Hey guys, sorry this chapter took longer to post but I'm stuck with finals in Uni and that just cut my free time short quite a bit. From what I have planned there are still possibly two more chapters to this story so look forward to that!
Again I'd like to thank those that followed or added the story to favorites, it really means a lot to me.
Chapter 4
Negotiations
There was intense heat, then freezing cold strong enough to make him shiver. Then warmth, peace...calm.
The warmth left him again and the cold returned with an even stronger wave until it was replaced by searing heat that threatened to consume him, for a while the heat intensified around his shoulder and all he remembered was white hot pain before the relief of unconsciousness freed his mind.
He stirred, mind drifting between the edge of sleep and awareness, he opened his eyes to a white ceiling and walls surrounding him with the familiar smell of antiseptic.
The Konoha hospital? Why am I here?
He tried pushing himself up only to crash down again with a groan at the dull ache on his shoulder, it was only then that he started to remember.
The seal had acted up again, in a particularly violent manner too, Sakura had been there and she tried to help him. At the time his mind had been blurred with pain and the fever but as he looked back on the flooding memories he was barely able to contain the ever so slight dusting of red on his ears.
Sakura had caught him as he stumbled forwards and fell from his sitting place on the cell's cot, she had cradled his body while trying to heal him and at the end pulled him against her in an embrace until his brain shut off and all he remembered after was flashes of black and white.
Well...that wasn't quite right, there was one more thing that he very vividly remembered. At one point Sakura released the seal on his eyes and he was able to see her worried face in a frame of pink locks just before she pulled him closer to her. He could almost still feel the warmth of her body so close to his and her soft hands supporting his bare back and torso.
He stopped. Wait..the seal
He didn't have the seal over his eyes and it only took him a glance to his shoulder to confirm that the accursed seal that had caused him much discomfort for the past few months was gone, the only evidence of it ever being there was the dull pain as it came in waves now that he was awake and fully conscious.
He closed his eyes and tentatively reached out with his chakra for the first time in months to test if he could sense anyone nearby. This attempt was short lived as no sooner had he attempted to do this he was regarded by a sharp throb in his head, it seemed like he couldn't use his chakra yet even though the seal had been removed.
He noted how he felt less lethargic than before, thanks to the seal no longer draining his chakra he guessed. Even so he guessed it would be a while before he would be able to recover to somewhat normal chakra levels.
As he looked around the room he couldn't help but notice how there was practically nothing over the bare minimum needed to tend to him, just a chair on one corner and the door, not even a window. Running a hand through his hair with a sigh he wondered just how long he had been out for, wondered how long would he be staying here before he was taken back to the confines of a dark cell.
The sound of the room's door unlocking called his attention. Two Anbu entered and stationed themselves on the opposite side of the room from him as a flash of pink came into view.
Clutching a clipboard to her chest her emerald eyes got caught in his for a few seconds before he broke the contact upon remembering what had transpired just before he passed out.
Keeping his gaze on the wall opposite from the side she's approaching him from he hears her placing the clipboard on the table next to the bed, silence surrounds them and the next thing he knows the kunoichi has thrown her arms around him.
The unexpected motion makes him freeze for a second before he relaxes in the familiar warmth from that day, a scent he has come to associate with her and her alone fills his nose while something in the pit of his chest shoves into his head the thought of pulling his own arm around her.
He formulates something to say but it came out a second too late as the pinkette beats him to it, still keeping her head resting over his shoulder.
"I'm so glad to see you're finally awake, Sasuke-kun"
He hears the emotion clearly through her voice, feeling her quickened heartbeat against his own. Releasing the tension in his shoulders he gives in and slowly puts his own arm around Sakura's shoulders as he slightly lets his head fall to rest on them. He feels her tense up at the motion, probably not expecting anything of the sort, before relaxing again.
"Thank you Sakura…"
It was only a few seconds before they separated again, a tinge of pink still decorating the medic's cheeks as she reached for her clipboard.
"How are you feeling?"
