Hai minna…this is my first Naruto fic, so be nice okay…This is strictly SasuSaku, so if you don't like the pairings, don't read. I got this idea from a fic titled The revival of The Uchiha Clan : Step One. So, don't go all mad at me, cuz I've told you so, kay? I just wanted to give it my own twist. Hope you'll like it.
Disclaimer : The characters of this fic is solely Masashi Kishimoto's, I don't own any of it except for Kosuke, so don't sue me kay? Well, that's done…Saa…Hajimeruyo…
MY STRENGTH
"Papa..." a small voice sounded, barely audible, breaking him out of his reverie.
He turned his head towards the source of the voice, onyx eyes resting unto a mass of black hair very much like his own, he raised an eyebrow questioningly, acknowledging the boy.
"Erm...papa..erm...d-do you really not like mama...?" the little boy asked timidly, head dropping slightly, eyes glued to the ground. The boy's question struck a chord in his heart. A certain memory flooded his brain.
"You don't really love me, do you? Why did you marry me, if you didn't love me?"
Those words spoken with pain, he couldn't forget them. Everytime he looked at his wife, those words haunt him. Even though she never questioned him again, the pain was evident in her eyes. Everytime he looked, it's always there. He never did answer that question. He wondered where the boy got that.
He shuffled his feet slightly, feeling the intense glare of his father on him. He shifted his weight onto the other foot, and cleared his throat. He shouldn't have asked that question, he mentally berated himself for it, his mother had warned him not to ask such question. His father is not the smiling, genial kind of father. He kept quiet and looked stern most of the time. He'll most probably ignore the question, or worse, he might scold him for asking something so inane.
"Erm...papa...it's–" he started to say, but was cut off by a deep voice, "What makes you ask that?"
The little boy blushed slightly and cleared his throat again, trying to answer the not unexpected reaction from his father, without making himself look bad.
"Erm...I-I...er...I heard someone said so..."
"Who?" another question.
"...Ino-san..."
Silence greeted his answer. He wondered if his father would get angry enough to stop their training session short. He wouldn't want that. His father was always busy, being an elite ANBU captain and all; and he rarely get to spend time with him, save for the occasional training session his father takes him to. Maybe, if he apologizes now, he won't be so mad, and still continue their session.
"Hn..."
The sudden sound nearly caused him to jump out of his skin. He lifted his head, to find that his father had already started walking away from him. He hurriedly followed the elder.
"She did...She said so once, when she came to see mama, I heard her in the kitchen...she says it everytime she sees mama... And she said so again, yesterday, at the hospital..." he continued after his father, trying to convince the man he wasn't lying or anything of that sort.
The man stopped and looked back at him, eyebrow raised, silently urging him to explain.
He watched, his son fidget under his gaze, face horror-stricken, he'd obviously misunderstood the gesture.
"I-I...I wasn't eavesdropping...I promise!" there...what did I tell you? Definitely misunderstood. "I went to get mama, so we can go home together, we always go home together. She didn't know I was there, she was talking to mama, and she seemed really angry when she said so. She looked really scary, shouting like that... I didn't want to interrupt..." the little boy trailed off, obviously embarrased, for having caught rambling.
He listened to his son's rambling, closed his eyes and sighed... He opened his eyes, to find the boys' staring up hopefully at him. He sighed again. He'll let it slide this time. He went into a fighting stance, "Kosuke, concentrate." It was an order.
The boy grinned at this, at least his father wasn't mad at him. He sure was glad the man decided not to stop just because of what just transpired among them. Standing his ground, he waited for the attack, and sure enough, a barrage of shuriken came at him. He dodged them, and ducked when a Fuma shuriken came at him, concealed in the shadows. He glanced up, in time to see his opponent made a few handseals, gathering as much chakura in his chest, inhaled, and...
'Gaton, Gokakyu no jutsu!'
A big ball of fire errupted from his mouth... He dodged, just before it hit him. His opponent vanished suddenly. As he swiveled his head around, trying to locate his father, the man reappeared suddenly behind him.
"Pay attention to your surroundings, boy. Never leave your back exposed to the enemy." It wasn't a scolding, he understood. His father was teaching him, and in his own strange way, showing his affection to him.
His hand was holding a kunai to the boy's throat. The boy looked panicked for a second, before he merely smirked at him. He was momentarily reminded of himself, that is, before a hand suddenly shot up and grabbed his hand, the one holding the kunai. A sudden wave of pain entered his hand, as he instantly drew it back, retreating a few steps backwards. The boy was facing him now, and before he could gather himself, the boy launched himself at him, a faint glow on his left hand, and a kunai in his right.
