Arc II – Chapter X
The Hokage was beyond mad.
It had been one of the worst, most stressing days of her life! Thank Kami she had her Sake to ease her nerves (and no, she does NOT have a problem with alcohol!). Sometimes she wished she could torture the council members until they could speak/scream no more!
The blonde sighed. The shinobi who were part of the previous day mission should arrive at any minute. She sent Shizune to bring Sasuke and Sakura.
As the younger woman did so, the older couldn't help but sigh again. During that morning her apprentice Haruno Sakura had to be taken to another cell. Apparently, the Uchiha survivor had tried to start a conversation and she responded by throwing the only chair in the cell against the chakra wall that separated them, smashing said object into tiny little pieces.
The second time he tried she had thrown the bed.
There were no more objects in the cell so, afraid that the third time he tried the girl would try to punch her way through the wall to kill him (which would… hmm… 'fry' her a bit), the Hokage took the pink-haired girl to another cell, the farthest possible to the raven-haired boy.
At least that had been a good excuse for her to leave the meeting with the council for a few moments.
The meeting was stressful, to say the least, but they managed to make all the decisions that needed to be made shortly after lunch time.
The office's doors opened revealing Shizune and Sakura. The last one sat while the first one left to get Sasuke.
Tsunade watched carefully the girl in front of her. She looked a bit like a lifeless doll. The only emotions she had shown since the end of the mission were hatred and anger towards the man that had taken her lover from her.
In spite of her emotionless exterior, the Godaime knew that Sakura was feeling a great sadness. She could clearly remember when her own lover, Dan, died in her arms.
A knock on the door brought her back from her musings. Hyuuga Neji and Hyuuga Hinata entered the room. After giving the Hokage their reports Neji sat by Sakura's side and Hinata at his other side. The pink-haired kunoichi raised her head and offered them a small smile, which they returned (well, in Neji's case more like a smirk).
Next came Uchiha Sasuke, who sat at the other side of the room. Sakura merely kept looking straight ahead, watching as Shizune was sitting at the Hokage's side, with TonTon on her lap.
One by one everyone was arriving, leaving their reports at the table before taking their seats.
Guess who was the last one to arrive? That's right, our own copy-ninja Hatake Kakashi, who (gasp!) was only half-an-hour late! The world must be at its end! The apocalypse is near!
Sakura gave a small chuckle as she saw her ex-sensei sit and grab his oh-so-familiar orange book.
The Hokage coughed, hiding a smile, obviously pleased at her apprentice's changed behavior.
"Now that we're all here…" She glared at Kakashi who scratched the back of his neck sheepishly and lowered his book to look at her. "…lets get this over with."
"This morning I had a very interesting conversation with Uchiha Sasuke over there…" The Hokage tilted her head in Sasuke's direction as she talked. "…followed by a meeting with the council members -…"
The Godaime was interrupted by a knock on the door. Sighing she ordered the person to enter. The doors opened revealing a panting Kyra.
"Sorry I'm late."
Sasuke snickered and the blue-haired girl glared daggers at him while closing the doors.
"It's okay, your sensei said you were in the middle of something and would be late."
Kyra nodded gratefully and quickly scanned the room. The only chair left was at the Hokage's table. Sighing she just leaned against a wall, far from the Uchiha.
CHIBI MODE ON! (that's right! CHIBIS!) A moment of comic relief.
Tsunade: I hope you were careful with the trees. (smirks mischievously)
Kyra: (flails) Come one, that was an accident!
Everyone else except Sasuke: (laughing)
Kyra: (glares daggers at everyone) Meanies!
Kiba: You have to admit, though, it was funny.
Kyra: (smiles) Yes it was.
Sasuke: (clueless) Nani?
Genma: There was this one time that she came back from the cinema with the guys and was walking home, walking backward and listening to someone who was talking to her about the movie. Kyra-chan then started to sing and dance a music that had been on the movie while walking and when she turned she bumped into a tree.
Kyra: It was only my shoulder! (pouts)
Sasuke: (snickers) Clumsy.
Kyra: Shut up chicken-boy.
Sasuke: (glares) What did you just call me?
Kyra: (grows kitten tail and ears) Chicken-boy! Your hair seriously looks like a chicken's butt!
Sasuke: No it doesn't!
Everyone else: Yes it does!
Sasuke: (sulks)
END CHIBI MODE
The Hokage coughed and resumed her speech.
"As I was saying I had an interesting meeting with the council today, which someone overheard." Tsunade glared at Kyra who was sweat dropping, anime style. "I still don't know how I didn't take notice of you until the end."
"With all due respect Hokage-sama, no one in your place would if they were stuck with the council members. Seriously, I don't know how you could stand those old geezers and break only a desk…"
Shizune sweat dropped. So that's why she had to replace the desk at the meeting's room.
The Legendary Sucker coughed hiding a smirk.
"Yeah, well I'm not a Sannin for nothing. But that still doesn't change the fact that what you did was wrong!"
"And you're punishing me accordingly." The blue-haired girl glared at Uchiha.
The Hokage smiled evilly. "I couldn't just let you walk away with it, now could I? Besides I did accept your request."
Kyra crossed her arms and pouted saying nothing else.
"On with this. First of all, I want to say that Sakura was forgiven and will NOT be treated differently because of what happened in the mission. She did not betray the village so I don't want anyone treating her like a traitor. She did not act as she should have and for that, she will be punished, but as far as all of you are concerned nothing happened. Is that clear?"
Everyone nodded and Neji let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. From the corner of his eye, he saw Sakura giving a small smile.
