Author's note: This will be a prequel to A New Generation. It will tell us what happened in the aftermath of the Fourth Shinobi World War. It will also tell us about how Naruto and his friends began these relationships, which eventually resulted in marriages and families. This chapter will start right after the war, and what has happened. And note, this is my first time writing a romantic story, so please excuse me if I am not professional or anything.

Chapter 1: The Suffering Ends

2 and a half years after the war, in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, the Land of Fire

2 and a half years had passed since the Fourth Shinobi World War had ended. It was a terrible international conflict that had affected the whole world, not just that of the shinobis. The Five Great Elemental Nations had set aside their personal grudges and concentrated on their common enemy: the Akatsuki as well as it's mastermind: Madara Uchiha.

The once legendary leader of the Uchiha clan had long desired to recreate the world was it used to be. By this, he had manipulated his underlings and done the unthinkable by possessing the power of Kaguya Otsutsuki, the Mother of All Shinobis. With the primordial power at his command, Madara sought to unleash his terror upon his enemies, as well as bringing them paradise in his own twisted ways. Luckily for the Allied Nations, many valiant shinobis had put up a great fight and in the end, managed to overcome the horrors of the powers Madara had unleashed upon the world.

With the world war now over, peace had finally settled around all corners of the world, yet there remained deep wounds that needed to be healed. The first thing that needed to be addressed was to honor all the valiant shinobis that had sacrificed their lives for the sake of their villages. The Village Hidden in the Leaves was no different. Many lives had perished and tears were shed at the day of mourning.

But two and a half years into the future, a new era dawned in the world of the shinobis. While there no longer existed terrorists like the Akatsuki, crime and corruption had returned to the shinobi world. Therefore, it was only natural that the services of shinobis were needed once again.

Inside the apartment of Naruto Uzumaki, things had gotten dark. But that was because he had been asleep and was finally awake. Being just dressed in a white t-shirt and black pants, the young man went outside the balcony to gaze out at the Leaf Village before him. The young blonde-haired man smiled by what he was seeing.

"Heh, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I always want to have this view before me" Naruto noted in his head as he felt the wind blow in his face.

Naruto had changed since the war. Even though he was still the same easygoing goofball, he had grown more mature and calm when it came to serious matters. Naruto had many honorary titles, from War Hero to Hero of the Leaf and even Orange Flash (similar to Yellow Flash with his late father). While he greatly appreciated what the people of the Leaf thought of him, he kind of felt that the titles struck as little embarrassing. In fact, there had been many women at his age who had asked to go out with him, but he had politely turned them down. But in the aftermath of the war, Naruto had frequently been seeing Sakura and the two had gone out on a couple of dates in the past. However, their new responsibilities led them to go out on fewer dates, as they were mostly focused on their new roles.

Since the end of the war, Naruto was now a jounin. In fact, he had now become one of Tsunade's closest associates. A reason for that was because she wanted Naruto to have enough experience in administration. Those who sought to achieve the mantle of Hokage would at least require experience with leadership, as well as coordinating. True, he wanted to become as coordinated as Tsunade while at the same time having his own form of charisma in leadership.

"So, you're finally awake" Naruto snapped as he could see his teacher Kakashi Hatake stand on the counter facing him smugly. The white-haired man with the mask simply waved at him in a friendly gesture. "Good morning to you, by the way" he then told him.

Naruto took a deep breath and calmed himself before dropping a sweat at Kakashi. "Man, you really startled me there, Kakashi-sensei. Seriously, can't you just use the door?" he then asked him while wiping off the sweat on his face.

Kakashi simply shrugged it off and stood beside his student, who had grown quite taller since last time, almost reaching to his size. Together, they stared out towards the cityscape before them. The masked man then glanced over at his student.

"Do you still think about the war?" Kakashi then asked Naruto.

The blonde-haired man closed his eyes to think for a brief moment. "Yeah, I do that sometimes. But what was the past stays in the past. There is a whole new path lying right before me and I intend to walk that path" Naruto told his teacher, who mused to himself in return.

"Heh, spoken like a true optimist. I like that" Kakashi said to his student.

"Hey sensei, can I ask you something?" Naruto then asked Kakashi, who nodded his head as a yes. "You were offered the position of Hokage right after the war. Why didn't you take it?" he then asked him.

Kakashi began to close his eyes for some reason, his mind drifting past to the horrors of the world war. For some reason, he felt a hint of sadness build within him and Naruto could see that. "There was a time when I felt like I was ready to assume the responsibilities of a Hokage. But something changed along the way" the masked man told Kakashi before facing Naruto in his eyes. "Do you remember what Obito said to us…..back there?" he then asked his student lowly.

Naruto's blue eyes widened in realization, as he knew what Kakashi was getting at. During the world war, the true identity of the mysterious Akatsuki-member called Tobi was revealed. It was revealed to be Kakashi's former teammate and childhood friend: Obito Uchiha. Long had Kakashi and his friends believe that Obito had died during the previous world war. But they were wrong. Madara had somehow saved Obito from death and poisoned his mind with hatred and despair.

"Obito had many goals, yet he never got what he wished" Kakashi suddenly spoke up in a low voice. "But despite all the hatred he possessed, he did one final thing that meant so much for us shinobis. He sacrificed himself. Also, he then told us all who he felt was the right man to be Hokage: the one who had shown him to light of the fire. And that….is you, Naruto" the masked man then added to his explanation.

"Are there other reasons for why you rejected the title?" Naruto then asked his teacher once again.

Kakashi slowly nodded his head in return. "As a matter of fact, there is" the white-haired man admitted while facing the blue skies. "I really don't wanna sound so distant, Naruto. But I have grown weary about the Leaf Village" he then admitted to his student.

Naruto glanced at him with a raised eyebrow, indicating that he did not quite understand what he was trying to say. "What are you saying?" he then asked Kakashi.

"I will always consider the Leaf Village my home. But sometimes, I feel like I just wanna take off this jounin vest and go live on my own. Think of it as a retirement" Kakashi then tried to explain before facing Naruto, who stood and listened carefully. "Somehow, I think I understand why Jiraiya never wanted the title of Hokage, but instead left it to your father, who was also my teacher. Now, I am doing the same thing. The Leaf Village doesn't require someone from the old generation to move on. They need someone who has seen everything, someone who really carries the Will of Fire inside of himself. And that is why…not just me but also Tsunade and the others, are entrusting the mantle of Hokage to you…..when the time comes" the masked man then told Naruto.

