Wow, that summary sucked. Another old fic, not much to say... sorry ^^; I hope you like it! Enjoy! =) I apologize for any mistakes there might be. Once more, it was saved on a disc and it won't save my corrections. This is rated M for mature mentions.
My Boy
Uchiha Itachi is a very patient person, as he's learned to be patient through something that happened a long time ago. The Uchiha are a rare breed of panther demon that live in a compound deep within the forests near Konoha, which is the heart of the demon community. Konoha is where Itachi works, much to the dislike of his father, and he has always traveled back and forth without hassle. Itachi is the pride of his clan, the perfect demon in their eyes, and learns with an aptitude no one else within the clan can manage. He's the heir to the Uchiha clan, the next in line to be the clan alpha, but all he can see when he's at home… is his little brother. Of course, Sasuke is easy to pick out of a crowd of Uchiha his own age… as Sasuke is not one of them. When Sasuke was born, Itachi immediately knew he wanted to protect the cub. The first three years after the strange little cub's birth, Itachi's father had held a terrible bloodlust for him though it was the others within their clan that attempted to kill him. Nori was never so forthright to do it himself or even hire someone, as he strived to look like the perfect person in the eyes of his clan. He ignored Sasuke as much as possible, refusing to allow Mikoto to care for him unless Itachi is at work. Over the years, that malice had vanished and Nori keeps a sharp eye on Sasuke while he's within eyesight. For some reason, the tiny cub has always been capable of dousing the fire of hatred within the hearts of panther demons… because Sasuke is a child of the snow.
Nori and Mikoto are sitting at the table chatting, their relationship strengthening after Nori made the first attempts toward speaking to the cub. When she found she was pregnant with him he was ecstatic, thinking this would be yet another perfect child… but when he looked upon the babe to see that he was a snow leopard, he was furious and refused to have anything to do with him or his unfaithful mate. It took four years for Mikoto to prove that she was not unfaithful, the news traveling a tad slower to their secluded home about what really happened. Apparently, Mikoto had gone on a mission for Nori to the small bar and inn between Konoha and their home. On that same night, there was a terrible field fire that managed to burn a hallucinogen from one of the rarer herbs into the air. She found herself alone in one of the inn rooms the next morning, still suffering aftereffects from the drug that was accidentally loosed upon the small bar. Nori was a tad happier, but the new problem was… who helped conceive their youngest. Unfortunately, they never found out.
"I trust your day went well," Mikoto says.
"As well as any other," Nori sighs. "The elder demons are still complaining about not having an heir to the throne. I have half a mind to set Sasuke before them and demand they shut up."
"You wouldn't," Mikoto frowns teasingly.
"No… I wouldn't… But it seems like a good idea in thought," he mumbles.
The door opens and closes with barely a sound, his nose catching Sasuke's scent as he begins to scamper upstairs without a word. It's not unusual for Sasuke to not speak, as he rarely ever does, so he's not concerned. The scent of blood isn't unusual either, for Sasuke isn't a very careful cub though he excels at much. He spends much of his time either reading or sleeping within the trees, he rarely ever swims or plays with other cubs. He does, however work very hard to learn his lessons and usually overdoes it and hurts himself. What is unusual, is the fact that he didn't slam the door to tell them he's home… that means something is bothering him or he doesn't want them to know he's home. Officially, Itachi is Sasuke's parent as he is the one with the most knowledge on how to care for a snow leopard being his mate is one and they've had two already, but Itachi is still not home from work… and Nori is getting worried.
"Nori?" Mikoto wonders when he stands up.
"I'm just going to check on him," he assures.
He's quiet while climbing the steps, hearing Sasuke rummaging around within the bathroom across from his bedroom while the water is drawn. It's not often Sasuke takes a bath during the day, as he usually gets Itachi to take one with him at night. He may be fifteen, but he's only an Infant in demon years and has infantile needs. At home, Sasuke stays in the body of a five year old as his clan can take care of him. His age is managed by a demonic jutsu all demon parents know, keeping them young enough to pamper when with their parent and letting them grow old enough to fight when without. Nori doesn't bother knocking, as he doesn't want to give Sasuke a chance to hide whatever he's trying to hide, and he opens the door. Sasuke gasps and yanks up his pants so quickly he nearly trips over them, his eyes of onyx ice wide and glassy with tears. He may have been quick to hide, but not quick enough that Nori didn't see what is was he was hiding. Trailing down his small porcelain thighs are streams of blood and a creamy substance he knows all too well, his usually moon kissed hips bruised and his backside is ripped from the abuse. Nori breathes to calm himself, closing his eyes as he steps in to shut the door behind him.
