Chapter Nineteen-

Ino had never been to a trial before. She had heard about them, of course, but she had never been in the courtroom of the main Council Building. The room was large and circular and thankfully someone had changed the rules and decreed that only ninja would be allowed to attend. She was incredibly glad, especially after she heard what the villagers were yelling. Ino had always known that many people hated Naruto, but she hadn't known it was that bad. Even some of the ninja, who should have known that Naruto wasn't the Kyuubi, the Kyuubi was inside him, were bitter and wanted him killed. And if Ino hadn't known better she would have given them her opinion on the matter…using her fists.

Ino sat close to Sasuke, secretly finding it incredibly funny how suspiciously he looked at her. He couldn't walk without crutches so people gave him extra room, which was another reason Ino had decided to sit next to him. Sasuke seemed incredibly surprised that suddenly their entire generation knew about Naruto. Right when he had entered the room, Ino had come right up to him and seriously told him what had happened with the Council and all the other things he had missed. Kakashi had been the only one allowed to visit him in the hospital to Ino's annoyance. He had looked the most shocked she had ever seen him when she told him that the rest of them, the remaining Rookie Nine and Neji, Lee, and Tenten's team, had petitioned for Naruto's release and that she hoped he didn't mind that they put his name on it. She also asked him where Sasumi was.

"I don't know," he answered truthfully, his eyebrows furrowing.

"What do you mean you don't know?" she asked him incredulously, "You're on the same team!"

"Just what I said," Sasuke replied, rubbing his temples, "She got hurt in the attack…Kakashi and I haven't seen her since."

Ino looked at him in horror. He couldn't mean that-Was Sasumi-

"No, not like that," he said hurriedly, "Kakashi said he's pretty sure that she's alive…but he hasn't been allowed to see her."

Ino frowned, "Why not?" she said angrily, "That's stupid!"

Sasuke blinked and looked confusedly at her.

"Why do you car-" he started, but then Kakashi-sensei appeared in a puff of smoke.

"Yo, Sasuke, Ino," he said and promptly pulled out an orange book.

Sasuke raised his eyebrows, "You're actually on time," he said in mock awe.

Ino sniggered.

"Hmm…so I am," Kakashi said, not even looking up.

She was prevented from saying anything sarcastic as the double doors at the back of the courtroom opened. Two ANBU emerged followed by the Hokage, who was wearing the traditional garb and then-Sasuke inhaled sharply as Naruto walked through the doors. Ino peeked to her left slightly and saw that Kakashi's dirty book was no where in sight. She looked back to Sasuke and saw him swallow. Ino turned her attention back on the proceedings.

She was too far back to actually make out the expression on Naruto's face, but she could tell that Naruto was much paler than he had been when she last saw him. She noticed that Sasuke's hands had turned into fists and a glance to her left proved that Kakashi-sensei wasn't exactly pleased at the situation either.

To her, Sasuke, and Kakashi's further annoyance, Naruto's hands were handcuffed behind his back and she distinctly heard Akamaru growl. Shikamaru whispered something disparaging under his breath and Neji frowned. As Naruto walked by, the crowd of ninja in the seats whispered and muttered. Naruto completely ignored them and came to stand directly in the center of the room. Now that Naruto was close enough, Ino could see the look on his face. It was a strange blank look that she had never seen on Naruto before. Naruto stood straight and tall and looked defiantly at the Council, who were seated in a separate arrangement of seats in the front of the room.

An old man stood and came up to stand at a podium and cleared his throat.

"Ahem. Uzumaki Naruto," he said in a raspy voice. When Naruto didn't say anything he said, "You are Uzumaki Naruto, are you not?"

A few ninja behind Ino snickered.

"Obviously," Naruto said, now grinning impudently up at the man, "What's your name, ojisan?"

Kakashi coughed into his hand and Sasuke smirked.

The man looked obviously startled and confused.

"That has nothing to do with this case," he said, looking down at Naruto like one might look at a retarded child, "Now, you are charged with the crime of-"

"Well, that's no fun," Naruto said, cutting him off, "You expect me to listen to you if I don't even know you're name?"
Ino and Sasuke stared at him in horror and amusement. What was he doing? Was he trying to get himself killed?

"You will be silent!" the man said, his face turning as red as Sasumi's hair, "This is a court!!"

"Really?" Naruto said, looking around as if shocked, "I never would have guessed!"

Ino was really getting worried for Kiba, who was turning red in his attempts to not laugh aloud. Hinata was shyly patting him on the back, though she was smiling herself.

"You-you!" the man spat, apparently too angry to form his sentences.

But before he could leap off the podium and strangle Naruto a voice rang out.

