Sooooo my plan was to write and update all summer long. Yeah well my laptop had other ideas and only now can I access Word. So here we are. I'll keep updating!

Okay some ppl thought that the last chappie was the end well its not lol. This is going to go on for quite a while probably. There is this bit here leading into an arc of sorts. After that will be some time skips. Maybe a sequel if this takes too long. Anyway thank you and please keep reading!

Sasuke trudged home from Tsunade's office. The old hag still disliked him immensely. She may never get used to him being around he thought. Still he cursed her as he walked slowly on his way home. Naruto, Koichi and he had been together officially as a family for about 6 and a half months. Sasuke had constantly fretted over both his new son and Naruto. Often waking up dripping with sweat, fighting off nightmares that either one had been taken from him retreating into the darkness of his mind he seemed to just barely keep at bay. Gradually though a routine seemed to have taken place. Naruto was fine with a turtle neck sweater and sweats most days. The Kyuubi was quiet these days. They at first got updates from it via the sharingan, Naruto however had put a stop to that when Sasuke's eyesight started bothering him. He still got migraines though he hadn't needed to activate it for a long time. Koichi was adjusting well, waking up at three a.m. for a bottle then sleeping until six or seven then down again after changing his diaper until about ten.

The soft light of Ichiraku came into view. Sasuke stopped and stood contemplating before going inside. A little ramen would definitely brighten his dobe's mood, especially with the news Sasuke brought. Slowly Sasuke had been working off his sentence as a traitor to the village. Now he was allowed to go on missions with the anbu to get money. At first this sounded like an excellent idea, but both he and Naruto soon discovered it wasn't. The missions were dangerous and Sasuke often had to spend the money he earned buying gauze to wrap his torso, legs, arms, or on special eye drops devised by Sakura for his eyes. Naruto had tried to explain that they need steady jobs to support Koichi, he couldn't do too hard labor like being a ninja and if Sasuke only got killed it wasn't worth the anbu missions. Tsunade gave Naruto credit to buy baby supplies saying it kept her off the alcohol. There was nothing he could do. Sasuke had decided to go in and talk to her himself.

'Uchiha, what do you want?'

'Why? Why are you torturing my family? You know it's dangerous for me to be out there killing myself and Koichi, he's practically you're grandson why are you doing this to him and to Naruto, who might as well be your son?' Her face had cringed but her fists were still taut at her hips.

'Uchiha. I'm not going to lie there are only two ways to get you off the hook.'

'But why! Why won't you give me a chance?' She looks stricken at that. Sasuke didn't know it but he had echoed the words Naruto himself had yelled in this office years ago about finding him. Whenever Tsunade told Naruto to stop, to quit he'd say the same thing. And she always gave him the chance.

'Sasuke you make that gaki the happiest thing I've ever seen. And as far as I can tell this whole situation was a big mistake. Now that doesn't mean I forgive you for all the tears and hurt you caused him, but I don't want to make this any harder.'

'Then what…'

'The elders Uchiha, they out rank me and they want you dead. With the threat of Madara they have decided to let the charges drop however….unless I can show them a medical report that proves you're incapable of going on missions you are stuck on anbu. And eventually you'll be killed. However I can't fake these reports and trust me I've tried.'

'What…what can I do?' Sasuke sighed hearing Naruto's soft voice cooing and Koichi throwing a tantrum. Kami he loved them both. He couldn't bear to do this to them, Naruto would surely be against it. He was scared himself, although if it worked Sasuke could stop doing anbu and be put to work with Anko and Ibiki helping investigate crimes and occasionally training a few chuniin. It would be monotone but he'd be alive and he'd have money to provide for his family. He sighed hefting the bags and adjusting his weight before walking inside.

"Sasuke!" Naruto sat on the living room floor a pair of navy anbu sweats and an orange jacket on too. Koichi leaned his back on Naruto's knee fussing slightly.

"Hey Naru, Koichi-chan." He walked into the kitchen hearing Naruto following holding the fussy Koichi. After setting down the bags he took Koichi form the blonde.

"Hey you picked up dinner!"

"Hn." Sasuke rocked Koichi trying to calm him. The poor baby was only a few months old, but was mature for his age thought Sasuke. Maybe though he was just being a dad putting traits on him out of pride but he didn't care.

"Sasuke…" Naruto's voice had a concerned edge.

"Hn." Sasuke placed Koichi into his high chair and opened the fridge for baby food.

"You brought home ramen, from Ichiraku." Sasuke sighed, was he becoming that obvious?

