I might or might not have gotten a creative boost out of nowhere and managed to pull this chapter way sooner than I anticipated.
This will be the last proper chapter, next will be more of an epilogue where we go back to where the first chapter left off and it'll more than likely be up tomorrow so look forward to that.
Once again I'd like to thank all the people that followed or added the story to their favorite. Thanks to those that left reviews, it really made my day to see you guys enjoying this story.
Enough from me though, here's the second to last chapter of the story, and it's an extra long one so I hope you guys like it!
Chapter 6
Trial
The first few days he took them to get a feel of this new life, quickly falling into a routine to take care of whatever he could inside the apartment during the daylight hours and heading out after sunset. He had picked one of the training grounds that was more towards the outskirts of the village to start training again and getting used to moving around with one arm. It had been awkward at first but he soon got more or less the hang of it.
A couple times he decided to brave the busy streets to meet with Sakura after her shift was over at the hospital, not having a real plan after actually meeting with her they ended up going to one of their apartments to just spend time together or walk around the village once the sun was lower in the horizon.
It was the end of the first week, he dropped down on the ground and heavily leaned his back against a tree in the now darkening field of the training ground he had been in for the last few hours. Drops of sweat stuck to his skin, dark locks of onyx hair sticking to his face while his chest heaved with deep breaths as he regained his composure.
The confinement had taken way more of a toll on his endurance than in his actual physical state and he really felt it after each consecutive set of moves or blows that he went through.
It annoyed him seeing this after he remembered how he had been able to run and travel for days or how he had enough fuel left in him after the war to engage in an all out fight against Naruto that had lasted almost an entire day.
With a sigh he stood up from his place, face slightly scrunching in discomfort at the protest that came from his strained muscles. Picking up the duffle bag he had brought he swung it over his shoulder before starting the walk back to his apartment.
He got back without much issue, avoiding the more populated roads really helped to stay out of people's way and causing unneeded discomfort. Leaving the bag by the entrance he removed his sandals before walking into the apartment and heading for his room, pulling out a set of clean clothes before heading into the bathroom for a shower.
When he finally finished he made some tea before heading for the living room, placing the cup on the table to the kotatsu he laid on the cool floor next to it, absentmindedly staring at the roof while he thought about the events of this week.
There were still many things that he needed to sort out in his head before being able to properly move forward, this time in particular his mind drifted to the one topic in particular that he normally tried to avoid...Sakura
He had gone to see her a couple times during the week, whether they ended up at one of their apartments just talking or eating at some other place in the village. He couldn't help the feeling that bubbled in his chest when being in her company.
At first it had simply been comforting to know that after everything she still managed to forgive him and treat him like a good friend once again but...even after just a week he noticed that the comfort had evolved into something else, something he couldn't quite identify just yet.
He closed his eyes, welcoming the darkness as he let his thoughts spiral in an attempt at finding answers.
The dark void of his subconscious suddenly flashed, in the blink of an eye memories flashed too fast to properly see but slow enough so that he could make out what he was seeing.
Knocking Sakura out the night he left the village.
Putting her under a genjutsu after the war before he left to fight Naruto.
His hand around her throat, kunai at the ready on his other hand and quickly moving to slash at her neck.
A chidori from his hand aimed at carving a hole through her chest from behind.
He opened his eyes once more, the cream colored roof filling his vision, He sat back up and brought his hand to rub his temples. After that first night back when he stayed at Sakura's apartment it had been only two days where he was able to sleep properly, since then these nightmares came regularly and sometimes the memories triggered even if he just closed his eyes like he had just now.
What have I been doing?...I can't do this to Sakura, not after everything that's happened...
When they walked together he picked up on the way people greeted her warmly and openly in contrast to the fearful and resentment-filled eyes that bore at his back, she had helped the village and its people vastly with her work at the hospital while he had been the source of misfortune and grief.
Maybe those were just signals that he should stop these advancements, she deserved better, someone that was on the same path as her. He couldn't bear the thought of her light being absorbed by his darkness.
A knock on his door pulled him from his thoughts, curious as to who would be at his door at this hour. Standing up from where he had been sitting on the floor he unlocked the door and immediately regretted opening it when he saw a flash of yellow and orange.
"So this is where you've been hiding then huh? what, not going to invite me in?"
his deadpan expression was broken by a sigh "What do you want Naruto?"
He crossed his arms "What? can't visit a friend who I haven't seen in months?" the blonde took notice of the bags under his friend's eyes and his slouched posture, his smile receding to a more serious look "Hey are you okay? you look like you saw a ghost"
He scoffed at his comment "Ghosts aren't real you idiot" he closed his eyes and turned around to walk back into the apartment, leaving the door open in silent invitation.
Naruto stepped inside and closed the door, removing his sandals before walking in and sitting at the kotatsu in front of where his friend had sat. Naruto looked at Sasuke as he kept his gaze fixed in the cup of tea he was holding, deep in thought.
"You know I thought that you would be better now that you are out of that hellhole but even though I never got to see you I'd hazard a guess that you look worse now than you did back then"
Sasuke said nothing, simply taking his attention away from his tea to glare back at him "If something happened you can tell me you know? or even Sakura" he felt his shoulders tense at the mention of her name and he was sure Naruto had noticed based on the change in his expression.
"Did something happen between you two? I stumbled across her on my way here and she said you had gone out a few times"
"She told you that?"
