! Hey guys! Before you start reading, just a quick trigger warning there are some mentions and allusions to self harm in this chapter (courtesy of the Sasuke's 😰😬).

Just wanted to let you know in case that's a topic that's difficult for you and you wanted to skip out on this chap.

However if you want to read it then you have been warned and go right ahead. -

Little Naruto knew something was up when his older self had been pulled all sneaky like out of the bathroom while he himself was washing his hands. It was the way grown Sasuke lowered his voice and hid his lips from his line of sight that made him suspicious. Whatever he said must've been real bad what with the way his own older self's expression went cold. The two disappeared together in a blink from his view. Something had to be wrong. Though Little Naruto acted like he was unaware. Lest grumpy old Sasuke snap at him for being nosy and following after.

He focused on getting his hands clean. It took him a good minute to scrub all the paint flecks that had caked onto his skin away. He didn't want to end up with broken torn off fingers. Sasuke always followed through on threats. No way that changed when he grew up. But once his hands were void of paint and would pass an inspection by Kage Sasuke, he dried them and journeyed downstairs. He was careful not to make a sound. He wanted to see where him and Sasuke's older self had gone off too.

The aroma of fresh cooked meat hit his nose as he made the ground floor. Sizzling spices and flavors he'd never had the opportunity to freshly taste teased him. The kind that came out of those fancy restaurants that threw pitchers of water and bowls of cold noodle veggie infested soup at him if he loitered by the door for too long. The kind whose chefs would call him a rat and chase after him with sharp knives and metal ladles when he was caught digging through their bins like a raccoon when his cash ran short and he was desperate for a bite. His mouth grew wet with saliva. The mouth watering smell made him remember how hungry he was. His stomach growled traitorously announcing his presence just as he was passing the kitchen doorway.

He eeped and sprinted from sight almost tripping over his feet as he went by. He glued his back to the hallway wall wincing his eyes shut. He waited a minute. Two. Nothing. He hadn't been spotted or so he thought. He was suddenly scooped up from behind by his older self and paraded into the kitchen where Sasuke's family was already seated. A silent Sasuke carried in just behind him by his own older self.

Mikoto smiled cheerfully at the group of them as they entered. Fugaku's expression didn't change. The man was sour. Itachi just looked like he wanted to be anywhere but at the table.

"Alright! Who's hungry? Oh, this all looks so good ya know. " Kage Naruto grinned swinging his younger self around. Little Naruto laughed happily as he was spun, his eyes closed. While his kid self was distracted, (Sasuke's own kid self was resting his head down against the shadow kage's shoulder), Naruto risked wrecking the whole meal before it started and deposited a quick loving kiss on his fellow kage's lips. Because fuck everyone else.

No comments were made this time. Fugaku was biting his tongue. He could complain about the whole thing to Mikoto later when the boys left. Itachi didn't care to comment and start something. Whatever scolding he'd do would only earn a rather loud argument that wouldn't help his head any so he wisely stayed silent. Mikoto had actually smiled at the gesture. It was nice to know her son was so loved.

Little Naruto smiled at little Sasuke as he was set down between him and his brother. Only for it to falter as he really looked at his friend. Little Sasuke's bangs were shadowing his eyes, his head was kept ducked down. Tiny Naruto frowned. He leaned down in an attempt to see under his hair. But the little Uchiha moved to rest his left arm on the table. An effective block to keep his face shielded from blue eyes. As little Sasuke's sleeve moved up the white tie of a bandage was poking well out of the long sleeve. That had not been on his wrist when he was getting his nails done earlier.

He didn't have time to question his friend. Food was already being dumped unceremoniously onto his plate. Meat, rice, veggies-lots of veggies-too many veggies. It stole his attention. His nose scrunched in distaste as he poked at a floret of broccoli. Ick. No. No way. He stuck his nose up at the food. He pushed his plate away. No thank you.

"Oh my...looks like we have a picky eater on our hands..." Mikoto smiled to herself, holding back a laugh, memories of Kushina throwing a fit quite like this one filling her mind.

"Cmon, mini me. Don't be like that. Your gonna hurt Sas's feelings." Naruto leaned forwards. "Eat up. Just try it. It's really good. Promise."