"Still weak but...better"
"That's good, after all that happened"
She turns to grab a pen from the nearby table but Sasuke stops her by taking a hold of her wrist "What happened? how long was I out?"
At this Sakura takes a deep breath, a mixture of emotions ranging from sadness to anger flares in her eyes "Well...Tsunade arrived at the prison a few minutes after you passed out and with some effort removed the seal from your shoulder. We rushed you here immediately after to keep a close eye and give you some medicine to fight the residual symptoms from the seal"
He gave the information a few rounds in his head, trying to connect it with the few flashes of awareness he remembered. Looking back at the medic to allow her to continue.
"The first two days we kept you under strict surveillance as your chakra attempted to readjust to not being constantly drained. After that I guess your body needed to rest and work on getting back to a decent chakra level. It's been a week now since we brought you in"
So I was out for a full week? Even after this much time and I can't mold chakra to even attempt a basic sensing technique…
"You probably won't be able to attempt any chakra molding for a few more days, your reserve might be at a decent level but it's still somewhat low so just don't push yourself for now"
He blinks a few times as he looks at her, trying to figure out if she just happened to guess what was going through his mind or if she had somehow acquired a mind reading jutsu.
She checks over him with relative ease, telling him that he was to stay here for at least another day until they could figure things out with the elders and the council with everything that happened. As she leaves his room the two Anbu that had been stationary follow suit, leaving the near barren room and silence to cover over their lone occupant.
Sakura stored her reports from visiting Sasuke in her office at the hospital before all but running out and in the direction of the Hokage tower where she would be meeting Tsunade and Kakashi to have a much needed talk with the two annoying eders.
Upon arrival she finds the both of them talking outside, the troubled expressions on their faces being all she needed to guess that the topic of conversation had been the events at the prison and how to present this to the elders in a way that could turn the tides in their favor.
The three of them enter one of the smaller offices in the tower where some of the private meetings with the two elders normally happen, two large couches sit in front of one another with a coffee table in between. Koharu and Homura were already there by now, Sakura and Tsunade took the couch facing them while Kakashi opted to stand next to it leaning by the nearby window.
The older woman, Koharu, was the first to speak. "Lady Tsunade, I hope you have a good reason to summon us both in such short notice"
"Yes, Lady Koharu, this is about the situation that aroused last week regarding Uchiha Sasuke"
At the mention of the name both the elders glanced at each other before Koharu continued "What about him? I was under the impression that he was to be returned to his cell once he woke up"
"We are keeping him under observation to make sure there are no lasting effects of the seal that had been placed on him"
"Well that can easily be done even back in prison, I don't see why we must keep wasting our resources if he's already been deemed out of danger"
Sakura's fist tightened on the fabric of her skirt Waste of resources? Is she serious?
Tsunade had told her that she would only be there to relay medical information should the need arise but now she had another plan in mind
"With all due respect Lady Koharu, I believe that any and all resources being used to help a patient could hardly be called wasted"
At his, it was Homura who turned to speak to her now "I would watch very carefully how you speak, especially after what happened that day"
"What do you-"
"You acted on your own accordance and removed the protective seal on the Uchiha's eyes, creating a potential hazard to all of us"
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kakashi turning a questioning look on her, she thought only her and Tsunade knew about her removing the seal but it seemed like that wasn't the case entirely "There was no risk in removing it, more importantly it was done with medical purposes" okay that might've only been a half truth but it was a truth nevertheless.
"That still doesn't change the fact that it was done without proper authorization. Just for that you shouldn't have been allowed to continue treatment on him"
She was about to argue back when a hand on her shoulder stopped her, she looked up to see Kakashi shaking his head lightly to dissuade her.
The discussion between the five didn't take much of a turn from the better after that, at least it didn't until Kakashi began to list some of the reasons why Sasuke didn't oppose a threat to the village from what he had seen personally and from when he had talked to him before he was released from the hospital the first time.
They took up the topic of his sentence once more and despite Kakashi and Tsunade efforts she couldn't see a way around it...at least until a thought creeped into the back of her mind.
