Greetings!
I apologize for the delay in posting this chapter. Work has been insane, and then I went on vacation, which threw everything off. Hopefully this will make up for it.
Reviews: Thank you so much for the kind reviews! It's nice to know I'm doing a decent job. As always, replies to anonymous reviews can be found on my website. A link to it can be found on my bio page.
Warnings: There is some violence in this chapter. It's small, but it's there.
Enjoy!
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Chapter 3: Prodigal Sons
It was shortly before midnight when Hatake Kakashi finally crossed the gate into Konoha.
He didn't slow his pace, however, not even when the gate guards yelled irritably that even though they knew who he was, they needed to see his identification. He was tired, dirty, and somewhat bloody and wanted nothing more than to go home to a hot shower and a warm bed. Naruto had given him a preview copy of the sixth volume of Icha Icha Paradise shortly before he'd left for his mission, but since the mission had been a classified, S-rank mission, he hadn't taken the book with him. He was looking forward to reading at least the first few chapters before he went to sleep tonight.
His route home took him close to the Hokage tower, and as he passed it, he couldn't help but notice that the light was still on in the Hokage's office. Kakashi slowed his pace until he was standing in the building directly across the tower. While it was not unusual for the Hokage to work late, something told him that this was not a routine late night at the office for Tsunade-sama. Due to the lateness of the hour, he'd planned on giving the Hokage his report in the morning. However, if she was still awake and working, she wouldn't mind getting the report early.
Excuse firmly in place, Kakashi jumped the remainder of the way to the tower. He let himself in and wondered why, if the Hokage was working late, the customary ANBU that guarded her were not at their posts. Shrugging, Kakashi shoved the detail into the back of his mind for later.
He knocked firmly on the door to the office and was rewarded with a short and angry "come in."
He stood on the other side of the door, momentarily caught by uncertainty. Maybe he should have gone straight home after all. When he finally pushed open the door, he found the Hokage sitting at her desk, looking at him expectantly.
"You're late," Tsunade-sama said.
Kakashi frowned. "I wasn't aware that I had a curfew, Hokage-sama."
He wasn't even supposed to be back yet. He'd deliberately not stopped to take any breaks since he'd left Hidden Mist just so he could get home before dawn. The fact that Tsunade-sama didn't seem very surprised to see him made him believe that she'd been waiting for him.
"I saw you standing across the way, Kakashi. If you hadn't stopped by my office, I would have had to go after you, so thank you for saving me the trouble."
The comment caught his attention as he slowly made his way to the Hokage's desk. He hated not knowing what was going on, and the smirk on her face made him positive that she knew something he didn't, something he would most likely dislike. She sat stiffly in her chair, which was a contrast to her flippant attitude, and it made Kakashi wonder if she'd come across any more reports about possible attacks while he'd been gone.
"Why is that, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked.
Tsunade's eyes closed briefly and she sighed. "You need to visit Naruto," was all she said.
"Naruto? Is he okay?"
Ever since the invasion by Oto, and the inevitable confrontation with Orochimaru, Naruto had obtained an almost suicidal streak. They'd been vulnerable to attack after almost losing the village once again, and the hidden villages not allied with Konoha had taken advantage of that. On several occasions, Naruto had taken it upon himself to go and intercept the groups of ninja sent to attack Konoha on his own without telling anyone. The last time he'd done it, he'd limped back to Konoha and had to be carried to the hospital by the gate guards, before they'd even known that a group of ninja had been on their way to attack them.
"The brat is fine," Tsunade-sama said, but Kakashi could tell that he'd guessed right and whatever this was about it involved Naruto, and had the Hokage very angry. "Just go visit him, Kakashi."
Kakashi nodded. "I'll stop by first thing in the morning."
"No, you need to go right now."
Kakashi's frown deepened. "With all due respect, Hokage-sama, why do I have to go right now? It's past midnight. He's probably asleep by now."
Tsunade-sama chuckled, but Kakashi could see no humor on her face.
"I doubt he's going to be getting much sleep for a while, so you don't have to worry about waking him. Go to his apartment, Kakashi."
Tsunade-sama's words left Kakashi with no desire to do anything but what she asked him to do. He bowed to her and had almost made it to the door when her voice stopped him.
"You'll appreciate this tomorrow."
Without turning around, Kakashi left the office and headed towards Naruto's apartment at twice the speed he'd used to get home.
Kakashi had become close to his former team in the past few years, despite the fact that he was no longer their teacher. A touch of guilt churned in his stomach as it always did when he thought about that fact. His neglect of them in favor of Sasuke had led them to other, better teachers that had molded them into the fine ninja they were today. They trained together once in a while and had undertaken a few missions together, as comrades, which had led to the bond they shared now. Sasuke, of course, was another shared bond between them. Kakashi had a feeling that Sasuke would forever be the link that tied them together, no matter where their lives led them.
