Sasuke OOC...like, much.
Sorry...I tried not to but it can't be helped.
I'm trying to portray him as really trying to change his ways.
Also, this is pretty long as well...haha!
I hope everyone enjoys this.

But...future warning...
.:this will get angsty down the line:.

...And super thanks to everyone who reviews and still reads...
Even though I'm super late on updating. :(
Keep being nice and supporting me!
:)

Chapter Eleven:
When Darkness Turns To Light

"She only saw the shadow of my circumstance. Perception can describe what makes a man."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

His eyes were closed, but he was not asleep. His hair was sprawled all over the pillow...he had a gray tank top on and long baggy black shorts. He was groggy and tired...

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Sasuke listened to the tapping on his window and slowly lifted his upper body up by his hands, looking over. He seen a black bird tapping on the glass with a note attached to its left foot. He stared at it for a bit and then grunted.

It's 5:30 in the morning...what the hell?

The bird kept tapping until Sasuke sighed and slowly got out of the bed. He shuffled over to the window and opened it, allowing the bird to hop in and turn itself so the foot with the note attached to it was closest to Sasuke. He slowly undid the note and the bird hopped out the window again and took off. Sasuke just watched it fly away, scratching his head.

The sun was just coming up, leaving the sky dark still besides the small horizon.

He wasn't really upset that the bird came. He wasn't sleeping anyway. He maybe managed to get 4 hours of sleep last night. He just couldn't stop thinking about the past few days...and last night. With Sakura.

Was it really going to be like this between them? So awkward...nothing between them...it just didn't feel right.

Whatever.

He shook his head and unrolled the note, rubbing his eye with the other hand. He scanned it over in the dark and his eyes widened a bit.

Meet me at the infirmary.

Room 739 A

Lady Tsunade

He sighed and rolled it back up, tossing it into the garbage can by his dresser. As he did, his eyes ran over the dresser...seeing a picture frame lying face down. He recognized it...

It was the picture of Team 7 he had turned over the night he left. He never really made a point of flipping it back over...actually, he never really took the time to look at it. But now, he felt slightly attracted to it. His feet walked him over in front of the dresser and he rested his hand over the back of the frame, feeling a stitch of guilt come to him. He slowly flipped it over and his eyes widened as the picture came into view. He remembered that day...the day they took that picture...those times...

Then something else caught his eye. One the edge of the same dresser...

Was a headband, neatly folded with a note on it...

His pulse started racing right away...and he started to feel more awake. He made his way over there and read the note. It was from Naruto...

He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled something out.

A confused look crowded Naruto's face as Sasuke pulled out his Konoha headband. Sasuke ran his eyes over it and then held it out to Naruto, who's eyes shot open wide instantaneously.

"Take it. Keep it until I return." Sasuke said, his face expressionless. Naruto glanced from Sasuke to the headband, and slowly took hold of it.

"Then I can become a shinobi here upon return." Sasuke finished, the corner of his lips raising slightly. Naruto blinked thrice.

"You don't want it?" He asked, bewildered.

Sasuke shook his head. "I could lose it. If I keep it here...I know I won't. I'll always have it to return to."

Sasuke sighed heavily as he read the words on the note...

Stupid Naruto...

"Lets make it official!" Followed by a stupid little smiley face on the end.

Sasuke smiled unconsciously a bit and crumpled the note up, throwing it into the garbage as well. He picked up the headband, took a long look at it, and put it into his shorts pocket.

For some reason...he had been here for about a week and was already feeling everything he felt the day he left here and promised to return. There was so many things he wanted to tell Sakura...and so many things he wanted to say to Naruto...so many feelings...everything just melted together, making it hard for him to find the words.

But he would...he had no choice.

He slowly made his way downstairs, took a quick shower, and made his way to the infirmary.

He walked down the white hallways, his feet dragging. The sleepiness was kicking in.

He was at the end of the hallway in front of the room he was to meet Tsunade in. The door was slightly cracked open and he peered inside...

Instantly, he placed his hand firmly on the door and his face twisted into a confused expression. Lady Tsunade was sitting on top of a desk facing a piece of paper to her right. She was just staring down at it, pen in her hand...

...tears in her eyes.

She looked like she was crying. All alone.

Sasuke didn't really know what to do or what was going on...and he felt like he was spying or something...

...so he opened the door quietly and slowly. "What's up?" His soft, calm voice shocked Tsunade, making her head shoot up, eyes wide, and a tear fall down her cheek. She looked over at Sasuke, have in shock still and took a deep breath. As soon as she realized she was crying, she brought her hand up and wiped away the tear with the back of her hand.

Sasuke felt his body tense up. Sure, she was crying over Jiraiya, huh? It made sense...it's not like she was over it yet or anything.

"Sasuke Uchiha...I wasn't expecting you to be here on time. I thought you'd still be sleeping." She recovered, removing the last trace of tears from her cheeks. She gave him a half-hearted smile.

Sasuke didn't know whether to smile or frown, so his face stayed emotionless. "I'm not like Naruto." I get up on time.

Their eyes met and suddenly Sasuke felt a feeling of sorrow and nervousness take over. Tsunade's eyes looked so sad...and seemed to say 'please help me'. But Sasuke didn't know what to do. He'd never really seen her like this.

"Of course not. Go, have a seat." She pointed her pen at a metal table to Sasuke's right. He glanced at it and then obeyed her, walking over to it slowly.

"I'm here for what, exactly?"

Tsunade started scribbling some things down on the paper. "A check up."

