Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Twilight of Trust ❯ The Return ( Chapter 1 )

Author's Note: I can't say I know where this is going, but a moment of inspiration led to this chapter so we'll see where it leads me. Feedback is most welcome.

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

 

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Chapter 1

 

The Return

 

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He looked the same as the ANBU elite squad marched him back into the village. In the three years team seven had been apart, he had changed the least of the squad; physically anyway. When you got up close to him, his eyes were harder and colder than they had ever been; but also sad and lost.

 

Naruto crossed his arms across his chest as he watched the procession of the prisoner being brought back to Konoha. Sakura stood on his left, silent tears in her eyes. Kakashi stood to his right, his face unreadable behind the mask, though he radiated tension. Tsunade stood behind the blonde teen; Naruto couldn't see her face - he wouldn't turn from the procession even if it did anger him - but the firm grip she held on his shoulder lent him an unspoken support. Her other hand was on Sakura's shoulder, giving her apprentice the support she needed as well. Jiraiya stood behind them all, off to the side of the whole group. His face was impassive as he watched the boy the third Sannin coveted above all else. Shizune stood next to Tsunade, giving her mentor the physical support that she could supply.

 

Naruto felt a growl rising in the back of his throat. Most of the village had assembled on either side of the entrance to the village, making a path through the town. Two ANBU guards walked in front, two behind, and one on either side of him. There was something in his expression that Naruto had never before seen on his face: defeat.

 

The former pride of the village, Sasuke Uchiha was being marched into the village under a guard worthy of the most hardened criminal to face the fate of a traitor. The crowd murmured angrily as they watched the sole survivor of the Uchiha slaughter walk among them once more. They whispered words of their anger towards and fear of the traitor. How such a promising Shinobi could have gone wrong so young was shocking.

 

“This is wrong,” Naruto whispered.

 

“It's not fair to Sasuke-kun,” Sakura agreed quietly.

 

Kakashi remained silent. His students could only wonder at what he was thinking at this point. Before Sakura, Kakashi had been the last one to speak with Sasuke before he left three years prior. The sensei had never verbally expressed what was going through his mind, but his body language - which they had learned to read long before - had told them more than words ever could. He felt guilty and upset over what had transpired.

 

“It's the same treatment any traitor receives after capture,” Tsunade said. Her grip on Naruto's shoulder tightened, however, belying her emotionless tone.

 

“Sasuke isn't a traitor,” Naruto growled, still watching the procession approach them. “Not really,” he added quietly. “Not Sasuke.”

 

“He made his choice, Naruto,” Jiraiya said quietly, coming to stand next to Tsunade. “Just like-”

 

“If you say Orochimaru, I'm going to hurt you,” Tsunade growled irritably. Jiraiya fell silent.

 

Naruto frowned. Has our team fallen to the same fate as the Sannin? No…Sasuke is nothing like Orochimaru. I won't believe that for a second.

 

The guard approached and Sasuke looked up for the first time since his arrest. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of the rest of his team but he quickly schooled his features once more. Naruto stared at his best friend, trying to get inside his head; what was he thinking at this point? Sasuke shook his head minutely and Naruto's resolve crumbled. He couldn't watch this. He shut his eyes painfully and dropped his head as he felt tears threatening to come forward. How could this be real? How could their team - the well-oiled machine that it had once been - have fallen so hard?

 

He felt a hand on his head and he looked back to see Jiraiya standing behind him. His mentor was lending him a silent strength, and for that Naruto was grateful.

 

The guard stopped in front of the gathered group. Tsunade sighed before stepping in front of the group to meet the retrieval team.

 

“Hokage-sama,” the leader of the ANBU Black Ops greeted with a bow.

 

“Report,” Tsunade said, her Hokage mask falling into place.

 

“We have captured the criminal and traitor Uchiha Sasuke.”

 

Naruto looked around the guard to watch Sasuke. The teen's hands were bound in front of him, ropes connecting to each of his two side guards so he could not escape. His eyes were downcast. Sakura sniffed to Naruto's left. Naruto felt out her hand and gave it a supporting squeeze. Sakura blinked in surprise and looked over at him. Naruto gave her a small smile and nodded. Sakura looked at him a moment before nodding in return. She squeezed his hand back before letting it go. Of course; she was still in love with Sasuke, even if he had abandoned them.

