A/N: Thanks for the kind reviews! God bless you.
Four Seasons
Summary: Sasuke Uchiha finds that his wife disappeared, and she will not return to him unless he shows the ability to be a true father, kindness, and a gold heart. She leaves their child with him, the dead line is four seasons (a year); if he doesn't show those 3 things she vowed never to return to him and take their child with her. Can't be too hard right?
Paternity; Like Father like Son
Ino stood at the door to their mansion with Akira, idly playing with a butterfly, on her hip. Sasuke felt shocked, "Had the day come early?" he thought, haphazardly stopping the car and wildly putting it in park. He jumped out of the Mercedes uncaring if it got scratched by his suit case or not. "She's home, she's home..." he said running now, with tears flying into the wind, dacing a lithe filled tango with the leaves that blew. It was spring time, not the cold weather of winter, mirroring the blossoming of Sasuke's heart.
"Sasuke, its half way down the drive way." Ino laughed, as she pointed to it, Akira desisted his attention from the yellow and orange with black spots butterfly and looked to the car. He giggled as well, balling his fists and putting it close to his mouth. Sasuke didn't care for the car, he just embraced his wife and laid sweet kisses on her lips. He smooched his child with everything he had, vowing never to stop loving him. He placed Akira in his swing in the living room, and presented Ino with a bouqet of flowers.
"I've cleaned the house upon your return, organized every book and CD. I even bought some of your favorite soap operas." Sasuke said in desperation as if it were truly that the evanscent.
Ino looked surprised at him, "Really?" she whispered. He smirked, "That's not all..." he cooed, taking her into their room.
Beep! Beep! Beep!....
Sasuke groggily turned over in the bed; lifitng his head enough to glare at the destroyer of his beautiful dreams. He looked to his peaceful son who slept enclosed by the ninja string.
"If only I could sleep as heavily as you and your mother, then I could have all the rare pretty dreams want." Sasuke laughed, with a goofy lopsided grin on his face.
"You on the other hand, have got to go." He said getting up, gliding over his son and landing on his feet. He barley stumbled, and grabbed the annoying clock.
"Sh...." He began, it was 11:30 am. His son took up half his sleep by randomly crying, peeing on the bed, and being hungry. Sasuke had finally realized how much of a hard task it was taking care of a baby.
"Since you can't go to day care, I guess you're coming with me again." Sasuke muttered, unplugging the beeping device, it continued to beep; "B-battery charged...." Sasuke realized, letting it fall onto the ground with a thud. Akira opened his eyes abruptly, and began to wail.
"Yeah, yeah of course..." Sasuke said rolling his eyes, swearing complete revenge on the alarm clock for all its damage. Akira wouldn't silence himself, until Sasuke led him to the kitchen and put food in his mouth.
A smokey fog began, Sasuke looked around for a fire but instead found 7 ANBU Black Ops in the kitchen.
"Jeez Sasuke you look like any scarier in the morning?" Naruto asked, manuevering his head to see if Sasuke wasn't really a dragon instead.
"Sir! We became worried when it turned 11:30 and you weren't at work." The other men said bowing. Sasuke smiled, much to their surprise, their hair stood on end and they jumped back in shock, hoping Sasuke wouldn't do anything brash.
"Your even more terrifying when you smile..." Naruto said seriously, as his mouth twitched.
"Keep talking if you love being fired." Sasuke growled, turning back to his son. The ANBU's bowed asking for forgiveness, Sasuke waved them off muttering "Its alright, I'll be at work shortly." as he dragged his son into his room to change him.
"Naruto-san, do you ever wonder why someone as nice and friendly as Ino married someone as anti-social and scary-looking as Sasuke?" Kiba whispered. Naruto shrugged, "I only wonder how long Sasuke is going to last without her. Soon he'll be drifting into a cold hardened state without her femininem touch and glowing beauty." Naruto spat walking around Sasuke's house.
"If Sasuke finds out we are still in his house he'll for sure punish us..." Sai said uneasily, Naruto waved off such a notion.
"Are you kidding? He loves me." Naruto said, everyone else fell down, Sai got up dusting himself off and looking around.
"The Uchiha mansion is all its cracked up to be...look at that porcelain vase...and that eygptian rug engaved with real gold and rubies in it...diamond dust tables." Sai admired daring enough (or dazed enough) to actually venture to touch it.
"Hn, seen it. Now, the Hyuga mansion is one to talk about! They have an entire park for little Neji (Neji's son), Kiodo (Neji's other son) and Mao Mao (Neji's daughter) to roam around in." Naruto said, twirling Sasuke's one-of-a-kind tornado sculpture.
"Do you hear that?" Sai said stiffening. The shower turned on and they sighed in relief. The continued until Sasuke came out catching them in the act.
"Just...what do you think your doing?" He asked slowly, even the sun hid behind the clouds, he was soaking wet and had a towel around his hips loosely. His dark features made the others quake and shiver.
"Oh, oh, uh nothing...j-just making sure you're coming in today. Also, just curious to see your house. Its really nice, I mean really, really nice. A-and it smells good too, k-kind of different than before, but still smells great." Naruto said, kicking the golden torpedo award under the table.
"Weren't you indifferent about his house bef---Sai started, Naruto turned his head machanically to him gritting his teeth.
"The smell is different because Ino is gone, and I don't know what spray she uses after she cleans the house." Sasuke said, looking away. Naruto stopped his dirty looks at Sai and sighed thinking.
"Um, if she uses the same one as Hinata its Ichigo-Sakura Mist Spray." Naruto said putting his finger to his chin and thinking.
"Really, are you sure?" Sasuke asked curiously, Naruto nodded affirmitively.
