Our Son
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I'm sorry that this one is "late." I was having some trouble deciding which direction I wanted to take this story. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
Chapter Notation: This takes place a month after the last one. Apparently, babies can start solid food around 4-6 months. So Seiko gets to have his cake. This is a fairly light/fluffy chapter, but drama will be reappearing soon.
Chapter 13
Seiko watches his father and several other big people frantically getting ready for something. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he was dressed up today. Everyone seemed really excited and happy, except for one person.
He looked like Long Hair, but grumpier. Seiko still wasn't sure who that man was. He never picked him up though. That was weird. Everyone else loved picking him up and cuddling with him.
"Hiashi, I'm warning you. Don't even try it. If you do anything to ruin our wedding, I will kill you. Slowly and painfully." Sasuke warns him as he adjusts his midnight blue wedding kimono.
For some reason, daddy and Grumpy really didn't like each other. Daddy was always glaring at Grumpy. Seiko didn't understand why they hated each other so much, but he had decided that the older Long Hair wasn't a threat to him. If he was, Daddy and Mommy wouldn't have let Grumpy near him.
"I wish that you would cease these death threats. We both know that you aren't actually going to carry them out." Hiashi says.
"Oh really? Try me." Sasuke says as he picks up Seiko and rocks him.
Seiko smiles and coos. He liked when daddy picked him up. It was fun. Maybe daddy would ignore Grumpy now.
"Gentleman, today is a special day. Let's not fight. Shall we get going? Is everyone ready?" Kakashi asks.
"I'm ready." Sasuke says and he glares at Hiashi as if daring him to say something.
Hiashi sighs. Things were not going as he planned. Hinata was still wary of him, but allowed him to visit with Seiko. He had hoped that he could talk some sense into her. Unfortunately, that hadn't happened yet and they were only an hour at most away from her officially marrying the demon.
"Ready! I still say you should have had an official bachelor party, bastard!" Naruto says.
"I have Hinata. I didn't need a stupid party. If you and the others want an easy excuse to look at mostly naked women, find another one." Sasuke says as he rolls his eyes.
Well at least that was something, Hiashi muses. Sasuke was apparently faithful. It seemed that he wouldn't even look at other women. For goodness sakes, even had had a bachelor party. Well he had done so mostly to humor his Clansmen, but Hiashi knew that it still counted.
There were some grumbles from the other men as they set off. Naruto wasn't the only one who was upset by the lack of a party, it seemed. Hiashi just rolls his eyes. Boys would be boys, it seemed.
"I can't believe that you actually wanted to have the wedding here." Hiashi mutters to Sasuke.
"Considering everything that you've done, you owe it to us. Besides, it'll be good for Seiko to see the Hyuga Gardens. They are beautiful, even if most of you are cold fish." Sasuke mutters as they make their way to the alter.
The gardens were beautiful and in full bloom. Sasuke had never seen so many different colored flowers in all of his life before. There were stunning statues, water fountains, and even a few fish ponds here and there.
To Sasuke, the Hyuga Estate was a prison. He couldn't deny that it was a gorgeous prison though. Frankly, Hiashi had probably indirectly done Hinata a favor when he disowned her. Hinata was free now.
"Fiiis fisssh!" Seiko says happily as he toddles by his father's side.
The little boy was clinging tightly to Sasuke's leg in case he lost his balance. Sasuke smiles down at Seiko. He was trying to walk more and more. He fell over about half the time that he tried to walk, but he was trying and getting better at it.
"Yes, fish. Fish." Sasuke agrees and Seiko giggles.
The skies were blue and the birds were chirping. Hundreds of white seats with golden cushions and trimmings were laid out. Sasuke saw several tables filled with delicious looking foods around the perimeter of the gardens. There was also classical music being played in the background by snakes and toads. Yes, Sasuke's Summons and Naruto's Summons had decided to take part in the wedding.
Sasuke wasn't sure when they acquired the ability to play classical instruments. He had decided to file that firmly under the I Don't Want to Know Category. Sometimes, it was just better not to ask too many questions.
