Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Twilight of Trust ❯ Memories and Regrets ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

 

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Chapter 2

 

Memories and Regrets

 

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Sakura looked at Naruto, unsure of what to say. The blonde teen was looking back at her with an unreadable expression. They were standing just outside of the Hokage's door; she had left it open and Naruto had wanted to hear what they would say without any of the younger Shinobi present. Sakura wet her lips and sighed.

 

Damn, Tsunade-sama… even you… You speak of Sasuke as if he is weapon rather than a person. Sasuke is just like us - he has feelings too, that was why he left in the first place, don't you see? And yet you act like he is nothing like us. That… that is how Naruto must have felt for so much of his life - considered different from everyone else. It's not right.

 

The young kunoichi looked over at Naruto and her eyes widened. The blonde looked like he was preparing to charge back into Tsunade's office. Alarm bells sounded in Sakura's mind and she quickly grabbed her teammate's arm before he could do anything reckless. He paused and looked at her, those blue eyes questioning.

 

Don't you want some answers? his eyes demanded.

 

Sakura shook her head. Of course I do.

 

Naruto pursed his lips.

 

Sakura gestured out towards the village with her head, promising an explanation when they could speak more freely. Naruto sighed and nodded his reluctant agreement. Her hand dropped from his arm to his hand and she led him down the stairs away from the open door. She could feel Naruto's tense muscles through his hand; she wanted nothing more than to be able to comfort her friend, but the fact was she had to get her own answers first. She needed to see Sasuke. She needed to hear from his mouth the answers to her questions. And she knew Naruto needed to hear them too.

 

She dragged Naruto into town and they sat down on a bench.

 

“Why dud you stop me, Sakura-chan? You heard what Tsunade-baa-chan was saying about Sasuke!” Naruto growled.

 

“Yes, but charging into the Hokage's office was not going to help,” Sakura countered. “We were not supposed to hear that, and if you charged in, she would have known you were listening; and after that we might never have gotten to see Sasuke-kun.”

 

Naruto's mouth opened but no sound came out. The thought of being barred from seeing Sasuke left Naruto speechless.

 

“Sakura-chan…”

 

The pink-haired kunoichi sighed. “We need to see him.”

 

“Then let's go.”

 

Sakura blinked. “What?”

 

“Let's go see him. Right now,” Naruto repeated.

 

“You heard Tsunade-sama,” Sakura countered, “she said she'd come get us when we can go.”

 

“I don't know about you, but I'd rather see him before Tsunade-baa-chan does,” Naruto said resolutely.

 

Sakura pursed her lips thoughtfully. If they saw Sasuke first, they could relate the situation to him in their own words - from the people he (hopefully) trusted most. Then he would be ready to face the Hokage and the others.

 

“I don't know, Naruto…”

 

“Come on, Sakura-chan,” the blonde practically whined.

 

The young medic ninja studied her teammate's face. He was looking at her with pleading eyes ad she was suddenly struck with gratitude towards him for wanting her to come along. Once he would have charged on alone, leaving the kunoichi to follow in his tracks; but he knew this was important to both of them. That realization made her decision for her.

 

“Alright, Naruto, let's go.”

 

The blonde grinned. “Thanks, Sakura-chan.”

 

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They walked through the village pretending not to notice the looks the villagers were shooting them. Oh, they all knew Sasuke had been on their three-man squad those three years ago and they wondered why they still cared about the traitor. But neither Sakura nor Naruto felt like explaining themselves to the village; they knew their motivation. The villagers had never seen Sasuke in the light they had; they had never become a second family to the lonely Uchiha heir. None of the villagers ever seemed to guess at the pain that Sasuke had carried since the slaughter of his clan at the hands of his older brother. Sure at first they had been sympathetic, but when Sasuke had returned to school and engrossed himself in ninja training, they thought the pain gone. They understood nothing.

