I Found A Girl, Beautiful And Sweet

I Never Knew You Were The Someone Waiting For Me

Cause We Were Just Kids When We Fell In Love,

Not Knowing What It Was, I Will Not Give You Up This Time,

Dancing In The Dark, With You Between My Arms,

I Don't Deserve This, You Look Perfect

'Takeshi!' Aiko called out from her room, 'Takeshi!'

She huffed when he failed to respond, it was impossible to receive so much as a glance from her eldest son these days. She halted the work on her hair, watching as it fell out of the do in her dressing table mirror. She hadn't even put on her Kimono yet, having spent the better half of her afternoon getting Reiko ready. The girl had demanded having plastic cherry blossoms be clipped into her braid.

Standing, she made her way to Takeshi's room, a scold on the tip of her tongue as she slide open his door. She found him ready, dressed and hunched over his desk. Instantly, her face softened.

Takesh's eyes focused on his mother as he held up the history book he was reading.

'Sorry, mother, Uncle Naruto wanted me to finish before next week.'

'It's alright,' she said softly, 'your father would be proud that you're studying, even now. Could you please help Shenji with getting his Yukata on?'

He nodded, putting the book down and standing. He was already dressed, and ready, in his own Yukata. Like his father, Takeshi was meticulous and on schedule for everything. He was already being eyed as a new recruit for the ANBU team, and his progression as a ninja almost mirrored that of his uncle, Itachi. He walked towards his mother; at fourteen, he reached her height now. She ran a hand through his hair affectionately, black locks framing his face. She had no doubt that he would soon tower above her, like his father did.

They heard the commotion of what sounded like an argument down the hall. Aiko sighed, and Takeshi followed her out.

'Stop being such a crybaby.'

'I'm not a crybaby!'

The second voice was indignant, and belonged to Aiko's youngest. Takeshi peered over his mother's shoulder as they entered Reiko's room.

Her arms were folded, looking almost regal in her black Kimono, pink and gold cherry blossoms where patterned across it. Matching the pins that were intwined with her braid that her mother had fixed for her. Her obsidian eyes remained blank, almost bored, as she stared at her little brother. Reiko's voice hadn't risen throughout their disagreement, regardless of her brother beginning to tear up. Despite being only twelve, she behaved far older.

'Papa never breaks his promises.' She stated matter of factly. 'Unless it's unavoidable.'

'He missed mama's birthday!' Shenji countered, green eyes glassy as they brimmed with tears, 'and he missed my first day at the academy.'

His dark brown hair fell into into his eyes, the spitting image of his mother.

Reiko rolled her eyes, 'your first day isn't exactly a monumental moment.'

'That's enough.' Aiko said sternly, walking into the room and towards her youngest, crouching down to him. 'Your father promised he'd return in time for the festival, so he will.'

Her smile was warm, soft, one that always reminded Shenji of how safe he was. He nodded, bottom lip wobbling but refusing to start crying in front of Reiko. Takeshi watched as she ran a hand through Shenji's hair, in the exact way she had done so with him mere moments ago. How her hand lingered, and her eyes focused on Shenji's. As if telling him something only he would understand. Even when Takeshi got too old for the gesture, even when he thought it was embarrassing for her to do in public, she wouldn't cease it.

'Now, will you please get out of these clothes and get ready? Your brother will help.'

She turned to Reiko, giving her daughter a pointed look. 'Since her highness is ready, and has nothing better to do, could she help me get ready?'

Reiko nodded, sighing at the fact she knew she'd be receiving a soft scolding about how to handle her little brothers emotions. Again.

Aiko guided her out of the room, smiling at Takeshi before she turned away. Knowing he'd take care of his brother, whom Shenji looked up to. Takeshi walked towards his brother, offering a smile he only ever reserved for him. Considering their seven year age gap, it meant Takeshi never fought with Shenji, nor with his sister. He was calm, a mediator in most situations, an attribute credited to his mother.

'Come on, lets hurry. Gotta look your best for when father get's back, right?'

They worked mostly in silence, with Takeshi focusing on wrapping the nagagi, and then Shenji's haori, around him carefully. It could crease easily, and the Uchiha's did not look messy, or out of place, at public functions. Though Shenji didn't seem to particularly enjoy adhering to that. Takeshi knew, by the end of the night, there would most likely be dirty and rips at the frays of his robes. Since he loved to spar with his friends so much.

'Does papa love mama?'

The question startled Takeshi, his expression remained neutral, though the surprise was only just evident in the brief halt of his fingers. He looked at his brother, who stared directly at his face while he kneeled in front of him.

'Of course. Why would you ask that?' He said cooly.

Shenji shrugged, averting his eyes as he looked at nothing in particular. He did that when he was about to cry, but didn't want to be seen.

'He's never here.' He said quietly, almost shamefully. Not proud of the small ball of resentment he held over his father's absence. 'He missed mama's birthday. I never seem him hug her, or take her anywhere. He doesn't spend any time with us.'

'Father's a busy man.' Takeshi said, adopting the softness of his mother in his voice. 'He's a very powerful, and high-rank ninja. He does what he has to do because he loves us. Because he wants to protect us.'

Shenji rolled his eyes, seeming frustrated. 'But Uncle Naruto is the Hokage, and he still has time for Aunt Hinata! Boruto said it's weird that-'

'Boruto's a dope.' Takeshi dismissed, 'he doesn't know anything.'

Shenji didn't look as if he particularly agreed, but successfully kept his mouth shut.

Takeshi supposed, to someone who didn't behave or think like he or his father, or even Reiko, that they could seem cold. Unfeeling. Shenji was young, and he thought and felt things deeply. Much like their mother, he was openly emotional and affectionate. He also simply just didn't know his father well enough, and being seven years old meant that he was yet to garner enough emotional awareness of how others expressed their emotions.

For Reiko, a small but simple act could emphasise a persons love to her. In regard to her father, it was simply the fact that he always played shogi with her, and never rushed the game. She needn't ask twice, or ever beg either. He would sit, for hours at a time, and engage in the game with her. Teach her techniques he had learned, let her figure out on her own how to navigate it. Sasuke hated shogi, and Reiko knew that.

Takeshi and Reiko felt their fathers love in ways that didn't require heavy affection, but Shenji was built differently.