She waited until finally both parties were in silence before turning to the two elders.
"What if Sasuke is given a chance to prove that he isn't dangerous to the village?"
At this everyone shot questioning looks at her, Homura being the one to answer "Why would we want to risk our people just to confirm something we already know? He is a dangerous criminal who once had the goal to destroy the Leaf"
"Yes but as Kakashi sensei mentioned before, he changed after the war and is willing to help the village"
"What proof do we have for that other than words? He became a rogue ninja and went as far as to join the Akatsuki, attack the five Kage summit and is responsible for the death of the elect sixth Hokage, Shimura Danzo. If anything you should be glad he is allowed to even be alive, as per regular protocol rogue ninjas are to be dealt with swiftly and killed on the spot. The fact that he is an exception to that rule alone should be enough of a reward"
Sakura stood quiet, trying to come up with something against the argument. They were right, any rogue ninjas are normally seeked out and killed to prevent any information leaking from the village. The rest of what Sasuke had done after deserting only added to the cards that could be played against him.
"I believe Sakura has a valid point" Sakura looked up at Kakashi, brows furrowed in concentration "Sasuke has declared his intentions to not harm the village and no matter from what angle you look at him there is no denying that he is a highly skilled shinobi on par with Naruto. Someone like him helping us would be very valuable"
"This still doesn't resolve the issue of the dangers that far outweigh the benefits, that sharingan alone is cause of fear and worry, the Rinnegan even more so. I don't need to remind the three of you what happened the last time someone with a that eye stepped foot on the village"
Silence took hold of the room once again, broken only by the quiet voice of Koharu, talking as if she were thinking out loud more so than addressing any of the people in the room.
"Perhaps...but should another crisis arise we might need to depend on his abilities"
rather shocked, Tsunade, Kakashi and Sakura exchanged glances while Homura stared at her in disbelief "Lady Koharu?"
"I don't like the idea of having the Uchiha free but it might be better to keep him on our good graces if we want to take advantage of his intentions"
"But I thought we agreed that-"
"This doesn't mean I don't believe that he has to still pay for his crimes...but perhaps we could talk about giving him a finite sentence"
"We have Naruto for those cases"
"But he is still on a regular mission schedule" She turned to Kakashi "Isn't he out on a mission even at this very moment?"
"Yes, I sent him with Sai to investigate a suspicious group working behind the scenes in the land of waves. if all goes as planned he should be returning in one or two days time with the leader of said group in tow"
"Good" she turned her attention towards Tsunade. "This meeting is over, we will discuss the terms and length of the sentence at a later date. For now you are to proceed as planned and allow the prison to resume custody of the Uchiha in three days' time"
Koharu stood up and started to walk out of the room, Homura followed after a few seconds to regain his composure. The door closed behind them to leave the room's occupants in a half stunned silence.
Sasuke noticed that something was different the following day when Sakura went to check on him, she seemed ever so slightly more relaxed and despite her tired posture she looked...happy?
"Are you feeling better than yesterday?"
"Somewhat"
"That's good then, it should only be a matter of time until you feel normal again"
not knowing how exactly to ask the question he decided to skip the chatter and ask directly "You seem...happy, did anything happen?"
A slight blush crept up to her cheeks at the thought that Sasuke had been observing her "Well...actually yesterday-"
"Sakura-chaaan!"
Both turned their attention at the opening door where their obnoxious blonde friend was coming through. Immediately stopping when he saw his raven haired teammate "Sasuke?!" he turned to sakura "Did something happen? why is he here?"
Sakura rested her hands on her hips at this "Well that's not a way to greet someone you haven't seen in months"
"No wait I didn't mean it like that, it was just..surprising ya know?"
"I know I know. Anyway, it's good that you're here now so I can give the two of you the good news"
Now it was both Sasuke and Naruto's turn to be surprised, echoing each other's thoughts as they spoke "Good news?"
She quickly gave them a summary of the meeting from the previous day, surprising them both at the news that Koharu had given them some leeway. As slim as their headway was, Sasuke noticed it had been enough to give both Sakura and Naruto a boost of confidence. Figures that this was why Sakura seemed happier than the previous day.