As he neared Naruto's apartment, he slowed. He was tempted to sneak by a window and take a look inside, but discarded the idea when he realized that Naruto would sense him and wouldn't appreciate him sneaking around. Instead, he made his way up the stairs quickly and knocked on the door.
He heard movement inside the apartment, as if furniture was being moved out of the way, before someone came to the door.
"That better be you, Kakashi," Naruto's voice came from the other side of the door. "If you're someone else pretending to be Kakashi, I'm going to kick your ass."
Kakashi laughed despite the knot in his stomach. If Naruto was joking, he had to be okay.
"I'm starving and wanted ramen," Kakashi said. "Ichiraku is closed, so you're the next best thing."
Kakashi heard the locks being undone on the door before it was opened. Naruto stood on the other side of the door, still fully dressed in his work clothes. The inside of the apartment was well lit and Kakashi could see two cups of tea on the table in front of the couch. He could also sense another presence in the apartment, but the person was masking his or her chakra well enough that Kakashi couldn't identify it.
"Who is with you?" Kakashi asked.
"Why don't you come in and find out," Naruto said and waved him in.
Kakashi trusted Naruto, but the look of pleased satisfaction on his face made Kakashi wonder what Naruto was up to. It had been many years since Naruto had stopped pulling pranks with any regularity, but he still did so every once in a while. Kakashi had fallen victim to them a few times and was in no mood to do so right now.
"If there is a bucket of water above the door, I swear I'll hunt you down and hang you upside down from the Hokage monument first thing tomorrow morning."
Naruto laughed. "There's nothing above the door, Kakashi, come in already."
He did so and Naruto closed the door behind him. It wasn't until he was fully into the room that the door to Naruto's bedroom opened and out walked someone that sent Kakashi's alarms blaring, and brought up very unpleasant memories. His hand immediately went to the weapon's pouch strapped to his thigh, but Naruto's hand on his arm stopped him before he could get a kunai, or ten. Kakashi turned towards the blonde, who shook his head.
"I understand your caution, Kakashi, but I assure you that I mean you no harm."
A chill went down his spine at the sound of the cold and calculating voice. The last time Kakashi had heard it, he'd been on a one way trip to hell.
"Orochimaru does not reside in my body anymore," Sasuke said. "It's just me."
Sasuke held his hands out in front of him where Kakashi could see them. He had stopped far enough away so that he couldn't be touched, but close enough so that Kakashi got a good look at his eyes. He didn't see, or sense, any malice from the young man. If anything, the look in Sasuke's dark eyes was as close to pleading as Kakashi had ever seen. After staring at Sasuke, speechless, for what seemed like an eternity, Kakashi finally broke the silence.
"How?" he asked and almost smacked himself for his stupidity.
"Does it matter?" Naruto asked.
Kakashi wasn't sure of the answer to that question. He wasn't sure of much of anything at the moment. He couldn't remember the last time he had been this stunned and he hated himself for it. He was supposed to be prepared for anything, because he'd spent the majority of his life making sure of that. How could he have prepared himself for the return of the student he'd chosen to devote his time to, only to have said student defect and join a more powerful teacher, who then took over the student's body and attacked their village?
His fists clenched at his sides and anger flowed freely through his body. Naruto and Sasuke both sensed it, because he could feel their reactions to it. He wanted to say something flippant or perverted to diffuse the situation like he normally did, but he couldn't think of anything. All he could do was stare at Sasuke, who simply stared calmly back at him.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he finally asked Naruto.
Naruto's face had taken on that deathly calm mask it got when the young man was on a mission that wasn't entirely to his liking, or when he was trying to hide what he was really feeling.
"We didn't want to take the risk of you stopping us," the blonde said.
"What do you mean…," Kakashi trailed off. He didn't have to ask who 'we' was, because there was only one other person it could possibly be.
He wasn't going to argue with Naruto about it, because what was done was done. Sasuke's emotions flared momentarily, long enough for Kakashi to sense the uncertainty that the young man was feeling. By the time Kakashi faced Sasuke once again, his chakra had calmed and his face was devoid of emotion.
"How are you handling all of this, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked, noting for the first time that despite the calm exterior, Sasuke was as rattled by the reunion as he was.
"I'm fine," Sasuke replied.
Kakashi almost smiled at how some things never changed. Sasuke was still as closed off as ever. One of the truly strange things to him when Orochimaru had been in possession of Sasuke's body was how much he talked. Kakashi had never head Sasuke's voice so much as he had that day when they'd fought, and Kakashi doubted that he'd get to hear much of it now.
"It's good to know that you're handling everything well," Kakashi replied. "Since the Hokage was the one that sent me, I take it that she is aware of the situation."
Naruto nodded. "She's going to make Sasuke's return public tomorrow morning."
Kakashi nodded. "Where will you be staying?" he asked Sasuke.