"Naruto! Behave!" the Hokage said sternly, though if Ino wasn't mistaken, she was smiling slightly.

He frowned. She was supposed to be on Naruto's side, or at least that was what Ino had told him. Then didn't she realize how dangerous this was? If Naruto was going to be rude to the Council then they'd find him 'guilty' for sure!

"Yes, sir!" Naruto said energetically, saluting her, "Uh, I mean, ma'am…"

To Ino's astonishment, the ninja behind him who had just a minute ago been badmouthing the "Kyuubi kid," laughed.

"So that's what he's doing," Ino thought, "Well, let's just hope it works."

The old man cleared his throat again and continued, "You are charged with the crime of killing Konoha's ninja, murdering the Yondaime Hokage, destroying civilian and government property alike and…" the man looked somewhat affronted down at the paper he was reading, "…and vandalizing the Hokage Mountain and the back of the Ninja Academy."

Naruto looked to his sides and then behind him as if searching for the accused person.

Finally, he said, "Me?" pointing to his chest, looking dumfounded.

"There's no one else there," the man said confused by Naruto's antics.

"Hahaha! Sorry, I thought you were talking about someone else!" Naruto said, rubbing the back of his neck embarrassedly, "Boy, do I feel stupid."

A short wave of laughter rippled through the crowd. Kiba was by far the loudest. Sasuke merely rolled his eyes. Ino bit the inside of her mouth to keep from smiling. Naruto never changed, did he?

"Okay, okay," Naruto said, his eyes rolling skyward, "I admit it. I graffiti-ed the back of the Ninja Academy. But all of that other stuff? Ch, that's bull."

He looked up at the man on the podium expectantly.

The man didn't say anything, but instead looked down at Naruto as if he was crazy.

"Alright, alright," Naruto says, "Fine, be that way. I'll come clean; I vandalized the faces on Hokage Mountain too. But hey, I cleaned them off! That counts, doesn't it?"

The man still didn't say anything.

"What do you want?" Naruto screamed melodramatically, "A signed confession?"

He tugged on his handcuffs, "Wait, never mind. That ain't gonna work. You'll have to take this off first."

Ino bit her lip and glanced at Sasuke who looked like her was considering slamming his head into a wall. She glanced at some of the other ninja around her and smirked. They sure didn't look like they were watching a murder trial. In retrospect, Ino should have known this was going to happen. Naruto was always in his element when people paid attention to him. And the more, the better.

"So," the man at the podium said furiously, "So."

"Yes?" Naruto said nodding his head, "You know you really didn't have to repeat that."

"You think you're funny, huh?" the man spat, growing red in the face again.

"Yeah, pretty much," Naruto said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.

The man scowled, "So, you think you're innocent?!"

"Basically," Naruto said, "Well, except for all that graffiti-ing stuff."

"How do you explain the deaths, destruction and casualties thirteen years ago?" the man spat.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly got heavier. Ino said forward in her seat, her eyes fixed on Naruto. This was the question that everyone had come to have answered. Ino, however, was furious. How dare they hold a trial for Naruto based on what the Kyuubi had done? How dare th-

"Well," Naruto said seriously, all foolishness in his demeanor gone, "That was obviously the Kyuubi. And I don't know about the rest of you," Naruto said, addressing the crowd, "But I don't think I look much like a nine tailed demon fox."

Naruto may have had a collected look on his face, but inwardly he was seething. If he didn't know that he would be executed, he would've punched that cocky son of a bitch straight off his podium. He wanted to, really, really badly, but he held himself back. He was going to win this and no asshole with his stupid podium was going to beat him.

"Thirteen years ago," Naruto said, "On the day I was born, the Yondaime sealed the Kyuubi into my body, because he lacked the strength to defeat it entirely. So really, if it wasn't for me, you'd probably all be dead.

"Is that a threat?" the man asked, and then turned to the Council, "This is proof in itself-"

"It's the truth," Naruto said, looking fearlessly into his eyes, "Are you gonna deny it?"

The man stuttered something out feebly, but then fell silent. Naruto looked out at all the people in the stands and glared at them.

"I'd like to say," the Godaime Hokage said, looking quite impressive in her robes, "That the following people have vouched for Uzumaki Naruto, fully knowing that he contains the Kyuubi: Aburame Shino, Akimichi Chouji, Hatake Kakashi, Hyuuga Hinata, Hyuuga Neji, Inuzuka Kiba, Maito Gai, Mitarashi Anko, Morino Ibiki, Nara Shikamaru, Rock Lee, Sarutobi Asuma, Tenten, Uchiha Sasuke, Umino Iruka, Yamanaka Ino, Yuuhi Kurenai, and myself. I believe that the Sandaime and Yondaime should also be added to this list, as the records left by the Sandaime suggest that he was fond of the boy and the Yondaime did seal the Kyuubi within the boy with the intention of Uzumaki Naruto being seen as a hero. And there is one more thing. I have also received a personal note vouching for Uzumaki Naruto, from the newly appointed Kazekage, Sabaku no Gaara. Now," she said, crossing her arms and smiling at the Council, "I do believe you are in over your heads."