'Have you seen the scars on mama? The ones she tries to hide?' Shenji whispered, his voice laced with sadness.

Takeshi stared at his brother, unsure of what the best thing to say was. He'd seen them, of course he had. He knew how they had formed too, because he had directly asked his mother, and she had been honest with him. Takeshi had always been direct, honest, and in turn his parents had been the same with him.

'Ha- have you seen what they say, onii-chan?'

Shenji's voice was small, and Takeshi felt a sharp jolt in his chest. The pain in his little brother's voice wasn't his own, it was for his mother. Takeshi knew of the awful, jagged words that were etched onto his mothers chest and stomach. Some were faint, others were as clear as day despite the years that had passed. It said awful things, hateful things. One in particular came to mind, one that always lingered in the back of Takeshi's mind. Reminding him of why his mother never wore anything with a low neckline. Uchiha whore. It was a repeated phrase on her body, ranging in size.

'That wasn't father's doing, and it wasn't his fault either.'

Takeshi pulled his brother close to him, enveloping the boy into a hug. Shenji clinged onto his brother, grabbing fistfuls of his robes.

'There are . . . things about their old life that you won't understand just yet, Shenji. Someday, mother and father will tell you about them.'

He felt Shenji nod against him, and let him hold onto him for as long as he needed to.

Aiko had been in the midst of shuffling her children into the lounge, now all dressed, when Sasuke had returned. He had been purposefully loud, to draw their attention, upon walking into the room.

'Papa!' Reiko exclaimed excitedly, though she made no move to go and hug her father. Instead, she turned to Shenji, a small but smug smirk adorned her lips. 'See! I told you he doesn't break his promises.'

'Reiko, stop antagonising your brother.' Aiko said, though a bright smile was on her lips as she looked at her husband. 'Welcome home. How was your travels?'

'As to be expected.' He pulled off his cloak, catching the stare Aiko gave him as he almost begun walking into the room with it. Almost. It was dirtied with mud, and no doubt would have someones blood on it. Instead, he hung it up onto a hanger where he discarded his shoes. Knowing Aiko would pick it up and wash it tomorrow.

He stepped in, striding over to his family.

'Father.' Takeshi nodded at him, who returned the gesture.

He attempted to place an affectionate hand on Reiko's head, but she dodged it. 'Mama just fixed my hair, you'll ruin it.'

The corner of his lips upturned in a smirk as he looked at her, and she returned it with one of her own.

He watched as his youngest, Shenji, stared at him for a few moments, as if he almost didn't believe he were there.

'Hello, son.'

He watched as his son sprinted in the small space between them, wrapping his arms around his fathers waist. Sasuke smiled, placing both hands on the back of his son's head, returning his embrace.

'Your Yukata is hanging by the wardrobe.' Aiko said, as he let go of Shenji. 'You have fifteen minutes.'

He placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it softly. She returned the gesture by running a hand through his hair, beginning at the roots, and pushing it to the side to reveal both eyes. It had grown over the years, to past his chin, usually covering his left eye. The rinnegan eye.

'We need to talk later.' She whispered quietly, but the smile on her lips indicated it was nothing serious. He nodded.

'Thank you.' He said, before moving past her to their room.

For Hanami, countless streets were decorated with lights. Music echoed throughout them all, going well into the night. Though most families, for the sake of all the picnics and games that ensued, retreated to the parks. the sakura trees were in full bloom, pink lanterns lined the rows of trees in order to fully illuminate the walkways with fluorescent pink lighting. Once night came, it was a sight to behold, and it always took Aiko's breath away. Coming from such an incredibly small village, she hadn't been privileged enough to witness a festival of this size before.

As soon as they had entered the park, their children dispersed. Shenji running to his Academy friends, Reiko wandering off to most likely find the other two members of her team, and Takeshi nodding before blending into the crowd.

Sasuke watched them disappear in silence, wondering how it was possible for time to have moved so quickly, to see them so big already. He turned to his wife, who was looking up at the lanterns, a wide smile on her face. Her bangs fully covered her forehead, something she'd chosen to shield the scar that she had acquired seven years ago. The rest of her hair was pulled into a bun atop her head, two gold hair sticks keeping it in place, rhinestones hanging from the end of them. A birthday present Sasuke had given her, a birthday he'd missed, he thought shamefully.

Her Kimono matched her daughters, decorated with pink and gold sakura's, and held the Uchiha crest at the back. Sasuke's and his sons' were a simple black, lined with a red hem. She held a large hamper basket in her hand, it had become tradition for each of the families within their group to bring something for their table at the Hanami festival. She'd brought Dango this year.

He took the hamper from her, carrying it one hand. It caused her to turn and focus on him.

'You're so beautiful.' He said quietly, causing her cheeks to flush. As if she were sixteen, and falling for him all over again.

'Uchiha!' Sasuke's head turned at the call of his name, watching as the council member, Sato Tanaka, moved towards him.

Newly appointed, but relatively annoying, Sasuke prepared himself. Sato Tanaka was well known for talking about nothing for a particularly long stretch of time.

'I'm going to go find Hinata,' Aiko whispered, placing a hand over his as she took back the hamper, and smiled up at him. 'Come find me when you've escaped.'

He nodded, mildly annoyed that he'd already lost out on some time with his wife, especially after being away for six months.

'Tanaka,' Sasuke greeted with a nod.

Sato clapped him on the shoulder, placing a pipe between his lips as he inhaled. The next time he spoke, smoke released from his mouth. Sato was an middle aged man, though he looked older due to the fact that he had halted any physical work as a ninja a long time ago. His head had lost all hair many years ago, and a slight gut was beginning to grow. Though he managed to continue to grow his greying beard.

'I just got word about Takeshi making ANBU, congratulations! We'll be informing him next week, but I thought you'd like to know.'

He nodded curtly. 'He'll make Konoha proud.'

'I'm sure he will,' he said between puffs of smoke. 'He's an Uchiha. He'll be following in your footsteps.'

'Hn.' Truth be told, he didn't exactly want that. Sasuke was determined to create a life that was further from what he had grown up as. His steps had been particularly rocky.

If Sasuke were being honest, Takeshi was far from like him. If anything, he reminded him of Itachi. Aloof, and collected, but a confidence in being affectionate and open when he needed to be. He was never proud or stubborn, and highly empathetic. He credited that to both Itachi, and Aiko.

