A/N: The reviews are loved so much I'd hug you all but sadly this is the internet and I can't do that. But rest assured if I could I would. Yeah. And, just so everyone knows the fight between Deidara and Sasuke didn't happen. Both of them know each other, but they never fought. Just so we're clear on that. Other than that I really don't have much to say.
Disclaimer: I'm on a FANFICTION site. Read in between the lines.
Last time,
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"You came back to me."
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"I guess I did."
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"Well, looks like we have a trial on our hands."
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Deidara had a feeling this was going to go to all hell.
It had been two days since Sasuke's return. He was taken to the Konoha prison outside the village. As per orders the members of team seven weren't permitted to go visit him. The council thought that they would be brainwashed into Sasuke's ideas.
But today it didn't matter, as today was the trial. It doesn't take much for a trial when you mention 'returned' and 'Sasuke Uchiha' in the same sentence. Some council members had been out of the country but the urgent matter had them running for Konoha. All members were to be present, as were the Anbu captains, the high ranked Jonin, and the two top Chunin.
"What do you think's going to happen?" Sakura asked, showing some of her nerves. Naruto smiled at her. They were some of the high ranked Jonin that had to go. Therefore they were walking on the main road, the background full of buzz and whispers.
"Come on, Sakura. He'll totally be let off," Naruto stated, smiling despite the chances that weren't good.
"I hope so," she said, fidgeting with her barely-there finger nails. She never fidgeted, it was proof of how nervous she really was. Naruto put a reassuring arm around her shoulders.
"Believe it, Sakura," Naruto grinned. That smile was contagious and Sakura caught herself smiling with him.
"Thank you, Naruto," she told him and gave him a hug, that he returned. They stood in front of the Hokage Tower looking up at it. The sun was on the western side of the sky now and Naruto and Sakura were on the east, getting the dark side of the Tower. It looked foreboding, dark, and slightly creepy. Naruto, Sakura realized, looked slightly green.
"That tower wasn't so creepy this morning, was it?" he asked, looking like he needed a barf bag. Sakura could sympathize.
"Nuh-uh," Sakura mumbled before she swallowed past the emotional lump forming in her throat. This was where Sasuke would get tried for his crimes. This was where Sasuke would die a caged man or live like a freed bird. This was where Sakura and Naruto were dreading to go and hoping to walk out in one emotional piece.
Sakura and Naruto walked into the building. It had the usual ninja rustling about and the same busy air that it always did, but Sakura felt a sense of dread drop into her stomach. The need to run far away and never come back over came her. She trembled, she knew it, but she walked with Naruto, his face was one of determination. God, she wished she had that strength.
They found stairs that led down into a basement and walked down one at a time. The silence echoed off the walls that were lit by electric lamps. There was no railing and no warmth. Was this were every criminal was tried? If it was, Sakura was glad she wasn't present for those.
At the bottom landing of concrete, the light danced off the walls and shadows, a spooky alliance with the silence that had been crushing them for the past five minutes. They faced a short hallway and at the end saw a regular door. Sakura sighed in relief, she didn't know what she expected but was glad that the door had no chains or blood.
Naruto was first to the door, his hand lingered on the knob until he heard Sakura come up behind him. He breathed in, to steady himself, and turned to knob into a very court looking room. On two sides were three rows of benches. In the middle was a chair and nothing else. At the head of the room, opposite the door was the Hokage. Behind her was the council. Every other person that was to be present already sat in seats.
Neji and Shikamaru were there along with other Anbu that the duo didn't know. Hinata, Choji, Shino, Ino, Kakashi, Gai, Kuranai, and Anko were seated randomly throughout the rows. Iruka was sitting next to Kakashi in the middle of the second bench on the right side. Naruto wandered over there and sat on Iruka's other side diagonally in front of Hinata and Sakura went to sit by Naruto.
