GreengageTREE: KONOHA GATES Chapter III - Of Tough Decisions

COMMENTARY

Welcome back! Here's promising a little more "moving along" in the story. I realised too late that this story wasn't going anywhere fast. So I say, I was setting the scene… yeah. Now though, stuff will happen. So I hope you guys enjoy it. Thank God for bank holidays! AH! I just remembered, things may seem totally OOC, but this story is based on personal wishful thinking (Um, it's fan fiction?). I'll try to keep in character as much as possible.

AH! Another thing: If you're not reading the manga then there's a spoiler ahead! Sowwy. Read the manga!

One last thanks to those who are returning to my humble 6000+ word thing that aint even started yet... That makes Xephe and my buddy piggy07. Two... Oh Lordy!

EMJOY.


Air fizzed inside the council room, the last of the summer wasps buzzed angrily by the windows, and Tsunade fought the urge to toss her bundle of papers out onto the lawn below. Why she couldn't open the window a crack she just didn't know. No wait, she knew, and very well at that. Tsunade glared dead ahead of her, hands bridged under her chin. Konoha's elders Homura and Koharu shared a look of contempt. Tsunade wished they'd don a new expression once in a while as she sized them up. She spoke, and the fatigue was evident in her cracked voice.

"I've heard enough of that for today, let's move on."

The elders shot a few motley glares before shuffling their own copies of the itinerary of that day's meeting.

"Well then," Homura began, clearing his throat warily. "I suggest we review the matter of what should be done about the rogue nin, Uchiha Sasuke." As he tilted his head, the light caught in the lenses of his glasses, giving that spooky illusion of flashing eyes.

"Here we go again!" thought Tsunade, but with her patience already worn thin by arguing with the old geezer, she decided to keep this to herself. She sat silent, and he continued.

"Uchiha has been registered as a missing nin for as good as five years as of the moment. I sure you understand that with a record like this, few of the villagers could regain their trust of him very easily."

"And least their respect for the Uchiha clan, may I add!" interrupted Koharu, her eyes leering at Tsunade as if she were a naughty child.

Tsunade groaned inwardly before answering, "I'm sure Uchiha cares as much for his clan as he does for fluffy little lambs. He won't be expecting to be butt-kissed any time soon, trust me."

"Indeed." Homura drawled, ajusting his thick rimmed glasses. Koharu's face was screwed up in distaste at the Hokage's choice of vocabulary. "It's understandable that Uchiha would know his place in the village, though I am forced to recall that he was in contact with many other powerful criminals in the space of his disapearance, all of which are a threat to the village."

"Fair point, but we have ourselves some damn fine ninja. If you remember, I had Shizune on guard 'til you called her off."

"Hokage, I feel this notion of protecting Uchiha is quite unbecoming." The old lady opposite inclined.

Tsunade had to stop herself from blowing up in their faces. This was nothing new! All of her 'notions' were shot down by the old farts. She'd had enough of beating around the bush. Besides, she'd already decided what to do with the brat. She moved to open her mouth, but was interrupted by that stupid old man.

"Tsunade-sama, we are willing to comprimise with whatever ideals you may have, but it would be wise to restrict Uchiha and keep him under surveillance until a long term decision is made."

They watched her seeth like a keetle under their smug gazes. "Long-term-decision my ass!" Tsunade raged inside her head, not daring to give them the satisfaction of breaking her out loud. "I already have a decision!" She told herself indignantly. She urged herself to speak up before-

"If it pleases you, Hokage, we would like to arrange the arrest as soon as possible."

"Arrest?!" She fumed silently. Tsunade tried to form a sentence in her gathering rage, but knew nothing would work on these merciless reptiles. Instead, her body disobeyed her and she nodded feebly. The elders flashed crocodiles' smiles at her, before slithering out of the room. Shizune slipped in, her face a portrait of worry, and a bottle of sake at the ready. In her other hand was more paperwork, but right now was the time for priorities. Tsunade eagerly accepted and downed the rice wine.


"What do I do?"

The words screamed themselves inside his head. His mind ran in circles searching for the loophole, the ticket out, but it was to no avail. He guessed he was pretty calm, but only because he could hardly move an inch.

Sasuke was awake. He could see the room around him, and he was in it. No-one else was there this time. Nurses had been in, opening windows and whatnot. The windows were open now, welcoming a chilly autumn wind. He shivered a little, and pulled the blankets closer around his face. Then he hesitated - did he really want to get comfortable here? After all, he hadn't planned ever to return to Konoha, and he couldn't be sure if he was safe from outside threats in any case...

He remembered now, and the memory was as vivid as day. His team, Orochimaru's bane, the one and only Hebi, had turned against him. They'd followed him like dogs until that day, when they finally snapped back with a mouthful of jagged and practised teeth. And boy, did it still hurt. In a physical sense of course, or so he told himself.

To be fair, Juugo hadn't been a part of it. He'd disbanded long ago, in search of a more immediate cure to his curse. Sasuke however, had trained so hard under Orochimaru that he'd devised a way to keep the curse seal at bay. Well, we can't all be as perfect as Sasuke, can we? But no matter how much training he may have done, he still had his ass handed to him. Damn it, maybe all this 'putting your heart in it' rubbish actually worked. No kidding, they'd put their hearts in it alright, even Karin. About that, Sasuke wasn't sure if he was relieved she'd outgrown her dumb little crush or not.

