Disclaimers: I don't, and will never, own Naruto… *walks away* Never… *bursts into tears*

My Ramblings: hey! *wipes away tears* i like this chapter for some reason. maybe because i was sortakinda planning parts of it out ahead of time. and hahahaha, this (chapter) title is so gay. but I love it. oh, and a warning to Ibiki-lovers (if any): i'm kinda bashing him in this chapter, making him out to be the bad guy sorrtttt of. annnnnd!—please review! even it's like a gazillion years later and you read this story, i would still and always appreciate the review. i enjoy randomosity. …oh, it's a word alright. enjoy my lovelies. mwuha. (gosh, i'm rambling so much, and LOOK more...)

…btw, i love Inner-Sakura. SHANNARO! don't ya agree?

oh, hey, some of you—i'm guessing most of you—probably don't know this, but i have some updates on my profile. you can totally skip my personal stuff, i honestly don't care.. but i'm just letting you know so you will feel more updatedical. ( hahahahahaha, that wasn't red for a second telling me it wasn't a word… so i was like HOLY FRIGGIN' CRAP THAT'S A WORD! *genius* then it did turn red. *sweatdrops*)

Clay Hearts

Chapter Seven:

The Unwelcoming Committee

"You're almost 'home', Haruno."

My viridian eyes, now much more dull, looked up from the ground for the first time in hours, maybe almost a day. (Even though my Inner told me to keep my chin high and be strong, I didn't care.) The world was still as leafy and green as before, except the shapes of Konohagakure began to appear. The wide gate and walls of the village were staring me down. The main gate was wide open, as if welcoming me back.

My heart skipped a beat. Even though I could sense the slight mocking remark at the word, I inwardly smiled. I am home. I would have sighed, but then I remembered my situation. I was thought to have tried to kill the Hokage. My wrists were bound in chakra handcuffs. ANBU Black Ops surrounded me, guarded me, escorting me to my fate wherever it may lead.

Just about in front of the gate, the main squad leader spoke to the others, telling the other six—who I'm guessing wasn't in his squad—to go report to the Council Leaders.

The one that I grew to hate the most, the cocky one, left along with his group. Thank God. I could barely stand him when we were heading back to Konoha. He couldn't really be in ANBU, could he? He had too much emotion for that position and rank. Does he have special connections?—But if he did, that's not supposed to count. Unless he knows Tsunade (or someone that controls the Black Ops) and she allowed him. Or Danzo. However, Danzo's ANBU, Root, is trained to not know a single emotion. My mind went to Sai, especially when I first met him. This overconfident idiot was most definitely not like Sai or any of the Root members, from what I know.

The leader looked met my eyes: masked eyes met troubled green eyes. Then he turned his head of dark brown hair—with the slightest tints of red shining through—and said to his team, and me, "Let's go."

I wasn't sure whether or not to hang my head in shame and sorrow or hold my head up high in confidence and courage. It was actually a strangely difficult decision. I chose to simply look forward, neither towards the ground or my nose turned up into the air. I chose this for two reasons. One, it was the easier choice, the one in between; Two, I wanted to see my… home. Home. The word I shouldn't probably use so loosely. Nonetheless, this is my home, whether or not they hated me or shunned me.

Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane stood with not well hidden shock and astonishment on their faces. I wanted to give them a small smile, saying simply, "Hey," or something along those lines. But when I did give them that tiny half-smile, trying to be hopeful, they immediately glared at me and crossed their arms. I jerked my head away from them.

So much for that.

When we were more in the part of the village where the people were, I looked around. I met eyes with a stout woman and she dropped whatever she had in her hand as she gasped dramatically and loudly. That caught just about everyone's attention. They glanced at her and saw what she was staring at. Me: Sakura Haruno. All of their eyes turned to look at me and every single one widened in what I thought was shock.

I began to hear whispers amongst the crowd of people. "What is Sakura doing with those ANBU?—In custody?" It seemed that the commoners and even most ninja didn't know about what I supposedly did.

"What's going on?"

"That's Sakura Haruno?"

"That can't be Sakura can it?" a woman, the one that had dropped something, asked earnestly.

