Another chapter :)
Nothing was said between them for a few minutes, the silence in Naruto's office eerie, and deafening. Finally, he decided to break the tension.
"You didn't send me anything to let me know you were coming."
Sasuke raised a brow, the iciness in his eyes making Naruto feel intense guilt coarse through his stomach.
Something was off.
"I wanted to surprise Sakura and Sarada."
Silence.
"Guess how surprised I was when I found this in her room." Sasuke said, tone acidic, tossing the divorce papers Sakura had shown him a couple of days before onto his desk.
Naruto flicked his eyes down to them, sighing.
"Then, strange thing also happens. I hear that you and Hinata are divorcing."
Silence.
"It's you, isn't it?" Sasuke questioned him, eyes never leaving Naruto's face.
Silence.
"Yes." Naruto answered finally, watching rage pass the Uchiha's expression, face pinching up, sharingan activating.
Silence.
"Well, Hokage-Sama, did the entire village know you were fucking my wife as you were fucking your own?" Sasuke snarled.
Glowering, Naruto felt his blood hum with anger.
"It isn't about fucking. And you know it." He hissed right back.
Silence.
"Sasuke. You don't love her. You know you don't. You married her because she was the only one who you knew long enough, and maybe trusted enough to settle down with. You may like her, may tolerate her. But, you don't love her."
The Uchiha patriarch tightened his hand so ferociously on his chair, Naruto thought it would splinter into a thousand little pieces.
It took a second for Sasuke to relinquish his hold, sharingan activated eyes still on Naruto.
"I do...love her. But, not in the way you think is acceptable. I trust her, but I know she doesn't need me here."
The blonde tried really hard not to roll his eyes at his friends half assed confession.
"You don't get it do you? She doesn't need you here for her. She doesn't need you to bring her flowers, or be utterly cheerful, or bouncing off the walls every time she comes home from work. Something you'll never be. Sakura needs you to be here to help her with Sarada, to be in her child's life, with her. But, her and Sarada. They'll never be enough for you, Sasuke."
Silence.
"They are enough for me." The dark haired man shot back, glaring.
"No. They're not. How many times did I tell you that Sakura was struggling with bills? How many times did I tell you that Sarada was depressed, and angry because you were never here? I told you time and time again that you were needed here with your family." Naruto said to him, getting angrier and angrier thinking about the letters that he had sent that had gone ignored.
"Still! It doesn't give you the right to insert yourself into my family, into my wife!" Sasuke roared, slapping two towers of papers off Naruto's desk, watching as the blonde man himself did nothing but watch his tantrum.
Baring his teeth, Sasuke reached across the way and dragged Naruto up, breathing heavily, eyes locked on his own.
"How many times, huh?"
Naruto only arched an eyebrow at the question.
"How many times did you fuck Sakura?"
The blonde man reached up and disentangled Sasuke's hands from his cloak, eyes never leaving the spinning sharingan.
"Does that matter?"
"Yes, it does! It matters to me." Sasuke hissed.
Silence.
"Seven tim-."
Before the words could leave his mouth though, Naruto was punched roughly across the jaw, blood spewing up in his mouth.
Sasuke grabbed his collar, slamming him against the wall, watching the blood leak out of his mouth, nostrils flaring in rage.
Silence save for Sasuke's heavy breathing.
Naruto didn't do anything, just waited for the continuation of his beating, knowing deep down that he deserved it.
It seemed like forever, but Sasuke finally let him go, the blonde shoving him away, wiping the blood off his mouth with the back of his white coat.
Then, Sasuke was gone.
And Naruto knew exactly where he would be going.
Sakura was reading at the kitchen table when she heard the door open, and her blood froze in her veins, heart near stopping.
Sasuke.
She could feel him as he stood behind her, and she knew instantly that something was off.
Turning, she almost gasped at the anger that was upon his face.
Damn.
Silent as the grave, he glided over to her, taking a seat beside her, closing the book she was reading.
Silence.
Sakura swallowed thickly, waiting on him to say something.
"I just got back from seeing Naruto." He mumbled to her, face passive, eyes withdrawn.
Silence.
"He told me...an interesting turn of events that have been going on in my absence."
Silence.
"Are you going to defend yourself? Deny it?" Sasuke asked her, tone acidic, leaving her to tremble in her seat, the guilt rushing through fiercely.
"I can't deny what's happened." Sakura spoke up, swallowing the nerves she felt, knowing it was better this way.
He deserved to know the truth.
Even if it pissed him off.
"So, while I've been gone, you've been sleeping with the dobe, huh?"
Sakura winced, but kept her eyes on his.
"It hasn't been since you left from the last time. It started more than a month ago, and the beginning was an accident."
