Our Son
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
Chapter Notation: This chapter takes place six months after the last one. Seiko is now 10 months old. Fun fact: Babies generally begin walking when they are 9-12 months old. Though some perfectly healthy children don't start walking till 16-17 months.
Chapter 10
Six months had passed and Sasuke was settling into a domestic life. People still looked at him with a combination of awe and terror, but that didn't really matter too much to him at the moment. They were slowly getting used to him.
"Sasuke, do you have any crayons?" Hinata asks as she peeks through the doorway of his classroom.
"There should be some in Iruka's desk. Third drawer down." Sasuke replies.
Hinata was teaching the youngest students and Sasuke was teaching the oldest. Iruka was still teaching the children in the "middle" and was currently in charge of the Academy overall.
"Thanks!" She says and scurries off.
It was decided that Sasuke should teach the oldest children in an effort to soothe the anxieties of some very worried parents. Most didn't want Sasuke Uchiha near their children, especially not the younger children. So Sasuke teaching the oldest set of children had been the compromise.
Hinata was a natural with small children. In Sasuke's mind, it only made sense that she would deal with the youngest students. That left Iruka stuck in the middle. Though the eldest Uchiha suspected that Iruka was grateful for the extra help.
"Today, we are going to cover Geography. Can anyone tell me the names of the Five Great Ninja Nations?" Sasuke asks his class, once Hinata had left.
Not surprisingly, nearly every female hand in the class shot up. There were some boy hands, but in general the boys knew better. The girls were quite competitive academically and the boys preferred to show off with Taijutsu or Ninjutsu.
Sasuke was pretty sure that the two genders were just wired differently in that way. He remembered a similar pattern in his own class. Hinata disagreed. She thought that the children were just conditioned from a young age by society. Boys were encouraged to be aggressive and girls were encouraged to display other traits.
"Kaiko." He says simply, calling on a young brunette.
"The Fire Nation, Wind Nation, Water Nation, Earth Nation, and Lightning Nation." She answers his question.
"Very good. That's correct." Sasuke replies.
He never imagined that he'd be an Academy Instructor. Sasuke didn't really mind the job. It meant that he was close to Hinata and it wasn't dangerous. That meant that there was a high chance that he would actually live long enough to watch Seiko grow up. That and his students could also be amusing at times.
The most annoying aspects of the job were the occasional paper cut and the oldest girls. Most of them had already developed crushes on him. He didn't really know why. Clearly, they had to know that he was already taken and they were all way too young for him to have any interest in them, even if he wasn't.
"Can anyone tell me what are the two most dangerous things that a ninja traveling to the Sand Village faces?" He asks.
Another hand went up. This time it was a boy. Brave boy, Sasuke thinks to himself. He was actually willing to risk "stealing" the limelight from his female classmates.
"Yes, Keita?" Sasuke calls on him.
"Sandstorms and heatstroke." The sandy blonde informs him.
"That's correct." The eldest Uchiha says with a smile.
Well at least they were smarter than the class he had been stuck with. That was something. Then again, they had a very good incentive to learn. They were being taught by him. While their parents were certainly iffy on him at best, children were simpler creatures.
The boys wanted to become strong. They didn't really seem to care too much about his past. They just knew what he was capable of and that was why they mostly applied themselves, with a few exceptions. The girls wanted to impress him for other reasons. Sasuke decided not to be picky. It didn't really matter why they were studying, just that they were.
"Alright. It's lunch time. Class dismissed for now. Be back in an hour." He informs them and the ninjas in training all head off to the cafeteria.
Sasuke smiles and heads to Hinata's classroom. He knew that she dismissed her students for lunch at the same time. He walks over to her and kisses her cheek.
"How are the classes going?" She asks.
"Better than expected. They're a lot smarter than most of the kids in our year were. I think their parents are still suitably terrified of me though." Sasuke says with a smirk.
"Sasuke, be nice." She says warningly.
Sasuke shrugs. It was fun to scare them now and then. He didn't even have to try.
"Well I have to have some fun when we aren't home." Sasuke shrugs.
Hinata felt her face burn brightly at that implication. It had been six months. They were definitely together in every sense of the word. A year ago, she never would have suspected that Sasuke would be this playful and enjoy teasing her so much. Things were different now though.
