1Disclaimer: don't own Naruto, it belongs to the wonderful Kishimoto... I do, however, own the plot, so, don't steal, it's not nice...
Warnings :Language from Naruto, but, that's nothing you shouldn't expect ne?
Pairings: well, read and find out
"Mistake"
How long had it been since he'd seen them? About four years if his memory was correct... how trivial... it had been four years since they'd come to 'rescue' him, four years since he told that bumbling idiot that he was his best friend... four years since he'd seen crystalline tears fall from those emerald green eyes... it was almost nostalgic, however, the Uchiha prodigy was not the type to glance back and reminisce on things that apparently held no meaning in his life.. Or did they...
He could not remember the last time he had seen his friend smile and exclaim about his dream to become Hokage.. Did Naruto ever accomplish that goal? Had the Kyuubi container finally obtained the respect that he deserved? He had pondered this one afternoon after a training session with Orochimaru...and the girl... Sakura.. Has she ever accomplished ehr goals? Now that he thought of it, the young girl had never really had any talent that he could see.. Other than chasing after him... if that could be considered a talent.
It was at that very moment in time, thinking about the past as he stood just beyond the gates of Konohagakure, that he remembered the girl's infatuation with him... and it warmed his almost nonexisting heart to think that, that infatuation had been reserved for him and him alone.. Did she still harbor those feelings for him? Was he still the only one for her? He had to know, he had to know waht had become of the people he once called his friends... as stealthily as possible, Sasuke Uchiha dashed through the forests and into the familiar yet different town... there was something about the air that said change something had defiantly been altered in his four year absence... but what was it?... he didn't have time to think on that as he entered the town, hiding in the shadows cast by the gigantic buildings.
Konoha was buzzing with life, and there were people around that he remembered seeing in his youth... people who had never smiled.. And here, he was looking at the wide grins on their faces as they went about their daily business. It was almost sickening to think that it had changed so much that he didn't recognize it...
"Oi.. Kakashi-san" Sasuke jumped a little as he watched a young man with scruffy hair and two red lines running fron his eyes down his cheeks, walk past the alley way he was hiding in.. That.. Was Kiba.. He'd grown a bit... actually, the Inozuka looked more like his dog than anything now,... but there was something else.. There was a proud aura around him... then he looked at the second person, someone he knew well... and missed. It was his old sensei... Hatake Kakashi... and it looked as if the Jounin had changed very little... the sharingan was still there... and the silver hair... however.. His mask had been removed. And Sasuke noticed that there was nothing wrong with his former sensei's face... then what was the reason behind the mask?...
Kakashi waved and smiled.
"Ohayo Kiba-san... everything well?" the younger male grinned
"Amazing, Hinata is due any day now... it's just the waiting game" he said as Sasuke blinked... so, the Hyuuga heiress was pregnant... and had apparently gotten over her borderline obsession with Naruto... this made him wonder.. Had the dobe never caught on to her innuendos at all? Probably not, Naruto was as thickheaded as an elephant... but still, that made him wonder more... who had Naruto hooked up with, if anyone..
"Wonderful, I expect her family is restless?"
"Yah, Hiashi-sama is stricken with nervousness, and Neji, well, TenTen's pregnant as well so he's got a double hand full" the two men laughed "What about you Kakashi-san? How's your team doing? I heard they were close to your last" he said as Kakashi laughed
"Indeed.. Nika reminds me a lot of Naruto, in the sense that she's got determination and a sens of humor... and Kiki, she's like Sakura, a little pistol when she's pissed, but very smart... and of course, there is sho.. He's... " Kakashi hesitated, his eyes hardening, and the Uchiha didn't need a voiced opinion as to why he had hesitated...
"Nako is like Sasuke...in so many ways.. That it's painful sometimes... but he reassures me with his smiles.. It's funny seeing both Nika-chan and Kiki-chan teasing him about his fangirls.." again the two men laughed and Sasuke felt something boiling in the pit of his stomach.
He didn't have familiarities... no, all he had were Kabuto and Orochimaru, and you really couldn't call them conversation material...and he didn't have friends..no... he had victims, and common sense told any sane person that dead bodies do not speak to you... it was almost sad to see that everyone he had once known, had grown and moved on without him... almost as if he had demanded that they wait for him to return... but, even then, he knew he would never return, and the only reason –- or so, what he had told himself and Orochimaru–- he was in Konoha, was to do a bit of espionage to get some new info... they were terribly behind on information, and checking out his old friends was the perfect excuse...