"I'll stay with Naruto for the next couple of days, until I can get my house ready to be lived in again."
"You're going to live in your house?" Kakashi asked, surprised. He would have thought that Sasuke would have wanted nothing to do with his clan again.
"That's where the Hokage ordered me to stay," Sasuke said. "Since I have little choice at the moment that is where I will stay."
Kakashi supposed that the plan made sense. Sasuke would be close enough to Naruto if something came up and the Hokage could have the Uchiha neighborhood well watched. The place was also isolated and away from the main part of the village so that if something did happen, the least amount of civilians would be harmed. Kakashi took a deep breath, released it, and stared at his former students.
"I don't suppose either of you wants to tell me what happened? I'm surprised that Oto didn't send every available ninja out here as soon as they realized that Sasuke was no longer there."
Naruto's eyes darkened at the comment, and he immediately looked away from Kakashi. The reinstated ANBU had known the young man long enough to know that Naruto did not look away unless he was feeling guilty about something.
"What is it, Naruto? What happened in Oto?"
Naruto shook his head, but didn't reply.
"He doesn't remember, Kakashi," Sasuke replied instead. "I don't remember either, but everyone in Oto is dead."
Kakashi's eyebrows rose in surprise for the second time that night. That was something he was most definitely not expecting. It was no wonder Tsunade didn't have but the three ANBU stationed outside. She wasn't expecting anyone to come after Sasuke.
"Everyone?" Kakashi asked, unconsciously echoing Sasuke's question to Naruto earlier in the day.
"Yes, everyone," Naruto replied.
The three stood in uncomfortable silence for what seemed like an eternity. Naruto looked everywhere but at Kakashi and Sasuke, while Sasuke kept his eyes on Naruto. It seemed to Kakashi that at that moment, both had forgotten that he was even in the room. Finally, Kakashi cleared his throat. Whatever they knew that they weren't telling him would come to his attention sooner or later. Forcing the issue now would accomplish nothing.
"Well, it's late, and I have an appointment with my new book," he said and made his way out of the apartment. When he was at the door, he turned towards Sasuke one last time. "Welcome home."
Without waiting for a reply, he disappeared.
&&&&
"You are a fool, Kakashi. You're just like your father."
Kakashi held his hand against his shoulder trying, without much success, to stop the bleeding that the Chidori had caused when it had ripped through it. His left arm was useless and he could no longer form any seals, which is what the bastard that had used his own move against him had wanted to accomplish. His Sharingan flared in anger, and it was matched by the pair of similar, red eyes staring at him from the other side of the small clearing.
"He did everyone a favor by taking his own life," the person continued in a voice so familiar, and yet so foreign and disgusting. "A disgraced ninja deserves nothing less."
He was tempted to respond to the taunt, but Kakashi knew that if he did, he'd be playing right into the snake's hand. Instead, he glared at a face that had become so familiar to him in the past few years; a face that he'd decided was worth all he had to offer, everything he could pass on. The boy in front of him had been the first, and only, student he'd fully taken in, and he'd been rewarded for his trouble by having his Chidori almost deal him a killing blow. If he hadn't moved at the last second, it would have crushed his heart.
"You talk too much," Kakashi finally said as he desperately wracked his brain for something, anything, he could do to get out of this mess.
The boy in front of him smirked. "What's the matter, Kakashi-sensei. You don't look so well."
Sasuke's calm voice rang through the clearing and, for a split second, Kakashi dared hope that maybe his student was still somewhere in there, that Orochimaru hadn't taken everything.
"The boy liked you, Kakashi. Well, as much as he could like anyone. He's truly upset right now, seeing you beaten, bloody, and almost defeated."
The comment struck a chord in Kakashi. Sasuke was still alive in there somewhere. Both Naruto and Sakura believed that he was, even though there was nothing to indicate that. Now he had some tangible proof to give them, if he survived long enough to talk to them again.
The ground beneath him rumbled and before he could move out of the way, he was caught in the jaws of a massive snake. He screamed in agony as the jaws pierced his body, shattering bone as they entered. He immediately lost all feeling in his legs and could only weakly claw at the upper jaw with his one good hand. He managed to grab a kunai and embed it into the jaw, but the snake would not let go.
"How does it feel, Kakashi-sensei," Orochimaru, using Sasuke's voice, whispered in his ear. "You are weak. You were always weak and now you'll die just as your father did: a coward."
Manda's jaws opened and Kakashi was left to fall to the ground below. He hit left shoulder first, and what little feeling still remained in his body was suddenly gone.
'This is it, it's over,' Kakashi said to himself as he felt his life draining away. 'I couldn't save him… I couldn't even save myself.'
&&&&
Kakashi jerked to a sitting position on his bed, his hands instinctively going to his lower back and chest, where Manda had done most of the damage. He ran his left hand over his chest, not needing the light to tell him where the scars were. His hand then traveled up to his shoulder, where the Chidori had destroyed the joint. He was breathing hard and sweat rolled off his forehead and down his face. His body trembled slightly and it took him a while to regain control of his wayward emotions.
