Repatriation Ch 08

"So, Sasuke...," said Sakura to her teammate.  It wasn't much, but at least it broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Hm?" he replied.

"I guess I am officially watching you now that Naruto is gone," she observed.

"I guess you're right," he answered.  "You are now my babysitter.  Congratulations."

Sakura rolled her eyes.  

"Are you hungry?" she asked him.

"I could eat," he replied.  "But….let's go somewhere other than Ichiraku.  I have a feeling that I'll be eating there quite a bit in the next six months."

"Sound good to me.  How about some sushi?" asked Sakura.  "I noticed that there were a few things you weren't aware of at our session this morning.  I'd be glad to fill you in while we eat."

"I was starting to feel left out," he said a little sarcastically, but still with an air of seriousness as well.  Sasuke, as he always had, subconsciously hid his true feelings - even from those who cared about him the most.

"It can't be helped.  There are six years of our lives that you missed and the rest of us were pretty much together all the time so we know everything about everyone.  The same goes for you….we don't know much about what you did over those six years – that is, except what the spies told us," said Sakura.

"There's not much to tell about me," noted Sasuke.  "You already know most of it.  I left and joined Orochimaru and Kabuto.  I defeated Orochimaru.  I formed my own shinobi team and hunted down Itachi.  I killed Itachi and, in the process, ran into Tobi who recruited me for some Akatsuki missions.  I interrupted the meeting of the five hokages while going after Danzo.  I killed Danzo.  I lost my eyes due to overuse and received Itachi's thus giving me Mangekyo Sharingan.  I ran into Itachi during Edo Tensei and watched him die again...and the rest is history.  There it is, my entire six years in a minute's time," said Sasuke.

"I'm sure it isn't quite that simple," said Sakura.  

Sasuke thought for a moment.  "No, it pretty much was that simple.  My mind was very focused on my targets so little else happened except training and planning."

"No friends?" asked Sakura.

"I had my teammates, but I'm not even sure they could be called friends.  I didn't treat them very well," said Sasuke.  "Sakura, you can't imagine the hate I was filled with for most of those six years.  I was obsessed.  It was all I did and all I thought about.  I trained day and night just to meet my objectives."

"Sasuke, that sounds awful," noted Sakura.  "I'm so happy you are back with us again.  I don't care what caused you to come back...I'm just glad that you are.  I have always cared about you..."

"I know you have.  Thank you," he replied.

OlOlOlOlOlOlO

Outside the Hokage's office...

"I feel like I've spent more time in here than anywhere else since the end of the war," commented Naruto.  

"Enter!" came a shout from the other side of the door.

Both Kakashi and Naruto entered and stood in front of Tsunade's desk.  

"You wanted us Granny?" asked Naruto.

Tsunade sighed.  She still never appreciated the 'granny' comments coming out of Naruto's mouth, but she had learned to keep quiet about them.  It did no good to tell him to stop.

"As far as the reintroduction of Sasuke to this village goes, I feel there is a logical place to start.  I meant every word I said at the meeting earlier, but I wanted to talk to the two of you again without Sasuke here.  You must get Sasuke's old classmates on his side again.  That will be a challenge for both of you, but it is where you must start."

"You called us all the way up here to tell us that?" asked Naruto.  "Where else would we have started?"

"I had to be sure we were all thinking along the same lines," answered Tsunade.  "I have a soft spot in my heart for what he has had to go through.  The slaughter of his clan, thinking that his brother was a traitor, then finding out Itachi was ordered to kill the Uchihas after he believed he had killed him....on top of all that, to be manipulated as he has been.  The boy is still so young yet he has had to endure so much...."

Kakashi agreed wholeheartedly with his leader by nodding his head.  

Naruto, as he always did, kicked right into super-positive mode.  "You got it, Granny!  You can depend on us.  We'll get him accepted by everyone again.  Count on it!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes. I already invited Team Asuma to train with us tomorrow, he thought to himself.  The ball was already rolling.

OlOlOlOlOlOlO

Just as they had started the serious part of their conversation, Sasuke and Sakura arrived at the restaurant.  They hesitated a moment while the hostess took them to their table and the server took their order.  

Once the restaurant necessities were done with, Sakura turned to Sasuke.  "Sasuke?"

He looked directly into her eyes and noted her serious expression and knew the conversation this afternoon wasn't going to be just informational.  Sakura, at the moment, looked pretty stern.

"Before I tell you about the last six years, do you think you could tell me more about why you came back?" Sakura asked.

He hesitated.  

"I mean, I've always cared for you a lot.  When you were in the hospital, you only told Naruto.  I don't mean to pry if you aren't ready, but....to be honest, I'm a little hurt.  I am by your side as well and yet.....I don't really understand what happened," she explained.

This isn't going to be easy, he thought to himself.

Sasuke took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.  He was nervous.  Telling Naruto was so much easier.  There was a bond there with his friend - but he also realized that there were little expectations as well.  Naruto would accept him no matter what.  Sakura, although a teammate, had some emotions attached to her.  She had always liked him.  To be honest, as much as she had always annoyed him, there was still something nagging at him about her.  She was always special in a way.  Her support was unconditional just like Naruto's was, but he felt he had to use more care in what and how he told her things.

"Sakura, I will tell you if you need to know," Sasuke said lowly.  "Let me preface this by saying that I didn't mean to hurt you by telling Naruto first.  It is difficult to say some of these things and I know he considers me a brother."

