Kage Sasuke was right on Fugaku's heels. Incessant. Relentless. Unyielding in his pursuit of an explanation for the answers he long since sought. He reached out towards him, wanting to bring this chase to a stand still, but he didn't get the chance to close the distance. His fingers were nearly broken by the sudden appearance of hard oak as his father slammed the door to his study straight into Sasuke's face. The kage's whole body jerked back before the rest of him could meet the wood as well. His body was trembling worse than his shaking fingers.
The Shadow Kage's wounded glassy eyes deepened into a glare. His gaze set on the hard wood door that stood between him and his father. Rejected. He grit his teeth. Dejected. He banged on the door with his left fist, nothing more than a growl of frustration escaping him. It did nothing to help the dulling pulse of pain his fingers just suffered, but he didn't care. He was pissed and even more so, Sasuke was hurt.
He wanted to yell, wanted scream at his Father to open the door, to let him in, because they weren't done, but he knew the man never would. So Sasuke stayed silent. Quietly suffering in the familiar pain that his fathers willful ignorance brought upon him. Denied his attention once again, and this time his age had nothing to do with it. This wasn't protection. His father simply didn't want to talk to him. His words from just before echoed through his mind. "It matters more than you at the present moment." Why? He wondered to himself. No, maybe that was the wrong question.
He thought back to his walk with Naruto the other day. How the blonde had insisted his father hadn't said anything that bad when Sasuke was so sure that he had. They'd heard the words differently then. Him and his husband. What did his fathers words truly mean? Were his own perceptions swayed by all the ill emotions he still harbored towards his Father? It was possible at the very least.
Still, Sasuke wasn't about to back down because of that. He was much too stubborn to do so. If his father thought that this door was enough to shut him out and keep him away, he was mistaken. He debated being a real asshole and kicking the door down. Perhaps he'd send it sailing off its hinges with a fireball jutsu. Because yeah, he could do that pretty damn good one handed no less. But no. His mother would likely be the one to have to clean up the mess. He wouldn't have this soon to be verbal quarrel burden her. He teleported into the room. Not a scratch on the door. It remained locked. Just in case this got loud, he put a silencing jutsu on the room for good measure.
His eyes shifted to his father. The man was pulling a bottle of sake out of his desk drawer.
"Tell me what you meant by that. When you said the Coup matters more than I do..."
"I meant exactly what I said."Fugaku's back remained turned. His voice terse he picked up his glass. "Get out."
"No. The time I have left with you is limited. I won't let this chance to speak with you go to waste. Whether you like it or not."
"Is that so?" Fugaku turned to face his son.
"It is." Sasuke insisted. "Am I not this clans future? I don't understand. Why shun me even still? How can such a thing matter more than your own son? I'm proof of my own potential. You must see that. "
"Enough, Sasuke..." Fugaku gripped his glass tighter. His eyes closed. As if that would make Sasuke disappear altogether. "...I will hear no more of this."
"No more of what? Anything I have to say? Why must you ignore me like this? What did I ever do that was so wrong? You...you treat me like I'm nothing. Like I'm worthless, and for what? Why? Because I'm not like Itachi? Because I'm not a prodigal genius like him? Excuse me for not graduating in a year and taking more than a first attempt to master the fireball technique when I have a dominant affinity for lightning!"
"Enough, Son." Fugaku's voice a jaded somber
soliloquy. His eyebrow crinkled. His eyes scrunched together like the folds of a fan snapped closed. There was sweat against his glass of sake from his palm. A small crack appearing at the top edge by its lip.
Sasuke pressed on, unrelenting.
"I said Enough!" Fugaku's voice boomed, his eyes shot open sharingan blazing. His glass flew from his grip and hurtled towards Sasuke. The shadow kage's mangekyou swirled to life in his eye. A single rib of Sasuke's susanoo manifested on instinct. The sake splattered and the glass shattered against the glowing purple rib. The remnants dripped to the floor at Sasuke's feet staining the carpet. The cups debris depositing sharp pieces. The mangekyou and part of susanoo retracted with a crumbling creek.