 

Somehow, Naruto had come to accept that fact during the last three years. It had taken him the longest time to come to terms with why he still considered Sasuke his best friend and would go to any lengths to rescue him. He had finally realized that it's impossible to argue with your heart. And that was why, Naruto was sure, Sakura still loved Sasuke with the dedication that she did.

 

Naruto only hoped they could bring the old Sasuke back out before he was lost to them forever.

 

“Uchiha Sasuke,” Tsunade said formally, “you have been charged with treason for abandoning your village to aid an enemy.”

 

Naruto was impressed that Sasuke could look her in the eye, considering the position he was in. Perhaps he wasn't so defeated after all.

 

“The punishment for treason in Konoha is death.”

 

Naruto felt his chest constrict. Sakura dropped to her knees, her legs giving out from under her. Kakashi had gone pale, though Naruto was sure the jounin had already known this. Behind him, Jiraiya was silent. The gathered crowd broke into frenzied murmurs.

 

Sasuke nodded silently.

 

“Hokage-sama,” Kakashi whispered. Tsunade looked back at him with a small but sad smile.

 

“However,” she continued, turning back to the masses, “because the accused is not yet an adult, there will be a trial.”

 

A trial? Naruto immediately grasped onto the slim ray of hope that Tsunade had just offered. So Sasuke isn't going to be executed?

 

“What?!”

 

“But he's a Shinobi!”

 

“A Shinobi is a weapon, no matter their age!”

 

“A traitor Shinobi does not deserve a trial!”

 

“He is an enemy! Execute him!”

 

A look from the Hokage silenced the crowd. “The trial will begin in one week.” She turned back to the ANBU leader. “Take him to the most secure cell.”

 

The masked Shinobi bowed and the group vanished as Sasuke was escorted to the cells.

 

Tsunade turned and marched back towards the building. “My office. Now.”

 

The other five nodded silently and followed the Hokage up the stairs. Leaving the angered masses behind, Tsunade slumped into her desk chair with a loud sigh. Shizune closed the door behind them before heading into a connecting room. Moments later she appeared with a cup of steaming tea, which she placed in front of Tsunade. The Hokage gave her assistant a wan smile before turning back to the other four.

 

“A trial?” Jiraiya asked finally. “You know as well as I do that there is no law about the age of a rogue Shinobi.”

 

Naruto's eyes went wide. “There's not?”

 

Tsunade rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingers. “No, there is not.”

 

“Then why?” Sakura asked quietly.

 

Tsunade looked up at her student. Sakura was looking at her with those questioning eyes. The Hokage faltered as she looked at the pink-haired kunoichi.

 

“Because…” Tsunade said, grasping for words, “he's too valuable to this village right now.”

 

“Not everyone is going to buy that,” Kakashi said.

 

Naruto blinked and looked over at his sensei. The Copy Ninja was watching Tsunade very carefully.

 

“Tsunade-baa-chan?” Naruto asked hesitantly. He was suddenly unsure of whether he wanted to hear the answer to his question. Is Sasuke going to be executed after all?

 

The Hokage turned her gaze to the genin and smiled sadly, recognizing the unspoken question. “I'm sorry, Naruto. I really don't know what is going to happen now.”

 

“Are you trying to protect him, Tsunade?” Jiraiya asked suddenly.

 

Tsunade blinked. “What?”

 

“Are you trying to protect Sasuke?”

 

“I don't want to see it happen again,” she whispered. “No team deserves that fate.”

 

Jiraiya looked at the elder kunoichi for a moment before walking up behind her and putting a hand on her shoulder. “I know.” Tsunade absently put one of her hands on top of Jiraiya's, as if needing someone to tell her she had done the right thing.

 

Naruto looked over at Sakura, who shrugged. They looked over at their sensei, who was watching the scene impassively.

 

“Tsunade-sama,” Shizune spoke up after a moment, “what about the elders?”

 

Tsunade blinked.

 

“They aren't going to like you side-stepping the rules like this.”

 

The Hokage dropped her hand from Jiraiya's and her gaze hardened. “I know what I'm doing,” she said.

 

Naruto started at her tone. There was a determination in her voice that he had never heard before.

 

Shizune bowed her head in acquiescence; it was impossible to change the woman's mind when she got like this anyway. Jiraiya sighed, the same thoughts running through his mind. Kakashi scratched his head absently.

 

“Do you know how you are going to pull this off?” the jounin asked.

