Chapter two…
CHAPTER TWO: 'Getting started…'
Naruto made his way through the village once more, ignoring the stares and good-natured hellos. To say he was in a bad mood would be the understatement of a centaury. After having not only having been insulted by someone he thought cared about him, he and his child had been threatened by separation! It was an outrage!
Said child, was asleep. Blissfully unaware of his current status. Happily playing and or fiddling around in dream land, while his parent continued the silent rant, glaring daggers and digging graves for anyone who dare approach, not fully knowing if this over-protectiveness was the half of him that was now Kyuubi or just his temper having sprung to life.
Jiraiya trailed after him, having been the one to fight for Naruto's child after Naruto left in a hurry, baby in tow.
Tsunade's words still very fresh in the Sanin's head.
"Not only is that boy the next Uchiha heir, he's Kyuubi's own spawn! What if he comes out exactly like both parents? He's a danger to the village if he's left on his own, and so is Naruto if he refuses to hand him over peacefully." Her voice was firm, angry, but desperate. She really didn't want to do this.
Jiraiya sighed, rubbing his temples as he approached the situation with caution.
"You can't separate a father from his son-"
Tsunade cut him off before he could make a point. "Exactly! What if Itachi comes back for him?!"
Valid point. But, still only a 'What if?' question.
"Look." He began, voice very grave. It was times like these that he was grateful to have been born with the white hair. "Naruto's strength has improved ten fold with having fused completely with the Kyuubi. Itachi wouldn't be able to handle him now if he tried. No one would. The child is safest with Naruto."
"You say that now, but, Naruto's even more of a threat than the child at this point. Why don't you understand? What if Naruto attacks the village because of the Kyuubi? What if the child is more demon than human?!"
What if…
What if the sun was purple?
Did it really make any difference in the long run?
Making stupid assumptions over an innocent child just seemed flat out stupid. The poor thing hadn't done anything wrong at all. Just followed his father home.
A home that wasn't looking too safe anymore to Naruto. If the villagers found out about the bloodlines of his kid then his future looked as grim as Naruto's had been. He held his boy to his chest a little tighter at the thought.
He preyed the village wouldn't mistreat him.
A growl erupted from his throat at the prayer. Realization hitting him, cold.
The village wouldn't dare lay a finger on his boy. He wouldn't let him. If anyone so much as looked at them the wrong way, he'd-Oh he'd have so much fun with that one, little idiot.
Later that week
Naruto sighed, setting the groceries down on the counter along with a hyper little boy who wouldn't let go of one bag in particular.
He couldn't help but smile a little at his pride and joy.
"Are you hungry yet, Hun?"
He shook his head from side to side eagerly and squeezed the bag closer to his small body, wanting what was inside more than food.
Naruto smiled at this and gently detached the bag from the child's arms, reaching inside and pulling out the object he knew his son wanted from there. Unlike the grocery bags that Naruto was forced to buy for himself with the money he regretfully had to barrow from some –ahem- generous locals, this bag held what little Naruto wanted to keep from his apartment.
And the item was something that Naruto, himself, had cherished until very, very, recently which was due to the fact that his son claimed it.
So, he couldn't help but smile about it now.
"Daddy's house?" the child question pulling the item by its ends and holding it above his head where he knew Naruto put his.
Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Daddy's house. It's big, ne?" He smiled weakly taking the item back and wrapping it around his head where it belonged, only for it to land on the boy's chest with a silent thud. Too big for his head just yet.
The boy held it up a little, looking down so he could see it better, a small chubby finger tracing the scratch it bore. "This is Daddy's?" He asked as he held it up to Naruto, eyes filled with wonder.
Naruto's smile almost faltered. "Yeah. That's his too,"
His son let it rest against his own chest again, tracing the scratch Naruto had made long ago with his finger over and over, as though trying to pull the story of it from the metal.
Naruto turned his attention to putting the food away and organizing the cabinets to his liking. It would be strange but Naruto would have to deal with the new house. It would weird forcing himself to even set foot here everyday like it was his, but he had been given no choice. His old apartment was way too small for himself and his kid. This place would have to do…
It was…the Uchiha compound after all. What better place to raise an Uchiha heir?
He sighed again.
But it hurt so much to have to be here without the one person he had always to spend his life here with. Against everything that was Naruto Uzamaki, he wished his dreams had been different then. He wished that Sasuke wouldn't have left him for that snake bastard.
His fists tightened.
It was painful to remember the force behind every blow. The coldness of his eyes. The fury in his voice. The too sweet kiss when he finally said goodbye…
"I'm hungry now."
His child's voice broke him from his thoughts. With a smile he nodded, hiding his heart well. Masking his sadness easily for the only one left he cherished in his life. "Alright, Sunshine. Alright."
And over at Hokage Tower
"Where is Naruto?" His voice rasped. He wasn't struggling.
They had him seated before mistress Hokage in the interrogation room. Tied down and blindfolded like a man ready for the electric chair.
"What do you want with Naruto?" She asked, the sake induced anger spilling over.
Hard to believe this woman somehow made the cut. When Konoha was desperate they meant desperate. He bit back whatever un-Uchiha like comment and instead settled on a growl. Just a sign he was losing patience for these so-called elders. He'd have their heads in less than five seconds if they didn't answer him first.
"Where is he?" He bit out again. When he got no reply he fell into an unsettling silence before snapping. "I've killed that bastard Snake for you! I've given you his fucking head! Tell me where Naruto is! I know he's here!"
The silence filled the room.
"First thing's first, Sasuke." Said young man, stiffened at hearing his old sensei's voice. "I know why you're so desperate to see Naruto, but we have to know if you can be trusted. Not many missing-nin come back after willfully leaving."
Sasuke jerked his head in the direction of the man's voice, snarling. "I had to leave! None of you had the power I needed! And if I wanted to now, I could kill you all!"
"Now, it's that sort of mouth that got you in here, Sasuke. Please. For your own well-being. Cooperate with the hidden leaf village." His voice got just that much harder. Enough to shut the young man up to listen if only for a moment.
He'd be going on trial within a week's time. Until then he'd be locked away and under constant surveillance.
As the restraints were worked off him they moved him to his feet, leaving the blindfold on for a moment longer than needed.
When Sasuke could see again, he was inside a cell. No one needed to tell him there wasn't any escape, he knew how these prisons worked well enough to not need to be told, but it was still more annoying than anything he had yet to come across.
A guard came in, her ANBU mask in place and somehow less intimidating than the others. There was a familiar air about her.
"Naruto will be informed of your arrival soon, Sasuke. I promise."
His onyx eyes widened a fraction of a centimeter.
"Sakura?"
"Yes." She nodded once. He could just hear the forced kindness behind that simple 'yes'.
Sure he hadn't exactly been the best friend he could have been or even the best teammate when it came to her, and sure, he had abandon her and the village for the sake of killing an older brother, but did all that really deserve such a foul response?
Maybe.
"Tell him to come see me, then. I need to speak with him."
"He's got a son now, you know?" She hissed. "I doubt he wants to hear anything you have to say."
Ha froze on the spot as she walked away. His mind blanking out as his face drained itself of any color, if possible.
'Naruto…has a son…' the words echoed. He fell back against the wall. 'Have you forgotten me, Naruto?'
END CHAPTER TWO…