Title: Something of light

Author: Sasuke181

Summary: Sasuke returns to Konoha after the war and is finally ready to accept his feelings for Team 7 and Sakura. This is a story about new beginnings and correcting mistakes of the past.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Naruto world, which is trademarked by Masashi Kishimoto. The characters in this story are created and owned by Masashi Kishimoto, and I do not claim any ownership over them or the world of Naruto. The story I tell here is my own invention, and it is not purported or believed to be part of Masashi Kishimoto's story canon. This story is for entertainment only and is not part of the official story line.

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"Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way." – Al Franken

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Things didn't improve between them as the days went on. Sasuke tried to cheer himself up for the first few days with the thought that at least it couldn't get worse. It worked, until Naruto noticed Sakura's attitude and began pestering Sasuke about it.

Funny thing though, except for his first day out of the hospital, she wasn't being outright rude to him or ignoring him. There was just something different about her and it bothered him to no end.

"She doesn't treat you like she used to, eh teme?"

But she kept the –kun suffix for him and only him, he told himself while trying to block out that idiot's voice. He couldn't tell him to shove off since they were both on their way to the hospital to see Tsunade. She insisted on seeing them at the hospital claiming it was urgent.

Sasuke couldn't care less about what she had to say but given that she was the hokage, having her on his side might be an advantage for his upcoming trial. So, he wordlessly followed Naruto to the hospital and stood behind him in the laboratory while waiting for Tsunade to turn around and acknowledge their presence… or at least respond to Naruto's whining.

"Oi! baa-chan! What happened? What was so urgent that you needed to see us so early in the morning?"

"It's half-past nine, Naruto. I'm just waiting for Sakura to get here with the specimen. I believe this will really interest both of you. So, shu-"

Tsunade was interrupted by Sakura breezing in with a stack of books and two metal boxes in her arm. She deposited all the things on Tsunade's desk and gave everyone in the room a smile.

Sasuke decidedly needed to get used to tiny, thin Sakura carrying things much larger than her. Each time he saw her doing things that were simply unfathomable from someone as petite as her, he was secretly impressed. It was probably because he somehow still thought of her as her twelve year old self.

"So that's how it is. Sakura and I have been doing some research in the books Anko brought from Orochimaru's lair. Though we didn't initially plan on using anything we found, Sakura stumbled over something that could be quite…"

Tsunade took a deep breath, paused and stared at both of them. Seeing Sakura practically bouncing on the balls of her feet had Sasuke on edge for the rest of Tsunade's explanation.

"I'll let you decide what it is after I tell you about it. Now, in those boxes, we have collected several sample from the white zetsu that attacked our camp. White zetsu was created using the cells of the first hokage…Do you see where I'm going with this?"

"We can create new arms for you!" gushed a pink-in-the-face Sakura in one breath.

It looked to Sasuke as if Tsunade was restraining a smile. Sasuke was still connecting the dots in his head when Sakura blurted out what Tsunade had in store for them. And he really didn't know how to react. He firmly believed they could achieve it. It had been done before and this was Sakura and Tsunade. There was no way they would fail. But…

He was already getting used to having only one arm and thought that would serve as a reminder of his past mistakes. He actually didn't think for once that someone could and would make a new arm for him. The thought never crossed his mind. He didn't know how to react… Did he deserve it?

Obviously, Naruto was all excited about it and was rambling on how it was the best news he heard in a while. Sasuke determined it was a good moment to knock Naruto over the head when he declared that he knew for sure that the news must have cheered "always-grouchy-Sasuke".

When Tsunade and Sakura turned their expectant gaze at him, he grumbled that he needed some time to think about it and tried not to look like he was running away from them. It was good news; so why was he reacting like that? It's not like they asked him to give up his sharingan! Moreover, considering that the elders might decide on imprisoning him, it wouldn't be so bad if he had both arms to carry out his escape (not that he necessarily needed it though).

He absentmindedly made his way to the training ground and only stopped when he saw Kakashi sitting beneath a nearby tree with his usual book. He made his way towards him and sat down a few trees to Kakashi's right. Kakashi was there for him when he was still in his team and did give good advice. Sasuke was tempted to ask him his opinion but Sasuke wasn't used to this and felt uncomfortable turning to someone for advice.

"Yo."

"Hn." Sasuke grunted back.

A few minutes passed before Kakashi talked again.

"Don't tell Naruto, Sakura or Sai about this, but Tsunade asked me to take her place as hokage."

Sasuke would have stayed ticked off over Kakashi including Sai in team 7 had what followed not taken him by surprise. Kakashi being a contender for the title of hokage was a given; he never expected Kakashi to confide in him. Feeling like there was more to that, Sasuke waited to see if Kakashi would continue before commenting.

He was right.

"How can someone like me take that title? I couldn't save any of my friends. I couldn't stop an elite student from going rogue. I focused so much on my strongest students, I neglected the one who probably needed me the most. Surprising she doesn't resent me for that, isn't it?"

There it was again. The feeling of gut-wrenching guilt. Kakashi blamed himself for Sasuke's choices when he did everything he could to shield Sasuke from the pain revenge would inevitably bring.