"It is a beautiful day." Neji muses as he walks beside Seiko and Sasuke.
Sasuke nods his head in agreement. He wasn't sure if he would call Neji his friend, but he knew that he liked him a Hell of a lot better than Hiashi. That was a start, he supposed.
The alter was made of pure silver and had white roses woven into it. It was quite stunning. Kakashi took his place in the center of it, along with Sasuke. The other groomsmen was standing a few feet away, just outside it.
"Kakashi, are you sure that you have the legal authority to preside over this ceremony?" Sasuke whispers.
"Of course, I do. I'm Hokage. Don't worry about anything. I'll make sure to give you a grand sendoff." The silver haired ninja replies.
Sasuke mentally groans. God only knows what the CopyCat Ninja was really planning. Maybe he should have asked a priest.
"Kakashi, I swear if you do anything stupid, I will Chidori you where no man wants to be Chidoried!" Sasuke warns him.
Unfortunately, Sasuke didn't think most of them would have said yes. They were still too scared of him. So he was forced to go with Kakashi.
There were several advantages and disadvantages to this arrangement. On the plus side, Kakashi wasn't scared of him. On the downside, Kakashi wasn't scared of him. Damn it.
"Temper, temper. You'll feel better once you are on your Honeymoon. He comes the flower girl! Well I suppose I should say the flower bird." The Hokage notes in amusement.
True to form, Garuda was streaking across the sky. He had a rather large basket filled with flowers, attached to his talons. The hawk was flying over the wedding, at a leisurely pace. Occasionally, he would do dives and other maneuvers.
The overall effect was quite glorious to behold. The flowers were falling everywhere. It was practically raining flowers as the Summon made his way closer to the alter.
"He is such a show off." Gamabunta growls in annoyance.
"Garuda is merely having fun. How often do humans really allow our kind to participate in weddings?" Aoda asks.
Gamabunta rolls his eyes. He didn't particularly care for the snake. He was far too easy to please his "Master," in the Great Toad's mind. Pathetic. Humans weren't their Masters!
"I suppose. Whatever, you are out of tune." He says.
"What?! I am playing every note perfectly!" Aoda protests, but soon falls silent when Hinata is escorted down the aisle by Kurenai.
It hurt Hiashi that Hinata didn't want him to be the one to give her away. It was probably just as well though. He wasn't entirely certain that he would have been able to do it.
He felt as though he was walking to his own execution. How could his sweet, innocent daughter be marrying Sasuke Uchiha?! It was blasphemy! That's what it was!
"She's beautiful!" Someone says in the audience and there were choruses of agreement.
Sasuke smiles as he watches Hinata make her way down the aisle. He certainly couldn't argue with that. Her midnight blue hair reached to the middle of her back like a silken waterfall and contrasted beautifully against the snowy white fabric of her satin wedding kimono.
The kimono had a red sash and elegant floral designs sewn into it. The designs were made out of pearls and diamonds. They shimmered whenever the sun hit them. He hadn't been lying when he said he didn't need a bachelor party. What other woman could possibly compete with that?
"You better not mess this up, Uchiha." Kiba warns him.
"Seiko, can you say dumb doggie?" Sasuke asks his son.
Seiko tilts his head. He wasn't exactly sure what that meant. His father clearly wanted him to try to say something though. He knew that tone of voice.
"Duuumb doogggiee?" Seiko asks.
"Good job. That was very good. " Sasuke says with a smile as he kisses his son's forehead.
"Oh haha. Very cute, Uchiha." Kiba grumbles.
Shino shakes his head in amusement. While he had been rather skeptical of Sasuke and he still was to a certain degree, he couldn't deny that it was obvious that Sasuke did love Seiko. God help them all, if anything ever happened to that kid.
"You look beautiful." Sasuke says to Hinata as he takes her hands, once she reaches the alter.
"So do you." She says with a smile, causing several of the groomsmen and bridesmaids within earshot to snicker and giggle.
