Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto :(. If I did, things would have gone differently at the Valley of End…
Descendants
Naruto had already apologized who knows how many times, but he kept doing it in hope that Sasuke would finally forgive him. What he did not know was that Sasuke would never forgive him, for the simple fact that he knew he had nothing to forgive. There was something else, something completely different, that kept Sasuke from acknowledging his friend's presence. Naruto, not knowing this, took Sasuke's indifference as resentment for the biggest mistake he had ever committed. He should have known, should have known that Sasuke... well... anyway, it was too late now. Today he was going to stop apologizing. Today he was going to finally move on, give up on the Uchiha.
Sasuke knew the moment he set his eyes on Naruto's face that something was seriously wrong with the usually bubbly shinobi. For once, the blonde would not look at him. He kept fidgeting as they waited for Kakashi-sensei, who, had he not been such a powerful Jounin, would have been better known among his students for being tardy than for being skillful. Sakura-chan had politely declined today's improvised training session, saying that Tsunade-sama had planned a very important lesson for her today and, as much as she would rather spend time with her friends, she could not miss it for anything. And so that left Sasuke and Naruto alone, the first of which was now extremely pissed at his once sensei and now teammate for his damn lack of punctuality.
"You know, Sasuke, I'm going to ask Sakura-chan out today, just after practice." Naruto stated, his voice slightly off because of his obvious nervousness. A million emotions went through Sasuke at those words, but his face, as any ninja's should, showed none. Naruto fell to the floor and laid his back against a tree trunk. A sigh escaped his lips as he turned again to his dark-haired companion. "It has been a while. Do you think she'll say yes?"
"How should I know, dobe?" Sasuke answered, avoiding the blonde's eyes. He was a bit taken aback when Naruto flashed him a huge smile, his sharp fangs showing. The boy looked positively ecstatic. "What got you so happy?"
"You." Naruto regretted the word the second it left his big, big mouth. Obviously Sasuke had taken it the wrong way because he had already turned around and Naruto guessed he was leaving. "I-I mean, you calling me dobe. It's, well, it's been a while since you last did and I, well, I missed it. It wasn't like, you know... I don't... I'm sorry about what I did, I didn't mean to. I just want us to be friends."
All was quiet for a moment. Sasuke was still to his back, and Naruto was so nervous his lower lip had started to bleed for all the biting it had suffered in the last few minutes. Nothing moved. Naruto dared not to speak; look where that had gotten him! Seriously! He and his ridiculously big mouth! His mouth was always getting him in trouble with Sasuke, one way or another. He almost didn't see Sasuke turn around again, and so when he did he was so startled he went back and hit his head against the tree trunk.
"Ouch! Damn tree!" So much for the meaningful silence.
"Dobe." But there was a slightly affectionate edge to the way he said it, keeping Naruto from smiling again since he was utterly confused. Shouldn't Sasuke be hurling insults at him now? You know, without making them sound like friendly pet names?
"Listen, dobe, we are friends. As humiliating as being friends with you is." Sasuke added, a playful smirk on his face. Recovered now from the shock, Naruto stuck out his tongue at his now confirmed friend. Said friend just rolled his eyes. "Very mature." The jinchuuriki simply grinned.
"Someone has to be, you know, while others go around ignoring people, being childish instead of talking." The blond shinobi said smugly.
"I didn't want to talk to you." Sasuke was glaring at him now. Not a good sign. He shouldn't have brought up the topic of the 'incident' so soon. "What would you have done that would have been so adult? Come talk to me about it?"
Naruto suddenly stood up, stumbling a little from the quick movement. "Yes! Yes, because that is what people do, Sasuke! They talk about their feelings!" The blonde lashed out, now upset. "That is, if you have them!" He added, a hint of mockery in his voice that drove Sasuke to the edge.
"You kissed me."
