A/N: Hello guys. It's a sincere request to all those who read to please review. Even if its in a single sentence. Please take out 2 minutes. It means a lot to any author.

And also, apologies for the too late upload. A bit of turbulence in personal life. But that is history now. There will be regular uploads from now on.

P.S: The story building will be a bit slow. But I promise action when the time comes. Don't hate me too much for the pace ;)

CHAPTER 3

Sasuke stood there and surveyed the room first. Nobody knew what he was thinking as he didn't show any expression and there was no perceptible change in his stoic demeanor.

Tsunade said "Sasuke, come forward. Do you know why you have been called here today?"

He just gave a tiny nod and came and stood at a distance from the table. His eyes darted to Naruto who was also at the table. Again, no emotion.

Naruto looked as if he had lost someone. He was pale and looked almost ill. He had a slight guess as to what would be done with Sasuke and he couldn't think of anything which didn't involve prison.

Damn, if I could only know what was going on underneath that emotionless façade, thought Naruto looking at Sasuke.

Kakashi was thinking, I hope he doesn't mess up this too.

Tsunade said "Good. Still, for the clarity of records, Uchiha Sasuke, you've been summoned here today to decide your future against your offences including going rogue from Konoha, contacting another known and wanted criminal Orochimaru, aiding and abetting the capture of the chakra of the Eight-Tails thereby helping a known criminal organization Akatsuki, attacking the Five Kage summit in the land of Iron, killing many Samurai and decapitating the Raikage, killing of the then interim Hokage Danzo and attacking Konoha's Team 7 among many other."

"But Granny, he didn't do all that without a reason. He didn't know the truth…." started Naruto.

"Don't interfere Naruto. We understand that he is your friend and he helped us. But still, he was involved in some major crimes. He deserves a punishment." Snapped Tsunade.

The Raikage made no attempt to conceal his fury. A light blue hue had already surrounded him and was sending off electric sparks.

The Tsuchikage spoke up "You need to calm down, Raikage. As much trouble this brat had created, he has also been a huge help. We wouldn't be sitting here if it wasn't for that demonic Susano this kid had and Naruto."

He gave a hardened stare to the Raikage. This cooled him down as he understood the complexity of the situation.

Tsunade thought, this might be harder than I expected.

She looked at Sasuke for a minute and then said "Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

Sasuke looked at all those who were seated. His eyes stopped at the Third Hokage for a bit. He still held him a bit responsible for all that happened to Itachi. He understood that things were getting out of control back then and that Itachi had taken that mission by himself. But still….

He started speaking "There is so much hate in this world. It can drive any sane person towards darkness and it all begins due to vengeance, a thirst for power, a thirst for control over others. I had once been sucked into it and it took my brother and four previous Hokage to come back from the dead to make me see a glimmer of hope."

His eyes darted to Naruto. He smiled warmly at Sasuke.

He continued in his emotionless voice, "I know what I did. And I am not going to regret any of my actions. This twisted shinobi world with its broken rules and its lies drove me to whatever I did. I also stress at this point that Juugo, Suigetsu or Karin had nothing to do with my actions. They were simply following my orders. But now, I intend to return to Konoha. Because this is a new beginning. This is a new world. And this time I want to make sure that there are no stupid plots. I want to make sure that the village so loved by my brother is not plagued again by nonsense deaths and unbearable pain. Whatever happens in a village is the responsibility of the Kage and there is NO escape from this responsibility. I want to return to Konoha and rise to a level to stop anyone from disturbing its peace. I will die protecting Konoha but also will fight even the Hokage if he/she is a threat to safety of any of its citizens."

He stared at Tsunade.

"This world had become so crazy, so filled with hate that I couldn't even perceive right from wrong, good from bad. All I could see was revenge. The farther I was pushed away from truth, the harder it became to gather a sense of reality. I had been lied to. Led to believe something that wasn't even remotely true. The result was that I was so driven by vengeance I couldn't even differentiate between good and evil. Between a criminal and a savior. Between a mass murderer and a hero.

All through this time. I had hope. I had help. But I was too blind to see it. I was enveloped by the need for revenge, by hate. Instead I tried to kill anyone who stood in my way. That's how powerful this hate is. I want to ensure that no one ever has to undergo that kind of pain from Konoha. That's all I have to say."

