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Time skip! (Last one) Enjoy!
OOOOO
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Defense Mechanism
Chapter Five
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I'm the first to know, my dearest friends, even if your hope has burned with time
Anything that is dead shall be re-grown, And your vicious pain, your warning sign
You will be fine…
Hey oh here I am, and here we go, life's waiting to begin…
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You find it almost amusing that even though you've had six years (six years!) to ponder about this day, it's nothing like what you had imagined.
(Nothing ever is)
You imagined that he would stumble through the gates, maybe in the middle of the night, bleeding profusely. You pictured that they would find him the next morning—dead already from blood loss. It was too bad no one found him sooner.
(As usual, you're always just a moment too late)
He would be buried at the cemetery in the Uchiha Compound, (next to the rest of his entire family) and there would be debate about whether or not to inscribe his name into the memorial stone. The critics would say absolutely not! The boy is a traitor! And everyone else (you, Naruto and Kakashi) would be the only ones who say yes; he died fighting for what he believed in, and even though he betrayed his friends, he never betrayed his village.
(It's the same thing, a voice whispers in your head. You don't know if he betrayed Konoha's secrets…
You don't know him at all)
But you ignore it.
Tsunade wouldn't agree with you. Sasuke's name would not be carved into the stone, because no one would ever know the things he really did, as if killing Orochimaru and Itachi didn't matter.
So you'd go to the funeral… and there'd only be the three of you there. After all, no one has time for traitors.
...But that was only a dream.
You never imagined he'd waltz through the gates one sunny afternoon as if he'd never left in the first place, in seemingly perfect good health (and still heartbreakingly beautiful) ignoring the guards that swarmed around him.
And you damn well never thought he'd be staring at you, not breaking eye contact as you stood a few yards away, mouth open and eyes wide.
(And it scares you, because why is he looking at you like that? And why is he smirking?)
And then he is gone with the guards—to the Hokage's office, you assume, but instead of racing towards the tower, you speed off in the opposite direction.
And run straight to Naruto's apartment.
Pounding on the door, you can hear his hurried footsteps across the wood.
"Naruto." You say, your voice a mixture of anger, relief and fear as he opens the door. Naruto's smile slips from his face when he sees your distress, and you find it hard to come up with the right words. He seems concerned for you, but before he has time to ask—
"Sasuke—" You swallow audibly, and Naruto's eyes widen—
"He's—he's back."
—then narrow.
You're breathing heavily now, though it's not quite clear why. You've both been waiting for this for six years, but the anxiety and apprehension balled in you stomach is beginning to cause discomfort.
Naruto's mouth is set in a fine line as he steps out of his apartment, grabs your wrist, and jumps onto the roof.
You had imagined this day differently, and you almost wish that it happened the way you imagined it.
(It would be easier if he were dead)
Because you do not want to face him.
You don't want to face the pain.
(Or your heart)
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Your heart is pounding so hard in your ears that you can't hear Naruto knock on the Hokage's door.
"Naruto-kun. Sakura-chan," Shizune begins brightly from somewhere behind you, obviously hoping you haven't realized the situation, "I'm afraid Tsunade-sama is quite busy right now—"
As you both turn around to face her, she sees your expressions and her own turns from horror to sadness in the span of a few short seconds.
She sighs and you swear you hear her mutter damn it under her breath, but instead of nodding like you think she will, she shakes her head.
"I'm sorry you two, but you can't go in there." She is looking at only you while she explains, and you know the reason why.
(Because everyone has a soft spot for the blonde haired boy whose emotions are infectious—the one who will become the greatest leader in history. Everyone finds themselves believing in him, even when it seems all hope is lost…)
"I'm sorry Shizune-san," Naruto says, "But I'm afraid you can't stop us." He says it with conviction, as though he really is sorry, and once again, you can see this man becoming your leader.
She doesn't respond to the empty threat, but neither does she move.
So Naruto steps forward, knocking on the door while fully expecting to be turned away. (Though you know that he won't leave until he's let into that room.)
"Tsunade-sama," he begins, and you know his politeness is due to his desperation to get inside, "let us in."
There are a few seconds before her answer, and you are holding your breath. You can feel an oncoming headache, perhaps due to the fact that you desperately want to go and see him, and you desperately want to run away at the same time.
But then you hear Tsunade say wearily, "Come in you two." And you know there's no turning back. Naruto pauses for a moment before putting his hand on the knob, and you can see him taking a steadying breath.