He'd had the flashback quite often after the confrontation with Orochimaru, but he hadn't had it in over a year. It didn't surprise him that he had it now, however. He didn't remember much of what happened after Manda had let him go, but he'd heard from others that Naruto and Sakura had gotten there and fought Orochimaru as well. Kakashi closed his eyes and an image of Sakura's haunted face immediately jumped into his mind. She'd been at the hospital every day to visit him and Naruto, and Kakashi had no trouble telling just how much that confrontation had taken out of her, and out of Naruto. The three had never been the same again.
Now, Orochimaru was dead and Sasuke was back. What the hell were they supposed to do now?
A knock on the door made Kakashi jump and he cursed himself for his lack of attention. He relaxed slightly when he recognized the man standing on the other side of the door.
"What do you want, Asuma, it's not even dawn yet."
Sarutobi Asuma chuckled. "On the contrary, Kakashi, it's almost 9."
'Huh?' Kakashi said to himself and looked around his well lit apartment. The sun was, indeed, out, and he hadn't noticed.
"I just got back from a mission," Kakashi said, "I'm taking the day off."
As if to prove his point, even though Asuma couldn't see him, Kakashi lay back down on the bed and pulled the covers over his unmasked face.
"The Hokage has called a general assembly of all ninja with Chunin status or higher. She sent me specifically to get you so that you wouldn't show up hours late."
Kakashi suddenly realized what assembly Asuma was talking about. Naruto had said that Tsunade-sama would announce Sasuke's return today, hadn't he?
"Kakashi, you have twenty minutes to get to the tower," Asuma said.
Groaning, Kakashi got out of bed. He padded barefoot and dressed only in a pair of black shorts towards the door and opened it slightly, so all Asuma would be able to see was his right eye.
"I'll be there," Kakashi said.
"The Hokage told me to make sure you got there on time and I'm going to make sure that you get there, even if you won't let me in," Asuma said, his arms crossed in front of him and a cigarette dangling from his mouth.
"Fine, but you're staying out there," Kakashi said.
He slammed the door behind him and headed for the bathroom to take a quick shower. The assembly was going to be interesting, that was for sure.
&&&&
"I'm sorry, kids, but there is no class today."
Some kids groaned in disappointment, while others pumped their fists in excitement.
"Why, Iruka-sensei?" one of his students asked.
"The Hokage has called a meeting and I have to be there, Kumiko," he replied. "We'll have class tomorrow, I promise."
The little girl smiled at him, before leaving the classroom with a group of her friends. Everyone else followed and Iruka waited until the last child had left before he made his way out of the academy and towards the tower. What could the Hokage want to tell them now? The last time he'd been called to one of these meetings had been shortly before they'd been attacked by Oto. Iruka shuddered at the thought. The experience had left him with many scars, both physical and emotional, and he wasn't looking forward to attaining any more so soon.
He was halfway to the tower when he noticed a familiar face a little ways in front of him. Iruka decided to be sneaky and play a little trick on the village's renowned former prankster. He masked his chakra, formed several seals and within seconds appeared in front of the blonde.
"Geez, Iruka-sensei, don't do that!" the blonde yelled as he sidestepped his former teacher.
Iruka grinned as he watched the young man's face.
"You must be preoccupied this morning, Naruto," Iruka said. "I am usually not able to sneak up on you anymore."
Iruka got into step beside Naruto as they continued on their way. Naruto shrugged at the comment and gave his former teacher a grin, but Iruka had known the blonde way too long to be fooled by it.
"You know what this meeting is about, don't you?" Iruka asked.
Naruto's shoulders tensed even more and the young man refused to look at Iruka. He did drop the grin, however, and his face displayed a blankness that sent shivers down Iruka's spine.
"You'll find out soon enough," was all the young man said.
The rest of the way to the tower was spent in silence. Iruka had learned not to push Naruto when he got into a mood like the one he was currently in. It would get him no where and it would push the blonde away. Naruto would talk to him when he was ready, all Iruka had to do was be patient and wait for him.
When they got to the tower, they immediately made their way to the meeting hall. Iruka was not surprised to see that the room was already half full. He was headed for the front when he noticed that Naruto was no longer with him. Instead, the young man was leaning against the back wall, away from most of the other ninja in the room. Frowning, Iruka made his way back to Naruto.
"You're usually the first one to the front," Iruka commented. "What's different about today?"
"Let's just say I'm ready for a quick getaway," Naruto said, his lips slightly turned in a small smile. "You don't have to stay here with me, Iruka-sensei."
Iruka gave Naruto a smile and leaned against the wall beside the younger man. "I have a feeling things will be a lot more interesting back here."
