Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, owned by Kishimoto-sensei

Chapter 8

Naruto was the first one awake, it used to bother him that he'd started to rise really early during the war and following after. But as he remembered last night and felt the weight of the one in his arms, he wasn't bothered by it at all. He tightened his hold on Sasuke and whispered into his ear, "Wake up teme."

Sasuke shifted and stirred opening his eyes. He raised his hand to wipe the sleep from his eyes and the sleepy haze started to fade from his mind. With the haze gone he felt himself flush at the memories of the night before, he relaxed into Naruto's hold when Naruto lightly kissed his neck. It brought back their last words before they'd drifted off the sleep.

Naruto shifted and Sasuke grudgingly moved and forced himself to stand. Naruto pushed off the trunk of the tree as he got to his feet and snatched up his pack and put it on after putting the soiled rag in the side pocket of his pack. He stretched and turned to look at Sasuke. Sasuke stretched his arms above his head and looked at Naruto watching him.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "What?"

Naruto chuckled and shook his head, "Nothing," he took his canteen and two rations from his pack and handed a ration to Sasuke. They ate in silence and headed out. Sasuke sighed at the heat beating down on him, he was starting to feel agitated that it was taking them so long to get back.

Naruto slowed down when Sasuke started to fall behind and then back tracked and ran alongside him.

"Teme, what's wrong?"

Sasuke looked at Naruto, "Nothing, it's just taking too long to get back."

Naruto smirked, "I could carry you on my back."

Sasuke glared, "No."

Naruto grinned, "Aww, come on teme, we would reach the village in less than four hours. We lost time yesterday and we won't make it until tomorrow morning."

Sasuke sighed and glared at Naruto, "On one condition."

Naruto grinned even more, "Name it."

Sasuke smirked, "We travel on our own feet when we are within sight of the gates."

Naruto smiled broadly, "No prob', alright teme."

Naruto stopped and removed his pack and Sasuke let out another sigh before he stopped and turned to Naruto. Naruto bent down to kneel and Sasuke akwardly placed his legs through the arms Naruto had bent to hold him after he took Naruto's pack and put it on his own shoulders. Naruto stood up and hoisted him on his back so that he had a good hold of him. Sasuke moved his arms around Naruto's neck to hold him in place.

Naruto looked at him over his shoulder, "Relax teme, it's not like I'll drop you or anything."

Sasuke glared, "Just hurry up already."

Naruto chuckled and Sasuke's legs tensed on his hips as Naruto started moving. Sasuke closed his eyes and rested his head on Naruto's shoulder, it was giving him a headache to see everything going by them so fast. Plus, he was still exhausted from everything that had taken place the day, and night before.

Naruto landed on a tree limb just outside the gates to Konoha. He lowered himself to the ground carefully and knelt down to set Sasuke on the ground. He then turned around and shook Sasuke by the shoulder, "Teme, wake up."

Sasuke groaned and shifted, Naruto chuckled and Sasuke's eyes shot open. Naruto grinned at him, "We're here teme, have a nice nap?"

Sasuke glared at him and moved to get to his feet. Naruto stood up and took a step back as Sasuke stretched again, flinching when he stretched his back. Naruto smirked, "You could ask Sakura-chan to heal your back for you."

Sasuke glared at him darkly, "Dobe, not likely."

Sasuke brushed past him after removing Naruto's pack and handing it to him. Naruto took the pack and followed Sasuke onto the main road. Sasuke scowled back at him over his shoulder at how close they were to the gate. Naruto shrugged, "You didn't say how close or far the village had to be in sight."

Sasuke growled, "I meant further from the gate."

Naruto came up next to him and put an arm around his shoulder, "I know teme, but you just looked so peaceful asleep on my back."

Sasuke brushed his arm from his shoulder and walked up to the gate, but he hesitated. Naruto sighed and walked up next to him looking up at the towering walls and gates of Konoha. He smirked when he noticed Neji and Sakura standing up at the top looking down at them.

"Hey, care to open this big ass door?"

The gates opened and they stepped out of the way. When the gates opened Sasuke sighed to see Iruka, Kakashi, and all of the rookie nine there to greet them. He noticed Shikamaru and Temari standing together. Lee was standing very close to Gaara who of course was glaring at him. Ino stood, surprisingly to him, with Chouji's arm around her shoulders. Then there was Hinata and Kiba, and next to them was what he noticed to be Konohamaru. He'd grown taller and more defined, his hair still spiky and unmanageable. He was wearing the uniform for a Chunin.

