Chapter Four: A Smile

Naruto and Sasuke were sitting outside the yard, sipping on tea. Teen Sasuke was sitting under a shady tree, watching Boruto, Sadara, Himawari, and Satoru placing hide and seek. "Is that guy okay?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, he is just not used to being around people." Sasuke said.

"I see, so tell me what made you come home?" Naruto asked. "It has been four years after that Shin incident."

"I just wanted to come home. Besides, it wasn't fair for my son to not know his father and I wanted to meet him." Sasuke said.

"He is a cheerful kid." Naruto said. "He reminds me of Sakura in a way."

"Yeah, he is a pretty good kid." Sasuke said. Sarada may act like me but Satoru acts more like her mother. I am happy that he is pure and loving like her mother.

"But, I do know that Sousuke is you." Naruto said. "He has the same chakra as you and even smell like you."

"So you noticed."

"Yeah and Ashley confirmed it for me. Of what I gathered, he has been asking questions about your life." Naruto said. "So did you tell him about Itachi?"

"No, he keeps pestering me about it. He is so consumed by darkness." Sasuke said. Now I can see how naïve and dark I was at the time. I was so stupid back then. "Nothing can change his mind."

"But do you want to change his mind?" Naruto asked. "I mean. Do you want to convince him to stop pursuing vengeance?"

"No, everything turned out great in the end. I don't want to change anything." Sasuke said. "We lose people that are close to us in this world but it doesn't mean they are forgotten." He then smoothed the bracelet that his son gave him. "They are forever connected with our hearts."

"Whoa, since when did you turn into a Philosopher?" Naruto teased.

"Since the day you grew brain cells." Sasuke replied. Naruto gritted his teeth and gripped his fists tightly.

"Jerk…"

"Loser…"

"Emo…"

"Dope…"

"Asshole…"

"Dumbass…"

"Boys, there are children present." A voice said. They turned and found Ashley, Gaara, amd their daughter Kakura. "Kakura, you remember the Hokage and Mr. Uchiha right?" Kakura did a curtsey once more.

"It is nice to meet you again Lord Hokage and Mr. Uchiha." Kakura said.

"She is so cute." Naruto said, patting her head. "If Boruto was the same age as you, he will surely fall for you."

"You are scaring the girl." Sasuke said, letting out a sigh. Gaara didn't say a word. He just smiled at his daughter. It is funny how two Jinchuriki, a traitor, and an experiment settle down in a domestic life. Who would have thought that will be possible?

"So how is Sousuke?" Ashley teased.

"He is being a pain." Sasuke said. "He thinks that I chose the wrong path and that I grew weak." Then Gaara gave him a vanilla folder. "What is this?"

"Ashley informed me about your situation so I gathered up some information about the jutsu for you." Gaara explained. "It might come in handy."

"Thanks…" Sasuke said. "But are you sure that you trust me to have this. It is after all a Forbidden Jutsu from the Sand."

"You have done a lot for my family and if it wasn't for you and Sakura, Kakura wouldn't be with us." Gaara explained. Being an experiment and all, Ashley had a hard time with her pregnancy that it came to the point that she was dying. If it wasn't for him, I would lose two important people in my life. "I trust you and so does my wife."

"Besides, you need it more than we do." Ashley said, smiling.

"Then I thank you and I won't let you two down." Sasuke said. Then Sakura and Hinata walked towards them. He swiftly put the vanilla folder in his robe. I don't want her to know. She will freak out that he finds out that Sousuke is actually me.

"SATORU, COME HERE FOR A MINUTE!" Sakura screamed.

"OKAY!" Satoru screamed back. He dashed in front of her. "What is it Mom?"

"There are people I want you to meet." Sakura said. She made him turned to Gaara's family. "This is the Lord Kazekage Gaara and his wife Ashley. Ashley is my best friend and they live in the Sand Village."

"Is that the Kitty Cat Woman you talked about?" Satoru asked. "She is the one who wrote my favorite storybook?"

"Yes…" Sakura said. Satoru bowed in front of them.

"It is nice to meet you both." Satoru said. "I hope you enjoy your time here."

"It is a pleasure." Gaara said.

"Oh, he is such a charming young man. He acts like a prince." Ashley said. "Prince… That will be his nickname."

"Stupid Cat, he has a name." Sasuke snapped.

"Loser, you are just jealous that he has a better name than you." Ashley said, sticking out her tongue. She kneeled in front of the boy. "So Prince, how is your daddy so far?"

"He is the best. I wouldn't trade him for the world." Satoru said, smiling. Sasuke let out a small grin when he heard that. "So are you really a cat?"

"Yes I am and like all cats, they love to cuddle." Ashley said, hugging him. He let out a giggle.

"That tickles." He said. Then Satoru gazed into the eyes of the feline woman's daughter. There was a hint of pink on his cheeks. Who is that?

