Chapter 6

"Repent?" Tsunade parroted, leaning forward to place her chin on her laced fingers. "Look at the list of your crimes, Sasuke. Your life is hardly enough to compensate for the damage that has been done. How on earth would you make amends for your actions?"

A low murmur passed through the members of the council and the jury. Soon after Sasuke had begun speaking, the Elders had suddenly decided to excuse all non-essential individuals when they realized that Sasuke was privy to highly confidential information. The only members of the audience who were allowed to remain were those members of the Konoha Eleven, who were protected by the watchful clone of Naruto Uzumaki. Although the amount of chakra the clone possessed was laughably low, his eyes had the same potency as the original.

Even though the clone made no move to interfere, the Elders felt the piercing gazes of Naruto and his trusted judges.

Sasuke turned his gaze towards the Hokage, his dark eyes unreadable. "If you think about it, several of my crimes have been negated already. It is true that I went AWOL to join Orochimaru, but I was the one who defeated him in the end. And although I did, technically, join Akatsuki, I eliminated two of the most dangerous members: Deidera and Itachi Uchiha."

The man who had earlier challenged Naruto, the young son of Lord Yokozawa, spoke again. "Sasuke-kun, it's true that you were able to defeat three highly dangerous rogue ninja. None of us are denying that is an impressive feat. If the rumors are true, it seems that you also took out a troublesome gang lord, several of the Zetsu clones, and destroyed many of Orochimaru's hideouts. And yet, you existed with such malice before, that this isn't enough for us to defer a death sentence."

The council nodded with various levels of enthusiasm. Sasuke sighed, taking a moment to calm his spiking temper. After a moment, he lifted his head, his dark eyes going beyond the council members to return a burning blue gaze.

"When Naruto Uzumaki said that he stood behind everything that I said, do you realize what he was truly saying?" Sasuke said, his voice becoming cold and haughty. "He was giving me permission to tell you all the truth."

A heavy silence fell over the room. On the balcony, ten pairs of eyes turned towards Naruto's clone, which continued to pointedly ignore them.

"The truth?" Shikamaru whispered. "Naruto, what on earth-"

"Listen," Cut in Sasuke's cold voice. "I will tell you what truly happened during the war. This is all information that Naruto and I agreed to keep secret, until the time was right."

"Come now, boy." An elderly man blurted out, his face turning red. "You cannot honestly believe that a little tale will save you from-"

"It was not Naruto Uzumaki who defeated Kabuto, the caster of the Edo Tensei." Sasuke bit out, cutting the man off. "It was my brother, Itachi, and I."

After a moment of utter stillness, everyone present turned to stare at the blond clone, who smiled meekly before nodding.

"You can't reprimand him for lying about it, either." Sasuke continued, drawing their attention once again. "Knowing Naruto, he stayed quiet, neither confirming nor denying his involvement in that battle. If you believed it was him who defeated Kabuto, then you only have yourselves to blame for jumping to conclusions."

"Hey," Kiba muttered, "isn't he provoking them a little here?"

Neji laughed coldly. "Well, this is Sasuke Uchiha we're talking about. We can't expect him to behave completely."

"It's true that one of Naruto's clones was on route to Kabuto's location, but by the time he arrived the battle had already been decided." Sasuke continued. "After that, I led Naruto to the hideout where the enemy was lurking. I helped him to defeat them, but left immediately afterwards. Correct me if I'm wrong, Naruto, but I doubt that you could have beaten him without me."

"No, you're right." Naruto said, jumping down from the balcony. His form wavered slightly at the impact when his sandaled feet hit the ground. "We made a deal to keep Sasuke's involvement a secret, because Sasuke knew that people would suspect that he was trying to win back the Leafs favour. That's also why he vanished immediately after the war, so that there was no trace of him on the battlefields."

The clone tilted his head back, closing his eyes with a sigh. "If it weren't for Sasuke and his brother defeating Kabuto, there would've been a lot more casualties at the hands of the reanimated shinobi. Even our own Hokage could have become a casualty, you know?"

Tsunade's eyes flicked away. After a moment, her delicate eyebrows met in a frown. "It's true." She muttered, "All of us Kage were pretty overwhelmed trying to fight Madara. Since he had been fused with cells from the First Hokage, we might not have been able to defeat him if the jutsu hadn't been undone when it was."

