What Does It All Mean?
Part II, Chapter IX: Bright Boy
Naruto had settled against the corner of the large couch that sat in her living room. She sat beside him as he yawned and stretched his right arm over the back of the couch, right where she laid back.
"Maybe you should come over more often so you can have a real breakfast," Sakura suggested.
"There's nothing wrong with what I usually eat," Naruto defended.
"Naruto, top ramen and milk are not the best way to start the day. I'm surprised you're not malnourished."
He grinned widely. "So, where did Akio run off to?"
"To Ino's," Sakura leaned back deeper in the cushion. "If he's not here or with you, he's with Shikano-chan. Do you think he likes her? I mean, isn't it too early for a seven year old to have a crush?"
Naruto shrugged. "Depends. Me, on the other hand, I was mature at that age, so I was ready to crush on girls."
"You? Mature?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.
"Of course!"
"So, who did you like back then?"
"You, of course." He watched Sakura smile and then he asked, "Did you like anyone at that age?"
She nodded.
"Who?"
Her smile turned from bright to a dim, sad turn of the lip as she said gently, "You know the answer to that."
Naruto could feel the energy escape her as she turned away and stared at the blank TV that sat in front of them. Her eyes barely moved and it seemed as if she was off in a distant world, far from the couch they both shared. He raised his right hand and brushed it through the ends of her pink hair. Then, he reached under the curtain of her locks and began to massage the small muscles on her neck.
In response, Sakura's eyes fell closed and she allowed her head to drop so her chin was tucked against her chest. She released a heavy sigh and smiled. "That feels nice. I need this."
Naruto repositioned himself so his right foot stretched out on the couch. He moved her so that her back was to him and she sat on the couch space between his legs. "How about a back rub?" he said as he began to move his thumbs in circles onto her upper back.
Chills ran down Sakura's back and she felt her stress knots loosen under Naruto's circles. She felt as if she was sitting on a cloud, soothing enough to fall asleep upon…
"By the way, Sakura-chan…"
"Hm?"
"Do you ever plan to talk to him? It's been over a week."
Sakura's eyes shot open.
"Don't you think it's time?" Naruto ran his hands down the column of her back.
"I don't have any courage," she finally said.
"Sure you do," Naruto used his thumbs to write circles at the middle of her back. When she stayed silent, he suggested, "Do you want me to go with you?"
"No, thank you." Sakura shoot her head. "I have to deal with him myself. I'll find the courage to do it. It will just take some time."
"Hm…" Naruto massaged her lower back but his eyes were fixed on her ear.
"It's just… I wouldn't know what to say," Sakura explained. "I'd probably cry." She felt Naruto using all 10 digits to rub her lower back. Sakura looked up and saw an image of Sasuke. She blinked and looked again, realizing she was staring at a family photo, sitting on the table a few feet away. It was of her and Akio at the picnic she set up for him and Naruto over a month ago.
"It's okay if you cry," Naruto told her. "You have every right to."
"No, I don't," Sakura shook her head. "My number one concern is Akio-chan but I'm scared that seeing Sasuke-kun again… I won't have a clear head. I should always have Akio-chan in mind; he is my priority."
"Hmm…" Naruto said again, his hands rubbing her back at a slower pace. Then, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in a gentle hug. Naruto rested his head on her crown of pink strands and said, "But wouldn't Akio want Okaa-chan to be happy as well?"
Sakura couldn't help but smile. "Perhaps."
The clock against the wall chimed 10 o'clock.
Naruto looked up. "Oh, damn. I gotta go."
"Now?"
"Yeah. To Tsunade-no-baa-chan's torture," Naruto stood from the couch and headed to the front door.
"We'll see you tonight, right?"
"Of course," Naruto paused before stepping out. "What should I get for Akio? His birthday is tomorrow but he hasn't said what he wants."
She smiled and said, "Surprise him." She locked the door behind him when he left.
--
Ino raised her knife in the air and in one quick motion, dropped it onto the wooden board. Within a few seconds the lettuce in front of her was cut into bite-size pieces and divided in four small bowls. She was in the process of cooking meat when Shikano walked in the kitchen. "Okaa-san."
Ino deftly laid a piece of meat on the stove-top grill. "Yes?"
"Where's Naruto-nii?"
"At the hospital, I guess."
"Okay," Shikano turned away.
"Wait just a moment," Ino called.
Her daughter froze and turned on her heels. Ino just stared at her daughter, whose eyes were so much like her own.
Sakura shook her head. "Shikano loves you."