'I hear your daughter was also successful in the chuunin exams.'

Sasuke nodded, he'd been in the village of the sand during the final, which had hosted the exams that year. Pure luck for him. She'd won, of course. Reiko was a genius to a degree that blew Sasuke away. Not only had she quickly accumulated a high ability with the sharingan, but she was tactical. Her intellectuality rivalling Shikamaru's when at her age.

'And Shenji! My my, seven years old and barely at the academy, but activating his sharingan! Incredible.'

Sasuke stilled, his eyes focusing back on Sato.

'Excuse me?'

'Shenji! Your youngest? His sharingan activated a few days ago, at the academy. I'm sure you know how surprised we all were. I don't believe I've heard of any Uchiha inheriting it so young.'

He continued to talk, but Sasuke had begun to tune him out. He could go on for several minutes without letting another person input into the conversation. Luckily, for Sasuke, most expected him to provide little input anyway. This had mostly likely been what Aiko had wanted to talk about. He wondered why Shenji hadn't told him the minute he had stepped through the door, nor any of the others.

There must have been something wrong, or at least a problem big enough that Aiko wanted to discuss it privately first.

'I have to say though, I was surprised that all your children ended up with the Uchiha traits and skill level, considering your wife is a low class civilian.'

Sasuke pulled his thoughts away from his children. Shoulders tensing, and eyes zeroing in on Sato.

'"Low class civilian?"'

Sato picked up on the edge in his voice, blinking.

'A-apologies. I didn't mean low class,' he laughed out, nervousness ebbed into his tone slowly, 'I just meant, traditionally blue blood families such as the Uchiha's - that have been around since the inception of Konoha - typically marry members of other high-ranked clans.'

Sasuke's face remained blank, though his one visible eyed held enough hostility that it had Sato spluttering even more.

'Uchiha, I sincerely apologise. It wasn't my place.'

For someone who was supposedly chosen to join the council due to his skills in diplomacy and negotiation, he seemed incredibly stupid, Sasuke thought. He nodded to Sasuke, dismissing himself from the one sided conversation. Sato Tanaka had just learned, the awkward way, to never insult Sasuke Uchiha's wife.

It was his only rule.

He found them all by the lake, apparently having just missed the cherry blossom dance. Sakura was cheered by Naruto, Ino, Hinata and Aiko. Reiko stood by her mother, clapping quietly. She held a quiet, but rather large admiration for Sakura. Sai stood slightly separated from the group, his daughter, Sarada, jumped down from his back to run over and hug her mother.

Sasuke halted by Sai, who turned his head upon his arrival, and smiled at him.

'You're back.'

Sasuke nodded in response, folding his arms as they watched the group of dancers disperse. They lapsed into a comfortable silence as they watched some of women join in a new dance as the music begun once again. He watched as Reiko stood beside her mother, watching and mimicking her movements. She was as graceful as her mother, picking up the movements quickly.

'It almost makes you sad, doesn't it?' Sai commented. 'Seeing these moments of them, knowing you're missing out on many more like it.'

Sasuke was silent for a moment, it was a fact he was well aware of and thought about many times.

'It's the life we chose, they understand that.'

'Yes.' Sai agreed. 'It doesn't make it any less sad, though.'

Naruto barrelled into the conversation, effectively erasing any melancholy that may have present before. He swung an arm around Sasuke, almost putting all his weight onto him.

'Welcome home, asshole.'

Sasuke scowled, mumbling under his breath at Naruto's actions, but making no indication that he would remove his arm from his shoulder.

'That report better be on my desk, I'd hate to think you're slacking off just to come to a festival.'

'You'll have it in the morning. I promised Aiko and the children I'd return in time for Hanami.'

Naruto beamed at his best friend, pulling him in closer regardless of his glare. 'Why have you always gotta outdo us as father and husband of the year, huh?'

'Hardly.' He scoffed, throwing off Naruto's arm, and standing back up to full height. 'How's Hinata?'

Naruto placed his hands into the pockets of his robes. He looked to Hinata in the group dancing, his face beaming with pride and joy. Her arm was hooked with Aiko's for support, her other holding her large stomach protectively, affectionately.

'She's almost full term, everything's healthy according to Sakura. We think it might be a girl.'

'You'll get more right with the second.' Sasuke said.

'Everything's a guessing game with Sarada.' Sai chimed in, watching the seven year old run after her mother.

'I'm surprised Boruto's still breathing. I dropped him on his head when he was eight months old. The kids got a skull made of steel.'

'He takes after his dope of a father.' Sasuke commented, to which Naruto replied with a dramatic 'HAHA'.

The songs shifted as the group grew bigger, Boruto, Shenji and Takeshi finding their way back to their parents. Shenji stood to his fathers left, holding onto his hand, Takeshi a little way off, being congratulated by Naruto for being selected to join the ANBU. Which he wasn't supposed to be doing, but he had been the one to push for it with the council.

A new song begun, one that had couples pulling each other onto the floor. Naruto excused himself, wrapping his arms around Hinata as he reached her. Sarada pushed at the back of her fathers legs, insisting that he join Sakura on the floor. With little reluctance he did so. Aiko and Reiko came to stand by Shenji, placing both hands on her daughters shoulders as they laughed at Naruto's lack of synchronicity with his wife.

'Papa,' Shenji shook his father's arm, causing him to look down, 'you should dance with Mama! Do it!'

Sasuke stared at his son, then looked up to Aiko. His eyes looked almost helplessly at her. Sasuke didn't do dancing in public, he didn't do anything in public. It wasn't his nature.

Aiko smiled, releasing her hold of Reiko to place a hand on her sons face.

'Your father's tired, love. He's had a very long journey. Why don't you take his place and dance with me, instead? Reiko, you too.'

Shenji took her hand, while Reiko shrugged, she didn't mind either way. Sasuke's youngest looked back at him, and he was taken aback with the amount of disappointment etched onto his son's face. A wave of shame enveloped him, he'd forgotten that Shenji's emotions were just as visible as his mothers. His son had never looked at him that way before.

Takeshi moved to stand by his father, arms folded. They mirrored each other.

'He's young, he just . . . doesn't fully understand that it's not the Uchiha way.'