 

But Sakura, Naruto and Kakashi understood. They had been the closest to Sasuke and while he may never have verbalized it, the pain had become more obvious the closer they became. If there was anything to say about the Uchiha heir (and there was much), it was that he hid his pain well. But it was there. And they had all caught him in vulnerable moments which had ended up bringing them all closer. That Sasuke was the one they cared so much for and somewhere deep down within the Sasuke returned from Orochimaru's training he lay dormant.

 

If they were to keep Sasuke from being executed as a traitor, they would have to find that Sasuke and bring him out.

 

Once they had reached the outskirts of the residential areas of the village, Sakura and Naruto took to the rooftops as they made their way to the holding cells for captured prisoners. Before they made much progress, however, they were met by a familiar figure standing on the roof in their path.

 

“What are you doing, Sai?” Naruto asked as he and Sakura came to a stop in front of Sasuke's `replacement.'

 

“Seeing what you were doing,” he replied.

 

“How did you know we would be coming this way?” Sakura asked.

 

“Kakashi told me.”

 

“Kakashi-sensei did?” Sakura said in surprise.

 

Naruto laughed; it was the first time he had laughed since they had set out to bring Sasuke back those weeks before. He sounded like the old Naruto. “It's like when he first started training us, remember Sakura-chan? We used to think he knew everything; could even read our thoughts.”

 

Sakura allowed herself a small smile at the memory. Thoughts of the young Team 7 always brought a smile to her face… until she started thinking about Sasuke. She would immediately start to think how she should have noticed the signs of his pain sooner rather than just throwing herself at him like a love-sick dog.

 

“S-Sakura?” Sai asked awkwardly. He was still trying to get used to getting close to people and sometimes struggled with how to address people. It was genuinely endearing to the kunoichi that he was making the attempt though. He had become much more personal since their first mission together.

 

She blinked. Her thoughts must have been showing on her face because Naruto was looking at her with concern as well.

 

“Are you okay, Sakura-chan?” he asked.

 

She shook her head. “Fine. Just lost in thought.”

 

Naruto seemed to take the hint. “Oh, I didn't mean to-”

 

“Don't worry about it, Naruto. It's not a big deal,” she said, cutting him off.

 

“So are you guys going to see him?” Sai asked.

 

Naruto and Sakura shared a glance before turning back to their newest teammate. “Yes.”

 

“Kakashi said you would.”

 

“Kakashi-sensei is smart,” Sakura said with a wistful smile.

 

“Did he tell you to stop us?” Naruto asked with a slight edge to his tone.

 

Sai put his hands up in front of him placatingly. “No, no. It's just, he's worried about what kind of condition you'll find him in.”

 

“Your words or his?” Sakura asked, clenching her teeth.

 

“His.”

 

“Where is Kakashi-sensei anyway?” Naruto asked suddenly.

 

“Speaking with some other jounin,” Sai replied. “Otherwise he would have come himself, or so he said.”

 

The bit about speaking with some of the other jounin might be true, as he had left early from the meeting with Tsunade, but she didn't think he would have impeded them from seeing Sasuke even if he could have. Sending Sai was just a message to them that he knew what they were up to; the ever-watchful parent. Though, he did have a point. It had been close to five hours since Sasuke had been whisked away to be interrogated and unspeakable acts could be committed in the name of `justice' in that amount of time. She had healed enough prisoners only to re-heal them after their interrogations to have a good idea of what went on in those sessions. She shuddered slightly at the thought.

 

He is a traitor, a small voice whispered in the back of her mind.

 

He's one of us, she argued back.

 

He was one of us. He left three years ago to seek power; he nearly killed Naruto on two separate occasions; he injured Yamato; and he threatened your life too, the voice countered.

 

He was under Orochimaru's control.

 

He went to Orochimaru by his own will.

 

Sakura shook her head in an attempt to quiet the nagging voice from the back of her mind. The same arguments had been going on in her mind since the first mission to recover him had failed. Only now that they were going to face him without the threat of him killing them, the voices were stronger. Honestly, Sakura was worried about the mental state of her teammate.

 

“Sakura-chan, are you sure you're alright?” Naruto's voice brought her out of her reverie.