"Well then, thank you Naruto, now return to work or all of you are fired." Sasuke threatened before turning around and checking on his son.
"Wait. On second thought--n-never mind, go to work immediately." Sasuke said, he was going to say they had to look after Akira until work was over but, Ino's rule was to be a great father and she'll come back.
"I'm willing to do anything...anything to have you back." He promised.
...............
Sasuke twirled his pencil in between his fingers, reversing the action, and then repeating it. His son followed his movements, and began to play with his fingers. Sasuke looked to him, and he cooed into a smile. Sasuke smiled back waving.
"You must be bored right now." Sasuke concluded, picking him up, the thing was, Akira didn't look bored in the least. It was if his father was the most interesting thing in the world to him.
"You like cartoons right? Hmm...I've never used this plasma before so forgive me if it short circuts, and no laughing." Sasuke said, he turned it on and fished around for a channel that had cartoons showing on it.
"This looks good..." Sasuke said softly, propping his son up on the chair, Akira leaned to fall down.
"That's right you can't even walk yet...hm...got it." Sasuke said snapping his fingers. Sasuke searched for Naruto with Akira in his arms. Naruto was hard at work so Sasuke couldn't ask him to watch cartoons with him.
Sasuke returned to his office with a delicate problem at hand, "I've got this." Neji said sitting down in Sasuke's chair.
"You have a son to be with and a wife to get back, a little extra work won't kill me." Neji said not looking a the Uchiha, Sasuke looked surprised, but then smiled.
"Thank you, Neji." Sasuke said sitting down with his son. Sasuke began to laugh at the parts where the main character found trouble and got hurt, Akira copied him until he found that that the clown getting hurt actually was meant to be funny.
"Sasuke you've received a letter." Sakura said sticking her head in through the door. She smiled at him, "I'll be sure to tell Ino of your good work." she said going over to play with Akira. Akira stared at the woman, and reached for her hair, "Ploopek." he cooed running his fingers through it.
"I think he's trying to say "pink"." Sasuke guessed, Sakura nodded her head and bent down so he could play with it more.
"You know, Hiro just said "mama" a few days ago. But, I already told you." Sakura said smiling. Sasuke frowned momentarily, "No, you didn't." he said quietly. She looked shocked and thought for a moment.
"Oh, that's right you couldn't go to my party because of work and Liri-chan keeping you at her house for few hours to do a few errands together." She said not smiling anymore, "Here's your letter." Sakura said stiffely, and handing him the letter with aggression.
"Next time make room for family and friends and maybe your wife won't walk out on you." She said with attitude. Sasuke looked down to his son, and stopped smiling. Sakura's words bounced around in his head, as if she was taunting him, ridiculing his very being with her snidish, proud words. He gripped his head, teeming with thoughts and words, her voice growing louder and fiercer. It burned to think, it burned not to think, he searched around for pills, carelessly leaving his son for anything to soothe such a pain. He began to scratch his forearm in an attempt to distract his mind; but his mind wasn't fooled, it was bent on self destruction. He began to smile a crooked smile, he had found what he was looking for. He grabbed the medication and forced it down his throat without water.
"I need fresh air." He said quietly, leaving his work place.
..............
By the time he got back, half of the ANBU was in his office, questioning each other and gossiping. When they acknowledged his presence they were quiet.
"Sasuke, you left Akira." Tenten said softly, handing his son to him. Sasuke held him, and sat down in his seat.
"I finished." Neji said to him, he had an understanding look on his face and a nonchalant manner in his voice.
"Thanks." Sasuke said, Sakura gently took Akira out of his arms, and felt his forehead.
"Sasuke, you have a fever and its scorching hot on your forehead. Leave Akira with me and let Naruto take you home." Sakura said with a plain face.
"I'll feel well later, just give me Akira and all of you return to work." He said, everyone scrambled back to their posts without a second thought.
It left Naruto, Neji, Sakura, Akira, and Sasuke. "Give me my son." Sasuke ordered.
"You don't look well, or sound well for that manner." Sakura said, Sasuke laughed.
"You really think your such a know-it-all, don't you?" Sasuke said attempting to take his son back. Sakura wedged Akira to the side away from him.
"Give him to me, Sakura." Sasuke said trying to remain calm.
"You just don't understand, I have to get her back; I need her back now. I can't take this, tell her I need her please, please Sakura. Tell her I'm so sorry, please let her come back to me. I need her, Sakura I need her!" Sasuke begged, tears coming to his eyes.
"I'll tell her, if you let me take Akira home and you go rest. Try not to think about Ino and just get some sleep." Sakura smiled, Sasuke shook his head, trying to speak but Naruto knocked him out.
..............
Sasuke woke up without the alarm, it was the next morning and he felt energized. He felt his stomach, realizing he hadn't eaten anything for two days. He laid out all the food in the house on the table, and began to eat and eat. He suddenly stopped, and began to cry. He resumed eating, uncaring if it hurt him or not.
"Look I need you!" He screamed to no one. "You've got to come back, you've got to." Sasuke whispered. The ring on the door bell alarmed him, he dashed to it expecting Ino. He smiled, "Hey buddy." he said picking up Akira. Sakura stood there, frowning.
"What?" He said, after Sakura refused to greet him. Sakura shook her head, but Sasuke tried to persist with kindness.
"Ino says to keep up the good work, and keep trying your best. Oh, and she'll be praying for you every night. God, bless." Sakura said slowly, turning around and saying good-bye. Sasuke allowed her to walk away.
Sasuke couldn't stop grinning, Akira mimicked his grin. "See son, we'll have her back in no time." he said softly.
"In no time..." He whispered.
A/N: I hoped you enjoyed it, I've been trying to make this as nice as possible so review please.