And all was quiet again. Naruto was blushing a radiant red now, but he refused to stop glaring at the Uchiha, who glared back with just as much intensity. He would not admit it, but he felt as red as Naruto looked, and thanked whatever high power that Uchihas were above blushing. Minutes flew by and the blonde finally gave up the glaring contest. He sighed, obviously tired of the whole thing, and resumed his position against the tree. They remained like that for a long time, and Naruto could only wonder why the other hadn't left yet. He thought back to the kiss itself. It had been foolish, but at the time he knew not what he was doing. They were together on the bridge near the forest, looking over at the river. Sasuke had just gotten back from the first A-rank mission he'd taken on all by himself, and Naruto was so proud of his friend he had invited him for some ramen. After leaving Ichiraku's, they had walked over to the old training grounds and had somehow ended up on the bridge. The sun was setting and a quiet calm had set upon them. They were content. That is, until Naruto had called his name, originally to ask him about his favorite kind of ramen, but upon meeting eyes with Sasuke, he had forgotten what he was about to say, lost complete control of himself, and kissed his very male friend. The dark-haired ninja had at first been in utter shock, unable to react in any way. But when blood finally reached his brain again, he had pushed Naruto away, called him a moron, and proceeded to run far, far away from that damned bridge. Naruto shook his head as he remembered that day. He had been wrong to assume that Sasuke would ever feel that way not only towards another guy, but towards him of all people. It was more likely for Sasuke to fall for his now dead brother than for him.
"I know." Naruto finally said, resigned. "And I already said I was sorry. What else can I say that I haven't already showed you?" Sasuke turned away from him again, and Naruto couldn't but roll his eyes. "I'm leaving. Want to catch Sakura-chan as she leaves the old hag's office, you know? And I don't think Kakashi-sensei is coming, anyway. Must be too caught up with whatever book he's reading now. Pervert, never will change."
Sasuke nodded. Naruto sighed again as he walked away from the clearing in which they had been supposed to train that day. "You know, for all that it's worth, even if I know that for you it's not really worth that much, I really did love you. Well... See you, teme!" And he was gone. Sasuke glared at the spot where he had just disappeared from. He was upset, not at his friend but really at himself. Not because the dobe had just called him a name, which he honestly didn't mind anymore since it had been used so many times against him already, but because he had said it, whereas Sasuke could never manage to do it, or show it. He had made a decision, though, and he should not been faltering as he was right now. Itachi may be dead, but he had still his clan to rebuild. A relationship with Naruto offered absolutely everything he ever wanted: love, trust, companionship, and simple happiness. However, he needed descendants, someone to pass his family name to. Naruto could never give him that. Of course, Sasuke could just be with the dobe and never get serious with him. When it was time to settle down, he'd just leave him and look for a decent enough girl with whom he could raise a family. They could keep it secret. No one would know, and Sasuke would have his happiness, as short as this would be. But deep down he knew that if he ever had Naruto, he'd never let go. He'd be too drunk off his cheerful yet strong personality, become addicted to him; he'd forget his promise to his family. And he could never do that, not to his parents, not to his clan. A small sacrifice, and the Uchiha clan would rise again. If only he could forget the way he looked just before he had kissed him on that damn bridge. If only he could forget that day altogether. If only he could forget his words right now, the sincerity in his voice when he said them, the subtle disappointment when he didn't, couldn't say them back. If only he could forget Naruto, he could fulfill his promise without compromising what would most likely be his only chance at happiness.
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"You... You teme! Give me my ball!" A small girl yelled at the boy she was chasing after, anger twisting her lovely cherub-like features. She had long, black hair tied up in identical ponytails, contrasting perfectly with her very pale skin. Her face, though, was of a mad red due to both running so fast and her discontent towards the boy in front of her. "I'm going to kill you, Onii-chan, I swear!"
"Only if you can catch me, Onee-teme!" The small boy, who almost looked like a carbon copy of the furious girl behind him, answered mockingly, increasing his speed. The girl growled at him and tried to imitate his brother's fast pace, knowing it was all useless. Her twin brother (though if they asked her, they looked nothing alike) was much faster than her, and she could never catch him. That didn't keep her from trying time after time, though.
Not too far away a man probably in his late twenties sat with a glass of lemonade in one hand and another hand in the other, rolling his eyes at his children's antics. Next to him sat the owner of the hand he was holding. "Stop teaching them those words. You're not supposed to." His companion scolded him. The man turned from his children to the one besides him, now rolling his eyes at what he had been told.
