Some clarification about the last chapter, the man that Kiba and Shino tackled was not Sai. It was a man no one from the Konoha 11 recognized. Sai reacted weirdly because he actually recognized the man as a ROOT ANBU just like him, but Sai was not able to speak because of Danzo's seal in his tongue. SORRY for all the confusion.

I apologize for the delay. Bad case of writer's block. It took me more than a year but I'm back! T.T

I sincerely hope and pray that all of you are fine during this pandemic.

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Mr. Masashi Kishimoto.

CHAPTER 15

There were only two things running through his mind when the ruckus began, his two daughter's safety and his grandson's.

Hiashi looked at what was left, ashes.

There was nothing left but a dark patch in the once luscious garden of his daughter, Hinata. The smell was still lingering in the night air.

The man knew that there was nothing he could do. He was outnumbered. He was caught. There was no chance to escape. And instead of giving up some intel, he took his own life. Blasting himself into nothingness.

There was honor in Harakiri, Hiashi thought But something tells Hiashi that there was nothing but lies and fear hiding inside that man. All of it are ashes now.

Her daughters teammates were lucky to have suffered only mild burns and scratches. He didn't want to imagine how the heads of Aburame and Inuzuka clan would react of their prized sons died.

There was anxiety building inside him, twisting painfully in his guts. What if no one had been able to sense him? What could he have done to Hinata? Or god forbid, the little boy Eko?

With no thoughts in his head, he walked up to his distraught eldest daughter and hugged her the way he only could. She was shaking, sweating as her arm reached for Neji and her son.

He could only nod at Neji. He understands how Hinata feels, he felt the same way when someone tried abducting her when she was just three.

"O-Ottosan.."

He heard his daughter call for him but he remained silent as he watched his grandchild stir and open his eyes.

A Sharingan and Byakugan.

Is this the reason why?

—

"How could this happen Kakashi sensei?"

Naruto growled in frustration and anger. His face, a shade or red.

They gathered inside the Hokage tower and left Hinata's apartment to try and talk about the recent event. Neji and the rest of Team Guy stayed behind to keep Hinata and Eko safe. They couldn't trust anyone hearing them about this.

Naruto shifted and didn't hide the way he looked at his friend Sasuke. Who has been silent since they entered the room. He heard the conversation between him and Sakura before the mess began and he was thankful that she was there to heal Kiba and Shino who was the closest to the suspect when he blasted himself.

Naruto almost gagged when he recalled how nasty it smelled like. He quickly sent Sakura home just for everyone's peace of mind.

When Kakashi didn't respond, Shino asked calmly. Hands in his pockets, face hidden. "Why would an ANBU do such a thing?"

Their former sensei seemed to be asking himself the same thing in his mind, for he remained silent with only an eye to read his emotions. Sasuke finally spoke. Stepping closer to the Hokages table. The words he said made everyone flinch.

"My son is not a threat, he shouldn't be eliminated by the village."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement, and Naruto felt inclined to asked further. Why would the village would want to eliminate an baby? Eko is innocent. So why?

"Sasuke is right Hokage sama." Kiba added. His bruised arms still inflamed.

The Sixth Hokage sighed. "I will investigate further. I assure you i had nothing to do with this Sasuke. I gave no orders."

"But he freaking killed himself Kakashi sensei, literally set himself on fire." Naruto wanted to make a point. Why would anyone do that?

Kiba rubbed his face in frustration. His Jacket already gone. "I can still fucking taste it in my mouth!"

Naruto scrunched his face. "And Sai, he freaking recognized him. But damn those seals are keeping him from talking.."

Speaking of Sai, he was there in the corner, looking pasty and sweating bullets. "..are you okay man?" He nodded but still didn't speak.

So many questions unanswered in the room. Tension and confusion mixed together wasn't making things easy.

"They wanted to kill him because of me.." Sasuke gripped his katana. A tone of realization hissing. His smirk was unnerving.

"..because i am the father right?" He nodded to himself. No one moved. There was no sound. A different Sasuke was standing in front of them.

"..Because i am an Uchiha."

