CHAPTER RATING: T
Episode 22: Veil of Redemption
"S-Sasuke-kun…?" Sakura said with hesitation. "W-What are you doing here?"
"I'm home." Sasuke replied with a smile. "Aren't I allowed to come home?" he said while stepping forward.
"I…I…" Sakura stuttered. "…I guess that does make sense." Sasuke stepped forward, Sakura stepped back with every step that he took.
"What can I do to help you trust me, Sakura?" He asked, then he raised an eyebrow, and brought forth a bag that he had attached to his belt.
"DON'T MOVE!" Sakura shouted. Sasuke froze in his tracks. Sakura noticed a liquid dripping from the black bag, that stained the green grass with a scarlet hue.
"Okay, Sakura…I'm just going to show you something in this bag, I promise you that it's not something that will hurt you." He placed the bag down and began to open it.
The breeze rushed from behind Sakura. She noticed pink petals scattering with the wind.
…
"RASENGAN!" Naruto's voice exploded from behind Sakura as a swift wind shot past her. Naruto stopped in his tracks as he made contact with Sasuke's chest. The impact let out a shockwave that rocketed Sasuke back, breaking multiple trees in the process.
Sakura shook her head and rushed towards Sasuke. Naruto watched with confusion as she ran. Sasuke sat leaned up against a tree trunk, a deep scar sat on his chest.
Sakura ran up towards him, her hands glowing green, had already started to heal his wound.
"Sakura-chan…? What are you doing?" Naruto asked in confusion. Sakura turned to him and offered a similar expression.
"Naruto…" she said with a low voice. "I don't know why Sasuke's back…but we won't find out why he's back if he dies…so…"
"D-Do you believe me now?" Sasuke asked with contempt. "I let you hit me on purpose, Naruto…What else do you want from me?"
"How do we know that we can trust you?" Naruto asked. Sasuke gestured toward the bag.
"Look in there."
Sakura's hands still lay on Sasuke's chest as Naruto walked over and picked up the bag. The liquid dripped a path behind him as he walked a few feet away from them.
Naruto placed the bag down on the ground and opened it. Sakura could almost see the surprise in his posture.
"Naruto?! What is it?" Sakura panicked. Naruto slowly straightened his posture and turned around with the bag in his hand. He grasped the scarlet soaked bottom and turned it over, letting the contents fall out onto the emerald grass.
The heads of Orochimaru and Kabuto rolled towards Sakura.
Sakura could almost feel her stomach rising at the sight.
"Do you trust me now?"
…
"These are most definitely the heads of Orochimaru and Yakushi Kabuto." Shizune stated to the other medical shinobi in Konoha's Autopsy Lab. She looked at them with assurance. "We've crossed the DNA of these two corpses with the data that we have on file for the two."
"Unbelievable, to think that Uchiha Sasuke could kill both of these two." Another shinobi added.
"Where is he at this time?" Shizune asked.
"He's currently in the hospital."
"What about Naruto?"
"He's been called to a private meeting with Hokage-sama, we were told that no one else was allowed to enter her office until further notice."
"What could they be discussing at this time?"
…
"Uchiha Sasuke…he's returned?" Tsunade asked Naruto and Shikamaru. Naruto nodded with what seemed like confusion and confliction. "What's his purpose?!" she asked aloud. Naruto didn't answer. He didn't know whether the question was rhetorical, directed at him, or even an actual question.
"Shikamaru, any answers?" Tsunade asked. Shikamaru shrugged as he leaned against the wall.
"I don't know what his intentions are, but the results from the lab prove that he's serious with his actions." He asserted. "But I don't really know much about Sasuke myself, do you know anything, Naruto?"
Naruto took a deep breath, grabbed a chair and sat down. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees while arching his back. His thoughts raced back.
Kakashi-sensei told me to keep this to myself but…
"Do you know the truth behind Uchiha Itachi?" Naruto quietly asked.
"What truth?" Tsunade questioned. Shikamaru glanced over at Naruto.
Naruto took a deep breath.
A/N: Insert Itachi's incredible tale of self-sacrifice here.
The room was silent for what seemed like minutes before anyone spoke.
"That's the truth behind Itachi's actions?" Tsunade questioned.
"…I never liked the way that these issues were solved." Shikamaru added.