There was utter silence in the room. Some looked impressed. Some still looked at him as if he were some kind of worm.

The first and second Hokage were smiling.

This brat might have done some major crimes. But the Will of Fire is burning bright inside him too. We have left behind fine generations, thought the Second.

"You think those words of yours are sufficient for us to believe you? Moreover, you just confessed that you don't hold any regrets for any of your actions. You have hurt and killed many good people. There is a whole list of your crimes which easily puts you in the most dangerous category, even by criminal standards. Uchiha Sasuke, you say your intentions are good but I don't believe you. And I certainly cant accept what you said as the truth without a proof and you cant produce that. You have fought and killed even a Kage. So if you cant accept even that kind of authority, its futile to let you go back into the free world. Only a prison is the correct place for you." Said an enraged Raikage, his blue hue back on him.

Sasuke just glared at him and didn't respond.

"Sasuke, Raikage has made some fair points and he is the supreme commander of this alliance. I maybe the Hokage, but your crimes transcend boundaries. Answer him." Shouted Tsunade.

Sasuke stared at her and then started speaking "I don't have any problem accepting authority. But I do have a strong sense of doing what I think is right. I have made my position clear. If the actions of anyone, and that includes the Hokage, endanger the lives of innocent people, I will fight against it. I am ready to accept and live under an authority and follow orders, but that won't mean I'll be a mute spectator to whatever wrong that authority does." As he finished his sentence, his eyes changed their pattern to the Sharingan.

Every Kage at the table was in deep thought. It was as if all of them were remembering what all wrong decisions they had taken. The First and Second were still smiling. So was Naruto. He was happy to see Sasuke get back his bearings.

Tsunade started "As much as it hurts to accept this, but we Kage in the name of protecting our nation and lives have committed mistakes as well. Mistakes which result in widespread death and hurt. Because as a Kage, its not just ourselves we risk but our entire nation and the thousands of shinobi who entrust their safety and trust to us. Sasuke is also the result of one such tragedy."

She looked at the Third who held his head down and continued "Despite whatever happens, whoever issues those orders, a Kage is responsible for all that happens in the village. As a token of accepting the fault on behalf of the office of the Hokage, I permit Sasuke to return to Konoha under the conditions that he will be under my direct authority and he will be under constant surveillance till I deem it necessary. He may pursue whatever career he chooses with my permission and live in Konoha. He can…"

The Raikage stomped his fist on the table and stood up "Its not in your place to order that and give a decision. I don't accept it. I.."

Tsunade cut him off and said in a mild but respectful tone "I am not ordering anything Raikage-sama and neither am I pronouncing a final decision. So please calm down. I am just informing you of my views. I want there to be a vote between all the Five Kage and Mifune-sama. Is that suitable to all of you?"

All the Kage nodded.

She looked at the Mizukage. She had been silent the entire meeting. The Mizukage had no problem with Tsunade's proposal as long as any trouble he causes didn't harm her people. She thought about it a couple of more minutes and then said "You are right Hokage-sama. We do make some terrible mistakes and hundreds of people pay for it and no one is held accountable. Even if those things happen without our knowledge, its also a lapse in our system. I vote yes to your proposal, given that he is under constant vigilance and kept on a short leash."

Tsunade smiled and nodded. Her eyes went to the Tsuchikage. He spoke up, "I am ready to trust you Tsunade. But I have my fears. At this point, its pretty clear that there aren't many people in this room who have the capability to stop Sasuke from going rogue again. And around half of them are just reanimations. I want to know how you plan to keep Sasuke on a short leash." He stared at Tsunade and waited for an answer. Some murmurs went up in the room.

Even I cant find a fault in that argument. Hell, even I wont be enough for him, thought as he looked at Sasuke. He was as unmoved as ever.

But before Tsunade could answer, Naruto spoke up, "I will be your guarantee, old man. In any event when Sasuke does something that Tsunade-sama disagrees with, I will be the wall. Not only that, if his actions result in death or loss of any kind in any country, I will be the one to catch him and bring him to justice. And if I fail, I will take the responsibility of his doings." His voice was heavy with emotion. He didn't look up while speaking.