"Are you saying he cares about you more than I do?" she asked.

"No," he answered.  "But I wasn't sure what your reaction would be and....and frankly, I just didn't want to hurt you."

"You can tell me anything, Sasuke.  I will always support you.  I am not the same Sakura you left when you left the Leaf.  I have grown immensely and I am strong now - both physically and mentally."

"I'm sorry I doubted you," said Sasuke.  

Sakura smiled a gentle, encouraging smile.  

"It...was...Itachi," he murmured.  "During Edo Tensei, Itachi and I met up again.  Since we battled earlier, I had not had the chance to talk with him about what I learned from the Akatsuki - that he was ordered to murder the clan.  After battling Kabuto and before ending Edo Tensei, we had a few minutes to ourselves.  He cast a genjutsu over me and shared everything.  It was overwhelming.  In just a few minutes, I went from the Sasuke who was only full of revenge and hate to who I am today."

"Sasuke, what was in the genjutsu?" asked Sakura.

Sasuke smiled at Sakura.  "All his dreams and hopes, everything he never got to experience but I still can.  What he endured and sacrificed for me...."

"Oh Sasuke," said Sakura.

"I have to do this....for him.  To thank him.  To not waste the chance he gave me," said Sasuke.

Sakura reached across the table and took Sasuke's hand into hers.  She gently squeezed to try to communicate her want to reassure him.

"Here you go," said the server to the two friends setting down a plate in front of each of them.  

Sakura snapped back into her seat.  She didn't even realize that the server was approaching with the food.  She was concentrating intently on what Sasuke had been saying to her.  

Sakura cleared her throat and sat up, prepping her chopsticks to begin eating.  Sasuke did the same.  "Thank you for this food," she muttered to herself.  

"So, what are some of the things you want to tell me?" asked Sasuke.  He had been on the hot seat enough for one day and wanted Sakura to take a turn now.

"Oh, ok, um...now what were some of the things we promised to tell you.  That's right, you wanted to know about Naruto's Mom and Dad."

"It's a start," said Sasuke.  

"It's hard to even know where to begin," said Sakura.  "Naruto's parents are the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and his wife Kushina."

Sasuke's face froze for a second.  "Seriously?"

"Is it any wonder that he turned out like he did?" asked Sakura.  "It turns out that when the nine-tails attacked the village 18 years ago, it was really Tobi controlling the nine-tails with his sharingan and Minato ended up battling Tobi as well as the nine-tails.  Kushina had just given birth to Naruto when the battle happened and both of them died protecting him.  Minato sealed half of the chakra of the nine-tails into Naruto because he thought Naruto might need it to battle Tobi in the future."

"He couldn't have been more right," said Sasuke.  "But how did Naruto learn all this?"

"Believe it or not, when Pain attacked Konoha, Naruto almost let out the nine-tails.  He told me that when the eighth tail appeared, Minato came to him.  He had placed a part of his chakra into Naruto's seal set to appear in case of emergency.  He said it was actually like he met his father though he had been dead all those years," explained Sakura.  

"And his mother?" added Sasuke.

"Naruto met her in a similar way.  Her chakra was also implanted into him when she died as well.  The eight-tails and Bee knew a way for Naruto to harness the nine-tails chakra and it was during that process that Kushina appeared to him and explained what had happened before he was born."

Before they knew it, the sushi was completely eaten and their plates had been taken away.  The check was brought to the table and Sakura paid.  They walked out together.

"Where to?" asked Sakura.  

"I don't care," said Sasuke.  "I'd still like to keep talking though."

Sakura could tell that this was exactly what Sasuke needed for the time being.  He needed the information that would make him feel a little less like an outsider.  Even if he hadn't lived it, he could still be aware of it.  

"I have an idea," said Sakura.  "Let's go to the memorial stone."

Sasuke knew immediately why she wanted to go there.  There were some missing holes in her and the village's story that could be filled with the names on the stone.  

"Asuma is on there now, you know," said Sakura.  

"I had heard that," said Sasuke.  

"Shikamaru changed so much that day...actually, so did Choji and Ino as well.  They are great team together - even better than we ever were," said Sakura.  "Asuma and Kurenai had a son, you know."

Ah, the next generation, thought Sasuke.  It's started already.

They arrived at the stone and Sakura immediately went for the two names she knew were on there.  "Here."

"Who is that?" asked Sasuke.

"You had asked before about Obito and Rin," said Sakura.  "Did you know that Kakashi visits this place every day?  It's because of these two."

"Who are they?" asked Sasuke.

"Kakashi's sensei was Minato and his two teammates were Obito Uchiha and Rin.  Obito was the one who gave him his sharingan.  Kakashi told me that he and Obito were very much like you and Naruto were when Team 7 first formed - friends and rivals at the same time.  They argued all the time and hardly ever saw things the same way.  But it was that last mission when Obito died that still weighs heavily in his heart.  His teammates still mean very much to him."

"Yes they do," said Kakashi from behind them.  He had silently appeared with Naruto by his side.

"Are you two catching up?" asked Naruto.

"Yeah," said Sasuke.  "I wanted to hear about the things I missed while I was gone."

"It will surely take more than one afternoon," said Kakashi.

"I know that," said Sasuke, taking the hint that his and Sakura's conversation was over for the day.  He turned to Sakura.  "Thank you for your time.  I hope we can talk more later, I'm sure there is more."

"Definitely," said Sakura.  "And you're welcome."