One More Time
Chapter 9: You Are My Sister
Sasuke stood uncomfortable in the living room of his former academy teacher. He was a stoic man and nothing really phased him... nothing but this abnormality. Something he doubted he would have ever been born witness to was happening before him.
He'd never seen Naruto cry before. Honestly, he never thought he'd live to see the day she would.
He had never seen her eyes even water once. Yet here she was wailing. Heartbroken and crying so loudly and obviously in pain it was making his own emotions swell in protectiveness.
He had only gone to visit Iruka to ask the older man about a training class he was going to be doing for him.
He was not expecting to step inside only for his teammate to collapse into the arms of Iruka. Sasuke had not been prepared and was left unsure of how to proceed.
How do you comfort someone when you don't know what the cause of their distress was. He stared at the blubbering mess that was Naruto who only muttered out heartbroken whimpers of names.
"Shika" Sasuke frowned hearing her whimper out Shikamaru's name in a blunder of unintelligible words and his own brother's name was slipped in as well.
Finally, Iruka calmed the blonde down enough for her to finally choke out some words. "Naruto, what's wrong?" Iruka's tone was worried but Sasuke saw his former senseis face while Naruto buried her own into his chest. Iruka looked like he was out for blood.
"The Uchiha clan really wants me in their fucking family." Naruto's tone was miserable and Sasuke jolted hearing his family name. "Then there so much behind us politically that may end up pushing the man I love into someone else's arms and me into becoming Itachi's wife." Her voice fell into a whimper as she spoke. "Whether I like it or not." Iruka frowned and lifted Naruto's face wiping away the falling tears before the man softened his expression looking at the miserable girl.
Tears began flowing freely down her face and Naruto nearly choked on a sob. " I'm not even sure if It would be unwise to follow through with the demands to follow the less of two evils." The blonde shook her head but Sasuke had phased out after hearing the first half of her talk.
"What do you mean?" Iruka needed this explain but it was Sasuke that began breathing panicked and horrified.
"The elders had a meeting with father and Itachi, they went into our Jutsu vault." Sasuke had gone pale and looked guilty despite having done nothing wrong. "We have a scroll that will make Naruto go from a reluctant bride to an eager one. It is only temporary but the damage would have been done." The implication of what was being plotted made everyone in the room tense. Naruto paled and the tears and sobs choked out and she flung herself back into the protective hold of Iruka.
Sasuke could not just stand there and watch this. Naruto who had been his friend, his rival, and peculiar mentor when Kakashi was unavailable did not deserve this. Hell, why wasn't Shikamaru throwing a rage through the village, wasn't he a man.
He could see the pain and stress on the blonde's face. It didn't sit right with him and he would not let anyone make Naruto feel this way.
Sasuke moved forward gently ruffling the silky strands of golden hair and leaving a soft murmur of 'I'll be right back' to Iruka before tearing his gaze away from Naruto and marching in the Nara residence direction.
Shikamaru had some explaining to do. Hell, his brother has some explaining to do and Sasuke was not going to give up without ensuring Naruto's happiness. She was like family and this is what you did for family.
He blazed through the village anger etched into his entire being. Sakura had rushed forward a smile on her face trying to get into his path and Sasuke only hissed out a furious "Move" before moving past her. His path was cleared all the way up and into the Nara grounds.
No one stopped Sasuke. One look at his face kept many in the clan from stopping the Uchiha. Though many did follow Sasuke observing him and ensuring he didn't cause havoc to it on their grounds.
Once Shikaku stepped out of the main house eyed Sasuke and stepped aside allowing the furious Uchiha entrance Sasuke lost his trail of curious Nara's.
He was stunned to see Shikamaru in a blaze himself. Mumbling to himself and cursing writing over a paper with several pairs strewn about reading back and forth between them all.
It took several calls but eventually, Shikamaru pulled his gaze from his work and his gaze fell on Sasuke. Shikamaru's face twisted in anger and he huffed before turning his gaze away.
"Are you here to tell me how Naruto and I shouldn't be together as well." Sasuke sputtered his anger dissipating and words dying on his tongue. He could feel his mouth go dry and he feared asking but his mind fell back to Naruto's heartbroken expression and he pushed forward.
"I have no clue what you are talking about. I'm not here to tell either one of you what to do. I'm here because you are hurting her." Shikamaru's head snapped up and he looked just as heartbroken as Naruto had been.
"I need to know what's going on, you and Naruto have been each other special someone since we were kids. I thought my father was finally losing it when he suggested Itachi or I try to convince her into marriage." Sasuke paused as Shikamaru had flinched at the mention of his brother's name and Sasuke feared Itachi really got involved between the pair.
He knew his brother was in love with Naruto, ever since the chunin exams his brother had watched over his teammate closely. Sasuke had tried to convince him to relent on his pursuit because even Sasuke could see how much Naruto pinned over Shikamaru. He and Kakashi sensei had each known for years Naruto Uzumaki was in love with Shikamaru Nara.
Even when both thought Naruto to be male they both assumed the blonde was in love with the Nara heir then too.
Sasuke never doubted who would win in the bout for the Uzumaki's hand in marriage. It was why he fussed and argued with his brother on their outings, to put up a wall and help Naruto find plausible reasoning to give to their clan so she could get out of this sticky situation with as little ego damaging as he could get her to spare.
"Tell me everything that went on between you two. Please, for Naruto." Sasuke was swallowing his pride for this and Shikamaru's gaze watered but the Nara released a heavy sigh before settling down.