Naruto nodded firmly. Sasuke shook his head sharply to get the hair out of his eyes. "You're forgetting something, idiot." He said, leveling Naruto with a loaded glare. "I also told you where they were keeping Yamato, as well as a large reserve of Zetsu clones."

"Oh, I forgot about that!" Naruto exclaimed, laughing.

Shikaku Nara, who was serving as a member of the council, spoke for the first time. "I am confused about the timeline, Naruto. The intelligence network was aware that you had made contact with Sasuke Uchiha during the war, but the encounter was so brief that it almost slipped our notice. Did that encounter occur before or after the Uchiha brothers defeated Kabuto?"

Sasuke frowned, ignoring his pride with tremendous effort. "In defeating Kabuto, I was forced to witness my brother's death for the second time as the jutsu was undone. I had sensed Naruto's chakra, and used it as an excuse to leave the scene. So, the encounter you're referring to occurred after Kabuto was already dead. I later returned to the place where he had been defeated, and that is when I joined forces with Naruto's clone."

Shikaku nodded slowly. "I see. So the reason we were unable to sense you is because your chakra was diminished from your earlier battles. Not to mention, Naruto's chakra is so overwhelming it gives the sensory-types headaches if they concentrate on it for too long."

Naruto rubbed his nose while he smiled guiltily. "The reason why we're telling you all this stuff now is because we want you to realize that it wasn't just me who won the war. If it weren't for Sasuke helping me out when he did, things would have gone a lot differently. In fact, I probably owe Sasuke my life."

"Idiot." Sasuke muttered, closing his eyes as he turned his face away.

After a long moment of silence, the Hokage leaned forward in her seat. "Sasuke, I don't know if you were aware, but Naruto has done you a tremendous favour while you were off wandering the globe."

"H-Hey, Granny!" Naruto cried, a blush creeping onto his face.

Tsunade ignored him, her gaze boring into Sasuke. "Thanks to Naruto, the whole village is aware of what Itachi did for the sake of peace. He has not been called a traitor for a long while."

Sasuke turned, his eyes wide as he stared at the blond. "Naruto?"

Before Naruto could reply, the judge cut in. "Enough. Sasuke Uchiha, this information is indeed interesting. I know that the village would be uncomfortable leaving such a large debt unsettled; and we undoubtedly owe you a rather large one if this story is true. However, I am eager to hear just how you had hoped to repent for everything you have done."

"Yes," Sasuke replied, bowing his head. "I would repent by doing exactly what I was born and trained to do: serve Konoha as a shinobi. Devote my life to protecting the village that my brother loved so much."

"I must admit," Shikaku said. "It seems like a waste to kill off such a capable ninja. Especially since our numbers are limited after the war."

"However," Piped up another man with a large scar running across his face. "We cannot allow him to simply wander the streets unguarded! We do not know if he can be trusted! Even though Uzumaki-sama believes in him…"

"I agree." Tsunade said. "I'm sorry, Naruto, but releasing Sasuke without penalty is out of the question. The village would protest, and as the Hokage I must do whatever it takes to avoid internal conflict. You understand, don't you?"

"Of course." Naruto replied promptly. His furrowed brow, however, reveal his discontent.

Tsunade sighed, turning her attention towards the silent balcony. "And what do Naruto's personal jurors think?"

Immediately, everyone turned to Shikamaru. The young genius sensed their gazes, an irate sigh slipping from his lips like smoke as he too jumped down from the balcony. He sauntered towards Naruto, his hands in his pockets.

"Thanks to Naruto, the villages fighting power hasn't actually decreased at all. However, Naruto is only one guy, and if he wasn't around we'd be in a seriously troublesome situation. I calculated that, without Naruto, Konoha's fighting power is less than half of what it was a year ago. Allowing someone as powerful as Sasuke to fight with us would add some much needed strength." Shikamaru's gaze flicked over to his father, who nodded encouragingly. "However, the fact remains that it would take years for the village to trust Sasuke again, and until then he would not only be an unusable resource, but an additional burden upon us."

The judge leaned forward. "So, what then is your verdict, Shikamaru Nara? I know that our Lady Hokage puts great faith in your evaluations. You are quite loyal to Tsunade-sama."