"It'll be okay, Sakura-chan," he says quietly, "I'll protect you."
And you smile as your eyes begin to sting, because not only do you trust Naruto with your life, you trust him with your heart. (And although you will never tell him, you feel guilty and angry at the same time that your heart won't ever be his. Because unfortunately for Naruto, there's one battle in which he will never beat Sasuke.)
(And what you'll never tell Sasuke is that there's a part of you that wishes Naruto could win that battle.)
But you blink the tears back, because now is not the time. So you thread your fingers through his and he opens the door.
You can feel a quick heartbeat drumming through your connected hand, but you can't tell whether it is yours or Naruto's. You hope it's Naruto's, because the heartbeat is a familiar lull that reminds you that Naruto is still here, and he won't leave. He's standing right beside you, alive, and perhaps he's the only one who can make this right.
Maybe he's the glue that will hold Team 7 together…because he's the one who's held you together these past six years.
You walk in, greeted by thick silence, and Naruto closes the door behind you. When he turns back around, you let him lead you a few feet further into the office, although you notice that Naruto keeps you a safe distance from Sasuke.
You swallow as you let your eyes wander to see Sasuke kneeling in front of Tsunade's desk, flanked by three ANBU guards, and Kakashi leaning against the wall next to the window, his normally lazy eye now quite alert.
Your eyes meet Tsunade's, but you find it hard to decipher what she's thinking because she's the Hokage now, not your teacher. Tsunade's eyes drift to your intertwined hands and just when you are about to avert your gaze, she nods her head almost imperceptibly, telling you the same thing Naruto told you minutes before.
It'll be okay.
And you nod back.
There's silence in Tsunade's office, and it is obvious that no one really knows what to say first.
"Well," Kakashi begins, "This is not how I imagined our reunion." He scratches his chin, as if thinking about something, but you can tell that his tone if forced. He's trying to make light of the situation, perhaps to make this easier, but you know how Kakashi really feels on the subject.
He believed Sasuke deserved to die. Because to Kakashi, your friends are more important than your village.
(And when you think about it, you realize he's right)
You know that Kakashi always thought it would be Naruto who would kill Sasuke in the future, but what you didn't realize was that Kakashi pictured it as a mercy killing. Something Naruto must do for his friend. Because if it were anyone else, they'd make Sasuke suffer.
(And even though Sasuke is worse than trash, Naruto doesn't see it that way. Because for him, there isn't anybody on the planet who is past the point of redemption)
And that thought has changed Kakashi's opinion, because maybe…maybe Naruto's right.
"Not how I imagined it at all…" Kakashi whispers, though loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.
"You are dismissed." Tsunade says, and the three ANBU disappear in a flash, leaving Sasuke kneeling on the ground.
She slowly walks around her desk, pinching the bridge of her nose, her eyes firmly shut.
"You don't have any idea how much trouble you've caused, Uchiha." And she stops in front of her desk, leans back and opens her eyes again.
"Though…I doubt you care." She smirks slightly. "You never were one to care about anyone else but yourself." Her eyes never waver from his form, and although you can't be sure, you imagine that Sasuke is not quite meeting her eye.
"Look at me when I'm speaking to you." She snaps as she confirms your suspicions. "You've got a lot of nerve coming back here after what you did."
"What exactly did I do to you?" He asks, and you can't fight the slight shiver that covers your body at the sound of his voice. He sounds so different…and exactly the same. His voice is deeper, smoother, but still carries the cold condescending tone he used when he was 12.
"Rudeness won't count well in your favor, Uchiha, so lose the attitude." Tsunade was starting to get angry now, her legendary temper starting to flare.
And wisely, Sasuke chooses not to answer.
She stares at Sasuke for a long time, and you imagine he is staring back. What she sees in his cold appearance, you do not know… but you hope that she sees some humanity left. There has to be, because if there's not…
"I heard you killed Orochimaru. Is that correct?" She asks, her tone authoritative.
"Yes."
"And Itachi?" There is something in her tone that is off. But you can't quite put your finger on it...
"Of course. That's why I returned." He says with a scoff and you cringe slightly. Sasuke would learn quickly that she demanded his respect... because if he continued to talk to her like this, he would find himself punched all the way to Suna.
... Although, perhaps that wouldn't be a bad thing...
You see Tsunade raise her brow. "Ah." She smirked. "How silly of me to think that you might have done something rational... Congratulations on that, by the way. It only took you..." She looks at her pretend watch and you realize what she's doing. "Six years."