"Haruno Sakura, you won't be going on missions until I say otherwise. You will continue your medical formation and will work at the hospital during that time. Also, you will be living with Kyra-chan over there. And there's no arguing, this is your punishment. You cannot leave Konohagakure unless ordered by me and accompanied. Do you accept these conditions?"
"Yes, I do."
Hyuuga Neji seemed like he was about to protest but was stopped when Kyra gave him a mischievous smirk. "You are all welcome to visit at any time." Neji gave her a grateful look. Kyra then turned her gaze to Sasuke, who was plotting a way to get Sakura, and glared at him. "Well, ALMOST everyone."
Sasuke held her glare with one of his own.
"I don't think Sasuke will be needing to go to your house since you will be spending so much time in his." At that Sasuke and Kyra glared at the Hokage, who smirked evilly. "Oh, Kyra-chan, don't tell me you forgot? That is your own punishment! That's what you get for eavesdropping."
Sasuke then glared at Kyra (he seems to be doing that a lot lately). "It's all your fault."
Said girl turned to him with narrowed eyes. "Well, Uchiha-sama, unlike you I do help my friends. I was worried about Sakura-senpai and I couldn't just stand back and watch! But I guess a traitor like you wouldn't know anything about that."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Don't call me that." He said in a very deadly voice.
"Does it look like I care? If it depended on me you would be death with the rest of that clan of yours."
That did it. Sasuke's onyx eyes turned red and he prepared to attack the girl but was stopped by Jiraiya and Kakashi.
The Hokage stood up and slammed her hand on the desk, fortunately without chakra. "Enough! Uchiha sit! Kyra, what the hell is wrong with you? You're not like this!"
Kyra lowered her head. "Gomen…" She then raised her head again, this time with her usual grin back in place. "But please, do continue. I think we're all dying to know what's going to be the trai-, ahem, I mean Uchiha-san's punishment."
The Hokage sighed and turned to Sasuke, who was now sitting and with his onyx eyes back. "Uchiha Sasuke you will be under ANBU surveillance 24/7. You will also take no part in missions until I say otherwise. You will be living in your house, alone. Your chakra will be restrained at all times, that is why Kyra will be at your house every day. She will monitor carefully if your chakra is never above the level I assigned and will also be checking how your body is reacting to that. You can NEVER do any forbidden technique unless I approve of it previously. You can train alone, but never do a Jutsu above D-rank level. You can do B-rank Jutsu only with the sparring partners I assigned: the members of team 7, Jiraiya, myself or your medic-nin, Kyra. If your sparring partner allows, you can use an A-rank Jutsu on him/her. S-rank jutsus, that are not forbidden, can be done with the supervision of one of the people I stated above, but NEVER on them. Those are the conditions. Do you accept?"
The Uchiha glared but nodded.
"Good, I think that covers everything. I want you to spread the news that Uchiha Sasuke is back and forgiven. Everyone can leave now except for Sasuke and Sakura. I'll have to do a quick examination on both of you and seal part of Sasuke's chakra, then you can go on your merry way."
One by one the shinobi left the room. Before leaving Kyra said she would wait for Sakura outside. And she did in the corridor, where she found Neji.
"Kyra-san." He greeted.
"Hyuuga-san." Sasuke joined them in the corridor but both of the previous occupants ignored him. "And please I told you to stop calling me Kyra-san. I hate it! It's Kyra or Kyra-chan!"
The Hyuuga chuckled. "Only if you stop calling me by my last name."
"Deal!"
"I'm at disadvantage here, what is your last name? I don't recall anyone ever mention it?"
"Wouldn't you like to know? Just kidding! My last name is… unimportant. So, Neji-san, I did mean it when I said you could visit whenever you want. But unfortunately, I must tell you I won't be there often, so you have to be all alone with our dear Sakura-senpai…" She said with fake sadness as the Hyuuga smirked.
Sasuke, on the other hand, wasn't all that pleased.
Sakura left the room and Sasuke passed by her to get inside. As his hand barely brushed hers as he walked, the pink-haired girl shoved him aside, making him bump into Kyra who shoved him as well sending him against the wall. The two girls and the Hyuuga prodigy left without a word while the Uchiha glared holes into their backs. How he wished he could kill them now!
He entered the room for Tsunade to drain a part of his chakra.
Neji followed them to Kyra's apartment and ended up staying for dinner. He would also help them get Sakura's stuff in the morning. She didn't need to get anything for the night since she had a few clothes at Kyra's apartment. It was usual for her to spend the night there, especially since the apartment was closer to the Hokage's tower and the hospital (which came in handy after hours of train/work).
Neji left and the girls went to sleep.
An hour later Kyra knocked at Sakura's room door.
"Sakura-senpai, you can't sleep?"
Said girl had the lights on and was staring out of the window. She turned her sad green eyes to her friend. "I slept enough in prison. You?"
"I was finishing a report for my sensei."
The pink-haired girl nodded and resumed watching the world outside the window.
"I don't know anything about drawings but I bought you a drawing book and pencils. I know you like to draw." She handed Sakura a package and watched as her eyes lit happily as she thanked her.
Kyra left the room and Sakura began drawing, lost in her own thoughts.
She had taken an interest in it after she met Sai and decided to try it one day. Turns out she was a natural. She liked drawing a lot, it soothed her. Her drawings were becoming better day by day.
Some time later the lights were turned off as the kunoichi went to sleep. On the table, there was a drawing book. On the top page was drawn a beautiful weasel with mesmerizing onyx eyes.