... I Love all of you! Seriously I can never say this enough! I had not internet last weekend, so I couldn't see my reviews for this story until monday, and when I did I was like 'wow!' I was so happy people enjoyed chapter 3! and once again it's thanks to those wonderful ever sweet reviews that have made me update earlier than usual again. So here you have chapter 4!! the fluffy serious one. I might add though, I kinda made it a bit of a tear jerker, especially if you're the sensitive type...like me :P it was a total accident but I was watching a certain anime episode and well the rest is history I suppose. Going to the story though, the first major part will revolve around matoko having an interaction with a ghost in the house, the last part is where sasuke has an encounter with said ghost as well. I'll tell you this now, the ghost is a female and knows sasuke very well. lol I so spoiled this for you, unless you can't guess with those clues, in which case yea!
Next chapter will return to the humorous side cause I got a bit depressed with this one. For now please enjoy this chapter and review I'd appreciate it immensely! Bon-wee, bon-wee to you all XD!
Thank you:HiN4-cH4n, CobaltHeart, hmfan24, winterkaguya, kenshinlover2002, then nika said, xxLadyMikotoxx, sphekie, TaichiSpirit, KibaIsHOTT, and mac2, show.me.the.stars, tehcrazykatlady, & xX Alpha Clique Xx. All of these wonderful people are still my muses and I love them dearly for all their support! I hope you all keep enjoying my stories, and I'll try to not let you down:)
Disclaimer: If naruto were mine, stupid itachi would've gotten his butt kicked by sasuke already lol.
Another disclaimer: the uchiha children are mine so please no stealy!
January was not a month for training, or so matoko thought, but her father and older brother were once again out training in their household's courtyard. 'They shouldn't be pushing each other so hard, they'll catch something, just like kaa-san said.' the little girl pouted to herself, quickly growing impatient with her brother and father's thick-headed attitudes. She hugged herself tighter, her large cream-colored sweater providing her with more warmth. Her and hikaru had just returned to the academy, which meant hikaru had to return to training his newly acquired sharingan eyes. Though the quiet timid girl was never prone to jealousy, she couldn't help but feel a bit left out watching her twin brother and father train without her. Usually her mother would be here to help her with her byakugan, but her little brother yuki had caught a cold and her mother had left awhile ago to the hospital to get help from sakura. Sighing the girl hugged her knees and pressed herself together, her sad pearlescent eyes watched each kick and punch her father threw at hikaru.
"Hikaru! Your left kick is still weak, your sharingan helps you read the moves of your opponent but your own have to be precise as well, try it again!" sasuke positioned himself again as he stared at his son intensely.
"Hai." The boy nodded his breathes coming it out puffy smokes from the cold air. Positioning himself in the traditional uchiha taijutsu style his father had been teaching him, hikaru began to run full speed at his father.
Matoko smiled softly, her brother's taijutsu has been getting better since her father had started training him, adding to the genjutsu he was already getting. The girl had been the taijutsu major of the two twins and still was, but the thought of hikaru possibly surpassing her in something else made the tinge of jealousy return , making her small smile vanish quickly. The sound of hikaru's kicks and punches, her father dodging each one, the small cries from her brother as his punch and kick made impact, and the crunch of the snow as their ninja sandals touched the ground, went unheard by the small girl as she withdrew herself from the training. She was glad, really she was. Her brother had always helped her with her training when her father couldn't, and he always had patience with her when she needed to practice her gentle fist technique. Still, ever since he had activated his sharingan, her father had completely ignored her, at least when it came to training, and focused all his attention on hikaru.
'I sound awful for even thinking this...I know it's wrong, nii-san would never do this on purpose, and tou-san would never want to hurt my feelings like that...but...I still feel lonely, and left out.'
Her small gasps released small puffs of smoke into the air, and she wiped away the stray tears that had managed to make their way to her eyes. Standing up matoko dusted off invisible dirt from her sweater and decided to go inside the tea room to wait for her brother and father to be finished with training. As she opened the sliding door, she stopped hearing the shout from her brother.
"Ne mato-chan! Where are you going?" he gasped out, leaning on his knees for support.