Shikamaru frowned, his eyes darkening from rich brown to black. "You're wrong, sir."

He finally reached his destination, coming to a stop beside Naruto.

"I'm not loyal to the Hokage, but rather, to the true king of Konoha: the future. That of course, includes the one who will lead us in the future." His sharp gaze slide over to Naruto, whose serious expression was ruined slightly by the blush on his whiskered cheeks. "He's still a bit of a loose-cannon idiot, but I agree with Naruto's ideas about the future of Konoha. That's why I serve him as my future Hokage. And since he dreams of a future where our actions are not ruled by hatred, I can reach my personal verdict quite easily. I believe that Sasuke Uchiha should be allowed his repentance: he should be allowed to serve the Leaf as a shinobi."

"Shikamaru…" Naruto breathed, his eyes swimming with emotion.

The genius tactician ignored him, looking towards the balcony. "I can't speak for my comrades, though."

Within seconds, the rest of the Konoha Eleven were on their feet. Sakura stepped forward, tears glistening on her cheeks. She looked around quickly, and after receiving nods of reassurance from everyone, she raised her voice. "We also stand behind Naruto as the future of Konoha. The Konoha Eleven agree with Shikamaru's verdict!"

A low mutter passed through the jury and the council. The judge nodded. "So, the future stands firmly behind their opinion. Now, the difficult part is for the past, and the present, to reach a verdict of their own." His eyes passed over the jury, which was composed of active Jounin, and the council, which was made up of Elders and their representatives.

The form of Naruto's clone suddenly flickered. "Damn, I'm out of chakra." He muttered, leaning over to pat Shikamaru's shoulder. "I'm returning to the original. I'll leave the rest to you, you know?"

As soon as the clone disappeared, the real debate began. Having said everything that he deemed important, Sasuke was guided back to his cell. Shikamaru smirked as he crossed his arms, preparing himself to ride out a storm that he predicted would last for the remainder of the night.

The following afternoon, Naruto was summoned to the Hokage's office. A heavy chill had settled over the village as evening approached, chasing most of the people into the warmth of their houses. Naruto's feet were as heavy as his heart as he made his way through the quiet streets, apprehensive as he wondered why Tsunade had summoned him before the official verdict from Sasuke's trial had been made.

The halls of the Hokage's mansion were just as silent as the street, the lights dimmed for the evening. Naruto's heart began to race nervously as he neared a familiar door, raising his fist to knock gently. When a soft voice summoned him from within, he twisted the handle; his blue eyes immediately locking onto light brown ones. The pig-tailed Hokage managed a small smile despite the dark circles under her eyes.

"Close the door, Naruto." She said, her voice hoarse. She shuffled through her paper work as Naruto did what he was asked before coming to stand before her. For a few minutes, she continued to scan the various papers and scrolls, pausing occasionally to sign or stamp something. Naruto waited patiently, sensing that her good mood was precarious at the moment. His patience was finally rewarded.

"We've been debating ever since your clone left yesterday afternoon." She said without looking up from her paperwork. "I had to excuse myself early. I'm still the Hokage, you know. All this paperwork piles up really quickly. Maybe I should start getting you to help me with it…"

Naruto remained silent as Tsunade's pen continued to scratch across the paper. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple as he fought to keep himself from making a sudden outburst.

"Come on, tell me what's going to happen to Sasuke!"

"By the way," Tsunade said, glancing up. "We received another message from the Cloud. It seems that Bee has managed to get that opposing faction under control for now, but they still request that you make your way there as soon as possible."

Naruto frowned. "I was planning to head out as soon as a verdict had been reached for Sasuke. But, if they don't need me to fight, what exactly do they expect me to do there? I'm not a politician or a smooth speaker or anything, you know?"

"It's a display of trust." The Hokage said, signing off the last scroll. "Raikage plans to show you the situation first hand, so you are fully aware of what's going on. You will probably have an opportunity to talk to one of the members of that rebelling group as well. Also, Raikage hopes to dispel any doubts that any of the people of the Cloud may have by allowing them to see you for themselves."

Naruto rubbed at his head. "I guess that makes sense. If it's a political mission like that, I definitely can't send a clone."

Tsunade nodded in agreement. She reached for her tea, avoiding Naruto's unblinking gaze as she sipped it. Tension hung in the awkward silence as the minutes crawled by. Finally, Tsunade slammed down her cup, her exhaustion finally dissolving her patience.