"Okay," he says. "I'm going to handle this calmly and rationally. First, we're going to clean you up. Then, I'm going to take care of your wounds. After that… you will tell me who did this."
Sasuke looks fearful but nods anyway, letting Nori help him out of his clothes so he can take inventory on the damage. He doesn't remove his frown, his eyes sad and angry, as he lifts Sasuke up and sets him in the warm water. Nori washes his hair, onyx with starlight silver streaks like the midnight sky, scrubbing the soap deep to cleanse his scalp before rinsing it out. Sasuke purrs happily, splashing within the water as he plays with the bubbles. Nori doesn't give Sasuke as much attention as he would like, as he's always very busy with business pertaining to their territory, so these little moments where he can spend time alone with the light hearted and smiling cub… no cub within the panther community smiles… is always a breath of fresh air. Though it's considered weak to indulge cubs with attention that isn't used to train them for fighting and war, Nori knows that Sasuke is very different from all those that he's helped train before him. Itachi learned quickly and loved his lessons, but Sasuke… he isn't like them, he's more attentive to a soft voice and a small compliment.
"Okay, let's take care of those injuries," Nori sighs as he dries the cub off.
"I don't wanna," Sasuke pouts.
"None of that," Nori scolds lightly as he taps Sasuke's nose. "We don't want infections to set in."
"But, Papa," Sasuke whines.
Ever since they can remember, Sasuke had imprinted Itachi as his father and his parents as his grandparents. They never bothered to correct him, as that's basically how they ran things. It would've been too confusing to explain everything to a young and impressionable mind… plus, they really didn't mind having yet another grandcub.
"Now, now," Nori chuckles. "You've seen what happens when infections get too bad, haven't you? Don't want to amputate, do you?"
"No, Papa, no!" Sasuke pouts though he knows Nori is only teasing.
Nori picks him up, cuddling him affectionately before setting him on the toilet lid gently. His healing is fire-based, so it will harm Sasuke more than heal him. After a moment's thought, he casts a questioning look toward his little cub. Sasuke is looking to the floor, watching his knee length spotted tail twitch and swish languidly. Nori smiles affectionately, as he knows Sasuke's eyes are intently following his tail's movements and he's trying very hard not to chase it.
"How does Itachi heal your wounds?" he asks.
He never says 'Aniki' in front of Sasuke, as he always gets excited and thinks Itachi and his mate had had an older brother for him before he came along. They had made the mistake only once, but that was enough. He had followed his 'mama', Glacier, around asking when his aniki was coming home, wondering all sorts of things about them, until it led to his 'mama' sitting Itachi down and forcing him to tell Sasuke he misheard. Itachi has had plenty of cubs in his many years, as he's a good eighty years in human years which would put him in the Teenager group in demonic years, but all those children are well past Sasuke's age group… His youngest is a Toddler-going-on-Pre-teen named Dante, but he has already moved out on his own as he was a very independent cub. Ever since then, Sasuke has been patiently awaiting a chance to meet his aniki… whichever one never mattered to him, he just wanted to meet one… so they've never mentioned the word again. It's always either 'Itachi' or 'your daddy'.
"Daddy uses ice cubes," Sasuke mumbles watching his tail.
"Alright, don't move," Nori says patting his head. "I'll be right back with a few ice cubes."
Sasuke nods dazedly, never glancing up from the tip of his tail as Nori makes his leave. He hurries down the stairs and heads to the kitchen with a hum, opening the freezer and removing a tray of ice cubes they make only for Sasuke… as panthers, they prefer the heat to the cold and they never use them. When he closes the freezer door, he gasps and almost falls over. Though he's a powerful panther, Itachi is more powerful and makes a game of startling his dear father.
"Itachi, don't do that!" Nori snaps. "One of these days I'm going to die of a heart attack!"
"… What are the ice cubes for?" Itachi wonders off topic. "I thought you didn't like them. You told me they were too cold for you last I offered you one."
"They are," he says. "My dear grand cub had a little… accident. I'm just fixing him up."
"I'll do it."
"You wouldn't deny me a little one on one time with my cub, would you?" Nori pouts. "It's been weeks since the last time I got to tend his injuries."
"… You don't want me to see them, do you?" Itachi frowns.
"…"
"How bad are they?"
"… I'll talk to you about it after I put him to bed," Nori sighs in defeat. "I just don't want you to upset him. You know how he gets when you get angry, he'll blame himself and he'll cry for three days to a week."
"Alright, but you'd better tell me about it later."
Sasuke is still wrapped in the huge towel that seems as big as his body, sitting on the toilet seat quietly. He's no longer watching his tail, because he's given into the temptation and caught it. Now he sits happily as he chews on the tip of his tail, licking the fur and cleaning it with his rough tongue.