 

Tsunade's grin accentuated her canines. “We have a week.”

 

“Right.”

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

Four hours of brainstorming had left the small group with little more than they had started with. If they were going to pull this off, they were going to need some extra help. And Tsunade thought she knew where to find it.

 

“Kakashi,” she said, beckoning the Copy Ninja to her side while his students were otherwise occupied and wouldn't hear what she was about to ask.

 

“Yes, Hokage-sama?” he asked, tone careful to be respectful.

 

She smiled to herself. Kakashi had grown from the young prodigy she had taken note of before she left the village. The boy - the son of the White Fang of Konoha - had been arrogant yet as fragile as he was brilliant. She had since heard he had become a jounin at the age of twelve, which boggled the kunoichi's mind. But the man that stood before her today was surer of himself, though she could still recognize his internal fragility even if others might not have been able to - seeing one of his students being brought into the village under guard of an ANBU squad had shaken him up, though it may have started earlier. He truly cared about his students, and would go to any length to reunite his team, that much she was sure of.

 

“We are going to need help if this is going to work,” she said.

 

Kakashi nodded. “I agree.”

 

“Who can we trust?”

 

“Gai,” the jounin said immediately. “I'll also talk to Asuma and Kurenai.”

 

Tsunade nodded. “As soon as possible.”

 

Kakashi gave her a small nod before heading for the door. He stopped and said something to Naruto and Sakura before leaving the room.

 

Jiraiya looked over at Tsunade from his conversation with Naruto and Sakura. She quirked a curious eyebrow at his look. He made his way over to her desk after excusing himself. Luckily Shizune was right there to distract the two younger Shinobi. Tsunade really was grateful to her assistant, even if she didn't always act like it.

 

“Recruiting help?” Jiraiya asked airily.

 

“Yes.”

 

“How many?”

 

Tsunade sighed. “Not enough.”

 

“Against an angry Orochimaru, even two Sannin may not be enough.”

 

Considering they had interrupted Orochimaru's plan in their capture of Sasuke, the rogue Sannin was sure to be royally pissed. And a pissed off Sannin made a scary enemy; not that Orochimaru wasn't scary enough as he was.

 

“We can't just execute the boy, Jiraiya.”

 

The pervert had the grace to look surprised. “I never said anything to the contrary.”

 

“But you were thinking it,” the kunoichi countered.

 

Jiraiya shrugged noncommittally. “I understand where you are coming from, Tsunade.”

 

“The rest of the village doesn't, unfortunately.”

 

The frog hermit nodded. “That does complicate matters.”

 

“The boy is too damn valuable to this village,” Tsunade growled quietly as not to let Naruto or Sakura hear her. They didn't need to know her decision to let Sasuke live - or at least stay his execution - had been as political as it had been personal. “He is far too strong to be allowed to become Orochimaru's vessel.”

 

“The levels the bastard could reach with Sasuke's body are almost limitless,” Jiraiya agreed.

 

“We need that strength on our side.”

 

“Against Orochimaru or against the Akatsuki?” Jiraiya asked softly.

 

“Both.”

 

“And Itachi?”

 

“A… complication.”

 

“It's going to be more of an issue than that, Tsunade.”

 

The medic ninja sighed. “I know. But it's something I don't want to think about right now.”

 

“We have to address every issue or we won't be able to keep the boy from being executed,” the frog hermit told her pointedly.

 

Tsunade pursed her lips. “I need to talk to Naruto and Sakura. Come see me later and bring Kakashi and whoever he managed to convince.”

 

Jiraiya nodded his understanding. The issue was bigger than just the boy, but that was what it boiled down to at the moment. Naruto and Sakura were going to need some closure with Sasuke before they could even recognize the larger picture. He headed for the door, saying something to Naruto, causing the teen to blush profusely before he left.

 

The Hokage sighed fondly - it really was good to be around her friend again, as obnoxious as he could be - before turning her attention to the two younger ninja. “Naruto, Sakura, come here.”

 

Her student and Jiraiya's student made their way up to her desk.

 

“Tsunade-baa-chan, when can we see him?” Naruto asked anxiously.

 

Sakura's eyes echoed Naruto's sentiments. “We need to know.”

 

“I understand, Sakura. Believe me, I understand more than you may realize.” Memories of the initial breaking up of the Sannin and the supplementing fiascos that followed tried to rise up in Tsunade's mind, but she forcefully pushed them down. I don't have time for this, she growled to herself. Think about them; the ones in front of you, not behind you.