"You're horrible. You know that, right?" She asks with a giggle.
"Yes, I know that and you're beautiful." Sasuke says and he kisses her.
Hinata smiles and returns the kiss. While Sasuke may still be struggling to reintegrate with the rest of the village, he didn't seem to have any problems expressing affection towards her now. It was just most of the time, he expressed it ways that certainly weren't appropriate to do inside the Academy. Kisses during lunch breaks were acceptable though. Very acceptable.
"You can be very sweet, when you want to be." Hinata muses, after breaking the kiss.
"Only for you and Seiko. Don't let anyone else know that." Sasuke replies and Hinata laughs as she caresses his cheek.
"Mmm don't worry. I won't tell. I promise." She whispers and Sasuke nods his head approvingly.
Iruka shakes his head in amusement as he watches the two of them from the doorway. They were too enamored with each other to notice his presence just yet. It had to be love. He was positive that Sasuke would never have let his guard down this much otherwise.
"Did the two of you get those essays graded?" He inquires as he strides over to them.
"Yes, Iruka Sensei!" Hinata says as she hands him a stack of papers.
Sasuke raises an eyebrow. It really did amuse him that Hinata would still call Iruka that. She was a grown woman. Hinata was a mother and she was still calling him Iruka Sensei like she was an Academy Student.
"Mine are done as well. They're in my classroom though." Sasuke says.
"Alright. Well if you can put them on my desk before you leave, that would be wonderful." Iruka states.
"Yeah. I'll do that." The Uchiha replies.
It really was a miracle. He had known them both since they were small children. Honestly, this was not a match that he ever saw coming. Somehow, it worked.
He wasn't entirely certain how. The two of them couldn't be anymore different though. Perhaps there was some merit to the old saying that opposites attract.
Iruka could now see echoes of the boy that Sasuke had been before the Massacre. He was still guarded and seemed to enjoy his infamous status a bit too much, but Hinata was a good influence on him. A calming force.
"Good. Well I hate to bring this up, but tonight is the parent-teacher conference." Iruka says.
Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He didn't see why that would be an issue. It was standard procedure to hold one at least once a year. Sometimes two or three conferences.
"Yes, I'm aware of that. What I'm not aware of is why that fact makes you so nervous." Sasuke states bluntly.
Hinata winces. Iruka sighs because he knew that the bluenette knew exactly why he was so nervous about the conference. There were a couple Hyuga children enrolled in the Academy and Hiashi was still the head of that Clan. This could end in disaster.
"Sasuke, maybe you should skip it." Hinata whispers.
He tilts his head to the side in confusion. Why would his kitten encourage him to skip out on the conference? It didn't make any sense.
"Why should I? What's wrong?" He asks.
"There are a few Hyuga children who are currently enrolled in the Academy. It may become a rather uncomfortable situation for you two. Hiashi Hyuga will likely attend the event." Iruka tells him.
Sasuke's eyes narrow. So that was why Hinata and Iruka were so nervous. They weren't sure how he would react around Hiashi. Now it all made sense.
"I'm going. I'm an Instructor at this Academy. He doesn't have the right to prevent me from performing ALL my duties. If he has an issue with it, he can make a scene. I doubt he will. His pride is what matters most to him." Sasuke growls.
"Sasuke, calm down. It's over. He hasn't made any attempts to come near either of us in six months. If we are lucky, we may not need to speak with him at all." Hinata says as she kisses his cheek.
"Somehow, I doubt we are going to get lucky." The raven haired ninja mutters.
Iruka sighs. This was likely going to get brutal. He could only hope that somehow, everyone left this conference in one piece. He wasn't going to count on it though.
Later that day, Hinata and Sasuke head home. Kurenai was watching Seiko for them. The Genjutsu Mistress smiles when they walk through the door.
"He was a very good boy toy and is getting along quite well with Mirai. He's such a little ladies man." She giggles.
"That's good. I'm glad that he's making friends." Sasuke says.
He tries to keep the irritation out of his voice. Sasuke wasn't angry at the female ninja. She had been nothing, but kind to him since his return. He was angry at Hiashi. Not her.