Sasuke sat down on the examination table, feeling the cold metal through his baggy black shorts. He felt goosebumps crawl onto his skin and shuddered a bit. "Check up." He repeated quietly.

Tsunade nodded, scribbling a few more things. "Sakura told me you had some weird episode's of pain related to your eyes. Is that right?"

His thoughts drifted to Sakura...and last night. Right away, he felt something in his throat tighten.

"Yes."

Tsunade jumped off the desk and put the pen down. She cracked her knuckles and started to walk over to Sasuke. He watched her carefully until she stood right in front of him.

"Okay, tell me what kind of symptoms do you experience when you have these attacks?"

His nose wrinkled. Symptoms...symptoms...

"Usually starts with my eyes...but not always. Burning, blurry vision...headache...it moves to my neck. My body feel numb-"

"Severe exhaustion, sometimes followed by falling unconscious?"

He nodded.

Tsunade brought her hands up in front of her and a pink looking chalkra started to flood through them. Sasuke's eyes widened. That's strange. Chalkra doesn't normally look like that...

"It's like an examining type of chalkra. I'll run it through your eyes and tissues in the brain and see what kind of physical damage we can come up with. It won't hurt...maybe actually feel good." She smiled at him and instantly he felt a strange feeling of awkwardness crowd the room. Tsunade was never this nice to him. Ever. He thought she disliked him...so...why was she being so nice all of a sudden?

She slowly placed her first three fingers right on his temples and the chalkra started flooding into his skin.

"Try to removed all stressful thoughts...anything that might add strain. Think of something calming or peaceful." Tsunade mumbled, increasing chalkra flow to her hands. Sasuke stared at the ground in front of him. There wasn't much space between him and Tsunade, so he kept his eyesight straight down. He took a deep breathe and started to wipe away any unpleasant thoughts.

He felt a warm feeling on his skin and he started to feel a bit lightheaded

Something calming...or peaceful...

Once again, his thoughts brought him back to last night.

Sakura...

Holding her in his arms...

"Alright!"

Well that was damn fast.

Tsunade's lively voice broke into his thoughts and he looked up at her as she slowly removed her hands from his head, held them in front of her, and started pouring blue chalkra into them. "From what I could tell, you have a major strain on your eyes, making use of the sharingan difficult. There's also some tissue damage around the back of the eye and some down by your spine. Also, I felt a presence of foreign chalkra in your system...but that should slowly go away with time. I assume, Itachi's?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed right away and a scowl took over his face. That damn bastard...

A result of the fight, apparently.

"I can heal the physical stuff for you...which should help you, but really...most of your episodes are psychological...meaning stressful or unpleasant thoughts trigger the physical strain. Do you understand?"

Psychological?Sure...like those weird dreams he had every so often...or all the serious thought about Madara and everything else...

It made sense.

"The good news is...with the physical treatment, the episodes will come less often, but until you learn to stop yourself from straining your psyche, they won't go away completely. The bad news...even if you take preventive measures...you'll still have some episodes for a period of time...and though there will be less...they will be more painful. A big difference is, you shouldn't get such a throbbing headache, and it shouldn't be all that difficult to activate your sharingan...but there will be other side effects in return."

Sasuke just listened to her and sighed, nodding his head.

"Okay, then I need you to relax and clear your head. Close your eyes and take deep breathes. This should only take a few minutes." Tsunade brought her hands up by Sasuke's head as he closed his eyes and tilted his head down. Tsunade noticed his tensed shoulders. "Relax." She repeated. But his shoulders never relaxed, and she lightly struck him on the shoulder with the side of her hand, causing his shoulder to relax. He groaned a bit, feeling the chalkra on contact. She then brought her hands back up and rested her palms on the sides of his head.

He felt his chest moving slowly and he focused on nothing but the black behind his eyelids.

It felt like minutes had passed before either of them said a word.

"I never really understood." Tsunade muttered quietly, catching Sasuke off guard. He kept his eyes closed, but listened to her words. "I...I never understood how you could walk away from the village like you did. I was sure I was so resentful of you for that. But now...I understand."

He felt a heavy feeling fill his chest. Her voice was so sad now...

"I'm leaving on a mission after this and I'm going to do all I can to avenge Jiraiya's death."

Instantly his eyes shot open and he felt a chill run through his spine.

That was blunt.

He slowly felt Tsunade run her fingers down her neck, chalkra flowing into his skin. He took a deep breathe as the warm sensation came back.

Tsunade laughed quietly, causing Sasuke to look up at her and give her a confused look.

"I know it's none of my business but...that went better as planned. Can I ask what kind of happy thought you were thinking about?" Her smile grew and instantly Sasuke knew what she was getting at. He bit his lip and scowled at her, showing her that she was right.

He was thinking about Sakura. In the back of his mind...

Tsunade ran her hand down until she reached his shoulders and the chalkra stopped flowing. It was then when something caught her eye.

The curse mark on his shoulder.

She stared at it. Sasuke noticed this and slowly brought his hand up to his shoulder. He knew what she was looking at...and he probably knew why...

The seal around the mark was faded...and it was weaker. He had released the power behind the seal so many times he was surprised it even held. He often forgot he even had it...and so much of his power came from that curse mark that if that seal were to be reinforced...it was a possibility he would lose the power he had obtained over the years.

Tsunade's eyes widened and her expression was thoughtful. Sasuke glanced at her eyes and looked away. For some reason...he only felt shame now as she stared at that mark. It was a sign of his rebellion...showing the darker side of him.

