'Uchihas are never nervous.' That was one of the first rules that Sasuke had learned from his clan; yet, as he stood here waiting for for the results of the people that would be assigned to his ANBU team, there was no other word to discribe how he felt.
Twenty people where gathered there, all of them possible comrades. Sakura, his former teammate; the two Hyuuga's; Kiba from the Inuzuka clan; Lee, his (and Neji's) self proclaimed "eternal-rival" (more like Lee following him around trying to ambush him); and the guy, whats-his-name?...oh, right...shino, that guy creeped him out with the whole bugs thing; Ten Ten; Ino; the fat-ass, Chouji; the guy from the Nara clan (who seems to have a deep hatred against him); and some other people who he didn't know.
Sasuke chuckled as he remembered the day that he was brought back from his little "betrayl", the expression on Nara's face was worth a million buck.
Flashback
"Fifth, we have brought back Sasuke," Kakashi said, holding Sasuke's arms behind him. "What do you us to do with him?"
Tsunade took a while to reply. Her silence brought about a tense atomoshpere.
"Nothing."
Silence rang throught the room.
"How you say that, Hokage?!! Because of this traitor, Chouji, Naruto and Neji almost died, and still might die!!!"
Shikamaru's comment brought the room in an uproar. The Hokage rested her head on hands as she ponder how to reply Shikamaru.
"...I had a brother a long time ago..."
Silence once again filled the room as everyone waited for the Hokage to continue her story.
"...he died...so I know what Sasuke went through. The pain of losing some close is great, no matter how much time passes it wound is always there. And I know that if I ever had the chance to advenge his death, i would...even if that meant making a pack with the devil. I'd do it."
"Would you risk the safety of all the citzens in Konoha to do that?"
"You know the funny thing is that i almost would have taken Orochimaru's offer. He promised to bring back my brother and lover." Tsunade turned to face the window overlooking the whole of Konoha.
"...But you didn't in the end!"
"No i didn't...but sometimes i wonder if he could have really brought back the only ones that meant something to me."
"That still doesn't make what this bastard did right!"
"......"
"He would have watched Konoha burn to the grounds if that meant that he could get his revenge!"
Tsunade turned to face Shikamaru and the rest of the shinobis that had gathered in her office.
"Shikamaru...you won't ever know this pain until you've lost someone that means the world to you."
The look on Shikamaru's face was one that could have frozen hell over.
"...As for Uchiha-san. He will be under custudy for the duration of the next year." Tsunade turned to face Kakashi. "I'm sure that i can trust you to take care of that job, Hatake-san."
Kakashi nodded.
Shikamaru's glare towards the Hokage hardened. "If I knew this was going to happen then i would have let the bastard get his body get taken over."
With that said Shikamaru slamed the door behind him. Asuma made a move to follow, but the Hokage stopped him from going. "Leave him be."
In the corner of the room Sasuke watched all of the exchange with a amused experession.
End of Flashback
Finally the door opened and of the jounins beckoned Sasuke over.
As he walked over to the door, he couldn't help but smirk over at Shikamaru. Sasuke was rewarded a glared that promised death.
Inside three jounins sat behind a table, two of them Sasuke recognized, Kakashi-sensei, and Gai-sensei, the other one Sasuke had no idea.
"Uchiha Sasuke, you are about to except your first team. Their life are in your hands do you promise to try to keep them alive as long as possible."
Sasuke snorted, "sure, sure."
"I mean it, Sasuke."
Sasuke looked over at his former sensei, and sighed. "Yes, sensei, I'll keep my team safe."
Kakashi nodded at his student.
The other jounin walked over to where Sasuke was standing and handed him a list. "These people are going be on your team for the next little while."
Sasuke nodded his acknowledgement.
Sasuke brushed shoulders with Naruto as the other man went to receive his team. Sasuke sighed, he would have like it if Naruto wasn't a captain, because then there would have been a chance that the two of them could have been on the same team. After all, if one has to go on missions it was always better to be with a friend.
Sasuke sat down and finally decided to look at the paper that held his teammates' names
1. Hyuuga Neji
2. Rock Lee
(Sasuke was fine with these people. The three of them trained together most of the time anyways.)
3. Nara Shikamaru
(Sasuke smirked)
4.Hyuuga Hinata
(He didn't know much about this quiet person, so he guessed that they would have a talk or two. He couldn't have someone on his team that he couldn't predict now could he?)
All in all his team wasn't that bad. Now to break the news to his team.