The room was silent as Sakura watched her master from were she sat at the head table. Tsunade just looked ahead at the door. Her amber eyes alight, ready to do a battle of words with Sasuke Uchiha. She sat upright, looking ready for anything.
The sound of footsteps echoed in the room, muffled by the closed door. Every eye was on the door when it opened. Four Anbu came in, with them was Sasuke in middle. The slight scowl on his face said that he was getting bored of moving every which way like a Yo-Yo. The four Anbu sat him in the chair and strapped his wrists and ankles. Sasuke looked up at the Hokage, no fear was in his eyes. But Sakura saw the determination to live underneath the frozen layers.
"Sasuke Uchiha, how do you plead to the charge of betraying Konoha?" Tsunade's voice boomed through the room. Sasuke adopted a bored expression.
"Guilty," he shortly replied. Did they really have to asked that question? Sakura saw him leave, for God's sake. He stole a glance at his teammates. Sakura was looking at Tsunade, biting her lip, but otherwise no real expression came on her face. Naruto had the air of impatience.
"Did you come here to die, Uchiha?" Tsunade asked coldly. Sasuke looked up at her. The glare he was receiving from the Hokage did nothing to calm the nerves that he possessed but didn't show.
"No," he responded. His fingers curled into a fist, was all this really necessary?
"Kill him anyway," a council member voiced. That statement had the council talking all at once. Tsunade let this go on for a few seconds.
"Silence," she demanded. The room was quiet once again. "Other than betray this village, what other crimes have you committed?"
"Assault on Konoha ninja," Sasuke admitted. After that he wasn't going to admit anything. Because there was no other crime to be tried for. Tsunade coldly regarded him.
"You didn't kill them?" Tsunade asked, eyebrows slightly raised. Sakura's hands gripped the chair so hard there were indentations in the metal. Her lip was almost drawing blood.
"No, I didn't," Sasuke said. He never meant to kill when he fought Naruto and Sakura and the other two he didn't recognize. He didn't even want to talk to them, much less exchange blows.
"He lies," another member said. This started the talking all at once again. Tsunade was flushing in anger. Her hands barely restraining to punch something.
"Shut up!" Tsunade yelled. The last word echoed. She looked down at the Uchiha once again. She drew a breath. "The punishment for betrayal of the village is death."
"WH--ow," Naruto was cut off due to Sakura's heel slamming on his instep. Naruto bent over to grab his foot while Sakura never batted an eyelash. She stared at Tsunade, who looked over.
"Too much sugar in one day," Sakura excused. Tsunade bought it and turned her attention back to the traitor. Sakura gave Naruto a glare telling him that if he didn't shut up then a tree was going in his ass.
"I know," Sasuke told her calmly. Was she really going to kill him? Sasuke was beginning to have his doubts, now. At the wrong time. Kakashi's words echoed in his mind.
What makes you think the elders will let you live?
"Good. However, as you are here I'm guessing you're the last Uchiha in the world?" Tsunade subtly asked if he killed Itachi. Sasuke nodded.
"Yes."
"Again the punishment is death, but Konoha needs you if you're loyal. I'm pardoning you. But there will be probation. For six months there will be no missions and you will have a chaperone. After that is up I'll give you a test on your loyalty, as my own personal form of punishment. If you pass that test, then I'll have you take the Chunin exams," Tsunade ordered. Sakura sat there too stunned to move, Naruto with his jaw to floor, and Sasuke let out an inaudible sigh of relief.
Tsunade smiled a little. "This trial is closed," she said. Once that was uttered people got up, stretching and walking toward the exit. An Anbu untied Sasuke and he stood looking at his old teammates. Naruto smiling with Sakura and Kakashi took out his orange book, but Sasuke knew he had a grin on him, too.
Tsunade sat in place not moving. Sakura caught her eye and Tsunade motion for her to come over to her. Sakura started but Naruto held her wrist.
"Come on, Sakura," Naruto said angling towards Sasuke. Sakura looked back at Naruto and got out of his hold.