Naruto was at first stunned to hear this coming from his teacher, but he quickly changed that expression into a smile and nodded at him in return. "Yeah, I get it. I still have a long way to walk, though. I wanna be good in administration like you and Grandma Tsunade. But in time, I will be ready" the blonde-haired man remarked with a cheeky grin.

The masked man nodded his head in return, knowing that Naruto was always someone who could be counting on. "Have you thought about Sasuke lately?" Kakashi then asked Naruto, much to his own surprise. The masked man faced his students. "I know, he was pardoned for all his previous actions, but he has been through a long hospitalization. In fact, he has been released today" he then said to him.

"He has, where is he know?" the blonde-haired man then asked his sensei, his expression filled with anticipation.

"He's at the Hokage's Tower as we speak. There's a trial currently taking place over there as we speak. I came here to inform you about it so….." Kakashi stopped talking, as he could see his student rushing inside to get dressed.

"Aw man! I probably overslept!" Naruto said while sounding so stressed out. "Sasuke's probably gonna need all the backup he needs with me at his side" Naruto then said while struggling to put on some pants.

Kakashi decided to inform his student about something, so he entered the apartment, facing Naruto with a stern expression on his face. Naruto took notice of this and wondered why he did that, only for the blonde-haired man to realize what Kakashi was getting at.

"Remember Naruto, this is Sasuke's opportunity to speak for himself in front of the most powerful political organs of the Leaf Village. They all want to hear from him personally" the masked man then told his blonde-haired student, who listened closely. "Whether he gets sentences to prison or the opposite, I don't know. But remember, let Sasuke be the one to defend himself and speak up his mind. Don't do that for him. You and I have both done enough with our plea to Lady Tsunade and the Leaf Council" the white-haired man added to his explanation.

Naruto could not help but to form a raised eyebrow in return. "Just what are you talking about. I never said anything about wanting to defend him in a trial" he said before forming a cheeky grin once again. "No, by backing him, I mean being present when Sasuke lays out his own testimony to Grandma Tsunade and the rest of us. Even though Sasuke remains somewhat cold, I know that there exists a tint of regret inside his soul. I'm gonna be there and support him as best I can, but not by speaking out or anything. I will only be giving him my moral support" Naruto said before quickly running towards the door, thus exiting his apartment.

Kakashi mused to himself as he watched his student being in a rush. He also had to admit he was quite impressed with Naruto's words. "You really have changed from the first time I ever saw you, Naruto" he noted in his head while watching Naruto getting stressed.

Running through the streets of the Leaf Village, Naruto was dressed in a black and orange sweater while wearing black pants. His messy blonde hair had gotten shorter and it was a haircut that he himself liked. While not as big as his pervious hairstyle, it still matches his personality. He also wore a black forehead-protector with the symbol of the Leaf Village written upon it.

Naruto was really in a rush and he felt kind of irritated as he ran through the bustling crowds. "Damn it! Why wasn't I informed about Sasuke being released from the hospital today!? I mean, was Sakura notified about this!?" he wondered angrily in his head while running. "Anyway, I better hurry! The trial is about to start soon! And I best do as I promised to Sakura and Kakashi-sensei: let Sasuke to do the talking, not me" he added, but suddenly stopped as he saw something blocking his way. It was a crowd of many young women standing there and gossiping about all kinds of stuff. But as the girls saw Naruto stand before them, his eyes snapped. "Awww crap!" he cursed in his head.

"Look! It's Naruto!" one of the women exclaimed with beaming eyes. "I just love him!" she then added.

"OMG! HE'S SO HANDSOME!" another woman shouted. "CAN I TAKE A SELFIE WITH YOU, NARUTO!?" she then added to her statement.

Some of the women even held out roses at him and it was not long before they came it him like herd of sheep. Naruto realized that he was about to get flooded with women asking him out so he quickly made a hand seals.

"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he exclaimed and thousands of shadow clones appeared in the street, thus confusing the many girls. They began to search through them to find the real Naruto. But as soon as a shadow clone was grabbed, they puffed.

What the girls did not know was that Naruto had run into an alleyway and then jumped up to the nearest rooftop, thus staying far away from the girls' sight. Naruto took a deep breath and sat on a horizontal pipe he came across. He was safe, at least for now.

"Man, that was close. I let my stress control my motions that I forgot about those crowds of fangirls" Naruto said before chuckling to himself. "Well, I guess being famous has it's negative sides, not just the opposite" he then added to his statement.

The blonde-haired man then fixed his eyes upon the Hokage Tower, which was the upgrade to the previous residence of the Hokage. It had now become an imposing building in the entire village, standing right underneath the Hokage Monument. Naruto knew that he would one day be spending most of his time inside that building as a Hokage.

But right now, Naruto was thinking about Sasuke and what had transpired between those two during and after the war. They had fought one another, when Sasuke had a desire to revolutionize the shinobi world by getting rid of all the Five Kages. But a deadly fight between them in the Valley of the End had resulted in none of them being the winner, even though Sasuke had somehow given Naruto the victory. Both of them had been hospitalized, but Naruto was released earlier. But with Sasuke, it was different.

While the world was willing to rebuild what was destroyed during the war, many people were expressing distaste for Sasuke not being punished for the crimes he had committed during his brief membership in the Akatsuki. But the Five Kages, knowing that Sasuke had played a key role in ending Madara's schemes decided to pardon him for his past crimes. The Five Kages claimed that sacrificing more innocent shinobi lives would not bring peace to anyone. At the same time, they insisted that even Sasuke himself had regretted his actions.

"Sasuke…" Naruto uttered out the name of his best friend lowly. "I know that you want to make up for your crimes, even though you still have some level of bitterness towards the Leaf Village's leadership" he then noted.

Because of the pardoning of his past crimes, Sasuke was spared from prosecution from the other hidden villages. However, he was under tight supervision by the ANBU Black Ops. In that way, it was almost as if he was in prison. Only a few people were allowed to see him. Among them were, Naruto off course. Although Sasuke had spoken little to him during his visits, Naruto had encouraged him to start reconcile with everything around him. To his surprise, Sasuke had agreed with him and had started that by apologizing to Sakura for his past actions on her. Sakura, knowing that Sasuke was willing to start a new path, accepted it. He then went on to say that he was not worthy of being in love with her and encouraged Sakura to find out what her heart truly wanted. This had been the start of Sasuke's reconciling.

