I Do Not Own Naruto

Chapter 28

"Uchiha Sasuke, the crimes with which you have been charged with are extensive and some of the most atrocious I have ever read over," the samurai, Mifune spoke.

Sasuke stared levelly at the man though and was prepared for whatever was to happen to him.

"However, I see these crimes as being ones made by a child," Mifune said and he saw the council and Raikage cringe. Internally he cringed at the term, but he couldn't really disagree with it. "You left at the age of thirteen to learn from the famed Sanin, Orochimaru, who intended to use your body as his own when you came into your power. This was only after he had stalked, targeted, and given you a curse mark, three things which should have been prevented.

"You killed Uchiha Itachi after he murdered your entire clan, and then you were abducted by Uchiha Obito and Uchiha Madara to further their purposes for war.

"You then joined the Akatsuki and attacked Killer B, the Eight Tails jinchūriki. There are various, and numerous other crimes listed here, but the crime treason is numerous.

"Now, while some of us believe you should be executed, if only to prevent another Uchiha from creating a World War again, we have accepted that the system is not entirely blameless for the way you have turned out. There should have been more done to help you, and I have listened to testimony both for and against you, and as it is my vote that breaks the tie we have come to I am here to say a few final words before passing your sentence to you," Mifune said.

"Aa," he nodded in understanding.

"I see a man standing before me willing to take responsibility for the actions that he made as a child. And while many of those actions are of the most heinous crimes I have also been observing you myself while I have stayed in this village.

"I have witnessed my friends succumb to the very darkness which is plaguing you, I have fought it myself, and I see that you are still fighting it.

"You have succumb to the darkness within yourself once before, but what I see in the man before me is a man fighting it, and I see that you have a great capacity to do what is right, I saw it in the war.

"Now, the Sharingan is a very powerful weapon, as is the Rinnegan you now possess. You are the last to possess such power, and it would be a shame to end your line. However, there is the matter of you having unwisely used these powers before, and because of this, your own council has requested you die.

"But I think you are more valuable alive, and you could dome to be a great asset to the new world we are building.

"With this in mind I have come to the conclusion that death is too easy of a sentence on a man like you. It is a man who stands before me, and a man who is willing to take the punishment for the crimes commit by the boy he once was. I believe the only way for you to continue growing is to seek atonement.

"So I, Mifune of the Land of Iron, General of the Samurai am sentencing you to a life of redemption. You will help the civilians rebuild, you will hunt terrorists and you will prove your loyalty not only to your village but to the Allied Shinobi Forces from now until the day you die. There will be no task we give you that you will not do, and you will work for your atonement to the Shinobi World," Mifune said.

Sasuke blinked.

"Is this understood, Uchiha Sasuke?" Mifune asked.

"Aa," he nodded slowly.

"As to your request that we terminate the deal with Haruno Sakura, we cannot," Mifune said and Sasuke stiffed. "So I suggest you give her no reason to kill you until the year is out."

"Aa," he nodded slowly as he understood what was being said as he remembered his original sentence.

"You are free to go, you leave tomorrow for your redemption," Mifune said and Sasuke nodded as he left the council and Kage behind him.

"You were too soft on him!" he heard the Raikage snap.

"Perhaps, or perhaps his punishment of living is not one you understand having never fought that internal darkness back," he heard Kakashi say as he left and he saw Sakura sitting there nervously tapping her foot as she waited for him.

Her head turned to him and he stared at her with one eye for a long moment before he nodded to her. She stood up and he looked her over slowly.

"I am sentenced to a life of redemption," he replied simply and she sagged in relief as she sighed.

"Thank Kami," she breathed and he did not understand how she could love him so much that hearing he was going to live was enough to have her sagging in relief. Why ever she loved him, and however she loved him, he didn't deserve it as they started out of the Hokage's office and he glanced back then. Living could be his punishment, he had never thought of it that way as he glanced at Sakura and she smiled at him with genuine joy.

"I did not believe they were going to let me live," he admitted.

"I didn't either," she replied.

"You're annoying," he promptly informed her.

"But of course, I am Haruno Sakura, the only sane member of Team 7 and the best disciple of the Fifth Hokage," she replied dramatically.

"I would not say you are sane," he said as she signed out his sword again.

"AH! Have you not met Kakashi, Yamato, Sai and Naruto!? I'm sane compared to them," she retorted as she took his sword.

"Matter of opinion," he countered.

"You are so unbearably rude!"

"Hn."