She's trying to wound his ego.
(Because perhaps damaging his pride is the only way to get through to him
Because after all, all he cares about is himself, right?)
"Well done." She says sarcastically, smirking slightly.
Again, he choses not to respond.
(So if he's killed Itachi, does that mean he's back for good?)
(...Do you want him to be back for good?)
"However, your punishment isn't my problem, Uchiha." She states plainly after a long silence, her arms now crossed under her chest. Her eyes dart quickly to Naruto, and you can see her fighting a smile.
You freeze, wondering if she means—
"That will be for the next Hokage to decide."
And your eyes are wide, as you can feel Naruto's stiffness beside you.
Tsunade looks from Sasuke to Naruto and you can see that her gaze softens.
"Naruto…?" She trails off uncertainly, and there is a small smile on her lips.
"But…why—you—why are you telling me this now?" Naruto's voice cracks, and you figure it is from happiness.
"Because I wanted to tell you in front of your entire team." And her smile is warm now. She moves from leaning against her desk, steps in front of Naruto and places her hand on his shoulder. "And I knew how much that would mean to you."
You can hear Sasuke scoff in the background—and you have the overwhelming desire to hit him—but as Tsunade steps back from Naruto, she deliberately kicks him in the leg.
So you squeeze Naruto's hand before you let go and wrap your arms around his neck. "Congratulations, Naruto." You whisper, and he is still frozen.
"Celebrate later, Sakura." Tsunade says, though not sternly, and you release him. "Naruto. I expect your decision for Sasuke's punishment by tomorrow before noon."
You can see that Naruto is having a tough time processing everything that has happened in the past hour, and yes, it's a lot to handle, but you understand why she is doing it.
Because if there is anyone in this situation who has suffered the most from Sasuke's deflection, it is Naruto. And it is fitting that he should decide the most suitable punishment.
And it also hurts Sasuke's pride a bit, because shouldn't there be some sort of official meeting or trial or something? Surely his actions were more important than having some jounin decide…?
(And you're sure that Tsunade is enjoying every moment of this…)
"Hai, baa-chan." And Naruto smiles his trademark goofy smile as Tsunade rolls her eyes, unable to keep the slight smirk off her face.
"Hokage-sama…" Kakashi steps forward, speaking for the first time in minutes.
The smirk leaves her face, and she nods solemnly. "Kakashi, I will trust you to take him to the prisons while Naruto decides his fate."
You can see Kakashi nod, as he steps forward to help Sasuke to his feet.
"One more thing, Uchiha," Tsunade says and steps directly in front of him. "While you're sitting in your cell, I want you to remember how lucky you are that you've got friends who love you… Because trust me when I tell you, that if it were up to me, I wouldn't be so lenient." She finishes in a whisper.
As Kakashi turns Sasuke around to leave, Naruto pulls you to the side to let them pass. You can't imagine the expression on your face when Sasuke passes by you, staring at you (again) with something in his gaze that you've never seen before.
He…looks like he wants to tell you something.
But Kakashi shoves him forward not too gently, and in a blink, they are gone.
"Think hard, Naruto. I expect you to come up with something… fitting." The Hokage says as she sits back down behind her desk.
(Of course you want him to stay. Because even if forgiveness is not something Sasuke deserves... you'll forgive him, because it's the right thing to do.
And maybe you're a bit selfish, because you know that forgiving him will ease some of your pain... but hey, you've endured six years of worrying and suffering and nightmares and tears, so why can't you be selfish for once?)
"Hai." He says, and still gripping your hand, you both walk out of Hokage Tower and step into the late-afternoon sun.
"Today's the beginning, Sakura-chan!" Is the last thing he says to you as he makes his way back across the village, leaving you standing in the street pondering his words.
Today is the beginning.
Of what? The rest of your life? ...No, that can't be.
...Could it?
But today is the start of something—maybe the next stage of your life, your happiness, Sasuke's peace, or the fact that the missing piece of your soul is back in place. Something lifted off your chest today; a pressure was released, and you find it ironic that you ever stopped noticing it was there in the first place.
Maybe Naruto's right... Today is the beginning.
(Because where it all started is where it all will end)
Because today is the day you can finally breathe.
OOOOO
Hm… I've noticed that this story is somewhat different from my usual writing style. So consider this an experiment of sorts. I liked this chapter, and if you did too, please leave me a review.
Thanks.
Until next time!
Song: Angels and Airwaves—The Adventure