Chapter 26
Sakura and Sasuke would freely admit that they did not fight often, it was difficult to fight often when you actually got along and tried to cooperate with one another. However, tonight, they were having a row and it was what they had been invited to do tonight.
Somehow they had managed to come to the village just in time for the summer festival; Sakura could typically sweet talk her husband into coming with her back in their other village, but this time… this time he was holding his ground against her and refusing to go. It didn't help that Naruto and Kakashi wanted to speak with him about a new mission and had decided they'd all meet up for the festival.
Now, Sakura understood why Sasuke did not want to go; he had made it very clear he hated being here. Sakura didn't think it was the actual village he disliked but rather the people here who all glared at him. They didn't know him; and while his reputation was far from sunshine and rainbows, he had grown up and changed a lot over these past few years. Also, he was not pleased to learn that the Kazekage, Mizukage, Raikage, and Tsuchikage were also going to be here tonight. Sakura honestly didn't mind, but all of this stacked up against her anti-social husband had made him surly and stubborn as he shouted he was not leaving the house tonight.
"WELL Sasuke we have to go! And if you don't go to them they will come to you or come after you; and don't think I don't know you're thinking about running again. If you do; I will sic Naruto and Sai on you! Maybe even Kakashi!" she shouted at him.
"I am not meeting them at a festival!" he snapped sharply at her. She was already dressed to go, her kimonos were long since gone, and they didn't fight her right anymore; apparently after having had Sarada she had had more body changes than she had expected. Her body was still the same in many ways, she hadn't gained too much weight from Sarada and she hadn't had too many changes to her body; but there had been enough for her kimonos to feel… odd.
"You are coming with me Sasuke or so help me…!" she threatened as she wanted to break the house around her as she stood there trying not to glower at him and pound him to bits.
"No." he stated again.
"UCHIHA SASUKE YOU ARE COMING WITH ME OR I WLL BREAK EVERY BONE IN YOUR BODY AND DRAG YOU WITH ME!" she shouted. She saw her husband scowl then; but she had seen his fling of slight fear at her threat.
"No." He coldly repeated and she felt like strangling him then as her hands tensed and her temper began igniting as she stood before him.
"Why Not!?" she snapped.
"Because I am not going to a meeting on the night of a festival with you looking like… that," he snapped irritably and she stopped midrant.
"Huh? Is there something wrong with this dress?" she asked.
"No, but you're not going to a meeting looking like this!" he snapped.
"I can go change."
"No."
"Then what do you want to do?" she demanded as she folded her arms then as she frowned.
"Let's go, they'll still be here tomorrow," he pointed out. She just frowned, he grabbed her hand then as he pulled her along after him. She just followed him then.
"But you don't want to go to the festival," she pointed out. Her husband pulled her up to his side then, he looked down indifferently at her.
"You want to go," he pointed out. She blushed as she nodded, she entwined their fingers then. "Then we'll go to the festival, we'll meet with all the Kage tomorrow."
"Are you sure?"
"Hn," he shrugged. She smiled and leaned on him as they left the compound. Now, if only the had Sarada… it'd be complete if they had their daughter with them tonight, Sarada loved the fireworks and riding on her papa's shoulders. He squeezed her hand, she squeezed his back and then she let him go as they walked together.
Public displays of affection were not something he did.
She didn't mind, as she walked with him with a stupid, happy grin on her lips. At least he was going to the festival with her, she knew he didn't want to be here at this festival but she was so happy he was here.
"Hey Sakura! I didn't know you were here!" she spun at that familiar voice.
"Pig! I can't believe it!" she grinned, there Ino and Sai were, a pale, wide eyed, blonde toddler sat on Ino's hip holding her pale blonde hair. The child had Sai's face, his skin color but he appeared to have his mother's pale blue eyes and blonde hair.
"How have you been!?" Ino demanded as she pulled Sai after her then wrapped Sakura up in a huge hug. Sakura returned the hug.
"Mama!" the child whined. They laughed as they pulled apart and the toddler frowned.
"Kami Sakura! You're looking great! You must tell me all about what you've been up to!' Ino declared.
"I will, but first is this my godson Inojin?" she asked as she looked at the boy remembering the letter Ino had sent her a few years ago declaring her to be an aunt and godmother.
"Yes! Oh Kami, I forgot you haven't met him! Sakura, my son, Inojin," she declared proudly.
"Well, he's certainly a handsome young man," she grinned.
"Oh Temari's here, and she dragged Shikamaru and Shikadai here! you have to see this, it's like Shikamaru cloned himself!" Ino said gleefully as she was dragged off. Sakura grabbed her husband's wrist before she was dragged off without him.
Sasuke was scowling.