Sasuke held his tongue, he didn't want to say that there was no Uchiha way. Not anymore. The Uchiha way had left him lonely, hateful, for so long that it was a miracle to even have the family that he did today. He would be a hypocrite, though, because he was still standing on the sidelines.

'He wears his heart on his sleeve, like your mother.' He said, and paused. 'It's what I wanted for him, for all of you. To not fear that.'

'We don't.' Takeshi smiled, 'That's just you.'

The corner of Sasuke's lips turned upwards, and he looked to his son, proudly.

'With good reason, I know that. I'm sure Reiko does too.'

'Your brothers nature is to feel and express things openly. He doesn't understand why I don't.' He sighed, softly.

'He will,' Takeshi said lightly, 'but you've got to be honest with him. Didn't you once say mother understood everything about you because you were honest with her? Shouldn't you be the same with Shenji?'

He was right. It irritated him. It was moments like these that he hated having intelligent children, oftentimes they proved him wrong. He thought, after Takeshi and Reiko, that it would have become easier. That navigating his children's thoughts and emotions would have been easier. Only Shenji was a different ballpark, and understanding him took more work, more communication, and he didn't know how to handle it. Shenji wanted and needed love that was returned in the same way he gave it, but that wasn't entirely possible. He didn't know how to make his son understand that.

He realised, with a deep sadness, that he didn't know his son. Not in the way he knew Takeshi and Reiko, and that his son didn't know him. He hadn't been around enough for either of them to learn. He could imagine what it was like for him. To witness a child like Boruto, who despite having a busy father, was still around to talk to. To learn things from. He wondered if he ever envied his friends. Shenji hadn't chosen this life, he was just born into it. Sasuke had chosen it for him, and without asking what he wanted.

Takeshi and Reiko hadn't needed a deep explanation, they had somehow just . . . understood. Shenji required more, and that was new terrain for Sasuke.

'Does he know about how mother got that scar on her head?'

Sasuke shook his head. It wouldn't have been something Aiko would indulge on her own. Not without telling him first, it was too big.

'You should. He needs to hear it.' A pause. 'He's ready, father.'

Their conversation was halted when Shenji yelled out his brothers name, beckoning him over, pleading him to join in. Takeshi waved, promising to be over in a second. He took a step forward, looking back at his father with a blank expression. Almost identical to one of his fathers, had it not been for the sad look in his eyes.

'This afternoon he asked me if you loved mother.'

Sasuke blinked, staring at the back of his sons head as he joined the rest of his family in their dance. As they enjoyed something he wasn't part of, that he wasn't used to being part of.

But he could be, he thought.

Reiko's head rested on the back of her fathers shoulder, eyes drooping just as they reached home. He could feel her breath even out against his back, and he was silently relieved she still liked things like this still. Being carried on his back for fun, or when she was tired. Sometimes she behaved as if she were too grown up for such things.

Takeshi carried Shenji on his, locked in a conversation about the stars, and the lanterns that had been released into the sky. He was pointing at a few, the both of them trying to decided which one was theirs. It reminded Sasuke of all the times Itachi would carry him home.

As they stepped into the house, Aiko demanded shoes off. Sasuke gently roused his daughter awake, before placing her on the ground. She rubbed at her eyes with one hand, and steady herself with the other by holding onto her father.

'It's past midnight already!' Aiko exclaimed, 'All of you out of your clothes, and into your nightwear. Remember to brush your teeth.'

'But it's Hanami! And papa's home, can't we stay up a little longer?' Shenji tugged on his mother sleeve.

'We still have all that ice cream in the freezer.' Takeshi offered, arms folded.

'I wouldn't mind some ice cream before bed.' Reiko chimed in, trying to hide her yawn.

Usually, when Aiko was outnumbered this way, she doubled down. Feeling as if the children were testing their luck knowing that their father wasn't at home. This time, she looked to her husband, and a silent conversation transpired between them in the space of a few seconds. Takeshi marvelled at the way his parents fit together, this invisible tether that existed between them. Making them able to feel and hear each others thoughts and feelings.

'Alright,' she conceded, 'but change out of your clothes first.'

The children went ahead of her, satisfied grins on their faces.

She felt Sasuke's hand wrap around her waist, pulling her closer. He placed a soft kiss on the top of her head, it was their first time alone since he returned home. He wrapped both arms around her, one hand placed at the back of her neck. Aiko leaned into his touch, her face pressed into his chest. She looked up at him, smiling as he leaned down to place his forehead against hers.

'Thank you for coming back on time.' She said softly, 'It meant a lot to them. Especially Shenji.'

He 'hn'd', which Aiko had learnt years was a response that ranged from 'you're welcome' to 'shut up'.

His hand moved from the back of her neck to her face, fingers brushing aside the bangs on her head and revealed the scar there. He stared it, playing over the events of that night. His fingers grazed the scar and bumps of her skin. Guilt plaguing him over the thought that she had yet another permanent reminder of how he was always almost too late.

'Don't think about it,' she said softly, brushing his hand away and taking hold of it, 'it's in the past. We're here. We're happy.'

'I think it's time to tell Shenji about that night.'

Silence rang between them, not awkward or uncomfortable, just a silence in which Sasuke's words were processed. Both he and Aiko knew they'd tell him, eventually, it wasn't necessarily a worry for them in how Shenji took it. Aiko feared revisiting that night would restart Sasuke's self inflicted torture and shame, and Sasuke always seemed to fear it would trigger his wife's trauma from that night.

'Okay,' she said, running a hand through his hair. 'I think it'll be better if he hears it from you. Alone.' She admitted.

When Sasuke gave her a questioning look, she elaborated.

'You won't leave anything out, for my sake, if I'm not there. I also . . . I think it'll be better coming from you, it'll help him understand you more.'

He nodded. Glad that Aiko understood - without having to elicit information from him - his anxieties over his bond with his son. He didn't expect any less, she had been the one to carry and birth his children. If anyone knew their thoughts, feelings and very soul inside out, it was their mother.

'But after ice cream!'

Sasuke and Shenji sat on the porch in the garden of the compound. Naturally, there were countless homes and rooms still empty, which Sasuke knew would change over time. For now, the courtyard - or garden, as Aiko liked to call it - was a square space of greenery, stones and a small pond. The porch circled the space, making it a prime spot at night, with the moon shining on it.