Father and son stared at each other. Two sets of dark eyes met in the sinking somber that fell over the room. Sasuke realized with dawning dread he didn't want those answers anymore. Not if it meant pushing his father until he was the one who cracked. Sasuke was better than that.
Fugaku was the first to tear his gaze away.
His father's hand slid over his forehead and rested over his eyes, a hunch to his shoulders. "...enough." The word was but a whisper, wounded sounding as it was, yet in the rooms silence it was as good as a roar. "Get out of my sight."
Sasuke hung his head. His bangs shadowed over his face. It hid all of his expression. Wordlessly without so much as a sigh, he knelt to the ground and started picking up the remnants of the sake glass. The only sounds in the room were that of clinking bits and pieces.
"Just leave it, Sasuke." Fugaku was tired, his hands rested back on his desktop as he drooped against it.
"No." Sasuke denied, dead set on picking up the pieces. "It's not mom's mess to clean."
"I'll take care of it."
"Like you took care of me?" The words were thoughtless, biting without care, yet he couldn't stop them from coming out. He sighed to himself. "I..." He should apologize. He knew he should. Maybe if his dad had had more time with him...just as he needed more time...more than one try...Sasuke shut his eyes. "I shouldn't have said that. Forgive me... You've made it clear there are no answers to be had with you. Just give me a moment more. I'm almost done...it's a shame, the stains probably not going to come out. But it's a dark rug, unless someone gets close they'll likely miss it."
The room fell silent once more. Sasuke used his Rinnegan to pull the trashcan over from the side of his fathers desk. He swept the dust into his hand and poured it into the bin.
"Don't throw out the pieces. It can be pieced back together."
"Kintsukuroi. Hm. If I had a dime for every time I did that..." Sasuke trailed thinking of not only the thousands of broken plates Naruto demolished whilst doing the dishes that he painstakingly repaired with gold lacquer, but of all the broken bonds he'd repaired over the years. Sadly, it didn't seem as though the one with his father was salvageable.
"Glue will suffice." Fugaku denied. "No need to highlight the cracks."
Sasuke stood up and crossed the room. He deposited the cup pieces on his fathers desk and returned the trash bin to its previous position. He turned around and headed for the door. He released his noise cancelling jutsu.
"No need huh? I suppose I shouldn't expect you to see one." Sasuke unlocked the door and opened it. "There's a strength in owning one's damaged history. A beauty in repairing what was broken, even if it had been done with purpose. Every break is unique and it is in piecing ourselves together that we are able to shine once more free of the shadows our broken pieces cast behind, stronger and more beautiful than before."
Sasuke stepped through the door.
"You may have been the one to break me."
He looked back over his shoulder.
"But I don't need your love to fix myself. I see that now. All I need is my own."
He shut the door with his Rinnegan. Not with a slam, but with a peaceful click.
If for whatever reason his own love wasn't enough, he had Naruto to help him heal those wounds too.
And here's another chapter! We're getting there guys! Next up we check in with kiddie Sasunaru! So stay tuned! What did you think of this chapter? Be honest. Maybe a bit disappointing Sasuke didn't get his questions answered, but Fugaku's a dick, so oh well. I'm actually pretty happy with how this chapter turned out.
Oh! Before I keep forgetting! I made a new spin off story for this series! It's called (you guessed it) Kintsukuroi! It's basically follows a younger pre shadow kage Sasuke forging new bonds and repairing old ones. Him and Naruto are in the dating stage of their relationship throughout the story. Not sure how frequent the updates'll be but when inspiration strikes you'll see an update! The first chapters out already. It follows Sasuke forming a bond with Sai. Cause team 7 solidarity Damnit.
Anywho, as always I'd love to hear your thoughts on things and if you guys have any questions for me feel free to ask!