"It's not Ramen." Little Naruto crossed his arms. He didn't care if grown Sasuke cooked it or if it smelled super good. It was some kind of nasty trick. He wasn't eating anything green. Nothing was ever good when it was green. Not bananas, not tomatoes, and definitely not bread. The broccoli wasn't either. He wasn't falling for this. Nuh uh. No way. "I don't want it."

"Too bad. It's all your getting." His plate slid back in front of him courtesy of an insistent push from blackened nails. Little Naruto glared at grown Sasuke. He tried with all his might to push the plate away again. But it wouldn't budge. Sasuke's fingertips alone were stronger than all the strength in kid Naruto's teensy body.

"Urgh!" Little Naruto gave up and banged his fists against the table. "I want Ramen! I'm not eating this trash you made! No way!"

Grown Sasuke's eye brow twitched. "Trash, huh?" He retracted his hand. There was a light smirk on his face as he turned to his husband. "Maybe I shouldn't waste my time cooking for you anymore if you think it's trash before you even give it a taste. Hm?"

"What? No!" Grown Naruto was immediately panicked. He flailed. He grabbed onto his husbands arm. "Sas, He-he doesn't know what the hell he's saying!" His head whipped to his younger self. He slammed his hands down on the table, everything on it quivered.

"Listen here you ungrateful little shit! Sasuke went through hell looking for you today, and he was nice enough to cook too, so you shut up and eat!"

"Nuh uh." Little Naruto protested. "I want ramen!"

"You can have ramen whenever. This is special." Naruto insisted. "Cmon he made it with love~"

"Eww. What'd he do that for? Now it's extra extra gross." The small blonde stuck out his tongue staring at the plate like it was covered in cooties. "Yuck."

"It's not yuck. Just try a bite. He'll never cook for us again if you keep this up! We've got a good thing going." Naruto pleaded. "Don't you dare ruin this for us! The ramens not worth it."

"Ruin-wha hey!" Little Naruto blanched as Kage Sasuke blatantly thieved some tomatoes off his plate. "Sasuke! You overgrown jerk give those back!"

"Hm. I made them and you don't want them so...No." Sasuke chewed his stolen bite and swallowed. "Mm, damn I did good." He nodded to himself, his chopsticks dug into little Naruto's plate once more snatching more tomato. "You don't want love in it? Fine. I'll take it all out."

"What? You can't just take it out when it's all mixed in." Kid Naruto glared. "You're just stealing all the tomatoes!"

"They're my favorite loser. That means they've got the most love in em." Little Sasuke spoke up voice at a mumble, chopsticks pushing his rice around, swirling the grains in the sweet sauce his older self made. He kept his head ducked down. "Duh."

"Grr, why you...You wanna say that to my face?" Little Naruto glared, except little Sasuke didn't take the bait. His arm shield didn't move. His head didn't lift. Nothing. Little Naruto felt a pang in his chest. He didn't know what it was exactly. Rage or Worry. But it hurt.

"You think your foods so great? That I'm too scared to try it? Well I'll show you!"

Little Naruto didn't like little Sasuke ignoring him. The Uchiha never ignored him. Not ever. He at least got a glare out of him usually. So, Naruto stuck his fingers right into little Sasuke's bowl. He was expecting a fight. For his friend to snap and tackle him to the floor, tell him to keep to his own plate, threaten to break his fingers right off if he ever dared try that again, but none of that happened. The food was procured without incident. No reaction. This was bad.

He wasn't made to eat his words when he gobbled the bite down and admitted that maybe it was kind of okay. Lest the superior smirk from Sasuke's older self be counted. Little Naruto didn't count it though. He pulled his plate back to himself and started eating. Yet, he wasn't even really enjoying his food. Even if he did now find that the smell wasn't misleading at all and it actually was super tasty. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off with his Sasuke. Little Naruto kept sneaking glances at little Sasuke as things quieted and everyone started eating, well almost everyone.

Little Sasuke wasn't eating. At all. He was pushing the food in his bowl around with his chopsticks, digging little dents into his food before he'd bring empty chopsticks to his mouth, only simulating the action. A trick that'd fool anyone if they were merely glancing the boys way. None of Sasuke's family seemed to notice this like the blonde did. They were busying themselves in boring small talk about sharingan...whatever that was. But little Naruto, he noticed little Sasuke. He could tell something was wrong. Little Naruto put his chopsticks down. He decided neither one of them was going to eat anything until he helped his friend.