Stars were visible, and Shenji had been staring up at them in silence as he ate his dessert. The rest of their family remained indoors, getting ready for bed. It was a rare occasion in which he got to spend time alone with his father, so much so that he could only faintly remember the last time. His father rarely spoke in those times, and mostly listened - intently - he never once felt that his father didn't care for what he had to say. Shenji just didn't feel he was particularly high on his list of favourites, nor his mother, despite the protests of his siblings.

His father never expressed any anger, or love with them all. He never laughed, or ever looked scared. He didn't understand it. He didn't understand how his mother, and his siblings, insisted that he felt all those things.

'Do you know what night the Sound Village breached the walls of Konoha?'

Sasuke's voice pierced the silence, like a knife piercing skin. Unsettling the calm of the night, leaving Shenji slightly confused.

It was a night well documented within their history, something he'd learned about at the academy. It had been pretty significant, considering a relatively stable treaty had been forced, but an insurgence had arisen within the village of the sound. They had moved ahead with their attack. This, of course, wasn't the only event of that night that Shenji knew of.

'Yeah . . .that- that was the night I was born.'

Sasuke turned, having been previously staring up at the stars with his son. He didn't think he'd ever told him that he enjoyed doing it too.

'That night,' he said, eyes connecting with his son's, 'I almost lost you and your mother.'

Shenji eyes widened, and stared as his father, at the steadiness of his eye. The rigidness of his shoulders. He thought of what his brother had said that day, of how there were stories about his parents he had yet to know about. Maybe this was a start.

'How?'

His son's voice was steady, eyes inquisitive. Takeshi was right, Sasuke thought, he was ready. So he told him.

Her water had broken while she was in Reiko's room, clearing the last of her kunai from the floor. A birthday present she had demanded from her father, she'd just turned five. Aiko wore a grey short sleeved dress, which stopped at her knees. It was a dress she favoured due to it being wide enough around her stomach, and light in fabric while she worked. The summers in Konoha could be quiet gruelling. The liquid pooled on the floorboards, making Aiko huff in annoyance at herself. She caressed her stomach, feeling the movement inside.

'You couldn't wait just a few more days to make sure your papa was back, could you?'

She wasn't particularly alarmed about her water breaking, after having two children, she knew well enough that contractions would be few and far between for a while. She would have some time, enough to clean the mess she had just made. Which was what she did, and finished cleaning the kitchen.

Unsure of whether their father would make it back on time while she was in the hospital, she had already asked if Hinata and Naruto could watch Reiko and Takeshi for a while. They had gladly accepted, and considering Hinata was also due within the next two months, Naruto had practically exploded with broodiness. So the opportunity to spend some time with kids, specifically his niece and nephew, was a delight for him.

Aiko returned to her and Sasuke's room, their own bathroom attached to it, and begun to run a warm bath, keeping an eye on the time between contractions as she did so. It eased the pain and relaxed her, so while she waited, she called ahead to the hospital to let them know she would be in soon. They'd turn her away if she arrived too early, which was what they'd done before Reiko was born, much to Sasuke's chagrin. She preferred it, anyway, it was boring waiting around in the hospital if contractions were barely affecting you and were an hour apart.

Hinata had promised to collect Reiko and Takeshi from the academy, so she felt relatively stress free. There wasn't any loose ends left.

Keeping an eye on the time on her watch, she counted through a contraction, taking a deep breath. She took off her underwear, pulling her dress up to above her stomach and using a hair tie to keep it in place. She chuckled softly, remembering the look in Sasuke's eyes when he first watched her do just this. As if she were unhinged, deranged, but he would never say it out loud.

She climbed into the bathtub, sinking into the warm water slowly, and sat down. Letting out a sigh of relief, she leaned over the edge, placing her forehead on her arm. Her lower back ached, and truth be told, she was relieved the baby was earlier than expected. She forgot how incredibly old pregnancy made her feel; the back aches, the fatigue, the sickness. A common cold made her bed ridden for days on end. Besides, she was excited to finally meet their son or daughter. And to be able to sleep on her side again, and on her stomach. No one ever prepared you for how long you'd miss either of those.

The sound of an explosion pulled Aiko out from her state of relaxation. It sounded far off, but big enough to cause the ground to shake and shampoo bottles to tip over. Another followed, this time closer. Shaking the walls of the Uchiha house, water spilling out of the bathtub as Aiko gripped onto the edge.

A loud alarm seemed to blast through the streets. One that pierced Aiko's ears, causing her to cover them as it rattled through her head.

Sasuke had prepared her for something like this, repeatedly drilled into her the protocols of Konoha for different emergencies. Alarms or signals for different scales of attack. This was a widespread alarm, and it sounded as if the walls had been attacked, or breached.

She was supposed to head to one of the allocated bunkers, located underground with evacuation routes if it led to it. But she was pregnant, and going in labour. Knowing that the children would be safe and taken care of, she knew the best thing to do still would be to get to the hospital. Sakura had told her it would be protected in emergencies in order to cater to the injured.

She tried to tell herself not to panic, to breath as calm as possible and to remember there was still a safe routine she could stick to. But the intensity of the alarm invaded Aiko's every thought, as if a person were screaming directly into her ear. The compound was far enough way from the centre of the village that she couldn't hear any screams, and she knew a quieter - if not longer - way to the hospital that would ensure she could avoid it. She pulled herself out of the tub, pulling her dress down, and in the fluster of chaos didn't pay closer attention to the wet floor as she reached for the towel on the basin of the sink. Aiko slipped, head hitting the corner on the way down as she fell to the floor, landing on her side. Everything went black.

When Aiko awoke, it was because of a contraction. One strong enough for her to open her eyes blearily, and to groan in pain. Her head ached, and although the alarm was a distant and muted sound to her ears, it was still enough to make her try and focus on her surroundings. The bathroom was dark, all natural lighting gone as nightfall had come. How long had she been out for?

Her head stung, and she reached up to touch it before pulling her hand away. Hissing in pain. Her fingers came away with a wet, red substance. She must have hit her had on the corner the sink, she thought. As her mind cleared a little, she could feel the intensity of the pain, and the stickiness on the side of her face. It was dripping down to her neck, and the collar of her dress soaked it up. It may have been a pretty big gash.