But she would never admit it, Ino laughed to herself. She knew her daughter well enough. She was not a very affectionate girl, but that didn't mean she didn't care. "Nothing," Ino smiled. "Lunch will be ready in about 20 minutes, okay?"
Shikano raised a curious eyebrow. "Thanks," and she proceeded to scurry off.
Ino heard the front door open, followed by a slight commotion.
"Hi Oyaji," Shikano said.
"Hi, Shika-oji-chan."
"Hey."
"We'll be back soon." The door closed.
Within a few moments, Shikamaru entered the kitchen.
"What did you get him?" Ino asked her husband.
"A set of shuriken, like you suggested," he cocked an eyebrow.
"Good. Lunch will be ready soon. The rice will take about another 15 minutes."
"Alright," he opened the refrigerator, looking for the pitcher of lemonade. "Where are they going?"
"To the hospital, I think."
"What for?"
"To see Naruto, probably. Shikano asked where he was earlier."
Ino nearly jumped when she heard the refrigerator door close with a loud clunk. "That's where they're going?" he asked.
"I guess."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"What's wrong with that? They just want to see Naruto. Knowing those two, they probably want to see him perform a jutsu, like his Kagebushin."
Shikamaru's hand flew to his temple as he began to rub it in circles. "How troublesome…"
Ino whirled around and locked eyes with her husband. "What is the problem, Nara Shikamaru?"
He frowned at her short tone but responded, quite calmly, "Do you realize why Naruto is at the hospital?"
"To watch Sasuke-kun, of course."
"Akio is heading over there right now to see Naruto…" he took a moment to let the facts register through his wife's head, "… who is with Sasuke."
Ino's crystal eyes widened and the chopsticks she was cooking with dropped out of her hands and onto the floor. "Oh… damn…" Ino suddenly realized her error.
Shikamaru rolled his eyes.
--
Sasuke was already dressed by the time Naruto arrived in his room. They did not exchange greetings; instead, Naruto started with "I was over at Tsunade-no-baa-chan's and Kakashi-sensei said you wanted to talk to me."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "I didn't say that."
They both stood very still for a few moments, giving each other hard glares. Sasuke saw Naruto's frown widen before he sighed. "Come on. Let's go to the gardens."
Sasuke said nothing and only took hold of his crutches. He walked a few steps in front of Naruto as they made their way down the hall and outside in the gardens. Once there, Sasuke stood still, stopping under a tree, its branches kissed with small pink blossoms. He stared straight ahead of him at the tree's trunk when he said, "I need to talk to Sakura."
"Do you now?" Naruto bit. "Good for you, then."
"It's important," Sasuke said in a curt matter. He was never one to ask for help and he certainly didn't want to ask it from Naruto.
"You should ask if you need something. A 'please' or getting down on your knees--."
"I'm not asking for a favor," Sasuke cut Naruto off quickly, turning to face his old rival.
"You don't have a choice, got it? You're not the boss around here," Naruto regained control of the conversation. "It's her choice. She'll talk to you when she's ready."
"I don't have time to wait."
"Make time," Naruto growled. "She sacrificed a lot for you. The least you could do is be patient."
"I need to speak to her about Akio. He's my son--."
"Yeah, well, you haven't been much of a father," Naruto crossed his arms.
Sasuke's lips turned to a thin line. "I didn't know he existed."
"I know," Naruto's hands fell to his sides. "But still, you screwed up a lot of things when you left. Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if you found out what's been happening to them for the past years and didn't care."
"Kakashi-sensei told me everything. Of her pregnancy, the judgement she had to endure once he was born… He told me, so I do know," Sasuke glared at his blond companion.
Naruto crossed his arms again and looked to Sasuke's feet. "I've got to know… She's loved you since we were kids. But what about you? If it was some other girl's apartment, would you still have had sex with her?" Naruto swallowed hard, as if he struggled to push the words out of his throat. "You care about Sakura-chan, don't you?" Naruto asked, his eyes finally turning up to him.
Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed, struggling to fabricate an answer. He looked down to the spiral decal on Naruto's arm.
"Naruto-nii-chan!" a voice called.
Sasuke looked up over Naruto's shoulder. He saw an image of his young self scurrying towards their direction. However, this child wore a dark burgundy shirt with a wide mouth collar and light colored long shorts. Not far behind was a girl with her dark blonde hair gathered in a ponytail and wearing violet clothes.
"Oh damn…" Naruto muttered under his breath, then put on his best smile. "Akio! Shikano!" he waved to them. He quickly muttered a "If you say anything, I'll kill you and use your insides as window curtains" to Sasuke, still smiling, still waving to the approaching kids.
