Prologue

She saw them again. This however was not the first time she saw them together. She saw them but she just pretended that she didn't. She looked at them across the street from where they were, face devoid of emotions inside the safety of her car. It was only coincidence that she saw them this time. Other time, she saw a glimpse of them inside her supposed home. No, it was not a home anymore. Home is where the heart is her mother always said. Now, the heart that once belonged to her was not hers anymore.

'They look happy together', she thought.

Her hands tightened momentarily at the wheel before going slacked. Even not a glimpse of what she felt written on her face, but her heart felt like it was breaking into thousands of pieces. Every shards felt like piercing through her body. She felt suffocated yet numb. She tried her best to recompose herself, trying to gather strength to be able to command herself of getting out of there. She kept trying again and again but kept losing herself. Darkness began to consume her and she was ready to surrender. Ready to surrender to the oblivion then maybe her once lover will notice her.

A small voice beside her broke through the darkness that attempted to consume her. She jolted out of her reverie and gave a small gasp, turning her face towards her left side. There beside her, sat her child. A small and innocent child. His unruly black hair, soft baby fat cheeks rosy colored from the air conditioner, skin as white as snow ,dark blue wide eyes filled with innocence staring at her. Her precious child.

She remembered as clear as day, the day her child was conceived. She was a young mother, barely 21 when she was told the news of her pregnancy. She had only gotten married to the man she loved, Sasuke for only 6 months. They didn't speak about family yet as both were trying to adjust their life into the marriage. They only planned to try for a child when their marriage reached their first anniversary. The child inside her was not planned. She was overjoyed of the news but scared of whether her husband will be able to accept her pregnancy. She kept the news for two weeks but she underestimated her husband's protectiveness towards her. He kept badgering her to tell him what was wrong with her and even threatened her to bring her to his family doctor for check up. She finally relented and told him of his impending fatherhood. At first neither said anything and she felt edgy for his lack of reaction. She was about to turn away from the situation when she was hugged from behind. She stood still and didn't said anything towards her lover. Her husband just hugged her and then smelling through her hair, kissing her neck slowly before turning her body towards him. He kept kissing all around her face, stopping momentarily at her eyelids before kissing them gently. She then knew that she was crying and her husband were kissing all her tears, giving off small comfort and security.

"I am happy that you give me the opportunity to be a father. I know that we never really have a serious talk about getting a child but I am very happy and grateful for this child. A child is a gift from God. I love you, dear mother of my child. I love you so much, Naruto."

That night was a night full of passion, love and assurances of being a happy family. Her husband made love to her as if he was worshipping all parts of her supple body. Every kiss, every touch ignited the fire within them. Their joined bodies moved synchronically together, playing the ancient mating dance over and over. By the time they were both finished, they were both too exhausted to even cleaned themselves. That night, her husband hold her tightly as if he was a dragon guarding a beautiful princess up the tower.

The day that her son was born was the most memorable to her. It was one of her most precious memories that she was not willing to trade for anything. The day of her son was born was the day the first snow started to fall. That day, her husband's family were having a garden party to celebrate the company's success. She was mingling with the guests when her contraction started. She only thought that it was a fake contraction so she disregard it. It was when she joined her husband that her contraction gotten worse. She barely been able to warn him about the baby was coming before her water suddenly broke. When she first heard her son cried the first time, she felt that her son was her world. She was crying when she breastfed him and the look on her husband's face was full of joy and pride. That was 5 years ago before all these started. She looked at her child, trying to gain strength from him. He was her only salvation, her only life line inside that house.

"Kaa-chan?" her son, Shuuichiro asked.

Even when he was young and small, he knew for a certain degree that his mother was distraught about seeing his father with another woman. He never should had pointed at his father across the street to his mother. He hated to see his mother crying when she thought that no one was looking. His mother was a beautiful woman. Tanned skin, heart shaped face with large sky blue eyes and pouty lips, a body that didn't show that she had already had a child, maintaining her supple and curvy body. The other woman was not as beautiful as his mother. He hated the woman as he hated his father for making his mother miserable.

Giving a strained smile towards her child, Naruto began speaking in a small voice.

"Ne, Shuu-chan? How about we go to Baa-chan's house? I'm sure she and Jii-chan will be happy to see us there. It's been a while since we gone there. Kaa-chan doesn't know what to cook for dinner today. May be Baa-chan will make your favorite udon today. And Tou-chan will be home late today so it's just the two of us. So what do you say, Shuu-chan?"

'Stop giving that fake smile, Kaa-chan. I can't bear to see you trying so hard to hide your sadness from me.'

Shuuichiro only nodded and held his mother's hand tightly as if trying to assure her. Naruto silently wept and gave her son a hug.

"It's okay, Shuu-chan. Everything will be just fine even when there will just be the two of us. I love you so much."

It will be okay if Naruto had her son with her. It will be fine even if they only had each other. They will just need to learn how to live with was fine with her even if Sasuke may not be with her anymore. It was fine that the woman that stole her husband was a person Naruto knew by heart, her only best friend, Haruno Sakura.