Chapter 5: Put your head down.
That's how it was. A house was set, near the outermost edge of the village - far away from civilian village but close enough to the ANBU radar.
Sasuke was brought in two days later. Naruto and Sakura accompanied him.
"So, Sasuke, what say? Meet up tonight to celebrate your coming out of prison?" Naruto said cheerfully to Sasuke. He had a huge grin pasted on his face. His eyes glued to Sasuke 's face.
Sasuke showed no reaction. He stared. At the house, then, at the sky. It was a clear, blue, cloudless morning sky. He instantly hated it. "No" he said, and then turned his head to look Naruto straight in the eye. It was disrespectful, the amount of venom in just one look. Naruto felt awkward and uncomfortable, he quickly looked away.
There was still some bad air around them. A stifling dark mist surrounding them. Sasuke made sure they were as uncomfortable as possible in his presence. He made sure to highlight how hypocrite and nasty this whole pretense was. Naruto was dumb, he knew it. But Sakura? Sasuke hated the fact how easily unaffected she made her be in these circumstances.
"Oh, okay. " Naruto said. Sounding confused and rejected but soon he replied again, with his voice two times louder " But, why though? We should definitely get together. All of Konoha 11 is waiting to meet you. Let's socialise, Sasuke! " He said with encouragement enough to make a dead person live again. "What say, Sakura?"
"Uh huh! I totally agree with you, Naruto. We finally have Sasuke back, let's meet with everyone else, too! They all are waiting."
So, it was decided. They were going to meet at Sasuke's "new home" and celebrate his home coming.
"Cool, then! It's gonna be super fun, Sasuke. You will see."
Sasuke gritted his teeth. Listening to them making decisions about him was giving him a migraine. Since yesterday, it was all like this. People coming, people going. Kakashi, Sakura,Naruto, others answering for him, as if he was a pet dog for the entire village.
Sasuke ignored them and stepped inside the house. It was a small place. Standard housing made for civilians and retired officials. Sasuke was surprised he was not given anything more cramped. Two bedrooms, he wonder the need of that. A bathroom and a kitchen with dining space. And a living room. There was also a small backyard, enough to make a garden in.
It was a well furnished house. Not one made for an inmate. Or for someone on parole. Or for a pardoned defector.
Sasuke felt sick . It was a family home.
Beyond disgusted, he looked back at them. Naruto and Sakura.They both had followed him inside. Both their faces showed admiration. It was a nice place afterall. Sasuke obviously can see that they are impressed by the Council's 'generosity' and 'benevolence' . His face twists, becomes feral.
He stomps out, towards the door. Naruto and Sakura appears to be startled.
"Sasuke, what is it.Do you not like it? " Sakura asks.He refuses to acknowledge either of them.
Until, Naruto blocks his path.
"What is it, Sasuke? Talk to us!" He says, sounding like a whiny toddler who can only make nonsense sounds. Sasuke always hated kids and he has no patience for this one either.
He steps sideways to walk around Naruto. He is stopped again. This time, with Naruto catching hold of his wrist, keeping him from moving.
"You can't leave, Sasuke. Not without us." Naruto speaks again. This time he sounds serious, for once.
" Yes, Sasuke. You have to stay here until given permission to leave with any Team Kakashi 's members. You heard Lady Tsunade, that day. Didn't you? " Sakura says, in a soothing voice.
It irritates Sasuke.
"Is this some kind of a joke? Why am I living this farce, again? This house?" Sasuke does a 360degree turn, pointing at the house. He sounds angry.The only feeling he has felt since arriving in Konoha.
"What am I supposed to make of this? " He looks at Naruto. But it is Sakura who replies.
"You are supposed to make this your home, Sasuke. This is your house. Given to you to live in. What else is there to it?" She sounds equally angry.
It takes Sasuke aback, a bit. He shows no reaction, though.
" You weren't there. You weren't there when Konoha was destroyed. Razed to the ground. Forget about the village, you weren't even there to protect your own clan ground.This place was made by effort. Captain Yamato himself made it, just for you. If nothing else at least respect that." She finishes speaking, sounding out of breath.
She really did pour out her black as coal soul into this tirade, Sasuke notices and appreciates. If nothing else he admires a good rant.
In another time, this would be the moment he drew his sword and cut Sakura diagonally for her remarkably pathetic speech.
But today he is a cripple, so he can only listen and stay silent. Boiling in his own misery. Sasuke internally sneers. One of these days his own consciousness is going to murder him.