The two children came up to Naruto, slightly panting from their previous running. "I was looking for you, Naruto-nii-chan!"
"Really? What for?"
"Shikano-chan and me wanna learn some shuriken moves."
As the conversation continued in front of him, Sasuke just watched his son. He looked like him and sounded like him in his own youth. But as he continued to speak, Sasuke saw his smile and heard the affection in his voice; some things he must have inherited from Sakura. He also couldn't help but notice the girl stealing glances at him, then his son. Sasuke immediately recognized her as Nara Shikano, the sleeping girl beside Akio at school. Her crystal eyes were calculating something inside her mind. If Sasuke's guess was right, and knowing she was a Nara, he figured that she was like her father, formulating thoughts in utter silence without anyone noticing.
Sasuke's thoughts shot back to Akio when he heard a gentle "Ano sa, ano sa, Naruto-nii-chan… who is that?"
Sasuke turned to Akio. Did he just say…?
Naruto turned to Sasuke, then back to Akio. "Oh, him? He's…" he looked at Sasuke, searching for an answer, but Sasuke gave him nothing to help. He was staring at him, wonder what Naruto would say. "He's someone I know," he grinned.
Akio bowed. "I'm Haruno Akio. This is my friend, Shikano." When her name was said, she bowed her head towards Sasuke.
Naruto was never much of a liar.
"He's… an old friend," Naruto added, placing a hand on the boy's head.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
"Oh…" Akio turned to Sasuke and asked wide-eyed, "Are you a ninja?"
"Aa," Sasuke swallowed, answering his son.
"What's your name?" Shikano spoke suddenly.
It was Sasuke's turn to look at Naruto for guidance. When Naruto did nothing, he said, "Uchiha Sasuke."
"Uchiha?" Shikano's eyebrows lifted. "I've never heard of that name before."
"It's a clan that's long gone," he answered solemnly.
Shikano crossed her arms. "Are you from Konoha?"
Sasuke shot a glance to Naruto, then answered, "Yes."
"Oh!" Akio's eyes lit up. "So, you graduated with Naruto-nii-chan and Okaa-chan, right? Her name is Haruno Sakura," he smiled proudly. "You remember her, right?"
"I remember her," he answered him.
"Hey, Naruto-nii-chan, he knew my dad, huh?" Akio tugged Naruto's sleeve. "You were all in the same class."
Naruto just smiled at him.
"Where is your dad now?" Sasuke asked slowly, looking at Akio. He was wondering what type of answer he would get.
Akio looked over to him and smiled. It was not the bright one his face was lit with earlier. It was a rather sad one, one that Sasuke would not soon forget. "He's gone for a very long mission."
"A mission?"
"Yeah. That's why he's not home." Pain crossed Akio's eyes for a brief second, before he covered it with a smile. "But he's out there to protect Konoha. My dad is on a mission, finding bad guys."
"I see," Sasuke looked to Naruto, who was frowning back.
"He's a hero, just like Naruto-nii-chan."
Sasuke felt his throat turn dry. He felt his head forming a sudden headache.
"Um, Akio," Naruto bent down to look at the boy, their eye levels equal. "I'm sorry but I can't teach you anything now. Maybe later tonight, okay?"
"Are you working?"
"Yeah."
"Oh." Suddenly, Akio's dark eyes widen as if an idea sparked in his mind. He turned to Sasuke. "Ano, um… Uchiha-san, if you're not busy, do you want to have dinner with us?"
Sasuke's eyebrows lifted. "Us?"
Akio nodded. "Me, Naruto-nii-chan and Okaa-chan."
Both Sasuke and Naruto shared an expression of surprise. "Uh, wait a minute," Naruto shook his head. "I don't know if that's a good idea."
"Why not?" Akio asked. "Okaa-chan always said to do nice things for others. And maybe seeing a friend will make her feel better."
"Akio…" Naruto trailed off.
"She's been sad for the past couple days. I can tell," Akio told them. "Maybe if she saw an old friend, she'll smile again."
A warm smile illuminated Naruto's face and he ruffled the boy's hair. Sasuke watched and felt he was a million miles away until Akio looked at him. "Unless you're busy, Uchiha-san?"
Sasuke slowly shook his head. "I'll see." Akio smiled up at him.
"Neh, Akio?" Shikano pulled on the back of his shirt. "We should get home for lunch."
