The day of Sasuke's trial had come.
Everyone, including Neji himself, was already seated. They were in a different section of the courtroom then the audience that had come to watch.
Neji could swear nearly the entire city was there, wanting to see the undoubtedly soon to be famous trial of Uchiha Sasuke.
It made Neji feel even worse.
He hadn't seen Sasuke after their previous encounter and Neji had been praying for Sasuke's release.
He didn't want to think of what would happen if the Uchiha was both rejected and convicted by his friends in just two days.
Neji looked around, seeing Naruto just two seats beside him. The blonde looked worried, which was quite unusual for the normally optimistic boy.
Beside him were several classmates of Sasuke's. The nara boy and yamanaka girl both looked rather upset.
Neji couldn't quite read them, but neither seemed to have a lot of faith.
There was also Kakashi sensei and Iruka, who both looked emotionless, probably trying to keep themselves under control.
Which seemed especially hard for Kakashi, who had his hands pressed together from the nerves and seemed ready for an attack.
There were some more classmates and teachers, all seemed nervous and sad.
Only one other person caught Neji's eye though.
Sasuke's previous female teammember seemed angry and determined, unlike the others.
She was mad, Neji understood that, but she seemed ready to kill Sasuke on the spot.
Not that she ever would, Neji knew she had more self control then that.
But he wasn't sure she would be very willing to plead Sasuke unguilty in all of this.
That really bothered Neji.
Then finally the council and Tsunade-sama walked in and seated themselves.
Not long after that, Tsunade announced the trial to begin and Sasuke was brought in, chuckled by his arms and assisted by several members of the ANBU.
The younger boy refused to meet anyone's eyes as he walked past them.
It upset Neji more then he thought that the Uchiha wouldn't even look at him.
He felt so bad when he saw that look on Sasuke's face from when he had first set eyes on the Uchiha's face when he was in prison.
No hope.
Sasuke clearly had no faith in this entire trial.
Neji watched as Sasuke was seated in the trial area, secluded from everyone else.
Then it began.
The first people they talked to were the teachers.
They were asked questions about Sasuke's behaviour, if any of them could have predicted this outcome, if they could have prevented it.
They were asked if they thought Sasuke would do this again if given the chance.
If they thought he could change.
Neither of them could answer that and the ones that were completely honest said they didn't think it was wise giving him a chance.
Each time he heard that, Neji felt his own hope sink in his shoes.
This certainly wasn't looking too good for Sasuke.
When asked the question if he thought Sasuke would be stable enough to prevent himself from doing this again, not even Kakashi could answer this in positivity.
He was trying and he told them they couldn't keep someone out of fear for what he might do in the future.
But it didn't matter. The council had made up their mind that that was exactly what this trial was about, just as Kakashi had feared.
It was unfair, even though Neji could understand that people thought it was dangerous to let Sasuke go free.
Next up were Sasuke's classmates.
Neji was surprised by how the Inuzuki boy tried to defend Sasuke, saying that if he had been in Sasuke's shoes he might have done the same.
But when asked if Kiba was ok with the slightest possibility of it happening again, he couldn't honestly answer that he'd be fine with that.
Nobody wanted a repeat, for the sake of the people they cared about that were highly effected by it all.
Yamanaka Ino and Hinata tried their best to speak positive, but just as the others they couldn't guarantee that Sasuke had changed.
Others were more pessimistic. Aburame Shino and Akimichi Chouji didn't seem to think it was safe and the Nara boy even went as far as to saying that he had thought of every possible outcomes, and a lot of them would involve a repeat of some sort.
Each conversation made the air in the courtroom seem more heavy, but Neji also kept a close eye on Sasuke.
To the audience he probably seemed undisturbed, staring at the ground like he didn't care.
But Neji could see how he was working hard on keeping his breathing steady and his body still.
When Kakashi spoke, Sasuke visibly struggled with keeping up his facade.
A muscle twitch, a breath taken to heavily. Neji thanked his trained eyes for making him able to see this.
And suddenly he wondered why Sasuke had to be here for this.
Why couldn't they have just told him the outcome afterwards?
Why did they need him to hear everyone say that they had no faith in him, at least not enough to let him go.
Then, Neji's own name was being called out and after he got up to take the stand, he looked at Sasuke.
The younger boy had gone completely still, not wanting, or not daring to make a move at the mention of Neji's name.
Neji barely got any significant questions.
It seemed more like he had been assigned a behavioural study and they were lucky he was this good at it.
Had he only done his job, they would not have gotten any information from him.
No matter what they would ask him though, he would never tell them it was better having Sasuke locked away.
The Uchiha had changed and Neji just hoped that him being subjective to this would make an impact.
He kept repeating how he couldn't see Sasuke as a threat, that he believed Sasuke wanted to protect Konoha and wasn't going to jeopardize it any more.
"What in his previous actions in jail have caused you to believe he will not act like that again?" One of the council members asked.
"Sasuke has not shown any aggressive behaviour in prison nor has he tried to escape." Neji answered in all seriousness.