Naruto pulled him by the hand through the gate and up to the group as the gates started to close behind them. Sasuke sighed at the glares he was getting from mostly everyone, well Ino was gawking, but he was used to that and didn't care. Shikamaru was glaring, Kiba looked like he wanted to burst out laughing, Hinata was smiling sweetly at him.

Sakura and Neji landed behind him and Sakura scowled at noticing that Sasuke's back was stiff. She walked over to Naruto before he could properly greet everyone and growled at him making him jump and release Sasuke's hand.

Sasuke looked over at her as she glared at Naruto, "Sasuke-kun is hurt, aren't you supposed to . . . "

Sasuke cut her off, "I'm fine."

She looked over at him with a glare as well, Sasuke raised an eyebrow, he wasn't accustomed to Sakura glaring at him. He sighed, "I'm fine Sakura-chan."

She stepped up to him and said in a hushed whisper, "You two didn't do anything while you were gone that would make your back stiff did you?"

Sasuke paled, deciding that would be better than blushing in front of everyone. He looked abrubtly away from her and she took a step back. Then he looked over when there was a thud. He smirked to see Naruto lying face down on the ground with a lump forming on top of his head.

Naruto sat up and rubbed his head, "Ow Sakura-chan, what was that for?"

Sakura looked at Naruto and an evil grin appeared on her face that sent chills down both Sasuke and Naruto's spines. Naruto jumped to his feet when he received a dark glare from Sasuke as well.

"No, that's okay Sakura-chan, I'm sure it was totally my fault, ha ha ha ha."

Sasuke ran his hand through his hair and gave an exasperated sigh. Kiba finally started laughing loudly, he said in between laughs, "I get it, ha ha ha . . . Naruto fucked Sasuke . . . or should I say . . . Sas-Uke."

Sasuke glared at Kiba even as his cheeks flushed. Kiba noticed the blush and laughed harder. Naruto jumped over to him and cuffed him upside the head hard, "Shut up Kiba."

Kiba released his arm from around Hinata's shoulder and glared at Naruto.

"You! What the hell?!"
Naruto glared back and raised his fist, "Don't blurt things like that out, baka!"

Kiba growled, "Baka!"

Kakashi appeared between them and said in his droned tone, "Calm down you two. I'm sure Sas-Uke is tired."

"Kakashi-sensei!" Cried Naruto and Iruka.

Sasuke gave Kakashi a death glare as Kiba rolled with laughter and Naruto blushed. Neji chuckled and Iruka smiled while Sakura laughed with Kiba. Sasuke made to walk away from everyone, but he was seized by the wrist by Naruto.

Naruto sighed and glared around at everyone laughing, chuckling, or smiling, which turned out to be everyone. He then looked pointedly at Kakashi, who's eyes were turned up in a smile behind his mask.

"Kakashi-sensei," he waited until Kakashi looked at him, "We are going home."

Kakashi took on a calm appearance and then his in his usual lazy drone said, "Well, we are are here to greet the two of you and congratulate you two on finally getting together. We thought a welcome home party was in order."

Sasuke sigh, Great, a party with everyone, he thought to himself sarcastically. Naruto looked at him for a moment and saw that Sasuke was more than exhausted, he was feeling tired himself. He looked back at Kakashi, "Maybe tomorrow, right now I'm sure Sasuke wants to get some rest."

Sasuke looked at Naruto with a raised eyebrow, Since when was the dobe able to deny a party?

Kakashi shrugged, "I'm sure that can be arranged, the two of you head home and tomorrow morning I will need to speak with both of you."

They nodded and Naruto pulled Sasuke behind him and past everyone. Sasuke noticed that they weren't headed to his home, for which he was grateful. He wasn't looking forward to returning to that haunting district anytime soon. He was surprised when they walked past where he knew used to be Naruto's apartment.

"Did you move dobe?"

Naruto looked at him as they continued down the street, "Yeah," he scratched his head absently, "Iruka-sensei talked me into getting a better place to live."

Sasuke smirked, "Well your old apartment was rather small."