The man she asked, her husband, responded, "Who else has that hair, hun?"

I sighed as we kept moving forward, my head lowered now. Although a particular cry from the crowd caught my attention.

"Oh shit. Naruto's gonna fucking kill somebody." The voice sounded familiar, I looked up to see Kiba towards the side, Akamaru barking in agreement with his Master.

My eyes widened at the ground. Oh shit, I concurred with his statement. I forgot about what Naruto will do. Wait—Is he even back from his mission with Sai yet? I shook my head, "Shit." Two of the ninjas escorting me to I-don't-know-where looked over at me, then looked forward again. I sighed.

-x-x-x-

Naruto sneezed.

"Someone must be speaking of you," the pallid boy stated.

The blonde looked over to his friend, "Eh?"

Sai kept looking forward, "I read it in a book. When someone sneezes, it means that they're being talked about." He looked over to Naruto with that smile of his.

The boy smiled confidently, "Really? Then that must mean they really do miss me back in Konoha! Talking about me already! Maybe Granny-Tsunade has finally thought of stepping down and making me the Hokage."

Sai turned his head forward again. Poor dickless and his poor, dickless wishes. Then again, being the Hokage would mean you'd have some balls. But he's not Hokage yet! (If ever.)

It was silent for the next minutes and then a violent, loud, obnoxious, so very Naruto-like shout threw itself out into the air, "LOOK! We're home! See it, eh, eh, eh?" His face lit up like a gigantic light bulb, as if the sun was randomly thrown into the darkest of nights, brightest then.

"I am not blind."

"I didn't say you wer—"

"Nor am I deaf."

"I didn't say—"

"No, you didn't say," Sai said as he focused on the open gate leading to the inside of the village, "you yelled."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, grimaced, and crossed his arms, looking away, "Well, I'm sorry I'm excited to go home." His grimace turned into a smile, "And see Sakura-chan!"

"I am, of course, loyal to Konoha and Sakura is one of my fellow peers, a teammate," he stated blatantly but with his fake smile.

"Yeaaaaah," Naruto sweat-dropped, but then practically jumped as he spoke, "Now let's go, Sai!"

The two hurried to the entrance, to see an angered, slightly confused, slightly (still) shocked, and wholly a "Oh, hellll nawwwww," expression on Kotetsu and Izumo's face.

"What's up, guys?" Naruto asked cheerfully.

Izumo glanced over at his friend, giving him the "Fuck,-Naruto-is-here-and-he-is-gonna-find-out" look combined with the "What-the-hell-are-we-supposed-to-do?" one.

Kotetsu merely shrugged and said, to Naruto, "Not too much. You may want to talk to go to the Hokage Tower. Someone will probably want to talk to you."

Naruto fist-pumped the air, "Yes!" he turned to Sai, "See? I told you! Granny's finally thinking on the right path now." He looked to Izumo and Kotetsu and smiled, "Thanks! See you guys later!" Naruto ran ahead of Sai as the two men that stood at the gate's entrance began to tell Sai that Sakura was only about an hour ago submitted back to Konohagakure. Then he, out of habit, asked about the boy's mission. Sai said it was easy enough, not mentioning the hard work of keeping Naruto out of the know of the Sakura situation.

The blonde-haired, blue-eyed, whiskered-boy beamed as he ran ahead, almost at the Hokage Tower when his eyes catch sight of a familiar pink. He smiled even wider, if that was possible, "Sakura-chan!"

The girl turned her head with a forlorn look set upon her face and smiled sadly as she's dragged by her accompanying ANBU into prison.

Naruto's smile fades into a look of horror and melancholy. His heart dropped to his stomach—no, lower, to the ground. He felt as if he was going to have a heart attack. Maybe he was, but he didn't care about that. He just saw Sakura, his Sakura-chan, being thrown into prison. Naruto's heart fell lower than he could ever thought it could, dragging him down with it. He bit his fanged teeth into his lower lip, suppressing a scream and ran as fast as he could to the Hokage Tower.

-x-x-x-

NORMAL POV

When I saw Naruto's face, as all smiles fade, I wanted to die there. I never, ever would want him to see me like this. At least I wasn't crying… that would be the worst combination there.

