Regret
Rated K+; AU
Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters do not belong, in any way to the writer of this fanfiction. This fiction is written for non-profit reasons.
All of the chapters/ short stories in this collection are not correlated in any way to any of the other chapters. There is no certain order and may often drift between AU and canon. There is no certain order and may often drift between AU and canon. Each can be read and interpreted independently.

A/N: Concerning the last chapter, "Home," it had NO relation to the prior chapters – or rather, one-shots. None of these chapters have any relationship to each other and are to be analyzed and interpreted alone so please do not confuse the chapters as part of a single plot.
Further clarifications: Yes, Naruto was an ANBU member and yes, he was careless during battle and therefore, got fatally wounded.
Anyways, sorry for the lack of updates.

"Wake up, Sasuke, you lazy ass!"

Said lazy ass rolled over and pulled the comforter higher over his head to block out the annoying voice. He mumbled something akin to "five more minutes," and went back to sleep.

"We're going to be late!" Naruto screamed into his right ear. Finding that to have no effect, he pulled the blankets away from the sleeping figure and pounced. Laughing, he wrapped his arms around a bleary Sasuke and kissed him. "C'mon, get up, teme. We're going to be really late."

"I don't want to go," Sasuke muttered. "I'd rather stay home with you. I can think of a lot of better things to do than to go to Neji and Tenten's baby's one-month banquet."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Me too but we have to. So get up." He sat up and leaned over his lover. "If you get up now, I'll make going to this party worthwhile for you later," he added suggestively. He started to get up off the bed but was halted abruptly when strong arms wrapped around his waist and tugged him back onto a broad chest.

"Make it worthwhile now and I'll consider it," Sasuke replied, smirking.

"We've just done it five times today before you took a nap, bastard," Naruto cried. "I'm still in pain."

"Che," Sasuke scoffed. "Whatever. I'm up."

After much fuss, indignant exclamations of "stop, Sasuke", two hours and a long car ride later, the pair finally arrived at the party. Tenten's parents, being Chinese insisted upon a big banquet in honor of their first grandson's one-month birthday. Naruto couldn't quite see the point in doing that – why not wait till the kid was a full year old? Sasuke explained to him with much eye-rolling that it was a Chinese tradition.

Sasuke sat sullenly at their table fiddling with a dyed-red egg as he took in his surroundings. Naruto had gone off to give their presents to Neji and Tenten.

The restaurant was almost blindingly bright with strobe lights that bathed the tables in a vivid fluorescent glow. It was packed full of their old friends, teammates and teachers from high school, people they had come to consider family over the years in the truest sense of the word.

Sitting across from him at the same table, Kiba Inuzuka, one of Naruto's best friends since junior high was giving his youngest daughter a bottle. His wife, Hinata Hyuuga, Neji's cousin laughed softly, her pale eyes twinkling happily as their son, four years old, offered her a red egg from his plate.

In the next table over, Shikamaru Nara sighed insufferably as his three year old son pulled on his ponytail while his wife Temari Sabaku reached over to deftly pluck the cigarette from his lips before the burning end touched the toddler. Chouji Akimichi and his wife, Ino Yamanaka with their three rotund and adorably pink children sat next to the couple. Chouji and his children were eating the red eggs and appetizers while Ino looked at them disapprovingly. Next to the two couples were Kurenai Yuhi and Asuma Sarutobi, two of their teachers from high school. The couple had been married for twenty years now and their son was entering junior high.

Several tables over, Kakashi Hatake and Iruka Umino, two more of their former teachers sat with their adopted daughter. Iruka suddenly jumped and swatted at Kakashi indignantly when a stray hand reached his backside. Jiraiya and Tsunade Sannin sat beside them laughing. At fifty years old, their children had long since grown up and had children of their own.

His dark eyes flicked over to where Naruto was chatting with Tenten and Neji. Tenten was beautiful in her red dress and Neji handsome in his dark suit. Both of them looked so happy that Sasuke couldn't help but feel a small pang of jealousy. Next to them were Rock Lee and Sakura Haruno; Sakura was one of Naruto and his closest friends. Lee was smiling proudly at his wife as she smiled back, glowing in her beautiful, pregnant state. His hand rested on her swollen belly – they were expecting their first child to be born in two months.

When Tenten handed Naruto the baby, his eyes widened in surprise and he grasped the infant with an expression akin to awe. Sasuke watched as Naruto gingerly offered a finger to the baby's tiny grappling hands. When the baby took hold of the proffered digit, Naruto's face split into the most beautiful smile Sasuke had ever seen. He looked so happy and Sasuke couldn't help but feel the smallest bit of jealousy directed at the baby who had made his Naruto smile so blissfully.

Sasuke couldn't help but stare enviously at these happy couples and their children. By being with Naruto, he knew he was sacrificing the chance to have an heir, a legacy to the Uchiha name. He would be the final Uchiha – his parents had died when he was young and his older brother had died several years ago. However, he had never regretted being with Naruto even though they could not possibly have children of their own.

Glancing over at Naruto and seeing his happy face as he lifted the baby high, Sasuke knew he would never have any regrets with choosing Naruto over a family. After all, his family was right here in front of him. All of these people were his family and he couldn't ask for anything better. Looking at Naruto once more, he knew he had made the right choice. It didn't matter that he would have no heir. Not as long as he had Naruto.

As though he had heard Sasuke's thoughts, Naruto turned and smiled even more beautifully for his lover.

Review please!