"What? You are the one who's always calling me that in front of them." His companion scoffed and turned back to the kids. The girl apparently had finally given up on going after her brother and was sitting on the grass of their extensive backyard, glaring daggers at her older brother and panting heavily, her rosy cheeks making her look even lovelier. Uchihas could blush, after all. Who would have thought that such a beautiful little girl held such a strong and feisty personality inside here? Certainly not her parents, and boy had they been for a surprise. Of course, they knew all about girls with strong tempers, having been in a team with one for years.
"How such an emotional little thing came out of you, I'll never know." The man's companion commented mockingly, earning him a well-deserved (or maybe not, depends on who you ask) smack on the back of his head. "God, Sasuke, don't be so sensitive!"
"Hn." That earned an eye-roll from his blonde companion, who thought best of commenting on his amazing speaking skills and turned again to his children. Sure, they weren't really his. They were Sasuke's. He would never forget the day Sasuke appeared at his doorframe carrying two identical babies, one in each arm. He had explained him quickly how he had married a woman not too long ago and had had two children. She had died giving birth to them, and he had no idea how to take care of them on his own. The baby wrapped in the pink blanket had started crying, and Sasuke became desperate. It was the first time Naruto had seen him show such raw emotion. Without thinking, he took the little girl in his arms and started rocking her, singing a lullaby he didn't reckon ever learning. She had been quieted instantly, and Sasuke just looked at him in awe. Since that moment, they had been his as well. Days later Naruto left his precious apartment and everything he had to move to the Uchiha compound to help Sasuke raise his children. Old feelings surfaced and it didn't take long until both succumbed before them. Sasuke had been worried at first that his now lover would hold a grudge against him for leaving him all those years ago and marrying a woman he didn't even love just to procreate, but if he did, he only showed it at the beginning. Because, sure, at first the situation was rather tense and neither quite knew how to act around each other, but after a few months of living together the pain and those feelings of resentment finally gave out, leaving space for something else to surface. Sasuke had told him that he'd tell him he loved him every day if that's what it took for Naruto to forgive him. But he had said Sasuke didn't need to, that he already knew this and that, besides, he knew how horrible it was to constantly apologize to someone and that it gets you nowhere. After a minute of sweet reminiscence, Sasuke told him smugly that an Uchiha never apologizes, especially not to dobes like him. And then they had fought, just like so many years before, but now there was a certain flirting quality to it. Maybe that's where the children had gotten their vocabulary from.
Both men were shaken from their thoughts at the sound of a yelp that without a doubt belonged to their son. They both turned to see their son being attacked by his sister, while a perfect clone of her was still sitting on the grass, laughing hysterically. Naruto grinned, obviously proud of his daughter, while Sasuke just stared, completely stunned. "A jutsu? You taught her a jutsu? Naruto, she's six!"
Naruto pouted. "Aw, but she's so good!" He whined. Sasuke sighed. "And she can never catch Iruka-kun. I thought it'd help."
"Dobe, that's not the point. Her sensei will-"
"She'll be top of her class!" Naruto went on, enthusiastically. "With your genes, I'm sure she'll be a perfect know-it-all, but being a tiny bit advanced helps!" Sasuke rolled his eyes and decided to ignore his lover's twisted logic. After all, Naruto had always been better with the kids than he had. The man was a natural, really. And so, he decided he didn't want to argue over this. Not really. If he wanted to teach the kids some actually useful ninja moves, it was ok.
But if he dared teach his son the Sexy no-jutsu, he swore the blonde would never hear the end of it.
A/N: And there you have it, my first Naruto fanfic! Sorry if for some reason the characters seem too OOC. I'm still getting used to writing them (especially Sasuke) and don't know if I pulled it off. Give me some time and I'll get better. Oh, and in case someone got confused, Iruka-kun is Sasuke's son. His wife died before naming the kids, and he went immediately to Naruto, so obviously he helped Sasuke named them. And since Iruka was his father figure, I think he would've wanted to name the little boy after him :D.