I wonder what he is staring at. Ashley thought. She followed the gaze and let out a giggle. She got back on her feet and grabbed her daughter's hand. "Prince, I like you to meet my daughter Kakura. Kakura, this is Satoru, say hello."

"Hello…" Kakura said, waving shyly to him. "Sato-chan…" She blushed as he continued on staring at her. "I love the color of your hair. It is pretty."

"Really?" He replied, blushing.

"Yes, it is very beautiful." She replied, smiling. "I love it very much."

She loves my hair… People always tease me because it is pink and it's a girlie color but she loves it. Satoru thought. "Mom, she is the most beautiful girl I have ever since." Satoru whispered to his mother. Sakura let out a giggle.

"Then I suggest you ask the beautiful girl to play with you." Sakura said, giving him a wink. Oh my, my son found someone to love.

"Hey Kakura, do you want to play with me?" Satoru said, offering his hand to her. "We are playing hide and seek."

"Really? You want to play with me Sato-chan?" She said, smiling.

"Yes…" Satoru said, blushing.

"But I don't know how to play that game." She said, letting out a frown.

"Don't worry, I can teach you." Satoru said.

"Really, thank you Sato-chan. You are very kind." Kakura said, turning to her father. "Can I Daddy?"

"Go have fun…" Gaara said, smiling. Kakura grabbed his hand and they both raced away to the other kids.

"Sakura, your son is a charming prince alright." Hinata said, giggling. "In no time, those two would be dating."

"Speaking of dating, Sarada and Boruto are warming up to each other." Naruto added.

"I will not allow that." Sasuke said.

"What do you mean by that?" Naruto said, glaring at him.

"I don't want my daughter to be with your son." Sasuke said, glaring at him. They both glared at each other intensively.

"Are you saying that my son is not worthy for your daughter?" Naruto snapped.

"Yes, I am saying that. Got a problem?" Sasuke replied.

"Darling, let's not create a ruckus here. It is disrespectful." Hinata said.

"Honey, you just got back home. Let's not have a fight. This is no way to treat our guests, it is also disrespectful." Sakura added. Ashley giggled while Gaara let out a sigh.

"You don't mind our little girl having a kitty crush on an Uchiha do you?" Ashley asked.

"My love, the heart wants what the heart wants. I can't stop her." Gaara said, grabbing her hand and kissing it lightly. "That's how I got you."

"You are such a tease." Ashley said, blushing in front of him. She then turned to Sasuke and Naruto and they were still arguing while their wives tried their best to stop them. I am just happy I get to experience a domestic life with you my love.

Sakura then turned to Teen Sasuke. He was silently under the tree. He must have been through so much. He probably misses his family. "Honey, is he okay?" Sakura asked. "He has been very quiet lately."

'"He is fine." Sasuke replied.

"Well, I am going to go talk to him." Sakura said.

"I don't think that is a good idea." Sasuke said. "I mean, he might push you away."

"I will be right back." She said, kissing him the cheek. Sakura then grabbed a cup of tea and walked towards him. When she finally reaches in front of him, she kneeled down and offered him the tea. "I thought you might need this."

"Thank you but you don't have too." Teen Sasuke said. Damn it… I was trying to keep my distance from her. I don't want to feel… I don't want time for this.

"You are a guest and I am not doing a good job being a hostess." Sakura said, smiling. "May I sit with you?"

"Sure…" He replied. WHAT THE HELL? YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO SAY NO! She sat next to him and for a while it was silent. She is right next to me. What to do? Should I leave or stay? Damn, when did I have a hard time sitting next to Sakura?

"You remind me of my husband." Sakura said. "I don't know why but there is something about you that reminds me of him."

"I guess that we are both not talkative." He replied.

"Even when he doesn't speak, I can understand him." She said, rubbing her ring. "Even with a blank face, I can tell he is hurt. I heard that Satoru told you about the mission he has been assigned to." Teen Sasuke nodded his head. "He was the only one capable of taking that mission and it hurts him to be apart from his family."

"It must be painful for you as well."

"Ever since we were kids, I will always wait for him. I pray for him countless times, hoping that he is okay and he will come back home." Sakura said. "As teenagers, we had different views in life but it never stops me from loving him. It was tough and painful but I still continue on loving him."

"If it was tough and painful, why did you just give up?" He asked. She prays for me even with all the pain I have given her. After leaving her at the bridge, she still waited for me. Why? "Why did you just move on and marry someone else?"

"When a girl falls in love with a boy, that girl will never stop loving him no matter what." Sakura said, giggling. "I was so in love with my husband when we were kids. I guess it began annoying to him. But as time passed, he gave me bits and pieces of his love and now, I have it all. Now I am his wife and I knew what I was going to go through if I marry him. Even when he is always gone, I have our children to make me happy and have wonderful memories of him." She then turned to him and grabbed his hand. "I know that you are hurting but I know there is someone out there is waiting to love you as well. That love will erase your pain and suffering."

