Leaves of Trees: Konoha Stories

Release

Post-war, blank period. Sasuke waits to be released from his prison cell. Kakashi comes in and they have a conversation.

Even bound, Sasuke knew nothing would prevent him from breaking out of this jail cell. Only the promise he'd made to Naruto and Kakashi kept him in his self-imposed prison.

His eyes were covered by a specially designed cloth that prevented him from using his rinnegan. As an extra precaution, his hands were bound behind him, preventing him from reaching up and taking the covering off.

It was difficult, but not impossible, to break off the restraints.

Still, he would stay put.

For just a little bit longer. In a few hours, he would finally gain his freedom, away from this dark, dank cell and he would step out into the fresh air and the warm, life-giving force of the sun.

But the dark still had the power to make him shiver, make him remember his sins, the gulf of guilt he would never be able to escape.

Behind the blindfold, he kept his eyes closed, but he could still envision the grueling days of his hearing when he'd been paraded briefly through Konoha and remembered again the eyes of hate looking at and judging him. The few that had been kind, he'd latched on to and took solace that this time, there had been people who'd shown him understanding. The stalwart and foolhardy Naruto was a given. Sakura, too. Kakashi and his new assistant. Tsunade had only firmed her lips when she'd gazed at him. And during the trial, Gaara and Killer Bee had been surprising allies.

Kindness. Such a hard thing to fathom—and to reciprocate sometimes.

He wondered if he would be able to do it.

It was slight, but the sound was enough to distract him. Unable to see, his other senses were heightened and he knew that Kakashi—no, the sixth Hokage, had stepped into the cell.

Sasuke gave a brief huff of amusement.

How typical of the Hokage to underestimate him, thinking that he alone had the power to stop Sasuke from breaking out.

"All alone? Nobody's here to see you gloat."

A pregnant pause, then Kakashi's soothing voice answered him. "You know me so little that you would think that? But I'm not here to reprimand you. You've already been through enough."

To Sasuke, there was no censure in the tone, only understanding, so he kept silent and waited to hear what his former captain had to say.

"Do you still remember our conversation five years ago? Before you were kidnapped by the four shinobi of The Sound that Orochimaru had sent?"

"When you tied me to that tree?"

A glimmer of amusement crept into Kakashi's voice. "I was right wasn't I? You weren't likely to sit tight and simply listen to me without having to bound you."

The irony wasn't lost on Sasuke. "And here we are again. I'm bound and you're here to lecture me once more."

Again, Kakashi's voice was calm. "I'm just here to remind you of that conversation."

"Well, I don't have vengeance in my heart anymore."

"I don't think you ever did."

That one shocked Sasuke so he kept still and waited for Kakashi to further explain himself.

"I saw the hesitation, you know. I truly believe if those four hadn't come, hadn't triggered the hate, you would have stayed in Konoha and would have eventually forgiven Itachi once you found out the whole truth. Because, Sasuke, the time you've spent with your teammates had been enough to make you forget."

The silence in the cell was deafening, making Sasuke remember how much he'd changed from that vengeful twelve-year-old boy.

Starting today, he was going to make the world right somehow. In his heart, he didn't know how, but he would figure it out eventually.

At the very least, he was going to try.

He owed it to Naruto, and Sakura...and to this man who was now unlocking the cell.

"In any case, I am only here to wish you good luck."

The shuffle of footsteps meant Kakashi was coming closer to him. And then hands, surprisingly gentle, were also unlocking the restraints that bound his wrists. They fell to the ground with a loud clang, but Sasuke didn't really hear them because he was already taking off the blindfold covering his eyes.

When it was off, he took a deep breath and then slowly opened his eyes.

Kakashi's face came into focus, a smile on his face.

"I finally get to say it: Welcome back, Sasuke."