"Yeah, she seemed happy about it too so I don't know why you're sulking so much"
He took a sip of his tea, setting the empty cup down as he turned to look out the window into the dark sky "It's got nothing to do with her...or you, for that matter, so just leave it"
Sapphire eyes began shining with anger "Oi what do you mean it doesn't concern us? You're our friend, if something is bothering you it bothers us as well!"
He broke his gaze from the window to look across the table, mismatched eyes meeting pools of blue with a matching flare of anger "You need to stop getting involved in my problems and focus on your own life"
They held each other's gaze, Naruto managing to notice the cracks of a well crafted facade through his friend's eyes. Beyond the stoic surface was a sea of troubled thoughts and doubts, he only needed that and one look at how he carried himself around to connect the dots. He's having nightmares…
Naruto himself was no stranger to nightmares, he had dealt with them throughout his life from time to time and there was a period of time after the war when he would wake up in the middle of the night with a cold sweat, at times for several days in a row.
It had been several months since the last time he had one but he was able to tell Sasuke was having trouble with them now.
He Thought back to all the things they had said back at final valley before Sakura and Kakashi found them, he learned then about how Sasuke really felt as they both opened their souls to each other. They had talked a little not too long after that when they were alone, in an uncharacteristic wave of words the Uchiha mentioned how he regretted his actions, he blamed himself for things of which some he didn't have control over and believed that he didn't deserve their kindness. He wondered if that was also what was causing him so much trouble now.
He closed his eyes with a deep breath and broke their contact, he probably didn't need to say anything else since words were never the more effective way to communicate with Sasuke but he still spoke as he leaned back to rest his weight on his arms.
"Look...I don't know exactly what's going on in that head of yours but this brooding and self pity isn't going to help you. You have friends for that, you don't have to carry whatever burden that's troubling you on your own ya know?"
He remained quiet but his face visibly relaxed from the previously angered expression it had been holding, a quiet breath escaping his lips "I know…"
Naruto stood up from his place, walking around to rest his hand on his friend's shoulder "Stop being so stubborn and overthinking everything, you do deserve to be happy, Sasuke, even if you don't think so" he let go and began walking towards the door, deciding to leave Sasuke to think instead of pushing him forward any more.
He put on his sandals, opening the door and turning to look back at him again "We're having a team reunion at Ichiraku's tomorrow night so you better be there"
He didn't look back as he answered but Naruto could tell that there was a hint of a smile when he spoke "Sure"
With a nod he exited the apartment and closed the door behind him, jumping down the railing and straight to the ground before starting to make his way back to his own place.
For a while longer Sasuke thought over what Naruto had said, there was lingering doubt in his mind still but something about his words managed to clear some of the fog that had settled in.
He had thought that it would be better to leave Sakura for her to be happy, to cut his association with her to avoid her reputation to be tarnished by his presence but...Naruto had said that she had been happy when she told him that they had met a few times.
She did seem happy those days, always smiling...maybe he's right and I'm thinking things over too much and perhaps...perhaps there is something there…
Standing up from his place he washed the cup he had used and turned off the lights, heading for his bedroom. He left the curtains covering the glass door to the terrace slightly open to allow some of the moonlight to filter through, closing his eyes. It wasn't too long until he was wrapped in a deep sleep, that night no nightmares managed to break his peaceful slumber.
The following day had been mostly uneventful, deciding to go training in the early morning to avoid the flux of people at rush hour on his way back home. On his way back a couple blocks away from his apartment building he spotted a small bookstore, he didn't have much to keep himself busy so against his better judgement he headed for the store with the intention of picking up something to pass the time.
To his relief there were only a couple more people browsing the shelves, hanging his duffle bag on his shoulder to keep his hand free he picked up a couple books that had called his attention and headed towards the front of the store to pay.
The man behind the counter was around his late 60s, too preoccupied organizing the shelf behind the counter to notice Sasuke until he placed down the books he had been holding.
The man half turned his head at the sound, he stared for a second before turning his attention back to his current task "I'll be with you in a second son"
Sasuke didn't say anything as he waited, watching the man place the three books he had been carrying back on the shelf in their respective places before finally turning around to face him.
The man took the books Sasuke had brought to check their price "It is an honor to meet you in person Uchiha-san"
Now this took him by surprise "Honor?"
"ah, yes. You are one of the heroes from the great war, are you not?"
Well...was he? "I'm not so sure about that"
The man moved on to the second book "Nonsense, don't mind those fools going around flapping their mouths. They are just too stubborn to see the truth behind the lies"
He was silent for a moment, the man handing the books back to him. He took a couple bills from his pocket to cover the price and moved to pick the books from the counter.
"People's minds are clouded by generations upon generations of hate and fear towards your clan, the events of the war were a double edge sword"
This made his curiosity spike "What do you mean?"