His ego snaps and shows teeth, ready to rip everything apart. He calms it down. Accepts his reality. He looks at Sakura, his eyes dead, face expressionless. He lets her look at him fully. Then, he raises his left eyebrow. " Finished?" He speaks and waits. Sakura face becomes pinched. "Then, pick up your leftover dignity and walk out of my house. " He finishes speaking and moves his hand to gesture towards the door.
He vaguely notices Naruto still holding his wrist. He looks at him and keeps quite. Expecting both of them to leave. Naruto keeps standing there. Looking at him. From the corner of his eyes, he watches Sakura hurry past him, and leave.
"You are not going to go? " Sasuke asks, staring at Naruto, one eyebrow raised in question.
" No, I am not. Listen, Sasuke, you can't be like this. Not now. We are in this together, dobe. Stop pushing us away. " Naruto says. He tugs Sasuke 's wrist a little and tighten his hold. " We are not going anywhere, Sasuke. And neither are you. This is it. " He says. Finality ringing clear in his voice.
Sasuke has to turn his face away. Look somewhere else. Because, the conviction in Naruto 's eyes is too much for him. Because this thing? This situation? Sasuke will never accept it. No matter what.
He steps back. Tugging at his hand so that Naruto has to release him. "Plan to breed me like a cattle. Says, this is it! " Sasuke mutters under his breath.
Naruto's eyes widen. He takes a step towards Sasuke but Sasuke has already turned away.
" That is not what I meant, Sasuke! " Naruto says, voice pitched into a whine.
Sasuke ignores him and turns towards his bedroom. He goes inside and pulls the wardrobe open. There are clothes inside. Neatly arranged. He bangs the door shut and moves out.
He enters the kitchen. He knows Naruto is following him. He gets inside and slams open each and every cupboard. They all are filled. Utensils, plates, containers, food items, pantry. It is all stocked. There is no knife, no cutter there. No glass or porcelain, either.
Sasuke enters the bathroom. The mirror is metal placed. A small square piece. There is no breaking that. It is not made of glass anyways. The buckets are all plastics. The bath tube is just a medium sized wooden barrel. Sasuke checks the cabinet. It is stocked with brush, pastes, soaps, towels and a first aid kit.
Sasuke looks behind. Naruto is standing at the threshold. Sasuke pushes past him to the living area.
"So, this is it, huh? Prisoner for life! Living on someone's benevolence and charity. What is this going to cost me, huh?" He speaks, his voice sounds uncontrolled, even to himself. He is at his breaking point. Bubbling with inexpressible rage. He turns around, looks at Naruto, " Oh, nothing much! Just my "co operation" in selling my body. Nothing much. " He shakes his head.Looks away. His legs give out. He falls limp to the ground, sitting collapsed on the floor.
Naruto is by his side then. They both stay silent. Naruto has his arms around his back supporting his slumped figure.
" Sasuke" Naruto speaks, tentatively. " That is not true. I won't let that happen. Ever. " He says. It doesn't sound like he speaks these words to Sasuke but more to himself. As if trying to believe his own lie. Sasuke pushes him away.
" You were never a liar, Naruto. Don't become one, now. Anyways, I don't need you. This is not going to be my reality. I will change it. By myself. " Sasuke says. Finding his strength in his own words. He pulls himself up. He breathes.
Sasuke hates being pathetic. His whole life, he has been nothing but a starved, pathetic fool. He knows much but having to admit that to himself hurts. He is not fragile, though. So, he looks the truth in its eyes and then sees his reality.
Sasuke will not give up. Not until the day he dies. He will fight to the very end.
He will end it all himself.
He understands it will be hard. But Sasuke 's life has never been easy. All he knows is to take it. And he will.
He is an Uchiha, after all. They know how to give as good as they get.
Sasuke will give even worse in return.
Naruto doesn't know what he wants to do. So, he sticks to his plan.
The morning today had ended up horribly. He left Sasuke 's house and went to find Sakura. He needed to check on her.
It was unpleasant what had happened. But Naruto was also surprised and relieved to find that Sakura was doing better than he anticipated.
She would always become so depressed whenever Sasuke talked rudely to her. But she had grown. He liked that. A lot. He wasn't still so sure about it. But he knew Sakura was as good as family to him. So, it was a gift to see her stand her ground and be alright, even if the opposite side was Sasuke.
He met her when she was talking to Ino.
" Sakura - chan! " he shouted to draw her attention when he was there.