"Come on! Come on! Oh and Chōji got married to Karui! He has the most adorable little girl ever! Her name is ChōChō!" Ino babbled.
"Sasuke," Sai greeted him. He nodded slightly in acknowledgement then.
He had barely acknowledged Sai when his wife grabbed his wrist and he found himself being dragged by Ino and Sakura into the last place he wanted to go; into the fray of the crowd. However, he refrained from pulling away from his wife as he followed her. Once they finally stopped, he pulled himself from Sakura's grasp and greeted his 'friends' as he listened to Ino babble about nothing.
Sasuke was having trouble looking at something other than his wife.
She had startled him when she had appeared before him dressed in red; like her old uniform, her hair was up in a messy style, and her eyes were done up in some style she had worn on their few dates. She had looked gorgeous; but in the middle of her rant she had spun around and he had seen the Uchiha crest on her back. It had startled him, and then it had made him greedy.
They didn't really wear his family's crest out there, he didn't want to advertise being an Uchiha, so he had only seen Sakura wearing his family crest before they had left years ago to travel.
Being a greedy bastard, he had had the sudden desire to hid her so no one else would see her. Then there was the matter of all the Kage being here and he remembered exactly why he had rushed to marry Sakura and one of the Kage was his biggest concern.
He had never really worried about holding Sakura's affections; even as a child he had known he had them and they were unwavering and real. In a way he had needed her love and affections after the loss of his clan; even if she were the most annoying pinkette he had ever met. No matter, she had all but handed him her heart and soul and love with no regards to how it would affect her; and he had repeatedly smashed it all to smithereens, don't ask why because he honestly didn't know why he had anymore. However, he still had had her shattered, battered, busted heart, he had her love, and he had her unwavering loyalty; as always.
But the only time he had ever worried about it was when he saw how a certain redhead watched her, how he treated her, and all of the kindness she spared him. The worst part about it was she oblivious to the attentions of that man! It annoyed him greatly, and it also had him wanting to hide Sakura or show her off as his. A conflicting set of wants; he knew, but it was what he was feeling. And as if she were to make it worse she didn't mind the affections of that redhead.
As if competing with the dobe and bushy brows when they had been children for her affections hadn't been tough enough, he comes back and she's got men tripping over themselves to be near her. (And yes! He did fight to keep her affections for him, even when he was pulling away from her.) Now, though, she was still (thankfully) oblivious to the other's affections for her. Still, it didn't sooth his worries about her one day realizing she could easily walk way and get someone so much better than him; he knew he was not the best person for her, even now after all these years together he knew this, and he worried about it. Especially when she would be surrounded by people who gave her the love he couldn't reciprocate for her.
So he was stalling, trying to think up a legitimate reason for her not to attend the meeting he'd have to attend with all the Kage and keep her way from that annoying Kazekage!
"TEME!" a voice shouted, ceasing all the chatter around him.
"Woops," Sakura whispered.
"Time to go," was all he said as he yanked her off with him and they disappeared home. They landed on the couch, he stared at her wrapped around him with a goofy grin on her lips.
"If I didn't know better I think you'd be avoiding that meeting," she laughed.
He smirked and then leaned over to kiss her.
"Redo on the drunk sex attempt?" Sakura whispered.
He nodded as he kissed her again, her fingers dug into his shoulders as her legs wrapped around his hips. He pulled her up with him as he took her to their room. She laughed when the fell onto the bed of the room they both rarely visited, her fingers were in his hair as she held him close.
"I love you," she whispered in his ear as he kissed her jawline.
"Aa…" he agreed to her declaration then.
"Hey! He was just here!" Naruto shouted when he finally arrived. Ino just blinked at him, along with Temari, Shikamaru, and Sai.
"It would appear that Sasuke is avoiding you," Sai said absently as he stood there with Ino and his kid. Naruto frowned.
"Alright, where'd the teme go then?" Naruto demanded as he stood there with Hinata and Boruto.
"Dunno, he grabbed Sakura and disappeared," Shikamaru chuckled.
"He's not very good at sharing still," Kakashi chuckled and everyone looked up to where he was hanging out with his Icha Icha novel.
"Damnit!" Naruto grumbled. "And there was a meeting tonight for his new mission…"
"Well, he doesn't like crowds and it's amazing Sakura even go him to bothered to show," Shikamaru grumbled.
"Says the husband who was complaining about this being a drag!" Temari snapped.
"It is a drag!" Shikamaru defended himself then. Everyone was laughing though, and Naruto grinned.
At least he had shown up, even if Sakura had dragged him here…
Well, come tomorrow he'd yell at the teme and Sakura about missing the Kage meeting. Tonight though, he'd enjoy the festival with his friends and family. Even if two members of his family weren't here.