The three talked for a while longer before Naruto was kicked out by the Anbu and Sakura finished her checkup, leaving him to his thoughts. The beginnings of a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he thought about how happy his two teammates appeared to be at the news of something that shouldn't even concern them in his eyes.
His first week back in prison after the whole mess caused by the seal hadn't been nearly as bad as when he first arrived, Kakashi's Anbu were still the only ones keeping watch over him and even though the seal over his eyes had returned with a permanent headache at least he wasn't in a constant lethargic and weakened state.
For the most part his chakra was slowly returning to normal levels and he was able to use it to get a feel of his surroundings and the people that came and went about their business in the prison, this is what he had been doing to keep himself busy and get some semblance of the passing of time whenever they rotated shifts.
He found himself thinking back to the day the seal acted up as well as when he woke up back at the hospital. What had compelled him to hug the medic back that day? He had never been one for physical contact ever since his family died, so what was it?
Why was a part of him craving that warmth from when Sakura held him as he was being assaulted by a fever that day? More important than that, why were these two moments alone times where he felt some semblance of peace that came close to what he last remembered from being at home with his family prior to the tension that grew between his father and brother?
He had plenty of time to think about these things, as simple as they would seem he couldn't figure out an answer to any of the questions that came from them.
The last time he saw Sakura at the hospital before he was brought back, she had said that they managed to get some headway with the elders, that fact somehow managed to put a sliver of hope buried deep down within him. All he needed to do now was endure, might as well use this time to try and make peace with some of his inner demons.
The five months that followed were mostly a blur of events, Sakura had only been able to visit him twice in that span of time since his medical needs were minimal but in those two times she had shared very interesting information with him.
It appeared that they had finally pulled the council to overpower the elders and push the idea to consider a trial for him instead of bypassing the entire system to dictate whichever sentence the two elders seemed fit. The news did little other than bring him some slight amusement trying to imagine the old bags' faces when their decisions were questioned.
A trial required witnesses and this was something that worried him to a certain extent since he knew very well that he had way more enemies than allies after all that he had done. Something must've given his worries away since back then when Sakura told him these news she also reassured him that both Naruto, kakashi and herself would be pulling their own witnesses.
Speaking of, during her last visit she told him that apparently the current fifth Hokage had appointed Kakashi to be the next Hokage not long after their return from the war. It seemed that up until just recently he had been shadowing her soon to be predecessor to start getting the hang of things. They had kept these news between a very close circle of people up until a month ago when the silver haired Jounin told Sakura and Naruto about it.
He thought that logically it made sense for his former sensei to assume that role after his contribution in not only fighting, but also leading one of the companies during the war. He might've lost his Sharingan but the man was not weak by any means. Even despite this though he couldn't help but be surprised when the medic gave him the news.
For a second he was even glad about how the people that were closer to him were succeeding in their own paths. Sakura was making progress and escalating the ladder in the hospital, even preparing to open a specialized clinic for children. Naruto was, as hard as it had been for him to believe at first, studying and being sent on important missions and even diplomatic envoys. Kakashi...well he was perhaps just about to become the sixth Hokage.
All of these achievements and then there was him, restrained and in a cell with nothing but the darkness of the seal on his eyes to keep himself busy. He never said anything about this mainly because deep down he knew he had it coming, he had even agreed to take on whichever punishment they saw fit to atone for his sins.
He believed he deserved this punishment, maybe just as much as he believed that his former teammates deserved all of the good things coming their way after all that he had put them through ever since deserting the village now four years ago...
Kakashi let out a deep sigh after placing yet another stack of papers in what had become his designated 'done' pile on one corner of the large desk. It had been almost a month now since he had officially assumed the role of Hokage, solidifying his resolve after many doubts and hesitation plagued his mind right after Tsunade told him her plans shortly after the end of the war.
