue. That's part of it, true. But the main reason is that family is stability. Having a family of your own provides you with a solid foundation. You will have something that you want to protect. Something that you will strive for. To grow for. Do you understand?"
Despite the fact that what he knew of 'family' mostly sucked, he understood the concept of what Tsunade was saying. "Yes, I understand."
"Good." Tsunade straightened and leaned back in her chair. "A suitable house has been provided for you. You'll be escorted to it after your chakra has been Sealed."
She slammed a hand down on the desk. "Meeting adjourned!"