"Well on the one side you have the founders of the war, both Uchiha descendants, but on the other hand they were stopped by another Uchiha who also helped save everyone in the end. Some people held onto the fact that the war was started by your clan, some others let go of that hate and instead saw the possibility of change for the better...I am one of those people" the man made a slight bow, mentally throwing Sasuke for a loop "So thank you, for your help and contribution in ending the war, Uchiha-san"
This was new territory for him, the first time someone had openly expressed gratitude for him, and he found himself not knowing exactly what to do "No need for that" the man rose his head at the words, Sasuke simply nodded back at him "But thank you"
He left the store after that little interaction, holding his books against his side as he walked the remaining blocks to his apartment. He got lost in thought at the man's words, there wasn't a day that went by that he didn't feel the looks and hear the hushed comments against him but at this point he wasn't bothered by them. He was more surprised by how genuine this man was in showing his gratitude towards him..perhaps there were people that actually believed in him other than his teammates…
The rest of his evening was spent in his apartment, he took a shower shortly after arriving and prepared some food, then began reading one of the books he had gotten. It wasn't until a couple hours before the meeting time for dinner that he decided to get changed to go meet Naruto and Sakura at Ichiraku.
He wore a simple dark gray long sleeve shirt devoid of the Uchiha crest and black sweatpants, if he left now he would be way too early. A thought crossed his mind and he simply grabbed the keys to the apartment before leaving, heading for the Hospital.
Her day had been busy, all of her time taken between tending or checking up on patients and filing documents for the children's clinic, the simple thought of the little team reunion that night keeping her motivated. Hanging her white coat at her office she packed her things and headed out, almost losing her footing when she saw onyx hair and mismatched eyes turning in her direction.
The man in question had been leaning against the wall on the outside of the hospital, seemingly uninterested "S-Sasuke-kun? what are you doing here?"
He mentally struggled for an answer, he wanted to simply say the truth but as it usually was with words for him it was harder than he had anticipated. Finally formulating a sentence he tried to play it off with his usual tone, failing rather miserably "I...came to pick you up...for tonight" Damnit…
"Oh" warmth began to creep up on her cheeks "I uhh...I have to go drop some things home first and get changed. You can go and start heading for Ichiraku's though, it's fine"
he turned his face slightly away from her, onyx locks hiding his profile "It's fine, I'll walk you there"
"O-okay, thanks Sasuke-kun"
They walked in comfortable silence, the previously set one-arm distance between them shortened by half. Arriving at Sakura's apartment they both walked in and Sasuke took a seat on the couch while he waited for her, his attention being caught by one of the books laid on the table in front of him along with several other papers and scrolls.
He picked up the book on the page that it was open in and began reading. From what he could gather it spoke about mental health, issues and ways to approach different situations, it was rather interesting to him in all honesty.
The clicking from a door opening made him put the book back down, standing up as he heard approaching footsteps. "Sorry for the wait. All ready now, we can head out"
Mismatched eyes quickly scanned the pinkette, she wore a cream colored sweater and light blue jeans. She looks...nice.
He mentally shook himself, blinking a couple times to gather his thoughts before nodding at her to confirm that he was ready.
The two walked mostly in silence, her cream and light blue a stark contrast to his dark gray and black. Breaking short conversations here and there when Sakura asked about what Sasuke had been doing He mentioned Naruto's visit the previous night when he extended the invitation for dinner, leaving out most of the details to avoid possibly troubling her.
They went around a corner and spotted the familiar Ichiraku stand, orange pants occupying the only busy seat. Sasuke parted open the flaps and allowed Sakura to enter first. The three greeted each other before taking their respective seats where, much to Sasuke's displeasure, he ended up sandwiched between his two teammates.
As the night went on the group talked and bickered back and forth as per usual, Sasuke didn't take part in much of the conversation, preferring to listen and just ask occasional questions, comments or engage in the mutual poking between him and Naruto.
When their food arrived he stared at the bowl of ramen for a few seconds, unable to stop the memories that floated to the surface from their Genin days. Things were much simpler then and they didn't have many worries.
Times changed, however, and the three of them had matured and grown more than in just age. The war had opened their eyes to the real world and how quickly things could change, his two friends had seen sides of him that at this point he would've liked to keep to himself but there was no turning back time.
A thought entered his mind, one he had been pondering for a while not too long after he was imprisoned.
At the time he hadn't paid much attention to the words from the rabbit goddess, he had waved them off as riddles and traps but now that he had the time to analyze her words and the events of the war something began to bother him.
She had mentioned the coming of others, the white zetsu army had been in the making for centuries which meant that it hadn't been originally intended to be used against them, but against something else.
Seeing how powerful Kaguya was even on her own made him wonder just who or what could possibly have her weary enough to create a full army to use against them?
"Oi Sasuke, are you even listening?"
He blinked, snapping his current train of thought and realizing at some point he had unknowingly been included in conversation. "What is it?"
Unamused sapphire eyes scanned him "Seriously, you need to stop that broody mood of yours"
"I wasn't brooding"
"Sure you were, I saw that absent look you had while staring into the counter. Unless you somehow find the swirls of the wood more interesting than your trial"
His trial? "What about it?"
"Well, when I went to report to Kakashi sensei yesterday about the mission I had been in he told me to tell the two of you that the date has been officially set for eight weeks from now. Seems preparations are going well so it's going to happen sooner than we thought"
eight weeks? for some reason it seemed like a lot of time yet not enough at the same time "Why didn't you tell me this when you came to my place last night?"
"Well I originally was but...y'know"
He understood he was referring to their conversation, the little flare of anger he had disappearing as soon as he understood that he hadn't told him then to keep more troubled thoughts from his mind. He simply nodded in response before turning his attention back to his food.