Later, Naruto was told that a trial had never ended so fast in the history of Konoha. But at the moment, it was all he could do not to break out in tears.

Sasumi drew her good arm around her and shuddered. It was strange how she did not notice the cold before, she reflected. She had tried to count the days, but it proved to be impossible. It was likely that there were no windows in her cell and even if there were, she wouldn't be able to tell because she was blindfolded. She still felt weak and tired, but she was slowly getting better now that she had started eating again. She ate every single scrap on her plate, wanting to get out as soon as possible.

Sasumi's cell seemed impenetrable. It was utterly unfeasible that she break out on her own, especially because of the handcuffs she wore. Therefore, her only escape seemed to be when the guards brought in food and water. She wasn't sure of how she would achieve this, of course. Not being able to see was an enormous hindrance, one which she had so far been unable to overcome. The handcuffs burned her if she didn't move with the utmost caution or if she tried to use her chakra. It seemed hopeless that she would ever break out.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the familiar clinking of the lock on her prison door. Sasumi pulled her knees protectively to her chest and rested her head on her knees. She never moved or spoke when they came in even though she knew they were not the Rain.

"…hate this job. I really do."

"You say that every time we come down here. Suck it up."

A man and a women's voice echoed through her cell.

"Were you expecting this type of job when you were assigned here?"

"Shut up."

"Ooh, touchy subject, huh?"

"I said, shut up."

"I mean, come on, we're ninja! Why the hell are we doing a maid's job?"

"She is a high security prisoner who supposedly murdered a tons of the Rain's top shinobi."

"That's bullshit, she's a goddamn anorexic little girl with a death wish."

There was a clanking noise and Sasumi heard bowls being shuffled around.

"C'mon, let's go get a drink after out shifts over."

"Yeah, that'd be nic…"

There was a loud bang, and the door was shut, muffling all further conversation.

Sasumi lifted her head and let her legs relax. With her legs, she pushed herself across the floor and turned herself around so she could feel the food with her good arm. her hand came in contact with a bowl and she dipped her fingers in to find water. She moved her hands to the left and found nothing. She moved them all the way to the right and found another bowl this one full of rice and what she knew to be some type of fish. She turned around and leaned down to drink and eat from the bowls. It was extremely humiliating that she should be forced to eat like this, but it was better than dying.

As she ate, Sasumi went over every detail she knew about her cell. There were three sets of ninja that came in to feed her. Presumably in the morning, at noon, and at night. There were two shinobi in each set, four men and two women. By the sound of their voices and their manner of speech, they were probably in their early twenties. From their conversation the only things she had learned were that they had been told what crime she was being held for, but not her name. They also had let slip several times that her cell was underground. Sasumi was unfamiliar with the details of Konoha's legal buildings and therefore was uncertain where she was. They had said nothing further about even the slightest thing pertaining to Naruto or Sasuke, which was driving Sasumi insane with worry. They could already be dead and she would never know.

After Sasumi had finished eating she pushed herself back into the corner of her cell and leaned up against the wall. There was rice sticking to her face and she brought up her knees to rub them closer to her mouth so she could lick them off. After her face was clean, Sasumi closed her eyes and let her head fall back.

"I'm starting to lose hope," she said allowed, listening to the echoes of her voice.

She waited a few minutes before speaking again, as if waiting for someone to reassure her.

"I'm starting to despair."

She let her head fall onto her knees and squeezed her closed eyes.

"I'm starting to believe that I'll never get out of here."

Sasuke awoke to birds chirping outside. Sunlight streamed through the window onto the hospital bed that be had been confined to. The doctors and nurses had had a fit once they found his empty bed and had forbidden him to leave it again. And Kakashi, that bastard, had done nothing at all but smirked at him.

Another thing that bothered him was that he had been unable to talk to Naruto after the trial. He had disappeared right after the trial and Sasuke hadn't seen him since. It had been a few days since Naruto was declared innocent and Sasuke had begun to worry about his other teammate, whom even the Hokage hadn't seen. He wanted to Naruto so he could discuss what they would do about Sasumi. Obviously, Konoha had found out about who she really was and for the life of him, Sasuke couldn't think of any result of this that would end happily. He needed Naruto so he could brainstorm with him and more importantly, talk about the situation with someone. Sasuke was getting sick of Kakashi's suspicious glances and felt that talking the situation over with someone, even if it was Naruto, would really help him get new ideas.