"Oh, sorry," Akio smiled at her. "I'll see you later, Naruto-nii-chan! And you, Uchiha-san!" He bowed as his salutation and left.
Sasuke watched his son leave with Shikamaru's daughter.
"Neh, Akio?" he heard her say.
"What?"
"Um… nothing."
"You're weird."
"Shut up."
Sasuke watched as they disappeared from sight.
"Ah, man! Sakura-chan's going to kill me," Naruto slapped his forehead with his hand.
Sasuke turned to his old teammate and watched as he flopped down on the concrete bench. "First, I gotta ask Tsunade-no-baa-chan…" Naruto started mumbling to himself. "Then I got to call Sakura-chan and tell her…"
Sasuke's eyes wandered to the leg of the bench, where a small dandelion was growing.
"He's gone for a long mission… that's why he's not home."
"Ano sa," Naruto spoke.
Sasuke looked up.
"What's with the face?"
He looked away to the trees, then to its roots, all while standing with his crutches. "He's… like you," Sasuke told Naruto. "Sad but hiding everything with a smile."
"He has every reason to be sad," Naruto crossed his arms. "But he's always had help--."
"I noticed," Sasuke bit quickly, interrupting Naruto.
Naruto looked up, calculating Sasuke's sudden outburst. "Geez," Naruto shook his head. "Still a bastard after all these years, huh?" Naruto looked up and saw a brown hawk flying overhead.
Sasuke could still see Akio holding onto Naruto's sleeve and looking up at him with bright eyes, as if… "You really care for him," Sasuke started, staring at the roots of the trees.
Naruto stood, dusting off his behind. "He's the son of my two best friends. Of course I care for him."
Sasuke looked up to his old teammate.
Naruto didn't make any eye contact with him. He just turned as he said, "I need to get going." He made his way towards the hospital and Sasuke slowly followed, one small step at a time.
--
"What are you making, Okaa-chan?" Akio looked up from his drawings. He sat at the dining room table, sheets of paper and crayons scattered in front of him.
"Something special. Pork cutlet," Sakura turned to her son and smiled.
At hearing this, her son pouted. "No ramen?"
"No, Akio-chan, but tomorrow, okay?"
"For my birthday?"
"Yes."
At this, Akio smiled and continued with his drawings. "Okaa-chan? What did Otou-chan look like?"
Sakura froze as she began to unpack her groceries. "Um… your father?"
Akio nodded.
Sakura had to take a deep breath before she answered him. "Well, you look just like him. Your hair, your eyes, everything."
"Hm… okay," Akio nodded. "I guess I'll draw him next."
Curious of what her son was up to, she approached him and peered over his work. She could see four stick figures, one standing about half the height of the others, and each with line bodies and circle heads. "What are you drawing, Akio-chan?"
From left to right, he pointed, "Naruto-nii-chan, me, Okaa-chan and Uchiha-san."
Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "W-who?"
"Uchiha-san. He said you and Naruto-nii-chan all went to the academy together."
He didn't seem to notice her tight grip on the backrest. "How did… you meet him?"
"Oh. Shikano-chan and I found Naruto-nii-chan at the hospital this morning," he colored Naruto's hair with a yellow crayon. "Uchiha-san was with him."
"Oh." Sakura put on her best smile as she told her son she'd be right back. Once she was in the hall and out of sight, Sakura dashed to her bedroom and picked up the phone. She feverishly dialed a number and let it ring.
"Konoha Hospital, main desk."
"Hi. Is there a visitor there named Uzumaki Naruto."
"Oh. He just left."
"Do you know where to?"
"To the Hokage's, I believe."
"Thank you." Sakura hung up and tried another number. When the other line picked up, she asked, "Shizune-san, is Naruto there?"
"Yes. Just a moment."
Sakura didn't have to wait long for him to pick up the phone. "Hello?"
"Naruto, why is it that my son knows Sasuke-kun's name?!"
"Sakura-chan," Naruto's voice laughed awkwardly. "It's really a funny story--."
"I'm not laughing!"
"True… but I meant to tell you. Honestly."
"Naruto, this is no laughing matter! What happened?"
"Sakura-chan, just calm down and let me explain." She took a few breaths before he continued. "Shikano and Akio were looking for me and they found me in the hospital garden with Sasuke."
Sakura released a nervous, frustrated sigh.
"Akio doesn't know, if that's what you're worried about," Naruto seemed to read her emotions through the phone.
"Does… does Sasuke-kun know?"
"Yeah," Naruto answered after a pause.
"Oh gods," she muttered. "How did he take it?"