She turned around to face him. She smiled back. " Hey, Naruto! " She said when Naruto reached her. " I was just talking to Ino about tonight's meet up at Sasuke's. "
Naruto felt a warm feeling grow in his chest. He grinned. " Ah! Yes ! It is going to be a real fun. Come join us Ino! Well, we gotta talk to others as well. "
"You catch up with Team 8 and Team 9 . I am going to talk to Kakashi Sensei. Ino will bring Shikamaru and Choji. Though, I already talked to them." Sakura replied.
"Yeah alright, Sakura." Naruto said.
"Yup Naruto. I am going to bring my Team but I don't know how well it will go. What do you guys think about Sasuke? How is he? " Ino chimes in.
Sakura and Naruto share a nervous look. Naruto grins at Ino and replies:"He is well. Doing alright. But I bet he will do much better once he meets us all and remembers what it is truly like to be among friends again. " Naruto ends sounding more hopefully than he felt.
"Hmm, we just need to make sure he settles well, now. " Ino adds, agreeing to the hopeful sentiment.
Naruto leaves her feeling a bit hopeful. He turns to Sakura walking beside him.
"Sakura, you alright?Today, what Sasuke said - " He is cut off. Sakura turns to him and speaks:"Yes, Naruto.It was nothing. I know how it is for Sasuke right now. And he has always been moody. I just- I said those things. I couldn't stop myself. I don't even know where all this anger came from. I - "
"Sakura, don't! You were right in saying what you said. It is good. I think what Sasuke needs from us is honestly. You shouldn't feel bad about it." Naruto speaks and looks at Sakura. He sees her regroup her crumbling emotions and sighs.
It is not going to be easy. Any of it.
Kakashi knows it is going to be painful at best and remorseful at worst.
But what is needed to be done will be done.
They are Shinobi and for Shinobis only duty and orders matter.
Hard earned and hard priced. Honour and skills, go hand in hand. But for a shinobi their honour is dishonour. As the situation demands, they change.
He sits and watches Sasuke. His movements, his routine, his actions, his expressions. There is nothing much. Sasuke is a blank slate of emotions. A frozen river of actions. An empty note of routine. And shows absolutely no signs of movement.
He has been sitting there for an hour now, since Naruto left. On a tree branch outside Sasuke's designated house. Hidden out of sight. Looking at Sasuke, who is sitting like a corpse in his living room floor.
Sasuke appears to be sleeping. His head is tilted, resting against the couch. Body leaning against it, as well. Sasuke's hair covers most of his face.
Kakashi wishes he is only sleeping and not dead . It would be very embarrassing, not to mention, heartbreaking if Sasuke were to kill himself on the first day out of prison, in house arrest.
It is nothing but leisure time for Kakashi. For a few days at least, he will have to do his 'duty' of supervising Sasuke until he is called off for some important mission.
He takes his time. To watch Sasuke, analyse him and make his opinion on him and his stay with Orochimaru.
It was surprising for Kakashi when the Council decided to seal Sasuke without dragging out jutsus and secrets from Sasuke that he had learnt from Orochimaru.
But he guessed he understands the fact too, that it was more important for Konoha to seal Sasuke as soon as possible and while they had the chance to do it. The Council subconsciously knew it was a shitty thing that they were doing and so they were afraid and decided to do it before any trouble could arise.
Classic Ninja stuff right there.
He waits a second more and then leaps out of the tree and inside Sasuke's house. There is no security here. Sasuke is lucky that Danzo wants him alive for more Sharingan because in this state, Sasuke is as helpless as they come.
He would pity Sasuke for what has been done. In which state he has been forced into. But Kakashi knows it could have been worse, much worse. And so Sasuke is in a better position now than he otherwise would have been. The world is not kind to traitors after all. Look at Itachi for instance. Oh well! That motherfucker honestly wasn't a good comparison. Kakashi chides himself. Sorry Sasuke!
He kneels beside Sasuke. Checks his pulse and then moves away quickly when he feels him steer. Sasuke may no longer be a ninja but he was born as one and his instinct are still that of one.
Kakashi doesn't want to appear a predator, molester, pedophile, or worse an assassin to Sasuke. He needs Sasuke to be tolerant towards him at the very least, if only for pretense sake.
There is no way for Sasuke to know that Kakashi is there, watching him. But still, this is Sasuke . That guy is nothing if not observant.
Even without chakra activating his Sharingan, Sasuke is an Uchiha. Kakashi would be foolish to not be careful.