And to make matters even more complicated, there was the other notion, deep in the back of his mind that Sasuke wasn't quite sure he wanted to admit to or even think about. It was the part of his mind that was glad that he hadn't seen Naruto yet. It was the nervous, weak, part that didn't know what to say to a person who had been the holder of a demon for his entire life. It was the part that didn't know how to act around or how to even think about his blond teammate anymore.

Sasuke scowled at where his train of thought had reached and gingerly pushed himself into a sitting position. He swung his feet over the side of the bed a little too quickly and winced, forcing his hands not to immediately wrap around the injured area and risk reopening his wounds. Technically, he knew, he shouldn't be standing, much less walking, but Sasuke was a shinobi and lying in bed for weeks on end didn't suit him. He limped slowly across the floor, the cold tile uncomfortable under his feet, to the other end of the room where his crutches stood leaning against the wall. He was about the open the door that led into a pristine white hallway that characterized Konoha's hospital when he heard the telltale signs of clicking heels against ceramic and flattened himself against the wall next to the door.

Sasuke pointedly ignored how pathetic hiding from nurses was.

After she passed, he looked warily out the door and found that the hall was empty. Perfect. He slowly half hopped, half walked with his crutches out the door and down the hallway, ears trained for the sounds of approaching heels. He walked to the quietest end of the hospital where there was a huge window. Sasuke carefully sat down on the window ledge and inhaled the fresh air. His room was incredibly stuffy and the windows were locked so fresh air was a nice change.

It was cool outside and after sitting there for a few minutes Sasuke wished he had brought a jacket. He glanced up at the clock on the wall and found that it was almost eight o'clock, the time breakfast was delivered to his room. If they found his bed empty again, they'd probably lock the door. Grudgingly, Sasuke lifted himself up and made his way slowly back to his room. He was halfway there when he heard a loud annoying voice from behind a corner and before he could do anything, something blond, hyper, and orange rammed into him.

Sasuke hissed in pain as his legs gave way, the crutches fell to the floor, and he collapsed against the wall. He couldn't see anything but colored lights, his head hurt, his abdomen hurt, his legs hurt and he was going to kill that idiot.

"Sasuke! Sasuke, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?! Speak to me, bastard!"

And now his ears hurt.

Sasuke groaned and grimaced shielding his eyes from the light.

"Sasuke! Don't just sit there! Get up you stupid-"

"Naruto, calm down, you're suffocating him."

Sasuke opened one eye to see Kakashi and Naruto looking concernedly down at him.

"You idiot!" Sasuke growled, "Why don't you look where you're going?"

He shakily tried to raise himself off the ground, but his stomach clenched in pain and he hissed and gave up.

"Goddammit, you asshole, don't blame me 'cause you can't keep your balance!" Naruto said angrily.

"I'm injured, you moron!" Sasuke thought, but his pride prevented him from saying it aloud.

"Aren't you supposed to stay in bed until your wounds heal?" Kakashi asked innocently.

Sasuke decided to pretend he didn't hear him.

"See!" Naruto said, jabbing his finger at Sasuke, "It's not my fault you didn't listen to the nurses! So there!"

He crossed his arms insolently like a little child.

Sasuke only barely refrained from rolling his eyes.

"Sasuke, can you get up?" Kakashi asked, looking concernedly down at him.

"I'm. Fine," Sasuke snarled out.

"You don't look fine," Naruto piped in.

Sasuke ignored him and concentrated on pushing himself off the ground.

"Oi," Naruto said in a concerned voice.

"I don't need help," Sasuke said grabbing a hold of his crutches and pressed himself up against the wall.

He had almost said, "I don't need your help," but in light of the recent events he knew how it would sound and how Naruto would interpret it.

He had just finally succeeded in standing at least somewhat erect when the dizziness hit him and he grappled against the wall for support.

"You need to lay down," he heard Kakashi's serious voice say.

Sasuke knew it was futile to protest and let Kakashi and Naruto drag him off to his room, chastising him for being stupid.

It was only after they left him alone in his room that Sasuke realized that things didn't have to change between him and Naruto. And he couldn't help feeling happy about this fact.

A/N: This chapter was boring. I think it was the lack of fighting. I apologize and I promise that next chapter will be better. And much more angsty.

I'm really sorry that it took this long to write, but the last few weeks I just wasn't in the mood for writing and I had major Writer's Block. If you have any questions don't hesitate to review and ask.