"I heard Shikamaru had come back from a mission pretty injured..." Kakashi said as he and Kiba entered a ramen shop, Saskue moved to hear more.
"Yeah... broken leg and sprained wrist... Temari is taking care of him though... I'm surprised Gaara even allowed her to marry his lazy ass, but.. Then again, Gaara has changed a lot too, and Konoha is quite a bit aways from Suna" Kakashi laughed as he ordered a plate of dumplings.
"Have you kept in contact with any of the others?" he inquired as the Inozuka nodded his head.
"Yup, Choji's doing fine, he's losing a lot of weight, and Ino is smitten with love for Shino... I think she finally got over his bugs.. She told me she thinks they're absolutely adorable" Kiba tried to imitate the blond, and it only served as a form of entertainment for both the Copy Ninja and the Hidden Uchiha. Sasuke snorted.. He never pictured the two of them together... never in a million years... but, time changes everything...so they say
"That's great.. Have you had time to stop by and say hi to Hokage-sama?"
"No, been so busy with my own team and such... what about you?"
"Visited the other day... heard the whole story about Jiraya and Tsunade, Hokage-sama seemed to think it was hilarious.. And Mae and Arashi were there.. I swear, those kids are never out of Hokage-sama's sight.. But, it makes me feel old, being called Oji-san.-– come to think of it, Iruka's the same --. But I'm not saying I don't like it, the kids are going to be just like their father"
"That's a wee bit scarey, considering who that it"
"Well, not so much anymore... Time Changes everything, as you've seen with The Blond Cyclone..."
This is where Sasuke was confused... he'd heard about everyone, even the former Hokage.. But.. What about Sakura.. Or even Naruto, had the two of them died? No, they were too stubborn to die... then, really, where were they? Quite frequently he had thought about Sakura... at the time of his youth, he really didn't want to admit to himself that he was attracted to the pink haired girl.. But, after her absence in his life... he had begun to miss her... and want her, need her.. His own infatuation had grown... and he was curious as to what had happened to the little flower of Konoha... His answer came soon enough, and he heard a fragment of the two mens' conversation.
"..Yeah, Sakura healed it up pretty good, That woman is going places... she's a preferred medic in everything, and she cooks really good Yakitori" Ah-ha, so there was his answer.. The hospital, Sakura was in the hospital...
And so, the Uchiha prodigy dodged the people in the shadows until he came up a white building that was no doubt the hospital... closing his eyes, he searched and found the chakra he was looking for,... the chakra that always had a faint pink glow to it. It was at the top of the building, no doubt in a patient's room... finally, he would be able to see her again, and perhaps persuade her to join him, to be his forever... hopping around on the balconies, he soon found himself at the office in which held Sakura.. And there she was, standing with no doubt what was the parents of an ill child
He noted that her hair had grown out Once again.. And now reached just above her small behind.. Her hitai-ate band was tied around her head like a head band... she still wore red, which looked incredible on her... However, her curves had defined and her chest was fuller, as came with woman hood... there was a glow about her that stated pride, happiness.. A sort of maternal flare to it as well... hmm, maybe it was from taking care of the patients as if the were her own... however, he could not deny the fact that she'd become very beautiful, and it only made him ache with want.
"Sakura-sama.. Is my little Neela getting better?" asked the young mother as Sakura smiled and pulled the stethoscope from around her neck
"Neela-chan is diong excellent, one more treatment and the little ball of energy is going to be up and out with her classmates once again... I tell you what, she reminds me of Naruto" she said as the parents smiled
"Uzumaki-sama? Yes, he's her idol... Thank you again ma'am" the couple bowed to Sakura who only smiled and turned back to her desk where her nurse assistent was smiling at her superior
"The Day is almost over Sakura... don't you have somewhere to be?" asked the other as Sakura looked up at the clock.
"Oh dear... I forgot all about that! Thank you, oh, Hokage-sama is going to be so frustrated when I get there...I hope they haven' given him an ulcer..." she discarded her lab coat and ran from the room and down a flight of stairs. Sasuke watched her run out the door of the hospital... He followed close behind, watching her movements... she must have an important date with the current Hokage...
