It took a full day for Naruto to wake up again and even then he was barely able to move. It was already going to be a long journey without having to carry Naruto with them, but I don't really mind. I'd rather Naruto be weak then completely dead. So every night we set Naruto down on the ground and build a fire next to him while he talked us just like it was another day out on a mission. He was all smiles and it looked like nothing had changed, but I could tell by the others reactions that something has.
"He hasn't smiled this much in a really long time," Sakura said to me when I finally got to talk to her alone. She's been avoiding me, which I'm happy about because it means that I won't have to deal with her fan girl tendencies, but then I also consider her an old friend who doesn't want to talk to me. I deserve it of course, but I wonder if I'll ever be able to gain back her trust in me. Or if I'll even have the time to.
"What are you talking about?" I ask even though I'm pretty sure that I know exactly what she's talking about.
"Naruto," she clarifies. "He's smiled a lot while you were gone, but it's always been those sad smiles. You know the ones." Sasuke did know the ones. He had been on the receiving end of them because of his taunts enough to know that, but he had only just figured it out and started correcting himself for it right before he left so even he could barely tell the difference between Naruto's real smile and the sad one. Of course Sakura would know since she's spent a lot more time with Naruto. "This is the first time that I've seen him so happy in a really long time. You'd better not ruin that."
"I don't plan to," I answer, but I know that it's not exactly in my hands. I still have to face judgment. If my punishment for betraying the village is severe enough, I may never be able to see Naruto again.
"You know that they're probably going to give you the death sentence," Kakashi said a couple of days later when we stopped to take one last break before we entered the village, "despite what Naruto has probably been telling you."
"I know," I answer easily.
"And you're okay with this?" Kakashi raised a brow. It's been a while since I've seen Kakashi's facial expressions, but he gave me that one enough that I can recognize it for what it is. He doesn't believe me. He thinks that I'm just doing something stupid to prove myself again. I guess I am, but this time it's for different reasons. Before it was because I wanted to prove myself to my dead family and to the brother who killed them. Now, I think, that I just want to prove myself to Naruto. Because that's what he deserves after dealing with me for such a long time and chasing me even after I continued to hurt him.
"I'll die for him," I answer truthfully. If that is the choice that the council comes up with when I return, then I will gladly take it. I don't want to hurt Naruto anymore by running off before we get back. I promised him that I would return with him and I'm going to keep that promise even if I am returning to my death.
"Are you sure?" Kakashi asked. "You won't be able to get revenge on your family if you die." Ah. This is some sort of test. Kakashi is testing me. I don't know why, but he is. I'm going to pass this time, though. I won't let that blind anger that had controlled me for so long get in my way.
"I'll die for him," I repeat. I'll repeat it as many times as he or Naruto or anyone else wants me to. I'll shout it out to the world if I absolutely have to. I'll die for Naruto because Naruto would have died for me. He almost died for me so I will die for him in exchange. I've decided to pledge my life to him. He deserves at least this much devotion and I'm actually willing to give it to him now. Even if I don't die now, I will continue to give him my whole life until there is nothing left and then I will die then. Either way I will die for him in the end, but hopefully I'll be able to live for him too.