"...I'll be inside the tea room if you need me...nii-san." her voice came out soft, her back still facing hikaru and sasuke.
"oh, ok! We'll be done soon to join you, right tou-san?" he asked grinning at his father through breathes.
"If you're lucky, it'll be sooner than later hikaru." the shinobi smirked, seeing his son gulp loudly.
Matoko simply nodded, not once looking in their direction, and closed the sliding door, enjoying the chance to not have to look at that painful sight. Hikaru straightened back up and gave a confusing glance at the door where matoko had disappeared. Scratching his head, he turned to his father a concerned look on his face.
"Ne, tou-san, what do you think's wrong with mato-chan, she seemed kinda down."
Sasuke stared hard at the door as well, just as concerned at matoko's strange behavior, "Yes she did, but I'm sure she's fine, no need to be concerned. Now keep at it hikaru, that kick of yours still needs improvement."
Taking one last look at the door, hikaru turned to his father and nodded. Both go into position and continue their training.
Matoko's tears hit the wooden floor as she sluggishly walks over to sit down on the low table. ' I promised myself, tou-san and nii-san would never see these stupid tears, tears that...that show how weak I am.' rubbing off remaining tears with her sweater, the little girl put her head down on the table. Choosing to listen to the ticks of the nearby clock then the punches and kicks from outside. This place had always been a comfort to her, as far as she could remember. Her first word was said in the tea room, the first time she could walk to her father without falling on her little butt, the first time she saw her mother cry after she fought with sasuke, the first chocolate cake she could remember tasting, the first time she felt her father's embrace after a missing nin tried to kidnap her, the first time she was shunned by her father for 'being weak.' Yes it was unintentional, at least that was what her mother had told her, but sasuke had scolded his daughter and yelled out that she was weak. She was only six and soon after her father apologized continuously, regretful for having hurt the poor girl. 'I don't think I ever got over it though...that's probably why I feel so lousy.' more tears formed and fell down her face, this time the small girl made no attempt to try and remove them. She felt her father slipping away, choosing the 'stronger' of the two to train and focus on, and leaving the other to wither away. 'Sometimes I wonder...i...i..ii...if he really ever loved me.' sniffling the girl closes her eyes, trying to make this awful feeling in her chest to go away.
"I girl your age shouldn't have to carry such a heavy burden, chin up sweetie." A quiet angelic voice broke through the tick of the clock, as matoko looked up eyes wide with curiosity and surprise.
A woman around her mother's age sat a few feet away from her. The woman had the prettiest black hair and the warmest black eyes she had ever seen. She wore a long skirt and shirt with an apron tied around her body. Smiling at the small girl she closed the gap between them and placed a cold finger on matoko's cheek wiping away a tear.
"See, that's better, now how about a smile?" the woman patted her head affectionately.
Blinking matoko smiled, something about this woman's presence seemed comforting and familiar. "Th...Thank you...ano...how...did you get in here?"
"I came through the door of course."
"Ne, who are you?" matoko gasped and covered her mouth in shame, "Ano...gomen...I didn't mean to be rude you don't have...have to..to answer."
chuckling lightly the woman shook her head, "It's quite alright, you weren't being rude, I'm a friend of your father's, my name is mikoto."
Her mood already lighter than it was a couple of minutes ago, matoko giggled happily and said, "Mikoto-san, your name sounds almost like mine! I'm matoko." smiling the girl stuck out her hand to shake the woman's hand.
Taking it, the woman named mikoto shook the girl's hand before giggling herself, "Is that so? Well that's a lovely name. Please though, just call me mikoto, san is too formal for my liking."
Pouting slightly matoko replied, " Ne, but kaa-san and tou-san said it's rude to just call someone older than me without the proper suffix at the end..." she closed her eyes in thought for a moment before continuing, "I know! May I call you mikoto-baachan?"
Matoko could have sworn the woman's face became even softer and kinder as she asked her question, "Of course you may, but why baa-chan?"
Blushing the girl looked up the woman, "Well I know we just met...bu..but I was really sad and when you came I...I just felt like everything is ok again, you're umm a very comforting person."