He knew he had a certain air around that might just save Sasuke.
Not many people doubted his ability to judge others.
"He has not, but how can you guarantee that he won't in the future?"
"Why would he go through all this trouble saving konoha, saving it's people, just to destroy it later?" Neji countered.
He had figured this would be Sasuke's best chance.
It was a fair statement and Neji watched as the council members looked at each other.
"But you can not guarantee us he won't, can you?" One of them then asked and Neji narrowed his eyes.
He got it now. This was not a fair trial. Not even in the slightest.
The only question they wanted answered was if anyone could guarantee Sasuke had changed.
And obviously no one could.
It was impossible for anyone to do so and thus Sasuke's fate had been sealed.
Tsunade might have gotten the council so far as to let his friends decide, but she couldn't obligate the council to ask the questions that mattered.
She couldn't give him a fair trial if the question it was based on was impossible to answer in positivity.
"That is an unfair question." Neji said and he could hear the surprised gasps from several audience members.
He didn't care.
"I'm sorry you feel that way." The council member said. "However that is the question this trial is based on."
"Wait, what is that supposed to mean?" Neji turned to see Naruto had stood up angrily.
The blonde wasn't as dense as Neji made him out to be sometimes. He had caught on too.
"Please sit down." Another council member said.
"But Neji's right, it's unfair. No one can guarantee that. But you can't guarantee anything in life." Naruto said.
Neji could see his was pissed off at this. And so were several other people.
But Neji also knew there was nothing they could do.
Tsunade proved that when she ordered Naruto to sit down.
The blonde did after some reluctance and Neji was dismissed just like that.
It was when he walked back that he looked at Sasuke again.
The Uchiha hadn't moved, but his eyebrows were furrowed.
It was clear he still hated the council. And Neji completely agreed.
He almost wanted Sasuke to go mad and just take care of things. But that wouldn't solve a thing.
Sakura was the final person to be heard.
Neji wondered if it was deliberate. Leave the most pessimistic person for last.
In everything she said sounded how hurt she was. How angry she was with Sasuke still.
She pretty much told them that she wanted him in prison forever and Neji felt anger towards her.
She was being unreasonable and even though he understood, she should have been more objective.
She was better then that and both her and Sasuke deserved more.
As Neji looked at the younger boy again, he was looking away from Sakura.
Sasuke cared about Sakura obviously, so this must have been particularity hard.
Their had been only three people in Konoha Sasuke truly cared about and one of them was stabbing him in the back.
Even though Sasuke seemed to think he deserved this.
As Sakura was done with her statement, because honestly she had barely been asked any questions, the council asked all 'witnesses' as they called them to sit back down.
They were asked the final question, to which they'd have to answer with a simple yes or no.
But the question irked Neji. As soon as it was asked, he knew Sasuke was going to jail for life.
This was it. Nobody except Naruto and him, maybe Kakashi, would answer with yes.
Is it safe to release Uchiha Sasuke.
In came the answers and it was no after no after no.
Some were reluctant, others felt bad but saw it as the right thing to do.
Naruto had said yes, so had Neji himself. Kakashi had been silent for a while but had answered with yes as well.
Three times a yes, nine times no.
As soon as the last person spoke his judgement, Neji turned to Sasuke.
For the first time in probably ever, the Uchiha was visibly upset amongst people.
His eyebrows furrowed somewhere between anger and sadness, his eyes cast to the floor.
Neji could see it took everything of the other boy not to burst.
Then he looked up, right at where Neji was sitting.
It was not a coincidence, couldn't be because Sasuke looked at him and kept his gaze fixated.
For the first time Neji didn't know what that look meant. It was as if he was begging for something, someone to rescue him from this.
Neji vaguely heard the council calling judgement, telling the guards to take Sasuke to his cell, where he'd be for the rest of his life.
But all he could do was stare, trying to think of something to make the other feel better. Anything.
He never felt such strong things for another person except Hinata and his father.
That want to protect the people you care about.
Somehow the Uchiha had managed to make him care. Or maybe Sasuke hadn't done anything and it just happened.
It had just happened. Just like it had happened to Sasuke.
Neji wanted to get up and object, but in that moment Sasuke turned his eyes away and Neji noted the unevened breathing.
Sasuke was supressing a panic attack. The younger boy let the guards pull him up and away from the crowd and Neji knew not a lot of people could see how far his despair reached.
Limbs shaking, his legs just barely under control enough to walk.
As Sasuke was moved out of the room, Neji caught a glance at Naruto, who seemed almost just as upset as Sasuke.
He seemed to want to object like no other, but just like Neji, Naruto knew it had no use.
Whatever they did, the council would find a way to get Sasuke back in prison.
Sakura on the other hand seemed both upset, but also looked like she thought Sasuke got what he deserved.
A part of her probably did.
It angered Neji once again.
But he had more to do then worry about Sakura's statement. He was going to see Sasuke.
Today even.
He needed to.
-.-.-