Naruto nodded and they finally came up to his apartment building. For the first time in a while Naruto entered the building through the front door and crossed the empty lobby and mailboxes before going up the stairs. They walked up the stairs to the third floor in silence and Naruto led them down the hallway where he stopped halfway and faced a door on their left.

He took his keys from his pocket and unlocked the door opening it for Sasuke to enter. Sasuke did and Naruto closed and locked his door behind him. He sighed after turning on his light to see that the apartment was pretty trashed.

Sasuke scanned the apartment, it was obvious someone had been inside, even though the front door had been locked. The couch had been slashed, there were a few scrolls on the floor, unopened but obviously tampered with. Naruto walked over to the kitchen after releasing Sasuke's wrist and growled at seeing his dishes lay broken on the floor.

So much for hoping my friends would keep an eye on the place while I was gone. He sighed again, I suppose we all have our own lives, and I do live pretty far from everyone else.

Sasuke looked over at him, "Who do you think would do this?"

Naruto looked over at him from the kitchen looking at him from the opening above the bar that separated the kitchen from the living room. He shrugged, "Beats me, just because I have a family and friends doesn't mean the villagers don't still hate me for who I am to them."

Sasuke frowned at that, "Does this happen a lot?"

Naruto shrugged again, "It slowed down after Tsunade-baa-chan became Hokage, and stopped for a while when Kakashi-sensei became Hokage. But it did happen a few months ago too. I still haven't figured out who keeps doing this."

Sasuke looked away and walked over to the two doors along the wall to his left. He opened the door on the left and found that it was the bathroom, the mirror was shattered and the glass was all over the floor and sink. Other than that nothing seemed to be touched. He left the door open with the light on and went to the other door about five feet from the bathroom. It led to a narrow, dark hallway, he found the light switch to his left when he walked into the hallway.

He saw broken picture frames on the ground and heard Naruto come up behind him and curse as Sasuke stepped aside to let him past. Naruto knelt down and picked up the pictures from the broken frames and stood with a heavy sigh. The pictures were still there, luckily. He walked down the hallway to the door on the right, where his bedroom was.

He opened the door and turned on the light, "Damn it!"

All of his furniture was overturned, his mattress ripped to shreds. His pillows the same, his clothes were strung out across the room and ripped to shreds as well. Sasuke growled low in his throat and Naruto started to go through everything he could salvage, his pictures, and his scrolls which were sealed. Everything else was ruined, torn to shreds, in some case some had even been set on fire.

Sasuke scanned the room and his eyes focused on the window to the apartment. There, written in red paint read; 'ROT IN HELL DEMON!!!'

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, even though it did look like a violent act, the fact that the pictures remained unharmed was suspicious. If someone truly hated Naruto because he was the demon, they surely would have done something to the pictures. Naruto seemed to think the same as he turned to Sasuke, "I put a jutsu on the pictures that would prevent them from being ruined. I had to get another picture from Kakashi-sensei of our team after my apartment was found torn apart and the picture had been burned."

Sasuke sighed heavily, "Naruto, haven't you even done anything about this?"

Naruto slumped his shoulders, "No, why would I?" Naruto's voice seemed toneless and empty as he continued to gather everything and move it to the living room. Sasuke followed behind him, "Naruto, you should report this . . . "

Naruto dropped the things in his arms and turned to Sasuke, "Why, no one is going to do anything about it. I don't even know who did it, and it'll just happen again." The pack he'd set by the front door was seized and Naruto put his things inside it and slung it over his shoulder, "We will just have to go stay somewhere else tonight. I will have to get everything replaced tomorrow."

Sasuke sighed, "Naruto . . . I . . . "

Naruto smiled softly at him, "Don't worry about it Sasuke." Naruto walked through the apartment, turned off the lights and closed all the doors, then he unlocked the front door and held it open for Sasuke who silently walked out into the hallway. Naruto closed and relocked the door behind him and led the way downstairs and out the building.

Sasuke looked to the person sitting behind the desk who was smirking at Naruto's frown as he walked out the door. Sasuke stopped in the lobby and Naruto turned outside at noticing Sasuke wasn't behind him. He walked back into the building and grabbed Sasuke's wrist as he glared at the man sitting behind the desk.

"Sauske, come on."