"Whatever happens to you now whether you're free or put in prison, I will always be backing you! That's my way of the shinobi!" Naruto said and jumped from rooftop to rooftop.

Inside a hall in the Hokage Tower

While Sasuke had been pardoned for his past crimes, Tsunade and her associates were still not willing to let him go freely yet. First, they had to determine whether he was qualified for such. This resulted in the leadership of the Leaf Village having their own trial to decide Sasuke's fate. Inside the hall where the Hokage would usually meet the jounins, tensions were high.

Many representatives of the Leaf Village's leadership, clans and military were present to witness the fate of the currently last surviving member of the Uchiha clan. The one presiding over the case was the Leaf Council. Tsunade and the two veteran councilmembers: Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utakane, were the three judges overseeing this case. Unlike Tsunade, Homura and Koharu were more hawkish with regard to keeping the Leaf Village safe from harm. Even as they had grown elderly, they still refused to retire and spend the rest of their lives in serenity. But at the same time, the war had changed the two councilmembers, as they seemed to have full respect in Naruto. But when it came to Sasuke, it was different. The two had in the past supported the Uchiha Clan Massacre. Even now, they believed that Sasuke was a potential risk to let loose in the world.

In addition to that, a group of jurors had also been picked and they sat on the sidelines in watching the case. The Leaf Council made sure to pick jurors who had no close or personal relationship with Sasuke. Therefore, they had decided to pick clansmen from the various clans of the village. And of course, none of the clan heads could serve as a juror in this case. Sitting in the jury box was Suzaku Nara representing the Nara clan, Santa Yamanaka representing the Yamanaka clan, Makaro Akimichi representing the Akimichi clan, Ko Hyuuga representing the Hyuuga clan, Muta Aburame representing the Aburame clan and Hana Inuzuka representing the Inuzuka clan. These shinobis had been chosen to act as the jury in this case.

The constant talking between the observes soon ended when the judges, jurors and the eventually all the watchers rose up from their seats. A moment of silence was held before Tsunade fixed her eyes upon the door.

"Bring in the accused" Tsunade gave the order and the doors opened and in came the man that everyone had hoped to get a glimpse at.

Sasuke Uchiha was brought in the hall, his hands tied by handcuffs. The handcuffs were made out of iron and it seemed impossible for Sasuke to break them lose. But he never did a thing to break free. The raven-haired man was dressed in a black cape as well as sandals. His hair had grown down to his shoulders and a bang ran down to his nose. For some reason, he was beginning to resemble Itachi. The two shinobis accompanying him to the middle were two members of the Interrogation Squad: Tonbo Tobikate and Shimon Hijiri. They held him by his arms as they led Sasuke the way.

As Sasuke was brought in the middle of the room, whisperings amongst the crowd began and they revolved mainly around the atrocities Sasuke had committed in the past.

So far, Sasuke had only faced the floor, not even bothering looking around in the halls. Instead, he slowly lifted his head up to face the judges sitting on their seats, accompanied by their associates. Among them were Shizune and Shikamaru Nara and Sai who were close assistants to the Hokage. As the raven-haired man faced them, his peers could see nothing but emptiness in his black eyes. But on the other hand, some of those who knew him could see that something was not quite right with Sasuke. Sakura Haruno was among the watchers. She alongside, Ino Yamanaka, Chouji Akimichi, Rock Lee, and many other friends were sitting on the front-row seats, thus giving them all a perfect view of what was happening. Clan heads and jounins were also sitting on those seats, watching the raven-haired man with different expressions on their faces. However, the majority of them were filled with displeasure.

Tsunade soon made gestures with her hand, indicating that the case would now open. "Let us all take our seats" Tsunade said and all the participants and watchers of this case took their seats. The blonde-haired woman then fixed her stern glance upon the raven-haired man. "Sasuke Uchiha, you stand before your peers of the Leaf Village today as we will determine your fate. Your true verdict will be decided by us" the Hokage spoke up strictly, never as much as smiling at the raven-haired man.

"Even though we pardoned you for your previous crimes, it was all for the sake of avoiding future conflicts with the other hidden villages" Homura spoke up, his elderly voice ringing bells in the hall. "Therefore, we have decided that instead of facing judgement by the world, you will face judgement by the citizens of the Leaf. That is why you are standing here before us all" the elderly man with glasses added to his explanation.

Koharu cleared her throat before speaking. "We along with the jury will decide whether you are a high-risk threat to be let outside or not. Execution is exclusively ruled out as a punishment" the elderly woman spoke up.

There were gasps among the observes and may began voicing their discontent with what the judges were saying. Only the jurors seemed to be calm, as none of them had any sort of reaction to the declaration. However, many was not pleased by hearing this.

"This is absurd! Why rule out execution!?" Hiashi Hyuuga, the Head of the Hyuuga Clan, loudly demanded as he rose up from his seat.

"I must agree with what he says!" Ibiki Morino of the Interrogation Squad said as he rose up from his seat. "Judges, reconsider this at once. If we let him walk out freely he will just turn against us once again!" the serious man added to his statement.

At the bench, Homura slammed the hammer on his table, trying to silence the crowds. "Order! Order! ORDER!" he demanded loudly, and the talking stopped as soon as Homura raised his voice. That was surprising, considering his age. The elderly man adjusted his glasses before speaking. "There will be no more executions. Must we remind you about one of the agreements the Land of Fire signed with the other Five Great Elemental Nations? Part of the Hashirama-agreement tell us to not waste more shinobi lives with the death penalty" the elderly man spoke up.

"All the Five Great Hidden Villages agreed to this as well. Going back on an international agreement would only damage our village's reputation further" Tsunade spoke up, while making sure she faced Sasuke in the middle. "Execution is no longer the answer, imprisonment for life is the only option available. That is what the Five Kages have agreed upon" she added to her statement.

"It is time to move on to the next phase" Koharu said and then fixed her gaze upon Sasuke, who merely glanced at her back with his empty eyes. "Sasuke Uchiha, before we continue, how do you plead to all the offenses you have committed in the past?" she then asked him sternly.

