Most of you guessed right about Shisui... so for now we'll see how's Sasuke faring with the kids...

I really hope you enjoy this chapter is the longest one i've wrote so far and i really hope you enjoy; this week will be a bit hard to upload because i have a pending test, but hopefully i'll do it nonetheless...

Thanks to kupcake, ichistars, kikiyodemon, fifth, minniemousemom, reignashii, sakurablossom, darkdaisy of course, and crazymel... hope you enjoy the chapter; if you do leave a small review...

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Simple lives

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Sasuke, Mikoto and Fugaku had been invited over to have lunch at Naruto's place… he sat along with Naruto in the terrace watching as Fugaku and Minato sparred while Mikoto sheered on for Minato to kick Fugaku's butt.

Naruto was bit uneasy and Sasuke had noticed, but it seemed it was about his wife so he couldn't say a thing about it until the woman left… and soon enough she excused herself to the kitchen and left the men alone.

Naruto heaved a loud and troubled sigh as he regarded his son…

"What is it?" Sasuke asked softly. "Not that I really care, but it's annoying to hear you sighing…" he added and Naruto grinned nonetheless.

"I guess you wouldn't know since you are not married…" Naruto said and Sasuke frowned annoyed by the comment.

"What's the difference? I'm living with Sakura and she's the mother of my kids." He said harshly.

"The difference is… the memory and the vows; they are carved on her memory. So while you are living together Sakura-chan really has nothing to use against you when you get upset…"

"Trust me she has her own ways…" Sasuke cut in before Naruto could continue.

"Yeah, well your relationship is complicated, but anytime she gets upset she stares down at the wedding ring and then asks me 'why did you marry me?' see? I am bloody ruined every time she does that!" he whispered out in despair.

"Why did you marry her, Naruto?" Sasuke asked.

"I am not having this conversation with you, jerk… the main point here is she doesn't trust me when I say a love her." He sighed loudly and stared down at the ground; he knew why she was acting off. "She thinks I haven't forgotten about Sakura-chan…" he said.

Sasuke felt his whole body stiffen and he barely wondered how it was possible for him to be friends with Naruto after everything that had happened, but then again he had few friends and Naruto was the only one that had believed in him all along.

"Of course I love Sakura-chan, but it is not the same as it used to be when we were younger. I have Minato and Kushina… and they tie me to Hinata and this bond is even stronger than the one I have with Sakura-chan, but she won't believe me." Naruto said clearly troubled.

Sasuke turned his head a looked over his shoulder at the woman that was mothering Naruto's kids and he had to admit there was something about her that didn't fit well with Naruto.

"She's way too indifferent." Sasuke replied and Naruto widened his eyes.

"No she's not! Hinata-chan is shy!" Naruto remarked in a harsh whisper.

"Whatever… I know I'm in no position to say this, but maybe you should just talk to her." His simple response had Naruto imagining things and then a foxy grin spread about his face making Sasuke frown. "What?"

"You've been talking to Sakura-chan…" he giggled as he elbowed Sasuke's ribs playfully.

Sasuke flashed his classic smirk and Naruto felt bothered by it.

"Fool… we've been doing more than just talking…" Naruto blushed and was ready to berate his friend, but suddenly he stood. "Let's go!" he called and Mikoto turned to him with a wide smile.

"Can I stay and I'll walk home later?" Fugaku asked trying to avoid Minato's punches.

After a while they bid good bye to the family and Sasuke and Mikoto walked out of the house on to the main street ready to go home.

"Dad… What kind of flowers do you like?" Mikoto asked as she walked along her father.

"I don't like flowers, Mikoto." He curtly replied.

"But if you had to pick one… which one would it be?" she asked with a wide smile; Sasuke sighed.

"Cherry blossoms…" he said out of the blue making Mikoto giggle.

"What about a flower we can plant?" she asked and he frowned. "Mom likes tulips and sunflowers…" she added.

"I don't know which one is which…" he replied again as stoic as ever.

"Dad I was thinking that maybe we could grow some tulips on the backyard for mom… What do you think?" she asked hopefully.

"I don't know how to grow flowers, Mikoto…" he said and she sighed.