The young father soon realizes that he hadn't managed to hide his annoyance successfully. Kurenai immediately frowns and looks at Hinata uncertainly. It was obvious that the red eyed woman knew something was amiss.
"Is everything alright?" She asks.
"We are probably going to have to face my father for the first time in months tonight. Are you able to stay and watch Seiko until we get back?" The Hyuga woman quietly asks.
"Yes, I can stay for a few hours. I doubt that you will be gone that long." Kurenai answers her.
Sasuke shakes his head. No. Not this time. Hiashi had made his decision and he was going to live with the consequences.
"Thank you, Kurenai. I hope that won't be necessary though. Hinata, I want to take Seiko with us." Sasuke says.
Hinata blinks. Had her lover lost his mind? Why would he want to take Seiko to a place that he knew her father was going to be? That was just asking for a fight.
"Sasuke, I don't think that's a very good idea." The Hyuga woman replies.
"I think it's a very good idea. Seiko is only a baby now, but he's going to get bigger. Eventually, he's going to be out and about in the village. There is a good chance that sooner or later, he will run into your family. Confronting him now, will save Seiko from future heartbreak or at least soften the blow." The Uchiha Patriarch reasons.
Hinata sighs. She knew that Sasuke was right in a way. That didn't mean that she liked it though.
"Alright. We'll take him. Father won't risk making too great a public spectacle of himself. It's his words that will likely cut like a knife." She murmurs.
"His words shouldn't affect you. Hiashi made his decision. It was the wrong one. It wasn't your fault. He should have been more understanding." Sasuke says as he walks over to Seiko.
Seiko smiles at the other Uchiha. He knew who this was now. This was daddy. He had to be daddy. Otherwise, he wouldn't be around mommy so much. He had seen some other children with their mommies and daddies. This person acted like a daddy.
He raises out his hands to Sasuke and stumbles over to him. Three pairs of eyes widen as Seiko takes his first tentative steps. He took about two or three of them before he stumbled over on his way to Sasuke.
"WAHHHH!" Seiko cries out in frustration more than pain.
Seiko had thought that he might be able move like the big people did. He had for a little bit, but then he fell. Seiko did NOT like falling!
"It's okay." Sasuke says as he scoops up his son and rocks him.
"He walked!" Hinata says, positively beaming at the knowledge.
"Yes, he did. You're a big boy now." The eldest Uchiha tells Seiko.
He didn't really understand a lot of words yet, but he understood the tone. His daddy was happy and so was mommy. Seiko coos in response.
"He'll be running around and getting into everything, before you know it." Kurenai says with a smile as she gestures for Mirai to follow her.
Sasuke nods in agreement. Their son would be at the Academy in the blink of an eye, he was sure of it. Both of them were really lucky that they had gotten home when they did. Otherwise, they might have missed out on his first steps!
"Thank you, Kurenai Sensei. I guess we should get ready for the conference." Hinata says and the Genjutsu Mistress nods as she walks off with her daughter.
A few hours later, the young family makes their way to the Academy. Seiko might have only been ten months old, but even he could feel the change in the atmosphere. Mommy and daddy had gone from being happy to being very quiet.
"Ah there you are." Iruka greets them.
"Yes, here we are." Sasuke agrees and Hinata nods.
"Well I'm sure that everyone will be quite eager to meet Seiko." He muses as he leans into the stroller.
Iruka couldn't resist playing with Seiko's toys. Honestly, he was such an adorable child. It was hard to reconcile the cute image that he currently presented with what he would likely one day become. A fearsome ninja.
"I hope so." Hinata says with a shy smile.
She didn't mind Iruka playing with Seiko. Iruka was kind and her son didn't seem upset by the attention. Thankfully, it didn't seem like Sasuke was in a hurry to protest either.
"Well let's get started." Sasuke says and Iruka nods in agreement.
He leads them to the cafeteria. It was decided that was just the easiest place to hold these types of things. There were just so many students, parents, and guardians in the building. It would be hard to fit them all in another place.
"Attention. Attention. Thank you all for coming. I know that it means the world to our students to have your support as they begin their careers as ninjas." Iruka says with practiced ease.