 

“I'm fine,” she replied.

 

“Are you sure?” Sai asked. He seemed genuinely concerned and Sakura was grateful.

 

“Yes. I'm just…”

 

“Worried?” Naruto asked quietly.

 

The kunoichi nodded silently. Naruto nodded his understanding. He was also worried about the state they would find Sasuke in. He was worried his best friend was gone forever and the thought broke his heart.

 

“Are you guys okay to go see him?” Sai asked, looking back and forth between the two.

 

Sai might have been devoted to the cause of bringing Sasuke back to the village as well - if for different reasons than the others - but he didn't understand. This needed to be a moment between the original Team 7. Even Kakashi-sensei; he would come later. Sending Sai told them that he understood that as well.

 

Sakura took a deep breath and nodded. “We have to know.”

 

Sai nodded. “He said you'd say that.”

 

Naruto grinned. “Kakashi-sensei knows us too well.”

 

“I'll let him know you went, then,” the dark haired Shinobi said. Naruto and Sakura nodded their agreement. He turned to leave but paused. “Good luck.” And with that he vanished into the midst of the village.

 

Naruto and Sakura shared another glance before heading back in their original direction.

 

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As they made their way through the village, Naruto watched Sakura out of the corner of his eye. She was worried about what they were going to find when they went to see Sasuke. Not that Naruto wasn't worried; in fact, he was terrified. He was terrified that the boy he had once considered his best friend would be lost to them forever. During the first confrontation, Sasuke had spared Naruto. The fact that he had been knocked out and Sasuke had let him live to be recovered by Kakashi gave Naruto hope that his friend was still alive in there.

 

But after their second meeting six months before, Sasuke had been prepared to kill him without hesitation. There was a cold emptiness in his eyes that hadn't been there before. And Naruto had truly been afraid of his best friend. He was so much faster and stronger than he had even been and looking into Sasuke's eyes, he had truly thought he was going to die. He had believed Sasuke had become so detached from everyone that he was willing to give up his body to Orochimaru as long as it meant Itachi's death. After that confrontation, Naruto hadn't been so sure he'd be able to bring his best friend back.

 

But in the confrontation that had resulted in Sasuke's capture and subsequent return to the village, there had been a ray of hope for Naruto. Sasuke hadn't fought against his captors once. He had allowed himself to be brought back to Konoha - and Naruto had the nagging feeling that if the Uchiha heir had not wanted to go back, he could have fought his way free with a little luck and planning. But he had not done so. That gave Naruto some hope. But the empty, distant look in his eyes during the trip back and Tsunade's announcement of his sentence worried Naruto. Sasuke seemed a shell of his former self.

 

And now the blonde Shinobi was terrified that they might not be able to recover the old Sasuke. He was afraid that they would not be able to find their friend and that he would not be able to fulfill his promise to Sakura. While Sasuke might be physically back in Konoha, he knew his promise would not be fulfilled until the old Sasuke was back with them.

 

Dropping to the ground, Sakura and Naruto made their way to a building that stood alone at the very edges of the village. It was large and imposing with bars on the windows and padlocks on the doors. A large leaf decorated the front door as if to remind all those that entered who was in charge. This was the interrogation and holding center for prisoners of war - which Sasuke had become.

 

Taking deep breaths, Naruto pushed the front doors open and he stepped in, followed by Sakura. The inside was dim with limited sunlight coming in through the barred windows. Extinguished torches were placed along the walls, but they weren't lit until dusk. Sakura swallowed and took the lead, having been to the building on many occasions to heal prisoners who they hadn't been able to move to the hospital.

 

They headed down the front hallway and reached another set of double doors. The pink-haired kunoichi pushed them open and inside they were met with a door on the left and a desk with a man wearing the leaf headband behind it on the right. He looked up at their entrance.

 

“Business?” he asked.

 

“Uchiha Sasuke,” Sakura said immediately.

 

The guard blinked and looked down at a paper on the desk. “The orders were no visitors until word from Hokage-sama,” he said, trailing off as he looked up.