Sakura joined them a few minutes later. She greeted Iruka with a small, nervous smile, before making herself comfortable against the wall on the other side of Naruto. Sakura's presence alone was not enough to really raise Iruka's suspicions, because she and Naruto spent a lot of time together. Hatake Kakashi's appearance, however, told Iruka that the three of them were well involved in what the Hokage had called them to discuss.
"You're on time," both Naruto and Sakura said at the same time as soon as they saw Asuma dragging Kakashi through the door.
Kakashi had the decency to look embarrassed. "I had no choice. He broke into my room, dragged me half naked out of bed and made me get dressed," he said pointing at Asuma.
Asuma shook his head and gave a long suffering sigh. "The things I have to put up with," he said. "I'll leave the old man to you two," he added and made his way towards the front, ignoring Kakashi's indignant cry of "I'm not old yet."
"Good morning, Iruka," Kakashi said with a smile. "I haven't seen you in a while."
"Good morning," Iruka replied. "You've been out on missions quite often lately."
"It's a living," he said and settled against the wall on the other side of Iruka.
"You don't have to say with us, Kakashi," Sakura said.
Kakashi shrugged. "There is safety in numbers, children," he simply said.
Iruka's eyebrow rose at the comment and he gave each of his companions a long look. Kakashi, despite his cheerfulness and relaxed posture, was tense. Sakura was absently playing with the hem of her shirt with one hand, while the other was clenched into a fist at her side. Naruto's eyes moved quickly from person to person, as if looking for someone, or something. He, too, was outwardly relaxed, but the set of his jaw said otherwise.
"Everyone, can I have your attention please?"
Iruka's thoughts were put on hold as he turned his attention to the Hokage.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice, but I have something very important to share with the rest of you, and with the villagers."
The crowd of ninja immediately took their seats and gave their full attention to their leader.
"Orochimaru is dead," the Hokage stated. "Oto has been defeated."
Iruka's jaw dropped open in shock. This was not what he had expected to hear, and all around the room, he could see similar reactions. The quiet in the room was oppressive, until everyone began speaking at once. Excited, surprised, and worried voices all warred with each other for supremacy, until Iruka thought his ear drums would burst from the onslaught. He turned to Naruto, and it suddenly dawned on him that Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi were not surprised at the news.
"You had something to do with this, didn't you?" Iruka asked Naruto without thinking, still in shock over what he'd heard.
When Naruto turned to him, his blue eyes were so full of pain that Iruka felt as if a knife had been buried in his chest. Naruto opened his mouth, but no words came out. He shook his head and his eyes became blank, his face steely and unreadable.
"We can talk later, Iruka," Naruto said and turned away.
"Silence!"
The Hokage's voice demanded attention and everyone immediately became silent.
"The circumstances behind what happened are not important," she said. "What is important is that we now have a chance to rebuild our village without worrying about Orochimaru ever again."
A thought quickly crossed Iruka's mind and he turned towards his three companions once again. If Orochimaru was dead, then that had to mean that Sasuke was dead as well. However, Naruto didn't seem upset. Well, he was upset, but he wasn't grieving.
"There's one more thing," the Hokage said. "We have a new addition to the village."
She motioned for someone who'd been standing behind her in the shadows of the small stage to step closer, and Iruka gasped as he realized who it was. He immediately tensed and wished he'd brought his weapons along. He saw similar reactions throughout the room, as well as a few cries of 'traitor' and 'murderer'.
"Enough. You are ninja, behave as such," the Hokage reprimanded.
"Orochimaru is dead, as I said earlier. Uchiha Sasuke is not, and was not ever, Orochimaru, regardless of what you might think."
Kakashi's chakra fluctuated beside him and Iruka turned to the silver haired man only to find him with his nose buried in his book. Iruka then returned his attention to Sasuke, who stood rigid beside the Hokage. He was wearing a white shirt that seemed to envelop him and black pants that were too long and too wide for him. He wore his hair pulled back, which exposed his entire face. Said face was expressionless and his eyes stared straight ahead.
"How do we know for sure that the snake isn't just hiding inside the Uchiha, waiting for us to drop our guard so he can finish us off?" someone asked.
"Do you doubt my ability as Hokage to protect this village?" the Hokage countered.
The person did not speak again.
"Uchiha Sasuke is guilty of his own crimes," the Hokage continued. "He willingly betrayed the village by leaving and joining forces with Orochimaru. He divulged information to the enemy and cooperated in plotting against our village during that time. For those crimes, he will be punished. However, he is not to be held accountable for the attack on our village. Orochimaru, and Orochimaru alone, is responsible for that."
"Orochimaru is no longer around to take responsibility for what he did," someone else said, "Uchiha is here, however."
"Are you insane?" Naruto suddenly yelled, causing everyone to turn around and pierce him with unfriendly glares. "The snake is dead, what more do you want?"
The man, a ninja that Iruka was not very familiar with, stood up and faced Naruto.