Sakura was so happy that he was going to stay alive that she felt like doing a happy dance; she wouldn't because it would freak him out; but still, it was tempting. She smiled as she took his sleeve in her hand as they walked; mostly out of habit than need. But she wanted to be as close to him as she could get right now. No doubt he would shove her away when she got too close to him but she was going to get as close as she could get to him right at this moment before he shoved her away.

"We need to tell Naruto! And Sai!" she grinned. She knew Kakashi would tell Yamato, but Yamato wasn't as likely to care about what happened to Sasuke. Sasuke was not someone Yamato really knew, and visa-versa.

"Hn," he nodded.

"This is a huge relief!" she grinned.

"The original sentence still stands," he said coldly and she blinked and then she remembered and blushed a little remembering how he had wanted that severed. She didn't really understand why he thought she would want to live with him dead; just because she could live without him, did not mean she could live with him being dead. She needed him alive to live, it was why when she went on her suicide mission to kill him she had known she was going to die and she had been alright with it.

"Oh, that's alright!" she smiled.

"No," he said harshly and she stared at him. "You should have never made that deal in the first place."

"It was mine to make Sasuke, and I will never regret it," she replied just as harshly as he, and they glared at one another for a long moment.

"I hated you then, and you should never tie your life to mine," he said coldly.

"I loved you then, and I love you now, I would do anything for you," she snapped.

For a long moment neither of them wavered, and neither of them budged, but she wasn't backing away from her decision to tie her life to his; even if it was only for a year. She didn't mind tying herself to him, she didn't mind him having all the power over her, and she didn't mind him hating her. What she did mind was the idea of him being dead and she being forced to continue one when she couldn't. And she knew she was not strong enough to continue on if he died. He was the only one she would ever love like this, and she had known that since she had been thirteen even if she had never been able to express it appropriately.

"I will never regret anything I do for you, and you're just going to have to get used to it because the things we do for the people we love go to the extremes at times. I thought that you of all people would understand that," she said and spun on her heel to walk home.

A hand grabbed her when she stalked into her apartment and she found herself pressed into the door as she stared into a set of red and purple eyes glaring dangerously at her.

"Your life is worth more than mine, and do not ever think to exchange yourself for me," he snapped. "I do not deserve that kindness or privilege, give it to the dobe."

"I would give my life for Naruto, however, he's not the one I love," she said softly and she brushed past him as she went to her room to change. She didn't want to remain wearing this dress, and she pulled her hair down. Rubbing her eyes now that the door was between herself and Sasuke she heaved a sigh of relief.

He was alive.

That was all she needed.

Peeling off the dress she was quick to pull on her training gear out of habit because she had a feeling she knew exactly where Naruto was hanging out since the Kage summit wouldn't have him participate. She knew better than to think he was just hanging out at his apartment. And she wanted to share the good news that Sasuke was going to live with him.

Besides herself she knew Naruto to be the only person; aside from Kakashi; with a personal stake in the outcome of Sasuke's sentencing and that was because he wanted his best friend to live. Sasuke looked ready to go, he had unbuttoned a few buttons of his shirt and pulled on a training glove.

He looked so mature, and older than he was that she smiled at the sight and tried to memorize it for she had no doubt that he would soon be gone on long term missions. She knew the Leaf's council wouldn't want the Uchiha here in the village for if he went on a rampage.

Again.

"So, when do you leave?" she asked as they started walking. He had given her his weapon.

"Tomorrow," he replied.

"That doesn't give you a lot of time to say your goodbyes," she grumbled.

"I can count the people who I need to say goodbye to on one hand, Sakura," he assured her and she sighed. That wasn't the point, selfishly she wanted more time with him. and she knew that was selfish of her, but she wanted to be with Sasuke for a little longer. Just a little bit, and she didn't care how fangirl like that sounded.

"I'll miss you," she said then and her mind raced with another possibility that she could offer. She would think it over carefully tonight though.

"Hn," he grunted and she internally sighed as she smiled a bit and they walked the route to the normal Team 7 training grounds. He didn't say anything to her as they walked and she wished that he could at least say he would miss her.

Then again, he probably wouldn't miss her at all.

She smiled when she spotted Naruto training with Hinata.

"Hinata! Naruto!" she waved and jogged ahead of Sasuke. She leapt into Naruto's arms and hugged him tight then, smiling as she whispered in his ear. "He gets to live!"

"Thank Kami!" Naruto shouted spun her about and set her down.

"Yeah, he's been sentenced to a life of redemption," she smiled as she stepped beside Sasuke who softened at the happiness around them.

"Well that's great! You can teach at the Academy and we can run missions together again!" Naruto decided with glee, Sakura saw Sasuke sidestep just as Naruto leapt and she didn't get a chance to move as she was slammed into the ground in a tackle hug.