With the alarm continuing to blare, and explosions sounding a lot closer, she began to panic. She had to call Sakura or Hinata, whoever would pick up the phone at a time like this.

She sat up, attempting to fight off the dizziness in her head as her hand reaching to touch the bottom of her stomach. Aiko froze, her heart stilling for the faintest moment as dread crept into the depths of her stomach.

It was dark, but she could make out the pool of blood by her legs, and the stains of it on the bottom half of her dress.

As if on cue, she doubled over in pain, muffling a scream into her hand as she felt a contraction rip through her lower abdomen. She faintly remembered the pain that had woken her, and tried to think about how long ago that contraction had been. Minutes. It had been mere minutes.

She couldn't go to the hospital, she had to deliver this baby now. At home.

She just . . . she didn't know if it was still alive.

The fall had done something, apart from cut open a wound on her head and cause a concussion. She was bleeding more than she had ever before during a birth, and it didn't seem to be stopping. A sob wracked through her chest, and she let only one out, quietly. She didn't have time to sit there and cry, or panic. She had to think straight and fast. She needed blankets, and she needed wet towels.

'So, this is the Uchiha compound. Pretty sweet, huh?'

She heard the voice over the noise; it was male, unfamiliar. It sounded close by.

'Heh. Have you seen these photos hanging on the walls? Cute little family he got himself.'

Aiko realised there were two people in the house, and neither of whom had any business being there. Her breath hitched in her throat as she felt the next contraction, and she bit into her forearm. Breaking skin. Most of the sound she made would have been drowned out by the alarms and explosions, but they were within close proximity of her, maybe just a room or two down the hall. They would hear her scream.

She breathed heavily, tears dripping down her cheeks as she waited for it to subside.

Think, Aiko, think.

Sasuke kept kunai's in their bedside drawers just in case. He'd barely taught her how to use it, but she knew enough for a sneak attack if one came around the corner. He said to surprise them by driving it up into the jugular. Little noise, and didn't take much strength. She just had to crawl to it without crippling herself in pain.

She shifted to her hands her knees, and from the open door she could see their bed and drawers. Grabbing hold of the edge of the sink, she pulled herself up, one hand supporting the bottom of her stomach as she did so. As expected, her vision blurred, and she held herself there for a few more moments as she leaned against the sink. Trying to clear her mind as best she could.

She walked, slowly, remembering exactly how she slipped and fell in the first place.

Making it to the bed, she leaned against it, going back down to her knees as another contraction hit. A whimper managed to escape her lips, and she grit her teeth. This baby was coming, whether she liked it or not. She took a deep breath, holding herself there until it passed through. Placing her hand between her thighs, she checked to make sure the baby's head wasn't crowning. She had no idea how long she'd been out for, the baby could come at any minute. Sweat glistened on her face and neck, she'd never been this active on her feet before, not this far into labour.

She guessed she may have been fully dilated, but no head yet. That was if the baby was positioned correctly, the fall may have ruined things for her. Her hand came back bloodier than before, and she wiped it on her dress. As the contraction receded, she shuffled slowly on her knees closer to the head of the bed, being as quiet as possible to grab one of the kunai's. She gripped it loosely, trying to think of her next steps.

'Doesn't look like anybody's home. We should just take what we've found and move on.'

'No, there's a few more rooms at the end of the hall. Check those out, then meet me back here.'

She didn't hear a response, and assumed that the first voice had agreed by nodding.

Aiko needed to hide, but with someone most likely stepping into the room within minutes, she couldn't just run. She wouldn't make it far in her condition. It was more dangerous out there than in here, she surmised. Her blood was all over the floor, even if she did hide, they'd know someone was home.

She took a deep breath, thinking of whether she could make it to the bathroom and back again, to grab the towel and wipe off as much as she could from the floor. No, she decided. It was too risky. She looked to the row of wardrobes across from her, and it were as if a light bulb went off in her head. They lined the entirety of the wall, built into the room. The kids used them to play hide and seek all the time, and it would provide just enough space for her to sit inside in. Clothing on hangers possibly shielding her.

She heard a bump in the hallway, as if whomever it was was throwing things around in Reiko's room. She didn't have time to clean up her mess, whoever it was was coming through her door in a matter of seconds. Aiko pushed herself up back to her feet, gripping her husband's kunai in her hand tightly as she half-limped to the door. It was shut, and she pressed her head against it briefly to see if she could hear anything over the noise. His footsteps echoed on the floorboards as he headed straight for her room.

Aiko took a deep breath, resting against the wall beside the door as she talked herself into what she was about to do. Up until now, the only violence she had been capable of was when she had slapped Sasuke all those years ago. Him teaching her how to use a kunai hadn't exactly counted.

The door opened slowly, though not carefully, the person on the other side seemed less than cautious. As if he had already written off the possibility of someone being in there. The man kept his hands in his pockets, shoulders relaxed as he walked through. Aiko could only make out the mass of his messy hair from the back as he stepped through. A fear plagued every crevice in her body, there were so many ways this could go wrong.

As he stepped fully into the room, eyes concentrating in the darkness and noticing the dark liquid that made a path on the floor, Aiko grabbed onto his shoulder with her free hand. With the other, she drove the kunai upwards and into his neck, piercing his skin and throat. Adrenaline coursed through her as she pulled it out, while he went into shock, and drove it back in once more. Just in case. She let go of him, falling back against the wall as he collapsed.

She watched his eyes in the dark, wide open and bulging as he choked on his own blood. Probably wondering how he hadn't detected her, how he and his group had felt nothing while sensing chakra's within the vicinity. She was a civilian, he must have realised. They barely had any chakra reserves, it had worked like an invisibility cloak for her. She stared in horror at his face as he bled out on her floor. He was just a teenager.

She had just killed a child.

Blood pounded in her head as she fell to the floor, her fatigue from her concussion forcing it's way through. She stifled a scream as yet another contraction tore at her, and blood and water flowed freely from between her thighs as she could feel her baby begin to come through. She had to start pushing.

'Momoru? Where are you, idiot?'

Aiko didn't wait to be found, she forced herself to crawl to her wardrobe. Panting as she reached for the handle to slide it open, and dragged herself inside. If she were in a better state, she would have winced at the sound it it made as she pulled it back in place. Pushing herself into the corner, she rested her back against the wall.

