Naruto sat in the greasy booth of the dingiest pub he could find. He ordered sake and with each sip of the burning liquid, let his mind wander back to another day at another pub when he had first become a father...
The message had to be genuine. It had been sealed using a technique that Kakashi had shown team 7 for the expressed purpose of secret communication. Which meant that after four years of hard training and searching all Naruto had to do was wait for the bastard to contact him.
During his years with Jiraiya, Naruto had encountered many disreputable establishments that specialized in one or more of the human vices. This one did not appear to have any accoutrements. It stood alone at the end of a seedy alley. It was desolate, without even an obligatory prostitute to garnish it. Inside a small man cleaned cups with a dirty rag. His pudgy fingers swirled the old grease creating patterns on the mugs. An old man sat and the end of the bar. He drank shots, lifting the glass with trembling fingers.
Naruto walked to the back of the pub and chose a windowless booth. He sat back to the wall, eyes on the door, and fingers wrapped around his kunai. The bartender refilled the drunk's glass, ignoring his new customer completely. A few moments later the door opened to reveal a tall man with a shock of red shaggy hair. In one hand he held a frayed bag and in the other was a wobbling toddler not more than two.
"Wow, Sasuke described you to a tee." His smile radiated a certain danger.
"Who are you?" Naruto gripped his kunai. "Where's Sasuke?" The toddler whimpered.
The man chuckled. "Doesn't matter and don't care and, even if I did know or cared, it wouldn't matter."
"Rubeus-kun," the boy's voice was soft and imploring. Rubeus patted the boy, stroking his long black hair, eyes never moving. The boy clung to the affectionate arm.
The man named Rubeus reached into his pocket and pulled out a small scroll that bore legal markings. He kept his eyes vigil as he opened the scroll and read it, his voice showing no emotion. "I, Uchiha Sasuke, being of sound mind and body do hereby leave the Uchiha estate and finances to Haruno Sakura." Naruto's hand tightened on the kunai, his eyes wide in shock. "I leave all of my possessions, including all family scrolls to Hatake Kakashi." An acrid taste filled Naruto's mouth as his gaze moved over to the child, the realization hitting him hard as Rubeus finished reading. A cruel smirk appearing on his lips, "and to Uzumaki Naruto I leave my child."
For the first time Naruto took a good look at the boy. That dark hair, those black eyes, and that pale skin…he was tragically beautiful in the same way his father was. "Sake," he demanded in a low voice. Naruto felt that the idea of cold-as-ice Sasuke reproducing called for a drink, or five. "Well Rubeus," Naruto scoffed, "where does that leave us?"
For the first time Rubeus looked away from Naruto and focused on the child. "It leaves us at the hard part." The whimpering began again. "I recommend you grab around the waist. Kids are crazy stronger than they look."
"No! No! No! No! No!" Tears ran down his face, fingers scratching at Rebeus in pursuit of a purchase. Finally freeing himself, Rubeus turned away and as he walked out he raised his hand above his head in farewell.