Aoda glances at Gamabunta. They had plans for this in place. It was obvious that the Hyuga Elders might raise objections. Therefore, they had come up with a plan to deal with such objections. Hopefully, it wouldn't be necessary. They were ready though.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuga. If anyone has any objections to this marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace." The Hokage says cautiously.
Immediately, it looked like several elders were going to raise objections. The frogs and snake summons quickly took care of that though. They covered their mouths with their hands or wrapped their bodies around them. They simply weren't going to allow them to ruin the wedding.
"Well it seems as if no one has any objections." Kakashi muses, deciding to ignore the fact that several Hyuga Elders were now gagged by snakes or being hushed by toads.
"Do you, Sasuke Uchiha take Hinata Hyuga to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love, honor, and cherish her for all your days? In good times and in bad? In sickness and in health? For richer or poorer and to forsake all others until death do you part?" The Masked Ninja inquires.
Sasuke smiles. He couldn't believe that Hinata had actually said yes and that they had Seiko. It was also something of a miracle that the Hyuga Elders and Hiashi hadn't objected. He was going to have to thank the Summons later for that.
"I do. Always." Sasuke whispers.
Kakashi smiles. It was good to see that Sasuke had finally achieved some sense of peace. He had what he had always wanted now. A family. Hopefully, Hiashi wouldn't say something to ruin the wedding.
""Do you, Hinata Hyuga take Sasuke Uchiha to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love, honor, and cherish her for all your days? In good times and in bad? In sickness and in health? For richer or poorer and to forsake all others until death do you part?" The silver haired ninja continues.
"I do." Hinata says with a sweet smile.
"Then by the power vested in me by the Leaf Village and the Fire Nation, I pronounce thee man and wife. You may kiss the bride." Kakashi says happily.
Sasuke didn't waste any time. Maybe it was slightly sadistic, but he couldn't help but kiss Hinata far more passionately than would be expected at a wedding.
Hinata blushes she wraps her arms around his neck and returns the kiss. She could feel his arms wrapped around her securely and Sasuke was definitely trying to seduce her with his tongue now. She never expected him to kiss her like THAT with everyone watching.
"Fiiiiish fiishhhh face!" Seiko giggles.
The motions that mommy and daddy were making with their mouths, reminded him of fishes! Fishes made weird motions with their mouths and sucked on the side of tanks. Fish faces!
"Well I see that Clan Restoration isn't going to be an issue. It looks like Seiko is going to be a big brother in short order at this rate." Kakashi muses with a chuckle and Sasuke subtly makes a rather rude gesture with his hand at Kakashi.
The Hokage shakes his head in amusement. Well he probably deserved that one. Still it was a happy occasion for everyone, but the leaders of the Hyuga Clan. It looked like the Summons had finally decided it was safe to release the elders because they were no longer gagged.
Hiashi internally seethes. The Uchiha was clearly mocking him. Why else would he kiss her in such an outrageous fashion? Did the man not have any dignity?!
"You should probably throw the bouquet." Sasuke says, after breaking the kiss.
"Alright." Hinata agrees as she looks for a suitable spot to throw her flowers.
The women in the audience immediately assumed the position. The men and Summons all braced themselves when they saw that. They all knew what was coming. This was going to get vicious.
"Is everyone ready? I'm going to throw the bouquet now." Hinata asks.
"WE'RE READY!" They all say in unison and Hinata rubs the back of her head sheepishly.
The bluenette idly muses that they sure took this bouquet business seriously. She was actually getting a little worried that this might get out of hand soon. She shakes her head and throws the flowers high into the air.
"Human females are vicious." Gamabunta says once the battle for the flowers as on.
"You are right about that much. I'm glad that our females are much more reasonable." Aoda whispers and Garuda nods in agreement.
After the smoke finally cleared, it was Kurenai who caught the bouquet. There were several shouts of congratulations and the Genjutsu Mistress blinks. She looked rather shocked that she had caught it.
