GreengageTREE: KONOHA GATES Chapter IV - Of Re-opening Relations

COMMENTARY

Good evening! Welcome back to Konoha Gates. Last chapter I promised some progression, and this chapter I really hope it's progression of the original story and not the 35 episodes of Full Metal Alchemist I've watched all week (ARGH!). That truly is a hooking show. Is it good though? Anyways, this'll be a tad longer than previous chapters... Let's say, some 500 words more, give or take a few hundred. Or thousand.

Now, what have I already written? LOL! Ah yes: Sasuke done got hisself arrested like. I think I should clarify what the hell I wrote previously from now on. It may prove helpful for you andfor me! Geez, it's only 4 chapters in now but I've already lost my place. I HAVE NO PLAN!

Thanks to Eevee (see you Monday!), Dragon77 and Blood Zephyr for lodging their compla- I mean reviewing! And special thanks to Halskr, who saved me the tedious (?!) job of researching Homura and Koharu's names. Please accept this metaphorical Internet hug. HUG!

GRAB THE POPCORN!

The next morning arrived, its crisp frost hanging gently in the cool air, catching the weak rays of sunlight on sharp edges and rough surfaces. It even crept up railings, walls, and doors. Naruto slammed his door, but the damp frost sprinkled on the cheap wood deafened the crash. That was a bit annoying. He was irritable this morning, partly due to the cold, but mostly because he wanted to be riled up enough to make a lasting impression on Tsunade. For that was who he was visiting in the very early hours of this morning.

He'd chosen very specifically to be out by 6 am, so she'd be too tired to deal with him. But that meant he himself was too tired to compute much. Breakfast had consisted of squat. "This'd better be worth the empty stomach..." he growled inwardly, pacing himself into a light jog to the Hokage's apartments.

Yesterday's winds prevailed, dragging in a wispy blanket of thin cloud. The moisture in the air penetrated Naruto's black jacket, dulling the vivid orange trimmings. Faded black sandals crunched wetly on the leaves and Naruto considered his plan of action.

"So I go in, and she wakes up, and then, then... Um."

The staircase loomed ahead before he'd even realised it, and soon he was taking very deliberate steps up to the awaiting office. His mood switched momentarily, and a feral grin spread like a disease over his face. He nodded politely to the two ANBU mooching half-assedly at the doorway, and snuck inside noiselessly. The grin grew at an alarming rate when he guessed right. He looked over at the hardy desk of the Hokage, and saw it.

There, amongst the ominous piles of paperwork and discarded sake bottles, was Tsunade. And the reason Naruto was still alive in the room was that she... was soundly asleep. "Like a baby!" The troublemaker snickered to himself. The young (looking) woman's head was lain gently on a dossier, a stream of drool leaking its way through the corner of her plump, pink lips. A wisp of her blond (looking) hair was caught in her mouth, and soft, cute sounding snores echoed around the dim room. Morning light danced through the blinds and played on her ladylike (looking) form. To be frank, an old woman was lying in a drunken slumber amongst yesterday', last week's, and last month's work.

Naruto balled a fist into his mouth to stifle the oncoming sniggers. Bending over and placing his head mere inches away from the Hokage's face, Naruto tried, and failed to imitate Shizune.

"Tsunade-sama, you still have work to do." He almost whispered, biting back a laugh.

"Naruto... You idiot..." She murmured, as said man froze on the spot. "I don't wanna go to work todaaay..." She trailed off. Naruto straightened up and sighed with relief. It was clear the old lady was still in dream world.

"Tsunade-baachan, I came here to talk to you. D'you think you could, y'know, wake the hell up?"

She stirred from her desk, her head rising slowly as she summoned a tremendous effort to bring herself round. She stared at Naruto wide-eyed and innocent, her mind still half on its way. She opened her mouth, seeking words that made sense.

"Naru... why... you here... are... Huh?" Her eyes grew wide as saucers, pupils dilating with shock. Now, she was awake.

"NARUTOOO!! HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET IN MY OFFICE?!"

Naruto plain burst out laughing as she erupted. Papers and bottles went flying as the Hokage leapt from her comfy seat, and she dashed about the room, opening blinds and fixing her loose attire. He soon stopped after she walloped him one on the head. She calmed down, and returned irritably to her desk.

"What do you want, runt?" She growled, leering at Naruto, who quailed.

"Um, I wanted to talk about Sasuke's arrest."

"Ha? You want to talk about Uchiha? That little punk's caused me double the paperwork I've ever had to do in a day, you know. He'd better be grateful you brought him back!"

"Yeah, about that. I was wondering if I could maybe..." He looked up at Tsunade, who was chewing a pencil angrily, eyeing the dossier-come-pillow before her. She grunted distractedly. "No, I'll ask another time." He began turning around, but Tsunade spoke up.

"Spit it out now, save the toothache for later. Whaddaya want?" She was still eyeballing the dossier, but now she was listening.