"You're being difficult on purpose… Follow me!" she said running down the street and he could only follow with a heavy scowl.

A few minutes later he found himself in the Yamanaka's flower shop and to his surprise Ino was there… he had been hoping she was at the hospital. Kyo was there too and Sasuke didn't miss the way the boy smirked upon seeing his daughter.

"Sasuke! Hello, Mikoto!" Ino quipped happily.

"Aunt Ino! Kyo-kun, how are you?" she said running up to the counter in which Kyo was sitting.

"Ah it's so cute to see you together! How's it without Sakura at home, Sasuke?" she asked with mischief, Sasuke scowled as he averted his eyes.

"Mi-chan… How are you doing?" the boy asked with a confident smirk, not even looking up at Sasuke that was fuming.

"Mikoto, what are we doing here?" Sasuke asked glaring deeply at the boy, but he kept ignoring the older man.

"We want to grow tulips, aunt Ino… do you think you can help us?" the girl asked and Sasuke grunted.

"Oh, of course follow me…" Ino chanted walking around the counter and leading the father and daughter to a shelf.

"Are you listening to me, Mikoto?" Sasuke asked and was clearly ignored by both girls.

"This is the process… read it along with your dad so he can help you later I'll prepare the seeds…" she said and patted Sasuke's shoulder.

Ino giggled as she returned to the counter so she could prepare the seeds; she was doing her job when someone else entered the shop with a slight limp Ino immediately knew who it was; her eyes widened and she gasped.

"Aki-san…" Ino whispered; tentatively looking to where Sasuke was with his daughter.

"Ino-chan, how are you doing?" the woman asked softly. "I want some tulips… I'll go and check them out…" she rounded on the shelf and wasn't disturbed when she walked in on his granddaughter and son-in-law… then again she hadn't recognized them.

The woman went to stand next to Mikoto who was immersed in her reading; she checked the large arrangement of tulips and smiled softly at them.

Sasuke looked up and saw the woman, but he had to do a double take as he was astounded to recognize Sakura in her red, graying hair and soft lines of her face; she had big brown eyes, but she was undeniably Sakura's mother.

Naruto had talked with him about Sakura's situation with her family, but to be faced with it and not having Sakura by his side was something scary.

"Mom is going to love this, she loves tulips…" Mikoto quipped and he saw as the woman watched her out of the corner of her eye. "We could take sunflowers too, but they're much bigger than a tulip… what do you say, dad?" she asked softly.

And then the woman's narrowed gaze changed from his daughter on to him and he saw the way her eyes widened upon seeing his black orbs; so much like Sakura did when she was scared. She let a tulip fall out of her grasp and Mikoto curtly turned to pick it up and hand it back.

When her green eyes landed on the woman she gasped.

Aki looked down at the girl who had the same eyes his husband had, the same eyes his daughter had…

"Where is your mother?" the woman demanded snatching the tulip and placing it on the basket again.

"Haruno-san." The woman cringed and then her eyes saddened as she ran out of the shop wiping her eyes.

Ino was gaping and Sasuke merely narrowed his eyes at his clearly shocked daughter.

"Mikoto… Who was that?" he asked and watched as Mikoto flinched.

"That's… Haruno-san… Mom's mother…" she explained.

"Your grandmother." He said and she shook her head no.

"No… she's Haruno-san… just that…"

…

"Mikoto do you mind coming with me?" he asked closing the cupboard's door.

"Where are we going?" she asked with a grin.

"Your grandma's place, do you know where she lives?" he turned and was a bit surprised by her fearful look.

"I- I do… b-but… w-we shouldn't g-go there…" she said not meeting his eyes; Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest…

"Look at me when you're talking, Mikoto… Why can't we go?" he asked and she looked up at him through her fringe.

"Mom's not okay with us going there… And t-to b-be honest I d-don't like it either…" she replied.

Sasuke thought about it; would it be right to take his daughter to that place if they were on such bad terms? He looked down at his shy daughter and sighed… Better Mikoto than Fugaku. He could already imagine the boy attacking his own grandmother but luckily for him he was hanging out with Minato and Kyo today.