"Well thank you, Hinata. They're lovely." She says with a confused smile.
"You're welcome, Kurenai Sensei." The bride replies merrily.
"Alright. I guess it's time for me to throw the garter belt. Hinata, you might want to sit down." Sasuke says as he gestures to a chair for his new wife to sit in.
Hinata nods and quickly sits down. She blushes when Sasuke slowly removes the garter belt. Thankfully, it was over quickly and he tosses it.
The young mother shakes her head in amusement, when she realizes what Sasuke was up to. He had thrown it the "wrong" way. He threw it backwards and aimed it directly at Kakashi's head.
Sasuke smirks. That would serve the pervert right. He might as well have some fun, if he was going to put up with all the Hyuga Death Glares at his wedding.
"Sasuke, that was cheating." Kakashi says.
"It was not. It must have been the wind. Hinata, would you like to cut the cake?" Sasuke asks as he holds his hand out to his wife.
"Yes, it must have been the wind. I'd like that." Hinata says as she walks off with Sasuke towards one of the cakes.
There were probably a dozen or so in total. There had to be. There were hundreds of Hyuga Clan members alone. That wasn't counting the Rookie Nine Ninjas, Neji's team, and their students.
Sasuke smiles as he watches Hinata cut the cake. It was worth it. He could put up with her damn Clan, if it meant that he was married to her. Seiko toddles over to them and watches curiously.
"Do you think he's old enough for cake?" Sasuke asks Hinata.
"I think so. Just a little bit though. That frosting is pretty rich and I don't want him to get sick." She says.
Sasuke nods and smiles as he gives Seiko a tiny piece of cake. The youngest Uchiha looks at in confusion. Sasuke places it by his lips. Apparently, that was all the further instruction that the infant needed. He begins eating.
"That's a good boy." Sasuke says and Seiko continues eating.
This was new. Hmm. He liked whatever this was. Seiko continues eating, much to his parents' amusement.
"Good thing that I only gave him one slice. He'd probably gorge himself otherwise. Aoda, can you watch Seiko while we dance?" Sasuke asks.
"Of course, Master Sasuke. You know how much adore the hatchling." The giant serpent says as he slithers over to Seiko.
Sasuke smiles and leads Hinata to the dance floor. It didn't take long for him to wrap his arms around her waist and for the couple to begin swaying to the music. It was easy to pretend the other Hyugas didn't exist, when he was dancing with his wife.
"Seriously, don't say anything." Naruto tells Hiashi and the elders as he leads Sakura to the dance floor.
They were teammates, after all. It was expected that they would dance together. That and he couldn't let the bastard show him up like that!
The elders glower at the dancing "couples." All of them were livid. There was no way in their minds that this could end in any way, other than disaster.
"Hiashi, I thought you said that you could convince her to leave him!" One hisses under his breath.
"I tried my best. They're legally bound now though. We failed." He says with a sigh.
The elders weren't so sure about that. One in particular looks at Seiko. Sasuke was a lost cause. He was an adult. A child though, well that was another matter. A child could be molded.
"I suppose that there is nothing for it." The elder mutters.
He wouldn't let Hiashi know what he was planning. The man was blinded by his love for his daughter. That was the problem. He would never condone what he was about to do. That was fine. What Hiashi didn't know, wouldn't hurt him.
The elder did regret that this was going to hurt Hinata, but that couldn't be avoided. Sasuke simply couldn't be trusted. Sure, he looked like the picture of domestic bliss now. He knew the truth though. Sooner or later, the Curse of Hatred would work its magic.
"Unfortunately, that does seem to be the case." Hiashi agrees reluctantly.
Seiko was just as much Hyuga as he was Uchiha though. Maybe his Hyuga side would be dominant. He could potentially be a fine Hyuga Clansmen. They just had to train him and guide him along the right path. Once Sasuke was out of the way, Hinata would likely want to rejoin her family. It was a good plan. How did one kill a demon though, he ponders to himself.