It was dark, and she had to feel around softly to make sure she didn't touch anything that would make too much noise. Pulling her knees up, she reached for Sasuke's sweaters hanging above her head. They fell on top of her, she pulled at them as softly as she could, placing them beneath her thighs. She had delivered Takeshi at home - with the help of a doctor - but she remembered enough to know what basics she could do alone.

Aiko bit onto her hand, teeth ripping at the skin as she felt a contraction. Tears streamed freely down her face as the pain became unbearable, and with nothing to dull it she felt the full force of her baby coming. If another one came through while he was in the room, she didn't think she'd be able to hold her scream down. Her free hand stayed between her thighs, and she could feel the head crowning. She had to start pushing.

She inhaled as quietly as she could, readjusting herself slightly so that she could lean forward, placing both hands there ready to support her baby's head when it came through. She pushed, as hard as she could for a few seconds as she suppressed a scream. It ripped at her throat, fighting to be released like a caged animal. The blood soaked through the clothing she had placed beneath her. She was feeling more than just tired, she was faint.

Aiko bit down on her lips as she forced herself to push again, this time for longer. The palms of her hands could feel the baby's head and shoulders, but it was dangerous. It was a suffocating position, one that squeezed the lungs. She didn't give herself time to catch her breath, nor time to register that a scream was building inside her. She pushed again, determined to release her baby from it's current position.

She heard the man call out for his comrade once more, heard the footsteps into the room as he let out a yell of surprise. There was a scuffle, as if he were checking whether he was alive.

The baby's chest and arms were free, and Aiko's thumbs moved to hold the baby beneath the armpits, palms supporting it's back and head. One push, one more push and she could do it. She could hide the baby in the blanket of jumpers when he found her. She inhaled and exhaled repeatedly, building her strength back up as she heard his footsteps. He was walking around, she heard him in her bathroom. He was yelling, screaming out for whoever he knew was hiding in there. It would only be a matter of time until he looked in here.

A contraction ripped at her, and Aiko grit her teeth. She couldn't scream. She couldn't. Not now.

An explosion ricocheted the Uchiha complex, so much so that it left Aiko's ears ringing. That had happened inside their fences. Another went off, then another, and another. She couldn't hear anything else, and she knew that was her moment. Her only opportunity to scream. So she did.

She released it from her throat as she gave a final push, and if it had been silent it would have echoed throughout the halls of the Uchiha complex. She didn't know why those explosions had happened, she only knew she was thankful for them. For now.

From what she could make out, the explosions has diverted the mans attention, and he had run out of the room. She released a strangled cry of relief. The baby was out, and despite Aiko's disorientation she pulled the baby onto her lap, realising it was a boy. She placed him on his front, rubbing at his back to force out a cry. He didn't. Aiko's heart froze as she realised the baby wasn't breathing.

A sob escaped her lips as she continued to rub at his back, this time with slightly more force.

The door to her wardrobe was pulled open, a silent shadow loomed over her as she looked up. If she could have, in that moment, she would have screamed with joy. Instead, she released a panicked cry.

Her husband crouched down beside her, she barely made out the dirty ash that lingered on his cheeks. the explosions had been him, it had been a diversion. His hand touched her face, and then moved to the bundled on her lap.

'He's not breathing.' She cried out. 'Sasuke, he's not breathing. He's not breathing.'

Silently, Sasuke pulled their son out of her arms as she repeated her words in panic. Sasuke repeated her action, except he used his palm to detect whether his son had a heartbeat. He did. He could feel chakra flowing through his son, and slowly ebbed his own into him. Attempting this was dangerous, it was a move that required perfect chakra control. Something high-ranked medic ninja's could only usually do. Like Sakura.

He was jump starting his son's lungs, for lack of better words, and he didn't have time to find a medic-nin to do it. His son wasn't going to die.

He held onto a small bundle of pressured chakra, closing his eyes and drowning out the noise around him as he pushed it into his sons back. Sasuke felt his son's lungs contract, as if taking a long deep breath. A cry came a few moments later, and it felt like music had graced hisears. Sasuke held his son upright, pulling him close to his chest, and let out a relieved breath.

'He's okay, Aiko. He's breathing.'

When Aiko didn't respond, he looked back to her. She was passed out, head leaning against the wall inside. He realised, as he leaned in closer, the amount of blood she was covered in. She was still bleeding. Holding his crying son with one arm, he reached his other to touch the side of his wife's face, calling out her name. She was barely responsive, eyes pulling open for a mere second before closing again. He didn't know how much blood she had lost, but he was positive she was haemorrhaging.

He didn't often feel fear, but when he did, it always felt like ice were invading his veins. Crawling up his spine and into his brain. Invading every crevice in his body. He couldn't lose Aiko. Not like this. Not after everything they'd been through.

Pulling off his cloak with one arm, he wrapped his son into it. Rousing Aiko once more to place their baby into her arms. She loosely held onto him, and Sasuke pulled her out of their wardrobe. Placing an arm underneath her knees and the other at her back, he lifted her. His son slid into the crevice between Aiko's chest and his, almost securing him. He had to get them to the hospital.

They'd separated him from Aiko as soon as they arrived, Shizune had let him know she'd go straight into surgery, but he'd refused to let a paediatric take his son away. Aiko would have demanded he stay with the baby, and so he did. A Doctor asked him questions as they prepped to operate. Whether she'd fallen, how she'd fallen, how long she had been bleeding for.

The answer was the same for everything; he didn't know. He hadn't been there. He arrived too late.

He'd been travelling back on foot when he'd heard the explosions. He was still far off, the gates and walls of Konoha not yet visible. They'd been destroyed when he'd eventually gotten to them, and had engaged with the fight. Joining the jounin against the sound ninjas as they attacked. He'd helped carry some civilians to a bunker, it was where he'd found Naruto, who was doing the same.

He'd let him know that the children were safe, that he should get to the hospital to let Aiko know that the children were safe with Hinata.

Aiko had gone into labour, Naruto informed him, smiling tiredly at him as he had given him a pat on the shoulder. Only she wasn't at the hospital, she'd never checked in.