Even Sasuke was surprised by this and he let himself show it.

A smile crept up Kakashi's face. Obito, can you see this? He is not abandoning his friend.

All the kage were surprised except the First. He seemed to know that this would happen. Apart from vowing to fight his best friend when needed, Naruto has just asked even himself to be held accountable.

"Hokage-sama, do you agree to this?" asked the Tsuchikage.

Tsunade knew she owed Naruto that much. She nodded and as soon as she did, the Tsuchikage said "I vote yes. You have a good friend, Uchiha Sasuke. Don't let him down." And hardened his glare on Sasuke. He had regained his composure but his walls of unattachment towards Naruto seemed to crumble a bit. He kept glancing at Naruto.

Naruto was smiling now. Just another vote and I could take Sasuke back to Konoha. It will be just like the old times….or better, he thought.

All eyes turned to the supreme commander of the alliance. It was the Raikage's turn now. He was lost in thought but finally spoke up, "You are a talented shinobi Sasuke, but that doesn't mean you can have your way everywhere and do as you please. Also, I am not blind of your contributions to the war. You did what was expected of you, and then some. But my conscience doesn't allow me to completely forgive someone just because of a few good deeds. You have committed some unforgivable crimes and I concede that part of them were due to the faults in our system. But as shinobi, we are the ones who are supposed to endure. So I cannot allow you to be an armed and functional ninja again. I am not going to the lengths of asking imprisonment for you but I cant have you back in the society at your own free will. I vote no for this proposal. But I will allow you to be back in the society as a civilian. You will not be a shinobi, you will not take up arms and your chakra signature will be constantly monitored. Those are my terms."

Naruto was crestfallen. He knew that the Raikage was unforgiving. But he couldn't blame him. Even the stubborn Raikage had made some concessions as recognition of Sasuke's contributions.

Sasuke, for the first time in the meeting was visibly angry. His sharingan was back in his eyes and him and Raikage were engaged in a battle of stares. He didn't say anything though. Seems Sasuke has a better handle on his temper now. They sure were harsh terms, thought Shikamaru.

As the murmurs in the hall came down, Mifune started, "I am with the Raikage on this. The land of iron has never interfered in the affairs of the five great nations and never took sides. Nevertheless, these are special circumstances and require special actions. Uchiha Sasuke has been a great help in the war. We couldn't have done what we did without him. I recognize that and thank him. And for that, he has my respect. But laws are created as equal for everyone. No one is exempt from them. And I cannot let the misdeeds go unpunished, though the severity of the punishment is debatable. And I find Raikage-sama's terms justified. I vote no."

He gave a curt nod to Raikage and looked at Sasuke. His cool was back.

This is bad. All he had ever done was to be loyal to himself and his clan. I can change him. Why don't they trust me? Naruto thought as he looked at his father. The Fourth Hokage seemed to know what was in Naruto's mind. He smiled and suddenly Naruto could hear him inside his head on the same psychological plane as Kurama. Since Kurama's yin and yang were in the father and son, they shared the plane alongwith the tailed beast too. On the outside Minato was just smiling and looking at Naruto, but on the inside he could hear him say "Naruto, everything will be alright. Its not your fault whatever is happening. You did everything you could to protect him. Also Gaara, is it? The fifth Kazekage? He seems to be a level headed man and he's also your friend. Trust the system Naruto. Even though it seems twisted, it has a purpose and it is effective. Trust the system."

The young Kazekage was the focus of all attention in the room now. He looked at Naruto once before he said, "I was once consumed by hatred. Hatred for every living being in the world. I was dealt the same way society has been dealing with people like me. Isolation. Discrimination. And all that did was to further fuel my hatred. And at that point, a ninja from an enemy nation reached out a hand. Even though I had almost killed him, he acknowledged my existence. He understood my pain of loneliness. And the result of that is I am able to speak to you as a Kage. It convinced me that people can be won over by understanding them, by standing beside them and sharing their problems. More hatred isn't the key to confront hatred. Love is. Understanding is. I had gone on a rampage and threatened to destroy entire Konoha, and still you all accepted me as a fellow Kage. Directly or indirectly, you gave me a second chance. And I believe Sasuke deserves one too. I vote yes. Accept those people who care for you Sasuke. That is the path out of the darkness you are in."