Sasuke wakes up, rubbing his eyes, a frown on his forehead. He looks like the child he is. Broken, alone and abused.
He gets up slowly and makes his way to the kitchen. Kakashi follows behind. Sasuke takes a glass of water and gulps it down. He must be parched. Kakashi stares at Sasuke throat as he swallows and vaguely wonders what he is doing there . He decides he should either leave or show himself, instead of being a total creep.
He walks back into the living room and announces his arrival. Making it seem like he just arrived, he smiles his signature smile at Sasuke. Sasuke stares at him blankly and then goes back inside, looking totally unimpressed
" You are not as good as you think, Kakashi. " Sasuke says as Kakashi follows him inside. " You are even worse at being a complete creep. You trying to give me that Orochimaru treatment ? " Sasuke mocks. Kakashi has never been a sensitive guy but he feels a little offended and a bit more hurt by that comparison.
He may read filthy books but he has never been a filthy man.
" You wound me Sasuke. But that is expected. You have been cut in half, cut to size, after all. And, you were already on that avenger mindset, so no surprise you have got some bite, hmmm? " He speaks, trying to sound light, keep it humorous but also enticing that Uchiha fire.
He needs Sasuke's reaction. Needs to see how he will react. What he would do if pushed. Sasuke is a cornered animal, right now. He can snap by just a wrong move. Kakashi needs to figure that out and counter it. Put Sasuke in a leash before the meet up tonight.
Sasuke would unofficially be introduced tonight. Kakashi will have to make sure that Sasuke doesn't ruin it and make a mess. He will make sure Sasuke appears as the ideal debutante. His welcome should be welcoming enough.
So he pushes him. Corners him. Puts pressure on him.
And Sasuke reacts.
Not like Kakashi had hoped for but exactly how he knew Sasuke would.
It does not end well. For Sasuke. Who is on the ground, face down. Kakashi is holding his hands in a lock behind his back, one knee pressed to his back keeping him in place.
It was probably not necessary. To put so much force into it. But Kakashi wanted to make things clear, very clear.
He is the master here. And Sasuke has to obey. Whether he likes it or not.
Sasuke is fragile. His pale skin bruises beneath Kakashi's fingers. His bones creaks beneath Kakashi's weight. He has no muscle on his frame. His body is well, fragile. For a ninja. But obviously without an active flow of chakra these changes on a ninja body is obvious.
Sasuke had always been on a fragile side but never like this. Not this weak.
Kakashi doesn't like it. So, he looses his grip and removes his knee. He keeps a hand on Sasuke's back, though.
" That was not very wise, Sasuke. I thought it was clear to you. You can't fight like you used to. Don't try.It's futile." Kakashi speaks in his captain voice, firm and factual.
"It is so easy for you to say that, Kakashi. " Sasuke spits his name out, his voice sounding venomous.
His twists his torso around so that he can look up at Kakashi. Kakashi lets him. It must be natural for Sasuke, an instinct, to try and make eye contact in a fight, if losing or feeling threatened.
It is all useless now. All battle instincts and hard learnt skills. All of no capital use to him anymore.
Sasuke was his student. Kakashi lets him go, remembering that and feeling his breathing grow heavy and pulse racing. He sits back and watches Sasuke struggle to get up and away.
" What the fuck is your problem!? " Sasuke yells at Kakashi sounding displeased, annoyed and angry. His voice cracking, a ring of something- fear- that Kakashi chooses to ignore.
Looking at Sasuke,who looks confused and devastated, Kakashi hates himself. He stands up and looks at Sasuke.
Sasuke frowns at him and backs further away, still on his back.
" Behave yourself, Sasuke. Behave. " He stresses his words, looking pointedly at Sasuke, eyes narrowed. "No trouble."
He is on the window, when he turns around and looks at Sasuke one more time:" Any complaints about you tonight and it won't be good. For either of us. " He speaks and leaves, flashing out the window, vanishing in the trees outside.
Sasuke stands there, for a moment or two, then turns around and goes inside again.
His face pinched and angry.
A/N :
Look, I love my baby Sasuke. So, if there is any harsh words against him, it is in his pov- him being cynical and self mocking. And in other places it is only for plot sake.
There is no bashing of any character. The only bashing is of the Council of elders and of Konoha as a whole group. No individual character bashing.
There is some point where a character appears in a bad light and that is just because humans have both good and bad sides.
I try to give all of them a place to shine and a place to add spice.
Did you see? I didn't even bash Danzo. LoL!
ENJOY READING!