"He's given this speech, a lot." Sasuke whispers to Hinata who giggles.
"Yes, I imagine he's quite used to it by now." The bluenette confirms.
It didn't take long for Iruka to wrap up his speech. Sasuke was getting a bit overwhelmed by all the students and their parents. It was one thing to run a classroom full of kids who were 12 and under. It was another to deal with their families.
"Yes, she's doing fine. She needs to work on her kunai throwing accuracy a little bit though. On the other hand, she's excellent at Geography and Genjutsu." Sasuke says to one of the parents.
He had learned awhile ago that these people were just as protective of their little bundles of joy as he was of Seiko. It was best to soften any criticism with some praise. Preferably more praise than criticism.
"Ah well that's good. We'll work on that while she's at home." The girl's father says.
"Great." Sasuke says, nodding in approval.
Hinata smiles. She was talking to a group of parents. Sasuke glances back at her and couldn't help but envy her. Hinata was dealing with the little kids. There was a lot less constructive criticism to be given at that age. That and she was a natural with all children, it seemed. Not just Seiko.
"Yes, I think that he's becoming a little less shy." Hinata says encouragingly.
Sasuke was a different matter. In general, he liked children more than he liked most adults. He lacked Hinata's natural affinity for them though.
"Oh well that's good. I was getting worried there. The boy tends to prefer to keep to himself. He's young now. So it's not really an issue, but I don't want him to grow up and become a hermit or something." The boy's mother replies.
Seiko was one thing. That was his son. Other children were a different story. The bond just wasn't there naturally, like it was with Seiko. He was working on it though.
Things were going normally, until Sasuke saw Hiashi. He hoped that the man was smart enough to keep a wide berth. Hinata had smacked him, after all. (He was still enormously proud of her for that!)
"Iruka, perhaps it would be best, if you told me how the children in my Clan are doing." Hiashi says.
"They are all doing well. Sasuke and Hinata each have a Hyuga in their class. I do hope that you weren't planning on causing a scene tonight." Iruka pleads with him.
"I would never cause a scene. This isn't a private family affair. It's a public one. I have too much respect for these people to interrupt their evening in such a fashion. I do hope that Sasuke and Hinata feel the same way though." He says.
Hiashi sighs as glances at Sasuke. He had the stroller next to him. Seiko had grown quite a great deal in the past few months. The boy would be enrolled in the Academy before he knew it. Hiashi Hyuga had no idea how to feel about that.
He was clearly the star of the show tonight though. Everyone wanted to get a peek at Seiko. For the most part, the young couple tended to keep him at their home or to drop him off at their friend's homes while they were busy teaching. So it was a rare day when anyone got more than a glimpse of him.
"I'm glad to hear that. I truly wish that there was a way to stop all this bad blood between the three of you." Iruka continues.
"Thank you, Iruka. You're a good man. Unfortunately, this is a very complicated matter. I wish things were different, but they are not." The Hyuga Patriarch mutters.
Seiko certainly hadn't inherited his mother's shyness, Hiashi notes in amusement. The boy seemed to be basking in the attention. He was cooing happily at anyone who wanted to play with him.
"Well I hope that one day that will change." Iruka offers diplomatically as he heads off to speak with other parents.
Hinata blinks when she saw Temari and Shikamaru in the cafeteria. What were they doing here? Their child was way too young to be enrolled. Curious, she approaches them.
"Hello, Temari. Hello, Shikamaru." She greets them cheerfully.
"Hey, Hinata. It's good to see you out and about." Temari says.
"We are just checking out the Academy. It's a drag, but Temari's never really see what it's like here before. She wants to make sure when our daughter is old enough to enroll, that it's suitable." Shikamaru says with a yawn.
Hinata laughs. That did sound like Temari and Shikamaru. They were perhaps the most well known international couple. Temari had moved to the Leaf Village, shortly after the war. The two of them now had a daughter only a couple months older than Seiko.
"I see. Well I hope that you like it. Though that it may be a little too early to start worrying about such things." She assures him.
"I know. I tried to tell her that, but you know how stubborn the woman can be." Shikamaru says and then he owes when Temari whacks him upside the head playfully.