Feeling obliged to answer, Sasuke opened his mouth. "Guilty" he said the word, with no emotion in his voice.

"Hmmm…..I see. You still acknowledge your actions even after the pardoning" Koharu noted sternly.

"Do you regret them?" Homura asked while glancing at him strictly. "Do you regret all the pain and suffering you have caused?" he asked once again.

Sasuke closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them up again and facing the judges. "Yes" he said, even starting to slowly grit his teeth in anger.

"As the Hokage, I would now like for you to tell us what you think should happen to you. Is there any form of judgement you would like for use to give you?" Tsunade then said, her eyes never leaving Sasuke.

The raven-haired man realized that he could no longer hold back his thoughts and words. He simply nodded at the judges and they understood what he meant. This was his chance to tell them everything he knew about the Leaf Village, including the most sensitive parts. Sasuke faced the judges with his stern eyes, his mouth still frowning deeply.

"I regret my actions on those who are innocent" Sasuke then spoke up as honest as he could. His eyes began narrowing further. "However, if there is one thing I do not regret…..it is challenging and killing Danzo Shimura" he then said, much to the stunning of the spectators as well as the jurors and judges. He then fixed his eyes on both Homura and Koharu, who were also stunned at his statement. "You think you are wise, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utakana. But despite the years of experience in the world of politics, you fail to hide the blood on your hands" the raven-haired man then said, his eyes never leaving the two people.

Neither Homura and Koharu seemed slightly confused at this. "And what do you mean by that, young one?" Koharu asked him, her voice filled with suspicion. "Honestly, I see no merit in bringing up Danzo Shimura in this case, considering the fact you murdered him" she then added to her statement.

Sasuke slowly began gritting his teeth in anger, although he did his best not to show his anger out in the open. He remained calm on the outside as possible. "You think my own eyes are blind? Or that my own ears are deaf? Fools, I know about your conspiring with Root and their demented leader" he then said, thus surprising some in the hall. "During the war, I spoke with your late "teammate". He was more than kind enough to reveal me everything. That includes how the Uchiha Clan Massacre really happened and who supported Danzo's actions. And of course, the late Third Hokage was vehemently against it….but you two on the other hand….." he then said, a smirk slightly being formed on his mouth.

Homura slammed his hammer on the table. "I think we have heard enough from you! Let us move on to the…" the elderly man snapped as he could see a hand being reached before him. That hand belonged to Tsunade, who was doing this to make him stop. The blonde-haired woman glanced at him sternly. "What now, Tsunade?" Homura asked sternly.

"Let us hear him speak, we all know of his atrocities in the past. Maybe it would be wise for you and her to listen to your own atrocities in the past" the Hokage sternly told them.

Both elderly people did not seem to welcome her statement, especially Homura. "As I have already told everyone of you standing in this hall, we did what was necessary for the Leaf Village at that time. Hiruzen's pacifistic and pragmatic stance enabled Danzo and Root to take control over the matter. And thus, were left with no option but to support this bloodshed" the elderly man said, even hinting to regret in his voice.

"Wise words, councilman" Sasuke interrupted them once again and everyone focused their attention on him. "You did what was necessary for the Leaf Village to survive. Well, I know someone else who also did the same thing, even if it meant…massacring an entire clan and sparing me" the raven-haired man spoke up, his tone getting quite emotional. "The Uchiha clan may have been despised, but they had heroes. By that I mean heroes who were shining examples of what shinobis were. Among them was Itachi Uchiha" he then spoke up, thus surprising his peers once again.

"Itachi Uchiha…the former Akatsuki-member" Koharu uttered out lowly at what she was hearing. "Aside from Orochimaru, all Akatsuki-members who came from the Leaf Village were from the Uchiha clan. Those three were you, your brother….and of course, Obito Uchiha" the elderly lady then noted warily while facing down Sasuke.

The raven-haired man only narrowed his eyes by hearing this. "Even after what you have heard, you still refuse to acknowledge what sacrifices meant for the village?" he then asked her while making sure Tsunade and Homura got what was being said as well. "If it's truth you want, then it is truth you shall be given. Yes, I did once plan on destroying the Leaf Village. I first thought that it was the only way to eliminate the shadows that lurked in it. But something made me change my mind. It was when I first learned about my brother's sacrifice to preserve the Leaf Village's existence. When I learned that he had given away everything to save the village, I realized that I could not let his sacrifice go in vain. That was the main reason I chose to save the Leaf Village" Sasuke then told them, and everyone in the hall listened closely to what was being said.

Even Tsunade seemed interested in what Sasuke was about to sat and she even fixed a slight smile as she listened. Koharu and Homura remained unfazed, yet Sasuke's words had somewhat made them surprised.

"If you want to lock me up in a dungeon so badly then go ahead, I don't mind" Sasuke suddenly told them, his voice filled with dissatisfaction. But he was not finished just yet. "But know this, if you refuse to acknowledge all your failures as a shinobi and move on, then you are no different than the enemies you faced during the war" he then said with a slight smirk at the end of his sentence.

Once again, the hall was filled with silence and whispering were heard amongst the crowds once again. But Tsunade slammed the hammer on the bench and made sure that she got everyone's attention. She then glanced over at the jury box, where the jurors had been sitting and listening so far in silence.

"Jurors, we ask that you share with us your thoughts about what you have heard so far" the Hokage told them and made sure the jurors got this message loud and clear. "Shall this man be walking free in the world or shall he be put in jail? Now answer us if you have already decided on his verdict" she then asked the jurors.

Suzaku Nara was the first juror to respond, so he faced Sasuke, who did not bother facing those in the jury box. "The accused's words have some meaning, but that does not justify his misguided actions. And more importantly, I have not heard him once denounce the actions of Orochimaru. Even though he played a key part in ending the war, his actions should not be forgotten, as will the accused's. Therefore, I vote for sending him to prison" the man with the weird ponytail said while explaining his verdict.

Shikamaru, who was currently the new head of the Nara clan, thought about the verdict of Suzaku. "Hmmm…...well, I knew that he would've voted for imprisoning Sasuke. Suzaku sure is a crafty one once you get to know him better" he noted in his head while seeing the reaction among the crowds. He then faced the jury box. "I don't know what the other jurors have in mind, but I bet this does not go well for Sasuke. Sorry, Naruto" he silently apologized to his friends.

