EDIT: Hey. so i combined the third and fourth chapter into his newly edited third chapter. Also, i added some new shenanigans, so enjoy it. No rambling. I'm currently working on the newest chapter which will be the 47th after i post this one. So Yeah.
Thanks to all that reviewed.
Sakura froze, unable to move or even think. She felt confused, surprised and for some reason, embarrassed. She didn't have much reason to be embarrassed but, with the way Sasuke was looking at her now, a look she couldn't quite depict but left her feeling sort of breathless, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed by it all. There was just something about Sasuke that could leave her feeling flustered and like she was a little kid in love again.
But she brushed the last thought away because she wasn't in love anymore. She was over him. He had hurt her and the rest of team seven so much. She had come to terms with the fact that he wasn't coming home and that they were never going to be anything to each other. She accepted this and now was over him. But, her inner self couldn't help but butt in, he was back and seemed to be a different person now.
Seto moved just then, breaking her from her thoughts. He had moved his head so that he could look up at her and she looked down him, seeing the innocently happy expression fade to a devastatingly pathetic expression of sadness. She felt her stomach drop at the expression on his face and knowing that she had, in a way, caused it. He must have thought she was someone else, she concluded.
Sasuke chose this moment to intervene. He crossed the distance between them slowly until he was right in front of her. Sakura blushed a deeper red at how close they were but Sasuke seemed to be completely ignoring her, instead focusing on the boy.
He placed his hand on the boy's back and Seto turned his head to look at Sasuke. Sakura eyed the soft expression on Sasuke's face and watched as Seto let go of her coat and grabbed a hold of Sasuke's shirt. Sasuke reached forward and wrapped his arms around the boy, accidentally brushing against Sakura in the process and making a tingling sensation rush through said girl, and pulled the boy from her arms.
Sasuke stepped back and Sakura glanced over the boy, finally getting a good look at him. He looked remarkably similar to the teen. They had the same hair color as well as the same complexion and dark eyes. However, there was some things slightly off between them. There were little things that didn't match up between the two and it took a moment for Sakura to remember that Seto wasn't actually Sasuke's son. And while the two brother's looked alike, enough that most would confuse them at first glance and confuse their kids, Sakura could see the feature's between the two that varied, only small differences.
With this new knowledge in forefront of her mind, she began comparing the boy to Itachi. She had seen the older man a few times, enough to know what he looked like and be able to pick out his features from Seto. They had the same eyes shape, they varied from Sasuke, and the same style of hair. Seto's hair hung flat against his head like his father's, long but not long enough to pull into a ponytail, instead of defying gravity like his uncle's. Glancing over him, Sakura could see that he was a little mini version of Itachi. An innocent mini version on him.
Sasuke draped the towel over the boy's body and gently began to rub him in a comforting way while drying the boy off. Sakura stared at Sasuke in disbelief. He looked like a father. She had only seen the cold Sasuke, only catching glimpses of the true face that hid behind the mask. But there was no denying that she was really seeing him now. She saw the two of them like a father and son instead of the uncle and nephew they were. She saw the caring nature that Sasuke never publicly displayed. She hadn't known it was possible, but it seems like Sasuke is human after all, able to care about others.
Sasuke eyed the boy in his arms. He was carefully avoiding looking at her and his face was growing red. He could tell that he was disappointed, having really thought that Sakura was his mother coming back. Sasuke rubbed circles on the boy's back, knowing that with each moment Seto was getting more upset and a fit was about to ensue. After a moment, Sasuke heard a sniffle and then another. Finally, without shame or embarrassment like only a kid could do, a wave of tears escaped the boy and a loud sob.
Sakura pressed her hand to her heart, hating when people cry. It always reminds her of all the tears she has cried, and the many reasons why. Seeing a person cry made bad feelings come up, and then she began to feel worse when she was feeling sorry for herself when other's were in pain of some sort. And it was worse to see kids cry.
Sasuke pulled they boy closer to him and hugged him tightly. Sakura watched as Sasuke quietly whispered something, probably comforting words, in the boy's ear. Sakura watched for a few awkward minutes before the words seemed to start calming little Seto down. She looked away after a moment, feeling as if she was intruding on a personal moment between the two of them.
After what seemed like a millennium, Seto was calm enough that Sasuke turned his attention back to Sakura. She was looking away so he gently reached out to her. His fingers barely brushed her arm and she jumped. With his hand still lingering on her arm, he pulled it back and pointed to the kitchen before he slowly started forward. She watched him disappear from view and then quickly removed her coat and followed him, leaving her things by the door.
Seto was still in Sasuke's arms when she entered. He was standing in front of a nearly empty fridge, looking in and thinking about something. After a moment, he noticed her entrance and gestured to the table. She nodded and made her way over, making herself comfortable and then watching the two.
Seto was neatly tucked against Sasuke chest, resting his head in the crook of the teen's neck. His arms were wrapped around his neck, his right fist clutching the back of Sasuke's shirt, and had a tired expression on his face. After a moment, Sasuke moved away from the fridge and went to the cabinets and produced a cup. He skillfully filled it with water and handed it to the boy using only one hand. From the looks of it, Sakura noticed, he had gotten used to doing things while holding Seto.