"Got them," Nori smiles.
"… Daddy is home, isn't he?" Sasuke immediately gasps. "I can smell him on you."
"He's home…"
"He's mad at me, I know he is! It's all my fault I got hurt, I…"
"Sasuke, please calm down," Nori sighs. "I'm tending your wounds, your daddy let me. See, he's not mad at all. If he were, he wouldn't have let me care for you."
Sasuke sniffles, but nods in understanding. It's true, Itachi never lets anyone care for him if he's home unless it's something he's not worried about. Though Sasuke is positive he's worried, him letting Nori finish what he started is a good sign. Nori rubs the ice on his bruised and abused skin, the injuries vanishing within the cold as this is what Sasuke is made of as a child of the snow and he always heals instantly when within his own element. The same goes for all demons, which is why cubs always stay close to their clan members. Once Sasuke is healed, Nori lifts him into his arms towel and all. He takes him to his room and lays him down for his afternoon nap.
"You go to sleep now," Nori smiles while tapping Sasuke's nose. "Lunch will be ready when you wake, but right now… Papa has to go talk to your daddy."
"Okay," Sasuke grins.
"Climb into your jammies and get some sleep, you look tired."
"I will, Papa," Sasuke purrs.
He hurries over to his dresser and pulls out his favorite pajamas, an oversized button up dress shirt that used to belong to Itachi before Sasuke snuck into his room and stole it. Itachi looked for it for a week before he caught Sasuke sleeping with it like a blanket, yet he allowed his cub to keep it after he learned Sasuke used the scent of his daddy that clung to it to keep the nightmares away. After the cub clambers into bed, all evidence of his less than innocent attack gone with the cold of the ice, Nori closes his door and walks quietly back downstairs. Itachi is waiting for him with Mikoto, both drinking their tea quietly as they wait.
"Sasuke was… attacked," Nori sighs after a moment.
"What sort of attack?" Mikoto wonders curiously. "People don't just attack young cubs, Nori. Why would they want to hurt my… I mean… Itachi's baby?"
"He's your's, too, Mother," Itachi says softly.
"… Please don't over react, Itachi, I'm begging you," Nori whispers with a hiss. "I will take care of this, I swear."
"What happened to my cub," Itachi hisses with a glare more venomous than any poison.
"… Someone… forced him down," Nori says with downcast eyes. "He said it was five boys, two toddlers and three pre-teens… two from this clan."
"WHAT!"
"Hush, Itachi," Mikoto says when she picks up Sasuke stirring. "You'll wake Sasuke!"
"I know them, I'll deal with them," Nori sighs. "Their parents really like Sasuke, they'll be pissed when I tell them what happened. I know the punishment will be as severe as possible."
"And the other three? What of them?"
"I'll take care of it, trust me," Nori says. "He's my cub, too. I'm just as angry as you are, but please… let me handle this."
"… Fine," Itachi grumbles before lightening. "On a brighter note, I'm moving to Konoha."
"… What?" his parents gasp.
"No, it's okay," Itachi assures. "I'll have the weekends off, three days, and Konoha's not far from here. I'll be back to spend the weekends with you, I promise."
"You'll be taking Sasuke, I assume," Mikoto says quietly.
"That would be best considering what's happened," Nori sighs. "I don't want him gone any more than you, but… I want what's best for him."
"Then it's settled, I'll pack him tomorrow," Mikoto says sadly.
Itachi says nothing, as he never expected to take Sasuke with him. He seriously never even thought about it, as he figured his parents would put up more of a fight to keep the cub close. He never mentioned to his employer that he had a cub, though Glacier was going to go with him. Glacier is a snow leopard from the Sallow clan, a clan from the Snow Country unrelated to the royal blooded Hatake clan. He met her on a mission when he was in the Infant age group, fell in love, and has been with her ever since. They've had around five cubs together, three boys and two girls… two twins and one single… and all have been pure in either snow or fire. The first cubs were twins of fire, Flicker and Ash, both boys. The next were twins of snow, Snowfall and Flurry, both girls. The last was their son, Dante, a panther of fire. Now, they cared for Sasuke as though he were their own. She loved having the cub around, the boy staying with Itachi and Glacier over the week and then spending time with his 'grandparents' over the weekend. Now, Itachi heads to his small apartment to speak with Glacier with the knowledge that she'll be packed and ready by the time he gets there… she's always been rather prompt and responsible, unlike his employers, the Hatake clan.
"Glacier," he calls.
"Itachi-kun!" she grins happily. "Um… where's my little cherub?"
"It's only Saturday, mother and father have him," he smiles. "Are we packed and ready?"
"Of course, need you ask?"