Santa Yamanaka was the second juror to answer. "Sasuke Uchiha has committed serious crimes as a rogue ninja, something he must answer for. However, listening to his own words and the choices he faced made me realize something. Yes, the world is not fair and not everyone is perfect. Even the Third Hokage himself would have agreed with what was being said in this hall. I hereby declare my vote to free Sasuke Uchiha and give him a chance for redemption" the long-haired man said, much to the gasps of someone in the hall.

Ino, who was currently the new head of the Yamanaka clan, could not help but to giggle to herself after hearing Santa's verdict. "Thanks Santa. I really appreciate you for being the juror. I'm also glad that you have decided to Sasuke a second chance. And I know for a fact that he is lonely on the inside…..I can feel it" Ino then thought while glancing at Sasuke. "Sasuke…..I know that you are stubborn and refuses to embrace me…but I really wanna get better acquainted with you…and you know that as well based upon my visits to you" she then added to her thoughts smugly.

Makaro Akimichi was the third juror to respond. "I'm not gonna lie, the accused sure seem cold and distant. And there is no question in my mind that his actions were inexcusable and horrendous, so he must be punished. But by that, I mean by making him serve the Leaf Village. If he is serious about owning up to his mistakes and correct them, then I see no reason for him to be locked up. I hereby declare my vote to free Sasuke Uchiha and give him a chance in redemption" the chubby and young clansman said, once again stunning the entire hall with his vote.

Chouza Akimichi sat on the chair with a proud smile formed across his face. The head of the Akimichi clan seemed to be happy about Makaro's choice. "Wise words there, Makaro! I'm glad that you spoke up your own reasons for casting the vote. It's because of lads like you that the Akimichi clan will continue to prosper" the chubby man said before fixing his eyes on his son. "I'm hoping that you see it as well, Chouji. You along with Makaro are part of the Akimichi clan's future" he then noted while watching Chouji.

Ko Hyuuga was the fourth juror to respond. "As much as I hate to agree with this man, there are some truth in his words. Everyone makes mistakes, even those from a mighty clan such as the Hyuuga clan. As much as I want to punish Sasuke Uchiha, I cannot see any reason for punishing him by keeping him locked. For too long, hatred has been allowed to run free in this village. But I want to end it. So, as an independent representative from the Hyuuga clan, I hereby cast my vote…...to free Sasuke Uchiha" the young man said and many were stunned by seeing the Hyuuga clan voting in favor of freeing Sasuke. But then again, the jurors were supposed to act independently from their clan heads.

Ko's decision had caused an angry reaction from Hiashi Hyuuga. Apparently, he was not happy with what the representative from the Hyuuga clan had done. "That imbecile! I strictly told him to not vote for freeing that bastard!" the long-haired man angrily said inside of himself. But he could suddenly feel someone stare at him. Turning right, he saw his eldest daughter Hinata Hyuuga glance at him with dispassionate eyes. She did not welcome his reaction to what Ko had decided. This forced Hiashi to calm himself and he tried his best not to show any signs of anger.

Muta Aburame was the fifth juror to respond. "I admire this man's willingness to accept his responsibilities, but I can't forget the deaths he has caused. No, seeing this man being loose and wreaking havoc on everything on his path makes me anxious. Even now, my own bugs do not even dare come near him. The black energy within him still lives. I hereby cast my vote to imprison Sasuke Uchiha" he said and laid down his vote.

Shibi Aburame, the head of the Aburame clan, was adjusting his sunglasses while listening to what was being discussed. "Well done, Muta. It was the right decision. As hard as it may sound, justice must be served" he noted in his head by what he was seeing.

Hana Inuzuka was the sixth and final juror to respond. "Now that I've heard what my fellow jurors have decided, I can't help but to feel stunned. Do they have any idea what voting for freeing this man even means? I mean, obviously they don't know how to think clearly…or maybe they do, actually. Listen…..I…I attended the same class as Itachi back when we were kids…I used to believe that he was nothing but a condemned criminal…..but now that I have learned the truth about his story….I really can't help but to realize how much he gave to preserve the Leaf Village's existence. And as an elder sibling, I believe that giving someone as second chance is worth it. Itachi would agree on that. That is why I vote to free Sasuke Uchiha and let him serve the Leaf Village" the young woman said while facing the raven-haired man, who only smiled lightly when hearing this.

Tsume Inuzuka could not help but to grin cockily at what her daughter had done. "Great choice, Hana. I can see that I perhaps made the right choice for appointing you the juror. You've really grown" the woman with the feral eyes noted smugly at what she was seeing.

Tsunade then smiled and faced down at the raven-haired man. "Then it is settled. Sasuke Uchiha, from this day, we have decided to sentence you to eternal service to the Leaf Village. From here on out, you shall work in the shadows…and be a member of the ANBU Black Ops!" Tsunade then declared and slammed the hammer on the bench.

The hall then suddenly felt the unthinkable and the sounds of clapping could be heard. While it was not necessarily directed towards Sasuke, it still received so much applause. This was because of Tsunade's judgement, as they felt it was the wisest of her.

Sasuke did not know what to do know, as he could feel the handcuffs being released from his grip. The raven-haired man was still facing the floor, his heads filled with so many conflicting thoughts. He was supposed to be happy now, but he couldn't feel those feelings. Sasuke could no longer feel the emotions he had longed to feel. Where would he go now? At this point, he was unsure about what to do. He felt lost, probably for the first time since he was a young boy.

"Sasuke!" a voice called out to him. Turning around, his black eyes widened in slight surprise by seeing Naruto stand there clapping his hands. The blonde-haired man smiled at him before raising his thumb at him. "How does it feel to be out of the hospital?" he then asked with his cheeky grin.

"Naruto…." Sasuke spoke up lowly.

Naruto nodded his head in return. "Look, I get it. You're not feeling so good right now. However, you remember what I've told you back at the hospital. I will help you reconcile with the entire Leaf Village. I know it is a long way, but all you gotta do is trying to convince everyone that you're not the same criminal as you were once" the blonde-haired man then went on explaining this to him.