In any case, Suigetsu had been the most deadly. He knew all sorts of people, all sorts of not-people and had all sorts of grizzly experience. Sasuke had seen the carnage that man could do, and knew he had whole circles of buddies who could do worse. He hated to think what state he'd be in now if he hadn't been saved...

He'd been saved. He knew the people who'd done it, they were his old team mates from days of yore. Haruno and Uzumaki... Sakura and... Naruto. Now there was an interestign turn of events. After all this time, that Naruto had gotten him to return to Konoha, with almost every bone in his body broken. Only, Suigetsu had saved him the honour of doing that. He wondered briefly if that annoying loser was celebrating somehow, being all smug while Sasuke was lying half-dead in hospital.

His thoughts were interrupted by the door bursting open, and an ANBU squad trooped into the tiny hospital room. Sasuke was quickly restrained, to his mild surprise. He may have been awake, but he was exhausted. He didn't fight their grip.

"May I ask what it is you're doing?" He asked monotonously.

"Sure, Uchiha." The captain replied, in an almost sing-song sort of tone. "You're under arrest. We're imprisoning you 'til we can trust you a little. Any arguments?" Sasuke shook his head weakly. "Good. Then I'll just make sure you're quiet along the way..."

And then it all went dark.


The remnants of Team 7 ascened the steps to the hospital entrance in and apprehensive kind of silence. Sakura held open the door and Naruto followed obdeiently into the foyer. She left him standing idle and approached the nurse at the desk. The nurse smiled in welcome.

"You're here for Uchiha-san right sempai?" Sakura nodded, smiling back numbly. The young girl's smile slipped, and guilt slapped itself all over her cute features. "He's been... discharged, but not released... Uchiha-san's been arrested..." She trailed off akwardly. Sakura's head lolled forward an inch, and her smile twisted into a grimace.

"Thank you." She mumbled hoarsely. She turned slowly, facing Naruto's latest picture of despair. "Let's see Tsunade-sama tomorrow. Come on, I'll hang by yours for a bit." Naruto nodded dumbly, opening the door for his friend, and exiting after her.

Even as they walked in the fading light of the afternoon, no words were exchanged. It wasn't very akward, but both friends were lost in their own thoughts, and a familiar depression settled. When they arrived at the door, Naruto brandished a bunch of keys and began his advance on the various locks on the front door. Sakura watched balefully, and spoke.

"I think I'll go home, actually. I'm kinda tired. It's probably the wind..." Naruto stole a glance over his shoulder. She'd meant it, her cheeks had sunken, and her eyelids drooped. He nodded, understanding, and parted his lips. A dry "okay" slipped out. She placed a hand on his back, and let it fall along it before resting at her side once more before wandering back onto the street.

The last rusty bolt wailed in protest as he dragged it out of the ground, and Naruto straightened up to turn the last key in the door. The process done, Naruto gratefully staggered into the tiny appartment and collapsed onto his cardboard couch, and lay there, perfectly still.

He could've sworn he'd fallen asleep for a few minutes. It was welcome. He felt terrible, and he wasn't entirely sure why. Who wouldn't feel like crap when their best friend was imprisoned? That was the wrong question. Sasuke was by no means anyone's friend here, let alone best friend. There had be a feasable explanation, some reason why he was taking all this so hard, a reason why he needed to see him so badly. And no answer could present itself.

A fleeting thought sailed through his conscience. For a moment, he was flying through the rooftops, flying to his fears, flying to Sasuke. Just for a moment, he was overjoyed, terrified, drunk on the adrenalyn of desperation. Caution was thrown hard into the wind, and blown, far, far away. There was nothing else in his life, but this feeling, this vocation. He was exited. Just for a moment.

He blinked, once more in the gloomy shadows of his living area as the moment passed. The couch heaved under him as he sat up, searching the room in its graduating darkness. So, he had been asleep. What a lovely dream...

"Ugh, I need to stop this."


COMMENTARY

Swearing isn't my first language! It's second to my wordy, "posh" English. Well shoot me if I think a read should be informative as well as interesting. I think I should clarify that while I'd like to be a good author, I'm too much of good speaker. Sorry. Which is why I was very specific when writing the dialogue. Tsunade is my swearer, Naruto is colloquial (or at least how I speak when on sugar. GUFFAW!), Sakura is... polite-ish? And Sasuke is... the regular guy. It's the natural order. The circle of life... No! No sidetracking!!

Super-huge THANK YOU (!!) to Halskr who got me the names of the councillors! It saved me having to do more extensive (10 second) research. What can I say? We all need someone to lean on... Leean... Proper thanks for all reviewers next chapter. Next chapter? Yes, that would be a good idea...

I don't want to repeat myself, but my goodness it works, I hope. I DON'T CARE IF YOU THINK THIS IS "MEH", YOUR VIEWS ARE IMPORTANT FOR THE PROGRESSION OR DESTRUCTION OF THIS HERE ATTEMPT AT ATTEMPTING A STORY!! SO! Grant me my divine judgement, guys, and REVIEW!!

STAY TOONED. BEJUDGE ME.

GreengageTREE