"Would you like anything to drink?" he asked with his back to her still.
She shook her head and then remember that he couldn't see the gesture. "Oh, no. I'm good for now."
There was a moment's pause and he busied himself with washing Seto's cup after the boy finishing drinking from it. The boy rested his head back into the crook of Sasuke's neck, hiding from Sakura's view. After a moment, Sasuke turned and paused, noticing that she was staring. He gave her a questioning glance and she looked away quickly, embarrassed to be caught staring.
Sasuke crossed the room and sat across from her, making sure that Seto was comfortable before turning his attention to her. She racked her brain for something to say, anything to ease the awkwardness between them. She put a smile on her face and blurted the first thing that came to mind. "I started packing. I got a lot done but I was only able to carry two boxes over myself. I was hoping to go back and finish the job tomorrow and maybe get some help to move it all over here."
Sasuke nodded and at first, wasn't going to say anything but decided to at least contribute a little after seeing an expression of encouragement that she was unknowingly giving him. "Well, I could help you and maybe Naruto too, if he's not busy," he said lamely and awkwardly.
She noticed the awkwardness but also noted the great pain he had taken to at least try and contribute. He was trying to get along with her. She could tell that he felt the incompetence of the situation as much as she did but he was trying instead of just pushing her away. For that, she was grateful.
They chatted idly for a few minutes until Sasuke glanced down at Seto to see the child sleeping, tired after his fit. Sasuke glanced at Sakura and then slowly and carefully stood up. "Come. I have to get him to get him to bed and I'll show you your room."
Sakura nodded and followed Sasuke as he led her towards the stairs, exactly across from the front door. He pointed out rooms as they passed them. Across from the kitchen was the living room on the left. Going down the wall, there was another door on the left that Sasuke said was an office. Across the office door was a small hallway with a door at the end and another on the left wall of it. Sasuke said it was the bathroom on the left and the laundry and storage room at the end of it.
Going up the stairs, Sakura was greeted with two hallways. To her left was a hall that branched off the main hall directly ahead. This hall had a door at the end and a door on the left, very similar to the hall downstairs. Sasuke explained that the left side door was the bathroom she would be using and an extra bedroom.
She glanced down the main hall. There was a door right next to the stairs on the right and two other doors even spaced along that side of the wall. On the other side of the hall was only one door, close to corner of other hall. Sakura eyed this all before she watched as Sasuke entered the first door close to the stairs.
Sakura stood in the doorway and watched as Sasuke moved around. There was a bed in the corner that Sasuke gently placed the boy on. The room was furnished, looking like a teen used to live in there judging by the old rock and punk posters along the walls. Sakura noticed that things were packed away into boxes, like Sasuke had already been in there, cleaning it out and it made her wonder who lived there before.
Sasuke gently pulled on the pajama shirt before he let the boy really lay down. Sasuke glanced over his shoulder at her. "Can you hand me those clean sheets?" he asked, pointing to a stack on a dresser by the door. Sakura nodded and grabbed them before crossing the room to hand them to him. He nodded a thank you and tucked in Seto, stopping to give him a kiss on the forehead. Sakura smiled at this.
Sasuke sat perched on the edge of the bed, staring at the sleeping child. Sakura searched her mind for something to say, anything to lessen the tension between them. Her mind drew a blank and she quickly blurted out the first thing that happened to occur to her. "Why did he call me Mommy?" she asked and then scolder herself for such a stupid question.
Sasuke didn't bother looking at her, instead focusing on Seto. His eyes were slightly swollen from crying and it pulled on his heart strings. He hated when he cried or was upset in anyway.
(Flashback)
Sasuke sat perched at the window of the old, creaky home. The rain hit the glass at a steady pace and slowly streaked down the glass, joining with other drops and gaining momentum. He worked to try and keep his mind blank, but was failing. Instead, his mind repeatedly went back to the dream he had of his old team in Konoha and then sadness that followed upon waking up to discover it was a dream.
His thoughts were interrupted by a quiet knock on the door and Sasuke glanced at it. No one entered- everyone knew better-and Sasuke looked away, deciding to ignore it. A few moments later, a another knock sounded that went ignored. When a third knock followed, Sasuke heaved a sigh and got up, deciding to yell at the person disturbing him.
He swung open the door angrily and glared at the man in front of him. It was no one important he noticed, a low rank shinobi. "What is so important that you have to disturb me?"
The man flinched at his harsh tone, clearly intimidated. "Um . . . I'm sorry to disturb you, but . . . there is someone here to see you."
Sasuke was still for a moment and the guy seemed to panic because of his silence. The dark haired teen let out a huff and pushed past the man, making sure to shove the man with his shoulder, and headed to the front room.
He was currently staying in hide out house for a mission of his. Orochimaru assigned him to be the leader of a certain assignment. The men he was in charge of drove him crazy and he wanted to kill them all just to shut him up, but the mission was almost over, thank god, he reminded himself often.
He entered the front room and stood in the doorway. The stupid sound nin that he hated, oh so much, were all crowded in the small room. Standing in the middle of them was a familiar woman that he dreaded seeing. She was smiling at them, loving the attention they were giving her. In truth, she was probably the prettiest woman that they had ever seen and they were all eagerly trying to pick her up.