"There's one more thing… uh… about Sasuke…"
"We're taking him along," she says more than questions. "I won't have it any other way, he's my cub and he belongs with us."
"… Uh… yeah," Itachi mutters. "That's the conclusion we came to at mother and father's."
"They didn't argue?"
"They basically decided," Itachi sighs. "Of course, we will be staying here for the weekend as always."
"… Why didn't they argue?" she demands with an intimidating frown. "It's not like them to send him off outside the compound."
"He got in… an accident… of sorts," Itachi sighs. "It's being taken care of."
"What happened to my little cherub!" Glacier snaps on immediate parental bloodlust. "Is he hurt? Who harmed him? I'll tear them apart!"
"It was between him and a few other cubs, father is taking care of it. Please, love, let's just get ready to go. We'll meet mother and father at the gates tomorrow morning."
"… alright," she relents reluctantly. "But I will not let my little cherub out of my sight for the next week."
"That's fine with me," he nods in agreement.
The next morning, Nori wakes to find Sasuke snuggled between him and Mikoto. Obviously, Sasuke had a bad dream about what happened yesterday and tried to find a bit of comfort from his grandparents. He smiles and pats his head, gently waking Mikoto and getting up to get ready to depart. He carries a slumbering Sasuke to the gates of the compound, the cub's overnight bag in Mikoto's hand as Sasuke snoozes on Nori's shoulder. Itachi and Glacier are already there, chatting happily about their new home and what they can expect. Sasuke has never had friends within the compound, so the fresh start will be good for him and he'll be around many cubs his age who's parents also live within the Hatake compound.
"My little cherub," Glacier grins happily.
She's called Sasuke that since the day Itachi brought him home, his angelic little face barely changing as he grew up with those large and innocent eyes. She was pleasantly surprised to see that even in his teenage form, that gives him enough strength and mobility to defend himself, he still looks like an angel… a fallen angel, but an angel none the less.
"Mama?" he murmurs.
"Come to mama, precious cherub!"
"Papa, why are we here?" he asks as Glacier picks him from Nori's grasp.
"Itachi found a place to live closer to work," he smiles. "You'll have many cubs your age to play with, you'll come visit on weekends like always, and there'll be much more room for you to explore."
"But…"
"Cub, this is for the best," Itachi sighs. "I waited a long time to move closer to work, this is very important to all of us. Please, understand."
"… Okay," Sasuke sighs.
It isn't long before they're walking through the gates to Konoha, Glacier walking before them with Itachi watching Sasuke walk every which way in curiosity. There's a small group waiting for them at the entrance, however they meet Glacier first. They're all snow leopards, but the two different clans have their own differences. Glacier has snow white hair and porcelain skin with a light blue snowflake on her left arm, but these have silver hair and tanned skin with a navy 7 on their left cheek for the dominants and various different marks for the submissives.
"Hey, you're Glacier, right?" a tomboyish female asks.
She has the mark for a dominant, one passed from father to cub, and she's a mix with a water demon that gives her light blue eyes and a blue tint to her hair and fur. Beside her is a slightly hipster male, her twin, with the same markings but with long hair tied back like Itachi's in a low ponytail. Whereas her clothes are perfect for a scrapper, his clothes are loose and comfortable and his sunglasses rest low on the bridge of his nose.
"Ah… you're Blizzard? And you must be her twin, Gale," Glacier points out. Itachi has told me much about the both of you."
"Where is the cool cat anyway?" Gale wonders a bit bouncy.
"Behind me, probably chasing our cub," Glacier chuckles. "He's always into trouble."
"Cub? Itachi didn't mention he had a cub," a mysterious male states.
He's in a long white cloak with gray tinted hair and fur, the product of a shadow demon mix. Though his face is mostly covered, leaving only his hair and eyes revealed, his voice is strangely clear and sharp. It brings shivers to Glacier, as she knows this is one of the most powerful demons in the Hatake clan… the second oldest if, you count the triplets as one, named Wraith.
"Um… yeah, he's fifteen but we keep him a nice manageable five," she stammers. "He's a very well behaved cub."
"Come here you," Itachi laughs.
"No, Daddy, you have to catch me," Sasuke laughs as he runs to keep Glacier between them.
"Oh, I'll catch you alright," Itachi chuckles as he pretends to try and reach the cub. "But when I do, I'm gonna tickle you until you pee your pants."
"Mama, Mama, help!" Sasuke calls.
"Itachi, I believe you have a welcoming committee," Glacier smiles as she lifts up her cub.
"Huh?"