The side that maybe...just maybe...he wanted to put behind him?...

Madara.

What did he want?

Tsunade softly cleared her throat, jolting Sasuke from his thoughts. Sasuke grabbed onto the strip of material on his shoulder and pulled it slightly, making the curse mark fully visible.

"I don't mean this in any way...to be offensive...but you know, that curse mark probably doesn't help your episodes-and I know... it's not my place to even offer..." Tsunade scratched her head and smiled at him, closing her eyes. He just stared up at her...expression dazed. "But if it were to give you trouble...I could always renew the seal...like strengthen it. But that's up to you...I understand it would possibly make you weaker...and it's probably become a big part of you...it could make you feel like you were chained to the village and all so-"

"Do it."

Tsunade opened her eyes slowly, smile melting off her face. She lowered her hand and she seen him staring at the floor. It was written all over his face that this was a hard decision for him.

"Eh...excuse me?" She mumbled, dumbfound.

His words was firm...but his tone, not so much. "I said, do it." He pulled the tank top down a bit more and looked up at her. "The seal. I want you to make it stronger than it was the first time." His eyes were the only thing even slightly persuading her.

This is a big decision Uchiha. Nobody can make it for you...

Tsunade blinked a couple times and nodded, quickly forming hand seals. She ran over the chant in her head and focused on the curse mark. She glanced at Sasuke one last time.

"You're sure?"

He looked off to the right...and for some reason...his expression looked hurt. It was strange.

"Yeah, I'm sure." His voice seemed a little shaky.

Tsunade frowned. "Sasu-"

"I know I'm as sure as I'll ever be...and like you said, it shows I'm chained to the village." He looked back at Tsunade, and her eyes widened.

Maybe...I'll regret this...the way I see it...is if I do this...I'll regret it...but if I don't...

I'll regret it even more.

"And I think right now, this is where I have to be." He finished, making Tsunade smile after a moment. She slowly rested her hands on his shoulder and chanted something quietly. A quick pain shot through his shoulder and he bit his lip harshly to hold back the curse's he wanted to spit out . His body tensed up and he felt himself trembling slightly under the pain coursing through his shoulder.

After a moment or two, with one more quick shot of pain, Tsunade removed her hands and Sasuke shook out his arm, breathing heavily. He glanced over at his shoulder and seen the seal...darker and closer to the curse mark...like the hold was tighter. He felt a tingling sensation run over his body and his breathing became heavier.

"It's done. How do you feel?"

He coughed a couple times and looked up at Tsunade...a weary expression spreading over his visage.

She laughed a bit under her breathe and then snapped her fingers as she suddenly remembered something. "Oh yeah!" She turned around on her heel and Sasuke watched her walk over to the desk and looked around it. "I thought I had one in here some where...I thought..." She started mumbling to herself.

"One what?" He asked curiously.

Tsunade never looked up. "A Konoha headband. You need it for the Ikiru festival tomorrow...the ceremony. I think I gave you one last year but...I'm sure you mis-"

He sighed hesitantly. "I have it."

Tsunade stopped searching the desk and looked up at him. Eyes wide.

What, that such a surprise?

All of a sudden, Sasuke heard a soft gasp from behind him. His head perked up and he straightened his back, looking behind him.

His eyes widened surprisingly as he seen Kalei standing in the doorway, eyes just as wide as his own. Her expression was curious and disbelieving.

How long has she been standing here?

His eyes slowly relaxed. He didn't blame her for being surprised at knowing he still had that headband. It was her that thought he was never going to come home...that all his promises were pointless. It was her who never believed.

Tsunade glanced at Kalei. "I'm ready. Give me just a sec." She looked back at Sasuke, whose head shot back to look at Tsunade, strange expression.

What? Kalei's going with Tsunade? Does Sakura know?

"Well, that's good you have the headband, Uchiha." She brushed off her arms and pushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Saves me trouble. Now, take it easy, okay? Tomorrow...bright and early...you need to be at my office for the presentation of ranks. Don't be late! And...make sure Naruto gets there too." She turned around and pushed a stack of papers over to the other end of the desk. "So...you're dismissed."

After a moment of letting her words sink in, Sasuke slowly stood up and turned toward the door. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." He muttered before walking toward the door. Tsunade never looked back, but a small smirk crossed her lips.

That leaves a lot open, doesn't it?

Sasuke closed his eyes and walked toward the door, causing Kalei to unconsciously slide over a bit, still in the doorway. Her eyes watched him as he continued walking...but her expression was tired and sorrowful...and her brow was furrowed tightly.

As Sasuke walked past her, her eyes shot in the opposite direction as he stayed closed. "Please be careful." He whispered as he brushed past her. Her eyes widened and she bit her tongue to stop her from saying anything she might regret later on. She shuddered as she listened to his footsteps down the hallway.

Was I wrong about you? Did you really mean everything you said back then? Did...did you want to come back here? Did you want...to come back home? ...Sasuke...

What the hell was she doing?!

She turned around sharply, mouth half open ready to say something...when she noticed he was gone.

She felt a burning pain rush into her chest and she grabbed the fabric on her uniform tightly with her left hand. She ground her teeth together to stop herself from getting too angry.

Maybe this was a bad idea...

Could she stop now?

She glanced over her shoulder at Tsunade...doubt racing through her head...

Until one memory came to mind...

