They were like a couple of misfit orphans waiting to be adopted by a saint of a parent. Things were not always like this, were they? Though when she had taken her seat as hokage Tsunade could only see just a few sparse glances of how this team used to be, given that they were still little, naive, and ready to take on any task with stubborn enthusiasm. A foolish brat, complaining about getting lousy C-ranked missions, a teacher's pet kunoichi, there to bring a harsh scolding should the brat be too much of a nuisance to tolerate by any other adult, and a composed smart mouth, urging their hokage to get on with the explanation of their mission so that they could leave and be done with this childish display. The three faces that stood before her looked as if they had returned from the dead. Had someone died? Paint these children in black attires, and it would be as if the third hokage had lost his life a second time. Still, Tsunade can't help but feel a little relieved. Naruto and Sakura slowly taking Sasuke by the hand into her office proved her little comfort, but like a double edged sword this would only put her into further concern; Sasuke had a huge hurdle to get over if he was going to take on the new task she would give him.

"What have you summoned us for, m'lady?"

She would lean back into her chair and rest her elbows on top of her armrests. She would exhale a deep breath and keep her eyes fixated on the three of them. It was time to sort them out, no? Tsunade was positive that the three of them were sure they had it coming.

"We need to discuss about Sasuke and it's only right that his former team members be here to listen to what I have to say. I don't mean to probe, Sasuke, but what do you wish to do, now?"

It was not like as if it were Sasuke's choice to return, Sakura figured. Sasuke had fallen as if someone had poured bleach over his eyes. Naruto, unwavering with his kindness towards a friend, brought him home when he was weak with what first aid she had given him to cope with the pain that stung through his eyes. Not once did they get an answer from Sasuke during their travels back home. He needed rest, and supposedly Naruto took advantage of his crippled state to bring him to the village and hopefully keep him there forever.

Did Tsunade see how it happened? Did Tsunade know that Sasuke had been brought here on the possibility that he was brought against his will? Then again, Sakura had no clue of what sorts of thoughts had lurked in Sasuke's mind. He did state about wanting to be hokage, but it was disbelieving. Almost unnatural. Even she could not believe what her ears had heard. No one could. In fact she considered it a joke. Fighting for their lives against the source of all chakra- a god in fact, could mean anything. Proclaiming that they all would become hokage one day, so what? Trembling words of superficial hope: 'If I were hokage, we wouldn't need to fight anymore!' Things like those were what gave them strength. Did it really? Perhaps it wasn't strength. Words like those only made others laugh, laugh because it was stupid, laugh because that was the only thing they could do at the time they faced war. Laugh at the face of death. Did Sasuke feel afraid? Was it even possible? Was it fear that gave Sasuke the mouth to declare himself hokage? Like a poison it spread, the fear of the end, to every member of their graduating year. 'I will become hokage!'

"I desire to continue serving this village."

Which was astoundingly good news, of course. Cue Naruto to make a cheesy comment that would soil the intensity of the atmosphere that hung above them, yet he didn't. Naruto said not a word. Rather he stared difficulty into nothing, brows pulled in a furrowing knit. He was focused, but on what? It was hard to say. Were Sasuke's words very difficult to hear?

"But I understand if you have different plans for me, hokage."

Different, yes. Of course. Sasuke was made out to be a high-class traitor for the bingo books of not only the leaf village, but for all of the five great nations. He had kidnapped the jinchuuriki of the village hidden in the clouds, sided with the Akatsuki, and defeated Danzo, the man the leaf village would have grudgingly call their next hokage. On top of that, had assaulted many of his former comrades and joined with Orochimaru, a wanted man who reeked of havoc for the village hidden in the leaves. All for the sake of killing his older brother, the man considered to be an underground hero, taken to death as a villain until the very end.

"I'm merely just a hokage. Understand that you have committed crimes that has spread across all five nations. It is no longer in my power to clear your name from the records. As of right now, you are still a high-ranking rogue that has a bounty over their head. It's only natural that we should detain you and let you recover in a jail cell, but that's only if the hokage is kind. Be it anyone else- be it Danzo, and you would have been slaughtered long before now."

In which one could hear a hard swallow from Naruto and watch his teeth clench as he awaited the verdict of his dear friend. Tsunade would finish eventually. She took her sweet time to explain the situation to them.

"But because you joined up with the Leaf to defeat one of the world's greatest threats, and because of your peer's mixed feelings about you, I'm allowing you to live and roam freely about the village for now. I'm allowing you to breathe, Sasuke. You ought to be grateful for that."

Was that why he acquired so many cruel stares from the villagers that day?

"In cases like these, the five kage of the five great nations bring it upon themselves to vote whether or not to deem yourself innocent or guilty. In almost every case, every rogue who has gone through the system has been proven guilty and have been killed for their crimes. I voted for your release, however if everyone does not agree in a consensus with me, you will not be freed of your charges and death will await you."

Naruto immediately opened his mouth: "Wait, hold on Granny Tsunade, can't you just-" before being shut down by Tsunade before any point could be made.

