"Come on Sakura-chan. You can tell me." Naruto's voice moved from suggestive to pushy. "You are the Hokage's personal assistant. You have to know what's going on.

Sakura removed floor dirt with vicious sweeps. "I told you once, twice, and I'll tell you again, I don't know why the Hokage wants to see you. Why don't you go and find out. You are a ninja. Ninjas report to the Hokage regularly." She stopped her hurried movements and faced him. "You used to be so close with Tsunade and now it's like you're trying to avoid her."

Naruto twiddled his fingers. It had been a disturbingly long time for a jounin not to be summoned by the Hokage. His mind replayed the scene of his last visit beginning with almost touches and ending with paper work flying. He shook his head slowly back and forth as the details became steamier.

Sakura ignored the cramps that her sweeping caused and gave Naruto a shifty look. She did know the reason. The dark eyed, smirking, sex-god reason why Tsunade requested Naruto's presence. The cold-hearted, the ice-king-of-bastards, the dark-abyss-composed-of-love-sucking-matter-reason… Broom splinters bit her hand. She inhaled deeply and turned towards Naruto. Wondering why his face was scrunched and blush covered she spoke softly. "Naruto, just go and see her."

Naruto prepared his well-versed mask of brashness. He flung the doors open. "Whatcha need Obaa-san?" He was careful to avoid eye contact with Tsunade as he flopped onto the first available chair.

"Dobe, it warms my heart to see that some things in Konoha will never change." With the first word Naruto focused blue daggers on the speaker. There he sat, chained to a chair with powerful anti-chakra wards circling his wrists and eyes trained on the ceiling. Sasuke.

Naruto used a grin as a quick recovery. "Obaa-san, you should really have someone remove the garbage in your office." He kept his eyes on Sasuke. "Or didn't you know that he was declared dead years ago."

Tsunade rubbed her temples. She had known that this would be difficult. "Yes I did know. I issued the death certificate. Now can we move past the feeble banter and discuss the matter at hand."

Naruto's voice was guttural and harsh. "I have nothing to discuss with pieces of garbage long dead." Sasuke got up from his seat. Without sparing Naruto one glance, he joined the Anbu guards at the door and, entourage in tow, left.

Tsunade let Naruto settle for a few seconds before speaking. "The matter at hand is the possible execution of Uchiha Sasuke." Naruto did not respond. "He has said many things of interest in his defense, however has left his life in your hands. It's up to you whether or not you think he can be rehabilitated."

Naruto shot her one long hate-filled look before storming out of her office. "Wait." She hurried after him and, catching him a few corriders down, pushed him into a storage closet. His eyes looked fragile and his soft lips quivered inches away from her face. "I know that this is hard on you." Naruto made a chocking sound in response, reaching out for her. She responded by stroking his back and then moving her hands lower for a more physical form of comfort.