"Get off me Naruto! You're heavy!" she wheezed as she shoved him off her.

"I do not work for Konoha dobe," Sasuke said as she stood up.

"Huh?"

"I am a shinobi of the Allied Shinobi Forces, I am no longer a Konoha shinobi," Sasuke said softly. She smiled in glee because he was going to get to live.

"What!? What does this mean!?" she heard Naruto's anger then as she felt her smile slip and she turned her attention onto Naruto again. "Of course you're a shinobi of Konoha!"

"No," Sasuke said in a hard tone. "I was sentenced to a life of redemption working for the Allied Shinobi Forces, I am to rebuild civilian villages, hunt terrorists, and to do any mission assigned to me from any village," Sasuke clarified. Sakura figured he had read over his sentence and that was why he was saying this. It was for her and Naruto to understand.

"Well, I guess that's alright, but hey, you'll be here!" Naruto grinned.

"Actually Naruto," she started, glancing at Sasuke for permission to continue he nodded. "He's leaving, tomorrow morning."

There was a long pause but Sakura saw it all going to the surface then as Naruto's face when from a smile to one of rage.

"YOU'RE LEAVING!?" Naruto roared.

"Aa," Sasuke nodded.

"Even After Everything We've Been Through You're Leaving! AGAIN!? What the hell is the matter with you teme! We just got you back! You can't just fucking up and leave us!" Naruto bellowed angrily.

"Aa, it is… it's for the best, Naruto," Sasuke said uncertainly and glanced at her for help, Sakura sighed and shook her head. There would be no calming Naruto down until this was all out of his system.

"I thought you had changed, I thought you were different this time teme! I guess I was wrong. You're still the same fucking asshole who doesn't care about anyone but himself! What about Sakura!? did you even think about how this was going to hurt her!? Or Me!? I thought we were friends again! Brothers again! I thought you understood what that bond meant! But you're leaving us again!" he shouted.

Sakura stiffened and before the thought about what she was saying she reacted.

"Don't drag me into this Naruto!" she roared, and everyone stilled. "This is something Sasuke needs to do, and he is alright with this. This had NOTHING to do with you!"


Sasuke tried to grab Sakura, take her away from here before she said something she would regret but she was fast as she lost her temper.

"Sakura," he said softly as he touched her arm.

"No!" she snapped at him. "He's going to hear this because you're not hurting me by leaving this time! you're not and I won' let him make this about him!" she snapped at him. he was startled a bit by her conviction but he was more shocked at seeing that desperation in her eyes.

"This is NOT about you Naruto! Not everything in this world is about you or what you want. Sasuke has decided this is something he needs to do and as his friend you should be supporting him! it's been just as hard; if not harder, on him than you and you've continuously turned this around to be about you! I'm don't with it! I love you Naruto! I love you like a little brother, but Kami are you acting like a spoiled brat! Sasuke feels he should do this, and this is a lenient sentence compared to him dying! Did you ever think about that! Can't You Just Be Happy He's Alive!?" she roared back.

"He's Running Away Again!" Naruto shouted back and Sasuke saw her flinch and he felt the stakes in his heart at how the dobe was saying all of this. But he guessed that this was one was to perceive a mandatory sentence where he was concerned; and he hadn't expected Sakura to be the one to take his leaving well.

"Enough!" he shouted between them and looked at Naruto and Sakura; he wasn't going to claim to understand their bond, but it was strong and he knew that. And he refused to be the thing that broke their bond. "I see that this was a mistake, I'm going home. I have to leave tomorrow."

"I'll go with you," Sakura said swiftly. He saw she was ready to cry and just turned away, she walked with him.

"YOU COWARD! YOU'RE JUST RUNNING AWAY AGAIN! I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT!" the dobe screamed after him and he glanced at Sakura then.

"I… I… he made me a promise years ago, I just… I'm happy for you if this is what you want," she murmured.

"I did not think you would be the one to take this well," he said softly and she smiled.

"Well, I stopped trying to catch you years ago, I just wanted to save you from yourself, and if this is something you're alright with I'll support you all the way," she promised and he blinked at her expression.

"Sakura," he started.

"Can we just go home Sasuke, I'm… I'm tired," she whispered and he nodded as they walked back to apartment. He watched her go straight to her room, and shut the door; he never heard a sob but he had a feeling that she was crying.


That's better, I thought I had written this part of the chapter. Guess that was only in UtDIL...

That's all for now folks!

Enjoy Until the Day I Die! =)