Going to retrace a bit of my last steps and tell a bit from Sakura's POV. Followed by Sasuke's. I Hope you enjoy.
Review if you will, and also, if you're a beta, please consider helping me! It incredibly difficult not having a beta. So if there are any mistakes that I didn't catch, please inform me.
Pairing: Sasu/Saku, slight mostly onesided Shika/Saku, and there is a really strong friendship Naru/Saku, that might turn into something more. Depends on what I decide to do.
Rating: M
Goal: Next chapter should hopefully be up by next week. If anything, a week and a half.
Disclaimer!
Clarity
The morning came far too quickly for Sakura. She gathered her hair atop her head, tying it up with her favorite ribbon, and then gingerly placing her forehead protector where it belonged. She was a real ninja now. She sentimentally thought of the first time she wore it on her forehead as she snapped together the buckles of her shin guards and wound wraps around her knees. She was easily four times more powerful than she was then, but her youthful enthusiasm, fueled by her nearness to her team before it was broken, had largely diminished.
She pulled her fingerless gloves into place, and zipped up her standard green jonin vest. She once would have worn her very favorite red shirt, but lately she had developed a fondness for the traditional uniform. It made her feel one with her fellow shinobi. On a day like this one, which she was going to be spending with someone who had betrayed both her and their village, it made her feel a sense of pride for her nation, and her job. She had never been prouder to be a ninja.
She waited with her hands wringing knots of anxiety, her eyes downcast to the floor, and her heart pounding in her chest in a way that made her light headed. She had been waiting in this room for what felt like hours. Waiting on the approval to go in and give her examination.
Of course Tsunade had sent her personally to examine Sasuke. To heal him, and be present for the interrogation. Short of the Hokage herself, Sakura was the only qualified medic in the village worthy of being present for Sasuke's questioning, and healing process.
At first she wasn't sure she wanted to be a part of this, but as the time passed she realized that she had to. In some sad way, this could be the only way she would ever truly know anything about what Sasuke had been thinking. If he cooperated with them, there was a good chance Tsunade would go easy on him. A light punishment would be favorable, of course, it meant that she and Naruto could possible have their team back. Team seven, she thought, hesitantly allowing her hopes to rise.
The sound of a knock at the door, she turned expectantly, and wasn't surprised to see blonde hair and blue eyes appear there.
There was a small moment after her best friend stepped in that they were both frozen, unable to step over the knowledge that this was the day they had both been waiting, before Naruto hurdled over it with a grin.
His crushing embrace made her heart ache, and she let out a breathy, water logged version of his name into his chest. She didn't know where the urge to cry had come from, but it hit her like a stinging slap to the face.
As he released her, she squashed her palms against her eyes, scrubbing away the tears. She knew he would never blame her for her emotions, but she had already told herself not to cry today. She wouldn't waste any more tears on things that were beyond her control.
After a moment of preparation, which he kindly gave her without even pestering her like young Naruto would have, she gazed up at his handsome face.
His normally amiable, charming face was subdued behind a serious frown, his bright blue eyes deeper than she could imagine any other human beings eyes could ever being.
His lips were stretched thin as he leaned in for a gentler embrace, and she shivered as he whispered her name into the shell of her ear. "Sakura." Genuine love and adoration colored his voice rich and warm.
She returned his embrace in a way that she didn't think she could do with anyone else in the world.
As she separated from him, she slid a hand down his chest, her thin fingers snagging against the coarse green fabric of his vest. She gave him a simple grin. "Look at you." She said warmly, "You look great."
When her cute Naruto-kun had grown up, she didn't know, but to look at him brought something sharp, sweet and proud out in her that she couldn't help but let reflect on her face.
Surprisingly, Naruto was also in jonin gear. He looked striking in his shinobi gear, with his bright blue eyes, and his big shoulders, and- when had he gotten so tall?- so very un-Naruto, that she was almost stunned.
He rubbed a hand behind his head, blushing an enchanting smile. "So do you." His magnificent smile that she loved so much, faded quickly however, and it reminded her of what a day it promised to be.
"Today's the day," He said, his eyes creasing with nostalgia, and a hint of cheerless determination. "We're gonna keep our promises."
She wanted to say, Naruto you're crazy! He didn't come willing, you had to knock him out and drag him back. He's never going to be happy to see us again, but she couldn't bring herself to doubt him. Not with that smile, and unwavering faith and loyalty. So she just gave him a tight lipped smile, a light hug, and said, "Let's do this!"
She was allowed in the room first, being assured that Sasuke was unconscious, and in need of medical attention.
She held her breath, creaking the door open carefully, and slowly. It was a powerful, wordless feeling to know that he was just on the other side of that door. Years and years now she had held onto her memories, and clung to her hopes and dreams. For so long now she had watched Naruto's conviction grow stronger, and felt her own fading in the most shameful of ways.