-

"Don't let your tears fall on wasted hopes. Forgetting that he exists...you will come to realize yourself. Your struggle against power is the same as your struggle of memory against forgetting. This girl...when she is trying to do something beyond her known powers, it is useless to seek the approval of those closest to her. The ones that love her are at their best in moments of defeat. Haven't you realized? You hate him because you hate something in him that is a part of yourself.

-

He failed. But you will not."

-

She sighed and looked down at the floor. It was a feeling of antipathy and guilt that plagued her notions.

But she knew not what to make of it.

The sky was sullen and obscure, the air, glacial and stifling. She didn't know when or how things got this complicated. Everything seemed so depressing...and it ripped through her touchstones like a cuspated shard of glass. Part of her wanted to give up...lie down...close her eyes...and damn it all to hell. The other part of her was slightly interested as to how things would turn out. But just slightly. Really...the overwhelming sense of revulsion and grief tormented her. It wasn't like her to feel like this. But she did...

Sakura gripped the chains tighter, never removing her eyes from the tiny, dirt covered pebbles beneath her feet. She was sitting on a swing in the Academy Park, just atop a small hill. Her arms were up, hands clinging to the rusty chains on either side of her figure. She was in her black cloak. The blanket of dark gray clouds above her created a chilling atmosphere...and she could sense the coming of rain.

This only intensified her gloominess.

She didn't know if she should be happy or upset about the other night...what happened with Sasuke.

She didn't know what she wanted anymore. It was rather scary. Everything was so...unlike her now...nothing made sense.

Why did it seem like it was all going wrong?

She was dazed off in her thoughts as somebody jumped through the swing next to her and sat down, assuming the same position as her.

"Not still mad at me, are ya?" Taru posed queerly. He looked over his shoulder at her, noticing her dull countenance. He kicked at the rock below his swing a bit, adding noise to the benumbed silence.

Sakura shook her head and wrinkled her nose a bit. "I wasn't mad. Your business is your business. I don't care why you two were alone in that alleyway..." Taru knew her words were only mere ridicule pointed at him...nothing to take seriously...but her tone was sharp. She was bothered by something, though it wasn't him.

Taru moaned a bit to himself and shook his head vigorously, tousling his dark, silky hair. He kicked at the pebbles a bit more until he felt his swing jerk toward Sakura.

Naruto had walked up in between the swings, linking his arms between the two and grabbing onto them. He slowly let himself slouch down a bit, holding himself up by them.

Sakura glanced up at him from the corner of his eye. He, too, had a look like Sakura's.

"I can't tell. I've been trying to figure it out, really. But Sasuke..." His aseptic voice died out and he puffed out his cheeks, searching for the right words. "I left him his headband. I just don't know if he's really going to follow through with everything he said. To him...being here as a shinobi is probably like locking him in a cell with no food or water. I can't tell if we should believe him. Who knows if he's serious?"

His words bit at Sakura's subconscious and she looked away, gnawing at her lower lip, making the flesh raw.

It's Sasuke...you can never tell. She accidently bit down and pierced through a small piece of skin, causing her to jump a bit. She sucked on the lip, tasting the metallic blood slowly surface from her flesh.

"Everyone deserves a second chance, right?" Taru chimed in a bit more lively than the other two. Naruto nodded, but Sakura shot him a small scowl. That statement was true but...

"Or a third." Taru finished, raising his eyebrows to give Sakura a look that said 'okay, okay...maybe not'.

She sighed and looked up at the gray sky.

"We should...visit Jiraiya's grave." She murmured ruminatively, her eyesight far off into the clouds.

Naruto's eyes widened at that remark, sending a grave feeling of despair through his heart. But he quickly shook it off...thinking about the old pervy sage.

"Yeah...let's get Sai, and we can all go." He added, giving Taru a small smile. Taru nodded after a moment and stood up as Naruto turned to walk off. Sakura never shifted, only tilted her head down a bit. Taru walked in front of her and held his arm out to her. She glanced at his arm and wrinkled her nose was more in what seemed to be, disgust. He was about to reach down and grab her arm himself, when he felt a raindrop hit his arm. The cold felt as though it had punctured through his skin. Sakura stared at the droplet on his tan flesh and her eyelids drooped a bit.

Kalei...why are you so distant now? I don't want it to be like this. I don't want this hatred between us at all.

"You know...life is like a mirror...we get the best results when we smile at it. Smile for me, Sa-ku-ra."

Her eyes opened wide again as she stared up at Taru, who was giving her a toothy grin. If she wasn't in such a horrible mood, she would have found him to be quite adorable there. But not this time.

"I think I lost that smile." She mumbled quietly to herself. Taru let out a small chuckle and bent down to her level, causing her to blink a couple times. He leaned in close to her and placed his first finger on his nose.

"Not true. Nobody knows it, but you've got a secret smile...and you use it only for me." He winked at her...and that was enough to cause a small, faint tint of pink to surface on her cheeks. "'Cause you know, Sakura...nobody really cares if you're miserable. So you might as well be happy."

It wasn't enough to make her smile.

But it was a start.

Sometimes, no matter how much faith we have, we lose people. But you never forget them. And sometimes, it's those memories that give us the faith to go on.

He stood atop a hill that overshadowed the dark cemetery. The heavy raindrops clung to dark cloak, making the fabric heavy.

It was pouring out...with small rumbles of thunder heard far off in the distance.

There he stood...watching them.

The four of them.

Sai, Taru...Naruto...and Sakura...all in front of Jiraiya's grave.