He glance up, smiling at the group of three. He knows these demons well, as they're the older siblings to the Demon Lord. The Demon Lord and his family aren't that big into their titles, repeatedly running off to sleep in the forest or enjoy hanging about the village to watch those they rule over like one of their subjects. In Itachi's opinion, Glacier's family acts more royal than the Hatake clan. Truthfully, however, everyone loves the way the Hatake clan doesn't hold their title too high above their heads like the snobs most people believe they are.
"Hey, Blizzard," Itachi nods politely. "Gale, what's up? How's it hanging, Wraith?"
"What's crackin', my dark furred brother?" Gale grins.
"You accepted baby brother's proposal to live here?" Wraith wonders.
Itachi nods and they all turn to find Blizzard distracted by Sasuke, cooing at him as she tosses him into the air and cuddles him. Blizzard and her twin are littermates and prefer one another's company within bed, so they usually have children between one another. Though they've had children with others throughout their many years… much more than Itachi, as they've lived far longer than the one hundred that lead to adulthood… it's been over one hundred since their last.
"He's so adorable," she says. "You simply must let me baby-sit for you."
"Mama, I want to see the village," Sasuke pouts.
"Oh my god, look at that pout!" Blizzard squeals. "He must've gotten it from you, I simply can't imagine Itachi this cute as a cub!"
"Hey," Itachi mutters indignantly. "I was plenty cute as a cub."
"Come, we will show you to your new home," Wraith interrupts.
Blizzard doesn't put Sasuke down the whole way, telling Gale he's in for one of their violent arguments that lead to him eventually giving in and giving her what she wants if only for the sake of getting laid before his next birthday. This time, he has a feeling they'll be getting another cub before the year is out. By the time they reach the Hatake clan compound, they've met up with the Demon Lord's other siblings. The triplets are storm demon mixes, having slate tinted fur and hair with navy eyes. Their names are Torrent, the male and oldest, and his sisters, Rain and Weather. Torrent has his father's mark, yet his sister's both have a storm cloud on their upper right arm from their mother. Next is Kytes, a wind demon mix, with the pure white hair of Glacier's clan though it's from his mother and light blue eyes. He's a submissive with his mother's mark of a gust of wind on his upper left arm, older than the Demon Lord and the younger twins but younger than all the others with a very shy nature. The younger twins are more childish and tend to dress very much alike with matching hair styles of windblown slate tinted locks, their storm demon mother giving them the same features at the triplets though they have different mothers. The oldest is Gust, the male, and his sister is Ariel. He has his father's mark of dominance, but she has her mother's mark of a navy tear on her right cheek like a cheetah's mark. Sasuke is fussed over by all the females, eventually ending up on Torrent's shoulders since he's the tallest and none of the others would dare to challenge him. Though he would've preferred Itachi's, he's happy everyone is leaving him alone now. Their home is not far from the main house, only a couple streets away and right in front of a large fenced in garden with a decent sized lake and small waterfall. Sasuke loves the water and simply adores the relaxing sounds of a waterfall, so he's beginning to like this place more and more.
"What's that?" he wonders with a point in that direction.
"The park," Torrent answers. "After all the cubs started complaining about never being able to roam about the village without a guard, Kakashi had the park built. That's a playground for the cubs mostly, but we like to sneak off into it as well. It's guarded by seals and barriers so the cubs can play in peace without adults having to worry about them."
"I can play there?"
"Of course, that's why it was built."
"I can play there now?"
"Let's see the house first, cub," Itachi chuckles.
"Yeah, little cherub, you'll have to know how to get back home," Glacier chuckles.
They're not even through the living room of their house and Itachi has to let Sasuke go to the park, as he's been hopping around as though he had to go to the bathroom extra bad for an hour. Sasuke takes less than three minutes to round the fence and locate the door, walking in with ease and roaming around simply to explore. He's not aware of the eyes that watch him curiously, nor is he particularly fond of the females that giggle at him insanely. Sasuke has never liked submissives, as he's not yet sixteen and isn't ready to mate, so he stays intent on ignoring them for the time being. The eyes that watch him aren't of a submissive, however, but of an adult. Sasuke finds that there really are plenty of demons his age, but shies away quickly at the memory of what happened last time he attempted to make friends. He retreats into the forested area where those eyes can see him better. Once he's deep enough within the trees, he sits down and lets himself cry. He really wanted to make new friends, but he can't bring himself to try yet and it makes him feel weak. He knows panthers aren't supposed to be weak and shouldn't have any need for friends, but no matter how hard he tries he simply can't be like his clan and it upsets him.
"Problems, cub?" a chipper voice wonders from above.