The sun was finally setting and he thought about going home now that he had completely gone over the last documents regarding the solidification of the alliance between the five great nations. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath as he tilted his head towards the ceiling, paperwork had never been really his thing and he would rather be out there in the village than sitting inside an office. Well Obito, I bet you're really having a laugh at me now huh?
He cracked open one eye, landing on a folder that he had set aside under some books. Reaching out for it he flipped through the pages of the multiple documents and forms he would need to go over and sign regarding a certain onyx haired young man.
He might be the Hokage now but that still didn't mean he could do as he pleased and simply release his former student, he hadn't told Sakura and Naruto about his plan to push again with Tsunade for a trial, this time the elders wouldn't be able to dismiss his words or vote so they might get some leverage.
It was kind of a blessing in disguise that Naruto had been out on missions and Sakura had her work cut out for her with the children's clinic that she started to work on otherwise he knew that both would be up in his face telling him to push for Sasuke. He didn't need to have them pestering him about this day in and day out, he himself wasn't a fan of the idea of Sasuke being in prison any more than they did after all.
Resigning himself to another late night workday he grabbed his pen and started to go through the documents, with some luck he could finish going over them with enough time to get some sleep and then submit them to the council along with Tsunade to speed things up a bit.
True to his word the following day during the scheduled council meeting he brought out the documents, the Feudal lord and his advisors had no qualms against holding an actual trial and while the rest of the attendees took a neutral stance the only two that were against it entirely were, as expected, the two elders.
Some discussions ensued between the country's and Konoha's respective parties. Rising from his position resting his head on his hands he sat up straight, clearing his throat to call the attention of everyone around him.
"I understand that there are mixed opinions regarding this subject but it would be better for all of us to discuss this in an organized manner. From my part I can say that despite past actions the actual danger that Uchiha Sasuke presents to the village and the fire country are close to nonexistent" he shot a look at the elders sitting across from him "Even though a trial should've been done from the start instead of waiting almost a year to do it I thank you for approving it"
Ignoring the displeased looks on both Koharu and Homura Kakashi turned to look at the feudal lord himself "I appreciate your support in being in favor of a trial, that being said I wish to ask a personal request"
The feudal lord himself was smart enough to not concern himself with specifics of the shinobi world, he had voted in favor of a trial in part because he did believe that it was a right anyone in Sasuke's position should have but also because the Uchiha had inherently saved him when releasing the Tsukuyomi with Naruto.
resting his head on his hands the feudal lord nodded at Kakashi for him to continue. with a deep breath and measuring his words he brought himself to speak up "I would like you to approve the release of Uchiha Sasuke from prison until the trial takes place"
The uproar that followed was as he had expected, the two Konoha elders plus another official as well as two of the feudal lord's advisors were protesting against it, He saw out of the corner of his eye how Tsunade shot him a disbelieving look but he ignored it all to see the reaction of the one man sitting at the head of the table.
He seemed to be considering his words albeit the chaos of discussions around them, Kakashi knew that this was a big shot in the dark. It was one thing to have his support for a trial but it was an entirely different one to have his approval to have him freely roaming around the village.
He was silently fiddling with his pen, brows furrowed deep in thought, Homura and Koharu turned their attention to him and started shooting up reason after reason of why he shouldn't agree to this. Silence fell in the room when he finally raised his hand to quiet down those around him.
Looking between the faces of everyone sitting at the council table the Feudal lord began to speak "I understand the reasoning behind the weariness of having him free in the village. A shinobi of that caliber could easily be dangerous not only to this village and the nation, but to all five nations, as we've already seen before"
Homura turned to look at Kakashi, something like a hidden smug smile tugging at his face upon hearing the lord's words, he ignored him and continued to look at the head of the table.
"As the Feudal lord of the land of fire I have the best interest of the country in mind so approving such a request could be possibly dangerous for everyone, even if the request comes from the Hokage himself"
Kakashi kept his stoic face, he wasn't really disappointed since he didn't have much hope to begin with but he was definitely feeling something seeing the smug face Homura shot at him. As good as he was masking emotions he couldn't help the surprise that rose to his face at the next words that filled the room.