After finishing their food they remained talking for a while longer, retiring noce the night was in full bloom. As they started to take their separate ways Sasuke mentioned that he would walk Sakura home, to which Naruto shot him a knowing grin that he instantly shot down with a glare before any words were able to spill from the idiot's mouth.
Back at Sakura's apartment they shared their good nights before Sasuke began making his way back to his apartment. The temperature had dropped a bit since he had left his place earlier, the cold breeze ruffling his hair and leaving his empty sleeve to move with the wind.
Eight weeks...eight weeks and then everything would be decided. Kakashi had said that he had a good feeling that things would go well but the real issue was the elders. Those old bags would do anything to keep him from being free for two simple reasons.
First of all they knew that he knew the truth about Itachi and probably feared that he would bring the information out, second reason was that like Danzo those two had always feared and resented his clan, the short interaction he had had with Homura the day he was imprisoned showed him just how much they wanted him to stay in that cell.
No matter what angle he looked at things, it was going to be hard to make it work. He wasn't as optimistic as Kakashi, looking at things in a more objective way, and right now all evidence and experience pointed to the fact that no matter how well prepared a defense he had or how well he could present his plea the elders would find a way to turn things on their head to fit their needs.
Anger boiled in his chest, first they had cornered his brother, and now they were going to corner him. As long as the village kept the same mindset those two had change would be impossible, no matter how much Naruto had boasted about making a difference.
By the time he reached his apartment the previous light mood and comfort he had felt when having dinner had all but vanished, replaced by dread and uneasiness. He really hoped that Kakashi was right…
For the following month he stuck to his routine, limiting his contact with people even more cautiously now after one night a drunk villager stumbled into him and began shouting threats and curses his way. He met with Sakura a couple more times, brought her some takeout to her office some others after hearing how she skipped most meals due to lack of time.
Naruto was busier, going and coming from missions often, but when he was around the blonde managed to pull him into sparring sessions that to his dismay only enhanced all the work he would need to get done to get back into proper shape.
Three weeks prior to the trial he had regular meetings with Kakashi to discuss what would be happening, he had presented a rough draft of what he would be saying and the two of them worked from there to make sure everything was in order.
A few days before the trial he had practically memorized the plan the two of them had come up with inside and out.
The elders would be starting by presenting all the charges against him, listing the reasons why he should remain in prison. Kakashi had made it a point to have him understand that no matter what they said he needed to stay quiet.
Once all the charges were listed five witnesses would be called to testify and once that was done then they would begin hearing his plea, meaning he would have to recite everything him and Kakashi had agreed on.
A couple things he had been reluctant to voice since they were more personal but the Hokage insisted that they would make for good arguments. Words were never his style so having to talk this much about things this troubling for him would be a challenge in and of itself.
Once all was said and done they would have to leave the decision to the vote of the higher ups, witnesses and jury. This was the part that worried him the most.
Kakashi had said that he had his and Tsunade's votes, of course, but that would leave the two elders against him along with however many people from the jury and witnesses. These last two were complete wildcards in his eyes, he had no idea who would be dragged out to testify and his mind could only guess a handful, all of which could mean trouble for him.
When the day of the trial finally arrived it was a cold morning, Sasuke had agreed to meet with Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura outside of the Hokage tower before the four of them made their way to where the trial would be taking place in a building a couple blocks away.
It was somewhat of a surprise for him that by the time he arrived ten minutes prior to the appointed time Kakashi was already there, even in his tense mood he couldn't help but make a comment about being on time for once to which his former sensei only smiled.
When Naruto and Sakura arrived the group started to walk towards their destination, going once more over the plan with Sasuke. For this Naruto and Sakura would be also posing as witnesses to explain the parts of the war that happened after everyone else had been trapped in the divine tree, Kakashi also made it especially clear that no matter what happened Naruto was to not say a single word out of his own testimony. Even though the blonde had agreed to it a hint of dread crept up his mind at the thought of something triggering the Jinchuriki and causing him to go into one of his rants, that would really be a worse case scenario.
They arrived at the place and traversed several hallways until finally a large double wooden door came into view. Inside, a good amount of people were already there, some faces Sasuke recognized while some others he had no idea who they were. The group took their respective seats with Naruto and Sakura amongst the stands, Kakashi on the long main desk at the front of the room with Tsunade and the two elders and Sasuke sitting at a smaller two-person desk directly in front of where the stands ended.
The Uchiha took notice of the several Anbu that took the seats behind him, others directly standing on either side of the desk he was sitting at. Were they really that weary about him doing something now? Even after he had been out for a little over two months now without him causing any issues they still believed he was dangerous enough to set this much security around him?
Mitokado Homura stood from his place and cleared his throat, calling the attention of everyone in the room and silencing the whispers that filled the tense space. "The trial regarding the rogue ninja Uchiha Sasuke will now begin" he turned to look at Sasuke "Uchiha, do you swear on your life and honor as a shinobi to speak nothing but the truth during this trial?"
Sasuke stood up, back straight and head held high in silent defiance, speaking with a solemn voice "I do"
The twitch of Homura's eye the only signal that he was annoyed at his almost regal composure and Sasuke couldn't help but internally smile at that "Very well then, we shall begin"
Homura sat down, everyone in the room followed. Utatane Koharu proceeded to stand up, papers in hand "I will now present the crimes for which you are being judged" she flipped a couple pages, clearing her throat before speaking.