"That's the truth," Naruto added. "But I don-"
"Do not trust him, Naruto." Tsunade ordered. "I know there's history between you two, but that only allows him to exploit it. He may have been your best friend, but don't make any mistake by having full trust in him. Do you understand?"
Naruto hesitated to answer.
"Don't you remember when he tried to KILL SAKURA?!" Tsunade shouted. "When he tried to KILL YOU?!" Naruto flinched at the truth that stung his heart. "I won't lose you two by his deception! Do not trust him! IS THAT CLEAR?!"
Naruto begrudgingly nodded.
"Shikamaru, keep an eye on anything suspicious that arises." Tsunade added.
"I'll make sure nothing happens."
"Remember, everything you heard in this room didn't happen." Tsunade added.
Naruto and Shikamaru nodded an understanding.
"Good. Dismissed!"
…
Sasuke laid in a hospital bed, his chest wrapped in white bandages. A nurse walked into his room and greeted him with a kind smile.
"How are you feeling today?"
"Better, thank you." He replied while sitting himself up.
"Is there anything I can do for you?" the nurse asked politely.
"Yes." Sasuke said with a grin. "Please, bring me Haruno Sakura."
…
"Sakura!" Ino shouted as she ran towards he best friend. Sakura stood on the cliff overlooking Konoha, right above the mountain-side sculptures of the First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Hokage. She turned around as she heard her friend.
"Ino? What is it?" Sakura asked.
"Have you heard? Sasuke-kun has returned!"
Sakura nodded blankly
"What's wrong? I thought you would be happy about the news." Ino asked with worry.
"N-Nothing. Nothing's wrong." Sakura replied flatly "I…I just don't know."
"Sakura…Cheer up! One of your teammates has returned home! We've all moved on since he left, but one of your closest friends has returned. Smile!" Ino said with enthusiasm.
"Yeah…I…"
"Sakura-san!" a voice yelled from behind them. They saw a woman running towards them. "Sakura-san! We have a request from Uchiha Sasuke."
The news caused Sakura and Ino to look at each other with confusion.
"He's requested to see you, personally."
Everything's happening so fast. I need some time to think.
Sakura turned around in her silence.
"Sakura?" Ino walked over to Sakura and grasped her arms while turning her around. "Come on, Sakura, if he's asked for you, it must be important."
"Ino…Will you come with me?" Sakura asked with hesitation.
"Of course I will." Ino replied.
…
"He's in here." A nurse added as she led Sakura and Ino to Sasuke's hospital room. Just as she placed her hand on the door, Ino tapped Sakura's shoulder.
"Sakura, I've got to go." She whispered. Sakura glared at Ino with an expression of betrayal.
"What are you talking about? You said that we'd go in together!" Sakura shot at Ino.
"I forgot about something I needed to do at home, I'll see you later." Ino whispered back as she began to leave.
Sakura truned in disappointment and took a deep breath as she stepped into the room. Sasuke sat upright in his bed, with a friendly smile on his face.
"Sakura…" He began as she approached. "Would you have a seat by me? I have something that I need to tell you."
She walked to him, pulled a chair up and sat down next to him. She saw in his eyes something that she had never seen before: a genuine sadness that he didn't resolve with anger or violence, perhaps a sadness that he couldn't resolve with anger or violence.
"Sakura…"
"What is it, Sasuke-kun?" Sasuke held out an open palm, his fingers, twitching. Sakura brought her hand into his, he grasped it firmly with his hand.
"I'm sorry for what I've done. Everything. Everything I've done to you, to Naruto, to Konoha. There is nothing I regret more than the terrible things I've done in the past." His grip around her hand loosened as he turned and looked deeply into her eyes.
"There's something that I've had on my mind for the last nine years." He continued.
A/N: Characters are 21, 21 - 12(original Naruto) = 9
"What's that?" She asked.
"It's you, Sakura." He replied abruptly.
Sakura's eyes widened when she heard his words.
"All this time, that night when you tried to stop me has replayed in my mind, over and over."
"Then, why didn't you come back with us?" Sakura asked in frustration.
"I had to put on a good act to convince Orochimaru that I was on his side. I did deliver his head directly to the Autopsy Office." Sasuke shrugged.
"But, Sakura, what I'm trying to say here. Is, I realize now, that…"
Sakura froze as she heard his words.
"Sakura…Do you feel the same way?" Sasuke solemnly asked.
I…I…
Thank you for reading! I hope you tune in next week.