"Lord Hokage, I will grant you this request under the condition that he must remain monitored and cannot leave the village until the trail takes place" Now he spoke directly looking at Kakashi "I trust your judgement" probably sensing the doubts from others in the room he turned to look at the two elders specifically "We will not discuss this any further. Now we move onto the next topic regarding the alliance between the five nations"
Once the meeting was over Kakashi took some time to talk to Tsunade and work on a strategy. The silver haired man also brought up that he would be going to visit Sasuke and tell him the news as well as work out an arrangement with Ibiki to allow some more freedom regarding his condition.
Though rather weary at first Tsunade agreed before leaving to inform Sakura about the new development as well as their plan for the trial, for this to work all of them would need to gather certain contacts that they knew could appeal for Sasuke and make a better case of his situation.
Wasting no time Kakashi headed back to the interrogation and intel division to meet with Ibiki, already sensing that something was off the latter simply told Kakashi to cut the chase and go straight to the point.
"So, what is it that you really want, Kakashi? I doubt the Hokage would just come out here for a chat"
Rubbing the back of his head he spoke through a sheepish smile hidden under his mask "Well I had a favor to ask from you, a request, if you may"
Already fearing where the conversation was going Ibiki leaned back in his chair with a sigh "Let me guess, it's about the Uchiha isn't it?"
"ah, it is" his smile faded, an expression that was all business covered his face "We've reached an agreement with the council and Sasuke will have a proper trial in a month or two depending on how smoothly we can get things ready. During this time I would like your approval to allow Sasuke to be released"
"Kakashi you know-"
"He will remain supervised, of course, I've already talked to a friend of mine in the Anbu that is willing to take on the job"
"Did the elders really agree to this?"
"Of course not, but the feudal lord himself gave his approval"
Ibiki seemed to ponder these words, weighing his pros and cons. In the few times that he had stopped by to check on the kid he never even sensed a drop of hostility, resentment or anger. Now that he thought about it he never felt anything at all from him, his previously strong aura had diminished to the point of nonexistence.
He had been rather cooperative ever since his admission despite the rough start and difficulties that came from that, he remembered the words Kakashi had told him months ago after his first and only visit until now. He didn't want to admit it but a part of him felt like maybe Kakashi had been right and that there was very little danger from letting him lose.
Pinching the bridge of his nose he turned to look at the current Hokage "I feel like you're scheming something, do you have other motives for pushing his release now?"
Kakashi answered in a flat tone, simply stating facts "It would help his case if there was proof that he posed no danger to the village, what better test than letting him roam around to prove it?"
and there it was, of course he had other motives. a light smile made its way on Ibiki's face "Just like you to take a straightforward approach in complicated situations" Kakashi simply closed his eyes in response, a hidden smile showing through the corners of his eyes "He's going to need someplace to stay you know?"
"Leave that to me, I'll arrange something"
"Well...I'll prepare things here, you just make sure there is someone to pick him up tomorrow night when he's released"
With a slight bow of his head Kakashi thanked his friend before standing up to leave, stopping at the door "I'll pay him a visit to inform him of this if you don't mind"
"Technically he's still in a strict no visitors policy but since you're the Hokage now I think you can bypass that rule"
With a nod he walked out, heading down the corridors and following the faint chakra signature that belonged to Sasuke.
He had recognized Kakashi's chakra the moment he entered the building, if he had counted the days correctly then he was already the Hokage by now. There wasn't that much time to think about why he would visit the prison considering that he more than likely had some more important work to take care of though because he soon noticed that he had exited the main office and was making his way to him.
The cell door was unlocked and he followed the sound of footsteps, raising his head to meet with Kakashi as he remained seated.
"Sasuke"
"Kakashi" there was some silence "heard you made Hokage. I suppose I should congratulate you on that"
"There is no need for that, please"
"What brings you here? I'm sure you have more important things to do than this"
"You say that as if seeing a former student was not important"
Sasuke was quiet, slightly turning his head to the side to break contact with him. He heard Kakashi take a breath "I have some news that you might find interesting" He didn't say anything, waiting for him to continue "I had a meeting with the council earlier today. It seems we were finally able to push for you to have a proper trial in a couple months' time"
He was somewhat surprised at this, Sakura had mentioned this idea but he was one thing to say it and a whole other thing to have it be a reality. Before he could say anything, the now sixth hokage continued to speak.