Sasuke had learned from Naruto the way Sakura was on such terribly terms with her family and he wanted to do something for her as in thanks, but maybe it was a bit impulsive to try and fix family affairs.

"I'll go with you… and you can tell me why you don't like her on the way…" he said walking away from her.

"Okay…" she muttered lowering her eyes to the ground.

Sasuke noticed and smiled softly as he ruffled her hair softly…

"No one can hurt you while I'm here…" he said and watched her big green eyes filling with hope. "Go change and be quick…" he said and she ran to her bedroom.

…

"So… she's actually never met you before?" Sasuke asked.

"She knows who we are… we've run into her many times, but she never stops to greet or anything." Mikoto sighed as she played with the hem of her shirt. "Dad… grandma Mikoto and… grandpa Fugaku hated you?" she asked and Sasuke frowned deeply.

"No… No they didn't… Why are you asking?" he retorted worriedly.

"Grandma Aki sure hates mom… and so did grandpa Haru, but don't tell mom I told you this…" Sasuke kept walking until they reached the street in which Aki lived. He recognized the Yamanaka flower shop and regarded the house with nostalgia… he had walked a few times around here in the past never actually caring if Sakura lived here.

"Will you need to come inside?" Sasuke asked the ANBU that was standing a few meters behind them.

The ANBU shook his head.

"I'll wait at the door…" was his short reply.

Sasuke nodded and tugged at Mikoto's small hand as he walked over to the door and used the other one to knock a few times.

He waited patiently until he heard some footsteps and then the door opened revealing a small woman with bright red hair and some graying ones tied in a low bun at the base of her head, she had big brown eyes and a bit of a tan… not as pale as Sakura, but her face treats; the perky nose and thin lips were definitely Sakura's…

She squinted her eyes trying to see and Sasuke realized she was probably short-sighted…

"What can I do for you?" she asked and then her eyes fell on the girl, but she only huffed. "I need my glasses…" she mumbled before walking inside the house with a slight limp.

Sasuke watched her reaching for her glasses on the table in the hall and then she turned to them and when her eyes met Sasuke's black ones she gasped.

"You…" she said and then she saw Mikoto she walked sharply to them and Sasuke was astounded when she snatched Mikoto's hand and pulled her in the house.

"Where is your mother?" she harshly asked Mikoto.

Mikoto stared at their joined hands and tried squeezing her weak and wrinkled hand; it felt warm and soft.

"Get out of here!" Aki yelled at Sasuke.

"I won't leave without my daughter…" he said amused by her clear affection for her granddaughter, many people said that Sakura was like Tsunade when it came to tempers, but they obviously hadn't met her mother.

"What's the meaning of this, Mikoto? Is this man living with… you?" she asked totally astounded.

"Ah… we are living…" she was babbling because she couldn't believe this woman had called her by her name. "Mom's on a mission… we are living with him… He's our dad…" she said in a lowered voice.

Aki pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed loudly.

"I can't believe what that idiot is doing…" Aki growled thinking about Sakura and her stupid decisions. "So what's the meaning of this? She's over what you did to her? Is she okay with having you around her and her kids?" she asked glaring directly at his black eyes.

Sasuke sighed and stepped in the house closing the door behind him; she gasped and took a step back.

"He's not that bad, grandma… I mean Haruno-san…" Mikoto corrected not knowing what to call her.

Aki regarded her with a deep grimace and felt utterly sad about this relationship she had forced on her grandchildren.

"Haruno-san…" Sasuke called and the woman looked at him worriedly. "Can I have a word with you?" Sasuke asked impassively staring down at her.

There was silence while she thought about her possibilities; she'd squeeze Mikoto's hand worriedly and then her brown eyes fell on Sasuke again.

"There's an ANBU outside… and I've been casted a chakra seal…" he added as if to reassure her.

"Make it quick whatever you want to say…" she said haughtily. "But first… let me give her something to eat…" she said dragging Mikoto to the kitchen; Sasuke followed them and watched as the old woman took some milk from the fridge and handed her a glass.

"I've already had breakfast… ma'am…" she said softly.

