Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-sensei.
-oXo-
Chapter 7: Hellos and Goodbyes
30th of April
The next morning Naruto woke up when Sasuke came down the stairs. They didn't speak as they ate breakfast, neither when they sat in the living room together. Naruto was trying to write a report, but was having some trouble. Sasuke just sat staring outside, looking uncharacteristically lost.
They sat there silently, not looking at each other until the doorbell rang. Naruto stood up to open the door; it were Sakura and Kakashi.
When Kakashi came into the room, he looked from Naruto to Sasuke questioningly. "Could you tell me what has happened?"
Naruto stepped forward and sighed as he looked down to Sasuke who still sat on the couch. "That woman-"
"Akiharu?"
"Yes, she told..." Naruto looked down to Sasuke to see if he would finish Naruto's sentence, but he had his lips tightly pressed together it seemed. Naruto stroked his hand through his hair. "He's still in shock... I'm still in shock." He turned away, his back to everyone in the room; it wasn't his place to tell them. Kakashi and Sakura patiently waited, looking from Naruto's back to Sasuke.
The doorbell rang again and Naruto left the room.
"Sasuke-kun, why don't you tell us? Has it something to do with her illness?"
Sasuke looked up to Sakura. "Huh?"
Apparently not. Sakura and Kakashi looked at each other just as Naruto came back.
"I guess you'll find out right now." He stepped aside and Akiharu walked into the room, a small child was hiding behind her legs. They only saw a small hand, clutching at his mother's pants. Sasuke looked up as well, slightly shaking.
"I wanted you to see him." Akiharu pushed the boy forward.
As soon as he was visible gasps were taken. The little boy, the five year old to be precise, was an exact copy of Sasuke. His hair was black and was standing up in the same fashion only Sasuke's hair seemed to be able to do. Except Sasuke had long bangs and the boy had a short fringe and where Sasuke's hair was bluish black, the boy's hair was brownish black. He had the same skin colour as Sasuke's and his face looked the same, though with the exception of the only thing that really set him apart from Sasuke, were his eyes. He had his mother's bright teal eyes. He was wearing a black shirt with dark green shorts and was still clinging to his mother.
Sakura's mouth was literally hanging open and Naruto had never seen Kakashi's eye as wide as it was now. Sasuke was just staring at the boy. Naruto couldn't do much else either.
Akiharu pushed the little boy a little more forward. "Go on, Akira."
Akira shyly looked at everyone and then gave a small bow. "Douzo yorushiku," he said politely in a calm soft voice. When he stood up again he began fiddling with his shirt.
Silence fell, until Sakura finally found her voice. "Nice to meet you too, Akira-kun," she said almost breathlessly, but tried to smile kindly to the boy.
Akira looked up to her and gave a small smile before looking back to his shirt again.
"Can I?" he suddenly asked his mother.
"You can."
They all looked at Akira as he slowly walked toward Sasuke and stopped in front of him. He bit his lip and slowly looked up into Sasuke's eyes. His hand disappeared into his pocket and when he pulled it back out again he held something in his hand.
"This… this is for you," he said with a small voice and his cheeks became a slight tint of pink.
Sasuke held up his hand and Akira opened his small fist above Sasuke's open palm. A small dark blue stone fell into his hand. Sasuke looked at it.
"What's this," he asked, his mind unable to process anything at the moment.
Akira smiled. "Look, when you hold it like this," he turned the stone on Sasuke's hand, "it looks like a bird that is flying. An eagle," he said proudly and smiled as Sasuke stared at it.
He nodded. "I see."
"You do? Kaa-chan couldn't," Akira said enthusiastically.
Suddenly Akiharu began coughing and Akira ran back to her. "Kaa-chan?" he looked up to her.
"I'm alright. You remember what I told you, don't you?"
Akira nodded and Akiharu hunched down beside him. "Tell me again." Her eyes looked up to Sasuke (almost darkly) even though her face was still facing Akira.
"Kaa-chan is very ill and will soon go to sleep forever; to heaven. You will be fine there and otou-san will take care of me." He turned to Sasuke and had a small blush on his face.
Akiharu looked up to Sasuke as well. "You will, don't you Sasuke?"