"I wish I had more time to talk to you about this, Naruto. I'd prefer to have official documentation and mission objectives to hand you but there isn't time. The final verdict will depend on your response to what I'm about to say."

Naruto stepped forward, his face set seriously. "Tell me what's going on, Granny."

The Hokage leaned forward, her expression just as intense. "Are you willing to accept a life-long mission, one that will challenge your devotion to this village? If you accept this mission, you will be carrying the fate of your comrades, Naruto. Are you prepared to shoulder this burden?"

Naruto's blue eyes scanned the face of his Hokage. Finally, he nodded firmly.

"So be it." Tsunade said. "I will now explain your top-secret mission: Operation Moon-Guardian."

Inoichi Yamanaka, head of the Intel division, rubbed at his eyes tiredly. He made his way down the silent hallway, slipping quietly into the room where a silver-haired ninja awaited him. Kakashi looked up from his book, one dark and disinterested eye the only visible part of his face. He snapped the book shut after carefully marking his page, leaning back comfortably against the frame of the open window. Behind him, the sunset burned red and orange, the light gleaming in Kakashi's pale hair.

"How did it go, Inoichi?"

The blond sighed heavily as he deposited himself onto a bench, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well, everything they said appears to be true. I scoured Sasuke's mind for a good few hours, and it doesn't seem like they hid anything from us."

He looked up, the fiery sunset reflected in his piercing blue eyes. After a moment of thought, he shook his head sadly. "I've been doing this job for a long time, Kakashi. And I have to say, I've never examined a mind like that Uchiha boys before. Every single thought was surrounded by turmoil. Such a dark and reckless mind. And yet, the boy is extremely intelligent, and by looking at his life, I can't help but feel pity for him."

Kakashi averted his gaze, studying the ground before his feet. A flock of sparrows took flight from a nearby tree, spiraling as a disorganized mass before setting course for the Nara forest. Feeling the gaze of the other man on him, Kakashi peered upwards with a questioning hum.

"Kakashi," Inoichi began in a low voice. "I can't help but be worried after seeing Sasuke's mind. It's true that he's forsaken his desire for revenge, but that void has been filled with a psychological dependency on Naruto that borders on obsession. The type of thing you only see in couples who have been married for fifty-odd years: like he has no idea how to exist without Naruto."

Much to Inoichi's confusion, the legendary sharingan user began to laugh. A smile crinkled the corners of his eye as he shook his head slowly. "If you were to take a peek into Naruto's mind, I'm positive that you would see something similar."

"Sensei?"

Kakashi swung his weight forward lazily, walking over to sit on the bench. He examined his gloved hands for a moment, collecting his thoughts.

"Keep in mind, Inoichi, that their bond is one that transcended time and distance; one that ignored their differences. What the two of them have was strong enough to destroy every obstacle that stood in their way, including hatred. Their bond goes beyond that of comrades, and I daresay beyond friendship as well. I think that what exists between those two can be labeled as nothing other than love. Neither of them have families, and I think they have filled that void with each other."

Kakashi turned to smile at the open-mouthed Yamanaka. "I'm extremely proud of my students." He said. "Honestly, I'm almost a little jealous. It must be nice to have a bond like that."

Before Inoichi could reply, the sound of footsteps echoed from down the hall. They turned in unison to see Naruto and Tsunade walking side-by-side. Naruto had gone through another growth spurt recently, Kakashi noticed. His limbs had become rather long and elegant, and for a moment, under the glowing light of the sunset, Kakashi almost thought he was looking at his old sensei.

Inoichi jumped to attention, saluting formally. "Tsunade-sama, Naruto-sama!"

Kakashi also rose to his feet, still staring in disbelief as Naruto came to stand in front of him, his blue eyes level with the copy-nins. Naruto noticed his scrutiny, glancing over questioningly.

"At ease, Inoichi." Tsunade said with a soft smile. "Have you finished your investigation?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama." He said, glancing nervously at Naruto. "It seems that everything they claimed is true. I found no information significant enough to alter the verdict."

The tension visibly drained out of Naruto's shoulders. The Hokage nodded curtly. "Excellent work, Inoichi. Let's proceed to the court room."