"Silence! Do not interrupt me when I'm talking."

As if a man had wrapped a hand around someone's heart, slowly but surely, he would be tugging on the strings, threatening to rip it apart from their chest. Anger besieged the leaf's jinchuuriki as if it were the kyuubi whose chakra wrapped the boy in a dangerous cloak, bringing hostility just at the edge of his finger tips. Like second nature, an impulsive response, Sakura had grabbed onto that boy's arm and begged him to calm down and wait for Tsunade to finish.

"Come on! Sasuke saved the world for crying out loud! Isn't that enough to clear his name? If he hadn't been there, all of us wouldn't be here right now!"

"Naruto! Please, just calm down!" pleaded Sakura. It was unavoidable for the tears to come as they welled at the corners of her eyes. Despite her pleading it only seemed to fuel the boy in his frustrations to protect Sasuke. His fists clenched; he was ready for a fight if it came to it. Though witnessed is a desperate Sakura, most of her inflicted emotions rooted from her desire to let Sasuke free.

Only then did Sasuke take his first few steps forward on his own. He reached for Naruto despite the sudden conflict in their discussion, feeling through his darkness, the spacious air that surrounded his hand until at last reaching him, placing a firm grasp over the boy's shoulder. Thus in one single act did silence dawn upon them. It left Naruto and Sakura a bit surprised; Sasuke had turned his head towards the blond as if he were staring at him through own fish eyes. It was the first sort of interaction Sasuke had ever attempted with Naruto in a while. It was the first time Sasuke had reached Naruto since the war.

"That's enough, Naruto. Let me take on whatever awaits my fate."

He withdrew with the seventh squad aligned shoulder to sholder before Tsunade, standing tall. No, perhaps they were more morbid than tall.

"You ought to call yourself lucky, Uchiha," she continued. "I've voted in favor of removing your wanted status as a rogue ninja. The kazekage has also voted for your freedom."

"Gaara..." sharply whispered Naruto. Redemption was becoming of him through his tensed expression. He was thankful that Gaara had not forsaken Sasuke. He knew he would understand.

"So did the mizukage. We're only awaiting on two more kage. If one of them votes against Sasuke, his name will not be cleared, do you understand?"

"Wait...the raikage..."

Sakura's faint voice addressing the all too stubborn raikage in the land of lightning brought a long sigh from Sasuke's lips, an appropriate response for a hardened man like the raikage.

"If I hadn't been successful..." murmured Sasuke.

"...then you would have killed the raikage's little brother."

It was uncalled for, hearing Naruto finish Sasuke's sentence so easily under his breath. It was as if it were a final death sentence. Nothing should get through the raikage when angered. In fact, he might've wanted to kill Sasuke himself. Even Tsunade wouldn't be surprised if he had entered the leaf village just to get his hands on the boy. She too sighed, a long breath to exhale her weariness towards the man. Sasuke, knowing all too well of the principles behind revenge, would know for sure that his chances with the raikage were almost impossible.

"What am I to do in the meantime while I wait for their responses?" he asked.

"It's a custom. You'll be spending your time in our highest level-security cell. You will not be allowed to leave and will be under surveillance for twenty-four hours a day."

"Understood."

"Wait- hold on!" Naruto would raise his fists in the air before again being silenced by Tsunade a second time.

"Now is not the time, Naruto."

Tsunade would glare at him, a yearning to shove a fist through his stomach vividly highlighted the sparkle in her eyes.

"Before you go, Sasuke," she added, reverting her eyes back to him.

"About the Uchiha residence- I might as well address this now before you go. Since you're the last remaining Uchiha, the property is technically yours. What would you like to do with it?"

"Keep it in tact," he answered.

"I don't want it. If my name gets cleared, I want full access to the estate, but I'd rather not return there unless necessary," for there were important pieces of information regarding the Uchiha bloodline and the Sharingan inside that he did not want leaked. "I want you to preserve it as much as possible if that's an acceptable request. Naturally you'll need to secure that area. There are pieces of information inside of that estate that may be of use to other nations, should they wish to steal it. I want everyone to know what happened to the Uchiha's. I don't want our name to be forgotten."

"Then it's settled," declared Tsunade as she gestured with a single hand. Members of the ambu had already arrived at the back of the room, already beginning to lead Sasuke by the shoulders out of the office.

"Wait, now? Already?! But can't Sasuke-" Naruto watched his friend get taken away.

"Sasuke, these men will lead you to where you'll be staying in the meantime. When the votes come through, we will let you know of your status."

"M'lady, with all due respect Sasuke's injuries haven't healed yet and-" started Sakura.

"Sasuke's eyes haven't improved in over a month. I suspect that they're out for good. He has completely healed, Sakura. He no longer needs anymore treatment and his eyes no longer need an excuse to keep him in a hospital any longer." Did Tsunade know that his eyes were just an excuse to keep him out of jail?

"Sasuke, you and I have seven days to wait for a final vote. You'll be notified of the results by next week." And that was all there was to it before it became the last Naruto and Sakura would see him in while.