Although he was surprised at first, Sasuke formed a slight smile at the blonde-haired man in return. He even nodded at him weakly. "Naruto…thank you" he then said, expressing gratitude for Naruto in giving him a chance.

"Don't forget about me" Sakura's voice could be heard as she appeared before her teammates. The pinkette then fixed her emerald eyes upon Sasuke. "I am glad to see that you are back, Sasuke. You really are an inspiration" she told him, this time saying this as a compliment.

Sasuke could not help but to chuckle lightly in return. "Thank you…...Sakura" he replied before coming up with something else. "I could say the same thing about you two" he then said thus mentioning both Naruto and Sakura.

His two teammates only snapped in embarrassment and moved away from one another, with Naruto getting annoyed. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean!?" he demanded from his teammate, only feel his right ear pulled by Sakura. "OUCH! That hurt, Sakura!" he then winced in pain as his ear getting pulled.

"Stop acting like some child" Sakura said while gritting her teeth in irritation. But she soon stopped and faced Sasuke with her usual friendly smile. "So, what happens to you now?" she then asked him.

Sasuke felt somewhat unsure about how to respond to this and he faced the floor once again. Both Sakura and Naruto could tell that he was confused, as well as lonely. But Sasuke suddenly felt a friendly pat on his right shoulder and he could see that it was Sai who did that. The pale-skinned man only smiled at him in return.

"Congratulations on becoming an ANBU. I look so forward to work with you, Sasuke" Sai spoke at him and Sasuke could tell that the pale-skinned man spoke from the bottom of his heart. "I see you tomorrow at Tsunade's office, that is where we all new recruits will meet up. It will be nice getting better acquainted with you" he then said before taking off.

Sasuke simply waved friendly at him in return. But he was suddenly grabbed hold of his shoulders by Naruto, who looked at him gleefully. This only confused Sasuke.

"What the hell are you doing?" he lowly asked him.

Naruto continued to smile. "Isn't it great, Sasuke!? No more hospital visits! Now we can visit you whenever you like!" the blonde-haired man exclaimed only to snap when he felt that something was not right. This made him scratch behind his neck in embarrassment. "Oh right, surely you don't have a place to stay right now. But hey! Why don't stay over at my place until you get your own apartment. I mean, the last one you lived in were probably destroyed during Pain's invasion so you can stay with me if you like" Naruto suggested to him.

Sasuke was in deep thought at the moment. True, he had been many years away from the Leaf Village with no clue on what had happened. And since returning to the village, he had simply stayed in a hospital room. The raven-haired man eventually understood the wisdom in Naruto's words and nodded weakly at him.

"Well…suppose it can't hurt to stay with you…...until I get my own place, that is" Sasuke remarked, even forcing a slight smile at Naruto. "I greatly thank you for this offer" the raven-haired man said.

Naruto only grinned in return. "Eh, no biggie! I just don't wanna have you living on the streets like a bum or some sort" he replied and faced Sakura. "Do you have anything to contribute, Sakura?" he asked the pinkette.

Sakura nodded her head in return. "As a matter of fact, there is" Sakura said while resting a hand on Naruto's right shoulder. "We must at least celebrate your return to us" Sakura said while facing Sasuke.

The raven-haired man continued to glance at her with wondering eyes, not getting what she was trying to say. Sakura giggled by seeing how confused he seemed.

"What I mean is that we should go out and eat together! How about we go to this new fancy steakhouse? It will be only be us plus Chouji, Shikamaru and Ino. And don't worry, they are more than happy to see you" Sakura then told Sasuke.

Realizing that this was his chance to reconnect with his former classmates, Sasuke weakly nodded his head at him in return. "Well, why not? I have nothing else to do. So I will be happy to join you" he said to her.

Sakura smiled. "Good. And you don't have to worry about paying the bills. The dinner's all on Naruto!" she said with confidence in her voice.

Naruto snapped in disbelief by what she just said. "What!? Aw come on, Sakura! How come I always end up paying the…." The blonde-haired man stopped as he could see the pinkette's angry eyes flare. This caused Naruto to snap and he backtracked on what he just said. "On second thought, sure! I'll pay!" Naruto then said while sweating.

Sakura quickly reverted back to her sweet self and she ran straight towards the exit. "Then I see you two boys later!" she said while fixing a smug grin at Naruto.

Sasuke waved back at her in a friendly manner, but he could see that Naruto was feeling kind of weird. This confused the raven-haired man, so he decided to ask him something. "Are you and her in a relationship or some sort?" Sasuke suddenly asked him.

Naruto snapped in return, not believing what he just heard Sasuke ask him. "What kind of question is that!? There's no way that I would've…." Before Naruto could continue, Sasuke interrupted him.

"To be honest, you and she does make a perfect couple. Sakura is a strong woman. I know that she will be yours in the end" the raven-haired man then told him in a slightly smug manner, which astounded Naruto. "You can't fool me, Naruto. I know you still love her" he then said to him.

But Naruto quickly brushed it off and motioned for Naruto to follow him. "Well, what are waiting for? Let's go to my place. I'll lay out the extra bed and tell you anything about where the bathroom is or…" Naruto was stopped when Sasuke stopped.

"This isn't my first time living in an apartment, I know the drill" the raven-haired man told him flatly.

This forced Naruto to smile in return. "Oh right. Sorry" he admitted while scratching behind his neck. "But I'm just so glad that you're back in the village, Sasuke. I don't know what else to say" he then said.

Sasuke forced a light smile with his mouth. "So, shall we go?" he then asked him and Naruto nodded his head in return.

Inside a steak house

This steak house was known to be as tall as a tower. It had undergone some significant changes during the rebuilding of the Leaf Village. In fact, it looked like a tower from a Japanese castle. It was what had become of the former steak house. It was definitely one of the favorite place of Chouji, as he simply loved the steak that as served at this place.

As Sasuke was following Naruto inside the tower, he had taken notice of a few people staring at him coldly. However, the raven-haired man did not seem to mind, as he somehow understood that when he chose the behavior, he chose the consequences. Even as they went inside, only a few people had even taken notice of his presence. However, it was best if he did not receive much attention.