"I'm glad I could help you out matoko." she smiled again.
"umm ano...mikoto-baachan... how..ho..how do you know my tou-san?" she asked shyly playing with a detached string from her sweater.
The girl looked on with concern, seeing the woman's eyes widen for a moment before looking down a deep sadness filling her black eyes, "Well, matoko...your father and I...go way back, he...and I were very close...I haven't seen him since..well he was your age, eight years old."
"Oh, is that why you came to visit him? You miss him?" she tilted her head in curiosity.
"Yes, and no. I did miss him very much, the last time I saw him he was going off to the academy, but I came here for another reason, I just thought I'd pay him a visit while I'm still here." she replied her eyes remaining sad.
"So, what happened baa-chan? Why didn't you see him again?" the girl's pearlescent eyes watched the woman.
"I had to move far away, my husband and I, he's a ninja you see, so he had a mission and I had to move with him. I wanted to say bye to your father, but I'm afraid I never got the chance." her voice came out in soft whispers, almost as if she was trying to suppress a cry.
"...Gomen mikoto-baachan, but now that you're here again you can say hi to tou-san! You just gotta wait until he and nii-san are done..trai..." matoko's voice trailed off as she looked down at the table, remembering why she was so sad to begin with.
Noticing the girl's sudden mood change the woman leaned over closer and asked, "What's wrong matoko?"
"...Ano...nothing, I...un, I don't think tou-san will be coming in here anytime soon that's all." this time it was matoko's turn to look sad as the woman took in the information.
"What makes you think that matoko?"
"He's been paying a lot of attention to hikaru-niisan ever since he activated his sharingan, and now he rarely spends time with me...I know I sound selfish, but I love tou-san, I..I..I just feel like he's forgetting about me, like I'm not as important to him as nii-san is." her tears had returned and she was trying desperately to stop from sobbing.
The little girl was surprised when two white arms circled around her and embraced her, "I'm so sorry matoko, I had no idea, but please don't cry everything will be all right."
"How...how..how do..dd.dd...do you know?" the girl muffled out.
"Because your father went through the same thing, he believed his father thought his brother was more important than him." she rubbed the girl's back softly, trying to comfort her as best as she could.
"R..R..Really?"
"Hai, your father came to me a long time ago and told me about it, I told him that his father felt that he needed to teach all that he could to his older brother so that he wouldn't have to worry if anything happened to him. His father loved him just the same, but felt that your father's older brother needed his help the most. I'm sure your father would never want you to go through the same thing, it would hurt him deeply...do you want that?" the woman waited for the small girl to shake her head before continuing, "So tell him when their training is done, and remember that even though your father doesn't love you the way you may want him to, it doesn't mean that he doesn't love you with all he has." letting go of the embrace the woman wiped away the tears that kept falling from the girl's cheeks.
"I understand mikoto-baachan, I'll...tell tou-san when he and nii-san come in from training." she giggled as she wiped away more of her tears, "Gomen baa-chan I didn't mean to get all upset, I hope I wasn't any trouble to you."
"Not at all matoko, I'm glad we had this talk." she giggled along with the girl.
"Ne, but you're really cold mikoto-baachan, do you want a sweater?" she asked poking at the exposed skin of the woman.
"Don't worry, I'm like this all the time, no sweater will change that...I'll be fine." she smiled warmly at the girl grateful that she was worried over her.
"If you're sure mikoto-baachan." she smiled at the woman as the same hand from before, was placed again on her head.
"You're so beautiful, I'm glad I got to see you at least once." her eyes shined with an emotion matoko didn't know.
"W..w...ww...what do you mean, once...are you not coming back mikoto-baachan?" she grabbed onto the woman's hand squeezing it gently.
"I'm afraid not, you see I can only come by once a year ...when my husband's mission is lifted for a day. Don't be sad though, if you ever feel lonely you can just come to this room and think of me, and you'll feel better." she ran her fingers through the little girl's hair, smiling at her.
"...Ok...but..I know we still just met baa-chan, can...you visit me again, when you come by for your yearly visit?" the girl hugged the woman hoping she would say yes.