Sasuke had closed up and couldn't say a thing. His hand closed around the small stone Akira had given him.
Silence fell.
"He will." Naruto suddenly stepped forward. "And I'll help." He had no idea where it came from, but looking at the small boy... remembering what it was like being all alone...
"Who are you?" Akira looked up to Naruto and saw his ears and tail.
"I'm Naruto, I live with Sasuke."
"Like a pet?" the small boy asked.
"What? No, I'm… eto…"
Akira slowly walked to Naruto and grasped his pants. "You're a special pet, aren't you?"
"Akira, Naruto-san isn't a pet."
"Ow."
"He is a… friend of otou-san." Akiharu looked up to Sasuke.
"Okay." Akira pulled on Naruto's pants so he would bow down to him. Naruto did so and hunched down so Akira could whisper in his ear, his fox ear.
Even though he was whispering, Naruto gentlu pushed Akira back a little. "Not so close to my ear. That's rather loud."
"Really?" Akira's eyebrows shot up. Naruto nodded. Akira began to whisper again. "Is otou-san mad at me?"
Naruto looked at Akira, a bit fazed at the mention of Sasuke as 'otou-san'. "No, he just always looks a bit grumpy," he pulled Akira closer and whispered back, "and he's just a bit surprised to see you, give him some time. I think he will be glad to get to know you." Akira nodded. Somehow Naruto just wanted to comfort the small boy a little.
"Akiharu-san, could you please come with me and Sasuke. Sakura and Naruto will take care of Akira," Kakashi said. It wasn't really a question, but not an order either. Akiharu nodded.
"Kaa-san will be back in a moment," she told her son.
"Okay."
Kakashi and Sasuke went to the kitchen where Akiharu sat down on a chair.
"Please tell me who you are."
"My name is Akiharu as I told you before. I was six when my parents died of poisoning. I somehow survived the same attack. Ten years later, when I was on a mission for my small country I met Orochimaru. He took me with him and I lived with some of his other subordinates when I met Sasuke. I was 19 back then.
After I found out I was pregnant I asked Orochimaru to let me go. I was already ill back then. I have an incurable genetic illness that seems to run only on the female side of the family." She coughed again.
"I raised Akira in a small village not far from the fire country. You can probably check that if you want. We lived there till last year, when my illness became worse. I decided I could no longer hold Akira away from Sasuke and he needed a father for when I wouldn't be around anymore."
She looked up to Kakashi and then to Sasuke. "We searched for you for almost an entire year. I didn't know you weren't with Orochimaru anymore and you had killed him. So I first tried to look at his old hideouts. Then eventually I found out he was dead and you had returned to Konoha.
Travelling is very hard for me lately, so we moved very slowly and I didn't want to make Akira too uncomfortable so we stayed at some villages for a few weeks before moving on." A tear streaked down her face. "Just promise me you will take good care of him?"
"You know we cannot just believe you, we will need to do some research," Kakashi said and Akiharu nodded.
Kakashi looked over to Sasuke. "We need to tell this to the Hokage."
Sasuke just looked up and said nothing.
"We better go now. I don't think I can do this another time," Akiharu said, referring to her illness. She slowly stood up, wobbling a bit.
"Thank you," Kakashi said as he helped her up.
Together they walked to the door and went to Tsunade. Kakashi and Sasuke knew Naruto had heard their conversation, so they didn't need to tell them they were going away.
-x-
Naruto looked up to Sakura as he heard the door close. Akira was on the porch looking into the garden. He was perfectly capable of enjoying himself by just watching the plants and the animals move around. Right now he was studying a caterpillar.
"Where are they going?" Sakura asked.
"Tsunade."
"Thought so." Sakura looked up to Akira as he was talking to the crawling creature on the porch, asking him questions.
"This is so weird," Sakura said.
"Tell me about it."
"I mean, he is a chibi Sasuke-kun."
Naruto didn't answer and just stared at the boy, who picked the caterpillar up and came running in, holding it up to Naruto.
"Can you ask his name for me?"
"Eh?"
"Did you already try asking yourself?" Sakura asked.
"Yes, but I can't understand him."