Sasuke gasps and looks up, catching sight of a strange looking man that reminds him of those he saw earlier. He has wild silver hair, one pitch black eye and one brilliant red, and tanned skin. The navy 7 beneath his left eye tells Sasuke he's a dominant related to Tundra, the recently retired Demon Lord and the father to the younger ten Hatake children within the main house. Sasuke backs away, uncertain about the newcomer. He seems a bit eccentric, as he's known his fair share of odd people and can place them rather quickly, and the orange book in his hands reminds him of the ones in his daddy's library he says not to read because they're only for adults.
"What's the matter?" the man wonders as he tilts his head to the side. "Don't you want to play with the other cubs?"
"… No," Sasuke mutters. "They'll hurt me."
"They certainly will not," the man frowns. "Not if they don't want me to tan their hides, anyway."
"You can't, you're not their daddy."
"I most certain can," he scoffs. "I own this place, what they do here is punishable by me."
"… Who are you?"
"Hatake Kakashi," he grins happily. "Demon Lord of Konoha… and you?"
"Uchiha Sasuke," he says softly. "I'm Itachi's cub."
"Hmm… Itachi hasn't had a cub since Dante," the demon states as he drops down. "Did he adopt?"
"No, I'm his cub," Sasuke argues. "He's my daddy."
"Okay, no need to get defensive," Kakashi says holding his hands up in surrender. "Perhaps he just never found the time to tell me. So… where is Itachi?"
"Looking at our new home with Mama."
"He let you wander off by yourself?" Kakashi wonders as he picks some lint off his vest.
"Yes… Aren't you supposed to be working?"
"Reprimanded by a cub," Kakashi mutters. "Blizzard will love that one. I am working, for your information, smarty pants… I'm babysitting the compound runts i.e. you."
"I'm not a runt!"
"So, pipsqueak, what's troubling you?"
"… I got hurt the other day by some people that said they wanted to be my friends," Sasuke whispers sadly. "They did stuff to me that made me bleed and then left me hurting."
"What did they do?" Kakashi wonders coldly.
"… They put their… um… made me… They just…"
Sasuke is blushing furiously by this time, unable to repeat the things the older cubs said to him… the ones with much experience in mating. Finally, he finds something they said that seems like it would be okay to repeat. As his flustered features brighten in embarrassment, he pulls Kakashi forward and whispers into his ear 'they made me their bitch'. Kakashi about falls over, though rage races through his body and frosts the ground at his feet, and simply pulls back to stare in disbelief at the blushing cub.
"And you told your daddy, right?" Kakashi says.
"… Papa did," Sasuke murmurs. "Papa is taking care of it. He is very angry."
"… I might have a word with your Papa," Kakashi growls. "Perhaps I can add my two cents into the punishment."
"You live in that big house?" Sasuke wonders. "Don't you get lost in there?"
"Sometimes, but those are the best times," Kakashi grins as he indulges the topic change. "No one can find me… and I always find something new."
"Like what?"
"Last week I found a trap door that led to a locked room in the basement," he says. "And the week before, I managed to fall into a secret path into the kitchen pantry. Best… discovery… ever! It makes getting late night snacks so easy."
Sasuke giggles, his tears forgotten as Kakashi sits and tells him many stories about his home. He learns of a secret compartment that the triplets like to store unstable potions that pack a good bang, the time Kakashi froze the only door to the meeting room so he didn't have to listen to the boring ancients in their weekly meeting, and even when Kakashi was little and managed to get out of things by hiding within the secret rooms and tunnels he discovered. Sasuke loves to listen to Kakashi talk, he's very animated and loves to tell stories. Sasuke grudgingly admits that he might even be better than daddy and mama, though papa is close in the race. It's hours before he notes that the sun has gone down and the children have all gone home, leaving only Kakashi and himself sitting within the trees.
"Uh-oh," Kakashi remarks. "Looks like I'd better get you home, pipsqueak."
"Do I have to?"
"You'd better, your parents are probably worried. Come on."
Kakashi lifts him up and carries him toward the house he remembers picking out for Itachi. His number one guard and right hand man always has problems relaxing, so he picked something within range of the waterfall since he knows that sound is a relaxing one to Itachi. He didn't know he had a cub that would most like take up residence within the park, but now that he does he's even more proud of his ability to plan ahead. Sasuke is asleep on his shoulder as he holds him close, knocking on the door softly and waiting for someone to answer. Glacier answers and stares in shock at the Demon Lord and the child in his arms that looks so like him.
"… Uh… congratulations," she mutters. "At least the elders won't be complaining about the lack of heirs, right?"
"Really?" Kakashi smiles widely in a teasing tone. "I was positive he was yours, but if you don't want him…"
"Sasuke?" Itachi calls. "Are you back? Cutting it a little close, aren't you? It's almost past your… Kakashi? What are you doing here?"