She looked up and smiled sweetly when she spotted him in the doorway. She pushed past the men and they all groaned when they saw who she was walking towards. They knew they didn't stand a chance with Sasuke in the equation. Woman flock to him.
Sasuke examined him. Her hair had grown a bit since the last time he had seen her. I know reached to the middle of her back, the dark brown color contrasting deeply with her creamy skin. Her gray eyes were framed by expertly done make-up and thick lashes. Though the dark black coat was covering her, Sasuke remembered that she had a very fit and, he will even admit, sexy body.
The woman smiled and pulled the teen into a hug, much to his dismay. He looked at the men in the room, all staring at him and the mystery woman. He glared and cleared his throat and they all scrambled to leave the two alone. The woman glanced over her shoulder to see they were gone and pouted, having lost a form of entertainment.
"Oh, Sasuke, why do you always have to ruin all my fun?" she exclaimed before opening her dark black coat and removing it. Sasuke eyed the revealing top she wore and the short skirt that accompanied the knee-high boots she wore.
He sighed. "What do you want, Akina?"
She rolled her eyes. "Always straight to the point. No 'how are you' or 'how's it going'," she said in a mocking tone that earned her a deep glare from the teen. It was her turn to sigh. "Fine, fine. I came here because I need someone to , um . . . how can I put this . . . , baby-sit for me."
"Why?" Sasuke deadpanned.
She smiled and ran her hand down his chest and he swatted her hand away. "I'm only sixteen, remember. You're already twenty. Hands off me."
She pouted for a moment before leaned forward, pressing her hand against his chest again and hovering her lips close to his. "Yeah, but you'll be seventeen in five month. It's not nearly as bad. Plus, age is only a number."
"Not interested," he muttered, gently pushing her away from him. She pursed her lips but he ignored it, trying to get back to business. "Why do you need me to take Seto?"
She smiled innocently. "I just got some stuff to do. I need to go out for a bit and then I will be back for him in no time," she said in a tone that tried to sound innocent but Sasuke could see right through it. "He's in the kitchen right now."
Sasuke poked his head into the kitchen doorway. Indeed, Seto was in there. Little fourteen month old Seto was sitting on the floor of the dirty kitchen with several Sound nin staring at him. No one wanted to touch him, but they were obviously confused as to why a baby was just chilling on their floor.
Sasuke knew that if he said that he would watch him, he would be taking full care of the boy. He knew that if Akina was able to get away without him, she was never coming back. Or at least, she wasn't coming back until it served to be convenient to her. Akina was a sorry excuse of a mother and the young teen knew that he couldn't leave Seto with her. It was a wonder that Seto was still alive and unharmed. Sasuke didn't really want to, but he really had no choice.
He glanced back at the woman in front of him. She was smiling victoriously, knowing that he cared too much for his brother's son to let her go away with him again. Sasuke scowled at her confident smile and wanted so badly to say no just to wipe that smile off her face.
"Fine," he deadpanned and then marched into the kitchen and gentle scooped the child into his arms. Akina smiled and jumped up and down, following him into the kitchen and continued to gloat.
"Thank you so much, Sasuke! You're the best!" she said and then quickly smashed her lips against his before he could protest. Sasuke didn't kiss her back but he waited until she done before he pulled away. She smiled and kissed his cheek, no doubt leaving a lipstick mark, before pulling on her coat.
She walked to the door, thanking him again all the while. Seto reached out his arms for her and let out a whine but she ignored him.
"Thanks, Sasuke. I'll be back soon," she lied before disappearing, leaving her child.
Seto stared at the door for a moment before he started crying and screaming. Sasuke sighed and adjust him in his arms so that he was turned around and gently hugged the boy. He glanced around the kitchen, ignoring the stares of the men, and noticed that Akina hadn't left anything for the boy. Sasuke let out a quiet sigh, cursing Akina to the deepest depths of hell for making his life so much more difficult.
He turned to the nearest Sound nin and grabbed a hold of his shirt. "Go to the store and get things for a fourteen month old." The man looked confused.
"I don't know what he will need," he admitted, clearly afraid that Sasuke would get angry.
The teen sighed and turned to face on of the few woman Sound nin in the house with them. She seemed to know more about children than anyone else around and Sasuke remembered her mention something about a little brother back home. She saw his stare and smiled, jumping down from her seat on the counter.
"I'll help him, Sasuke," she said flirtatiously, briefly brushing her hand against his arm. Sasuke resisted the urge to pull away from her and nodded to her, almost grateful that she was helping.
He turned on his heels and headed back towards his room. "Don't disturb me unless you have the items I requested," he called as he closed the door.
(End of Flashback)
Sasuke kept his gaze on Seto. He didn't bother answering her, but he knew the answer. Though Seto was still very young when his mother left him, the boy could still vaguely remember her. And one of the things he remembers was her coat. She wore the same one all the time. The one Sakura wore looked just like it. When he saw Sakura's coat, he must just assumed it was her. Must have been the reason he cried so much.