"Well," He began, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. He knew already that this wouldn't work. "I'd like to visit Sasuke." The Hokage froze. "Agh, I knew you'd say no-"

"Alright." she said. "He's awake, after all. No-one can stop you visitinghim, but just don't bust him out." She gave one last calculating glare to Naruto, before calling an ANBU. "Escort this man to Uchiha Sasuke's cell, he's a visitor."

The officer rose, hesitating. If his face hadn't been concealed by the customary mask, Naruto would've guessed that he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Visitors for Uchiha? Nevertheless, he saluted Tsunade and led Naruto out of the room and on towards the small prison compound nearby.

"That was surprisingly easy." Naruto thought bemusedly to himself as he followed the ANBU down the corridor.

It was boring in here. There were bars around the walls, but they were just for show. He knew that all the powerful seals the Hokage could make were on the room, and it was futile to try escaping. But that didn't make escape any less desirable. There was nothingto do in here!! It seemed like the council had locked him for a reason, however. There had to be an underlying goal aside from making sure he didn't run away again, but he couldn't think what it could be.

Oh yes he could. They wanted to isolate him from all his fwends so that he went positively nuts. Thatwould stop him from massacring Konoha. "As ifI'd even do that in the first place." He sighed, to no-one in particular. "I owe 'em too much." Frowning, he contemplated the current predicament. He had an enormous debt to pay to Konoha, and even more to pay to Team 7. They'd saved his life. And for what? So he can rush off and continue being a criminal? Sasuke didn't even want that anymore. He wasn't going to run from where he truly belonged.

Belonging. Not something he'd tried for a while. If the actions that had lead to his inprisonment were any realisation, Konoha wasn't entirely ready for him to belong either. He didn't deserve to belong here. Yet again, he didn't deserve notto. At least he'd eradicated some dangerous threats in his time away from town. Would it count for something if he submitted now? People surely expected a fight out of him, some form of normality (as it were) from the chameleon that was the last Uchiha.

"I'll sit still. I'll be a good boy." He growled, the room's unbearable emptiness already screwing him up. He slumped against a wall and knocked his head against it. "Just let me seesomeone... Pleeeease..." Out of the question. Who'd want to see him? Sakura would, even though she scared him. She was the one who earned his gratitude, what with returning him from the edge of death and all. Nonetheless, he figured she was still pretty obnoxious, despite her crazily huge personality change.

Obnoxious. Naruto was obnoxious, and on a whole different level from anyone else. While Team 7 was in its prime, Naruto was the single person that could rile him up so much he'd want to kill something, and then turn around and be this hero, or show the most uncalled for kindness of understanding. "Just like when we were really little." Sasuke murmured, recalling the evenings when he would sit alone by the lake, ignored by his family, and a strange boy would pull a face at him, followed by the truest of smiles.

He was very aware, at that moment, how much he'd messed up. So much had been lost, so much could have been. But he'd been born into a family condemned to trouble, and unable to stop the events that followed. "Like the homicide of my family, the torture of my brother, that Orochimaru cursing me," Sasuke counted off all his crap on two hands some toes before getting bored. "Geez. It'd be cool if something good happened to me."

That was unreasonable. He knew some good things had happened amongst all the bad stuff. Shorlty before beating him to a pulp, he found a true friend in Naruto before scampering off to the Sound. He'd succeeded in overthrowing Orochimaru with his life in tact. More recently, his ass was rescued from certain death undeservedly by his old team, and that was something to be overjoyed about. "I'd kill to see them again." he muttered groggily, sliding his back down the cool wall of the cell and sitting comfortably on the floor. There was nothing to do.

The ancient corridors wound to a halt in front of a rather cheap looking door. A deceptive feature, since the doorway was riddled with tell-tale markings of foreboding seals. Naruto knew that the various squiggles and lines meant the room beyond was under some serious protection. He wondered whether it was to stop people getting out, or in. His train of thought ground to a stop when the ANBU officer bit a thumb and placed it on a kanji letter beside the door knob. He then placed a hand on the door, and gently pushed. Odd ripples shook the door, in a strangely liquid manner. The man turned to Naruto.

"It's open. You're not allowed so much time, though, so I'll call you when you're up." He spoke stiffly, stepping aside. Naruto had a funny feeling there was a glare hidden under that silly mask, but it wasn't a bad guess. Leaving that aside, Naruto started for the cell.

And then he faltered. "Wait a minute!" He thought, a cold sweat forming on his temples. "What am I doing?? I'm just gonna waltz in there? What about all that stuff I worried about last night??" The ANBU cocked his head to the side questioningly, gazing at him with what Naruto only imagined would be a perplexed expression. "Argh to hell with it. Why else am I here?" He finished, summoning his legendary courage. He gulped, and groped the door handle, entering with deliberation.

He took slow steps into the room. It was dark inside. The room was sparse, a single silhouette breaking up its bland decor. It watched, with half lidded eyes, shining in the unnatural light streaming through the doorway. Naruto stopped in front of the occupant, and gulped. The two stared each other down, waiting for the first move. "He has to do it. He hasto." thought Naruto feverishly, well aware that his cold sweat was visible. The door slammed shut behind him, and the shadow moved to turn on the light.

