Closer To You
"Have we lost our minds?"
"Mom!"
Asuka smiled and nodded slightly at seeing her son nail a kunai in every target set out by his uncle. He had talent like his father according to Sasuke.
She wasn't surprised. After all, he was his father's son.
"Did he have a hard life?" Sasuke asked watching his nephew continue to practice flawlessly.
"We had our moments," Asuka agreed with softened eyes. "But always, we pulled through."
"How did a kunoichi like you get to know him?" Sasuke asked after a long pause.
"Fate maybe?" Asuka said shifting her eyes to him. "He saved me and I saved him."
"Hn..." Sasuke uttered
Asuka smiled looking at his expression.
"My brother is a little clingy and cutely pouts when he's upset,"
She chuckled lightly and agreed silently after seeing his look.
Sasuke frowned slightly and looked at her. "What?"
"Nothing," Asuke said though happiness danced in those red eyes of hers.
"Are you really a Tenkou?" Sasuke suddenly changed topics.
Asuka nodded. "But I favor my mother's side. She specialized in Genjutsu."
"He has a talent for it as well," Sasuke said staring at his nephew.
"Thank you for all you have done for him," Asuka said staring at her son as well. "Ita would have been proud of you."
"… would he?" Sasuke uttered as his eyes fell to stare at his hand.
"No matter what you did, he has always loved and approved of you," Asuka said with confidence. "I have no doubts of his actions towards you Sasuke."
She smiled brightly at Sasuke. "After all, he chose to protect you and everything you loved."
"But I destroyed it all with my hands," Sasuke stated bluntly.
"He did what he thought was best, just as you did."
"You sound too sensible like Hinata," Sasuke said with a frown.
"There's nothing wrong with being level-headed," Asuka said turning to stare off in another direction.
"That's why you lost him," Sasuke said straight-forwardly.
"Tch," Asuka said through a smile. "I let him do what he needed to do."
"You-"
"Should we talk about your choices?" Asuka asked with a bright smile to cut him off.
"What do you mean?"
"You didn't love her," Asuka stated.
"How would you know?" Sasuke said all of a sudden so defensively.
"I saw it last week," Asuke said pointedly this time. "And today too."
"What-" Sasuke asked not knowing how to even phrase it. What kind of creature even has this type of thinking and reasoning?
"You're here with us but not with your daughter and wife," Asuka said almost smugly. "You cannot stay comfortable around her because you are not in love with her."
"Then why did I marry her?" Sasuke asked challenging her to come up with a reason for that.
A smirk crossed her face and she spoke softly but frankly. "Because you got her pregnant and you needed someone to continue the line for the future."
"You!" Sasuke stood in anger.
"What?" Asuka asked with a slightly raised brow. "Want to tell me I'm wrong?"
"I do love her!" Sasuke said angrily.
Asuka nodded. "I agree,"
Sasuke froze not knowing how to respond to that.
"You should stay confident in that and not waver then hm?" Asuka asked turning to the sliding door beside the two of them.
Sakura stood there with Sarada staring at her husband with teary eyes. She had been so conflicted with Asuka and Tachi these last few days. Not only did she make a joke of herself by attacking who she thought was a rival in love, but she hadn't properly apologized.
"Come sit with us," Asuka said with a smile.
Even if what they had wasn't love, it was at least love of convenience.
'What would you think of that Ita?' Asuka wondered as her eyes strayed back to her son.