Sasuke stood wordlessly and walked over to the doorway. He paused and Sakura took this as a sign to follow his lead and exited the room quickly. He paused to take one more look inside before closing the door and then leading her down the second hallway. Sakura made note that she would be the closest to the bathroom.
Sasuke entered before her and stepped aside so she could enter. She looked around. Like the previous room, it was newly cleaned and had boxes pushed to the side. The walls were a pale cream color with boy band posters lingering on the wall and ceiling. Though it looked like Sasuke cleaned out most of the pervious person's belongings, Sakura concluded it was a little girl, probably around the same age Sasuke was when the Massacre occurred.
"I got most of the room clean. The boxes will be taken away tomorrow, and everything else will be cleaned out as well. The bed is clean and that whole dresser is empty. This small table and the closet is the last thing that needs to be cleaned out. I'll do it while you finish packing," he muttered from his position by the door.
Sakura nodded. Usually, she would have offered to do it herself, but she just couldn't this time. She couldn't imagine going through the belongings of a little girl, cleaning it all out, knowing in the back of her mind that the little girl was dead.
Sakura tried to clear her thoughts. Instead of looking at it as the room of a dead little girl, she looked at it as her new room. She wasn't too pleased with some of the furniture, it seeming really girly and the fact that it had pink bunnies painted on it didn't help either. She did, however, notice that the room was huge. It was about the size of her old room and about half of the guest bedroom put together. She was pleased with that, since she was always complaining to her mother that her room was too small.
"We can get new furniture if you don't like these ones. They are kind of . . ." he trailed off and Sakura couldn't help but laugh.
"It looks like a cute little fairy threw up all over this room."
Sasuke nodded. "Yeah. You should have seen it before I cleaned it out. This is definitely an improvement," he stated and Sakura turned to smile at him.
"One can only imagine."
He nodded his head, not knowing what else to do or say. An awkward moment settled over them and Sakura turned to examine the room again. After a moment, Sasuke suggested that he make some tea and Sakura willingly obliged. They headed out the room together and Sasuke stopped to point out his room. It was the only door on the left side of the hall and he explained that it was the master suite.
They made their way down into the kitchen. Sakura sat herself at the table while Sasuke made the tea.
"So, do you want to know what everyone has been up to?" she kindly asked.
He seemed to hesitate for a moment before nodding slowly. She smiled kindly at him and began talking. There really wasn't anything very substantial to report. She told him about the big crimes or scandals in the village, who was dating who, who wanted who, what idiotic things someone did, like when Tsunade and Naruto got drunk and ended up waking up half the village by stumbling down the streets singing Christmas songs in July at the top of their lungs. Sasuke didn't say much, just sipped his tea and occasionally threw in a 'Dobe', 'Idiot' or 'Moron' when he deemed it necessary.
But even though Sakura did all the talking, the air was no longer so tense. They were both able to relax and just enjoy the time spent together. Sakura couldn't help but notice that this was the most comfortable she had ever felt around him. And Sasuke seemed pretty relaxed too, even almost laughing a few times instead of his usual chuckle.
It was past midnight when they decided that they were done with the tea. Although they had already drank all the tea and hadn't touched their cups for at least an hour, they decided that it was time to go up to bed. Sakura grabbed her bag that was by the door while Sasuke grabbed the two boxes and headed up the stairs together.
Sasuke dropped the boxes off and then wished her a goodnight. She returned the gesture and the boy disappeared into his own room. She stopped into the bathroom and washed her face and brushed her teeth. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and changed into a light blue tank top and light green short shorts. She paused at the bathroom door for a moment, tugging at the mid-drift baring tank top. She was very thankful that her room was the closest to the bathroom.
She drifted to her room and adjusted the sheets on the bed before turning down the lights and climbing into the bed. The bed was comfy, she was surprised to find. She drifted to sleep easily, only to be awoken hours later by someone screaming.
She bolted upright in the bed and looked around the dark room. The screaming continued and Sakura quickly jumped out of bed and flung the door open. The hallway was dimly lit, nightlights plugged into the wall outlets that lined the entire hall. With the light, the pinkette could see Sasuke streak into Seto's room and the light flicker on. Moments later, the screaming faded.
Sakura went and stood in the doorway. Sasuke was sitting on the edge of the bed, shirtless and in his underwear, while holding little Seto in his arms. Seto was crying, his face contorted in a truly pathetic expression of sadness. His little arms clung to Sasuke as if he was his only lifeline.
"I . . . . Mommy . . . . . she . . . . will . . . . nightlight," was the only words that Sakura could pick out from the child's mutterings.
Sasuke slowly rocked the boy back and forth before pulling the child's into his arms and pacing around the room. He glanced at her over at her and paused, his eyes trailing down her body momentarily. Sakura blushed and pulled at her tank top, trying to cover the exposed skin. Sasuke looked up to meet her gaze and then down at Seto in his arms.
He glanced up after a moment and mouthed the words 'nightmare, you can go back to bed.' Sakura nodded and mouthed 'goodnight' to him. He nodded, and it seemed like a sort of 'you too' gesture.
Sakura walked back to the bedroom, not wanting to invade on a personal moment between the two. She climbed back into bed and tried to go back to sleep. She laid there for a few hours before she sat up with a huff. She grabbed her robe from her bag and quietly crept out of her room, intent on going down to the kitchen.