"I talked with Tsunade today." He heard Naruto pull out a chair and sit.

"Okay start talking." Sasuke leant against the counter and looked at his Naruto for a moment. He could feel a migraine coming already and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"She isn't the one keeping me on anbu, it's the council…the elders." Sasuke growled the last bit and Naruto was there quickly having recently been able to use a bit of chakra which he had focused on doing things with a little burst of speed.

"The elders! But can't she reason with them?"

"She's tried. The only way I'm out is if she can prove that I have some sort of health issue that would jeopardize the anbu in some way."

"And she can't forge that?" Before Sasuke could answer he was interrupted. "I know I know she had to have tried. So what now?"

"She had an idea, a special mission. The chances are that after that she'd be able to give them what they need and I could get a job with Anko or Ibiki." Naruto looked at him. His eyes were weary and a bit bloodshot. He'd have a migraine again tonight. Naruto knew it wasn't just connected to the sharingan but he liked to blame it on that, because that he could try to fix that. The other things, the things Sasuke had yet to share with him were harder. They were interrupted by the fussy Koichi who Naruto started to feed a mixture of ramen broth and baby food. Koichi happily got it all over his face and clothes.

"How would this mission help?" Naruto asked quietly while trying to get most of the food in Koichi's mouth instead of in his hair.

"It's pretty low key, battles aren't to be expected I'd come home scar free."

"Teme." Naruto turned becoming agitated.

"I'd be going with a group of anbu to recover Aniki's remains. You all left them there years ago and now the council wants them locked away." Naruto had frozen. Sasuke's voice was robotic talking about his brother, it was a pain Naruto would probably need a long time to soothe in his lover.

"Sasuke! You can't, you'd be hurt, it'd…your eyes they'd…" He couldn't come out with it.

"I'll most likely suffer a mental breakdown. I'll be written up as mentally unfit for combat, and never have to go on a mission without Tsunade's special clearance ever again." Naruto sighed wiping up Koichi who seemed to be content sitting in his chair almost nodding off.

"I don't want you to get hurt Sasuke. I'm scared." Naruto turned to face him and bent his head to rest in the crook of Sasuke's neck. Sasuke breathed in the scent of his blonde wrapping his arms tight around him.

"I won't go in alone. I was thinking of asking Kakashi to come with me." Naruto nodded.

"When do you leave?"

"Not for a week. I'll set things up with Kakashi tomorrow and we can be together the rest of the time."

"Why Sasuke? Why does it always feel like goodbye?"

"Ah! Ah!" Koichi commanded their attention. Sasuke watched as Naruto fluttered over cooing at their son. He lent back against the counter top.

"It'll never be goodbye Naru. Never again will I say goodbye to you." Sasuke meet his eyes and tries at a smile. Naruto nods blinking away more tears. Sasuke sits beside Naruto and they attempt to feed Koichi. The toddler had become quite rambunctious. In his lap sat an orange stuffed cat, brutally abused or as Naruto liked to put it loved.

"Open, Koichi." Naruto opened his own mouth in an attempt to get the babe to mirror him. The boy playfully swatted at the spoon. The exhaustion in Naruto's face was obvious to Sasuke.

"I'm sorry for taking so long today. I forgot it was Tuesday." Tuesdays neither Sakura nor Kurenai can babysit in the afternoons. Normally one or the other comes over and babysits while Naruto gets some alone time. At first he mostly used it to live in a dead sleep. Lately he hadn't been sleeping but going out to see friends and then taking a cat nap just before Sasuke came home. Then they'd talk and feed Koichi before relaxing. On Tuesdays Kurenai and her son visited Shikamaru and Sakura was meeting with her wedding planner. Usually Sasuke was able to come home early enough to give Naruto some reprieve but it was obvious today had been a harder day than normal. I reach for the spoon in Naruto's hand. He glances at Sasuke before relenting. Koichi turns toward him challenge in his small chubby face. His blue eyes glittering like Naruto's do before he pulls off a perfect prank. Slowly Sasuke directs the spoon toward Koichi's mouth. Before Sasuke can react the food is splattered in his hair. Naruto looks up surprised. He had lain his head down on the table. His azure orbs sparkle as he tries not to laugh. His attempts fail. His laughs billow out into the kitchen. Koichi looks between us before deciding it's safe to giggle along with his father. Sasuke shakes his head but can't help but smile. Maybe it really isn't a goodbye he thinks. Maybe by welcoming this little one in everything will be okay.