"Are you the one responsible for brining him back, you monster?" the man asked. "We already had enough trouble in the village with you, but now you had to go off and bring another monster. What gives you the right to put our village in more danger than it already is?"
Iruka grabbed Naruto's arm as he stepped forward, holding him in place.
"You really are an idiot, aren't you Touma?" Iruka said, finally putting a name to the face. "We should focus on the positive here."
Touma smirked. "You're the idiot, Umino, if you take up for that monster."
"Enough! Shut up before I have you thrown out," the Hokage said, glaring at all three of them. When it became clear that no one else was going to speak, she continued to talk. Iruka released Naruto's arm and the young man slumped against the wall once again.
"This is my ruling, and I have the council's full approval: Uchiha Sasuke will be allowed to live in the village. He will be under constant supervision until I deem him worthy enough to be allowed on his own. He will not be allowed to be a ninja until I deem it appropriate, but believe me I'm not going to waste a valuable resource like him."
The murmurs from the crowd were quieter this time, but Iruka could tell that the majority of the assembled ninja were not happy with the ruling. A few turned and gave Naruto and Sakura dirty glares, which they were only too happy to return. Iruka got a few of his own, but he was not afraid of standing by his principals. Whatever issues he had with Sasuke he'd work out for Naruto's sake, because he knew how much Sasuke meant to Naruto. Iruka had never been afraid to be on Naruto's side, and he was not about to start now.
"You're free to go, providing that you follow our agreement," the Hokage told Sasuke, who gave her a short nod.
Sasuke stepped off the small stage and made his way through the crowd, who immediately stepped away from him as he passed. They followed him with their eyes, a few murmuring unpleasant things under their breath. When he reached Iruka and his companions, Naruto and Sakura immediately stood on either side of him, daring anyone to do anything. Iruka had to smile at his former student's determination. Let it never be said that Naruto wasn't loyal. He wondered how the villagers, and most of the ninja, could still be so blind to the fact.
"Iruka-sensei," Sasuke said when he reached them.
"Sasuke," Iruka replied uneasily.
"If I hear about anyone, and I mean anyone, harassing Sasuke, Naruto, or Sakura over any of this, I will deal with it personally, do I make myself clear?"
Everyone returned their attention to the Hokage.
"I asked you a question: do I make myself clear?"
There was a chorus of "yes Hokage" and she nodded her approval.
"Very well, this meeting is over."
Everyone began filing out, almost everyone giving the three former teammates glares before they left. The few that didn't either ignored them completely, or came by to say that they were glad to see Sasuke back.
"It's good to see you, Sasuke," Hyuga Hinata said as she made her way out of the crowd. She didn't shy away or avert her eyes as she had when she was younger. Instead, the medical ninja gave the young man a brilliant smile. "It's been a long time."
Sasuke gave her a small nod in acknowledgment, and she quickly left.
An ANBU in full cloak and mask suddenly appeared beside Naruto.
"Some people don't know when to leave well enough alone," the man said, his voice muffled by the mask he wore.
"Some of us still remember what loyalty to a teammate is," Naruto replied.
The ANBU was quiet for a moment, before he tipped his head slightly.
"That stubbornness was bound to pay off sooner or later, I suppose," the ANBU said. "I'm glad you're on our side."
With that, the man disappeared.
"Who was that?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto smirked. "That was Neji. He's gotten dramatic over the years, especially after he became ANBU."
"Well, well," another ANBU remarked as he appeared beside Sasuke. "I should have worked harder in my attempts to dissuade Naruto from keeping that promise, but if it got rid of the snake, I guess we can put up with you."
"You're back, Shikamaru," Naruto said, smiling for the first time that morning. "I didn't think you'd be here."
"Are you kidding, and miss all the fun?" Shikamaru replied as he took off his mask.
"So this is why you two looked so serious yesterday," Ino remarked as she pushed her way through the still departing ninja. "I should have known it had something to do with Sasuke."
Sakura shrugged and rubbed the back of her head. "You're too nosy for your own good, Ino."
Suddenly serious, Ino turned to face Sasuke. "It really is good to see you again, Sasuke."
"It is good to be back," Sasuke replied.
"Well, children, now that the reunion is concluded, I'm going to catch up on some much needed sleep," Kakashi said and disappeared.
Iruka grabbed Naruto's arm and maneuvered him towards the now empty middle of the room.
"We have a lot to talk about, young man," Iruka said, slipping into his elder brother role as easily as he stepped into his teacher's role. "You're not going to get away with not telling me about how all of this came about."
"I know, Iruka-sensei, but just not now," Naruto replied. "There are some things I need to work through first."
"That's understandable," Iruka replied. "Whatever you need, I'm there for you, and you know that, right?"
Naruto gave him a sincere smile that lit up his eyes.
"I know, Iruka-sensei."
"Now go off and spend time with your friends. I'll talk to you later, Naruto."