"There is one more thing that we managed to accomplish. By tomorrow night you'll be free from this cell and able to move around the village as you please until the time for the trial arrives"
Sasuke couldn't help the surprise that made him jerk back to look in Kakashi's direction. Out of anything that could happen this was definitely not one of the possibilities in his mind. He could practically see the smile in his former sensei's face when he spoke those last words, there was only one question that now plagued his mind.
"Why?"
Kakashi shrugged "Well, I could lie to you and say I requested this to the feudal lord himself on a whim. Truth is that this way I am also giving you a chance at redeeming yourself, prove to those elders that you are able to live in the village in peace and this will give us a good hand to play during the trial"
Well it made sense why he had done this but he couldn't believe that anyone could have agreed to this. He was at a loss of words, rather than staying quiet he voiced the only thing he could bring himself to say.
"Thank you, Kakashi"
Soon after he felt a firm hand on his shoulder "No need to thank, if anything I should be apologizing to you…"
Now that took Sasuke by surprise "Why would-"
"For not being able to do anything sooner. Maybe if I hadn't hesitated as much when Tsunade decided to throw the mantle over to me I could've gotten you out of here a while ago"
He could hear the deep regret coming from Kakashi, yet at the same time he didn't think he should be blaming himself for this "Don't take this upon yourself, I deserved this. I had already resigned to not having a chance at leaving this prison"
He felt his hand slightly squeeze his shoulder before removing it "Thank you"
Taking a few steps back he moved towards the exit of the cell, turning back to look at him before leaving "I'll be sending someone to pick you up from here tomorrow night, don't worry about anything else. I'll take care of it"
After Kakahis had left the silence returned to his cell, he was still trying to process what just had happened as well as what this opportunity really meant. He was glad that Kakashi had been straight with him and told him his real motives, before he had felt like the man still doubted him and where his loyalties lay but if this conversation was anything to go by it seemed like he trusted him again.
For some reason he couldn't see himself just living a normal life in the village, there were still very mixed emotions towards it that he needed to sort out before even thinking about moving on. Then there was also the issue of the people, he knew for a fact that a good percentage of them still saw him as a threat and an enemy. If one thing was certain was that this short period of freedom before his trial would be a test to both him and the village itself.
Sakura was gathering her things and getting ready to head out of her office, Tsunade had come earlier in the day to tell her about what had happened at the council meeting that morning and she had barely been able to contain her joy at the news. Sasuke was getting a proper trial, not only that, he was also going to be free from the confines of a cell until then. If the trial did go in their favor then maybe even for good.
With new hope swirling in her head and heart she walked out of the hospital and started to make her way home, stopping when she saw a certain newly inaugurated Hokage walking by.
"Kakashi sensei!"
The man had barely any time to react before he was almost knocked down by Sakura throwing herself into him, he froze, not really used to these kinds of interactions with pretty much anyone. He finally relaxed as he heard the low voice of the medic "Thank you so much…"
He reached around to put a hand around her shoulders "Don't thank me just yet. We still have ways to go"
She pulled away, putting some more comfortable space between them "I know, but this was still more than I could've asked"
"It was actually in part some luck that the feudal lord agreed to this and made it an undsputable decision. Had he agreed but left it to vote then we would've had no chance"
"So...when is he being released?"
"Glad you asked" Sakuara noticed how the corners of his eyes turned up from a hidden smile "I was thinking you could pick him up tomorrow night"
"Me?!"
"Of course, you're the one who's been in more contact with him so why not?"
"I mean yes, of course I can go pick him up" she took a deep breath "Again, thank you for everything Kakashi sensei. I'll take my leave now, I need to finish going over a few documents" with this she did a light bow before turning to walk away.