Sasuke smiles as he twirls Hinata around. Seiko watches curiously and manages to stumble his way over to his parents. He could do that too!
Well maybe. Actually, he wasn't really sure. He was going to try though. He smiles and reaches for his parents when he finally wiggles over.
"I think Seiko wants to dance too." Hinata says with a smile as she picks him up and sways with Sasuke while holding the toddler.
"He keeps trying. You have to give him that much." Sasuke agrees as he kisses Hinata's forehead and smiles down at Seiko.
Meanwhile Kakashi sighs as he looks at the garter belt. He couldn't believe that Sasuke had pulled something like that. On second thought, he could. Still it was rather awkward.
"Well Kurenai, would you like to dance with me? It does seem rather traditional for the woman who caught the bouquet to dance with the man who caught the garter belt." He asks.
"Alright." She says with a smile as she allows him to lead her to the dance floor and Hiashi just shakes his head.
Honestly, you would think that they were all a bunch of overgrown Genin. Did no one else besides him and the elders see what was wrong with this picture? There was no way that this was going to end in anything other than tears.
It was hard to know that no matter what happened, he was going to end up hurting Hinata and his grandson. Really, it was quite amazing. Seiko was absolutely adorable. It almost didn't seem to matter that Sasuke was his father.
"It will all work out in the end." The elder assures him.
"I know it will. We have the Will of Fire to guide us." The Hyuga Patriarch says.
Speaking of Hyugas, there were plenty of curious Hyugas were more than eager to catch a glimpse of "the hybrid." That was what they were calling the youngest member of the Uchiha Clan.
"I think the Byakugan might be recessive." Hanabi says to one of them.
"What makes you say that?" Another asks.
"Seiko's eyes are black. The Byakugan is lavender." The new Hyuga Heiress says.
The others appear to be considering this and sigh. It was clear that they were inclined to agree with Hanabi's reasoning. Hiashi certainly hoped that his youngest daughter wasn't right.
Truly, that would be humiliating. If the Byakugan was recessive, that implied that the Sharingan was stronger. He imagined that Mikoto Uchiha would be laughing from the afterlife, if that turned out to be the case.
"Can't be. It's not recessive. He's just a child. It'll manifest itself later on." Hiashi Hyuga mutters to himself as he nurses his glass of sake.
Yes, that was it. Seiko would one day wield the Byakugan. He was probably just a late bloomer. That and the Sharingan tended to take awhile to manifest. Usually, it had to be triggered by a traumatic event. The boy was only about a year old. He had time. There was still time.
"You're lucky that this is a wedding." Shino and Kiba say as they sneak up on the Hyuga Patriarch.
"Are you actually threatening me?" He asks incredulously.
"Yeah. We kinda are. You and your family put Hinata through a lot of unnecessary pain. Yeah. Her taste in men might be questionable, but she's a good woman and Seiko is a good kid." Kiba says firmly.
Hiashi mentally groans. Hopefully, it was just strutting. He didn't want to think about what a Clan War between the three Clans would look like.
"I know that is true. I am attempting to reconcile with them." He says.
"Why don't I believe that? Just give us a reason, Hiashi. I can ensure that you'll regret your actions." Shino warns him.
Suddenly, Hiashi imagined fire ants sneaking into his bed late at night and under his kimono. He shudders in revulsion. Shino's Clan had always made him uneasy. Insects were such unsightly creatures.
"I won't give you any cause to attack me. That much I can promise you." He says.
"Good. It looks like Sasuke, Hinata, and Seiko are heading off to their Honeymoon." Kiba observes as the family gets on top Aoda.
Hiashi blinks. Oh they were out of their minds. That was the only logical explanation. There was no way that his grandson was going to ride on that snake!
"HINATA! SASUKE!" He calls out desperately, but it was too late.
The massive serpent had already begun slithering off. Aoda was surprisingly swift for a snake of that size. The young family was soon out of his line of vision, even with his Byakugan.
"I'm going to need more sake." He mutters as he stares off into the distance.