Sasuke's dread filled his stomach and cut off his airways as realisation dawned on him. She was still at the house, on the outskirts, which was currently sound-ninja territory. He'd created seals to set off around the complex, distracting them enough to ensure he could easily kill them. It was simple. There were only four of them, and they were amateur enough that he could deal with them quickly.

Aiko had barely any chakra reserves, so he had spent years being able to sense what little she did have. That was how he found the body laying in their room, with his kunai stuck in his throat. He wondered, amidst his panic, whether Aiko would have been strong enough to do such a thing. It surprised him.

That was when he found her, and it was when his heart stopped.

'What's his name?'

Shizune pulled him out from his thoughts, her eyes focusing on the newborn within his arms, now clean clothed and wrapped in a blanket.

'Aiko picks their names.'

It was an unofficial agreement, of sorts. After all, she carried them, she birthed them. They bared the Uchiha title, that was good enough for him. She could pick whatever she wished for. Regardless, he couldn't pick, not now. He silently held onto the notion that if their son remained unnamed then she had to return.

Shizune said nothing else for several moments, she just watched as Sasuke stared at his son. The baby gripped one of his father's fingers, and breathed softly, easily. As if he hadn't gone almost blue mere hours ago and and his mother hadn't been screaming over the fact he wasn't breathing. He was too afraid to have him out of his arms for too long, too afraid to do anything to disturb the peace his son currently had.

'Aiko, she's- she's very strong.' Shizune sighed, eyes soft. 'Giving birth on her own under those circumstances, it's remarkable.'

She shouldn't have had to, was what he wanted to say. She shouldn't have been alone. He shouldn't have taken the mission. He shouldn't have anticipated that just because she was here, in Konoha, that she was safer than being out there. That she was completely protected. Any later, a mere minute later, and they both would have been beyond saving.

'She's going to be alright, Sasuke.'

Those were Shizune's last words before she let him be, walking away from him.

He wasn't leaving the hospital. He wasn't letting go of his son. Naruto and the others could take care of the rest, he selfishly thought. His grip would remain tight until his wife was with him again. Awake, holding their son, and giving him a name.

Shenji sat in silence long after his father had finished speaking, processing the story that he had just been told. Sasuke watched his son, perplexed that he hadn't had many visible reactions throughout it.

'Were you afraid?'

Sasuke looked in the same direction as his son, up at the stars.

'Afraid enough that it almost made me freeze. So afraid that I couldn't remember the feeling of anything else except my fear.'

'Why?'

It was a loaded question. One that Sasuke had never deeply thought about, he acknowledged the feeling in order to not drown in it, but he'd never had to explain why to anyone, least of all himself. He realised now, that with Shenji, he'd need to always explain them. For both their sakes. He thought about something Aiko had once said; that Shenji had an ability to take on the emotions of others without it weighing him down.

'Because losing you both would have broken me. Your mother is half of me. You, your brother, your sister; you're the only things about me that are . . . good. If you die, I die.'

He thought of how even his wife was tainted now, because of him. He'd slowly chipped away at her over the years, with the traumas she had endured because of him. He thought of how she still had nightmares over the boy she killed. The guilt she carried over taking a life, despite it being her only option. Sasuke had done that to her. Just by forcing himself into her life he had been responsible for it. She had never wanted this life, but she dove into it anyway. For him.

Shenji nodded, the answer was something he could understand. It resonated with him, and it relieved any stress he had; maybe he and his father had more in common than he had thought.

'My sharingan activated in class.' He said after a pause, and Sasuke treated the information as if it were knew.

'How did it feel?'

Shenji shrugged, answering honestly. 'Not nice. It was . . . a lot.'

Sasuke nodded. 'The power can be overwhelming, especially when it's unexpected.'

'I was afraid.' He admitted, turning back to his father.

Sasuke placed his hand on Shenji's shoulder, and squeezed it, offering the faintest of smiles. There wasn't anything to be said in that moment, nothing that needed to be said. The admission had felt like a breakthrough to him, something his son was ready to tell him by his own choice. He needed to know that his father would understand his feelings, he needed the security and safety that person who should understand how he felt the most actually did.

'In the morning we can begin training how to control it.'

Aiko didn't hear her husband step into the kitchen as she cleared away the bowls; a habit of his he irritatingly enjoyed. She didn't noticed anything until a soft melody started playing from the record player he had brought in with him. She looked up, surprised at the fact that he had done something so out of character.

She briefly laughed in disbelief, folding her arms as she took him in. He seemed lighter, happier, and she was pleased to see that his talk with Shenji had gone well.

'What's gotten into you?' She questioned, amusedly.

He placed a hand on the side of her face, and pulled her into him, burying his head into the crook of her neck. He inhaled her scent, it was always the first thing he missed when away, and stayed there for a while, savouring the moment. Aiko gripped onto the front of his shirt, letting him hold her. She imagined he was replaying the events of that night in his head. He held onto her like he was afraid she'd disappear if he let go.

He started swaying slowly, and Aiko soon caught onto what her husband was trying to do. He moved to the soft beat, albeit awkwardly; he had always been incredibly stunted when initiating certain social interactions.

'I owe you a dance.' He said curtly.

Aiko thought back to the festival, when Shenji had yanked on his hand and pleaded with him to dance with her. She smiled softly, placing her forehead against his own. They hadn't danced since the night they'd gotten married. It had been a small affair, the only other people in attendance had been Naruto and Aiko's neighbour, as well as Takeshi. When the others had retired, and Takeshi put to bed, they had danced in her tiny kitchen, simply swaying on the spot.

Now, feeling his heart beat against her palm, his breath kissing her skin as their foreheads pressed together, she noted it felt like a life time ago. They were different people. Yet he was still the same man she fell in love with. Who made her lose her breath whenever he looked at her, who softly purred like a silly - yet adorable - cat in his sleep. He was hers, and she his.

This is, literally, the LONGEST chapter I have ever written! Almost 11,000 words! Haha! it's taken me four days to write. I now conclude this short story. I just couldn't get this part of their story out of my head, and it didn't feel right to separate it into chapters. It all worked as one whole chapter, a short story within a short story, if you will.

UPDATED: I have gone through and revised this, though some mistakes may have escaped. Anyway, thanks for sticking with this story, I hope you liked this chapter!

Stay inside and stay safe! x