Sasuke stood his ground and wouldn't let Naruto pull him forward. Instead he pulled away from Naruto's hold and slammed his hands on the counter, "Do you know who ransacked Naruto's room?"

The man jerked and turned a glare to Sasuke, but then he flinched at the fiery onyx eyes and stammered; "N-no, I don't know!"

Sasuke scoffed, "Then what was with the smirk as Naruto walked past?!"

Sasuke's voice was completely calm, but the viciousness in Sasuke's voice didn't go unnoticed.

The man waved his hands in front of him, "I was just . . . it just . . ."

Naruto sighed and wrapped an arm around Sasuke's waist and pulled him away from the desk. Sasuke huffed and called out as Naruto pulled him towards the door, "I'll be back."

The guy behind the desk looked shaken and Naruto let go of Sasuke once they were outside only to grab his wrist painfully and pull him down the street.

"What the hell teme?"

Sasuke glared, "I should ask you the same dobe, why don't you ever fight back? Why do you keep letting these people treat you like that and take advantage of you?"

Naruto stopped suddenly and rounded on him with a angry glare, "Since when do you give a damn about that? You ignored me just as much, when we were twelve you were cold and arrogant towards me."

Sasuke flinched then glared, "I ignored you because I had my own damn problems. When we were genin, I had something to focus on, something you kept distracting me from. It pissed me off, that and then you kept surpassing me . . . "

Naruto's glare faltered, "Surpassing you? I always felt like you were miles ahead of me teme."

Sasuke scoffed, "Yeah, then why was it we always competed, you were among one of the few I saw worthy to compete with . . . up until recently . . . " Those last few words came out hushed.

Naruto bristled, "Up until now?"

Sasuke sighed and walked forward, Naruto stopping him by not releasing his hold on Sasuke's wrist, but he loosened his bruising hold feeling guilty he'd grasped Sasuke's wrist so harshly.

"Now, I'm nothing more than . . . "

Naruto turned him around, "Don't talk like that, if you start back to your training you will regain your strength in no time teme."

Sasuke smirked, but still refused to meet Naruto's eyes. Naruto tilted his chin up, "Sasuke, what the hell happened to you?"

Sasuke flinched and pulled his hand free then turned and walked down the street with a huff, "Nothing."

Naruto laughed mockingly, "Bullshit."

He walked over to Sasuke and had to jog to catch up to him. He grabbed Sasuke by the shoulders, dropping his pack on the ground and turned him around. Sasuke's eyes finally met his sharply in a glare, "Naruto," he ground out warningly.

"I haven't said anything about it until now, but I want to know. There was another reason you didn't want to return, and I want to know what happened to you. Why the fuck have you changed so much, what happened to leave you so damn empty like when I found you?"

Sasuke growled, "Leave it alone."

Naruto shook him and shook his head, "No, I want to know."

Sasuke shoved him back and turned around, "I said leave it alone dobe."

Naruto huffed and thought about it for a minute as Sasuke walked briskly down the street. What is it that he's hiding, I already figured he would be shaky about that snake and then all that happened with Itachi and Madara . . . But there's something else, something that happened to him in these past few years, something had to have happened . . . What is it?

"Damn," he cursed under his breath, he looked up and picked up his pack and ran after Sasuke who had made it at least four blocks up the street. He was a block behind when they both suddenly stopped at sensing a sinister and powerful chakra close to the village. Naruto turned in the direction of the forbidden forest, the direction the chakra was coming from. He glanced at Sasuke who had frozen and gone deathly pale.

Naruto jumped when Neji suddenly appeared next to him, his focus on Sasuke and the approaching chakra making him not notice Neji approaching him.

Neji smirked, "Uzamaki, the Hokage wishes to see both of you immediately."

Naruto nodded and ran over to Sasuke as Neji disappeared in a puff of smoke. Naruto grabbed Sasuke's wrist snapping him out of his frozen state and then pulled him to him as he transported to the Hokage's office. Sasuke pulled out of his arms when they landed in front of the Hokage's desk.

Kakashi was talking with two Anbu in a hushed voice. They nodded after a few minutes and then said, "Yes Hokage-sama," then they disappeared in a puff of smoke. Kakashi turned to look at them his face unreadable, but his tone serious.

"Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun, it seems that the Raikage was angered by your escape from his country. As well as the arrival of Leaf nin in his land."