"Ah, there's Sakura and the others. Obviously they have been waiting for us" Naruto told him and they approached a table in which Sakura was sitting at the right edge, Shikamaru at the left edge and Chouji and Ino at the inner side of the table. The outer side of the table were reserved for Naruto and Sasuke. "Hey there, everyone! We're here!" Naruto exclaimed as he took his seat.

Ino faced Sasuke with a smile. "Sasuke, so nice of you to join us! Boy have I really missed you" the blonde-haired woman told him.

Sasuke did not know how to respond, yet he simply waved his hand at Ino and her teammates friendly. "Hello. It's nice to see you all again" he simply said, feeling kind of awkward when saying this. Reconnecting with classmates felt challenging.

"Hey there, Sasuke" Chouji surprisingly returned the greeting in a friendly gesture before pointing his hand at the vacant seat. "You can sit there besides Naruto" he then insisted to him.

"Oh right. Thank you for reminding me" Sasuke said in return before taking his seat besides Naruto.

Ino beamed with confidence as she faced Sasuke. "I'm so glad to see that you're finally free, Sasuke. All of us had hoped that Lady Tsunade and the Leaf Council would see the benefits of not having you imprisoned. And here you are, back and free from all harm" she told Sasuke, as they sat across each other face to face. Sasuke was unsure about how to respond, as he only glanced at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know, Ino" Shikamaru spoke up lazily as usual. "I would've appreciated if he had spent at least some time in…EYOUCH!" Shikamaru winced slightly in pain as Ino had stabbed his left hand with a toothpick. She even glared at him furiously. Shikamaru gritted his teeth. "What the hell are you…." he asked lowly through gritted teeth.

"Behave, Shikamaru!" Ino lowly yet threateningly told him through her gritted teeth. She then pulled out the toothpick.

This forced Shikamaru to face Sasuke with a fake smile. He did that while holding onto his left hand. "Well, what I meant to say was….eh spending some time in hospital…yeah. You did sustain serious injuries, didn't you?" he then asked the raven-haired man, careful not to draw any serious attention from Ino.

Sasuke only nodded. "Yes. I did have injuries. However, I was under full supervision by the guards so it was almost like living in a prison. But I deserved it" the raven-haired man lowly admitted before facing Ino and the others. He tried to smile lightly at them. "I know that some of you have problems in trusting me and I can sympathize with you on that matter. But let me assure you, I mean none of you any harm" he then told them.

Sakura and Naruto were stunned by what he said, as were Ino and her teammates. But at least Ino seemed to be very moved by what he just said.

"Aww, that's a sweet thing to say, Sasuke" Ino spoke up, much to the raven-haired man's own confusion. "So now I hear that you will join the ANBU Black Ops. That sounds interesting" the blonde-haired woman said.

Sasuke nodded his head slightly. "For now, it would be best if I stay in the shadows. I know that the majority of the villagers still hate me. But I can take it" he said only to hear some stomach's grumble. Apparently, it came from Naruto. Sasuke merely raised an eyebrow in question. "Hungry?" he then asked him.

Naruto slumped himself. "Well, yeah. I'm freaking starving. Not to mention the fact I'm in charge of paying…." He stopped as he could hear Sakura crack her knuckles. This forced Naruto to take a drastic approach. "Well, I'm in charge of paying for you all so I'm really glad to help out my friends" the blonde-haired man said while facing Sakura with a wink.

She giggled by seeing this and then faced Ino and the others. "Well, shall we take our order? I say we go for something easy" the pinkette suggested to them.

Chouji nodded his head in return and faced the grill in the middle. "I recommend we take grilled steak and put it on the grill! Ya know how tasty those things are" he said with a hint of hunger on his expression.

Sasuke surprisingly smiled at him. "That sounds like a good recommendation, Chouji. Maybe we should do that, since you're the expert" he then said to the chubby man.

Chouji felt somewhat happy to hear this and he almost shed a tear, which made everyone confused. "I didn't realize how I needed to hear those words, Sasuke. You never judge me for the food I chose…...unlike some others I could name" he said before briefly look to his right side at Ino.

The blondie snapped at this glance of his. "What!? Oh please, I have never judged you for what food you eat, Chouji! Stop sounding so insecure!" she scolded him. She then turned her sweet and generous expression towards Sasuke. "So…what do you wanna eat, Sasuke?" she then asked him.

Sasuke forced a slight smile. "Well, I'm not familiar with this menu, but I think I'll have grilled steak, along with water" he then answered her.

Naruto fixed a smug glance at everyone on the table. "We're not gonna celebrate without some good-old-fashioned sake, right?" he then asked them all before facing Sakura. "Come on, Sakura. Let us celebrate, just this night" he then told her.

Sakura sighed deeply before fixing a smile. "Alright, we'll take that as well. But remember, no refill!" she sternly told them all.

The food was served and everyone was enjoying with grilled steak, as well as some wasabi and rice. They first had water to drink, before the small bottles of sake came to their table. So far, they were all enjoying their meal, even Sasuke. He was glad to have joined this trip, as it gave him a perfect opportunity to reconnect with his former classmates, although he understood that it was a long way to go.

"Hey Naruto, would you like to pour some sake on my cup?" Sakura asked him sweetly.

The blonde-haired man gulped, yet he smiled as he did that. "Sure. Here you go, Sakura" he said as he poured the sake. Sakura smiled as he did that.

Sasuke saw this shared between those two and could not help but to smile. He realized that those two were perfect for each other, and he was glad on their behalf. However, the raven-haired man's thoughts were interrupted by the voice of Ino.

"Um Sasuke. Could you pour some sake on my cup, please?" she asked him sweetly while giving him her cup.

The raven-haired was surprised at first and he felt unsure. However, he eventually took the bottle of sake and filled up Ino's cup. He then nodded at her and gave Ino her cup.

"Here's your cup, enjoy" Sasuke said, feeling unsure whether those were the right words for him to say.

Ino gently took the cup and giggled. "Thanks, Sasuke. I appreciate your helpfulness" she then said, nodding her head at him in gratitude.

Shikamaru only rolled his eyes as he saw what Ino was doing. "Don't try taking advantage of him, Ino. You know very well that….." Shikamaru paused by seeing Ino glare at him furiously. This forced Shikamaru to chuckle lightly in return. "Relax, I was just being sarcastic. I know that you wouldn't take advantage of him and he the other way. That's just…." Shikamaru suddenly felt a punch on his face by Ino, thus making him fall onto the floor despite the fact that they were sitting on the floor.