"I don't want that. I want revenge." Teen Sasuke said, tossing her hand away.

"A lonely path huh…" Sakura said, turning to her husband. She found him staring at her with a worry look on his face. "It is a very hard path to take."

"It doesn't matter. I will reach my goal." Teen Sasuke said.

"You sound a lot like him." Sakura said. "I have a feeling you would regret it."

"I won't… I promise you that." Teen Sasuke said. "You don't know anything about me. You don't know what I have been through and all the pain that I have felt. You don't know anything. You always lived a lavish life style. You don't know what hardship what I have endured." She didn't say a word. She kept on staring at her husband. He followed her gaze and found his future self staring at her. He can see how worried he was. He is so damn weak. How did I end up like him?

"Even when we don't share the same pain, it doesn't mean I cannot learn your pain." Sakura said. "My husband has been through a lot and I can't relate to his hardships. All I can do is to be by his side and give him a smile."

"That doesn't help." Teen Sasuke said.

"A smile actually does help. It shows how much someone cares for you." Sakura said. "My husband made many sins in the past and hurt many people that were close to him even me. He tried to kill me once and I tried to kill him too."

"Really?" Teen Sasuke said. I tried to kill her?

"Yes, the Hokage and my husband were my teammates. Naruto became my best friend and I always depend on him to get Sasuke back." Sakura said. "But I didn't realize that I was just giving him too much work and being a burden to him. I wanted to be strong not only to help Naruto but also to be strong enough to bring Sasuke back home." She then let out a sigh. "I tried to get him back but we ended up fighting. If it wasn't for Naruto, I would probably be dead by him." She then let out a small smile. "It sounds silly. Everyone thinks I deserve better and tell me it is a waste of time waiting for him. He will never return. He will never love me. But as much I wanted to throw in the towel, my heart still told me that I should love him."

"So why does a smile work?" Teen Sasuke said. "You didn't give me a good answer."

"It just does…" Sakura said.

"I think it is so stupid… I mean… How can a smile save…" Then she did something that made him froze in shock. She placed two fingers on his forehead and smiled.

"I hope you find your light someday." Sakura said. He sat there not uttering a word and he blushed in front of her. "And you would probably understand what I am talking about." She stood up from her seat. She started walking away from him and all he did was nothing. Teen Sasuke then stood up from his seat and walked into the house.

She doesn't know a damn thing. Nothing…. She doesn't even know. Teen Sasuke thought, standing in the living room. He eyes caught a glimpse of the wedding photo once more. A smile… stupid… He walked out but stared at Sakura. She was smiling sweetly towards her husband. He blushed as she watched her. However, she does have a beautiful smile.

Sasuke let out a grin when his wife walked towards his way. "So what did you two talked about?" He asked.

"Nothing much…" Sakura said, smiling. Then she turned and found all the trees on fire. Please don't tell me… "SATORU! WHAT DID I TOLD YOU ABOUT FIRE STYLE JUTSU IN THE YARD!"

"Oops…" Satoru said. "I'm in trouble."

"I told you a little fire brother not a lot." Sarada said.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN! HE ALMOST GOT MY HEAD!" Boruto screamed.

"THAT IS BEACAUSE YOU TRIED TO KISS ME!" Sarada snapped.

"I DIDN'T MEAN TO. IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!" Boruto snapped back.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY SISTER!" Satoru snapped.

"YOU WANT TO FIGHT!" Boruto snapped.

"DON'T YOU DARE LAY A HAND ON MY LITTLE BROTHER!" Sarada snapped. Himawari and Kakura just stared at them.

"Guys, stop it…" Himawari said. "We have to stop the fire before Mrs. Uchiha comes over."

"Damn that's right. She is pretty scary when she is mad." Boruto said, shivering.

"Don't worry, I can fix it Boru-chan and Hima-chan." Kakura said, walking towards the burning trees. She blew cold breezing wind towards the flames and the fire disappeared yet the trees were covered with glimmering ice. "Oh no, I over did it."

"At least the fire is out." Sarada said, patting on the head. "Great job Kakura."

"Thanks Sara-chan." Kakura said, smiling and blushing at the same time.

"That was amazing Kakura. The trees look like crystals." Saruto said, staring at the trees with awe. "I didn't know you can do that."

"I am an ice user like my mommy but I can also control sand like my daddy too." She explained.

"What I expected from the Kazekage's daughter." Boruto said, smiling. "Hey Kakura, guess what?"

"What?" She asked, staring at him with a baffle look on her face.

"You're it…" Boruto said.

"Hey Kakura, I can count with you if you want." Satoru said, blushing. "You are still new to the game so…"

"I will like that." She said, smiling.