Naruto always claimed that he knew Sasuke. But he won't deny that this Sasuke was someone new, the Sasuke they all witnessed was a father.

With that Sasuke left.

—

"Man, that guy sure ruined the party, and fuck that smelled so wrong. Burning Human flesh ugh."

Behind him, he heard Naruto shuddering as spoke, following him almost immediately after he left the Hokage tower.

"And seriously Sasuke? An ANBU?"

Sasuke stayed quiet. His thoughts running miles. An ANBU, maybe even ROOT from the looks of it. Sai wouldn't have been triggered like that if he didn't recognized the man.

All along Sasuke knew who this was. The masked man in the cave told him about it.

Danzo.

The same man who manipulated his brother and maybe to an extent the third Hokage into killing the Uchiha Clan.

Naruto seemed to noticed that he wasn't responding, maybe that's why he changed his tactic.

"Hey man.. About what you said earlier.."

"Why did you say "eliminate"?" He sounded so serious and so concerned. Sasuke never doubted that. Naruto is just like that. Having no family from the start meant he had to make one of his own. And even if he'd admit it or not, he's part of that family. Sasuke's part of that bond, and now it extends to his nephew Eko, as well as Hinata.

Eliminate.

Why did he say that indeed?

".."

"Sasuke, I'm your friend if that's not clear enough for you." He finally gave up. And started walking backwards as if nothing happened that day.

Sasuke took this opportunity to leap above and use roofs. He needed to get home already. Hinata needs him.

Naruto followed him, sounding frustrated. "You've had a long day, you don't have to tell me. And I'm supposed to be gone by now. Fuck!"

Sasuke spared him a look and noticed the bag he had been carrying the whole time. He somehow felt bad that everyone's lives are affected by his. He never wanted that. But somehow it always ends the same. He's pretty sure that a nasty gossip will stir because of the incident that day.

"You know, just for the record.. i want to stay Sasuke. I have this feeling that something terrible is going to happen and it's eating me alive that i need to go and train and shit."

The blonde whined. But Sasuke felt his frustrations.

"I want to protect you guys, especially now that we get the idea of who's trying harm your girl and Eko."

At the prospect of Naruto halting his life because of his buisness, Sasuke decided to speak up.

"You'll be better help if you're stronger so go, you've wasted too much time already dobe." He dismissed him and waved goodbye but Naruto turned to him and got real serious.

"But Sasuke, about what you said earlier. I know you're mad and i understand that this is very important for you, this family you're building. I know it's not my place but, will you ever consider not killing him? Listen to what he has to say? Whoever did all this must have a reaso-"

"Naruto.." He warned.

"Look i just don't want them to put you into some prison teme.."

A prison. No. He'll take Hinata to ends of the earth if it means saving her and her child. No way in hell, he'll allow himself to go to a prison. Anyone can kill without going to prison.

He looked at rugged path towards Hinatas house. A light flickered and he knew warmth was waiting for him. He finally gave in.

Sasuke looked straight into Narutos eyes.

"When Hinata was three years old, a guest from Kumogakure tried to abduct her.."

Naruto looked confused. He knew about this story. It was a long time ago.

"..did you know what Hiashi did to the man?"

"N-No." He lied. He knew. Neji told him during the chuunin exam but he was afraid that If he said yes, he'll dig his best firends grave into the darkness.

"He killed him."

Silence. He understood why Hiashi did that.

"You see Naruto, when it comes to the one's we love, to the one's we live for, there is no such thing as honor. The only thing that matters is that our loved ones live." Sasuke tapped his shoulder and continued walking. Naruto followed but was frozen in place with what his best friend said next.

"And the thing about earlier? It was about the truth behind my clans demise.."

Sasuke too, stopped in his tracks. His eyes was looking somewhere beyond what the eyes can see. Memories, maybe even pain and misery.

"..My brother, Itachi.. He was ordered by the village to kill our brethren."

Naruto felt his heart drop and he couldn't stop himself from stuttering "..Nani?! Sasu-ke.. why?"