Sasuke nodded mockingly.
"An accident, huh? I didn't know clothes could accidentally fall off. Or that legs could accidentally splay open for my friend."
Sakura winced even harder, the blow like a fist to her face.
"It isn't like that." She snapped.
"It isn't? Pray tell what it's like then?"
Sakura felt her nostrils flare.
"You spoke to Naruto, didn't you? I'm sure he filled you in on what our affair was. And is. It's not about fucking. It's about companionship."
Sasuke stared, saying nothing.
"Companionship? What about me? What about us?"
Sakura then felt the damn snap and she stood on shaky feet, glowering down at him.
"Us?" She hissed, "What us? You are never here. Never. And I have tried to get you here numerous times! I've written you, time and time again. And you never answer, never. Not when it comes to me, and not when it comes to your own child! Who are you to antagonize me on what makes me happy, when you clearly don't!"
Sasuke said nothing as he watched her pant in anger, eyes narrowed, but the anger deflating from his body little by little.
She was right.
Sighing, he saw her lower herself back down, the room now silent.
"You're right, I have no right to judge you or criticize you for trying to be happy, Sakura."
The pinkette huffed, pushing hair back from her eyes.
Sasuke looked her over, sighing as he reached into his vest and grabbed out the papers he had almost left in Naruto's office. Reaching forward, he grabbed the pen Sakura had been writing with and cycled through the papers.
Stopping on the last page, he breathed in and scribbled his name down on the last line, folding the papers back up and handing it to Sakura.
The Kuniochi was crying, tears trickling down and hitting the wood of the table.
Wiping them away quietly, Sakura shakily reached out and clutched the pen, stabbing the paper, looking up at Sasuke before she messily scratched her name onto the line.
Silence.
Sasuke sighed heavily, feeling his heart ache, but stood up on steady feet.
Turning his back to her, he walked forward, stopping.
"Tell Sarada that I'll be back in a week to see her. I'd like to take her with me on my mission for a couple of days. If that's alright with you?"
Sakura sniffled, and nodded, pushing the divorce papers back.
Acknowledging her one last time, Sasuke nodded and instantly disappeared, leaving Sakura in the kitchen to sob roughly in her chair.
Settling into bed that night, Sakura had stripped down her clothing, eyes numb, cheeks reddened from crying so hard.
Laying in the darkness, her hand went down and grazed her swollen belly, feeling the tears well up once more.
She sensed his presence before she felt him, and the warmth of his arms made her sob even harder, turning to press her face against his chest.
Naruto stroked her back, planting a little kiss on her forehead, shutting his eyes in pain, wanting to take all of hers and make it his, but knowing he couldn't.
"Shhh. I'm here, Sakura." He murmured into her pink tresses, inhaling her womanly scent.
"I-I'm a t-t-terrible person." She sobbed brokenly, twisting her fingers into his orange shirt, her tears wetting the front.
"No, you're not, Sakura. You're wonderful. Don't ever think anything different." Naruto said to her, closing his eyes, feeling like a terrible person himself.
"I am. You should have seen his face. He was so...hurt." She sobbed again, harder than ever.
"Sakura. Sasuke is an intelligent individual, well, not regarding emotions, but regarding everything else. He knew you were unhappy, and that you deserve happiness."
Sakura sniffled, her arms entrapping him in their clutches, her cheeks rubbing against his soft fabric.
"It's not only him, but Hinata as well. I..stole her husband, ruined her marriage. At this rate, I don't deserve any semblance of happiness." She whined into his chest, tears coming hot and thick again.
"We've discussed that, Sakura. Our marriage had been broken for a long time. You didn't do anything, we didn't do anything that hadn't already been done."
Sniffle.
"Do you understand?" He asked her, whispering into her hair, laying his lips against the soft strands, trying to give her his strength.
Silence.
"Did Sasuke do anything to you?" Sakura asked him hoarsely.
"Gave me a punch, but I'm fine." He answered her, running his fingers through her hair, feeling the tension leave her shoulders.
"Is it healed?" She whispered.
"Yes. Don't worry about me." He murmured, hands still running through her hair.
Sakura pulled back looking up at him, his eyes dark blue in the moonlight.
"I see it, he must have busted it pretty good." She said to him, running her fingertip over the spot.
Naruto just shrugged, giving her a light kiss on the lips, his hand grazing her hips, moving over to her stomach.
"How are they doing? Any sickness?"
Sakura shook her head, smelling Sandalwood hit her nostrils, relishing in the scent.
Pressing back into him, Sakura inhaled deeply, closing her eyes, allowing calm to wash over her senses.