 

Sakura had her hands on her hips and was looking dangerous; so dangerous that Naruto took an unconscious step back from his friend. He knew that look all too well, after all. “Do you know who we are?” she asked in a deceptively calm voice.

 

“H-Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto,” he stammered after a moment.

 

“Very good,” Sakura said, cracking her knuckles. “And if you know our names then you must also know that I am not only a medic ninja, but Hokage-sama's apprentice and Naruto here is not only close to the Hokage, but Jiraiya-sama's apprentice.” She gave the man a humorless smile. “We also happen to be Sasuke's former teammates.”

 

“O-of course,” the desk ninja said nervously. Sakura had learned much from Tsunade-baa-chan, including her inhuman strength and it always worked as a threat to get what she wanted. Sakura was getting very good at using her talents. “Go ahead. He's in the basement.”

 

Sakura nodded and bid Naruto follow her into the door on the left. Naruto spared the desk ninja one final look before following his friend through the doors. He whistled once the doors had closed.

 

“Wow, Sakura-chan, you had me scared and you weren't even looking at me,” he laughed shakily.

 

Sakura grinned impishly at him. “You do what you gotta do, right Naruto?”

 

“Right.”

 

They walked down a hallway that was lined with empty cells. These were the low security holding cells and were used for villagers that had committed minor crimes before their trial in front of the village. Konoha's crime rate was low due to the presence of Shinobi, but every now and then something would come up among the villagers and this was where they were held.

 

They turned down another hallway and passed doors on either side that led to more hallways that were also filled with cells. Those were the medium-security cells that were used for weaker ninjas that were captured on a mission or for villagers accused with a more violent crime. Those were the most commonly used cells in the building, but that was not where they were headed today.

 

They reached a heavy door and Sakura pushed it open with relative ease and they descended down a set of stairs. The hallway was dank and only burning torches lent light to the visitors. They reached a landing but continued down the stairs. Through the door on that landing were the high security cells for the more powerful ninjas that were captured in missions or committed crimes in the village. That was where some lower ranking jounin and chuunin criminals would be placed if captured.

 

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, they reached a steel door that led into the highest security cells in the building. This small block of cells was entirely underground so there were no windows to lend any light or cheer. Sakura looked over at Naruto, eyes searching his.

 

“Are you ready?” she asked quietly.

 

I don't know if I'll ever be ready to face this, Sakura-chan; to face him. The more we climbed down, the more I began to doubt whether I could do this. My resolve is crumbling…

 

She slipped a hand into his and squeezed it comfortingly, giving Naruto a slightly renewed resolve. He swallowed and squeezed her hand in return. He blinked. She was trembling. He nodded to her and he felt her trembling lessen slightly. They needed each other's support for what they were about to face.

 

“Let's go, Sakura-chan,” Naruto said quietly.

 

The kunoichi took a breath and nodded, before opening the door. Just inside the doorway was another desk. A chuunin guard sat behind it. No one with any less of a rank was allowed to guard the highest security prisoners. The ninja rose at their presence. Sakura looked over at him and recognition dawned in his eyes.

 

“Uchiha Sasuke?” he asked.

 

Sakura nodded. It was well-known in the village of the relationship between Sakura, Naruto, Jiraiya, and Tsunade. Seeing one of the two younger Shinobi was almost as good as seeing one of the Sannin themselves. And if Tsunade had declared no visitors until she herself deemed it alright and Sakura and Naruto were there, the o.k. might as well have come from the Hokage.

 

“Second to last cell on the left,” the guard said.

 

Sakura nodded her thanks and began walking down the hall. Naruto took a deep breath and followed. He kept his eyes forward, trying not to think of seeing Sasuke in the highest security cell Konoha had. He tried to keep his thoughts from wandering to what they were going to find when they reached the end. How would he react to them?

 

Naruto started as he realized Sakura had stopped. He looked up and saw they were at the second to last cell on the left. He swallowed and followed Sakura's gaze into the cell.

 

“Sasuke…”

 

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