Final Sacrifice

Chapter 1

"You have to let me see him!" Sakura cried, barging herself into the Hokage's office. Kakashi and Tsunade froze, turning to see Sakura standing in the doorway gasping for air softly. She ran as fast as she could once she heard the news that Sasuke was to be sentenced to death for what he had done to the village.

Sakura could tell that Kakashi was internally feeling how she was when her eyes met his. He couldn't even look her in the eye. Not after what he felt was allowed done under him. He felt sick to his stomach once she barged into the room. She was the one thing that he was hoping would stand in between Sasuke's life or death.

He was thankful that he was not the one that had to tell her, and he hoped that she understood that this decision did not come from him.

"The decision wasn't Kakashi's." Tsunade informed Sakura as she crossed the room towards Tsunade. Sakura's desperation was quickly turned to rage; how could Tsunade betray her like this? How could she support killing Sasuke? Did she think he was no better than Orochimaru? Her hands started to shake at her sides, and the urge to punch her or throw something would not go away. "We formed a council of well supported, and honored, ninjas that made the decision with the information that we had. Everyone who had close ties to Sasuke was removed from making any decision about his fate."

"People who would had been more informed about the case than anyone else would had been." Sakura argued, meeting eye to eye with her mentor. She crossed her arms, her hands clenching together so she, hopefully, wouldn't do something stupid like smack some sense into her.

Outside the sky was gradually growing dark. It was warmer today than it had been for the past few weeks since the war had ended.

Sakura was taking that as a good sign, that maybe the universe was on her side today. That maybe Sasuke would had been released from his prison cell and she would had been able to see him at last.

But of course- abnormally warm days in the beginning of fall could be a sign of something much worse.

"People whose judgement would had been clouded. People whose pathetic obsession that has blinded them for many years!" Tsunade argued more, taking a step closer towards Sakura. Sakura couldn't remember the last time that they had budded heads like this. "People who have almost risked their lives to talk him into coming back- and failed."

Sakura felt her head drop slightly, remembering the day that Sasuke had almost stabbed her in the back with chidori, and a kunai. Naruto also made an attempt when Sasuke first left, and was almost killed as well.

He wasn't in his right mind...

"Please..." Sakura begged again, closing her eyes. She felt the rumbling of a sob building up in her chest. "Let me say goodbye.." She rubbed her cheek, feeling the warmness of blush spreading across her cheeks. Damn it... she thought to herself. Why am I being so pathetic? This isn't who I am anymore..

"If I allow you-" Tsunade started, the mood started to darken as the clouds did outside. Tsunade felt bad for her, knowing just how she felt years ago when her former teammate, Orochimaru, betrayed the village.

But people like them don't change. And Tsunade thought that this was better for Sakura's feelings to be laid to rest rather than allowing him to pull her strings around anymore. "Then everyone else who finds out and starts begging to see him will have to be allowed to see him too."

"Then let us say goodbye." Sakura begged, tears betrayed her as they fell down her face. "Let us say goodbye..."

"Sakura enough." Tsunade snapped, turning away and handing some paperwork to Kakashi. "This is even out of my hands. A decision has been made. And I want you to go nowhere near the jail until further notice."