"Returning this," he grins. "I found your pipsqueak crying in the forested area of the park. I frequently sit within the trees to watch the children so they don't get out of line, but when I saw this one… well… I was kind of drawn to him. He is quite the cute one, isn't he?"
"Thank you for bringing him home," Itachi sighs. "Glacier, would you put him to bed so I can talk to Kakashi?"
"Of course."
"He's already eaten," Kakashi says as he hands the cub to Glacier. "I split my dinner with him while we talked. He certainly likes a good story, must be more snow leopard than panther."
"Why was he crying?" Itachi asked immediately after Glacier left. "Did someone hurt him? Were the other cubs being mean?"
"I don't know how he was treated at the compound, Itachi, but those cubs know better than to pick on someone of Sasuke's strength," Kakashi frowns. "He may not sense his power yet, but I can… and so can they."
"… Did he say anything?"
"He said he was raped by some cubs in the Uchiha compound and Nori was dealing with it, though those weren't his exact words," Kakashi says coldly. "I, myself, am going to go down their to help exact the punishment… or perhaps I'll…"
"You don't know what Uchiha parents do to their cubs when they rape a cub that's underage... do you?" Itachi wonders quietly.
"… No… what?"
"That is a serious crime within our clan, as the underage cubs are usually protected by the adults," Itachi explains. "When an adult finds out that their cub of mating age forced down one that's underage, they use the Sharingan to make them relive it… as their victim. It's only happened a couple times, but I saw it once when I was just coming of age myself… It's not pretty. I had nightmares for three months, but I wasn't the one that was punished and I certainly wasn't the victim."
"… I suppose that's a harsh enough punishment," Kakashi sighs. "But why would anyone want to do that to such a fragile cub?"
"He's supposed to be an Uchiha," Itachi says bitterly. "He's supposed to be a powerful and unbreakable panther, but he's not. They see him as nothing but a joke, a stain on our name. I mean, even his older brothers, my older sons, even they were panthers. Even my daughters of snow were made of steel that no dominant could even bend. Sasuke is nothing like our clan, he's not even like Glacier's clan. He actually reminds me more of… of…"
"Of?"
"Your clan," Itachi murmurs thoughtfully. "But that's not possible."
"I should think not," Kakashi laughs. "After all, it was you and not I who watched him into this world."
Itachi finds no sleep that night, worry eating away at him as he rethinks his choice to move. With the possibility of one of the Hatake clan being Sasuke's father, his mind is now on edge that soon they'll learn the same. After fifteen years of caring for his little boy, Itachi doesn't think he can handle giving him up… and he knows Glacier will never allow it.
"Itachi, get up," Glacier says hurriedly. "Please, wake up… Sasuke's gone!"
"What!" he shouts as he's awoken as fast as if a bucket of icy water drenched him.
"I just went into his room to wake him, but he's gone and his bed looks like it was never slept in! oh, why would he run off? He's never done this before!"
"Clam down, panicking won't help," Itachi states though inside he's panicking himself. "We'll split up, okay? I'll search the village and you search the marketplace. He's probably gone off to explore, he'll be fine."
"But… I didn't have time to strengthen his age jutsu," she cries. "You know how people get when they see him in his teenage form!"
"And you know how strong he is in that form," Itachi assures. "I taught him well, much better than the others."
"Yes, you're right," she says almost hysterically. "We need to leave. The faster we start searching the faster we'll find my little cherub."
Itachi and Glacier have combed every inch of the village, scoured the marketplace, and even invaded the main house in their panic. By the time they get home, their hopes are beginning to dwindle along with the sunlight. They pass through the marketplace, heads hanging in worry, when they hear a familiar voice.
"It's getting late, don't you think I should take you home?" Kakashi smiles.
"No, they won't mind," Sasuke states.
They're sitting at a ramen stall eating dinner, thousands of lecherous demons leering at the now older cub although they give them a very wide berth. Sasuke is close to six foot, his baby fat gone and in its place he has a strong lithe body of moon kissed porcelain. He's beautiful, the moon seeming attracted to him as it causes his skin to glow. His long snow leopard tail curls and uncurls around his stool leg, his ears twitching at all the sounds that surround him.
"I really think you should get back home," Kakashi presses.
"No, just a few more minutes," Sasuke frowns. "Please, only a few more."
"Why? What's so important that you need to keep your parents worrying?"
"… There!" Sasuke grins widely as his head turns. "That's what's so important."
His eyes turn dreamy and he lets loose a content purr, his parents turning to follow his gaze to the cub around Sasuke's age that caught his attention. He's built in a feminine lithe, his hair a halo of windblown blonde spikes, his skin a golden tan from streaking through the village on dares, and his eyes are the bluest gems anyone has ever seen. His eyes alone are enough to shame both sea and sky, melting the young snow leopard's heart with less difficulty than it took to freeze it.