"I wonder who it is..." he mumbled as he followed her all the way to the tower.
There were two Anbu there guarding the doors.
"I'm here to see the Hokage" she said, almost out of breath
"You have an appointment?" asked one as she sighed heavily.
"Please..."
"I'm, only joking Sakura, go , he's been waiting for you" said the familiar voice of Neji Hyuuga.
"Oh Neji you're such a jerk, I'll have TenTen kill you later" she laughed as she ran past him.
Sasuke watched attentively as she ran up the stairs and he stood not too far away and was able to see into the Hokage's office... and there, behind the desk, was a young man with the pointed Rokudaime's hat and robe on, holding what looked like a little copy of Naruto himself.. Sakura burst in.
"I'm sorry I'm late.. I lost track of time." she said breathless as the Hokage lifted his head and smiled at her. Sasuke's mouth dropped... Naruto was the Hokage... the young blond pulled off the hat and smiled at the young woman.
"Meh, it's okay, Mae and Arashi were pretty good.. They both got into the ink though.. It was a horrible mess" he said handing off the little blond boy to Sakura as he stood.
Sasuke noted that Naruto was indeed different... he didn't seem to be so bumble headed any more.. There was a dignity that surrounded him.. And, it looked as if the Kyuubi had completely blended in with him.. His eyes had gained the feral looking pupils in the sea of blue and his whisker marks were thicker and more pronounced... Naruto really had changed...It was almost sad to see that the Dobe had become respectable, and no longer headstrong... did none of them miss his "way of the ninja?"... He opened his eyes again and looked back into the room.
" Aren't you forgetting something Sakura-chan?" he asked.. Well, some things never changed... he used to always call her that too. Sakura just laughed and looked up at the Rokudaime with her emerald green eyes.
"Oh, Do forgive me Hokage-sama..." she said before entwining her fingers in the back of is blond hair and pulling him down for a light kiss.
Sasuke could have choked, actually, inside he was suffocating...Sakura...kiss! Naruto? That was indeed something he didn't think he'd see, nor did he want to see it... not when Sakura was supposed to be his, supposed to be in love with him... And, there was so much behind that kiss... so much passion, love, understanding... it made his blood boil. When Sakura pulled away, Naruto nuzzled her nose with his.
"Long day?' he asked as she laughed.
"Three operations..."
"Successful I hope?"
"Of course Hokage-sama"
"Hey, No formalities" he said, putting a hand on his hip and touching her nose with his finger. "I've had old fogies doing that all day and it's gotten really annoying... so, I will not have my wife doing the same" he said as she laughed.
So... Sakura was married... and to his rival no less... Sasuke stared more attentively... his flower.. The person he'd come to make his... already belonged to someone else...
"Your wife... yes, I still have the mark to prove it..and you never let me live it down" she said, rubbing her neck where two little bite marks were permanently on her skin. Naruto just grinned ferrally and Sasuke was reminded again that the blond was the container for Kyuubi... and, he was also reminded of the fact that when a canus demon had marked a mate.. It was through a bite mark on the neck... and they mated for life.
"Yes well, I can give you another one..." Naruto said grinning. Sakura slapped his arm playfully.
"Naruto Uzukmaki! You're taking too many lessons from Jiraya-sensei and Kakashi-sensei.. If you keep this up I will just have to lock you in your office with all of the old fogeies of Konoha, and then we'll see who's leaving a mark" she said with her usual wit. The Rokudaime just arched his eyes and rubbed the back of his head.
"Ok, ok, you win this time, but there won't be a next time" he said, Picking up the pink haired baby that was currently playing around with the Hokage's Hitai-ate head band.
Sasuke watched in jealousy as the young leader looked lovingly down at the little girl that looked so much like her mother... but when she opened her eyes to grin almost toothlessly at the man, Sasuke noted that she had Naruto's eyes, those-never-giving-up, deep blue eyes... and he wondered.. Would his and Sakura's child have looked that beautiful? Would they ahve had a beautiful little boy with emerald green eyes?...