She paused at the base of the stairs when she noticed a small light coming out of Sasuke's room. She slowly crept over to his door, noticing his door was open. She stood in the doorway, looking around the nearly dark room. It was a lot bigger than both Seto's and her's and had a very large bed on the inside.
Sakura tried to stifle a laugh when she noticed that the Sasuke Uchiha, had a nightlight in his room. She blinked and really examined him. He was laying on his side, his face so peaceful in his sleep. Tucked underneath his arm in a protective manner was Seto, his little fingers gripping the sheets tightly.
It was a nice sight and Sakura couldn't help but stand there and admire it for awhile. It was amazing to her, and she couldn't seem to wrap her mind around the picture. To her, the name Sasuke was always associated with the raven haired pre-teen with a permanent scowl plastered onto his face. But now, she was stared at him, older and more mature looking. He looked like a caring father. She still couldn't believe her eyes.
A yawn crept up on her and she frowned. She quietly dragged her feet back into her room and crawled in bed. She drifted back into a peaceful much easier than she suspected.
- X -
Her eyes slowly fluttered open when she heard noises coming from the somewhere in the house. She sat up lazily and stared at the empty room in a tired manner. She climbed out of bed lazily, but remembered where she was and quickly woke up. She tugged on her robe and crept out into the hallway.
When she got to the stairs, she glanced into Sasuke's open room and saw that it was empty. She glanced into Seto's room and noticed it was also empty. She slowly made her way down the stairs and followed the noises to the source: the kitchen.
She poked her head in into the kitchen and saw the two Uchihas. She saw Sasuke at the stove, his bare back to her. He was dressed in a pair of sweats and nothing else, revealing a number of ugly and painful looking scars on his arms and torso. Sakura couldn't help but blush at the sight of the toned muscles on his back and arms.
Seto was sitting on the counter next to him, watching as the teen prepared the food. Sakura slowly entered and Sasuke must have sensed her presence because he glanced over his shoulder at her. He paused and offered an awkward smirk to her that seemed like a sort of welcoming gesture.
He noticed her blush and raised an eyebrow and then shrugged it off. He turned back to the food and stirred something. "Breakfast is almost ready," he announced.
She nodded and then sat down at the table. She watched as Seto tugged on Sasuke's arm and wiggled in his position on the counter. Sasuke wordlessly pulled Seto into his arms and then lowered him onto the ground, where the boy quickly went over to the fridge and struggled to open it. Sasuke was grabbing the plates and transferring the food from the stove onto said plates. He paused in the middle of this and crossed the large kitchen to open the fridge for Seto and then returned to the food.
Seto pulled out a bag of cherry tomatoes with a struggle and then joined her that the table, struggling to climb onto the chair. Sasuke was right behind him and once he set down the plates in his hands, he lifted the boy into the chair and then was across the room again before grabbing more food and returning.
"Don't eat all of those. Save your appetite for breakfast," he commanded before taking the cherry tomatoes out of his hand.
"Daddy," the boy complained.
"No," Sasuke warned and Seto pouted, begrudgingly picking up his fork and taking a bite out of his pre-cut food.
Sasuke put the tomatoes away and then paused, glancing down at his bare chest. Sakura looked up, waiting for him to sit down. With him facing her now, with nothing blocking her view, she took in the sight. He was very muscled and chiseled, but at the same time lean. He had a perfect six-pack and v-cut. His body was tattered and scared, but for some reason, she could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest and she felt the urge to run her hands down his entire torso. His sweats were positioned dangerously low on his hips, and Sakura's heart rate sped as her eyes trailed lower and lower, examining the exposed skin.
She stopped, staring at the left side of his hip. She saw a dark black mark, not hard to miss on his pale skin. Having worked at the hospital for awhile now and, as a result from this, seeing a variety of people walking through the doors, she recognized the mark easily. It was a tattoo. She wasn't able to see what it was, most of it was hidden under the waistband of his sweats, but she was able to see that it was some sort of kanji.
Sasuke rubbed his stomach absentmindedly, drawing her attention. Her eyes moved with his hand, following it for a moment before she took in the whole picture. He was staring at his feet.
"I guess I'm not used to living with a girl. It's going to take some getting used to," he muttered and she found it surprisingly hard to concentrate on what he was saying while he was rubbing his perfect abs. He glanced up at her and raised an eyebrow at her flushed face and distracted expression. He cleared his throat and she snapped awake, blushing deeper in embarrassment. He didn't comment on it. "I'm just going to get a shirt," he said before disappearing.
Sakura stared at the empty doorway, working to slow her beating heart. She couldn't help but scold herself. With a mental sigh, she realized that she wasn't used to living with a very sexy boy. It was going to take some getting used to for all the them.
When she figured she was in better control of herself, she looked to Seto. He was so small, but was currently sitting in a kiddy chair so he his small form was not hidden from her view by the table. He was staring at her and she offered a small smile, nervous. He looked away quickly, his lip quivering and her eyes went wide in response, afraid she had done something wrong.