"Hai, I will...but I must go now." she let go of matoko and looked down at her, the woman's smile ever wide and warm.
"Ok...but what about tou-san?"
"I'll...talk to him...another time." the woman stood up and straightened out her apron, and began to walk towards the door leading to the main entrance of the house.
"Good bye, mikoto-baachan..." matoko said her voice cracking, afraid to let herself cry again.
"Good bye, it was wonderful to get to meet you matoko, sasuke has beautiful children, I'm sure you three will make him happy, and please say hello to you mother, hinata for me." smiling again, the woman sent her a wink before exiting through the sliding door.
Matoko turned back around in time to see her father and brother entering with a towel on their heads to wipe away their sweat. Getting up the girl scurried over to grab the hot tea to serve them a cup. The two boys sat down next to each other as they watched matoko pour their tea. Both had their eyebrows raised, her face was tranquil and happy, unlike an hour ago. They continued to watch her as she poured herself a cup and sat down.
"Umm...ano mato-chan...you all right? You were acting weird when you went inside the tea room." hikaru asked cautiously not wanting to make her upset.
"hmm, I was." was the girl's simple answer before tilting her head in a cute fashion and smiling, "But not anymore."
"...ok..." hikaru was glad she was back to her old self again, but was still confused as to what made her upset in the first place. "Well, I gotta go take a shower, tou-san pushed me too hard again and now I smell like mud and sweat." he made a face that brought a giggle from his little sister.
"Keep complaining and I'll make you run around the household another three times." sasuke smiled as he heard the grunt from his son as he stood up, patted his sister's head and walked out to his room.
Matoko sipped her tea quietly, content with just having her father in the room. Her peace was cut though when she heard his stern voice.
"I was expecting you to stay and watch that training, it would have helped you improve your own skills matoko, you know that." sasuke sipped his own tea, quietly studying his daughter.
Fidgeting in her spot on the table she gave her father a curt nod, "Ano...I know tou-san gomen, but...umm..I couldn't watch it...th..that's all."
"And why not?" he asked more loudly.
"I...felt...left out..." was the girl's soft reply as she looked down at her tea.
Sasuke's eyes widen a bit as he watched his daughter. "Left out? Matoko..."
"Gomen!!!! tou-san...I..it's...it's...just you..you were...training hikaru-niisan so much...I...I knew you weren't doing..it on purpose..but...I ...I felt...that..maybe you...thought nii-san was..more important to you than me..." the last part was nearly inaudible as matoko wrung her fingers together in nervousness.
Matoko closed her eyes when she heard her father let out a sigh, and closed them even tighter when she heard his feet getting up the floor and walking towards her. Gulping the girl hoped her father wouldn't be upset at her.
"Gomen, matoko...I didn't mean to make you feel less than important than your brother." sasuke placed his arms on her small shoulders, giving his daughter a soft smile. "If you feel like I'm doing this to you again...please don't hesitate, tell me." his eyes looked at hers with seriousness. 'I don't want you feeling what I felt with that bastard brother of mine.'
Nodding fervently, matoko smiled at her father, glad he had understood and didn't yell at her, "I promise I will tou-san, I won't be sad about that anymore! I'm so glad, baa-chan was right, you would never let that happened to me."
"Baa-chan? Matoko your grandmothers are dead...who are you talking about?" sasuke raised an eyebrow at his daughter as he sat next to her.
"Umm, she had to leave before you got her, but she said she'll talk to you again when she gets back of course. Baa-chan said she knew you when you were my age."
"your age?"
"Uh-huh, you probably don't remember her tou-san. She was really pretty though her hair was long and black and she had really black eyes, like yours." the girl giggled as she drank the last of her tea.
Sasuke's eyes looked at the girl with disbelief, "Matoko...did...she tell you...her name?"
"Ano...yea she said her name was mikoto! Isn't it pretty tou-san?! My name and baa-chan's sound almost the same ne?" she smiled, but it quickly disappeared when she saw the angry look on her father's face. "what's wrong tou-san?"
"No...nothing matoko...it's...just...matoko...that...woman...was..." The man let out a shaky breath when he was stopped by the sounds of his son shouting out in the hallway.