He is way mature than his age. And similar to Naruto in so many aspects. The sand and the leaf have a glorious future ahead, reflected the Third.

All knew what this meant. Many of the jounin seemed to be convinced by the Kages' reasoning. Again murmurs started up and didn't seem to stop until Tsunade cleared her throat.

"By a vote of 4 against 2, it is hereby decided to let Uchiha Sasuke live in Konoha as a free citizen but under my direct supervision. He will be under constant surveillance and is confined to the boundaries of Konoha and its surrounding forests which he cant leave without an explicit permission from the Hokage. Also, all the decisions taken in his matter will be notified to all the Kage whenever they are taken." Tsunade completed.

Naruto had tears in his eyes. He stood up and walked over to Sasuke, who had just a hint of smile on his face which quickly disappeared when he found Naruto standing in front of him. Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "Welcome back, my friend." And turned back to go to his seat.

To his surprise, Sasuke spoke up, "Thank you, Naruto. For everything." And before Naruto could respond, he was out of the tent.

Naruto was smiling. He had his friend back.

Mabui cleared her throat and said, "Only one task left and it is perhaps the most important we have. The question is about what to do regarding the Tailed Beasts. As opposed to before, they are not the enemies and are not meant to be suppressed."

It was the Second who spoke up this time, "Distribution and ownership of the tailed beasts have been always a point of conflict for the nations since our times. But your younger generation has surpassed us and found a way to coexist with them without resorting to force. And as such, I think it would be wise for the same people to head this discussion and decide what needs to be done." He looked at Gaara, Bee and Naruto one by one.

Raikage said, "I agree with the Second Hokage's analysis. We have always been wrong regarding the tailed beasts. And the only ones who can decide are the ones who understand them. Naruto, Kazekage-sama and Bee, advise us on how to proceed."

Bee looked like he was about to start a rap, but was cutoff by Naruto, "I believe that any meaningful decision can only be taken by talking to them. My advice would be to have any further discussion on the Tailed Beasts in their presence, so that everyone is on the same page."

Gaara looked impressed. Naruto was finally thinking clear. He said, "I agree with Naruto."

Bee said," lets gooooooo…"

The Raikage sighed on his brother's response and said," its decided then. Lets go to the Tailed beasts. By the way, where are they?"

Mabui said, "Raikage-sama, they appear to be resting on the eastern edge of the battlefield. All seven of them. Ummm…our shinobi are hesitant to approach them. After they were extracted out of the Juubi by Lord First, they have been observed to be resting and sometimes, discussing together. And our shinobi are scared of their combined power. So there hasn't been any contact with them."

Tsuchikage spoke up, "This fear needs to go. Anyway, no point in sitting here further. My fellow Kage, lets go and meet the Tailed Beasts."

And with that, the entire tent emptied out and headed towards east.

Somewhere in the land of Water

Kawami Mizune returned to their hideout. And went to report to his captain. He was sitting on a huge chair at the other end, deeply in discussion with a disheveled shinobi. Certainly a messenger. Is he coming from the battlefield? Thought Kawami, as he kneeled and waited for his chance. After a few minutes, the captain dismissed the messenger and said, "Tell me Kawami, what do I need to know?"

Kawami started, "Lord Captain, there are around 20 mist ANBU posted who guard the structure round the clock. From what I gathered they have 2 shifts of 10 ANBU each. Each shift has 2 sensory ANBU. They have created a complex chakra barrier around the structure and they never move out of it. Their weekest point in defence is their northeastern corner, beside the cliff. They seem confident that there could be no threats from that side. Every other portion is patrolled every 10 minutes except the corner with a patrolling frequency of 1 hour. That is all I could gather, Lord Captain. I promise to find more if I could have more time."

The captain said, "Its enough Kawami. Northeastern corner it is. Once we are done, it will be too late before the ANBU realize what happened and too much late for the Mizukage to react."

Kawami hesitated a bit and then said again, "Lord Captain, please forgive me for asking. But what is in that structure that we are looking for?"

The captain chuckled and said, "You will get to know. All in due time, Kawami. All in due time."