As Iruka made his way out the door, he heard Naruto inviting everyone to lunch.
&&&&
The whispers were loud and the glares were piercing.
Sasuke didn't mind when they were directed at him, because he more than deserved them. He did mind, however, when the villagers and other ninja that they ran into insulted Sakura and Naruto along with him. Naruto was handling the reaction well. Sasuke shouldn't have been surprised, since the blonde had grown up with this sort of treatment from the villagers. He hadn't deserved the harsh words then and he didn't deserve them now. He turned his head slightly to look at Sakura, whose face was completely devoid of emotion. The look didn't suit her and he felt guilty for being the reason for her withdrawal.
"This is ridiculous," Shikamaru said. "You would think everyone would be rejoicing at the fact that Orochimaru is dead." Ino voiced her agreement and that was the end of the conversation.
After Naruto had proposed that they all go out for lunch, Sasuke had been tempted to decline the invitation and head to his house instead, to get it ready to be lived in again. He had no desire to roam around the village and he hadn't wanted to expose his former teammates to more of the scorn he'd seen in the meeting. If the ninja had reacted that strongly to Sasuke's presence, the villager's reactions were bound to be even stronger. He had not been disappointed. Ino and Shikamaru had received their own glares and it puzzled Sasuke that they wanted to associate themselves with him at all. Why would they put themselves in a position to be mistreated when they didn't have to?
They were currently headed for Naruto's favorite eating place, Ichiraku, after having been refused service at the first three restaurants they'd gone to. Naruto and Sakura had both protested loudly, but they'd been asked to leave anyway. In the end, Naruto had said that he had faith in the old man that had been serving him ramen since he was a kid and would give him one chance to prove it.
"I don't think this is a good idea," Sasuke finally said as they rounded the corner onto the street where the ramen stand had stood for as long as Sasuke could remember.
"What's not a good idea, lunch?" Naruto asked. He gave Sasuke a grin. "I'm starving!"
"You know what I mean, Naruto," Sasuke insisted.
"Naruto is right," Sakura added. "We're not going to go hide just because you're back home, Sasuke," she said.
"I wouldn't have thought that the villager's glares would affect you all that much, Uchiha," Shikamaru added.
"They don't," Sasuke replied and managed to keep the iciness down to a minimum. "If they want to blame me for everything, then fine."
"So what's the problem, then?" Ino wanted to know.
When Sasuke didn't immediately reply, Sakura took it upon herself to provide an answer.
"Don't worry about us, Sasuke; we can take care of ourselves."
Before Sasuke could reply, Naruto clapped his hands. "We're here! Now we can get some decent food."
The small group walked inside the stand, and the owner, Teuchi, greeted them. The automatic greeting died in his throat, however, as his eyes fell on Sasuke. Sasuke schooled his features into a blank slate, while hoping that, for Naruto's sake more than for his own, this man would not turn them away.
Teuchi's gaze left Sasuke to land on Naruto, who had inched closer to his friend. Naruto was tense and Sasuke could already see the argument forming in the blonde's head.
"Welcome," the old man finally said, a small, but sincere smile on his face. "What can I get for you today?"
Naruto expelled the breath he'd been holding and gave the old man a wide grin.
"I'll have a bowl of miso ramen," he exclaimed as he plopped down on the closest stool.
Each person gave the man their order, until only Sasuke was left.
"What can I get for you, young man?" the man asked.
"I'm not hungry," Sasuke said. "I'll just wait for them to finish."
"Nonsense," the old man said. "No one comes in here without eating a bowl of ramen."
He turned around and proceeded to make the food that had been ordered. Sasuke finally took the seat closest to him, which put him on the end beside Naruto. The smell wafting from where the old man was cooking was delicious, but at the same time, it turned Sasuke's stomach and sent his mind wandering to a time he would rather forget.
&&&&
His right knee screamed with every step that he took, but Sasuke refused to let the pain show on his face. Blood was flowing from various wounds to his face, chest, arms, and legs, enough to leave bloody footprints on the polished, wooden floor as he walked. He walked stiffly, but held his head up high, refusing to show weakness.
He didn't have to worry, since most of the people he had run into on the way back to his room avoided looking at him and stayed out of his way. He didn't have to be particularly observant to feel the fear that radiated from them as they scurried away like mice. Orochimaru had made sure that everyone in the village knew who Sasuke belonged to and what his purpose was for being there. Everyone avoided any contact with Sasuke until they were sent on missions. At that time, Sasuke was their leader in Orochimaru's stead, and they feared him as much as they feared Orochimaru.
Kabuto was perhaps the only exception. The ninja was respectful, even if Sasuke could tell that he didn't mean a word he said, and was the only one Orochimaru allowed near Sasuke when Sasuke was injured. The medic nin's expertise in the healing arts came in handy often, and Orochimaru trusted no one else with his soon-to-be vessel. Kabuto knew his importance and used it to his advantage whenever possible.