"Uchiha Sasuke, you are being judged under the charges of deflecting from the village at age 13, rising your blade against fellow konoha shinobi, avoiding capture as a rogue ninja, joining the Akatsuki, interfering at the five Kage summit, the murder of Shimura Danzo of the leaf, the murder of many shinobi and samurai alike, aide in the practice of the forbidden reanimation jutsu and betraying your fellow comrades on the battlefield at the end of the war. How do you declare yourself against these crimes?"
He knew of the crimes, none of the claims were false, but hearing them all listed as it was made a dark pit settle in the bottom of his stomach. Even so, he kept his composure "Guilty"
Echoing whispers began to rise in the room, Koharu took a seat and Sasuke managed to see the corners of Homura's mouth twitch upwards.
Before the whispers could get any louder Tsunade stood up in her place "We shall now begin the hearing for the witnesses. We shall begin with the testimony regarding the final stages of the war with Uzumaki Naruto"
And so it started, Sasuke had been surprised at how well his idiot friend managed to recount the events level-headed and in an even voice that almost didn't sound like him. Something similar happened when Sakura's turn came up, he knew that she normally carried her heart on her sleeve and could get carried away by her emotions but the entire time she was speaking it was almost like listening to a different person.
The next person in line was someone Sasuke didn't recognize, they soon identified themselves as a former samurai from the land of iron and Sasuke had to avert his eyes at the retelling of the events from the five Kage summit from an outsider's point of view.
The next witness was a Konoha shinobi that had been in the very front lines during one of the charges and had witnessed his defiance against Naruto and his intention of eliminating the tailed beasts by burning the ten-tails.
The last witness that came in was a Kumo shinobi, one that just so happened to be one of the very few who witnessed his attack with Taka against the eight-tails Jinchuriki. Things weren't looking very good in his eyes, for their own benefit the elders could very well just rule out Sakura and Naruto's words in his favor by ruling them biased for having been previously on the same 3-man team.
When the final witness finished and began walking back to his place a man walked around the large main desk and leaned behind Kakashi, seemingly whispering something in his ear. As the man walked away Kakashi stood up "Pardon the inconvenience but I would like to call upon another witness" Koharu and Homura raised questioning looks, to which the man simply answered "I wasn't sure if they were going to make it so I didn't mention their involvement but seeing as they have just arrived I don't see why we couldn't allow him to speak his mind"
Koharu was about to question him further when the large main door opened, revealing none other than the Kazekage of Sunagakure.
Sasuke immediately turned a half questioning look towards Kakashi, of all people what made him think that bringing Gaara as a witness would be a good idea? they had damn near killed each other when they were Genin and then fought again at the Kage summit.
As the silver haired man sat down he threw Sasuke a knowing look.
The Kazekage walked past him and Sasuke was surprised to see no malice in his eyes, no anger and no resentment. Even though he didn't know him nearly enough to guess he would say that the one thing he gathered from that brief exchange of looks was sympathy.
Koharu and Homura didn't protest at the new arrival, more than likely since their train of thought had been the same as Sasuke's, but their expressions quickly dropped as soon as he began talking "I am Gaara, the fifth Kazekage of Sunagakure, and I am here to present my testimony in favor of Uchiha Sasuke" Sasuke looked back at Kakashi who was hiding a smile under his mask, then looked back at Gaara "I understand the crimes that he is being accused of, but I also understand that there is always a hidden reason for a person's actions. Like Sasuke I was no stranger to hatred, it consumed me and threatened to swallow who I was into a spiral of blind rage that caused me to make harsh decisions that I now regret.
"I do not intend to try and put myself in his position because I don't know the details of his past and what made him take that turn towards darkness...but I do understand how it feels to be lost and feel despair so deep it can break your will. I managed to find my path again thanks to a friend, now I intend to help someone who has found their path again to keep going"
True to his words Gaara spoke of the interactions with Sasuke during their first encounters as well as during the Kage summit and the war, the man had power in his words and Sasuke wondered if it was because he was the Kazekage or because he truly had mastered the art of conveying emotions through speech.
By the time he had finished the elders' faces were grim, clearly displeased with the fact that what at first seemed like a card in their favor turned out to be against them. Stepping back and making his way towards where his brother and sister had picked seats Gaara threw a nod in Sasuke's way, one he mimicked in silent gratitude.
Once again Tsunade stood up from her place "That is all the testimonies that we will be hearing" she looked in his direction "We will now hear your plea, stand and speak true to your soul"
He took a deep breath before obeying, head held high as he mentally prepared himself to go through hell and back attempting to truly speak his mind in front of a crowd, this was it.
"My name is Uchiha Sasuke, I am the last remaining member of my clan, a clan that for generations has been assaulted by a spiral of death and hatred that ultimately led to our own demise. I am not here to justify or argue against any of the claims that are being made against me, I know full well that there is nothing that can justify my actions.
"Up until before I joined the Akatsuki I had been living in a reality created by my own misconceptions and illusions, I was lost and darkness had been eating away at me for years. When I learnt what the true reality was, only anger and hatred resided in my soul, it led me to do things I deeply regret and pitted me against the few people that still believed in me.
"It wasn't until shortly after the start of the war that...someone gave me the stepping stones for a better path, one that I refused to follow and once again I almost lost, my vision was warped and my mind was still shrouded by darkness...until a friend set me straight, to never lose my path again" he closed his eyes and breathed out, struggling to put his next words out.
