do not own Naruto.
幸福
Rift
幸福
He always knew he loved too much
幸福
His mother was a weaker woman, always bending to his father's wills, comforting him only with a whispered breath or a goodnight kiss that lasted less than a second.
His father scorned others—even his sons—and scoffed at the Hokage publicly. As a father figure he cared little for them, taking time to make sure his daughter was not a failure "like her mother" and would be good to marry off. He made sure his eldest son was never behind his younger, even if Fugaku knew himself he was better.
But always, he knew he loved too much.
He loved his wife, even if he was scared to show it (he never knew what they would kill to mold him). He loved his sons, but he knew Itachi didn't care to notice and Sasuke always missed his subtle affection. He wanted—more than anything—to show them, to be a caring man like Namikaze Minato or even Nara Shikaku. But he was scared—scared of what the elders would think, of what enemies would do.
So he hid it.
He remembered the blood that bathed his fingers on unrated missions, and when Sasuke curled at his side in sleep, he could never touch him. He remembered what they said about his eldest son's character—a monster, a killer—and would push him in hopes of a better path.
He failed, in the end.
But he loved him, loved him beyond death.
He remembered the worry he felt as the blade cut his vision of sight into blackness, about what would happen to Sasuke now that he didn't have his protection.
He wondered why about Itachi, but he knew he was proud because his son, unlike himself, would not bend to his father's wills.
He hoped with his last breath that this wasn't what he thought it was, and Itachi would not kill Mikoto.
Because he loved, he could not show love to his wife. Because he loved, he could not kill his son's love for his brother. Because he loved, he could not hurt Sasuke.
In the end, he loved too much.
幸福
The Konoha nin scoffed and turned to Itachi. "You're son's a failure, and so are you. You put o' airs and stick your noses in the 'ir and smirk. Ha!"
Itachi's eyes narrowed, and Fugaku felt that slam in his heart. He was being insulted, here, in front of his son. His son. A Konoha nin.
That night, he began planning the coup d'etat.