"That's what you've been waiting for?" Kakashi chuckles. "When did you notice him?"
"… I saw him earlier today when I was still little," Sasuke blushes lightly. "I've been waiting for my age seal to break so I could meet him on even footing."
"What are you waiting for? Go say hi."
"What, now?" Sasuke states nervously.
"Yes now, go on."
"But… what if he doesn't like me?"
"Then you'll probably get in a fight you'll most likely win anyway," Kakashi waves off. "But one never knows unless they try."
With a hesitant glance back toward the young blonde that can be nothing less than a kitsune, Sasuke feels a gentle and assuring push from Kakashi and slowly makes his way to intercept the kittling. At that point, Itachi and Glacier meander over to have a word with the great Demon Lord.
"You kidnapped my cub in order to corrupt his innocent little mind?" Itachi frowns.
"I found him here," Kakashi shrugs. "I figured it would be irresponsible of me to simply pass him up when was alone and obviously hungry. I tried to take him home, but he put up a tantrum and dug his claws into the counter."
He points toward some deep gashes within the counter's wood at this point, his features careless and jovial as he takes in the worried parents. After a moment, he grins widely and sets his gaze back on the strangely familiar cub. Sasuke is shyly speaking with the blonde, a deep crimson blush on his cheeks as the kit grins at him. After a moment, there's a slight exchange of words and they depart. The minute Sasuke feels the kittling is out of range, a huge grin sets itself on his lips and he jumps up and down excitedly with a stifled squeal of delight.
"I take it things went well?" Kakashi guesses.
"I have a female!" Sasuke almost screams in joy. "I have my very first female!"
"And you are grounded, little cherub," Glacier frowns sternly.
"… What? No fair!"
"Come on, Glacier, I was with him the whole while," Kakashi attempts to reason. "He had parental supervision and he was a little angel the entire time."
"Grounded!" she snaps. "And you! You stay away from my cub!"
At this, both Kakashi and Sasuke give an identical look of shock and hurt. Afterward, they both utter the exact same stammers of protest before groaning in disappointment. Itachi can only stare, his mind offering the exact same thing it had offered last night… Sasuke cannot stay with him any longer.
"Kakashi… I think we need to talk," he says sadly. "All of us."
Back at his home, Itachi finally divulges the secret of fifteen years pertaining to Sasuke's birth. He explains everything, from the accident that led to his cub's conception, to his mother's wish that landed him a new cub, and even to the fact they never found Sasuke's actual father. By the time he finishes the story, Kakashi is quiet and Glacier is bawling at having to give up her cub. Sasuke, on the other hand, has vanished from the room. They find him in his own room, crying into his pillow in pain and confusion. By now, it doesn't seem right to Glacier to be consoling the child she's raised. Itachi, however, sees nothing wrong with holding his baby brother and adopted son.
"Tomorrow we'll take a blood test," Kakashi murmurs. "The triplets are never wrong… they'll be more than happy to help. And then we can discuss what we'll do."
The next morning they all arrive early, since no one got any sleep except Sasuke… who had cried himself to sleep and didn't wake again until the sun rose. The triplets, though sleepy, are ready for the blood test. It's not everyday they're reunited with a possible lost cub belonging to them… plus this cub might be the long awaited heir. The blood is drawn, the test taken, and the results are back within minutes… Sasuke belongs to Kakashi. Any small glimmer of hope Itachi and Glacier might have held onto is smashed with the results, both depressed and crying which does nothing for Sasuke who's been returned to his five year old form.
"Please stop," Kakashi sighs. "We can handle this fairly. Itachi works for me, I see him everyday. I'll assign him as Sasuke's guard, you'll take the weekends Itachi gets off and spend that time in the Uchiha compound as planned… okay? It's like… shared parenting. I would never completely take him from you, you've done a wonderful job raising him and you're still his family. He'll just have two dads and two moms now… which will work out well for him near holidays."
"Kakashi, don't joke!" Glacier snaps. "Don't you understand? Sasuke belongs to you, you have every right to take him away…"
"Were you not listening to a word I said?" he frowns. "I'm not taking him away, that's not how my family rewards people. I'm grateful for what you've done and you'll be perfect guardians should he want to get away for awhile."
"I'm not going away?" Sasuke pouts.
"Of course not, you'll see them everyday," Kakashi assures with a pat to his head. "After all, Daddy Kakashi is a very busy person and Daddy Itachi will certainly need to keep you entertained… right?"
"… Right," Sasuke sniffles in agreement. "At least… whenever my female can't."
"That's my boy," Kakashi grins widely.
Yeah! Happy ending! I hope you liked it! Oh, and there is a sequel! =D