Sasuke reentered the room then donning a new shirt and Seto, seeing his father, burst into tears. Sakura jumped and reached out to help him but stopped short, not wanting to upset him more. She looked to Sasuke, to see how he was going to handle this.
A mildly concerned expression crossed his face and he gently went to the boy's side. The boy lifted his arms towards the teen, tears streaking down his face, and Sasuke gently pulled the boy in to his arms, quietly calming him. He paced the length of the kitchen and it seemed to calm the boy a little. "What's wrong, Buddy?" Sasuke asked but got no answer.
Sakura blinked and brought her hand up to his lips for a moment. "I'm sorry," she said quickly, drawing Sasuke's attention. "I didn't mean to upset him. I just smiled at him. I didn't think . . . ." she trailed off, a worried expression on her face.
Sasuke was still for a moment before waving her off. "It's fine. This isn't the first time this has happened," he said and then gently stroked the boy's back, staring down at him. "He's just really shy," he explained lightly.
Sasuke's words sort of calmed her but she still felt bad for upsetting him. She stared down at her food. "I'm sorry," she whispered again.
"Don't worry about it," Sasuke assured before moving over to the table. He gently placed Seto back into his seat, but pulled his chair close to his side before sitting down himself. Sakura was still for a moment, watching as Sasuke added some condiments to his food. He looked up and she blushed and picked up her fork, silently taking a bite.
It was good, she noted. It was odd, but she never thought Sasuke as the kind of man to be able to cook. Sure, he wasn't some gourmet chief, but his cooking was really good. She couldn't help but wonder where he learned. He didn't seem like the kind of person to watch the Food Network on TV, but hell, there is a lot she doesn't know about him. Or maybe someone taught him, like a friend or family member. Or, Sakura noted, he could have just taught himself. He's a very independent person. He could have done it.
Breakfast was a mostly quiet affair. Sasuke stood up to collect the plates and Sakura stood to help him. They carried the plates to the sink and set them down and then Sakura smiled awkwardly to the dark haired teen. "I was thinking about finishing my packing. If I leave now, I can probably finish by, maybe about, three. I could ask Naruto to help us move the boxes, too."
Sasuke nodded and turned on the faucet, beginning to do the dishes. "Yeah, I can probably finish cleaning out your room by then. I'll be by your house by three to help," he said and then paused and looked at her. "You still live in the same house as before?"
Sakura let out a laugh. "Yeah."
He nodded. "Well, okay. We have a plan."
She smiled and then explained that she was going to go get dressed and then be leaving. He nodded and she excused herself. She dressed quickly and then headed out the door. Pulling her coat close to her body to fight the cool air, she walked to Naruto's apartment, which thankfully was on the way to her house. She knocked on the door and waited for him to answer.
He opened it after a moment and his bright smile spread across his face. He let her in and Sakura entered, glad to be out of the cold, but stood by the door, not wanting to go any farther into the mess he called a home.
"Have a seat," Naruto offered, gesturing to his garbage covered couch. Sakura grimaced but then quickly put on a polite smile. "No thanks, I'm not staying long."
Naruto shrugged. "You know, I was just about to stop by your place and see if you wanted to get some ramen with me. My treat," he said with a smile and then rubbed his head sheepishly. "Well, actually, we can talk about who pays when we get there."
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the offer, but I have to pack," she said, looking down at her feet and kicking a empty carton of ramen away from her foot.
Naruto stared at her in confusion. "Pack? Where are you going?"
Sakura hesitated for a moment. She loved the blonde to death and he was both her and Sasuke's best friend, even if the dark haired teen would never admit it out loud. But the blonde also has a track record for spreading gossip around the village. And right now, the last thing Sakura needed was rumors about her and Sasuke floating around the village.
"Um, Sakura, are you ever going to answer me. You can tell me anything," he whispered. He smiled. "Look, I'm even whispering now. If you don't want anyone to know, then I won't say a thing. Mom's the word," he said.
Sakura rolled her eyes and laughed. "The saying is mum's the word, not mom," she corrected.
It was Naruto's turn to roll his eyes. "Same thing. I mean, they are both ways to say mother."
Sakura shook her head. "No, mum doesn't refer to mother. It refers to the sound 'mmmm'. You know, the humming sound you make when you with a closed mouth."
Naruto stared at her, tilting his head like a dog would do. "Seriously?"
"Seriously. Shakespeare used it in Henry VI, Part 2."
Naruto rubbed his blonde, unruly hair. "All this time and I have been saying it wrong," he muttered and then shrugged. "So, are you going to tell me?"
Sakura chewed on her lip. "Yeah, but you have to promise not to tell anyone. And if you do, I will not hesitate to hit you so hard that-" she started but Naruto interrupted her.
"Okay, I get it. You will most likely kill me. I'm not a fan of dying, so I won't tell. Now, please, just tell me. I'm dying here."
Sakura nodded. "Okay, but remember your promise. Now, this may come as a shock to you but Sasuke is back and is living in the Uchiha Compound. Now-" she started but was interrupted again.