Sasuke turned down the hallway that would lead to his room and only then allowed the pain to show on his face. No one else dared enter this part of the compound and Sasuke was sure that neither Kabuto nor Orochimaru would be waiting for him when he arrived in his room. If Orochimaru had wanted Kabuto to heal him, he would have done so already. This time, Orochimaru wanted Sasuke to suffer the "lesson" he'd just been taught so that he never doubted his place again.
As soon as he entered, Sasuke noticed the strange smell coming from the middle of the room. It was familiar, but he couldn't immediately place it. The smell made his stomach rumble and he realized that he'd not had anything to eat all day. He limped in the direction of the smell and came to a complete halt when he saw what had been left on his dresser: a seaming bowl of miso ramen.
"I want miso ramen!"
The utterance was so unexpected that it made Sasuke jump. He didn't bother looking around his room, because he knew that the blond, loudmouth that had uttered those words now only existed in his head. His throat constricted at the thought that he would never see that blonde, loudmouth ever again.
When he reached the dresser, he bent slightly to get a closer smell of the food. He realized too late that he wasn't alone in his room and he'd fallen for the distraction the ramen had provided.
"Never let down your guard, Sasuke."
By the time Sasuke reacted, a blade had lodged itself in his lower back. A gasp escaped his lips at the searing pain, and he managed to turn his head enough to see Kabuto's smirking face behind him. His left arm reached out for his own sword, which hung from his belt, but Kabuto twisted the blade inside Sasuke's body, which caused Sasuke to groan and almost collapse. The medical ninja chose that moment to savagely pull the blade out, which sent Sasuke into the dresser face first.
The bowl of ramen turned over, and the scalding broth burned his face and neck.
&&&&
Sasuke jerked away when he felt someone touch his back, and one of his hands hit the steaming bowl of miso ramen that had been put in front of him. Some of the broth spilled over onto his hand and Sasuke hissed as the liquid burned him. The smell made his stomach churn and he had to fight the bile rising to his throat. It was a loosing battle, however, so he shoved Naruto, who had been the one to touch him, out of the way and ran out of the stand. He ducked into the closest alley and threw up behind a trash can. He hadn't eaten anything all day, so there wasn't much in his stomach to throw up. His lower back throbbed in remembered pain and he forced his brain to shove the memory and the pain into a corner of his mind.
He heard footsteps behind him and tensed, until he recognized Naruto. The blonde walked slowly towards him, making sure to alert Sasuke of his proximity by shuffling his feet as he walked. When Naruto had reached Sasuke, he held out a glass of water. Sasuke took it and rinsed his mouth, before taking a small sip.
"Are you okay?" Naruto asked.
"I'm fine," Sasuke replied.
"I'm sorry. You'd been staring at the bowl for a while and you didn't react when I called your name."
Sasuke shrugged. "It's fine, Naruto."
Naruto clearly wasn't convinced, and Sasuke could see the warring emotions in the blonde's expressive eyes.
"If I'd known you disliked ramen this much, I would have offered to cook something at my place instead," Naruto finally said.
The concerned look in Naruto's eyes touched something in Sasuke, because it had been a long time since he'd seen anyone be concerned for him. He took a deep breath and forced himself to give his friend an explanation. The blonde deserved that much.
"I don't dislike it," Sasuke finally said in a voice that was barely audible, even to him. "Kabuto used it to distract me once and I ended up with his blade buried in my back."
Sasuke refused to take his eyes off Naruto's. He was waiting for the pity that was sure would come and was surprised when instead of pity all he saw was a deeper concern, followed by anger.
"That bastard," Naruto said. "At least he's dead now."
Sasuke nodded in agreement. "Yes, at least he's dead."
The two young men remained quiet for a moment, until Naruto broke the silence.
"Come on, your ramen is getting cold," Naruto said and led Sasuke back to the stand.
Sasuke found everyone's eyes on him as they reentered the stand. He gave them a curt nod before retaking his seat.
"Is everything okay?" the Teuchi asked.
"Everything is fine! Sasuke just ate something that didn't agree with him for breakfast," Naruto said.
The conversations slowly started once again as Sasuke picked up his chopsticks. He wasn't hungry and didn't want to eat the ramen, but it would be idiotic of him to let that one incident affect him this much. He took a small piece of meat and put it in his mouth, then forced himself to chew it and swallow it. He got halfway through the serving before he couldn't eat anymore.
He put the chopsticks down and took another sip of the water. Maybe there was hope for him, after all. Maybe he could make it back from the abyss he'd been in for the last six years with most of his sanity intact. He had to, because if he couldn't, death would be his only other option.
&&&&
Next up: Iruka and Naruto have a long talk; Sasuke visits his parent's grave; Jiraiya shows his soft side; Sakura and Ino indulge in girl talk.