Naruto tensed, "He isn't going to start a war is he?"

"That, we don't know as of yet. But he has sent some of his elite here, without warning, to acquire Sasuke-kun. It seems, from intell given by Neji-san, that they are here to kill Sasuke in case he gives information about Kumogakure."

Sasuke sighed, he figured as much, why would it be easy to just leave? He nodded and Naruto glanced at him for a moment, "Kakashi-sensei, what is going to be done about it?"

Kakashi nodded, "You are going to help take care of this problem. I wanted to wait until tomorrow to tell you of what was going to take place. But recent events leave me no choice."

Naruto smirked at feeling Tsunade's chakra and then she and Shizune appeared next to Kakashi. Kakashi glanced at them and then nodded, "Thank you for coming."

Tsunade nodded and when she looked at Naruto with a serious and sorrowful expression he tensed.

"The Hokage-sama requested I be the one to relay the message to you. The elders elected me to join the council, something I planned to inform you and Sakura-chan about the next time you came to see me. There was much discussion while you were on your mission to Kumogakure."

Shizune looked on silently with a sad smile and Naruto closed his eyes to calm himself before looking at Sasuke. Sasuke had an impassive look on his face, but Naruto could see that concerned glint in his eyes and how tense he was.

Tsunade cleared her throat and Naruto looked back to her.

"As the new represenative to the council, it is with the proficient evidence that Sasuke-kun did not side with our enemies and assisted us that he will not be charged for acts of treason. However, he was still previous to the war a defected Leaf ninja. There are still penalties for his actions during that time, and consequences to living within a known enemies country following the war."

Naruto growled, "That's bullshit."

Sasuke nodded once, "I understand, what are the penalties?"

Tsunade glanced at Kakashi who stood up and looked at both of them seriously.

"Sasuke-kun, you will have to go through interrogation to ensure to the council that you are loyal to this village. You will also have to disclose the information you acquired while you were gone."

Sasuke glared, "I previously disclosed such information."

Kakashi sighed, "While you were gone during and after the war."

Sasuke let out a soft sigh, "I disclosed all the information I gathered during the war. If there is anything further that you feel should be addressed, then look over the scrolls again."

Naruto looked at Sasuke and then back to Kakashi, "He's right, he told you everything he knew. What more could they want?"

Tsunade sighed, "Naruto, the council wishes to know what Sasuke-kun learned about Kumogakure."

Sasuke sighed, "I don't know anything about them, not anymore than you do."

Kakashi looked at Sasuke pointedly, "Even though you lived with them for an extended period of time?"

Naruto cut in before Sasuke could answer, "In a less than observant frame of mind. The state of mind he was in when I arrived was not that of someone that was aware of his surroundings at all."

Kakashi sat down and hummed with a nod, "Well, it seems that after you give your report on the mission we will need you to elaborate on that to press to the council that Sasuke-kun indeed had disclosed all he knows."

Tsunade nodded, "Yes, but there is another issue. We have noticed that among the scrolls you handed over Sasuke-kun, there was a journal for your brother," Sasuke flinched and nodded. Tsunade continued, "But there was not a journal from you. The council wishes you to also disclose that."

Sasuke flinched and Naruto glared, "Why the hell do you need that?"

Kakashi began to explain, "The council will want that to confirm Sasuke's state of mind."

"And?" Naruto asked angrily.

Tsunade sighed again, "To make sure that he never harbored thoughts against Konoha."

Sasuke tensed and Naruto was silent for a moment before stiffly asking quietly, "And if he had, then what would they do?"

Tsunade looked between them and then glanced at Kakashi who had flinched at Naruto's question. She swallowed and took a deep breath, "Then he would be continued to be marked as a traitor and face the ultimate penalty."

Sasuke scoffed, "Figures."

Naruto felt his blood run cold and he stood there tensed and shaking for a moment. He closed his eyes and felt his blood suddenly begin to boil in rage, he felt his chakra start to sizzle and took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. He felt himself immediately calm when Sasuke placed a hand on his shoulder. Naruto looked at him and made to say something.

Sasuke shook his head and cut him off, "Naruto, you have the scrolls, give them what they want."

Naruto stuttered, "B-but S-Sasuke . . ."

Sasuke sighed, "That's what they want isn't it?"