"I am not asking for forgiveness, I know that I have caused too much pain and grief to ever be worthy of that, what I am asking for is a chance at redemption. Allow me to right my wrongs and work for the village, to use my abilities and power to restore instead of destroy. This is what I ask for" he opened his eyes once more, scanning the faces of the four people in front of him.
The room was silent, so much so that one could probably hear the sound of a needle hit the ground. It seemed that everyone was pondering over his words as the tension in the room grew thicker. Silence was finally broken when Koharu stood from her seat "Your plea has been heard, now we will proceed to make a decision" she sat down "All of those in favor of Uchiha Sasuke's release will stand up, those against it will remain seated"
For a few seconds the room was eerily still, Kakashi was the first one to stand up, followed closely by Tsunade, From behind him Naruto and Sakura stood up and Gaara and his siblings followed. As if gathering courage from them more of the people in the room followed their lead, The room split as people made their choice.
Sasuke looked around from his place near the front of the room, with a quick glance he couldn't tell exactly how many people had stood up but one thing was for sure, these were way more people than he had expected.
Koharu and Homura exchanged a glance before they both stood up, Homura clearing his throat to speak "Seeing as the audience's decision is closely split and the council is at an even two on each side the final decision will be made by the members of the council that have been active for longer, providing with a more ample spectrum of experience and judgement"
Low voices rose around the room, Sasuke turned to look at Kakashi who had leaned closer to Tsunade and spoke in hushed whispers. Homura seemed to turn to confirm something from Koharu who seemed to shrug in defeat at whatever her counterpart had said before sitting back down. Turning to look back at the people in the room Homura spoke again "Taking into consideration the welfare and safety of the village and its inhabitants the decision has been made. Uchiha Sasuke will be sentenced to confinement indefinitely, as both a precaution and atonement for his actions"
The whispered voices rose slightly in volume, the majority of the people that had voted for his release sharing confused thoughts while Sakura struggled to keep Naruto from bursting out and saying something he could very possibly regret.
Kakashi stood up, slightly leaning forwards to properly look at Homura. "With all due respect Homura-sama I believe the action is uncalled for, especially considering that the majority of the people have voted for Sasuke's release"
The elder turned to look at the current Hokage "The numbers were too close to make a decision, I am taking the liberty of making the right decision for the welfare of the village"
"And are you certain that this is the right decision?"
"Do not question my authority, lord Hokage, we have seen now how quickly his mind can change and flip the sides for which he fights. Who are we to say that his loyalties won't falter again?" He turned to look at Sasuke "Konoha has already suffered one grave misfortune with the loss of the entire Uchiha clan by the hands of Uchiha Itachi, if anything that should be a vivid example of how fast his loyalties could change"
Sasuke was livid, at this point he was sure that he had been unable to hide the tension in his shoulders as his hands turned into tight fists. How dare that old bad bring Itachi into this and use him as a card against him coated with lies, he was well aware of what had actually happened yet he painted it the same way it had been painted to the rest of the villagers who didn't know better.
He pushed back the surge of chakra that threatened to reach his eyes and shakily took a deep breath. They had made him bow to speak only the truth...well then, if the truth is what they wanted then he would give it all to them for everyone to hear.
Whatever words he was about to say got stuck in his throat when he heard Kakashi's voice over the rest of the voices in the room that had quieted back down to little more than whispers.
The previously calm facade that the silver-haired man had been wearing dropped, Onyx eyes were devoid of emotion and his voice hid a dangerous undertone "I don't believe that kind of scenario is a possibility" his eyes took a dangerous edge, clearly struggling to hide a fire that was burning inside "Well...at least not unless he is ordered to do so. Wouldn't you agree?"
It took a second, but sure enough the confident aura emanating from both elders melted away in an instant. They understood the meaning behind those words.
Sasuke was also at a loss, he very clearly understood the underlying threat of the words that Kakashi had spoken. He knew...he knew the truth about Itachi. How did he know? for how long had he known about it and through what means had he gotten the information?
He saved these questions for later, his attention was on the two silent elders who exchanged hushed words and fearful looks.
Kakashi turned to look back at the room, his previously dangerous presence and menacing tone melting away to allow his calm tone to return "Taking into consideration certain factors that are now at play the sentence will be reconsidered. The decision will be left as is based on the votes of the people earlier, taking into account those as well as Lady Tsunade's and my personal vote the votes for the release of Uchiha Sasuke outnumber those against" he looked at both elders "I assume there is no more arguments against this decision right?"
The two were quiet, Homura's eyes burning with rage at both the humiliation of having his decision revoked in front of an audience and this newfound immunity that Sasuke had against them.
Sasuke looked at his former sensei, still attempting to process the last minute-worth of events, snapping out when he noticed the pair of onyx eyes locked on him "The vote has been passed and the decision is made. I, Hatake Kakashi, the sixth Hokage of the village hidden in the leaves hereby declare that your crimes during and prior to the war have been pardoned. Your freedom will be granted and I would like to speak to you in my office later today to settle a few things straight, understood?"
He bowed his head "Understood"
"Good, now then, with this resolved the trial will now conclude"
After the first few minutes when people began to stir and walk out of the room Sasuke still stood in his place, confused and stunned at the events. Not only did the news of Kakashi knowing about Itachi surprised him, but the fact that from the people in the audience that had been randomly selected civilians a little over half had vouched for his freedom.