"Wait for me outside," Sakura softly commanded. She then walked up to Tsunade. Naruto furrowed his brow but walked to the door with Sasuke.
"Come on, teme. We'll wait for Sakura out here," he said. Sasuke closed the door behind and followed Naruto up the stairs.
"What's she doing?" Sasuke asked. Naruto shrugged. He had no idea what she was doing. He only hoped that is wasn't anything bad.
Inside the court room Sakura looked up at Tsunade. Her master got up and walked around the table and down the five stairs that had her elevated. Sakura walked into the middle of the room and met her half way.
"Thank you so much--," Sakura started but a hand silenced her. Tsunade smiled gently at her student.
"If team seven want Sasuke Uchiha alive, then I guess that's enough for me to keep him that way," Tsunade conceded. Sakura's face brightened. "But that's not why you're here."
"So why am I here?" Sakura asked, not following her master's train of thought.
"I want you to have Sasuke move in with you for the next six months," Tsunade said, breaking the ice. Sakura felt her jaw slacken. She recovered.
"Why not move in with Naruto?" Sakura asked. They were both boys after all. Like brothers.
"They'll kill each other," Tsunade simply stated. And with brothers comes sibling rivalry and too much testosterone. They would kill each other, or at least blow up Naruto's apartment and end up living with her anyways.
"Alright," Sakura agreed. Butterflies flew into her stomach at the though of Sasuke, shirtless sleeping on her couch. Sakura mentally shook the image.
"And one other matter, Sakura. I know that Naruto is thinking about marrying Hinata. When he does propose I want to throw him an engagement party," Tsunade said. Sakura giggled a little.
"You really do care," Sakura commented.
Tsunade ignored it. "When he does that, at the party I'll announce my successor and the engagement party will be a congratulations party, too," Tsunade finished. Sakura was stunned speechless. After all this time, she's finally giving Naruto his dream? He'll be so thrilled. A smile made its way on her face.
"Wait, why do this now? You could have done it months ago," Sakura asked. Yeah, Tsunade could have given up the Hokage title when Naruto got back from Orochimaru's base.
"I thought that Naruto would have liked to have his whole team with him when he became Hokage," Tsunade told her. Sakura's smile grew.
"You were waiting for Sasuke to come back?" Sakura asked, almost jumping up and down.
"Yes. Well, now I'm waiting on Naruto to get balls and propose," Tsunade said. Sakura was almost crying with all the happy news.
"You really do like Naruto," she said through the threatening tears. Tsunade smiled down at her apprentice.
"Dismissed, Sakura." Said girl bowed and ran out the door. She took the stairs two at time and was on the ground level before she knew it. There, she saw Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi standing there. Naruto was annoying Sasuke already and Kakashi was pretending to read his book.
Upon seeing her, Naruto and Sasuke turned their heads to see pink. A whole lot of pink. Sakura had them trapped it a three man hug. Kakashi looked up from his book.
"Sakura…I c-can't…breath," Naruto complained.
"Bruised ribs," Sasuke said. Kakashi put his book away and smile behind his mask at the three in front of him.
"So, it was good news, Sakura?" Kakashi asked, already knowing the answer. She let go of the other two and faced him.
"Yes, it was," Sakura said breathlessly. Kakashi nodded and disappeared in white smoke. Sakura turned back to her boys.
"Come on, let's go get ramen," Sakura suggested. She grabbed Sasuke's and Naruto's hands and all but dragged them down the road.
"But Sakura, it's dark and I gotta do stuff. Besides, you said yesterday that if I eat any more ramen I was going to spontaneously combust," Naruto said trying to not fall on the dirt.
"Naruto, practice proposing to Hinata later and one more bowl won't kill you," Sakura said over her right shoulder. Sasuke raised an eyebrow to Naruto, who was more red than a tomato. Sasuke smirked and let himself be dragged by Sakura, who was in too good a mood to argue with.