"Haruno. Move."

I bit my lower lip as I entered a small-seeming building by the Hokage Tower. Yeah, it seemed small. It really wasn't—the rest of the building was under the Hokage Tower. The structure that I was being led through was the Konoha Prison of Torture and Interrogation. I prayed that it would be the latter. Of course I was strong, but Ibiki Morino was the absolute worst.

A memory popped up in my mind, I shut my eyes and turned away, as if turning away from the remembrance. I recall when I had to be the medical-nin to oversee and heal his tortured victims. Even before he had begun, I saw much more blood than I have seen simply at the hospital. Stained and sprayed all across the walls, the color of red the highlight of the torture rooms. I almost gagged at the thought. Then I remember the actual persons who had to go through that torture. What they looked like after Morino was done with them… I shook my head, now getting slightly light-headed. It was horrible. I understand in a fight that things like that have to be done… but just to get information out of someone? Or to be just cruel? The higher ups sometimes would tell Ibiki no physical or painful torture… but sometimes the man merely couldn't help himself. He lived for the pain of others now. The word "sadist" whispered in my mind.

I shuddered involuntarily. Yes, I pray to God and to all my ancestors that it isn't torture.

Here I sat. In the exact same place as, unfortunately, so many men (and even woman) sat before. In Ibiki Morino's chair. Oh, not a mere chair that you just sit in and it is his. No, it is the chair he claims is his because it is where his victims bleed and scream and slowly die if they don't answer to him or any authority.

And so begins the constant, nagging thoughts in my mind as I waited for people to come to talk to me first. I sat alone in the dark, bloodied room. I had heard that Ibiki had once had the rooms cleaned, but not anymore. It was too much work, too much effort. It was only going to be stained the next day.

I am going to get tortured. They won't believe me when I say I didn't do it.

Dude, you're starting to even get me down. So please calm thine fucking self or whatever.

I shoved one of the memories I had from being the medic-nin here to my Inner's "side" of my mind. Look. I could sense her doing so. Look what might happen to me.

We're in some deep shit if that comes to that.

I nodded once without thinking, my head still down.

The door opened and deep, gruff voice were heard, "She asleep?" Probably Morino.

I cocked my head up, looking at the people in front of me. There stood Kakashi, Ibiki, the three ANBU that escorted me through the village, and a woman I couldn't recognize from the shadows. A gasp was emitted from the girl. It sounded familiar somehow in a way.

Picking my eyes up away from the dark figure in the back of the room, I looked over to my old sensei. A wave of nostalgia washed over me and I almost grinned at the thought. Then I would look where I am and who else was in the room with me and the thought would be instantly canceled out in my brain.

Kakashi—and his eye that almost seemed lazy that now seemed to be a little strained, stress, I'm guessing—walked closer to me. The other men followed (minus the one female ANBU with short, strawberry blonde hair) but sensei was closest. "Sakura," he simply said. In that word, I understood something, I looked up to his lone eye to confirm what I thought I heard. He didn't believe that I had committed what everyone else thought I did. He had belief in me. Like he always had.

In all concurrence, I tore my gaze from his eye to his whole masked face, "Kakashi."

His eye almost crinkled in a happy grin form, "What?—No '-sensei?'"

I shook my head and looked down, whispering under my breath, "What?—No '-chan?'" I sighed and spoke something that people could actually hear. "What do you want with me?"

It was Ibiki's turn to speak, "Yes. Like you don't know," he chuckled darkly, "You all are all the same," he glared, calling me a criminal, as bad as the rest. He walked up to me, got in my face, and spat (ugh, a little too literally), "Did you try to kill the Godaime Hokage?"

Kakashi Hatake put his hand out in front of Ibiki's chest, "Ibiki. Not now. Wait until the most of us are gone." He looked over to the ANBU and nodded once, dismissing them, "Go." They flew off like butterflies in the wind, each going their own direction, yet all heading back to the Hokage Tower.

Ibiki glowered, "And are you leaving, Hatake?"

Said man shook his head, backing up a bit.

The torturer/interrogator looked at me again, asking his question through his brown eyes. Though I understood it, he spoke it again, "Did you try to kill the Hokage?"