The boy lunged the kunai at him, he lifted his hand to block it with his own, yet his hand didn't seem to want to cooperate with his brain. His eyes narrowed slightly, as the kunai came at him, and he jerked his head a little, dodging it. But the boy wasn't done, he slammed the chakura covered palm into his body, and he staggered backwards. The boy grinned, it seemed like he's having the upperhand right now. But the man in front of him suddenly turned into a wooden log with a distinct 'poof'. His grin vanished, as he went into full alert mode, trying to feel his father's chakura. The man appeared underneath him, sweeping his feet off the ground. He fell onto his back, and before he could get back up again, his body was turned around, and his arms were held behind his back, making him kneel down, facing the ground. A kunai was held at his throat, again.
"You're getting better, I see." His father commented before releasing him. He fell face down onto the ground.
He growled as he got up and dusted the dirt off him, feeling quite miffed and frustrated for not being able to defeat his father. He watched silently as his father took his stand once again.
"I'll get better and stronger than you, and defeat you." He pronounced, undeterred by his defeat just now. His eyes blazing with determinance.
He watched with amusement at the glint in his son's eyes. Those burning flame that he'd often see in his wife's as well. He smirked, those same eyes, burning with the same passion. He relaxed and went to the backpack they had with them, took out two bottles of water, and threw one to his son. The boy caught it with ease, but confusion was written all over his face. He smirked at the boy. He drank his water, while keeping an amused eye on his son. The boy had seemed to grow furious at his action, his face darkened. He wondered briefly why.
"You're playing with me!" the boy shouted, pointing an accusing finger at him. He raised an eyebrow.
'Aah...so that's what he's angry about, eh...' he mentally chuckled.
The boy seemed to take the raised eyebrow into offence, as he shouted again, "Don't underestimate me! I'll be stronger than you! And when I'm strong enough, I'll defeat you, and I'll marry mama!"
He choked on his water, as the boy uttered those ridiculous words, and spluttered them out. Coughing, he looked at the fuming boy, disbelief written all over his face, as both his eyebrow shot up.
"Wha–" he began to question, when the boy rudely interrupted.
"Mama says she likes you because you're strong, that means if I get stronger than you, she'll like me better!"
"..."
"You don't like mama enough, I like her a lot...So, I'll get stronger and defeat you, then I'll have her all to myself!"
Okay...that explains it. My son has really serious issues...he sighed...
"Did you get that from Ino-san too?" he asked, eyeing the boy warily. The boy eyed him, and nodded. He beckoned the boy to come closer, which he did, carefully, perhaps expecting a surprised attack. He sat under the tree, leaning his back on the rough bark behind him, one leg stretch out in front of him, while the other propped up to support his arm. The boy sat down besides him, both legs tucked underneath him, as he look expectantly towards his father. He'd calmed down considerably, and was mentally slapping himself for his earlier outburst. What his father said next, caught him completely off guard.
"What did your mother say?"
"...about what?..." he had expected to be lectured about politeness and respect towards eldest, not a question.
His father sighed... "About what you've just said..."
The boy frowned a bit before answering slowly, "Mama said I shouldn't listen to everything Ino-san said, Ino-san likes to exaggerate..."
"Hn. And she's right too. What else?" Now, he's just plain curious.
"Mama always gets angry and sad when Ino-san said that. She'd say Ino-san doesn't know anything, that she should mind her own business..."
"Damn right she should." the man snorted in annoyance, "...and then?..."
"Mama said nothing matters because SHE loves papa anyhow, and she have me, and that's all that mattered." the boy finished.
"Really, that's what your mother said?" he asked, the boy nodded furiously.
"And do you know what love is, Kosuke?" he asked again.
"Yeah, it's when you really, really, really like a person very, very, very much." the boy answered, proud of his knowledge.
"Sou ka..."
"And Mama says if I really love a girl, then I can marry her. That's why I'm going to marry Mama."
"...?..." err...right...I think my son needs a shrink
"Since you don't like her enough, you shouldn't marry her. I love Mama, I should marry her instead."
Okay, he'd had enough of all this crap Ino'd been brainwashing his son with. He'll have to talk to Ino later about this. And he'd have to tell his wife not to let Ino near his son. But first thing first...
"Baka. You can't marry your own mother." he told his son, as he started getting up, and glanced at his watch. They should be going home now, it was getting dark, and he'd made a point of having dinner with all family members present. The boy followed suit, getting to his feet.
"Why not?" he asked as he followed his father. His father stopped and turned to look at him.
"Just because." he told the boy. Not a very satisfying answer at all, from the boy's point of view.
"But you don't love her, I do. So why not?" Damn Ino and her stupid accusations. The man fumed.
"Who said I don't? I do. And besides, I already married her, so you can't marry her." he answered, the words slipping right through his mouth before he could stop it. His son gaped at him.
"So...Ino-san was lying?..." he asked looking for confirmation.
"Ino-san likes to assume things." was his only answer. The boy looked at him, understanding dawning on him, and he smiled. A genuine smile for his father.