He slowly stuck his hand into the pocket of the overcoat and pulled out the headband, watching the symbol get washed away with heavy drops of rain. He stared at it with a solemn expression, feeling everything come back to him. He looked up...at Naruto and Sakura...and bit his lip as raindrops slipped in between them.

I look back on all that's happened...growing up...growing together...growing apart...changing you...changing me...changing everything...

They were so far away...

Like all his ambitions now...all his dreams...

Dreams...

He didn't even know what those were anymore...

There were times when we dreamed together...when we laughed and cried together...fought together...fought eachother...

Memories swirled around in his head...but he tried to push them away.

For once...he was almost certain he knew what he wanted. At least for now. But...was it unattainable? Was it even possible to fix things now?

As I look back on those days...I realize how much I truly missed this all...and how much I truly...once...loved it here...

He glanced back down at the headband...an overwhelming feeling of guilt coursing through him. He didn't deserve this. This...headband...He didn't...and any decent person would put it down and walk away...because he was clearly taking advantage of what was being offered to him. He didn't deserve it...and he shouldn't take it...he wouldn't take it...he...couldn't.

But he needed to let them know...

Needed to finally tell them his decision...

Let them know...

He had made up his mind.

Sakura could feel the raindrops hitting the dark coat around her. It drenched her hair, making the pink strands fall heavily around her face. Her eyes were half open, wearily staring at the tombstone in front of her. To her right was Naruto, and Taru...and next to her on her left was Sai. All were in the dark black cloaks. All had a solemn expression on their face. Everything...it all was so tragic...so dead...so over.

Her eyebrows furrowed just slightly as she tried to stop her body from shivering. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Naruto, hair matted down on his head with a few strands stuck to the side of his face...small, almost unnoticeable pools of tears in his dreary eyes. His lips were drawn into a tight line...and beyond him...Taru's expression was calm...mournful...but not as pained as hers or Naruto's.

She then glanced in the opposite direction toward Sai. His face was completely expressionless as always.

She looked forward at the freshly dug up dirt...the new tombstone...the worst sight she could have imagined at the time. She swallowed hard, listening to the rain crash down upon the ground all around her.

"It's getting to a point where even I don't know what to do."

Her gaze quickly turned to Naruto as he spoke.

"I mean...who would have thought...the pervy sage dying..." She could see his lower lip tremble just slightly until he bit it and blinked a bit. Maybe it was just her...but she could have sworn a tear fell down his cheek. Not that you could tell in the rain...

She slowly looked back at the grave and tilted her head down a bit. Her eyelashes had droplets attached to them and her skin felt a bit itchy. The dirt was caking to her shoes and even the smell of fresh rain couldn't erase the dreadful feeling overtaking her.

Naruto shook his head slightly and brushed a piece of hair from his eye. "It's...too much. Everywhere I look...soon...it's only going to bring back painful memories..." His voice was a bit shaky, making Sakura's heart skip a beat.

After a short moment of silence...they heard a small chuckle behind them, barely audible as the rain muffled the sound.

Sakura's eyes opened slightly as she and the others turned their heads back...

"I used to think that too."

Sasuke stood a good ten feet behind them...in the same dark cloak they all were wearing...with the same soaked locks...and the same painful expression...only he had a sad smile adding to the sight. His hands were by his sides, and he was holding something in his right hand...but around the black cloak, Sakura couldn't tell what it was. Her eyes focused on his...sorrowful and empty.

Was he okay?

"Before I left here...I was weighed down with horrible memories. The less I focused on hating Itachi...the more I focused on hating myself. I was willing to give up my life to achieve that one goal." He glanced at Naruto, and then to Sakura. Her eyelids drooped once more, eyebrows furrowed as well. As if she didn't already feel depressed...

Sasuke could only make it worse.

Naruto, too, listened intently to his words.

"But...when the time came for Orochimaru to take my body...I realized I wasn't willing to die yet. I thought it was because I still hadn't killed my brother...but I don't think that was it." He tilted his head up and closed his eyes, feeling the rain fall down on his face. "After I killed Orochimaru...I left Kabuto and came here...feeling like there was no 'after' if I found Itachi. I needed to see my home once more...and honestly, I had thought about what would happen if I seen you two." His voice was calm and low...monotone, as usual.

Sakura felt her heart speed up a bit. Sasuke was always one to brood...but he was so serious...and looked unusually lonely. She had fought so hard to forget him over this last year...because something kept telling her..."give up, it's not worth it...he's never coming back...all those promises were lies"...and she told herself over and over again that she knew it...that she was just being foolish and needed to move on. She was so proud of herself for keeping to that even when he surprisingly decided to stay. But now...for some reason...she felt completely different...

Like the other night...when he held her in his arms...

Damn him...

"I didn't think it would end up like this. Years ago...when I seen the two of you at Orochimaru's lair...I had my mind set on killing you. I thought it'd be simple...and at the time, it mostly was. But the circumstances weren't at my favor...and if I'd have been in my right mind...I would have just walked away instead of trying to fight you." His eyes moved to Naruto's, who flinched at his words. "I thought I could avoid you if I returned to the village...but when I ran into Sakura...I realized it wasn't that simple." His eyes now moved to Sakura's, whose pierced his with the utmost detest for bringing up these memories.

He lifted his right arm out in front of him...and Sakura was finally able to identify the object in his grasp.

It was his headband...the fabric on it now drenched...the metal part in his hand.

Sasuke stared at it...the small, melancholy smile returning to his lips.