He looked to their elder selves. He wasn't really entirely sure what he should do exactly. He caught the elder Sasuke's eyes. The nod he'd gotten was almost imperceptible, but the blonde child took it as a go ahead. His own older self yawned and stretched, the little blonde didn't miss pointed arch towards the back door. So they did know something was up. But why weren't they doing anything? Saying anything? Little Naruto didn't get it. But it didn't matter. He didn't have to understand what was up with their adult selves. He had to figure out his Sasuke. With that thought in mind, he grabbed his friend by the arm. Ignored the startled protest of his name as he hauled him up, and tugged him out into the backyard under the guise of seeing pretty fireflies they had to catch right now.

The back door creaked shut behind them.

Mikoto's mouth dropped in surprise. She was about to get up to tell the boys to come back and finish eating when her husband stopped her.

"Just let them be Mikoto..." Fugaku sighed patting his wife's hand. "...it could prove fruitful if they tucker themselves out. We have things to discuss later."

"I suppose.." Mikoto relented settling back down.

Itachi smiled, relieved he may finally get to rest his aching head. That relief however came too soon.

Naruto gripped his chopsticks so tight they snapped. He shut his eyes. Damnit. So much for a nice last meal with Sasuke's family. Things were about to get very ugly. Very fast. He had no doubts his pupils had narrowed into slits. He couldn't help it. Kurama was growling. The hokage himself was pissed. Sasuke's left hand rested on his right thigh under the table. A grounding weight. Holding him. Steadying him. A wordless warning. Don't. It wouldn't fix anything if it came to yells as it had that morning. Sasuke's touch was the only thing keeping the hokage from letting his chakra truly flare. To see Sasuke's younger self so hurt and dejected, and witness his family, the ones who were supposed to love and care for him, fail to notice or really acknowledge him, even see that he was hurting, that something was off with him, tore something inside of him that Naruto couldn't even name. Sasuke was alone even with his family. How fucked up was that?

Kage Sasuke lowered his chopsticks down to rest on the table. Unlike his husband who had been so hopeful for a different outcome Sasuke had expected this result. When he found his younger self in the bathroom it hadn't been pretty. There was tears and his wrists looked like he'd got into it with an alley cat. He'd caught himself off guard by teleporting inside the locked room and there was kunai accident so bad he'd actually had to grab Naruto and his wonderful life saving nine tails healing chakra.

Little Sasuke had been so distraught. Even as he was getting patched up. He wasn't good enough. He'd said. Went on this little babbling rant about how he was sorry and Itachi probably wouldn't have gotten startled like he did and it was just such a mess. Sasuke knew the feeling well. He still carried it around with him. The never ending self doubt that made him feel inadequate.

Naruto proposed a test to prove Sasuke's little self wrong. One which to both Kage's bitter disappointment his family had thoroughly failed just now. The worst part was that Sasuke imagined how it could have gone right so clearly. His mother would be concerned. His brother would apologize for being a jerk and slyly mention his younger self unlocked his sharingan today. His dad would want to know all about it. Maybe even be prideful about him for once. Him and Naruto would jump in with some really cool mission stories. But Alas.

Sasuke sighed heavily. What did either of them expect? They should have just left when they were going to. Oh well. Too late now. Still, he supposed this dinner wouldn't be a total waste if he asked something he'd wondered about for a long time.

"Which do you all care about more?" Sasuke spoke slowly. His eyes trailed over his family. "Me or the Coup de tat?"

Dun, Dun, Dun! Here's chapter 15 peoples! Sorry it took a little while. This one ran through a lot of point of view changes before I finally decided on mini Naru. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next one should be out sometime soon so stay tuned!

If you have a bit of extra time-here are some questions for you to answer while you wait:

1. Which chapter would you rather see first? Little Sasunaru talking and playing in the backyard or grown Sasunaru talking to Sasuke's family? I can't decide so I'm leaving it to you all! Cast your votes!

2. How am I doing portraying Naruto and Sasuke's love for each other? What do you think each of their love languages are?

3. What do you think of the story so far?