They had won the trial, somehow the testimonies and his own plea had been enough to convince the people that change was possible and it shocked him beyond words.
Sakura and Naruto made their way to him in cheerful moods, the former all but throwing herself at him into a hug with her head buried in his chest in relief. Naruto shot him a look that he decided to ignore as his attention switched to where Kakashi and Tsunade were walking away through another door with the two old elders, he assumed that the conversation the four would be having would not be a pleasant one, not after that look he had seen on Kakashi's face.
The three of them left not long after, Naruto attempting to drag him and Sakura to go grab a celebratory bowl of ramen but he had too many things running through his head and not nearly enough mental strength to carry through another conversation.
Thankfully Sakura seemed to pick up on this and she managed to push Naruto off, saying that she would walk with him back to his apartment under the pretense that he was tired. In all honesty that wasn't really much of a lie, he was tired and despite having a huge weight lifted off of his shoulders he was still mentally exhausted.
Him and Sakura walked in silence, he didn't even need to look at her to know that she was smiling, her cheerful aura told him that much. He would even dare think that she seemed happier about the outcome of this whole thing than he was.
When they finally got back to his apartment she began saying her goodbyes at the door, any other day he would've invited her to stay a while longer but right now all he wanted was to lay down and just rest.
He thanked her for walking back with him, even though the walk was silent Sasuke was content enough to simply have her by his side. Finally alone he removed his sandals and walked over to his room, half sitting on the floor and resting his back against the side of the bed as he looked out the window to the terrace.
He closed his eyes as he attempted to calm his troubled thoughts and process everything that happened at the trial until at one point his exhaustion got the better of him and he fell asleep on the spot.
It wasn't until late into the evening that he was saved from the grasp of sleep by knocking on his window, a familiar hawk perched on the railing. Standing up he slid open the glass door and took the note from the hawk, as he had expected Kakashi was summoning him to the Hokage tower.
Pushed by his own questions it didn't take him long to answer the summons, in the span of half an hour he was already entering the large building. He knocked on the large wooden doors and entered once the voice inside answered, Kakashi had a tired expression on his face but Sasuke could tell that he was also relieved.
"You wanted to discuss something?"
"I do, but first of all I assume you have some questions regarding that last part of the trial"
Straight to the point, as per usual with him. Humoring the comment Sasuke wasted no time "How did you know about...Itachi?"
"Ah yes, well to not make this any longer than it needs to be. I'll just say that we got a surprise visit from Tobi aka Obito at our hotel in the land of iron shortly after the five kage summit. He came for Naruto and in an attempt to rile him up you became the subject of conversation. One thing led to another and he ended up telling us the whole truth"
Of course it was him, he didn't think anyone else knew the truth other than the elders "So...Naruto knows as well?"
"Naruto, myself and the standing captain of team 7 Yamato. Only us three know the real truth"
Sasuke asked a couple more questions on the topic that Kakashi freely answered before they moved onto the second thing they needed to discuss. Sasuke had been granted his freedom but that didn't mean that people would accept him outright or that he would be able to take on missions like nothing had happened. More than likely he would have to still just wait around in the village for another month before Tsunade and Kakashi could pull to let him resume regular shinobi activities.
Even though deep down he was somewhat annoyed by this fact he also didn't mind it too much, it gave him time to slip back into his training regime and attempt to get back into proper shape before any missions.
Once the basics and conditions had been laid out he thanked the Hokage once more before retiring for the day, heading straight for his apartment.
Weeks flew by in routine, his main activities consisting of training by himself or sparring with Naruto, spending time with Sakura once in a while or just reading the books he slowly started to collect in the previously empty bookshelf. Before he realized a month had gone by and Kakashi had called him in once more.
Sasuke entered the Hokage's office to see Kakashi standing by the window behind his desk, he turned his attention towards him at the sound of the creaking door.
"Ah Sasuke, glad you're finally here. I take it you've been doing well?"
"Better, thanks"
he walked around the chair and sat at the desk "Well, let's go straight to the point. Starting tomorrow you will be allowed to start going out on missions, they might not be too hard or long at the beginning but I'm sure you'll be on regular B through S ranks pretty soon considering your abilities"
he nodded "I have a favor to ask"
"And what would that be?"
"Permission to leave on a long term mission for an indefinite amount of time"
"Interesting request, mind sharing the nature of said mission?"
"In short, I've been thinking about Kaguya" the mention of the name made Kakashi perk up instantly, nodding at Sasuke for him to continue "I was thinking about what she said to us back then, a lot of things don't match up and something has been bothering me. I would like for you to allow me to investigate this further"
"Do you have a team in mind?"
"No team, this is something that only I can do. I can track Kaguya's signature through the dimensions using my Rinnegan"
Kakashi leaned back in his chair, a more serious look reflecting in onyx eyes "This is a difficult request, and an even more difficult mission. Do you understand?"
"ah, I do"
"I have no qualms with letting you go on the condition that we keep communications going from time to time...However, I will need time to talk wis over with the other villages, considering that you will be moving across borders freely"
"How long?"
