Wrapping her hands around her own mug as she sat down, she peered patiently over at Naruto, who was slurping up the soup in such a revolting manner. He stopped only long enough to give his answer before beginning to eat in an unsightly style once more.
"I have a letter from Tsunade-obaachan for you," Naruto told her, the soup apparently distracting him.
"A letter?"
Naruto set his chopsticks down and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before reaching for the letter in his pants pocket; Sakura was glad to note that he used the hand that he hadn't wiped his mouth with. Withdrawing it, he handed it across the table to her. Sasuke turned his head up to face her as she opened the yellow envelope.
"It's a really scary letter, just so you know," Naruto said with a shudder.
"You read it?" Sasuke raised his eyebrows slightly in disbelief at Naruto.
"Well, I just wanted to know what it was about, but the beginning was too unnerving for me to get to the end," Naruto replied, fidgeting nervously with his chopsticks.
Frowning a little, Sakura withdrew the white folded papers from with in and after unfurling it, she laughed out loud.
NARUTO! PUT THIS LETTER BACK IN THE ENVELOPE RIGHTNOW
After reading the bolded and capitalized statement aloud so that Sasuke could find out what was so funny, a smirk passed over the Uchiha's face; Sakura turned back to Naruto, a twinkle in her eye.
"You certainly have a reputation," she told him with a grin, before turning back to read the letter, skipping over the loud message written at the top. As her eyes scanned the words, she ignored the background noise that Naruto had produced.
("Oi, why aren't you wearing your forehead protector?" Naruto pestered, noticing that Sasuke's forehead was indeed void of the protector.
"I haven't put it on yet," came Sasuke's even reply, "Dobe."
"Hey!" Naruto cried indignantly.)
The bickering was tuned out after that.
Sakura,
My apologies for the bolded line above, but I wouldn't put it past Naruto to try and read the letter to find out what it is. You and I both know how he is.
Anyways, I am writing this letter to inform you of Sasuke's punishment in regard to his crimes against the village. As you are no doubt aware, he has been questioned three times since his return to Konoha and after discussing it thoroughly with the village council, we have come to an understanding that he has given us as much information as he is able. However, even though he has been of utmost help in providing us with knowledge of the Sound Village, there has been a collective agreement that that alone isn't enough to pardon him entirely. I tried my best, under the circumstances, to get him cleared—without abusing my position of Hokage.
It has been decided that his punishment will be reduced to a number of hours of community service. Do not be deceived by the word 'hours', as the time he must serve is three months—just over two thousand hours.
However, knowing what I do about Sasuke, he will not be eager to do hours of community services in the way of doing odd jobs about town, so I took into consideration about the request Sasuke put forth to you, in remaining a shinobi. Knowing that would take a couple months longer than regular rehabilitation, I have decided to permit you to honor his request and continue to stay with him. If there is any controversy or complaints, tell me and I shall have it straightened out. The reason I am allowing you to assist Sasuke in staying a ninja, is so that he may work off his hours in the form of missions. I expect you to train him well, Sakura.
Good luck with rehab, and work hard. You haven't wasted your time training with me—remember that.
Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves,
Tsunade
P.S. I expect periodic updates on your progress.
"Well?" Sasuke asked, as she folded the letter up, placing it back in the envelope.
"What did it say, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, blinking at her curiously.
Sakura gave a semi-sigh, not sure whether this was good news or bad. Sasuke had gotten off the hook, but on the other hand, shoved with three months service time. Wondering how she should put it, Sasuke tapped the table slightly with his fingers—a sign that he was getting somewhat impatient.
"Well, Sasuke," she started, still somewhat thrown off by the letter's contents, "Your sentence has been lightened considerably—however…"
"However…?" he raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Your sentence has been reduced from death, to community service," Sakura said calmly, "Three months worth."
"Nani?!" Naruto exclaimed, bursting out laughing "Sasuke doing community service?!"
After casting a trademark glare in Naruto's general direction, Sasuke turned to Sakura, "Didn't they find my information helpful?"
"Yes, but the council decided collectively that it wasn't enough to give you a full pardon," Sakura sighed; she herself had hoped that what he had given them would be able to get him off the hook, "However, Tsunade-sama is says that you can work off the hours in the form of missions for the village, which means that she is permitting me to stay longer, until you are fully trained again."
"Good," he stated in response, taking up a spoon for his miso stew.
"NANI?!" Naruto exclaimed, sobering from his peals of laughter, "You're staying here longer?!"
"Naruto, please," Sakura said frowning at him in a disapproving manner, "If this was a novel, I can see almost everything that comes out of your mouth ending in a question mark followed by an exclamation mark."
"The Hokage is permitting you to stay?" Sasuke said after a moment, "You told me that I was the one who decided when you left."
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