"So, you really love Mama, huh, Papa?" he asked again. Not waiting for an answer, he continued, "I love her too, and I love you too, Papa."
The man looked at his son again, and smiled this time. Yes, he loves his son too, and the boy smiled back, he understood his father. As he neared his father, he opened his mouth again.
"But I love Mama more..."
"Huh?" the man was dumbfounded."Why?" damn this boy, must he always say the strangest things?
"Because Mama makes very good bentos and food" he answered, simply. He slapped his own forehead and chuckled at his son's simple answer. The boy glared at him, he laughed.
"Stop it! It's not funny! I bet you can't even cook!" the boy stomped his feet in annoyance. That remark got him to stop.
"Of course I can, how do you think I lived before I married your mother." he scoffed.
"You probably just eat out, or had take out all the time" he sneered at his father.
Okay, he will NOT have his own son looking down on him, for such a stupid thing as cooking. "I SO can cook, if not better, then as good as your mother" he said, getting miffed, "I'll even make breakfast tomorrow to show you!"
"Really? You'll make breakfast?" the boy asked, not quite believing what he'd just heard.
"Of course I will." he answered. "Come on, we should get your mother and go home now."
And with that, he walked off. His son came running, to catch up with him. He looked at him, his face has a broad smile plastered to it. He chuckled to himself as ruffled the boy's hair, and the boy cried in anguish and annoyance as he tried to smooth back down his hair.
She woke up the next morning to a strange yet familiar smell. She glanced towards the space next to her in bed, it was empty. She sighed, he's probably out training. She got up, went to the toilet, and got ready. She went down the stairs, thinking about breakfast. That's when it hit her. The smell – it was the smell of something cooking. Alarmed, she stormed the rest of the way down, and into the kitchen. Slamming the door open, she started to yell at the the person in front of the stove, "Kosuke! I've told you many times already, you're not old enough to–"
"I'm not old enough to do what?" a deep, calm voice cut her off. She stared agape at the person in front of the stove. There, holding a spatula, and wearing her pink apron was none other than her husband, THE Uchiha Sasuke. She'd continue to gape if it wasn't for her son, who was currently pulling her to sit down at the table.
"Come on, Mama. Papa's making breakfast today, see?" the boy waved a hand towards his father. She let him pull her down. The boy frowned, seeing the blank expression on his mother's face.
"Don't worry, Mama, I've been keeping an eye on him. He won't blow up the house." he assured her, earning a glare from his father. The boy just shrugged and grinned sheepishly. His remark made her laugh. He beamed at her, he's glad she's not mad at him. Truth be told, he really was scared, afraid his father might blow up the kitchen accidentally, that's precisely why he'd gotten up early, to watch over his father. If he DID blow up the kitchen, his mother'd be pretty upset. And he definitely wouldn't want that, he love his mother too much to see her upset. He loved her smile and her laughter, especially the ones for him, like right now
Their perfect moment was interrupted when Sasuke came over and put the finished produce on the table, glaring at his son, as he did so. "Try this, Sakura." he shoved the plate to her. She blushed and hesitated for a while, before picking up her chopsticks and tasting the food. "It's really good..." she commented.
He flashed the boy a triumphant smirk. The boy huffed, "You're just jealous, because Mama smiled at me..." he mumbled inaudibly, but enough for Sasuke to hear. He scoffed at his son, and argued back, "You're the one who's jealous, because she likes my cooking..."
Kosuke glared at his father, mumbling something under his breath, and Sasuke glared back at him, mumbling an answer in return. Sakura looked at the two, mumbling back and forth, glaring daggers at each other. She sighed, she does not know what's it all about, and she does not want to know either, but she'd prefer to eat breakfast in peace – without the grumblings and mumblings. It's as if Naruto was here with them. She was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt both her cheeks being kissed.
"Huh...what?..." she was shocked, Kosuke might do that all the time, but not Sasuke. She looked at Kosuke, he was beamimg at her, while glaring at his father. She looked over to Sasuke across the table, he was shoveling the rice into his mouth. A light blush had crept unto his face, yet he was glaring at Kosuke. She blushed, then giggled. Her husband looked at her questioningly, blush still intact on his face, and still glaring at their son. She giggled even more.
"It's nothing..." she shook her head, answering his silent query. The father and son continued to glare at each other. She sighed again...she got up, and kissed both their cheeks.
"I'm going to the hospital now, you boys behave, okay?"
And with that, she left them. Smile fixed on her a face, a real smile, that shines, unlike the ones that she usually wore. Later that day, her best friend cum rival asked her, what she was so happy about. She didn't answer, but kept on smiling. When the father and son pair came to pick her up that night, Ino's question were answered. And to tell the truth, she couldn't be happier for her good friend. It would seem that her assumption and accusation were just what they are – mere assumptions.
OWARI
So, how was it? Be nice peeps, if you want me to continue, review ok?