Though she never wanted to admit it, in many ways, she had lost her faith in Sasuke. She felt it happening, late at night under the pale glow of the moon lit sky. Curled feebly around herself, arm cradling her knees, and eyes heavy from sleep deprivation, she would think of him less and less. When he did wander into her thoughts, she felt only a sad resentment of him for making her and her beloved Naruto wait for so long. For making them waste their time and devotion on something that would probably never be. She had accept Sasuke's betrayal, and absence from their life long ago.
Yet, here she was.
The pressure it took to open the door felt like it was being taken from her chest. A freeing, optimism sparked in her somewhere deep inside. As she looked on into the dark room, lit only by one pale beam focused just above the surgical table centered in the middle, she spotted him.
She wasted no time, ignoring the bizarre fluttering that had taken life in the pit of her stomach, she ran to him.
Many wounds, but most of them were essentially healing up, presumably over the lengthy trip he had been forced to make. All in all, he wasn't in as bad of a condition as she was expecting.
Her green chakra probed though him, sealing old wounds, examining him in great detail.
She slid her fingers over the fabric of his shirt, her eyes grazing over his body in a surreal moment. This was Sasuke. Her fingers began to tremble with emotion.
Her hands were currently resting upon Uchiha Sasuke's chest, her chakra coursing through his body. She was healing his wounds, and she was actually physically touching him at the same time.
She was suddenly very grateful for the presence of the blindfold covering those tragically beautiful eyes. If she had to look at them, even closed, she might not be able to focus.
After a moment, she turned away from the table, making her way to the door. She needed to get this over with. It was like she had swallowed a paperweight, and it was settling uncomfortably in her lungs, making it hard to breath.
She knew the interrogation team would be waiting for her approval to begin the questioning. After leaning her head out to give them the go ahead, she turned back to look at Sasuke once more.
His breathing was much more strained than earlier, and she pondered whether to inspect him further. Irregular breathing while he slept was peculiar.
It couldn't possibly be his injuries that was causing his irregular pattern of breathing. She had, after all, just healed all of his injuries.
She froze. Could he be awake?
To know how to properly respond to the knowledge that she was alone in the room with Sasuke, who was conscious and unsure of where he was or what was going on, was more than she could bare, and she waved her hand at Naruto through the window in the door.
At her signal, they wasted no time.
Naruto was first in, followed closely by Shikamaru, who she couldn't help but relax as his calm presence brushed past her. She didn't know if he intentionally touched her arm as he walked by, but she was instantly reassured by it regardless. Shikamaru went straight to Sasuke's bedside, taking control of the room quickly.
The last in the room was Yamanaka Inoichi, with his jaw set tightly, and his aqua eyes aimed at Sasuke with an coldness that Sakura could decide how to feel about.
She walked around very slowly and carefully, taking a place just across from Shikamaru, on the opposite side of the table. "Uchiha Sasuke, let's get this over with." A pause in which Shikamaru looked up in her eyes. He held them for a moment, and she thought she could see animosity shining in the darkness there. "It is in your best interest to answer every question we ask, honestly, and without hesitation or disregard of details. "
Sasuke was clearly not going to cooperate.
Sakura felt her shoulders shaking. How long could she handle this? How much more could she tolerate before she broke?
She had spent so long dreaming of him. Hoping that she wasn't wasting her time. Somewhere inside, she had hoped, had known, that he wasn't as terrible as everyone thought. He wasn't a monster, he was just so stubborn.
For so long, she couldn't bring herself to hate him, even when she would try so hard. She wanted to be more angry with him than she was. Yet, all she could feel was a bitterness. Bitter that she and Naruto both had so much love left to waste, and time left to give, on someone like Sasuke.
When Inoichi spoke, Sakura couldn't bring herself to pull her eye sight from Sasuke. He had stiffened, his entire frame going stock still.
Everyone was floating in silence. Waiting on the decision from Sasuke that would free them from the suspense. They would know what to do if he would just answer them.
It was like being held captive by that familiar voice when she heard his trademark, "Hn."
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Naruto's trembling, and the very telling sign of his clenched teeth.
"That's a yes, right?" He growled, his blue eyes blazing with resolve.
She felt his spirit burning. It was akin to the way she was feeling. They were so close. She looked at Naruto, directly into his eyes, and she found that he was looking right back at her.
What they both felt at that moment, she knew had to be the same. Unimaginable hope and determination. They were close enough to taste it.
Please Sasuke!
"They actually let an idiot like you into an interrogation room?" Her knees felt weak. She hadn't heard his voice in so long, it almost felt like a knife in her side.
Naruto's bright eyes never left hers as he came forward, close enough that she had the urge to reach out and touch him. To hold his hand as they both willed their stubborn ex-teammate to come back to them.
For a moment, she was lost in the pure emotion present in Narutos eyes. She couldn't even look down at Sasuke, or glance over at Shikamaru. All she could feel was Naruto's raw emotion.