"What's your name, caterpillar-san?" Sakura asked the bug.
Akira stared at her. "You can talk to caterpillars?" he asked stunned.
"You don't think so?"
Akira shook his head, "Kaa-chan can't either," he said like that explained everything. He pulled his hand back.
"I'll put him on a nice flower. Can I do that?" he asked Sakura.
"Sure, be careful when you get off the porch."
He did so, trying not to hurt the caterpillar all the while as he went to a small bush of daffodils.
"That caterpillar will eat all the plants," Naruto said a bit concerned about his plants.
"Let that boy be happy that he helped a caterpillar."
Silence fell again as Sakura and Naruto watched the boy pick a nice flower and carefully putting the creature down on it.
"I wonder how Sasuke will take all this."
"He's shocked all right."
"Who isn't. I didn't know he ever…" She turned to Naruto and then back to look at Akira. "You know… with someone else…"
It could have been quite funny how Sakura normally always teased Naruto about his sex life with Sasuke and now couldn't even say the word.
Naruto shook his head. He hadn't known either and that was what made him so angry. Why had Sasuke never told him?
-x-
Sometime later Sasuke, Kakashi and Akiharu returned. Akiharu took Akira and they left the house.
Kakashi looked from Sasuke to Sakura and Naruto.
"She's most likely telling the truth and she promised to take part in a DNA-test to make sure. I'll go on a mission to find the village where she let Akira grow up to verify that part of the story as well."
Sakura and Naruto nodded. Naruto had told Sakura what he'd heard when Akira was playing in the garden.
"Well, I'll be going then. Ja mata." He turned around and walked to the door, casting a concerned glance to Sasuke and Naruto before he walked out of the house.
"I've a meeting with Iruka-sensei," Naruto said and he followed Kakashi out of the door.
Sakura didn't want to leave Sasuke all alone now, so she stayed to talk to him.
At first Sasuke was annoyed by her presence, but later on he began to appreciate that she'd stayed. Especially because she didn't brought up the subject he did not want to discuss again. Talking with Tsunade about it had been enough.
-x-
Naruto sat in the Dango shop with Iruka, who was talking to him, but he didn't really hear what he was saying. He was talking about some metal plates and the will of fire or something.
All that Naruto could think of was that little boy, the chibi-Sasuke, his mother, Akiharu, and what she and Sasuke had done. How would they have met? Had Orochimaru introduced them? Or had they just accidentally run into each other one day?
Had they been forced to have sex? Multiple times? Or had they wanted to do it? Both? Why hadn't Sasuke ever told him? It wasn't like Sasuke talked a lot about his time with Orochimaru, but he had told Naruto some stories of what had happened back then; some random things about experiments he'd seen or about a technique he'd learned.
Naruto didn't know a lot about his relationship with the snake man other than that he hadn't been very remorseful about killing him. The more he thought about it, the more questions came to mind. Things he'd never bothered about before. Suddenly he noticed Iruka staring at him.
"What?"
"I said that I was jealous, but it seems you weren't really listening."
"No, I heard you were jealous when you were young that they had such a plate and you hadn't." Though that was about all he'd remembered.
Iruka stared at him. "Are you all right, Naruto?"
"Hm."
"That's not a real answer." Iruka told him as he looked slightly concerned.
Eventually Naruto sighed. "You'll come to know anyway." Iruka patiently waited.
"This woman, Akiharu, came on the training field yesterday and told Sasuke she has a child from him." Iruka gasped softly. "Today she came at our place with the boy." Naruto looked Iruka straight in his eyes. "He looks exactly like Sasuke, except for his eyes." Naruto fell silent and looked down at the table. Iruka just stared back at Naruto.
"How's Sasuke's reaction?"
"Shock." Naruto shrugged.
"And you?"
Naruto looked up. "I… I don't really know. I'm angry at Sasuke, but I also understand that he's as astonished as I am. I don't really know. " He clenched and unclenched his fists.
Iruka laid his hand on the blonds' shoulder. "You two need to talk this out."
"It's worse, sensei." Naruto took a breath. "That Akiharu, she is dying. She practically just came here to deliver the boy to Sasuke."
Iruka's eyebrows shot up. "Really."
