Uchiha Sasuke sat on his cell-bed, lost in deep thought.
Why did he allow the stupid blond to bring him back?
Sasuke could have beaten him easily, but he held back.
Okay, so he kind of knew why he had held back, but still.
Itachi is still out there, the memories haunting him, driving him to be the avenger.
And still, here he was, sitting in a dark cell, back in Konoha.
He had known this is where he would end up.
He had known that the Hokage would put him behind bars the moment he walked through the village gates.
'Naruto's wrong,' He thought, 'she'll never let me out of here. And even if she does, I'll still be locked up in the village, not even getting D-rank missions. Nothing!'
Sasuke knew his days as a shinobi was over, to be honest, his life might be nearing it's end.
The dobe however believed Lady Hokage would let him live, and eventually let him return to his shinobi duties, under supervision of course.
"Why do I allow this," he askes himself, "Why did I h…."
"UCHIHA!" the shout interupted Sasuke, who looked towards the door, only to see the blond hair of the Hokage.
"Lady Tsunade." Sasuke said, "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
Sasuke's face was expressionless as usual.
"Shut up and listen, Uchiha" Tsunade replied coldly.
"You will not say a word until I finish what I have to say. Do you understand?"
Sasuke merely nodded at this.
Tsunade went on to name every crime he ever committed towards Konoha.
"And worst of all, you have tried to kill Uzumaki Naruto on several occasions, as well as attacking Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura, and other Konoha shinobi."
Sasuke flinched at this, opening his mouth to correct the hokage on one of her points.
Tsunade noticed, and had him shut up before he could speak the first word.
"However, you also killed Orochimaru, a man once known to me as a friend and teammate."
Tsunade's expression softened at this.
"And for that you will always have my gratitude."
Sasuke did not expect any kind words from the blond woman, and his surprise could be heard in his reply. "Gratitude?"
Tsunade smirked at him; "Yes, brat. Gratitude!" She said.
"As for your other actions, I will never forgive you. Not for hurting Naruto, whom looked at you as his only true friend."
Tsunade softend her smirk, until she was smiling gently at the Uchiha.
"However, I will trust Naruto." She continued.
"I just need you to answer one question, Uchiha. Why are you back in Konoha? Naruto told me you held back in your fight, and allowed him to bring you back at last."
"He knows?" Sasuke shouted, jumping to his feet.
Tsunade eyed the raven cautiously, before simply nod at the Uchiha's nervous eyes.
Sasuke paced the room, stopping only to stare out of the barred window, his expression blank.
Finally turning back towards the Hokage, he whispered; "I held back because I missed him"
Then, more clearly he stated "I could never truly hurt him."
Tsunade looked straight at the raven, shock not completely hidden in her eyes.
"How can you say that, you bastard!" She screamed at him.
"You already hurt him so much! You nearly fucking killed him!"
Sasuke turned, hiding his face from her. Hiding the pain his face had to be showing.
Tsunade's words felt like daggers hitting him straight in the chest.
"I never really tried to kill him, Hokage-sama", Sasuke whispered,
"I always made sure to miss any vital spot. Always."
He turned to face her again, now letting his face show off all his feelings.
His mask taken of, for the first time in years.
"I know you don't trust me, Tsunade-sama." He said in a clear voice.
"But please belive me this one time. Naruto is my important person, the one friend I never could severe my bonds with."
Tsunade eyed him skeptically, but she could see the sincerity in his eyes.
She had always thought Naruto survived their encounters as the result of luck mixed with the Kyuubi's survival instinct.
Not because the Uchiha wished him to live.
"Sasuke," She said softly.
"What would be your first move, if I let you out of here, and reinstate your status of a Konoha Genin?"