"I want to kill you so badly, I can taste it!"

"Don't tell them yet because I'm not sure I'm going to take it. What's an old geezer like me, who barely has any stamina, going to do as kage?"

"You had low stamina because the sharingan exhausts non-Uchihas' chakra. When did you turn in this self-pitying softy?"

Kakashi couldn't conceal his shock at Sasuke's response. He probably thought Sasuke would just listen without saying anything. What was he supposed to do? Pretend he had not heard anything? It was not much, but Sasuke wanted to give back a little of everything Kakashi had done for him.

"Sakura and Tsunade can make new arms for Naruto and me."

They both stayed quiet for the longest while. Kakashi had kept the book in front of his face for almost the whole duration of their conversation. Seeing as no page had been turned since he sat down, Sasuke knew Kakashi was not really reading.

"Say yes. You don't need to miss an arm to remind you of your shortcomings. Naruto and Sakura will serve as reminders."

"I don't want to kill you…"

They stayed like that for a relatively long time, until the sun was right above their head, one staring at the same page while the other fingered the grass as he mulled over their conversation. When Sasuke finally sorted through his thoughts, he got up to leave. With his back facing his sensei, he hesitated a moment.

"No matter how far he fell, the Third always looked upon Orochimaru with affection. I think I understand now…"

He couldn't leave without a few parting words for his sensei. He had wanted to kill this man for kami's sake… for something he was not really to be blamed for… Turning to face him, because Kakashi deserved to see his face and see how honest he was being about this, he added:

"Kakashi… No-one could have stopped me then. It wasn't anybody's fault. Nobody is to be blamed for the choices others make… You'd make a better kage than her."

Kakashi's book almost dropped from his hand as Kakashi whipped his head around to look at him. Upon seeing his face, kakashi's immediately changed. Sasuke kept his gaze on Kakashi's now normal eyes as he waited for him to reply….

And it's not like he was lying, this man tamed the sharingan despite not being an Uchiha. In Sasuke's eyes, now that he knew how Kakashi got that eye in the first place, Kakashi deserved respect.

"Ah…"

His voice was undoubtedly choked up. Sasuke was suddenly very uncomfortable and with one last nod towards Kakashi, he left the training ground.

While he made his way to the hospital, he wondered how he would approach Tsunade. He didn't really like her and he knew for a fact that wasn't fond of him too. While he was at the hospital she not-so-subtly let him know that his team was pestering her about his restoration and that was the only reason she was tolerating him.

They rarely talked, and when they had to when he was still in the hospital, she always made sure to let him know how selfish, arrogant and idiotic she thought he was. So accepting any kind of help from her was hard for Sasuke.

He found her in the laboratory with her head tucked in all the notes Sakura had brought her earlier.

"Hn."

"What?" she asked without lifting her head.

"I have decided to go ahead with it. But there's just something… Naruto's should be your priority. I'll take whatever's left."

Midway through his speech, she lifted her head and frowned as she kept her eyes on him.

"As you wish." She grunted as she got back to whatever she was doing.

Since he was already there and knew that Sakura would be out for lunch any time now, he waited for her. Even though she didn't talk to him, he still met her every night after her shift. He would wait patiently for the day she would turn around and smile and talk to him like she used to.

As Sasuke expected, Sakura left the hospital a few minutes after him. But unlike any other day where, other than a nod, she would ignore him and walk towards her apartment with him following behind, she offered him a small smile and waited for him to join her. Sasuke, not wanting to risk anything, kept quiet as they walked towards Ichiraku.

As they were about to reach the ramen stand, she finally tilted her head towards him and looked at him.

"I'm glad you accepted Tsunade-shishou's proposal. I was worried you would refuse…" she whispered and turned to look forward as she kept walking.

"Considering that this was the reason you finished work so late almost every day, I decided I couldn't say no," he whispered back.

Sakura froze mid-step but didn't turn around. Did she really expect him to believe that there was no-one to cover her shift in the hospital every single day?

Feeling a little smug that he finally got a reaction out of her, Sasuke walked in and sat next to Naruto. Sakura followed behind and sat on Naruto's other side. They both proceeded to order their first bowl as Naruto gobbled down his third.

This time lunch went a bit differently than last time. She didn't avoid his gaze nor did she direct her entire conversation towards Naruto. Sasuke didn't want to get his hopes up, it was probably because she was eager about the possibility of them having arms again. She was going on about cellular regeneration without seeming to care that Naruto could barely keep up.

Later on as Sasuke sparred with Naruto, he concluded that any kind of progress with Sakura was good. She finally talked normally to him, how could that not be good? No matter the reason!

That night, as he accompanied her to her apartment, the air around them was different. Sakura was lightly humming as they walked. Even though she was not smiling, Sasuke was pretty sure she was in a good mood.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn."

"Thank you for asking to make Naruto's arm first."

She turned a small shy smile towards him. With the light from the lamppost on the sidewalk playing on her face, her eyes never looked greener to Sasuke.

"Don't you want to know why I made the choices I made?"

He didn't really intend to ask her that at that time. But knowing that Naruto and Kakashi never told her the whole story, he knew she wouldn't be able to really forgive him without knowing the complete story.