Naruto placed a hand over Sasuke's and nodded at the understanding and calculated look in Sasukes' dark eyes. He sighed and looked at Tsunade and Kakashi leaving his hand placed over Sasuke's.

Naruto met Kakashi's eye then he met Tsunade's as he said in a serious tone, "This is something you should relay to the council word for word. If they request Sasuke's notes on his life, and decide to incriminate him with such information, then they will have to go through me personally. I am willing, and able, to fight off anyone that would stand against me in an attempt to act violently against him."

Tsunade inhaled sharply, "Naruto, those are words . . . "

Naruto nodded, "I know exactly what I said and what they mean Tsunade-sama," she flinched at the formality. He continued, "I will say the same to the council personally. This is not something that I will stand for with anyone."

Kakashi stood and said in his calm voice, though albeit a hint of worry and warning in his tone; "Naruto-kun, are you sure? With us, those words can be overlooked . . . "

Naruto looked at him pointedly, "Hokage-sama, you may take them as you see fit. But I am serious."

Tsunade walked over to him and gripped his other shoulder. She looked into his eyes, "Gaki, listen to me, you can't say shit like that to the Hokage or me, and expect us to not react to it."

Naruto nodded, "I know that, but I did not spend seven years training and fighting and surviving to find Sasuke and bring him back for the council to take him away from me. I am admitting, as is Sasuke, to you that the council will find what they want to persecute and kill Sasuke if they read his journal. I am admitting what would happen if they sentenced him to death. They have already taken my dream from me, they don't give a damn if I live or die, I will not stand by and let them take the man I love from me as well. He was taken from me so many times, it will not happen again."

Tsunade nodded and released his shoulder as she took a step back. She closed her eyes and turned away from him. Once she stood next to Kakashi again she looked at Kakashi and said in a firm voice, "Hokage-sama."

Kakashi nodded and stood up calling for the Anbu standing outside his door. Naruto and Sasuke stood completely still as they waited for Kakashi to say something.

Kakashi took a deep breath and said, "Forget what you have just heard." The two Anbu nodded and said, "Yes Hokage-sama." Kakashi dismissed them and looked to Sasuke and Naruto, "The two of you are impossible sometimes. Naruto-kun, you would be a good politician, though some finesse is still needed. I am going to deny the request of the council and not relay what you have said Naruto-kun."

Naruto sighed and he relaxed a small amount. Tsunade smirked, "Gaki, you are lucky that it is us that heard you say as such. But I understand why. Now, since we have kept you distracted long enough for Neji-san to accomplish his task, we have a serious matter to discuss."

Sasuke tensed when her gaze fell on him, "Sasuke-kun, we have acquired information that Uchiha Madara is still alive."

Sasuke paled and his hand fell from Naruto's shoulders as he froze in shock for a moment. Naruto took his hand and allowed for that gesture of comfort to give him the ability to speak again.

"What?! How?!" His voice shaky and airy, something that sent a cold chill down Naruto's spine.

"It seems that he has the ability that Orochimaru had, he relocated his soul into another host just before you killed him. We found out through a victim of his on a mission within Konoha, just outside the boundaries of the village. Kumogakure did not act hostile towards you because they believed you to be the new host."

Sasuke swallowed, "Hyuga didn't go after him alone did he?"

Kakashi shook his head, "No, he was chasing down a known rogue that was tailing you. He said he knew you, I believe he said his name was Juugo."

Sasuke nodded, "Yes, he used to be a test subject to Oro . . . " Sasuke sighed at not wanting to finish the name, "chimaru . . ."

Kakashi nodded, "Well, we will need you to identify him and then he will undergo interrogation to pend what is to be done. We will require that Naruto-kun remain with you at all times and when he is not on a mission you will be assigned to be kept watch by an Anbu."

Sasuke raised and eyebrow in question. Kakashi continued, "You are still not fully trusted with Konoha. Another matter is what we learned of Madara's objective and the objective a victim of his said was to be relayed to our ninja. Madara is after you, has been looking for you for a long time. Once he went through Kumogakure, shortly after your departure, they began to send their ninja to acquire you to bring you to him."

Sasuke scoffed, finally recovering from his shock, "He would use an entire village to get what he wants. He was going to do so before."

Kakashi nodded, "Yes, well the two of you should head back. You two look like hell and this can be continued later. At the moment, Naruto-kun, take Sasuke-kun to the Anbu headquarters to confirm this Juugo person. Then you are both to go home."