"Mato-chan!!!!!!!!! Guess what?! I found kaa-san's secret stash of cookies, if we hurry we can get some before she comes back with yuki!" the door burst open, as a grinning boy with black wet hair panted trying to catch his breath.
"Ne, nii-san! That's rude, don't just go barging in here, you must knock first to be polite! You might have interrupted something important." the girl pouted at her brother, slightly upset that her brother chose of all time now to show up, her father was telling her something about baa-chan.
Laughing the boy rubbed his neck, "Gomen mato-chan...tou-san I didn't mean to interrupt anything."
"It's all right hikaru, it wasn't that important. Besides I can feel your mother's chakra if you're planning to 'sneak' any I suggest you do it now." sasuke grimaced and turned to finish his tea.
"Right! Come one mato-chan we gotta hurry." hikaru sped off in the direction of the kitchen.
Standing up matoko looked at her father, worried with the expression he had, "Ne...tou-san? What was it that you wanted to say about baa-chan?"
"Nothing matoko, now go with your brother, I want to be alone for a bit." the black haired man rubbed his temples, another headache starting to appear.
"Oh...ok...if you're sure...you're not mad right tou-san?" the girl asked timidly from the exit of the tea room.
Looking over at her he grunted and gave his answer by a simple shake of his head. Accepting that as an answer, matoko smiled and bowed at her father before running off to find her brother. 'She must have dreamed it, there's no way...no she's dead...nothing can change that.' sasuke placed his forehead on the cool table, trying to rid himself of these silly immature thoughts.
"You're right, I am dead, but that doesn't mean I can't come for a visit." a soft feminine voice so familiar to him spoke through the silence of the room. His body beginning to shake, sasuke rose his head up slowly, his eyes widened again, his mouth unable to form words he let the only logical thought leave his lips.
"M...Mother."
"You've gotten big...much bigger. You're a grown man now...I'm glad." the woman transparent in appearance smiled at her son warmly, taking in his changed looks.
"How...how are ...how..is it possible?" his voice came out shaky and his words came out wobbly.
"It turns out, my spirit still has somethings to do here, before I can find peace...but I'm glad I get to see you again sasuke." mikoto bend down and placed her hand on his cheek, strangely he could feel her touch.
The hardened shinobi let his facade drop, tears of joy or sadness he wasn't sure which, began to fall from his onyx eyes. "Mother, you've been gone for so long...I...was starting to forget how you look like..." he embraced the ghost woman, surprised that he could, and how much he's actually grown his mother was now so small in his arms. "I...I never thought I would be able to avenge you and father, I was relieved when...'he' was gone...but I still felt ..."
"hurt" she replied her sad smile once again on her face. "Gomen sasuke, it's ok now though, you have a family and a wife that loves you, isn't that right?"
"Hai...I do, mother...I'm sorry...for not being able to prote..." he looked at his mother, her finger stopping his lips from continuing to talk.
"You have nothing to apologize for, what happened happened, even if you wanted to do something sasuke, you were too young...I would have easily died again if it meant you would live...besides." the woman left her son's embrace and looked down at the floor, translucent tears falling from her face, "If anyone should apologize it should be me, I can never forgive myself for leaving you alone so young, you needed a mother ...and...I..." mikoto was surprised herself when two large hands cupped her face in a gentle hold. She looked up to see dark intense eyes stare at her.
"Don't you dare...don't you dare blame yourself for this mother...you did nothing wrong...that bastard itachi is the one who took you from me...no one but him should be blamed." he smiled at her still amazed his hands can hold this nearly invisible woman. "It's ok...you may have left ...but you were always in my thoughts mother...you gave me strength ...so arigouto...for being my mother..."
Mikoto nodded slowly proud at how much her son had matured, how his dark onyx eyes looked so like his father's when he was still young and not consumed by duty. Both wiped away their tears and laughed at how silly they looked.
"You've really grown up, I've missed a lot of your life..." looking outside the doorway she let another small smile form on her lips. "I must be going soon...my spirit is not as stable as before."
"I understand mother...I guess I'm not going crazy by seeing you hear right?" he chuckled lightly.