 

“Be that as it may, it's procedure for a captured Shinobi to be interrogated upon arrival.”

 

Sakura paled. Yes, it's not pretty, Sakura. And many in the village hold ill will towards Sasuke, so his experience may be worse than that of other prisoners. But if he is as strong as Orochimaru believes, he can endure. He must endure. Konoha needs him to endure. I need him to endure.

 

Naruto frowned. “Interrogated?” he asked slowly.

 

“We need to ask him some questions,” Tsunade replied.

 

“I know what it means,” Naruto grumbled irritably.

 

Tsunade smiled to herself. The poor boy hated being underestimated.

 

“We need to know why he left; what he did while he was gone; what Orochimaru is up to; things like that,” the Hokage clarified.

 

“Shinobi interrogation often involves… tools,” Sakura whispered. “And experts in,” she swallowed, “torture.”

 

Naruto's eyes went wide. “And you're going to let this happen?” he growled at Tsunade.

 

The medic ninja sighed. “I've done all I can do by granting him a trial. Everything he has done since leaving Konoha merits a public execution within the week.”

 

The blonde teen fell into one of the chairs in front of Tsunade's desk. “He's been through so much already,” he whispered.

 

We all have.

 

And we're going to have to go through more before this is over.

 

“I know, Naruto. When I get word the interrogation is finished, you two can go down.”

 

“How long will it last?” Sakura asked.

 

Smart girl, Tsunade silently praised her student. I'm not going to let this one go too long and give the interrogation squad a chance to kill the boy themselves. I trust Ibiki, but even he holds strong feelings toward Sasuke.

 

“If I don't hear anything within the hour, I'll take you down myself.”

 

Sakura nodded. Naruto opened his mouth to say something by Sakura put a hand on his shoulder to preempt any argument. She shook her head and Naruto closed his mouth.

 

You're learning well, Sakura.

 

“Why don't you two go get something to eat and I'll find you when it's time.”

 

The two teens nodded before leaving the room. Sakura paused at the door and turned to look back at her mentor.

 

“Thank you, Tsunade-sama,” she said quietly.

 

Tsunade nodded. “Go,” she urged gently.

 

Sakura nodded and followed Naruto out the door.

 

Tsunade absently took a sip of the tea in front of her and choked when she tasted the cold tea.

 

“You should have drunk it when it was hot,” Shizune scolded lightly.

 

Tsunade looked up to see her assistant bringing in a fresh cup of tea. She gratefully took the warm cup and took a refreshing sip of the liquid. She felt its warmth spread through her body and quirked an eyebrow at Shizune.

 

“Sake, Shizune?”

 

Her assistant shrugged. “You earned it.”

 

“We'll see about that.”

 

“You've done all you can do at this point.”

 

“And I fear it may not be enough.”

 

“The elders?”

 

“They were on my case to bring Sasuke back, but I don't think they had a homecoming in mind. The boy is dangerous. But he could be dangerous for our side. And right now that's what we need,” Tsunade said, taking another sip of the tea and sake mixture.

 

“Do you think he'll cooperate?”

 

“All we can hope at this point is that his loyalty to Naruto and Sakura brings him back to us.”

 

“And if it doesn't?”

 

“Then I won't be able to stay his execution any longer. The village is already against him as it is; unless they believe in his loyalty, they will never accept him back into the village.”

 

“But in a week, Tsunade-sama? After three years of being with Orochimaru, you really think he can be brought back in a week?” Shizune asked doubtfully.

 

“If we can convince his peers that he is an ally again, then the village will follow - albeit in time,” Tsunade replied.

 

“And how do you expect to swing that?” Shizune demanded. “The Shinobi are much less trusting than the rest of the village.”

 

“His peers,” the kunoichi repeated.

 

Shizune's eyes widened in understanding. “That's where you sent Kakashi.”

 

Tsunade nodded. “He is speaking to Gai, Asuma, and Kurenai currently. If he can convince their squads - which are made up of some of the most promising Shinobi in the village - to trust Sasuke again, then the rest should follow in time.”

 

“That's making some big jumps, Tsunade-sama,” Shizune scolded. “You are risking the boy's life with this.”

 

Tsunade sighed. “I realize his, Shizune. But it's the only chance we have to keep him alive.”

 

And I can't bear to see a breakup like ours again…