"Ne? Kakashi-sensei, why did you bring up all that if you could refuse the council?"

Kakashi smirked knowingly, "I was curious as to what you would do."

Sasuke scowled and Naruto huffed, "That's not cool Kakashi-sensei. Baa-chan, how could you go along with it?"

She laughed, "Because Gaki, I was curious as well. Don't give up on the council yet. Once you accept their standards, which I will be giving to you once you become an Anbu, you may find they aren't so against it anymore."

Naruto beamed at her, "Really? You got them to consider it?"

She nodded, "The council is being reformed. The elders are retiring as well."

Shizune scolded Tsunade, "Tsunade-sama! You can't . . . "

Tsunade glared at her before turning a smile to Naruto, "Yes I can, his generation is coming into power. He deserves to know that. The hell with what those geezers say about waiting for the opportune moment."

Kakashi cut her off, "This can wait can't it?"

Sasuke sighed and nodded in agreement, Naruto huffed, "Fine, I will just have to talk to baa-chan later. Let's go Sasuke."

Sasuke nodded once and Tsunade pointed a finger at Naruto, "Gaki, you three had better come visit me soon, or I will pound you into next week."

Naruto beamed, "Hai, baa-chan." Then he pulled Sasuke to him by the waist and was gone in a puff of smoke. They landed in front of the grey, steel building and Naruto nodded to the Anbu outside it. They nodded back and one stepped forward to opened one of the large doors. Naruto led Sasuke inside with his hand intertwined with Sasuke's.

They walked down the dimly lit, though wide, hallway, even inside the building was steel and metal. Sasuke stopped when Naruto stopped and looked to see Neji standing in front of them. He nodded and then turned and led them further down the hall, then down one to their left and down to the end of that one and opened a door on the right and waited for the two to enter. It was a small room with a large peice of glass facing the room to it's right. Sasuke turned and looked into the room to see who was definitely Juugo.

He tensed at the cuts on his arms, his hands tied securely behind his back and his ankles cuffed securely with what Sasuke noticed were chakra depressors. Sasuke took a deep breath and nodded, "That's him, Juugo. He used to be an experiment to Oro-Orochimaru," he had to grind out the snake sanin's name. The rage he'd felt towards him at what had been done to him and what he'd discovered had been done to so many others rising in him. He was starting to feel angered from seeing a valued ally tied up like a prisoner and kept in a cell much like the one he'd found him in.

Sasuke took a deep breath to calm himself again and said in a calm voice, "He has only been loyal to two in his life, Kimimaru and me. He had no allegiance to any village or country."

Neji looked at him and then nodded as his gaze fell to the man he'd captured.

"Very well Uchiha. Once we have determined as such, we will inform the council and Hokage-sama of such."

Sasuke nodded and watched for a moment as two Anbu entered the holding room Juugo was in and they tensed when black and red flames began to spread across his body. Neji and Naruto tensed beside him and Sasuke smirked, The curse marks' beginning, something that could never be removed from the original vessel.

Neji watched as Sasuke simply raised one finger to the glass and lightly tapped it, barely making a sound. Juugo sat still and looked up, meeting Sasuke's eyes directly, even through the glass. The Anbu backed away as the curse mark receded again. Neji looked sharply at Sasuke, "Uchiha, how did you . . . "

Sasuke ignored him until the curse mark was fully controlled and Juugo calmed completely. Then Sasuke looked sharply at Neji, "That is why he is loyal to only me and was loyal to Kimimaru. Only we could even control him, he was the one that the curse mark was first developed with. Though the snake is dead, his venom still lives on in the ones he bit."

Naruto looked at him sharply, "But yours is gone."

Sasuke smirked as he turned towards the door to leave, "It's called Masking Jutsu, just because I killed that bastard doesn't mean the curse isn't there."

Neji nodded and glanced at Sasuke, "I will pretend I didn't hear that, but I will inform the council of why the captive is so loyal to you."

Sasuke nodded and opened the door and walked out, Naruto followed him with a whispered thanks to Neji as he ran after Sasuke, closing the door sharply behind him.

Neji sighed, "The Uchiha blood does have remarkable abilities. I wonder when he obtained that level of the Sharingan."