"I left here...deciding that I was done playing ninja in the village. I walked away...left behind this place and everyone in it. I abandoned my childhood and left to avenge my clan." His eyes narrowed and his voice became shaky. Naruto's eyes widened as he noticed a glassiness take over Sasuke's eyes. "And I did. I killed Itachi...and..." His voice crackled just slightly and he took a minute to regain his composure. "...and hell! I still can't decide if it was worth it..."

Sakura's pulse was now sky rocketing and the heaviest feeling filled her chest. Why did she want to run over to him so bad?

Oh, maybe it was because he looked like he was going to cry!!

He shook his head softly and tightened his grip on the headband, gritting his teeth. "Damn it...I walked away from you...and then I return...and you offer me this?!" His voice cracked again as his hand started shaking. Naruto took a step toward him, feeling a tear run down his cheek.

"And the hell...a month of no training and no home...that's my punishment? How are you so...forgiving?! I always knew you were stupid, Naruto. But even you, Sakura. I got off punishment because...because you begged Tsunade. And fuck...I don't get why! I don't deserve this! I don't...I can't..." He dropped the headband and it fell down into the mud with the silver Konoha symbol up. Sasuke stared down at it and felt his shoulder's start shaking.

I-I knew this would happen...I knew it. I knew if I came down here and told them...I'd cry. It's alright...isn't it? It's okay...right?

He swallowed hard and closed his eyes tightly. "You're both...s-such idiots, you know that? This headband...I can't take it. I don't even...want it."

And as Sakura's defense almost shattered completely...Sasuke fell down onto his knee's, hunching his back forward, arms wrapping around himself, head down right over the headband. Naruto, clearly way more unstable than Sakura...took off immediately to Sasuke. Sakura had moved one foot forward automatically...but stopped with a sharp intake of breath reminding her...

There was no reason for her to run over to him. There was nothing there. There was no room for her in his heart.

There never was.

She tossed her head sharply to the side and closed her eyes tightly to keep herself from crying. She knew the sight of Sasuke like this could destroy her...

No...would destroy her.

Taru's eyes widened and he felt his skin crawl. Sasuke Uchiha? And even Sai's eyes shot open wide.

Sakura cracked one eye open, unable to peel her eyes away from the morbid sight ahead of her...

Naruto was on his knee's by Sasuke's side...head resting on his hands that were placed on Sasuke's shaking back. She could hear him mumbling something...and she could hear him sobbing...

Fuck...she could see them both sobbing. Her heart wrenched in her chest and her stomach twisted into knots.

There's no room for me. They don't need me...Sasuke doesn't want me...

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her back slightly push her forward. The force caused her to take a small step and she glanced over at Sai who was doing it. Her eyes were slightly wide...glassy and cold. Sai just nodded, removing his hand from her back. She let out a deep, hesitant breathe and glanced over at Taru. His face was the same as Sai's...and he nodded as well.

She looked forward and blinked...feeling one warm tear fall from her lashes. Her body was trembling from nervousness and she started to walk forward.

Sasuke's back slowly stopped moving up and down so roughly...but that didn't stop Naruto from crying. "Bastard...I don't care how many times you leave..." He closed his eyes and sniffled a bit. "...as long as you always come back."

Sasuke's bangs were hanging in front of him, clumped together by the water. He couldn't take his eyes off the Konoha symbol on the headband. Why...why were they so forgiving? He just couldn't understand.

All of a sudden, he heard a footstep sink into the mud ahead of him. Naruto heard it too, slowly lifting his head and removing his arms from Sasuke's back. Sasuke, like Naruto, slowly lifted up his back, and they both looked up at Sakura...who was standing a few feet ahead of them. Sasuke's eyes were wide and a bit red, making Sakura's chest burn painfully.

For some reason...even the rain couldn't fill the silence that made it's way around them. Why the hell did she feel so nervous? Why did she feel so out of place?

A very small smirk crawled onto her face, and her voice was just as shaky as her hands. "Don't be surprised...if your heart hurts..."

Sasuke just stared up at her...into her green eyes...

She felt her knee's go weak. "Life is for the living...the forgiving...and for coming back alive..." Her voice was soft...but a bit shaky.

She slowly fell heavily onto her knee's just in front of the headband, and her gaze drifted to it. She felt more tears spring into her eyes. Sasuke just stared at her, eyelids drooping a bit as well.

Sakura...

Naruto glanced between the two, and quickly wiped his eyes, sniffling once more. He scooted over a bit so he was in the middle of them and sighed, staring down at the headband as the other two did.

It felt at though time was frozen, and the rain falling around them drowned out everything else. Taru and Sai just watched from a distance.

Naruto let out a sorrowful laugh. "Look at us...the old team seven...kneeling in a cemetery. It's kinda...weird." He smiled a bit up at the other two who gave him joyless looks. "But hey...we're all together...right?"

Sasuke's eyes widened as Naruto chuckled once more. It's true...they were together.

Naruto threw his arms up onto their shoulders and smiled, closing his eyes and tilting his head down. He pulled them all closer until their heads met in the middle over the headband.

"My life is for the living..." Naruto's voice livened up a bit...the graceful smile helping.

And for some reason...the tension seemed to melt away little by little.

Sasuke couldn't understand...why they were so forgiving...why they still cared about him. But then...he couldn't understand why he wanted their forgiveness so much...or why he still cared about them.