They made their way down the hall with the present and future Hokage leading the way, their cloaks of deep green and fiery red flapping behind them. Kakashi and Inoichi followed at a respectful distance, their eyes tracing the back of golden-crowned heads as Tsunade and Naruto chatted in low voices. When the two guards outside the doors of the chamber saw them approaching, they turned to pull open the double doors, omitting them into a room filled with incredibly irritated people.

"Woah," Naruto whispered towards his sensei. "Talk about a bad atmosphere."

Some of the elderly council members had dozed off in their chairs, while the others sipped tiredly at the tea that a guard had issued out to them. The group of Jounin that made up the jury fidgeted uncomfortably, though many of them jumped to attention the moment that the Hokage entered the room. The only remaining member of the Konoha Eleven was Shikamaru, sitting on the arm of the chair where Sasuke had once been. He managed to return Naruto's smile, though the bags under his eyes were visible from across the room.

The judge leaned forward, straightening his cloak. "Welcome back, Tsunade-sama, Naruto-sama. I trust that you have passed on the message, Lady Hokage?"

Tsunade and Naruto exchanged a quick glance. "Yes." Tsunade said with a sharp nod.

The tension in the room thickened as each pair of eyes settled on the blond Jinchuuriki. Naruto stared off at nothing in particular, avoiding their intent gazes. The judge returned the nod, looking past them towards Inoichi. "Did you find anything of consequence, Inoichi-san?"

The head of the Intel Division stepped forward, inclining his head respectfully. "No sir. I found no indication that their story was untrue."

"I see." The judge said with a sigh of relief, leaning back in his chair.

The council member with the large scar on his face jumped to his feet, slamming his hands down on the table. "I cannot accept this verdict!" He yelled, his booming voice echoing in the large room. He turned towards the jury. "You are all shinobi of the Leaf! Can you truly fight side-by-side with a murderer, and be able to trust in him as a comrade? I don't care how goddamn powerful he is, Sasuke Uchiha is a treacherous murderer!"

Naruto ground his teeth, stepping forward. But suddenly, Kakashi's arm was spread across his chest, holding him back. "Easy, Naruto." He whispered before walking forward.

"With all due respect," Kakashi said in a light, friendly tone. "Although we all justify it as being our duty, the truth of the matter is that every ninja in this room is a killer. You are simply labeling Sasuke as a murderer for your own self-gratification."

With that, Kakashi smiled, raised his hand in salute, and disappeared in a puff of chakra smoke. After the sound of his cheerful, "Later", had faded into silence, Naruto snorted loudly.

"Trust Kakashi-sensei to say something heavy and then vanish." He chuckled.

It wasn't long before the Jounin had joined in on his laughter, while the members of the council looked around in disbelief. Even Shikamaru and Tsunade couldn't help but smile.

After the din had died down, the judge shook his head with an exasperated sigh. "Naruto Uzumaki!"

All traces of amusement left the blonds eyes as he stepped forward, standing in the centre of the room with his hands in the pockets of his black Jounin pants. His unwavering blue eyes settled on the judge, his mouth set in a hard line.

"What is your response to the proposed mission?" The judge asked.

Everyone watched in breathless silence as Naruto switched his weight from one foot to the other, then reached up to rub at his sunshine hair. The long strands hung around his whiskered cheeks, swaying gently as he shifted his weight again. Finally, he sighed.

"This is a pretty twisted mission you've given me. But, I guess I can't really complain, because even if you hadn't proposed it I would have done something similar, you know?" His gaze wandered over to Shikamaru, who nodded reassuringly. He took a deep breath, raising his voice proudly as he said, "I will accept the mission."

A collective sigh breezed through the room, though they varied between sighs of relief and irritation. After a moment, the judge slammed his mallet definitively.

"Very well, Naruto-sama. Consider your mission ongoing from this moment onwards. You have accepted responsibility for the actions and fate of Sasuke Uchiha, who will be of the code name 'Moon'."

A spattering of applause came from the exhausted jury, with a few members of the council, including both of the Nara men, following suit. Several of the council members, mumbling furiously, rose from their seats and stormed out of the room. Shikamaru watched them carefully, making sure he had catalogued their names and political positions before they disappeared. When the applause had died down, Naruto once again raised his voice.