"No." she giggled amused that her son had such a wonderful humor.
Both turn to see the two uchiha twins running around the hall, hikaru carrying three large chocolate chip cookies, while matoko carried white chocolate cookies. Sasuke smiles as matoko screams out for hikaru to wait for her. Mikoto stands from the table and walks over to the door, her appearance becoming even more clear as the sunlight touches her.
"He looks a lot like you." she whispers to her son.
"...Hinata says that too, though...yuki seems to have come out more like me, hikaru looks like father." he smirks to himself watching as the two twins run back around again, not noticing the woman just a few feet away from the door.
"Hai, you might be right in that...matoko...looks like hinata though..." the woman remained in her spot watching with delight at her grand children's antics.
"She does...but she ...also looks like you mother...matoko helped me remember you again." sasuke stood up and leaned against the opposite side of his ghost mother.
'He's taller now.' mikoto nodded to sasuke as the twins again passed by their cookies almost gone. She focused on her son again as she noticed his troubled look.
"What's troubling you sasuke?"
"It's just...I...would...have at least liked...for you to have been...alive...so you could have held the twins when...they were born...and yuki...now." his eyes held a deep sadness and regret.
Smiling mikoto watched the sun set behind the cold air of the january day. Pushing herself off the door, she went to her son and patted his head affectionately, though she had trouble reaching him.
"I must go now sasuke...I don't know when I will be able to return but..." mikoto walked over to the door way leading to the main entrance and turned to look at sasuke again, "Don't be upset about me not having had the opportunity to hold your three children...you see..." a tear rolled down her cheek as her figure began to disappear, "I already know how it feels to hold the perfect baby..." smiling again the woman waved before completely vanishing.
Sasuke stood on the doorway, the words his mother spoke to him moments ago slowly etching into his mind. Smiling his true genuine smile, the dark haired man didn't even notice the tears once again falling down his face. He didn't hear the footsteps of a woman walking down the hallway, two other scurrying feet following right behind. A shadow appears on the tea room floor as the tears continue to cascade down the man's pale cheeks. A voice is all he hears as it's apparent his wife had returned home.
"sasuke, dinner's going to be ready soon, though my two children seem to have started early." she sent a teasing glare in their directions, causing matoko and hikaru to blush in embarrassment.
Hinata hands over a drowsy yet bubbly yuki to matoko as she notices sasuke's lack of a response. Walking over to her husband she lets out a silent gasp, seeing sasuke's tears rolling down his face.
"Sasuke...honey?" hinata places her hand carefully on his wet cheek, finally gaining his attention.
"...hinata?...when did you get home?" his voice sounded meek and tired, his eyes looked worn out yet happy.
Knowing her husband wasn't right in mind to answer her questions, hinata shook her head and rose up onto her toes to place a small kiss on his forehead, "Dinner will be ready soon..." smiling she left the tea room followed by hikaru who wanted to make sure she made his favorite tonight.
Matoko and a now very much awake yuki stayed behind as sasuke wiped away his tears. Turning his onyx eyes met pearlescent as his daughter smiled at him, "You ok tou-san?"
Smiling at his two youngest children he nodded and patted both their heads, earning a smile from matoko and a giggle of joy from yuki. "I'm fine...I just thought of something that made...me...feel..happy."
"Ok! I'm glad you're happy tou-san. But we better hurry before kaa-san decides not to make us food." giggling she readjusts yuki on her hip, "come on yuki, let's go annoy our older brother." clapping his hands together yuki gleefully tugged on her shirt to go to hikaru.
Sasuke watched as they turned the corner before he himself begins to walk towards the kitchen. A small smile on his face, he turns to look at the tea room again. 'keep watching...mother...they're going to make history.'
As he leaves into the kitchen a small feminine laugh echoes through the tea room.
Sad yet happy right? well that's how I felt :) I hope you enjoyed it and there's definitely some grammar mistakes in there but ehh if you can read it it's fine. if I made sasuke a bit occ forgive me I just thought he'd show his more softer side to his mother for obvious reasons. next chapter is another matoko hikaru one! please review and thanks for reading!