Once at the ramen stand, Sakura sat them both down and ordered chicken ramen. Naruto had miso and Sasuke decided on beef. The shop own didn't mind Sasuke at all, in fact it was like old times when they would go for ramen with Kakashi.
"Hey, Sakura what did that old granny want with you earlier?" Naruto asked, mouth full of ramen. Sakura swallowed her ramen before she answered.
"She wanted to tell me where Sasuke was staying as he's has to be chaperoned for the next six months," Sakura told him, watching the way he shoveled ramen in mouth.
"Oh, I thought he was staying in house like he always did," Naruto said swallowing. "Where's he staying?"
"With me," Sakura hesitantly said. Naruto choked on his ramen. Sasuke looked over at her.
"And when were you going to tell me?" Sasuke darkly demanded. Sakura smiled a little.
"When we were finished eating," Sakura told him, pointing at Naruto, who was still choking. Sasuke looked at him and shrugged his shoulders. He guessed that would have been a better time but it was amusing watching Naruto try to swallow.
"What?!" he yelled once the ramen was in his stomach. Sakura gave him a side glance.
"She said that you two lived together you'd kill each other and if you did that then you'd end up staying at my place anyway, so she said Sasuke was staying with me," Sakura detailed. Naruto seemed to mule this over.
"I don't trust the teme and you alone," he finally said. Sasuke hit him over the head with his chop sticks.
"Ow," he held his head where a red mark was forming. Sakura glared at him a little.
"What do you mean you don't trust us together?" Sakura asked, on the verge of putting him on the other side of the village.
"Well, his scent is always on you and I don't want to know what you guys did but you better keep your hands off her, teme," Naruto directed the last part of his sentence to Sasuke, who glared at him. Sakura had a pink dusting on her cheeks.
"Naruto, you have no room to talk as you and Hinata are practically living together," Sakura defended. Naruto seemed to blush at this and Sakura smirked a little.
"It's late. We should go," Sakura said continuing to smirk. Sasuke stood and Sakura followed the suit. "Night, Naruto."
"Yeah," Naruto said, eating more ramen. Sakura and Sasuke walked down the street away from the ramen stand.
"I'm glad you're back Sasuke," Sakura told him. Sasuke smirked and put his hands in his pockets.
"I can tell," Sasuke said. "What else did the Hokage say?"
Sakura looked up at him in surprise. "How do you know she said anything else?"
Sasuke looked at her. He could keep time. It didn't take almost ten minutes to tell someone that who was going to be living with them. Sasuke had hoped this would happen, as if he lived with the dobe they probably would have killed her.
"It doesn't take ten minutes to tell someone about living arrangements," Sasuke pointed out. Sakura sighed, there was that logic again. And arrogance to boot.
"She told me that when Naruto and Hinata get engaged she throwing them an engagement party," Sakura said. "And at the party, she'll name Naruto as next Hokage."
"So, the dobe'll finally do it," Sasuke said, more to himself. Sakura looked away from his angelic features and to the house they were beside and walked up to it. Sasuke followed. She unlocked the door and went inside.
The living room was big, a full size couch, a recliner chair, TV set and stand, lamps on the walls and a ceiling fan. Sakura laid her keys on the stand beside the couch and heard Sasuke close the door. Sakura turned to Sasuke, her stomach doing flips. Sasuke was observing every part of this room.
"My room and the spare room that's your's is upstairs along with the bathroom. The kitchen is on the left, the dining room is off of the kitchen. The laundry room is through the door at the other end of the living room and a bathroom is off of that room, too," Sakura said, giving directions. Sasuke nodded.
"Tomorrow we'll go to your place and get what you need," Sakura said. Sasuke nodded again. Sakura smiled and grabbed Sasuke's pulling him to the couch.
"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked, his eyes seemed to be hotter, darker. Sakura swallowed, thinking of good intentions.
"Your ribs are still bruised," Sakura told him. She opened the hatori and saw purple and black marks in the middle of his torso extending down right before his pants line. Sasuke said nothing as she took off the shirt and place her fingers on his chest.