"If you don't mind, I have a request." He frowned, eyelids slipping shut over his troubled eyes. "Please don't tell Sasuke the verdict until everything is settled. I can tell that it will take a while to settle the conflict surrounding this trial."

The silence of the empty council seats added merit to his point. The judge nodded thoughtfully. "But, Naruto-sama, as his friend, do you not think it cruel to make him wait in ignorance?"

Naruto smiled sadly, his shining eyes barely visible through the fall of his bangs. "Yeah, it's really cruel." He agreed, his deep, rough voice shaking slightly. "But, it isn't as cruel as giving him hope that could be taken away if there is too much protest from within the village. Not only that, but the Kage from the other villages might express their concern as well. As much as I want to support Sasuke, I also have a duty to the peace between Konoha and our allies. Once everything has been settled, I will inform Sasuke myself."

The jury muttered, obviously impressed. Tsunade and Shikamaru exchanged a glance, allowing themselves a moment to be proud of the result of their teachings.

"Now that I think of it," Naruto muttered, oblivious to his surroundings as he devoted himself to his thoughts. "I could pass the news on to Raikage while I'm in the Cloud. I'm sure he'll be the one who protests the most, but if I can get Uncle Bee on my side…"

His voice trailed off into silence while he held his chin thoughtfully. Suddenly, the blond shook his head, stirring himself with a wide grin. "Anyways, now that everything's decided I'll head out for the Hidden Cloud. I'll be leaving a clone behind to keep an eye on things here, so just let me know if anything comes up."

He then looked purposefully at Shikamaru, who easily interpreted his gaze, nodding slightly to show that he understood. Reassured, Naruto smiled even wider before bowing, then turned in a flurry of red and yellow to breeze out of the room.

His sudden departure left a void of cold silence. The minutes of utter stillness ticked by, until Shikamaru swung himself lazily to his feet. He sighed exaggeratedly, looking over at the jury of Jounin. "Well, that's enough sitting around." He said in a bored voice. "We can't just hang around relaxing when Naruto is working so hard, can we?"

"No, sir!" The shinobi chorused, rising quickly from their seats and towards their neglected duties and families.

Shikamaru was joined by his father, and the two of them slipped from the room as smoothly and silently as shadows. They made their way slowly to the Nara estate, the call of deer piercing through the silence of the distant forest.

Shikaku slid his gaze over to his son. "You're very loyal to Naruto, Shikamaru."

The younger genius sighed, shrugging in a non-committed way. "Like I've told you before, there's just something about him that makes you want to follow him."

Shikamaru smiled then, his eyes tracing over the giant trees that lined their path. "And besides, our family owes him. He felt guilty that our forest was destroyed when Pein attacked. That's why he meditates using the Kyuubi's chakra here: so that his life-energy causes the plants to grow quickly."

Shikaku returned the smile, his eyes tracing over the trees. The Nara deer called to them from the shadows, their soft eyes shining slightly in the dimming light of the sun. A comfortable silence settled as the Nara men made their way home, their breaths dancing around them like pale ghosts.

"I assume we have a few days before Naruto returns from the Hidden Cloud." Shikamaru mused as their feet hit the garden path that led to their recently rebuilt house. "Knowing Naruto, he'll be half way to the Cloud already."

His father nodded, already following his train of thought. "We'll need to monitor those council members who stormed out early. I trust that you noted them all?"

"Yeah," Shikamaru said, rubbing his temple. "This will be a real drag, but I think it will be best to ask Neji to assign a few Black Ops to each of them. I don't like being sneaky, but I can't trust those politicians."

"Good idea," Conceded the leader of the Nara clan. Shikaku stopped suddenly, his son quickly following suit. "I know you're tired, Shikamaru, but the sooner you contact Neji Hyūga the better. It's times like this when you have to take advantage of the obligation that comes with being a member of the Konoha Eleven. Neji is also faithful to Naruto, so let him handle the ANBU side of things."

Shikamaru smirked, closing his narrow eyes. "Alright, old man, I'll cut you a deal. I'll go and talk to Neji right now, if you go pass on this cheerful plan to Tsunade."

He cracked one eye open, watching with amusement as the colour drained from his father's face.

"Tomorrow, then." Shikaku said, clapping his son on the shoulder.

"Tomorrow." Shikamaru agreed with a smile.

A/N: Edited!