The bulb stuttered into live, casting its cold, sullen rays onto the shadow. Sasuke sat, watching and waiting. An audible gasp escaped Naruto before he could hold it back.

"Naruto."

His name echoed with a tinny quality in the bare room. The voice still had its pride and spoke with a business-like air. Sasuke sat there, just sat, looking his visitor up and down. He stood. He started forward. Naruto's throat ran dry. He tried to form a sentence, but Sasuke got the better of him.

"S-Sa- Sasuke..." he stammered, standing perfectly still. His heart felt like it was trying to run out the door, and he could tell how obvious his ragged breathing was. It was embarrassing.

Without a single word, Sasuke stuck a hand forward in offering. Naruto stared at it wide-eyed, trying to avoid those sheer black irises that seemed to look right through him. A cough bought Naruto ought of his reverie, and he grasped the hand before him. A handshake. A simple handshake, to sum up all the years, the fighting, the gratitude. A handshake.

"Good to see you up." He said, not quite sure of what else he could say. Their hands lingered on one another for a few pregnant seconds. A warm blush surfaced on his cheeks, and he speedily withdrew his hand, safe for further embarrassment. Sasuke seemed amused by it. He tried desperately not to show it, which only made the blush grow. Fuming, Naruto looked away, casting a fierce glower onto the cold floor at their feet.

"Thanks for visiting. It was getting pretty boring down here..." Sasuke trailed off, he too, uncertain of what to say to this man, his old rival, enemy, and best friend. Naruto bristled. His flush dissolved in an acid expression, but the floor simply refused to melt.

"Really... Sorry for saving your life then." He muttered darkly, the venom clear in his usually jolly voice. The prisoner froze visibly on the spot. The atmosphere in the cell was getting really awkward now. Naruto was half past caring and his irritation built up.

"I didn't mean anything like that..." The man said meekly, as he backed off towards the wall behind. It felt as though something had dropped inside of him as Naruto's anger subsided. The feeling was replaced by something he was altogether too used to. Guilt. Again, he felt like he was pushing Sasuke away, scaring him off with his confusion, a contrast to whenever he was dragging him back. It felt awful, not knowing where he stood, not knowing what to do. He sought his voice, and tried again.

"Sorry! I just- I'm sorry." He tried lamely. "I don't know what I'm supposed to say to you. I mean, what with all of the trying to get you back and then saving you-"

"Here's a tip," Sasuke cut in. "Don't say anything, usuratonkachi." His sombre face split into a small smile, one that spoke volumes while saying nothing at all. It caught Naruto so off-guard he almost turned and ran. But it was there. A smile. On the face of the lonely 'Avenger', the 'last Uchiha', was smiling at him. Blood rushed back up to Naruto's cheeks as he stood speechless. After all that had been said and done, this man was smiling at him, and it was nice. He returned it shyly, but averted his gaze.

The door opened once again and the ANBU's bark made them both jump. "Time's up, Uzumaki. Let's go."

Naruto's face went through a series of modes before he growled an agitated "Fine!" at the officer. He sauntered out of the cell. He paused, turning to face Sasuke as he sat there on the cold floor, with a sorry look. "Those eyes really give away a lot." he mused, smirking inwardly.

"I'll see you around, bastard." He rounded off, shooting one last grin to the Uchiha, who grimaced back, in between a conflict of sheer annoyance and utter joy. The ANBU tapped his foot impatiently and made to seal up the door again. Naruto caught a quick mumble of "Loser," before the door slammed shut, severing the contact.

The officer marched off and Naruto trailed behind, a smug grin slapped all over his visage. Inside, Sasuke sighed.

"That was annoying," He lied.

COMMENTARY

OH NOES! I couldn't decide where to stop, so feedback on length would be peachy. Please. And I don't pretend to know the geography of Tsunade's offices, but there may as well be some emergency cells hanging around, if the Hokage ever feels the need to become a tyrannical despot real quick. Like now. GRIN! Sasuke seems way OOC, but wouldn't you be if you were locked up with yourself? Also, I know some people really hate broken japanese, so I'll only use terminology and "Usuratonkachi" because it just sounds great. Now, I do hate to bring the subject around to this again, but as I said before, it does work, and I wouldn't honourable GGTree-sempai if I didn't. Watch and learn, piggy07:

IF YOU THINK MY STORY IS SO BAD YOU CAN'T EVEN GIVE A REVIEW, I WILL MAKE SURE TO STOP ASAP! REVIEW!! ... DOOOO IT!!

Meanies... Ha, I should be grateful I have 6 when others only get 1. I'm a spoilt child! Plus I'm not even updating all that quickly, due to exams (or sheer laziness :D). But, regardless, I love hearing your views on this piece of cr- this story.

STAY TUNED, REVIEW!

GreengageTREE