Naruto jumped off the couch that he was previously seated on and was at her side in a moment. Thankfully, she blocked his path out the door so he wasn't able to run off before she told him everything. "WHAT! HE'S BACK! WHAT ARE YOU DOING! MOVE! I HAVE TO GO SEE HIM!" he shouted and Sakura smacked him on the head. He yelped, but she ignored it and then pushed him back onto the couch.
"Listen, I am going to say this once and only once. If you interrupt me again, I won't tell you and then you will miss something very important that you need to hear about. Is that clear?" she demanded, her hands on his hips and leaning over him in a menacing manner.
"Yeah, I got it," he whispered, clearly knowing that she won't stop at just not telling him. She'll probably also beat the crap out of him.
Sakura nodded and then stood up straighter, smoothing out her coat calmly. "Okay, as I was saying before I was interrupted. Sasuke is living back at the Uchiha Compound and I was instructed, by Tsunade, to move in with him for awhile. It's my job to watch over him, because he isn't trusted by the village, and make sure he doesn't try anything funny, which I doubt he will. Also, I will be helping Sasuke with Seto. So-" she said before Naruto timidly spoke up.
"Um, Sakura," he said in a meek whisper. "I don't mean to interrupt, but I have no clue who Seto is?"
Sakura blushed at her stupidity, wondering how she could forget to communicate that vital bit of information. Sakura knew that the only reason Sasuke was even back was because of the little boy. How could she forget that?
Sakura blushed and stammered. "Oh, yeah, about that. Yeah. Um, how can I put this? Um, well, I guess I should just tell you. I mean, no sugar coating the truth," she said, though she knew that she was sort of lying. She had promised Tsunade that she wouldn't tell anyone that Seto was Itachi's kid. She had no right to decide that Naruto got to know the truth, it's Sasuke's decision. But now she couldn't just go ask him, so she was going have to lie to the blonde.
She squared here shoulders. "Seto is a little boy, almost three years old. He's Sasuke's son and Sasuke has returned in order to make sure that his son grows up in a better environment instead of with a bunch of Sound criminals," she said.
Silence greeted her and Naruto stared at her like she was on crack. He smiled, seeming to think she was joking for a moment, but the smile faded when he saw how serious she was. His mouth fell open and his eyes widened drastically. "WHAT!" he choked out after a moment.
Sakura didn't stay much longer than that. The rest of her visit was her trying to convince him not to bug Sasuke. Sasuke was busy, she told him, and he didn't need him pestering him and getting in his way. He had a lot to do around the house to make it livable, and Naruto protested that he wouldn't bug him, but Sakura wouldn't have it.
In the end, she got him to promise to leave Sasuke alone only after she mentioned that he could see him at three. She told him that he was going to help her move her stuff into his house and if he helped, he could see him. The blonde readily agreed and Sakura couldn't help but smile, having thought that she was going to have to promise him a lot of ramen to get him to help.
She then went home and finished packing. She only pecked what was absolutely necessary at first and then moved on to the small things that would help her feel like she was at home there. She finished quickly, and was surprised that her now old room still looked intact. It was emptier than it has ever been, but it still looked like she lived there.
She had finished a little earlier than she expected and was about to send a messenger slug to tell Sasuke this when there was a knock on the door. She rushed down the stairs and opened the door, seeing Sasuke and Seto. Sasuke held Seto in his arms, who was toying with the spikes in the back of the teen's head. Sakura smiled at the sight, seeing the adoring look in Seto's eyes as he marveled at his father's hair.
Sakura quickly invited them in with a smile. "You're here early," she commented as she closed the door behind them. Sasuke quickly took both of their shoes off and fully entered the house.
Sasuke nodded, standing awkwardly in the foyer. She gestured for the kitchen and he followed her in. She went to the fridge while Sasuke set the little boy down and then took in the sight of the house. It was pretty plain looking, nothing grand but had a homey feel to the place. He had never been in before, but he had walked her home more than once in the past. Looking around now, he could almost picture her as a little girl, growing up in this house.
"Yeah, I finished early and I figured you might need some help packing," he explained, still looking around.
Sakura smiled. "Well, that was thoughtful. I actually just finished packing when you arrived. All the boxes are upstairs. If you wouldn't mind, it would be helpful if you could help me move them downstairs."
Sasuke nodded and pulled Seto back into his arms, as the boy was reaching up towards the teen. Sakura smiled at it, noticing that the little boy liked for his dad to carry him. Sakura led them upstairs, quietly noticing that Sasuke examined every inch of the house that he was able to see. She gestured towards her old room and he entered first, walking over towards the bed and looking around the room.
She let him examine it, seeing as there was nothing embarrassing in view. She noticed that he stared particularly hard at her wall of photos. She had started it when she was fourteen, just a collection of favorite pictures of friends and family. There was a lot of Ino, Naruto, Hinata, Tenten, and Tsunade. Towards the bottom of all the pictures of one of team seven. It was the only one with Sasuke in it. He stared at that one for a long time. That one and a picture of the new team seven, with Sai. He seemed to fixate on those two.
Sakura stared at his blank face, wishing she could understand what he was thinking. She wanted to ask him but she held her tongue. Instead, she watched, trying to decipher the mystery of Sasuke Uchiha.
