Return Of The Madness

Chapter 28

Outside, a mob had gathered. They threw rocks, fruit, and other miscellanious items at Yuma as they jeered and wished for her death.

She couldn't blame them, and kept her head down as she moved through the crowd. The guards made no attempt to protect her, but she couldn't blame them either. The only one's trying were Temari and Kankuro, who shouted at the offenders and deflected what they could, with Temari occasionally barking angrily at the guards.

Once inside the building, Yuma sighed at the relief of silence. She was led down a few halls until Kankuro and Temari jogged ahead to walk in front of them, and two serving nin opened the heavy looking double doors to where her fate will be decided.

"Yuma!" a shocked, enraged, familiar voice shouted. Yuma looked up in shock, and saw Naruto tanding with his palms pressed against the table. He trembled with rage as he looked at the state of her: freshly bruised from the crowd outside, the entire right side of her face sporting a rather hideous scar, and her right eye, the color of the iris had changed, looking shattered as the usual rusty red took the right side, but the demonice molten red dominated the left, as the demon inside her had struggled to repair the damage along side the Suna medic nins. The demon that still hasn't spoken to her since she'd regained her memories....

But now wasn't the time, Yuma wasn't prepared, or expecting, to see her team here. Sakura sat on Naruto's left, tears in her eyes and her hands covering her mouth in horror. Kakashi sat on Naruto's other side, clear rage in his visible eye, but he kept himself seated and quiet. No one else was here, which was simultaneously saddening, and relieving for Yuma. She wanted to see Shika again too, and Ibiki, especially if this could be her last chance to say goodbye...

But before she could say anything, she was being moved to the front of the room and turned to face Gaara and the Suna Council, a collection of 12 old men, all regarding her with stern expressions.

"Yuma Vex," Gaara started, but Yuma, unsure of how to intervene, raised her hand and he paused. "Yes."

"I, uh, Prefer Hatake, Panda-chan," she muttered, unable to look over to her team.

"Of course," Gaara nodded in understanding as a few of the council members scoffed at her lack of professionalism by using the nickname. "Yuma Hatake, you are sentence to the murder of 87 Sunagakure nin-"

"And the kidnapping of the Kazekage," one of the elders cut in harshly, and Gaara sent a sharp look to the old man.

"Thank you, Sajo," he said coldly, not sounding especially grateful at all. He turned his seafoam eyes back to Yuma, who met his gaze steadily. "I will give you time to plead your case before decisions are made as to your... fate."

"I understand," Yuma nodded. She regarded the whole table of council members before her, making eye contact with each one. Most stared at her with distain, others with caution, a few with intrigue.

He won't stop until I'm either dead or back under his control....

She recalled her recent conversation with Temari. Her eyes moved to her feet. "I did kill those nin," she stated first, waiting for some sort of response. When there was none, she continued. "I didn't have to. My part in the mission was simply to assure we wouldn't be followed. Whether they wound up dead or alive in the end, was entirely my decision." She wasn't helping her case, she knew that. But as much as she wanted to go home, she wanted her family to be safe as well, even if her dying was what it took.

"I do not expect forgiveness," she stated. "What I did... What I did can not be forgiven. I know this. No matter the state of mind I held, it was no excuse... I'm responsible."

She made the mistake of glancing at her team, and regretted it instantly. Naruto was being vizibly held in his seat, practically shuddering with the urge to yell. Sakura was sobbing quietly, and Kakashi was gazing at her sadly, pleading for her to say something to convince the council to relinquish their death sentence, to let her go home.