"He was really surprised, but what do you expect?"
"Yeah…" Sakura stood near her bedroom window.
"Um… did Akio tell you? About us coming over?"
Sakura's eyes widened. " 'Us'?"
"Me and Sasuke."
"No, he didn't! You invited him over here?!?!"
"Not me!" Naruto defended. "It was Akio!"
"What?"
"He invited him over for dinner tonight," Naruto informed her. "I'm going to bring him with me."
Sakura took a few moments to gather her thoughts. She looked out the window, down to the city streets below. She watched as a few kiosks were taking their business signs off the road and storing them away. "Why would Akio-chan do that?"
"He thinks you're lonely, Sakura-chan. So he thought bringing him over will make you smile. Doing nice things for others… didn't you teach him that?"
Sakura nodded. "But Tsunade-sama would never allow that."
"I told her already. I said I was going to take Sasuke to meet you and Akio."
"What did she say?"
"You know, that 'Aah-huh…' she does. That old lady always does that when she thinks something is interesting."
"Naruto…" Sakura trailed off. Both were silent on the phone for a few moments. She didn't say or hear a word when she slowly crossed the room from her window to her bed.
"Sakura-chan?" Naruto said slowly, prompting her to continue.
She took her time and sat down at the foot of her bed. Sakura sighed before she told him, "I don't think I can do this."
"But you're gonna have to. Now or never, right?"
"What am I going to say?"
"Just tell him how you feel and what you want."
Sakura rubbed the back of her neck. "I still care for him. So much…" she muttered to herself.
"I know," came Naruto's voice after a few moments.
Sakura's eyes widened slightly, as if she suddenly realized something. "Naruto…"
"Yeah?"
She shook her head. No, she couldn't ask him. "Nothing. I forgot…"
"If not for your sake, then definitely for Akio's future," Naruto told her. "You don't have to tell Akio now. Maybe later."
"Hmm…" Sakura's eyes looked ahead to the blank wall in front of her. "Right."
"We'll be there at seven. I have to go."
"I'll see you later."
"Take it easy, alright?" Naruto advised.
"You too," and Sakura hung up. She dropped the phone beside her bed and blinked back the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. You're going to worry him, she told herself. He's already gone through enough.
Just then, a knock came to her door. "Okaa-chan?"
Sakura stood and made a quick check to the mirror. She practiced a smile before opening the door. "Sorry I left earlier. Is something wrong?"
"Do you want me to put the groceries away?" Akio asked. "It'll get icky if they are left out."
"Oh, no thank you, dear. I'll cook now." She guided her son down the hall to the dining room again. Akio sat in the chair he previously occupied, returning to his drawing, while Sakura returned to the kitchen.
Sakura rolled the plastic bags into neat knots and stored them in a cabinet under the sink.
"Oh! Okaa-chan, I asked Uchiha-san to dinner tonight," Akio told her. "Is that okay?"
Slowly, she rose and turned to her son. "It's alright, Akio-chan." Sakura turned back to the sink and turned on the faucet. Water poured out of the opening and she put her hands under the tepid water. "Um… Akio-chan?"
"Yes?" he didn't look up as he colored the pants of his Naruto drawing with orange crayon.
"Did you speak with Uchiha-san?"
"Yes."
Sakura soaped her hands and ran them under the faucet again. "So, what do you think of him?"
"Hmm…" akio put his crayon down and looked at his mom. "Sad."
Sakura turned the faucet off and grabbed the dishtowel hanging over the stove handle. "Sad?"
"Yeah…" his eyes moved across his drawn image of Sasuke. "When I was looking at him, his eyes looked sad." He looked to his mother. "Uchiha-san said his clan is gone. Is that why he looks so sad?"
A soft smile found its way to her lips. "Yes. That's why."
"That's why I asked him over. He's lonely, I bet," Akio nodded at his sharp observation. "I thought Okaa-chan would want to see him, too. You were his friend, right? He remembers you."
Sakura walked to Akio's side, bent over and embraced him. Akio remained still as she held him in her arms and let out a deep sigh. "Okaa-chan?" he asked with concern, pulling away.
Akio deserves so much better, she said to herself. I'm such a cowardly woman. "I love you, that's all," she told him.
"Oh," he said gently, then smiled back. "I love Okaa-chan too. I want you to be proud."
"I am, Akio-chan. I am proud of you." She struggled to put a smile on her face. "I'd love to see your drawings when you're finished. They look beautiful so far."
Akio nodded and returned to his work as she returned to the kitchen.