Sakura took a deep breathe and smiled a bit herself...raising her left arm up on Naruto's shoulder. Her right arm stayed limply by her side and she continued to smile at the headband...realizing how Konoha was truly her home...their home. "...the forgiving..." She continued.

The corner of Sasuke's lip raised.

I don't really understand them but...

"...and for coming back alive..." He finished...raising his right arm up onto Naruto's shoulder. His left one stayed by his side as well...and he slowly looked up to Sakura as Naruto laughed quietly once again.

If I stay here...I'll do everything in my power as a shinobi to honor this village...

Sakura's eyes met his and a tiny tint of pink rose to her flushed face. The rain pelted their backs as the soft breeze chilled the moisture on their faces, and Sakura tried to keep herself from shivering.

Instantaneously, both Sakura and Sasuke raised their arms and rested them on the each others shoulders. Sakura grabbed tightly onto his black cloak...as if she was scared to let go.

And she was...right now...she wanted something to hold on to.

And they had each other.

Team Seven.

His one eye crinkled a bit as the girl on his right grabbed onto his pants and tugged a bit.

"And you doubted her decision. Does that look like a dangerous risk in any way?" His cool tone mingled with the sound of the rain.

Junko growled a bit, eyebrows furrowing tightly as he watched the three down in front of Jiraiya's grave. He sighed heavily, a scowl on his face. "History tends to repeat itself. We must be cautious."

The little girl moved closer to his leg and he unfolded his arms that were across his chest, placing his right hand on her head.

"Who else could you possibly find with the '...do what I have to do...say what I have to say...go where I have to go...' attitude-"

"And that's dangerous." Junko cut him off.

Kakashi just sighed heavily and looked down at Kiako, who watched the three very carefully...a somewhat scared expression on her face.

Junko shook his head. "This could all be an act...I'm just not sure. We need to be very careful and I understand her wishes...but if all this is only temporary...there's so much going on...so many lies-"

"Who said the truth's going to save us...when the truth could be dangerous?" Kakashi cut him off, giving him a serious look. Junko flinched under his gaze.

"The way I see it...is what I'm standing on is sinking in...and I don't have a clue how to get off. The village is going through a rough time." Kakashi ruffled Kiako's hair a bit and she rested her head lazily against his leg as a raindrop hit her eye. She quickly rubbed it away and whimpered a bit. "But when I look at them...there is hope."

Junko sighed.

Silence.

His eyes widened as he glanced up into the sky.

There was a small break in the clouds, and he could see the full moon behind the gray shadows. A small shred of light. He looked back down at the three...now joined by the other two, slowly standing.

Kakashi looked at them as well and smiled underneath his mask.

Junko turned his back to the cemetery. "You can't pretend that there's not a chance of things repeating themselves. That cycle-"

"It ends tonight."

He looked at Kakashi, eyes wide once more. Kakashi's eyes never moved from the five of them now slowly making their way toward the cemetery exit.

After a moment, Junko growled and started to walk off.

Kakashi now glanced down at Kiako. When Junko was out of sight, he spoke, "Even if nobody else understand but me...I'll defend them as long as I can. It may not be right for them...but it's right for me." Kiako looked up at him with wide, sad eyes. She nodded, raising her arms up...indicating for him to pick her up.

Despite her age...she still acted like a very young child.

She wrapped her arms around Kakashi's neck as her legs rested on either side of his torso. He sighed, thinking back to this morning...

-

"Take care of everything, got it? One screw up, and I'll have your heads." Tsunade winked at Kakashi as he and Kurenai stood on either side of a pouty Kiako.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade." Kurenai nodded, trying to force a smile. She ran her eyes over the headband on Tsunade's forehead. What a strange sight...

"Stop looking so grim...I'll only be gone a couple of days." Tsunade groaned, making Kurenai look away. "And don't forget...nine days until-"

"Yeah...yeah...don't worry. We'd never forget that." Kakashi moaned, bored. He waved his hand at Tsunade...telling her not to worry. She shot him a curious look and rolled her eyes.

"Alright then, Kakashi. I'll be back by then and everything will be all right." She smiled and waved.

Taru adjusted the straps of Kalei's backpack and then she tugged at her long sleeve black shirt. Kiako watched her carefully...the pouty expression increasing. Kalei noticed this and shot her little sister a small glare.

Kakashi ruffled Kiako's hair, causing her to close her eyes and wrinkle her nose. "I'll take good care of her while you're gone. No worries."

Kalei gave him a small smile and nodded. "Thank you very much. Behave, Kiako." She demanded firmly.

Kiako nodded under Kakashi's hand, still messing up her hair. He laughed a bit and reached down to grab her wrist. He lifted her up into the air by it and she groaned a bit, strands of hair falling in her face.

Taru leaned in and whispered something in Kalei's ear. Afterwards, she nodded and he walked over to stand by Kurenai.

Tsunade laughed at Kiako's childish expression. "Okay, thanks. Kurenai...you take it easy."

Kurenai nodded.

Kalei and Tsunade started to turn around when Kakashi shouted out to them.

"Hey, just be careful!"

Tsunade lifted her hand up into the air, not looking back.

Kakashi sighed and put Kiako to her feet. He looked up to Kurenai who had a somewhat distressed look on her face. He reached over and poked her in the cheek lightly. Her gaze turned to him, slightly startled, slightly annoyed.

"I always knew you were touchy...but this is ridiculous." Kakashi voiced cheerfully...just to annoy her. Kurenai frowned a bit until Kiako's giggle caused her to give her a funny look.