"A week maybe, I'll get back to you as soon as this is settled. If you are sure about this you should tell Naruto and Sakura, a least let them know, they finally managed to get you back and you're planning on leaving"
he looked away "I have to do this, I need time to figure out my feelings and this journey will also serve to atone for my sins"
"I see...well, I won't tell you what to do, but at least consider what I told you"
"...I will"
Several days later Sasuke found himself at Sakura's apartment, he had stumbled across her by the market later at night and she invited him over to her apartment for some tea. He sat on the couch as he thought about how to approach the situation.
Kakashi had told him this morning that the other villages had approved his request and he would be leaving the following morning but he had yet to tell Sakura about it.
Sasuke was pulled from his thoughts when Sakura walked over with two cups of tea in hand, placing them on the coffee table in front of them and sitting down on the couch next to him. Over the last few months since he had been let out of prison the two of them had gotten closer to each other but Sasuke still sometimes found himself troubled, the time he had spent with her only clarified that his bond of friendship with her had definitely grown into something way bigger and stronger.
From past experience, a bond this strong could also mean a lot of trouble, he had seen how people that associated with him ended up suffering in the long run and he didn't want that for Sakura...yet at the same time she was happy with him, and he was happy whenever he spent time with her.
"Are you alright Sasuke-kun?"
he snapped his attention away from the cup he was holding to look at concerned emeralds "Sorry I was just...thinking"
"You look troubled, is everything okay?"
He hesitated "I…"
Come on just tell her, get it over with.
"I'm going out on a mission"
"Oh, that's great Sasuke-kun, you'll finally be able to-"
"I...won't be back for a long time"
Her face dropped "What?"
"I'll be leaving on a mission to track down any signs or leftovers from Kaguya and the war, I won't be able to send word back or come back to the village for a while"
She was quiet.
Sakura understood the weight of Sasuke's words, he had abilities that made him uniquely equipped to be able to do this job...but that didn't mean that having to lose him again after they fought so hard to get him back wouldn't hurt.
"When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow morning"
So soon…
There was a moment of silence between them, Sasuke could feel that she was sad about his departure and an uncomfortable feeling settled in his chest. Could he do anything to ease her pain?
He felt something warm on his shoulder and when he turned his eyes were met with a sea of pink. Sakura was resting her head on his shoulder, even though her gaze was not on him he could feel the sadness that her eyes held.
"I...I know that this is important, and that you're probably the only one able to do it but...are you sure about this?"
Her voice sounded tired, exhausted almost, and he wondered if it was only because of a long day of work "This is something I have to do" he took in a steadying breath "I also...need some time"
She didn't push any further, she knew the meaning behind his words and right now she was just glad that he had told her about this. "I understand…"
The silence stretched for a few minutes but Sasuke didn't dare say anything, he wouldn't know what to say anyway. He noticed how the weight on his shoulder had increased and her breaths came in slow and even.
"Sakura?" when no answer came he slightly cocked his head to look at her face. She's...asleep?
He noticed how her face was relaxed yet the corners of her lips were tilted down ever so slightly. He didn't know what to do now, he could probably wait a little longer for her to slip into a deeper sleep and carefully move so that he could stand up and leave her sleeping there but something deep in his chest kept him from moving.
Once again he had that feeling of peace that she always somehow managed to create, the warmth of her body against his providing a comfort that lulled him into staying there with her.
Slowly he felt his own eyes feeling heavy, mostly due to the mix of his own exhaustion and the comforting warmth. He hesitated for a few seconds before finally deciding to allow himself this small comfort, he wouldn't be able to see her for a while after tomorrow so…
He let out a deep breath and closed his eyes, resting his head atop hers, the characteristic sweet smell that he had come to associate with Sakura filled his senses and something in his chest stirred. This felt...right? he was still confused about where his relationship with her stood, and he had many doubts, but right now all he knew was that this definitely felt right.
The next time he opened his eyes he managed to see the faintest ray of light coming through the window, it was early morning, still a few more minutes until sunrise. He noticed the absence of warmth from his shoulder then and realized that at some point during the night Sakura had drifted from his shoulder and now rested her head on his lap, pink locks framing her face.
He didn't want to move, didn't want to wake her up or lose the warmth that pulled him towards her, but he knew that he still needed to get things ready before he left the village.
Slowly he began to move, supporting Sakura's head with his hand as he slid out from under her to stand up, an aching feeling in his chest at the lost warmth. He breathed out a sigh of relief when he managed to stand up without waking her up.
He looked around the room until he spotted what he needed, picking up a pen and borrowing a blank page from a notebook he began to write a few things down. Folding the paper he left it on the table in front of the couch and opted to go out through the open window.
Sakura stirred from her sleep, slowly opening her eyes and blinking to get rid of the fuzziness of sleep. She was confused when she realized that she was on her couch until her mind caught back up with the events of the previous night.
She wondered if Sasuke had stayed with her throughout the night or if he had left after she fell asleep. Sitting up she noticed a folded white paper on the table that had her name written on it.
She picked it up and recognized Sasuke's handwriting. The note was short, thanking her for everything that she had done for him and it ended with a time and place. 10am at the A-Un gate.
She smiled, glancing at the clock on the wall she realized that she had a little over an hour before the given time. Over the sadness that clung to her heart she also felt a sense of pride, Sasuke had really changed for the better, he was going on a mission that was dangerous and didn't have a set date to end...but she could wait, she would wait...she had been doing nothing but that anyway. The difference here was that now she knew that Sasuke had left his path of darkness and was well on his way to recovery, all he needed was time, and she would allow him as much as he needed.