Naruto nodded. "I don't know how to react… how to be around Sasuke."
"Like you always do; be yourself." Iruka stared at Naruto until their eyes met.
"Thanks Iruka-sensei."
"It's fine, just eat your dango or I will."
"That's not necessary, I'll do that myself."
Kakashi had been away for a week now to find the village. Sakura had decided to go with him. Before she had gone she had called Naruto to her and had told him to put his own emotions aside for now and take care of Sasuke and the boy, who was about to lose his mother.
Naruto had agreed with her, not at first but she could be very convincing and now he knew she was right. In the last two days Akiharu's condition had worsened. This morning she had been hospitalized. Akira had been with her till around 11:00 and then Sasuke had taken him home with him. They would return to the hospital as soon as her condition worsened or at the first upcoming visiting hour. Akiharu had told Sasuke to do so. She hadn't wanted Akira to see her lying on the bed like this all day.
Naruto had gone to the training ground for his team that morning, but since he had been 'all out of it' as Eri had said, they had let him go back home. Kenji had of course protested at first, but when Naruto didn't even bother to respond to Eri when she told him she would like to get some ramen, not even Kenji could deny that something was wrong and could no longer hold him on the field.
So that was why they were all sitting in the living room, Sasuke and Naruto at the table, Akira on the couch watching the television. He was watching some programme about animals.
"Otou-san?" he suddenly asked softly.
Sasuke didn't respond, he was trying to write some report or something.
"Otou-san?" Akira asked a little louder.
"Hn?" Sasuke looked up, not being used to be addressed like that.
"When can we go see kaa-chan?"
"When she contacts us to come or at 15:00, whatever comes first." Sasuke returned his attention to his writing.
"Can't we go sooner?"
"She told us not to."
"Oh." Akira turned to face the television again.
After a while Akira began shifting on the couch. "Naruto?"
"Yes?"
"Have you ever seen such an animal?" he pointed to the screen.
Naruto turned his head to it as well. It showed some animal that lived in the snow. "Nah, never seen it before. It looks like it's too cold to go and look for such an animal anyway."
Naruto watched Akira as he turned back to the television. Even Naruto could see he wanted to go to his mother.
"Sasuke, can't we go to the hospital, just for 15 minutes?"
Sasuke looked up to Naruto and then to Akira as he saw Naruto move his eyes in his direction. Akira turned away from the television, looking hopefully to Sasuke.
"Please, otou-san?"
"Okay, just for 15 minutes."
-x-
In the hospital Akiharu seemed to have worsened to the point she couldn't stand anymore and could only lie down on the bed.
"Why haven't you told me?" Sasuke asked the nurse who had told him so, while Akira was standing at the side of the bed talking to his mother. The nurse winced at the tone Sasuke had used.
"I'm very sorry Uchiha-san, but Akiharu-san said-"
"I told you to call me-"
"Sasuke," Naruto said. Sasuke straightened himself, making his tall stature only become more imposing and became emotionless once more.
"Fine." He turned around and wanted to leave the room to go and sit in the hall but Akiharu called him.
"Please stay here for a moment."
Akira sat on the bed, his legs swinging and he looked up to Sasuke with longing eyes.
Sasuke sighed, growled and went to sit in the chair next to the bed. He gave Naruto a look that told him he didn't want to sit down. Like he was asking Naruto to say something so he could leave.
"And then I saw this big white animal that lived in the snow. Naruto said he also had never seen it." Akira proceeded his story to his mother, who listened attentively. "Have you? Otou-san?" Akira asked carefully as he looked at Sasuke.
Sasuke looked from the boy to the woman and then to Naruto who was still standing near the door. "No," he said as he looked back to Akira. "But I have seen something similar once."
"You have?" Akira asked happily. "Where?"
"On a mission near the iron country."
"Where's that?"
-x-
An hour later a nurse came in and wanted to take Akira and Naruto away from Akiharu (she didn't dare ask Sasuke to leave as well, since the way he had reacted earlier and of his imposing form) as she was looking very pale now and couching more often. However Akiharu had told her that they had to stay.
Instead Naruto had suggested that he and Akira would get them something to eat and drink, seeing Akiharu's condition was worsening by the minute now.