"Will you stop messing around, Shikamaru? I'm trying to enjoy my meal here!" Ino then told Shikamaru.

"Gee, Ino. You really don't need to hit your teammates. That's so unnecessary" Sakura scolded her.

Ino glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "Says you? You keep banging Naruto for no reason, Sakura. How do you justify that kind of behavior towards your teammate?" she then pointed out to him.

Before Sakura could say anything in return, Naruto stepped in and held up his cup before the pinkette. Sakura was confused and watched the blonde-haired man, who fixed an innocent-looking expression on his face. Apparently, he wanted something from her.

"Umm…..could you pour some sake to me, Sakura? Ya know, since I did that for you?" he then asked him gently. He hoped that this would stop ease her anger and to Naruto's surprise, it did. The pinkette smiled at him and then started pouring some sake into his cup. Naruto grinned with satisfaction and then decided to take a drink from the cup. He drank all the sake and he gasped in relief. "Ah, that was refreshing! Always good to fill my throat with something as refreshing!" he then exclaimed and then glanced over at Sasuke, who was still concentrating eating his food. "Hey Sasuke, aren't you gonna try some sake? I guarantee you it tastes good" he then asked Sasuke, although it was uncertain whether he was drunk or not.

The raven-haired man smiled at his friend in return and slightly shook his head. "I appreciate your generous offer, but I'm still trying to eat" Sasuke said, only to feel his stomach grumble slightly. It made him curse silently, yet all his friends continued to watch him confused. Sasuke chuckled. "Well, I'm still hungry. And maybe I could eat some more steaks. That would end my hunger" he then noted to himself.

"Here you go, Sasuke. Enjoy!" Ino said sweetly as she used her sticks to pick up the three remaining steaks on the grill, before giving them to Sasuke's table. "You must be really hungry, so you can take the rest of them" the blondie then added sweetly, much to Sasuke's own astonishment. Nevertheless, he did nod at her lowly, as a thank you.

Chouji snapped by seeing Ino's actions. "But Ino, I was gonna eat those steaks!" the chubby man began pouting after seeing the steaks being given to Sasuke.

"Oh shush with you, Chouji! Sasuke's the one hungry here, not you!" she scolded her teammate, and Chouji backed down after hearing those words. "And besides, all those steaks not good for you" the blondie added to her statement.

Hearing this made Chouji feel somewhat sad, yet he did not cry. "You don't have be so mean" he then said lowly while facing his teammate with a somewhat ashamed look on her face.

"Honestly Ino. You're acting like a sanctimonious bitch right now" Sakura sternly told her, much to the snapping of Shikamaru, Chouji and Naruto. Sasuke did not know what was going one right now.

However, Ino simply glared at Sakura in return with narrowed eyes. "What did you just call me!? Oh, I get it! You're jealous because I'm willing to show more kindness to Sasuke than you, Billboard Brow!" the blondie said to her in return.

Sakura rose up from her seat and angrily glared daggers at Ino. "What did you just say to me, Ino-pig!? I dare you to come and say that before my face!" the pinkette taunted back at Ino.

"You heard what I said!" Ino said as she rose up from her seat and glared at Sakura in return. "You just don't have enough guts to admit that I'm the sexiest in the Leaf Village!" she then challenged the pinkette.

"WHAT!?" Sakura asked in an offended manner and continued this glaring-contest against Ino. "Look who's talking! I am way more woman than you!" the pinkette said back to her.

Naruto knew that he needed to interfere, so he simply tried to block Sakura from ever walking towards Ino or as much as lay a hand on her. "Calm down, Sakura! You're freaking embarrassing us for crying out loud" Naruto pleaded to her while sweating.

"No! I'm about to teach Ino here as lesson in respect!" Sakura said defiantly in return.

Meanwhile, Chouji knew he would have to do the same with Ino, so he rose up and tried to restrain her as well. It did not end well as he would've hoped. "Ino, stop acting so self-righteous. Can't you and Sakura just…." The chubby man was stopped by Ino angrily glaring at him.

"Shut up, fatass!" she then said the harshest word that was very sensitive to Chouji.

The brown-haired man was furious over the word, so he threw a tantrum. "I'M NOT FAT, I'M BIG-BONED! HUMAN BOULDER!" he then angrily exclaimed while using the attack to wreak havoc on the entire tower.

Later…..

Naruto was walking along with Sasuke and it was night. The blonde-haired man was feeling quite depressed and Sasuke could see that. The raven-haired man on the other hand seemed perfectly composed and only tried to help up Naruto each time he fell onto the ground.

"I can't believe I had to pay up the half the damages to the steakhouse….now I don't have any money left…." Naruto said while facing the ground, tears of frustration streaming from his eyes. "I mean, how come I got dragged into this mess!? It was Chouji who did most of the damaging!" he then asked out in anger as he walked.

While listening to this, Sasuke could not help but to smile as he watched the road ahead of him. "You know something? I'm glad that all of you remain the same" he said, much to the surprise of Naruto.

"Huh? But how can you be so sure?" Naruto asked before he yawned deeply in return. "Anyways, let's just go back and get some rest, I'm tired of all this bullcrap!" he then said.

As he watched Naruto walk, Sasuke could not help but to think about his elder brother Itachi and what he had done for the Leaf Village. He was now the last of the Uchiha, the last of his clan. But was it necessary for him to be continuing avenging his clan? Not anymore. Sasuke was thinking about what his current fate was.

"Itachi, you sacrificed much to preserve this village's existence. While I may never understand why you loved it so much…I can see why you chose this to live this way of life" Sasuke thought as he walked. "Someday, I will understand your motives. By staying in the village, I know I can find the answers that I need" the raven-haired man thought.

To be continued…..

Authors' note: That was the first of this short prequel to A New Generation. I will try to make this as original as I possibly can. The story will not just be focused on Naruto and Sasuke, but also Kiba, Shikamaru, Lee and others who ends up marrying and making the families that you'll find in A New Generation. I can't say what the next chapter will be, but I may write something about Kiba and Hinata. Also, the Sasuke in my story may have the same personality as Batman and Samurai Jack. He is still trying to figure out a way to deal with the darkness inside of him. Well, stay tuned for more!