Island of Storms [Sakura]

Chapter 61 | Freedom

After the news of Gaara being proven innocent reached the three siblings, they had a meeting at Temari and Shikamaru's home.

"I'm not going back," Kankuro stated, arms crossed as he sat at the dining table.

"What, and you think we are?" Temari asked. "They outcast Gaara for most of his life and decided that they could just do so again on a whim after he helped them so much."

"I'll be asking for resignation of citizenship, like the others are doing with Konoha," Gaara muttered, surprising the others.

"That was fast..." she muttered about the amount of time it took to make a decision.

"I've been thinking about it for a while. What I would do if things sorted themselves out?"

"Try and extort them," Kankuro grinned. "Get some money."

"I think a clean parting of ways is better for all of you," Shikamaru put forward. "It means the less they can vilify you with and they'll feel even more guilt if they do so at all."

Kankuro clicked his tongue but agreed.

"So I guess we'll have to go back to fill out papers," he groaned.

"Now would be the best time to do it..." Temari muttered. "We'll have to talk with Lady Sakura about it."

And later the next day, they did. Sakura had been waiting for their answers and was flattered by the fact that they wished to stay. They all had been much help in setting up the village and were important shinobi, it would have been a hard hit to lose them.

Instead of just sending them off, Sakura offered them one of the smaller flying carriages to use for their trip, which they accepted happily. After a bit of preparation, they set off the next day.

While Sakura expected the next week to be a waiting game, she received a letter from A that surprised her. Apparently, he had had a meeting with the Tsuchikage and A had shared Sakura's story with them at great risk. But with great risk comes great reward, as the Tsuchikage took their side and they now had three villages that would back her.

It was something unexpected and Sakura had to wonder what exactly they would want in return. Though, she could already guess that they may want some sort of positive link with the tailed beasts. If that was the case she was surprised more villages were not running to her with offers.

With that, the week ended and the three from Konoha arrived back, free from any chains that had held them there. Their citizenship forms were confirmed and Kosai legally changed his surname and given name as he learned about the many others that had joined his clan.

"There's so many," he muttered, looking at the clan listing that was kept in the archives. He only had access to it because he was the founder of the clan.

"They're all pretty interested in meeting with you," the archivist, Eri, smiled. "But while you're here, Lady Namikage asked me to have you pick one of these compound layouts. Since you founded the clan, you have the most say in these sorts of things."

She set down a small portfolio and he opened it to find four different layouts for areas within the clan section of the island. He looked over them in awe as he had never expected to be choosing something like it. After a short inner debate, he pulled the one he liked from the portfolio.

It had a few parks and many more single houses than the rest, as well as having a large building in the shape of a triangle. Inside it was a courtyard with tile designs in the shape of the clan symbol, which had drawn his attention.

He handed it to Eri and she smiled, giving a nod before telling him she would have it sent to Sakura. She then gave him the information that many of the older members were looking to speak with him about a few things and gave him a slip of paper with a meeting date on it.

"Lady Namikage will be there with you, so there's no need to worry about being alone."

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Tsunade looked at the three scrolls in front of her with shaking eyes, unsure of how exactly to go about the situation.

The three scrolls were from very large hidden villages and Kages: the Mizukage, the Raikage, and the Tsuchikage. Each was about the same.

They were pressuring her to remove all people involved with the failed raid from the bingo books.

At the moment that included her own student as well as the next head of the Nara clan, son of the current Aburame head, and a member of the Yamanaka clan. It had been discovered that the two had faked their deaths, but they had yet to be put in a bingo book as it was recent.

Tsunade covered her face with her hands. She would have to do what the other Kage wanted, she had no choice with there being three.

"Shizune..."

"Yes, my Lady..?" her assistant asked.

"Get me some sake and a member of the World Shinobi Association."

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Weeks passed and the three siblings returned from Suna just in time to see the announcement in the case office about those who were wanted from Konoha being freed of all charges put on them. Many small celebrations were held by them, though Ino, Tenten, and Neji were surprised to see their names on the list as they assumed Konoha had thought they were dead. They would have to resign citizenship as well, but that was something to think about another day.

Sakura finally felt a weight lift off her shoulders as she drank with her friends. They were all free from the negativity and suppression they felt in Konoha. Things were looking up in Arashi for those who had been in hiding and they were looking toward a brighter future.

The next step would be to come out of hiding, and that in itself would cause a wave of change.