She listened to him speaking, and felt her heart sinking with sadness. It felt like she was lost in his eyes for hours.
Shikamaru's serious tone withdrew her from her bog. Her head cleared considerably as she looked down at Sasuke. "Uchiha Sasuke, do you willingly confess to the murder of Uchiha Itachi, Sanin Orochimaru, and countless other shinobi, allied and rogue over the past 8 years?"
She held her breath. Please Sasuke, she clenched her fist around the fabric of her shirt, over her heart. Please, Sasuke!
His lips parted, and from them came his dull acknowledgement of his participation. "Yes."
She released the deep breath she had been holding, her heart swelling with joy. Even though it pained her to hear him admit it out loud, it was a great sign. This was very good! Her eyes captured Naruto's and she could tell that he was just as happy to hear the compliance as she was.
He was going to cooperate, and give them what they needed. If he was willing to tell his tale, then there was a possibility that he would be forgiven.
Inoichi was coming closer, and the words he was saying was filling Sakura with dread. Could it be?
Would Sasuke tell that story? The one that began with her worst memory?
She wrapped her arms around herself as he began to speak. His words, each one that he produced, tore a small hole in her heart.
His breath was becoming shallow as he remained in his suspended state of capture. Eye sight and the ability to move revoked. With no freedom what-so-ever, he could only recount the story laying on the flat of his back, with his eyes open, but only seeing darkness.
Where could he possibly start? "In the forest of death, with my former team-"
"-Team 7" Shikamaru Nara interrupted, him and Sasuke stiffly attempted to nod his head.
"-Team 7, we ran into Orochimaru, in the form of another genin taking the chunin exams. It was there that the seed was hatched, not of my own thinking, but because of the poisoning of my mind by Orochimaru's curse mark.
"I began to reason that if I left the village and fled to Orochimaru," He paused. This was such a long, and dreadful story, "that I could reach my goal much sooner."
"Your goal being?" Once again it appeared to be Nara in control of the examination.
"My goal being revenge." Those words that he had said so often, tasted sour in his mouth now that he had indeed had his revenge.
Nara was relentless, in tone and command over the situation alike. "Revenge against Uchiha Itachi, for the massacre of the Uchiha clan." It wasn't a question, but Sasuke found himself attempting a firm nod once again, his neck straining against the restraints.
"Correct."
"You did reach your goal," Nara's bland voice was beginning to burn a hole in Sasuke's tolerance, "in the defeat of Uchiha Itachi."
"Correct." He ground out.
"At the expense of betraying your village, retreating into the company of the sanin Orochimaru, as well as several attempts at murder towards many shinobi of Konoha as well as the allied villages." Sasuke's pulled into a tight line. "The two of your former team mates included."
After a moment, Sasuke nodded, "This is correct."
There was a stretch of silence in the room, and it reminded Sasuke that somewhere around him, Naruto must have been present. He hadn't heard the blond leave, so naturally he must have been there. Silently listening to all of his crimes laid out in front of him.
Laying in the darkness of a lone interrogation room, located somewhere deep in the entrails of Konoha, Sasuke felt a prick of guilt. Something he had never felt or considered before.
"All of this is being taken into consideration. I am supposed to inform you that, if you cooperate, including a full report of your actions, and any intel you may be able to provide on any missing nins that you had contact with, the Hokage will consider these things while deciding your punishment."
Sasuke felt a pressure in his chest. "That means you may be allowed to return to Konoha, provided your level of cooperation is satisfactory."
Did he really want to come back to Konoha. "Are you willing to agree to all terms there in, as well as supply every detail, restricted or not, that you may offer to Konoha, in exchange for your possible pardoning?"
Sasuke took a deep breath. Give up every dark detail of his life away from Konoha, in exchange for the chance to return there. Was it what he really wanted.
He clenched his fists, strapped to his sides, until his knuckled popped and his fingers ached. "Yes."
The very familiar and warm, "Chaa!" Of Naruto's celebration, "Can you believe it? He said yes, Sakura-chan!"
It felt exactly like being hit with Naruto's rasengan had. A surreal feeling, silence all around, like you could hear a ran drop falling. A breathless, scary feeling, like the air was being sucked from his lungs and fed to Naruto's powerful wind attack.
Sakura.
Sakura.
Sakura.
Sakura was here. She was here.
His fingers went limp at his sides and images of his hands flexing around her neck, her wide eyes, his intense, blind hatred, and her sad acceptance.
Sakura was here.
He suddenly forgot he could breath, and he barely heard Nara's voice say, "Very well, Uchiha. We'll allow for a break, and when we return, you will relinquish all of the information you can on your experiences away from Konoha…." If he said anything else, Sasuke didn't hear it.
He didn't hear anything that proceeded except the wild beating of his heart.
Sakura.