"Because the Uchiha wanted to start a war Naruto, they got sick of the scraps they chewed and so they brewed this plan to take over the village." Sasuke couldn't hide the anger in his voice. At some point it looked like he was about to laugh.

"Time was running out and my brother was left with no other choice. He was ordered to execute our clan." Sasuke didn't blink as if relieving everything in his head.

Naruto was already sweating. How could this happen? The third Hokage, he could've done something right?

Sasuke got closer to him without noticing. He looked mad. Crazy mad.

"Do you know why he did that?" Sasuke asked Naruto the same question he's been asking himself.

"..why?" Naruto asked and for a moment he thought that Sasuke was going to cry.

"Because he loved this fucking village!" He screamed. His chest heaving. His cynical smirk back in his mouth.

"Because he loved me. It was the only way for me to stay alive. You see Naruto? Konoha doesn't have any problems with killing my entire clan, so why would killing a baby be any different?" Sasuke looked like he was making a joke. A nasty bad joke.

Naruto straightened and sighed. He forced himself to swallow the bile rising up his throat. "When did you know all of this?"

"Not too long. But I'm here now and I'm going to protect my family." Sasuke spoke with a straight face and Naruto knew for a fact his friend wasn't lying. It scared him. It left him speechless.

"You would've done the same thing for Jiraiya."

At the mention of his former master, Naruto saw a light. He would've died fighting for his master. "I g-guess so."

"Go on Naruto, maybe i need to hear some of your talks about life and killing. But for now, you should train. I will train Hinata as well." With that leapt far away from him and towards his light.

—

The sky was not clear that night, no stars blinked upon him as he ascended to Hinata's apartment. Ko, together with two other Older Hyuuga's and Team Guy stood outside as if on guard. With no words to say, he only nodded at the them and proceeded to remove his black sandals.

Inside, Neji, Hiashi, and Hinata's younger sister Hanabi sat beside Hinata, her arms not moving as she cradled Eko in his sleep. Neji had his byakugan activated and appeared to have been scanning the whole perimeter and maybe as far as his eyes can see.

The atmosphere was somber and anxiety was in the air, there seems to have been no break for the whole family. Incident after incident. Confrontations upon confrontations. Complications and lies. Life and danger. For Sasuke, there was no better time to be alive than now.

Hiashi nodded at him and stood, urging for Hanabi to follow him and giving Hinata's shoulder a soft squeeze. He could not see her eyes from where he stood, but he was sure that she had been crying again. He couldn't blame her. She just had her son to herself and this happened.

Neji was the last one to go, leaving only him, Hinata and his nephew alone.

Hinata sat there, cradling his nephew. Her hair swept to the side as she looked up at him. "Sasuke.. I.."

"Sshh.. You'll wake him." He cut her off. He could hear the tears in her voice. Instead he sat beside her and took a closer look at Eko. His cheeks was so red. His hair was so dark.

"He looks like him." His thoughts was spoken. Eko looks so much like his brother. He didn't know if the image haunted him or gave him hope.

Hinata giggled quietly. "He's got his nose and his hair." Angling her arms so he could see Eko closer.

"Hinata.." He grasped her shoulders. Instinctively, she moved closer to him. Providing warmth as she looked him in the eye.

"I'll protect him.. You believe that right?" Something was different. Something changed within her. It scared him and excited him. What do you offer Hinata?

"I do.." He'll fucking die for this child and he wasn't even the father.

"I'll protect him too." She nodded.0

She laid down her head on his chest and sighed. "I don't know if i have it in me but.. I think.. I'd kill for him too."

Slowly she looked up to him, her red puffy eyes, glimmering with unshed tears. She looked as if she was afraid of what his reaction would be.

Was she afraid I'd laugh?

Did she think he thought lowly of her?

Sasuke poked her forehead and nodded. "I'll train you soon as you're ready."

Hinata smiled, determined to better herself.

"Thank you.."

—

Authors Note:

I will finally finish this, because I'm stuck at home. How are you all? I really hope all of you are safe and healthy. Let's get through this okay?

ALSO I will publish new UchiHina story this week. please look forward to it!