Naruto shut his eyes, wrapping his arms tightly around her petite frame, almost crushing her against him, relishing in her close proximity.
Sakura smiled into his embrace and promptly fell asleep, thinking the entire time of how lucky she was to have him.
Naruto waited outside the training grounds the next day, eyeing his son as he sparred with Sarada, impressed with how well his son could hold his own against the Uchiha's sharingan.
He had left a shadow clone in the office for a little while, wanting to take his son to get something to eat, or at-least talk to him a little bit.
A couple days before he had picked Himawari up from the academy, and had spent a little time with her, missing Bolt because he had gone sparring with his friends.
He missed his children so much, it was slightly painful.
He needed to remedy the situation with Bolt, he knew the boy resented him for what happened with Hinata. But, he didn't want that to overtake their entire relationship, causing tension for years to come.
He didn't want a dysfunctional relationship with his eldest boy.
Looking over to the field, he noticed the two teenagers walking his way, and he jumped up playfully, landing down in front of the both of them, the two shrieking at his presence.
"D-Dad!? What the heck are you doing?" He yelled at his father, holding his chest, feigning a heart attack.
Sarada giggled lightly.
Bolt blushed at her giggle, crossing his arms in front of his chest, looking away from his dad.
"I saw you two. You both are looking great." Naruto prided them, clapping his hand gently on Sarada's shoulder, suddenly feeling an intense wave of guilt when he looked down at the raven haired Uchiha, who looked so much like her father.
"Thank you, Hokage-Sama!" Sarada exclaimed, shoving Bolt's shoulder roughly, recapturing his attention.
"Yeah, thanks dad." He mumbled, annoyed.
Naruto frowned, sighing.
"Sarada. Is there anyway I can speak to Bolt in private, please?"
The Uchiha nodded, waving at the two Uzumaki's, darting off, hoping they had a nice, long chat.
The two of them stood in silence for what seemed like forever, and Naruto felt nervous suddenly.
"B-Bolt. Do you want to go get some ramen?" Naruto asked him, rubbing the back of his neck.
The younger blonde shoved his nose up.
"Not with you."
Naruto deserved that.
"Well, if not that, then we need to talk. We haven't spoken since...everything happened." He said to his son, sitting on a rock that lay beside the training fence.
"Oh? Since you left my mother?" He growled out to his father, finally turning to look him squarely in the face.
Naruto blanched, not saying anything to that.
Silence.
"Well. That was a good talk, dad. I should be going now." Bolt said, moving to leave, a hand whipping out to grab his wrist.
"No. We are going to talk. And you are going to sit here while we talk." Naruto growled at his son, planting him on the stone next to him, entirely unfazed by the glare he was getting.
Silence.
"Listen, Bolt. I know you are upset with me over what happened. But, things will be better this way. For me and especially for your mother. She-from what I've seen and heard, seems a lot happier now. Does she seem happier to you?" He asked the youth, seeing his features pinch up.
"But, it's you who couldn't keep her happy while we were all together as a family! It's you who couldn't prioritize your family before your job. This is your fault!" Bolt snapped, breathing heavily from the anger that welled up in his chest.
Naruto closed his eyes, knowing that entire accusation was the truth.
"Yes. It was. You're right. I thought by being Hokage first and foremost, and not Naruto Uzumaki, the goofball, the prankster, that I was doing the right thing. That I would earn more respect that way. Little did I know that I was pushing away the people in my life that meant the most to me."
Bolt stared at his dad, still scowling.
"I let your mother down. But, in truth, she and I were not good for each other, and we only stayed together as long as we did because of you and Himawari. And...I would have done anything for you and Himawari. I still would. I always will."
Silence.
"I am so sorry for putting you and your sister on the backburner. That will never happen again. Even if I lose my position as Hokage, I will not allow my job to interfere with my family ever again. That is a promise." Naruto finished, holding a thumbs up at his son, giving a fox like grin.
Bolt watched his father, lower lip trembling at the words he was hearing.
He had never heard his father speak like that before.
Never.
Feeling the tears stream down his face, he leapt forward and clutched the robes his father wore, burying his face in the fabric, letting out the hurt he was feeling and had been feeling for a long time.
Naruto felt his breath rush out as tears clouded his own vision, setting his hand down on his sons shoulder, feeling tremors wrack his smaller form.
Reaching down, he grabbed Bolt and lifted him up, hugging his son to his chest, feeling the child wrap his arms around his shoulders, burying his head in Naruto's shoulder.
The two were in tears, the tiny trickles of water speaking a thousand words that had been lost over time. Tiny layers of hurt seemed to scab over in the span of minutes, and Naruto relished in the air of reconciliation that fell over him and his son.
More to come!
Love,
H.