As their conversation was going on, Sasuke saw Hiashi looking at Seiko. He didn't care for that at all. He knew that he would have to address this though. So he pushes the stroller over to him.
"This is your grandson. I figured you wouldn't recognize him without an introduction." He hisses in a low voice.
Sasuke knew exactly how loud he could be before others would hear him. He was counting on the fact that Hiashi Hyuga would be reluctant to cause a scene in public. That was something that Sasuke planned to use to his advantage.
"You're wrong. I recognize him perfectly fine." Hiashi says.
Hinata stiffens when she hears the sound of her father's voice and Sasuke's. That's when she noticed that they were speaking with each other. Naturally, she rushes over to prevent a bloodbath.
"It's alright, Kitten. We're just talking." Sasuke assures her and kisses her cheek.
He knew that the "innocent" pet name and affectionate gesture would infuriate Hiashi. Sasuke loved calling her that and kissing her, but mostly he was doing it to annoy the Hyuga Patriarch at the moment. Hinata must have realized what he was up to because she gave him a disapproving look.
"Yes, we were just talking. He's growing so fast." Hiashi says.
"When he is big enough to walk around the village, I won't tolerate any of your Clan harassing him. They are to treat him like any other member of the Leaf Village." Hinata says firmly.
"Hinata, I'm surprised that you would feel the need to say that. Unfortunately, certain actions were necessary to protect our family. I wouldn't tolerate cruelty to the boy. It's not his fault who his father is. I have to say that I'm impressed. Sasuke seems almost civilized these days." He muses.
Sasuke bites back a snarl. He felt one of his eyes bleed ruby red. Strong emotions had a way of activating his Sharingan unconsciously. Rage was a familiar and very strong emotion. It would always do the trick.
"Sasuke is VERY civilized. I mean it. Don't allow your Clan to be cruel to Seiko. He had no say in who his parents were." Hinata insists.
"I'm not going to allow them to treat him unfairly. You have my word on that much. I know that it may not seem like it, but I do love my grandson." Hiashi replies.
"You're right. It doesn't seem like it. Hinata, I believe that we've said all that needs to be said at the moment. Would you like to go home?" Sasuke asks.
"I think that would be a good idea. We've already spoken to all the other parents and guardians anyway. By the way, Lord Hiashi?" Hinata says as she places her hands on the stroller.
Hiashi raises an eyebrow. It looked like Hinata had something important that she wanted to say. Maybe she was actually going to see reason.
"Yes, Hinata?" He asks.
"Seiko can walk now. Eventually, we'll find out which side of the family tree he takes after. Either way, you should remind your Clan that he's likely to become a very powerful ninja. Don't provoke him." She mutters as she leaves with her family.
Hinata sighs. She hated that it had come to this. She hated that she had to threaten her own father to ensure that he wouldn't be cruel to Seiko, but she would do whatever was necessary to protect her son.
"You did the right thing, Hinata. You can't let that bastard walk all over you." Sasuke says.
"I know. I did what was necessary to protect him, but it still hurts." She whispers.
"I know that it does, but you protect our son. You're a good mother. That's something that Hiashi Hyuga will never be able to take away from you." Sasuke assures as they arrive home a few minutes later.
Home. It was a strange feeling. Sasuke had a home again. For many years, he hadn't had that. Sasuke had certainly never considered the Sound Village his home and after that he had traveled to many places, but never settled.
"We're home." Sasuke says.
Well he never settled until he found out about Seiko. Now he had a family again. He damn sure wasn't going to let Hiashi Hyuga take it away from him. Either he would see reason and leave them be or he would have to start throwing around a few Chidoris. The young father had always found that to be a very effective form of communication. If nothing else, it was certain to get his point across.
"Yes." Hinata agrees with a smile as she kisses Sasuke's cheek.
Somehow it would all work out. She had faith that it would. After all, if Sasuke Uchiha could become an Academy Instructor, anything was possible. Perhaps they would even find a way to coexist with her family in the same village, without a Clan War erupting. Now THAT would certainly be a miracle. Hinata could only hope that that miracle would come to pass for the sake of her family, the Hyuga Clan, and the Leaf Village as a whole. Anything less, would likely spell a disaster for all of them.