"Come on! This is good, right? Like...when you're Hokage is gone...it's kind of like when my sister is gone, right? You get to do whatever you want, right?" She muttered happily, giant grin on her face.

Kakashi laughed and patted her on the head once more, causing her to look up at him with wide, inquisitive eyes.

"Wrong. It's not up to you to decide if you're going to get to do whatever you want." His low voice caused her to frown and bite gently on her finger.

"Okay mister. Who's it up to then?"

Kakashi's eye crinkled. "It's up to me. Tell me something you want to do while your sister is away."

Kurenai couldn't help but smile at the two. Kakashi wouldn't be half bad with children.

Kiako's eyes widened...and so did her mischievous grin.

"There's somebody I want to meet!" She shouted happily.

-

It was ten in the morning and Sakura was ascending the steps up to Tsunade's office. Today was the Ikiru festival...and right about now they were holding the presentation of ranks. Everything was decorated and full of live...and the Konoha symbol was everywhere. There were games around every corner and people were already filling the streets. Sakura was supposed to be enrolled in the normal ceremonies today for all the jonin and ANBU...but she had managed to get out of all that by helping Shizune with work.

"So she left yesterday morning? Why didn't she tell me?" Sakura asked, flipping through some pages of a book she was scanning. They were walking down the hallways and Shizune was a few steps a head of her, holding a squealing Tonton in her arms.

"I guess she didn't want to worry you. Or maybe...didn't want to personally tell you she was dumping this whole Ikiru problem on you and I." Shizune looked back at her and smiled, and Sakura gave her a childish grin in return.

"That's just like her." Sakura mumbled happily, returning to her book.

Today...was a good day. At least...everything felt pretty good.

She felt as though a giant weight was lifted off her shoulders. She actually...wanted to see Sasuke...and she felt like things were getting better...maybe only a little.

But they were...nonetheless.

At least...that's what she wanted to believe.

"You know, the festival should actually be pretty nice. It's always fun...but Tsunade managed to sneak in a few more things this year." They came to a halt in front of Tsunade's office. Actually, it was her new office. They had moved her to a different one with a giant balcony that had a great view of the village. Tsunade had requested more room because she was collecting medical books by the dozen and she wasn't exactly the neatest person.

"Oh, like what?" Sakura asked, closing the book. Shizune put Tonton on the floor and pulled a key out of her pocket. She put it into the doorknob and unlocked the door, pushing it open slowly.

"Well...there's going to be a renewal burning...where everybody can throw items from their past that they want to forget into this circular crate thing, and at 11:30, they light a fire in the middle until everything is burnt up." Shizune explained as they walked into the room. Kakashi was leaning against the wall right next to the glass door that lead to the balcony. It was right behind her desk. And surprisingly...the room was clean.

Sakura walked up to the desk and set her book down. "That sounds neat." She walked around the desk and opened the drawers, looking looking for some papers.

"Yeah, and then at midnight, everybody gathers around the fire for Confession."

Sakura's eyes widened at Shizune's words. She grabbed the papers from the drawer and closed it. She looked over at Shizune who was standing by the doorway, ready to leave. "Confession?" She questioned curiously.

Shizune nodded and tossed the keys across the room to Sakura, who caught them up in the air with her right hand.

"Confession. Where everybody is to confess their secrets over the past two years." Kakashi mumbled from behind her. His face was buried in his book, as usual. Sakura looked behind him and put the keys into her pockets.

"I see." She replied softly.

Shizune started to walk out of the room. "You, Kurenai, Kakashi, and I have a set of keys. If you should ever lose your pair...let me know." She waved goodbye and shut the door behind her.

Sakura nodded and looked down at the papers in front of her. They were files of the new promoted shinobi.

Hers...Naruto's...and Sasuke's were in here.

A small smile drifted across her face.

"Hey, Sakura."

She looked up, startled a bit, at Kakashi, who pushed the glass door open with his leg just enough for her to walk through.. "Check this out. You might want to see it."

Sakura just blinked a couple times as she heard faint talking from outside. She slowly walked over to the door and Kakashi stepped out of her way. She shot him a suspicious look and walked through. The slight breeze ruffled through her hair a bit, and she walked over to the ledge. Resting her hands on the ledge, she leaned over slightly and scanned everything around her.

The view was truly amazing.

But what was really, truly amazing...was the sight below her...right in front of the Village Hall.

Her eyes widened as she seen four rows of four shinobi, all in normal jonin attire...with Junko and two other elders, a jonin, and two ANBU members standing in front of them. Right away, she noticed Naruto and Sasuke standing side by side in the front row...headbands on...vests on...standing straight and tall...

Her heart skipped a beat.

Sasuke...Sasuke was really wearing that headband...across his head...

He had kept his promise...He was really a shinobi here...

Just like old times.

Maybe...he really meant everything he said. Maybe...it's okay to believe him this time...

Without even realizing it...a small smile drifted across her face.

Really...today was going to be a good day...

Suddenly, Sasuke looked up and caught her eye, noticing she was staring at him. Her eyes widened a bit but her gaze never wavered.

And it felt as if...time slowed down and sped up all at the same time. Those eyes were the same as always...the ones she fell in love with.

He smirked up at her and instantly, a smile surfaced on her face. She shook her head and turned around, clenching her fist in front of her tightly.

She laughed a bit to herself...

"Hell yes!" She whispered excitedly.

Kakashi watched her from inside, satisfied with her reaction.

-

Things were looking up already.

Chapter Twelve

Avowal Of Veracity