Seto reached out and touched the picture of the old team seven. He pointed to Sasuke. "Look Daddy!" he exclaimed and looked up at his father expectantly. Sasuke put on a fake smile, his face arranged into a careful smile while his eyes remained dark. Sakura studied him, seeing that his first large smile she seen in a very long time was a fake one for the sake of his son.
"Yup, that's Daddy when he was younger," he said before giving him a kiss on the head. He examined the picture for a moment more before turning away. He kissed Seto's forehead and then set him down on the bed.
"Stay here while Daddy and Sakura work," he told the boy and the boy pouted, obviously wanting for his dad to pick him up again.
Sasuke grabbed a box and Sakura grabbed another before they moved it down the stairs. They repeated the process several times before Seto got antsy. Sasuke lifted the boy with one arm and tucked one of the lighter boxes under his arm, carrying both down the stairs. He set the box down in the living room and then set Seto down, gently nudging him towards the kitchen.
The boy went willingly and Sasuke warned the boy not to get into anything. Sakura smiled and watched as Sasuke disappeared back upstairs to grab the last box. She was about to follow him when a loud, impatient knock sounded on the door.
She was greeted with Naruto's impatient face and Hinata. Sakura scowled, seeing that Naruto was trying peer around her. She scolded him for telling Hinata when he promised that he wouldn't tell a soul. She trusted Hinata, but it was the principle of the thing, that he broke his promise. Hinata laughed as she scolded the blonde and the blonde begging to be forgiven so that the pinkette would let him inside.
Sakura finally allowed him in and he quickly took off his shoes and looked around. After a moment, he let out a frustrated yell. "Teme is not even here yet!"
Sakura was about to protest but Naruto suddenly whirled around and looked at her intensely. "This is crazy! I can't wrap my mind around it! Sasuke with a kid! Can you imagine!"
Sakura smiled and nodded, looking at Hinata would seemed to be in a similar mindset as Naruto. Sakura would admit, even she was still shaky on the subject. It sort of felt like she was going to wake up any moment now and realize it was all a dream.
"How old is the kid, again?" Naruto asked.
"He'll be three in December," she said, remembering that Sasuke had mentioned it the night before while they talked.
Naruto was silent for a moment, counting on his fingers. After a moment, his eyes widened drastically. "Man! He was fifteen when he had him! And you also have to factor in the nine months so he was, like what, only fourteen and having sex! I just turned eighteen and I haven't even had sex yet! Teme is a whore!"
Sakura would have laughed at the last part if she hadn't notice Sasuke coming down the stairs. She saw the slightly annoyed expression on his face and she had no doubt that he heard Naruto's little rant. And with Naruto constantly yelling, she doubted that he could have ever missed it. She just hoped Naruto wasn't loud enough that her neighbors heard like they have been known to do before.
Sasuke set down the box and gave Naruto a harsh look, though the blonde didn't notice for he had his back to him. Naruto continued on his rant without knowing that Sasuke was behind him. "And who would have thought that Teme would be the first out of the Konoha 12 to have a kid! Sasuke, the emotionless bastard, to actually find a girl he liked. I mean, Sasuke-" he started before Sasuke interrupted him.
"Dobe, who said I had to care about the girl at all. Love isn't always in the same company as lust."
Naruto jumped and whipped around to face the dark haired teen. There was a moments pause and then Naruto charged him. Sasuke quickly got in a defensive stance and prepared for the blow to come but it never did. Instead, he was tackled in a huge hug. They hit the ground with a large thump and nearly landed on one of the boxes. Instead, Sasuke twisted his body to avoid it, but it caused him to land painfully and awkwardly.
"TEME, YOU'RE BACK! I'M SO GOING TO BEAT YOUR DUMBASS FOR LEAVING!" the blonde shouted. Sasuke winced because Naruto's mouth was right next to his ear. Sakura couldn't help but feel bad for him. Naruto's yelling hurt her ears and she was across the room from him. She couldn't imagine what it would feel like to have Naruto yelling in her ear like that.
"Stop yelling in my ear!" Sasuke shouted and struggled against Naruto's hold. "Get off of me!"
"Oh yeah," Naruto muttered and tried to get up when he was distracted by something out of the corner of his eye. He froze, peering into the kitchen where he could see a little boy staring back at him. He didn't really get a good view of him and he tried to crawl forward so he could, but failed. But, in his sudden distraction, he forgot that Sasuke was underneath him and ended up putting his pushing his hand down on Sasuke's face.
Sasuke quickly moved and knocked the blonde out of balance. Naruto collapsed gracelessly on top of the dark haired teen again and accidentally elbowed him in the stomach.
A low and pain filled grunt escaped the Uchiha's lips and he quickly smacked Naruto in the head, trying to get him off. Naruto yelped and cursed at him, trying to get his bearings. A long argument ensured from that point.
The two girls watched them from across the room. Even though they almost smashed her box, she couldn't help but smile. Watching them fight and argue, it reminded her of old times. It was nice and she didn't realize how much she had missed it until now.
Hinata leaned over, concerned marring her face. "Should we break them up?"
Sakura waved her hand dismissively. "Nah. It's fine. They were always like this," she said, remembering the good old days.
Hope you enjoyed. New chapters and edited chapters will be up soon.