"Naruto... Let's go home..." Sakura said as the young man nodded his head and took hold of his son's hand and held the little girl in the other. Sasuke watched from the shadows as the loving family walked away, mother and father swinging the little boy between them, and father holding onto the little girl. Little Mae looked over her father's shoulder right at him and a little grin spread across her face as she reached out at him and made cooing noises. Sasuke hid farther into the shadows as the Rokdaime looked behind him, slitted blue eyes contracting as he searched for what his daughter had just seen.
"Naruto?" Sakura asked in confusion as he turned around sporting his regular Naruto grin.
"It's nothing Sakura... Can you take Mae-chan? I'll be right home... I've forgotten about something that had just showed up in my memory and you know how that is..." he said handing the little girl to her the crestfallen woman. Naruto leaned down and kissed her.
"Don't worry, I promise to be home in a flash" he said as she nodded, knowing he was dead serious when he said flash, and walked out of the office.
Sasuke let out a sigh of relief.. That was a close call... He watched as the Rokudaime walked over to his desk, a serious look on his face as he sat down and pulled a piece of paper from his pile on the desk.
"You can come out now.. Sasuke-teme" he said with such benevolence that the hair on the back of the Uchiha's neck bristled. He slowly stepped from the darkness and found that the Hokage's eyes were poised on him.
"How long did it take you to figure out Dobe?" he asked as Naruto lowered his hand that held a kunai in it and stared at him.
"Ever since you entered Konoha... by the way... what are you doing here?" he asked. It took a minute for Sasuke to answer... Naruto had just surprised him... he could sense him that fast?
"You don't sound so enthused to see me..." Sasuke laughed as he watched Naruto look up from a paper to glare at him.
"What were you expecting... a welcome home buddy? You've been gone for about four years... do you know what the elders of the village wanted?" Naruto's voice was becoming darker and more serious. "They wanted to declare you as a missing Nin..." he said as he stood up and walked over to the window.
"Did they?..." Sasuke asked, dread rising in his heart..
"They wanted to, and I was going to let them... but I had a feeling you'd be back..." he said walking over to his desk..
"I'm not staying..." Sasuke protested as the Rokudaime waved his hand nonchalantly.
"Of course you aren't... however, I knew you'd be back, I've been telling Kakashi-sensei that forever.."
"Why wait for me when you know I won't stay"
"Well, at first I was going to try and convince you to stay again.. But I knew that it wouldn't work, so I opted to just wait, knowing you'd find your way to me.."
"You've certainly changed from dead last..."
"I worked hard for this, ever since you left for that snake bastard."
"My congrats–"
"I don't want it... jsut like you didn't want my friendship.."
"Ouch.. Low blow..."
"I've spared enough time on the past... now, what are you doing here?" he asked
"I..." there was no use in lying to his friend. " I wanted to .. To see how much I had missed... how much I had been missed" he said as Naruto left out a laugh.
"Did everything satisfy you?" he asked
"No... it's like I've been forgotten... and, I didn't like seeing Sakura with you dead last..." he said as Naruto snorted.
"Well, I never liked seeing her hurt over everything you did... and she wasn't going to wait forever for you to come to your senses..."
"I noticed... she looks happy..."
"She is"
"Your.. Kids, they're.. Beautiful"
"Thank you... Everyone else say the same.. At least now I know what my father might have looked like... everyone says they look like him.."
"Your father?"
"Arashi Uzumaki... the Yondaime Hokage... and Mae.. Mae acts a bit like you... she broods...toddlers at her age aren't supposed to brood..."
"Haha... funny Naruto... so.. There really is no place in her heart for me anymore?"
"As in love? As far as I know she's given up on your ass.. But, there is a place in her heart as her friend"
"I made a big mistake didn't I?..." Naruto walked over to his door and opened it, standing there and looking at the floor.
"Yeah.. You made a BIG mistake... good bye... Sasuke.." and with that, Naruo walked out of the room and down the stairs, knowing that if he were to ever see his friend again.. It would be to bring him in as a missing nin... Sasuke watched his friend leave and he turned from the Hokage's office and out the window once more.
"Good bye... Naruto..."
There ya go.. It was really supposed to be a short one shot, but I ended up adding things as I went along, so, it's a long one shot lmao.. Please R&R and tell me how I did! Ja matte ne Minna-san!