"Yes, I can imagine…" she gave a light glare to Sasuke… "Here…" she then opened a jar and placed 6 cookies on a plate… Your mother loved these cookies…" she said. Mikoto regarded the cookies and then blushed.

"I don't like sweets, ma'am…" she lowered her eyes while Sasuke stood on the doorway with crossed arms.

Aki regarded her with confusion… Sakura had always liked sweet things, cookies, pies, cakes, candies, brownies and chocolates…

"But I'll try them anyway…" Mikoto smiled and took a bite from a cookie and her eyes widened, through a mouthful she spoke… "This is delicious! Thank you ma'am!" she said taking another one.

Sasuke watched as Aki regarded her granddaughter with sad eyes and then she smiled and turned to Sasuke.

"Come to the living room…" She walked to said room; Sasuke gave Mikoto a smile before following Aki.

He entered the room and regarded the comfy stance as she sat and prompted him to do the same on the other couch… His eyes roamed the shelves and tables with lots of pictures from really old days… Aki was still a teenager and the man next to her was obviously Sakura's father… he had the same exact eyes Sakura had, spiky white hair and an aura of authority he had seen many times in the pink haired kunoichi. There was only one picture with Sakura; she was with Aki and probably not older than five years old.

"That's the last picture I took with her…" Aki admitted fidgeting nervously on her lap. "What are you doing here, Uchiha?" she asked narrowing her eyes at the man.

"Here in your house? Or… here in Konoha?" he asked impassively.

"Both."

"I was dragged here by my old sensei, my best friend and the mother of my children…" he said making her glare even more deeply. "I am here in your house because I ought to do this much for her." She seemed confused by his words.

"Mind to explain?" she asked.

"The problem you have with your daughter is because of a deceased man that never got to know how powerful and strong her daughter was… You can either keep mourning over him or cherish the rest of your life with the family you have left…" she felt downright offended.

"That's a rude thing to say…" she remarked, her brown eyes flaring and he suppressed the urge to smirk at seeing the same look Sakura would give when annoyed.

"Are you going to spend the rest of your life crying over your husband or are you going to make the best out of your grandchildren… I know you don't dislike them…" he taunted.

"Of course I don't! They're kids! They have nothing to do with the mistakes of the mother!" she chastised and then fell quiet.

"It wasn't Sakura's fault to be born as a woman… yet you learned to hate her…" he retorted.

"And you don't think I've regretted it since the day she turned 6? I'm at fault and I know it, but I guess I could finally rest out of my resentment to her father after he died… I was trying to recover what I let go when she was given that bloody mission and three months later she came saying she was pregnant!" she was doing a great effort not to cry.

"I shouldn't be doing this, since you've hurt her badly." Sasuke stood from the couch. "I've been given another chance to start and I want you to have one as well… it's your choice, if you want it you'll forgive your daughter for something she didn't do… if you don't then you don't have a right to see your grandchildren either…" he said and Aki was surprised by that statement.

"Since when do you care? I had to listen to her childish fantasies about you since she was 5 until she left this house when she was 18… and now you care?" she retorted.

"I am sorry I hurt your daughter… and just like I asked Fugaku to give me a chance I'll ask you to give me one… I want your daughter, Haruno-san. I really do… would you be okay with it? With me trying?" he asked.

Aki merely averted her gaze… Sasuke's eyes fell on her limping leg; she was currently pressing her hands over her knee clearly in pain.

"What happened to your leg, Haruno-san?" he asked.

"I fell down the stairs 3 years ago…" she said not meeting his eyes.

"Sakura knows about it?" he asked.

"Who do you think healed me?" she retorted angrily.

Sasuke gave her a knowing smirk and she stared at him with a remorseful expression; she felt heavy and light at the same time and as she lowered her eyes to her lap she felt tears running down her cheeks.

"You're welcome to visit the compound…" he walked over to the kitchen. "Let's go cookie monster…" he smiled as he regarded the wide moustache of milk Mikoto had. "Wipe your mouth." She jumped down the stool and walked over to her dad.

"Bye, bye grandma…" she waved her hand with a soft smile.

Aki waved back softly after wiping her eyes.

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How was the art, people? I tried hard to make him look handsome... lol

ANyway thanks again for the reviews... :D