Akiharu had actually suddenly changed her opinion and had said to get her some food from the street she liked so much. Naruto expected she wanted the time to talk to Sasuke now she still could, or she had realised how bad she looked and didn't want Akira to see her worsen even further.
As Naruto and Akira left to buy the food, the nurse began to check Akiharu's IV.
"Sasuke, I still want to tell you something." She began coughing again, but this time she kept coughing and it almost seemed like she was choking. The nurse came walking to the bed, but Akiharu shook her head.
Finally being able to breathe again she said, "I don't want anything. I have had enough medicine in my live and none have ever done me any good. I want to die like this, please leave?"
The nurse hesitated, but then nodded and left the room. Sasuke and Akiharu were alone now.
"I hadn't really planned to ever come to you to be honest," Akiharu suddenly said. Sasuke looked into her eyes. "I thought I would find Akira another father that would raise him, but I never met someone like that.
After a while I began to think that it was only fair that I would bring him to you. He asked a lot of questions about you and I could not answer them."
Her eyes looked sad and dull. "And then when I thought about it… it was only fair towards Akira to bring him to you, his real father. Not someone that acted like one. Not when he still had a real father."
She stopped for a moment before she continued. "I told him everything he needs to know about me, so he will remember me. I'm ready to leave him behind with you. I know that even if you don't want him, you will find him a good home. He's young, he will adapt." She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"I'll take care of him."
Akiharu smiled. "I don't want him to become a ninja. I'm afraid of what he might become. Sasuke, promise me you won't encourage him to become a shinobi."
Sasuke said nothing at that. Akiharu coughed again, but this time blood was on her hands and she started breathing heavier.
"Sasuke." He looked to her. Her hair sleek on her face, not dancing as it had once done. "I have never wanted this to happen, but I can't deny that if I was placed in the same position again, that I wouldn't do the same if I got the opportunity; if I think it brought me Akira. I love him.
Even though I can't say that I don't hate you for this. It wasn't really your fault, but I can't deny either that for years when I thought of you, only hate filled me."
She turned a bit in the bed as they both heard Akira talk in the hall. Naruto apparently was holding them there on purpose so they could finish their talk.
"But having seen your reaction when we saw each other again, I guess you had a similar feeling. I'm no longer really angry with you. I still don't like you, but I believe you can be a fine father; you have too. Akira means everything to me!" She coughed and it sounded really bad. She wiped her mouth clean. "Please bring him in?"
Sasuke stood up and walked to the door and came back with Akira. Naruto stayed in the hall with the bag of food. They all knew Akiharu wouldn't want it anyway and Naruto thought it better to leave them alone. Although Sasuke would have wanted him in, he knew.
"Kaa-chan? Are you going to sleep soon?" Akira asked as he stood next to the bed, looking at his very pale mother.
Akiharu grasped his hand. "I will. You promise me you will have fun with otou-san?"
Akira nodded.
"Otou-san will protect… you… from…" she had difficulty breathing.
"Kaa-chan?"
Sasuke lifted Akira up and put him on the bed and he lay down next to his mother.
"I… I love… y-you."
"I love you too kaa-chan."
Akiharu tried to hug Akira, but all she could manage was put one arm around him. It was enough. "I'll see… you…"
"I'll see you again someday," Akira said what his mother had wanted to say.
She smiled. "Yes… one day…" she closed her eyes and her breathing became slower.
"Bye, mama."
Akiharu took one more slow breath and with that she was gone.
Sasuke let Akira lie there for a while and then walked up to him and grasped his shoulder. Akira looked up.
"The nurses will…" Sasuke hesitated, "will give okaa-san a nice bed to sleep in."
Akira nodded and stood up. Before he left the bed he kissed Akiharu on her cheek and then walked to Sasuke and took his hand.
"We will visit her?"
"We will."
They walked out of the room, to his new home, leaving his mother to sleep for eternity.
-oXo-
A/N: I just want to say that I think Naruto is acting like this, because he doesn't know how to act at all (neither does anyone else :P)
And Ergolamia, since I can't reply to your reviews in another way: thank you for your reviews, I really enjoy reading them :D