My brow furrowed in resent, "No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

I tried to stand up, but then realized that I was still, indeed tied down by restraints on this chair. "When I say I'm sure I'm fucking sure!" I shouted.

A hand slapped itself across my face: Ibiki's of course. He must have had something on his fingers, like a ring. Maybe it was one of those jagged, sharp rings that were made to hurt. Perfect for someone like Ibiki. Dressed to kill: that asshole takes it too fucking literally.

Inner-Me screamed, wanting to kill this guy—whether or not he is or once was an ally.

I glared daggers into his face that I so wanted to scar up some much with my fist and kunai. (Anger issues, especially entertained by my Inner, are bad ones.)

"Morino. That was out of line. Shizune said—" Kakashi began and got interrupted.

"I know what Shizune said. It was only a slap."

"She's bleeding," said an irritated Kakashi, but he hid it under his professionalism and mask. "Shizune and the Council wanted to see her after you had interrogated her a bit. They want her in the same condition, if not better, as she was when she came back to the Hidden Leaf."

Ibiki definitely seemed pissed at Kakashi. I would have smiled at the thought that Kakashi was annoying Morino if it wasn't for, once again, my situation and the—though small, but still there—line of blood running down my face. Ibiki's gaze turned to the back of the room, where the lone woman still stood. "Heal her," he said as he left the room with Kakashi sauntering behind.

He looked back once, a subtle, though earnest look on his face. "I believe you, Sakura-chan." His silent words said.

I smiled sadly towards the ground as the woman came forward. I forgot about that until I heard her slow movements and almost tripping. My eyes widened at the girl in front of me.

"S-Sakura…"

"Ino…?"

Her face was full of horror over what Ibiki had done and I almost pitied her. Especially with me being gone and Tsunade as well, Ino would have to take my place. And my shoes were hard to fill. She placed a glowing hand on my left cheek, healing the shallow wound. She took as slow as possible on purpose. She murmured something.

I met her eyes, "Hn?"

"Did you really do it, Sakura?" Her eyes were showing the fear she held and the apprehension of my answer.

I snorted as she removed her hand. "Do you think I did that?"

"I don't know. I mean, I guess, you know, you could. But would you…? I… I don't think so."

I gave her a small, sad smile, "Right answer."

She pulled me into a hug and whispered, "I've missed you Forehead."

I laughed once (for the first time in a few weeks), "And I you, Pig."

Ino released me, for once not offended by that name. "If only it was as simple as that," she mused.

"What?"

"If only Ibiki would accept your answer so easily. I believe you, I…" she stopped her words there. But I knew what was going to come next. "I believe you, I think."

I heaved a sigh, "Go on, Ino. Tell whatever guard that I'm ready to see the Council."

She nodded, hesitating for a moment and then disappeared out the door. Ibiki came in, grudgingly releasing me from my bonds, but soon handcuffed my wrists with chakra, leading me out. Kakashi was there, waiting as well. I wasn't surprised at his actions as I saw him tucking a particular orange book into his pocket.

x-x-x

Kakashi Hatake waited outside the room his (former) pink haired student was stuck in. While Ino Yamanaka healed the small wound, Kakashi took out his copy of Icha Icha. He wanted to read it, but his heart wasn't in it. (Weird for him, huh?) Instead, he attempted to eavesdrop on the conversation he knew would be going on in there.

Morino seemed occupied with his own thoughts and mumblings about getting what he wanted out of Sakura. The man glared voluntarily and involuntarily at him. Kakashi understood that everyone thinks Sakura was the absolute suspect for this odd mystery… but everyone was being so hard on her. I mean, what if it isn't her?—Like Kakashi thought.

Time seemed to pass slower than usual. But finally, the Ino girl came out, muttering that she was ready and Ibiki rushed into the room. Eager to get things finally in motion. No, not to go to the Council, but Kakashi bet so afterwards Ibiki could have his time trying to get whatever the hell he expected her to admit.

Kakashi slammed his Icha Icha shut and put it in his pocket as the girl with pink hair came out, chakra binding her wrists. He let out a small sigh, unheard.