"This is going to take some time but I'm leaving out some confidential information. Then once I'm done I'll kindly ask that you get the fuck out of my house and let me finish my work. I've had about enough of you Uchiha's right now." Sasuke settled and Shikamaru began.
Yoshino frowned having followed the Uchiha who had charged into her home. Yet, held herself back and listened at the door, she needed information, as something was very wrong here.
O.M.T.
Itachi had never seen it coming, let alone from his own brother. He held his broken and bloody nose while their mother fussed and their father was shouting at his furious younger brother. Sasuke only rounded on their father yelling back in his face shocking them all as he slugged him across the jaw. Both older Uchiha's only blinked in shock at the youngest of them all. The Uchiha matriarch stood stalk still frozen in horror.
"How fucking dare you!" Their mother looked scandalized at the foul language but stayed silent to grasp the situation. "I won't let you force Naruto into the family!" Sasuke's eyes were a blaze of burning red and his mother stiffened holding a cloth out to Itachi who gingerly tugged it from her and held it to his nose.
Sasuke was passionate and Itachi was awed by that.
"If any of you guys bother Naruto again I will go to the Hokage and I will leave this clan. Imagine how that would make the clan look!" Sasuke was furious that much was certain but Mikoto was the ice next to the ember that was her son. Her dark gaze landed on her husband and dipped to her eldest son while Sasuke clamored out of the house near growling at any of their clansmen who had the guts to approach him.
"Ne, Fugaku, Itachi kun, I believe you both have something to explain to me." Mikoto's frozen smile made both men shiver. They were screwed but both knew the elders on the council would have it worse off than them.
O.M.T.
Iruka was about three seconds from following after Sasuke and handing some so-called 'genius' shinobi their fucking asses. The chunnin had never heard Naruto sound so hurt or conflicted. She wanted to say something but words kept getting caught in her throat. Ever since she finished talking to him and Sasuke the first time she clammed up and refused to speak further.
Naruto had always been so self-assured but this political maneuvering has staggered her. It was all so painful to see and Iruka wasn't sure what to do.
Iruka gently lifted Naruto who clung to him and carried her over to his couch sitting the girl with soft words and gentle pats on her head.
Naruto soon passed out due to exhaustion and Iruka sat by her side pondering what to do. He eyed Naruto her face set in pain even in her dreams and knew something had to be done but was it his place to do something. Naruto came to him but she had not demanded things be done on her part and he knew she was an adult in the eyes of their field.
She was a political power front and him jumping into these situations, a man with no standing or background could be used to undermine her later. Someone like Sasuke would be fine doing so as he was a man with a clan and a status of power as it was. Iruka was just a chunin and not in the regular force, he was a teacher as well. He saw her as someone he cared for, like a daughter he never had. They had bonded when they were in her younger years after he had found out she was a little girl. Iruka had been horrified to find Naruto had been tricked by civilians to go into the woods at night.
Iruka grimaced and stood moving to place the throw blanket from the armchair onto the sleeping kunoichi.
He wanted to do more but scolding grown adults would not only not solve anything but it would undermine Naruto and her own standing. He cared about her though and could be there for her for whatever she needed, that and giving those men his famous disappointed glare would have to do until Naruto gave him the go-ahead to do something that won't damage her reputation. He wanted to help even if it seemed he was the one who should be least of all involved.
Naruto came to him, he had to do something even if it would upset her...right?
Iruka sighed heavily and rubbed his face. He really hated politics and how deeply Naruto was intertwined with them. Iruka needed advice though to help in little ways now. He eyed Naruto who was deeply asleep and made a decision. Collecting his things Iruka left the house, maybe he could do something to help Naruto without hurting her public reputation.
He knew just the right people to go to as well.
O.M.T.
Iruka settled himself at the tea houses table, slightly unnerved about the two women gazes aimed his way. Mikoto Uchiha and Yoshino Nara were settled having just listened to his explanations and both women were furious. They had previously had Hinata here only moments before but the young kunoichi had a fire blaze in her gaze she had excused herself claiming she needed to speak with her father.
Iruka knew she was least involved in this situation but her clan had a hand in all the pressures on Naruto's life currently. Despite appearances, these women were the current matriarchs of each clan. Hinata was confident ever since her friendship with Naruto in their youth. She blossomed from a shy girl to a strong powerful one, and she had only answered to her father for the last several months. Her father had arranged the promised proposal while Hinata had been busy with missions. She now knew it was not an inquiry on Naruto's part to their clan-like she was originally led to believe. The heiress was on a warpath now.
The two women before him now had both been ruminating on what to do. It would seem Sasuke had made a blaze of fury through both clans and each woman had found out bits of information.
Now the full story was lain out and all the aftermath was combed through.
"Ne Uchiha san, what say you and I have a little get-together with our clans," Yoshino spoke although her smile she had etched on her features was terrifying.
"I would think that would be wise Nara san, I feel as though the Hyugas heiress will pull their clan from this situation as such and we should not bother that girl with our clan's matters." Mikoto was just as frightening as Yoshino but Iruka knew something would be done from his small bit of intervention.
"Thank you for the lovely tea Umino san. We will send notice to Uzumaki san about a future group meeting soon." Mikoto spoke smiling and standing followed by Yoshino.
"I am very sure everything will be solved soon, and we are both glad you are looking out for Naruto. Despite everyone's foolish stubbornness when handling this delicate situation." Yoshino sighed and the two women left, and Iruka stood from his seat shakily.
He hoped what he did wounding hurt her reputation but he would not stand by and watch Naruto tear herself apart.
Iruka only hoped she would see it that way as well.
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