Running through the village, a familiar ninja was dodging people left and right as he headed to the Hokage's office. He was confused, it had been nearly two weeks and he still hadn't heard anything about Sasuke. He hadn't been able to see him and no one knew what was going on. Most of the villagers were anxious about the situation, many unhappy that the boy had returned. They figured problems were going to arise once again now that everything had been peaceful since he's departure. Naruto was aggravated by them, but no matter what he said, they just brushed them aside, but he knew better. He knew it would all be fine, he just didn't think it would take this long.

Running up the long stairway, he turned the corner running down the hall, bursting into the Hokage's office, not bothering to knock. "What's taking so long?" Tsunade stared at Naruto calmly, her hands folded before her.

"Naruto, you shouldn't burst in here. Tsunade-sama is very busy."

"So Sasuke is going to be let out now?" That was great; he knew the hokage would fix things.

"No." Naruto's grin disappeared. "W-what?" He couldn't believe he heard that correctly. It didn't make sense. "What...do you mean? We've finally brought him back, so it's all ok now right?"

"No it's not."

"What? Why not?" Leaning back onto her seat, she watched as Naruto waited anxiously for her to answer. She figured Naruto was going to show up, and she was surprised it had taken him this long. Before the Uchiha had been brought back, Naruto would visit her office daily, and eventually just weekly. Though she was thankful it was only that, but his persistence was tremendous. No one in the village was so set to getting the runaway boy as he, except perhaps for her apprentice. However, she kept her wishes silent unlike her teammate.

"He left Naruto. Do you remember where it was he went? His offenses are great, too high to just turn a blind eye to. Is that what you expected? Think a little, for all we know this is just another set up. He's not just going to get a slap on the wrist and then we all go back to how it was before."

"But..."

"He's being interrogated at the moment, if you must know." Naruto's eyes grew he couldn't believe this. It was Sasuke, just Sasuke. It wasn't like this was some enemy he was one of them. He was from this village just like everyone else. Sure, he made a mistake but he was back so there was no need for all of this.

"What for?"

"Information."

"What sort of information?"

"You don't need to know that."

Then what's going to happen to him." The hokage sighed, the persistent boy beginning to get on her nerves. She closed her eyes, counting silently in her head or else she's blow and beginning yelling at him.

"That's yet to be decided." Naruto felt something inside him fall. It wasn't happening this wasn't happening.

"You're not going to keep him locked up right?"

"Perhaps." Eyes wide, Naruto looked over at Shizune, but she merely looked away, unable to look at him. His look of shock and disappointment making her feel badly for him.

"No."

"Naruto."

"No! You can't do that!"

"That's not your decision."

"He's not a spy!"

"We don't know that."

"I do!"

"Naruto."

"He just left to get stronger. He didn't join forces with anyone!"

"Naruto!"

"You can't keep him locked up!"

"Naruto! I'm not going to discuss this with you any longer!" Tsunade rose to her feet as her voice bellowed throughout the room. She had had enough of him, her patience already

thrown out the window.

Slowly making her way to the hokage's office, Sakura looked over the charts she was carrying. She had gone back to working at the hospital and as she expected there was a lot of work waiting for her return. A few of which she needed to consult with the hokage before she could continue. Sighing, she could see the hokage's door up ahead when she heard loud voices coming from inside. Slowing down her pace, she stopped right outside her door wondering who was inside, when she recognized the voice. "Naruto?" Surprised she listened in wondering what he was yelling about.

"Tsunade-obachan!"

"Naruto that's enough!"

"No! You can't do that!"

"Naruto, you shouldn't argue with..."

"Shizune-neechan she can't be serious. It isn't right."

"What do you want me to tell you then?" Naruto turned his attention back to the hokage. A vein was beginning to pop out on her forehead, and he could clearly see that she was irritated with him, but he didn't care. He didn't agree with what she was doing and he wasn't just going to sit back and let them treat Sasuke like some criminal. "Do you want me to tell you that Sasuke did nothing wrong, that everything he did was right and we should congratulate him?" Naruto looked to the ground, not wanting to answer that. "I didn't think so."

"It's not fair."

"Who ever said it was going to be? If it just dealt with his abandoning the village that would have been one thing, but he deliberately attacked a fellow ninja. That in itself proves he no longer has any ties here."

"We don't know that!"

"He admitted it." Naruto's eyes darted around the room. He knew Sasuke had his reasons; he would never purposely hurt any of them. Even when they fought, he had tried to walk away.

"I'm sure...he had his reasons."

"Naruto."

"He wouldn't hurt anyone on purpose."

"But he did."

"I know he wouldn't."

"The Sasuke you knew left. Two years is a long time. People change."

"But he hasn't."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because...because..." Naruto looked away, finding his gaze slowly lowering to his feet.

"That's enough Naruto. This isn't in your hands anymore. You brought him back like you said you would. Be happy with that." Keeping his gaze to the ground, he couldn't think of anything to say. He couldn't argue anymore. He was getting nowhere and Sasuke was still locked away. Tsunade sighed, rubbing her temples with her fingers, feeling her head beginning to throb. Closing her eyes, she could feel her head pounding underneath her fingertips. Hearing the sound of footsteps, she opened her eyes, watching as Naruto quietly walked out her office, shutting the door behind him.

Upset with the hokage and with Sasuke, Naruto slowly made his way down the hall, not even noticing the pink haired girl peeping at him from behind. Sakura had heard it all, every bit of it weighing down in her heart. Looking at the door, she hesitated before stepping inside.

"Sakura." Shizune said surprised at seeing her. Tsunade glanced up from her paperwork, having read the first like five times already, her mind unable to concentrate, even more so than usual. Sakura walked up to her desk placing the papers she brought with her on the desk.

"These are for you." She said quietly, before turning away to leave.

"You heard." Sakura stopped, nodding once. Tsunade sighed wondering why this had to fall all on her at once. "Everything?" Again, she nodded. "You have nothing to say about it." Sakura shook her head, finding her mouth unable to move. "I see." Looking down at the papers, she flipped through them quickly. "I'll look at these and then call let you know when you can take them back." Sakura nodded, making her way out of the office, her feet feeling extremely heavy. Once the door was shut, Tsunade sighed, feeling horribly guilty. "Sasuke." She said quietly to herself. She had been angry with the boy, for various reasons, although one of her primary was for injuring Sakura. She hated to admit it and she would never vocalize this, she favored the girl, having grown quite close to her over the past years. She had never expected her injury as a result from her ex-teammate, though she should have known better. Time changes everyone.

"Tsunade-sama." Shizune began wondering if the hokage was listening to her. "What are you going to do now?" She watched as Tsunade kept staring at the door, almost as if she was expecting someone else to pop in.

"I'm not wrong am I?"

"Huh?"

"About the Uchiha." Shizune stared at her puzzled.

"Perhaps I am." She muttered to herself, rising from her chair.

"Tsunade-sama, where are you going?"

"For a walk."

"But..."

"I'll do them when I get back." Leaving Shizune staring at her as she left, the hokage went to clear her head. She hoped Shizune hadn't found the bottles of sake she had hid. If ever there was a time she needed to drink, it was now. She needed to be alone and she needed to clear her thoughts, not wanting to see anyone else at the moment.