She worked from the top down, using her chakra to take out the soreness of the ribs and put then back in one piece. Sakura followed the bruises lower, mending everything she could. When she reached the last of the bruises at the bottom, hands shot out and gripped her wrists. Sakura looked up, forcing her breathing normal.
"I think that's enough. They can heal on their own," Sasuke ordered. Sakura swallowed, her body becoming too hot for her comfort level.
"Alright," she agreed. Normally she'd heal her patients all the way but something in Sasuke's eyes said that if she didn't stop they were going to have a morning after. Sasuke let go of her wrist and leaned toward her to grab his shirt. Sakura stayed frozen were she was.
He pulled back and tuck his arms through the sleeves, not closing it all the way. Sakura stood and walked into the kitchen, checking the phone for any messages. There were none. Sakura heard footsteps behind her and knew they belonged to Sasuke. She turned.
"I'm going to go take a shower and go to bed. Night, Sasuke," she didn't wait for a reply, she turned and walked up the stairs that were off the kitchen and into the bathroom.
Sasuke watched her leave. He was living here for the next six months and there was no way he could remain celibate. Sasuke missed her, not just mentally but physically. He missed touching her. All the times they kissed played his mind and shot fire in his blood. Sasuke tried to shake it off.
Kunai, blood, jutsu, Naruto eating ramen. Eww.
Sasuke followed Sakura up the stairs and heard the shower running. He went to a door on the right and opened it. The room walls were wooden brown but the bed was pink. A vanity had a make-up kit, some nail polish, kunai, hair brush, and medical text books. A desk had several jutsu in scrolls and a small book self held scrolls, books, exploding tags. This was Sakura's room.
Sasuke backed out and past the door where he heard the shower run and opened a room on the left. It had a bed with light blue covers, a desk, and a bureau. This was his room. Sasuke went in and closed the door then laid on the bed. This was going to be a long six months.
Deidara sat in his room at the inn he was staying at. It was his weekly report that he did. Six candles burned in a hexagon around him, they were the only light. His hand made the horse seal while he lowly chanted.
At the end of the chant Deidara looked up to see a hologram of the leader. He shifted positions so he knelt. The hologram walked closer, but stayed outside of the hexagon.
"Well?" he asked.
"Two days ago I took out a Chunin medic. She was slowly raising to the top, yeah," he reported. It wasn't what he wanted to report though.
"Good. In a week take out a Jonin medic, soon we'll launch the attack," the hologram imitation said.
"Leader, Sasuke Uchiha is here, yeah," Deidara said, this was the problem.
"What do you mean?" the leader demanded.
"I listening in on his trial. He came back, yeah. He's living six months with out missions and leaving the village. He's living with that girl who killed Sasori, the medic, pink hair, yeah," Deidara revealed. "And the fox brat is going to be Hokage when he gets married to a Hyuuga girl."
The leader did nothing for minute. "Can Sasuke Uchiha identify you?"
"Yes, I know he can, yeah," Deidara didn't dare lie to the leader. But he was tired of this, right now he just wanted to blow something up. He smiled at the thought.
"Avoid him. At all cost. As for the medic, we'll move our dead line up. In a week kill her and anyone else in the hospital at the time. Make it at dusk. In a week at dusk kill her and the everyone in the hospital, the rest of us will begin the silent take down," the leader ordered.
"Understood, yeah," Deidara smiled. Soon he'd get to kill that brat who kill Sasori. Life was sweet. He blew out a candle and the leader disappeared. It was time for Konoha to fall.
A/N: if you're expecting a big show down between the Akatsuki and Konoha, you're going to be so happy. But I feel this story drawing to a close. Give it a few more chapters and we have the fight, then the end. But don't worry, I'll make it a good fight. But I do have a question pertaining to Sasuke and Sakura. Do you want me to up the rating or not?
Review my little bunnies. I have no idea where that came from.