Chapter 1
"I'm sorry, Sasuke I'm not going to be able to go to the park with you." Fugaku Uchiha said quietly as he sat down on the eight year old's bed. "I'm sure Itachi won't mind taking you though."
"'Tachi has his own friends, he's not going to want to take me to the park." Sasuke replied sullenly as he sat up on his bed. It seemed like his father never had time to spend with him anymore and it made him unhappy. He just wanted to be able to spend time with his father without his dad's job getting in the way. Ever since he'd won the election for the Governor of Konoha, his father didn't have much time to spend with his family lately.
"I know you don't understand why I'm doing this." Fugaku said quietly. "But I'm doing this so that you and your brother can have a good future. I want you guys to have the best that life can offer."
"I don't care about that." Sasuke mumbled. His eight year old mind didn't care about having the best things that life had to offer, he just wanted his father to want to spend time with him. This was the third time in the last week that his father had changed his mind about taking Sasuke to the park. It was starting to make Sasuke feel like his father didn't care about him.
"One day when you are older, you will care." Fugaku said gently. "When you can get into the University of your dreams, or can get that car that you've been wanting."
"I don't ever see myself caring about those things." Sasuke replied so grumpily that Fugaku couldn't stop the small smile from forming.
"You might not care about those things now, but I can promise you that one day, they'll become more important than spending time with your family." Fugaku replied, as he pushed himself to his feet. "One day I'll be able to make up for not getting to spend much time with you."
"I wish that was now." Sasuke replied. "I'm not going to stay little forever you know."
"I do know." Fugaku replied. "And I'm sure there's going to be moments that I'll never be able to make up for, but I hope that one day you'll understand what I'm doing." Sasuke scowled at his father and turned his head away, he was tired of coming second place to his father's job, he just wanted his father to want to spend time with him.
"I really am sorry." Fugaku said quietly. "One day it won't be like this." Sasuke shrugged and climbed out of bed, making his way over to his dresser where he pulled out a pair of white shorts and a black top.
"I guess I'll see you in a little while." Fugaku said quietly, disappointed when Sasuke didn't reply. He supposed that he couldn't blame Sasuke for being upset, Fugaku did spend more time at work than with his family there lately. It wasn't anything that Fugaku could help, but it didn't make him feel any better. He wanted to be able to provide for his family so sacrifices had to be made but that didn't mean that Fugaku had to like it. He hated that he was missing out on important things with his son, but if he wanted Sasuke to be able to go to the best University, he was going to have to work to make it happen. He just hoped that one day Sasuke would learn to forgive him, and learn to be happy with the family he was able to be around.
"I'm sure Itachi and his friends won't mind playing some soccer with you in the park." Fugaku said quietly as he headed towards the door.
"'Tachi doesn't want much to do with me, he just wants to be with his friends all of the time." Sasuke grumbled.
"I think this time he might make an exception." Fugaku replied. "I don't think there's anything he wouldn't do for you." Sasuke shrugged, he wanted to spend all his time with Itachi but here lately Itachi was away from home more than he was home. Fugaku sighed, he hated to have Sasuke angry with him, but there wasn't really anything he could do about it. He just hoped that Sasuke would get over it.
After his father left, Sasuke pulled his shirt over his head and pulled his shorts on. Glancing at his unmade bed, he turned and headed out of the room. Making his way down the carpeted hall. He glanced into the bedroom a few doors down from his. It was empty, leaving Sasuke thinking that there was no doubt that Itachi was yet again not at home.
Heading downstairs, Sasuke took a left at the bottom of the stairs and made his way into the kitchen where he found his mother setting at the table with a cup of coffee in her hand and the newspaper spread out on the table in front of her.
"Morning Sasuke." Mikoto said looking up from the newspaper at her youngest son.
"Morning mom." Sasuke replied grumpily as he walked over to the table and sat down in front of his mother.
"What's wrong?" Mikoto asked looking up and frowning at the unhappy expression on her youngest child's face.
"Father can't take me to the park again." Sasuke mumbled. "He's always going to choose work over spending time with me."
"He has to work though, he has to provide for us." Mikoto said gently. "I know you don't understand but there's bills that need to be paid, and eventually you're going to want to go to college, that's going to have a big bill."
"I don't care about college right now though, that's going to be years down the road." Sasuke mumbled. "He spends time with Itachi every night, but he can never find the time to spend with me."
"That's because I'm working on college stuff." a tall, dark teenage boy said as he entered the kitchen and walked over to the cabinet and pulled down a couple of bowls. "I'm getting started on working on the tests that will prepare me for college."
"Still it feels like he cares more for you than he does for me." Sasuke mumbled. "He never has time for me anymore."
"I know it seems like that." Itachi said quietly. "But he loves you the same as he does me, he wants to be able to provide you with the best like Mom told you." Sasuke heaved a heavy sigh, he understood what they were trying to say, but it really didn't make him feel any better. He just wanted his daddy to want to spend time with him.
"If it makes you feel better, Deidara and I will go play soccer with you in the park." Itachi said and Sasuke's head shot up.
"Really?" Sasuke asked, he loved spending time with Itachi, but lately Itachi had been spending more time with his friends.
"Of course." Itachi said. "I wouldn't want Sasuke to be unhappy all day. I know how much you love playing soccer."
"I didn't think you wanted to play with me anymore." Sasuke said quietly.
"I'll always find time for you when you need me." Itachi replied. "I'll be there for you always."
"I'm glad you boy's get along." Mikoto said, "It's the greatest relationship you'll ever have until you get married."
"I don't want to get married." Sasuke made a face and shook his head.
"You'll change your mind when you get older." Itachi said laughing at his brother's expression. "You'll find that girls aren't as bad as you think they are."
"Yuck," Sasuke shook his head, and both Mikoto and Itachi laughed.
"You won't always think that." Mikoto replied. "Girls will become important to you down the road."
"I really don't think so." Sasuke shook his head. "Their always going to be yucky, unless your mom." Itachi shook his head, his little brother was the cutest ever, he didn't think it was possible for anyone be as adorable as Sasuke was.
"You think my girlfriends yucky?" Itachi asked and Sasuke shrugged.
"I guess Izumi is okay." Sasuke mumbled. "But the girls in my class are yucky."
"I wish you could stay my baby forever." Mikoto said, and Sasuke made a face at her.
"I'm no baby." Sasuke told her firmly.
"Keep telling yourself that baby brother." Itachi said smirking as he placed a bowl of cereal down in front of Sasuke.
""Tachi don't be an asshole." Sasuke muttered.
"Sasuke!" Mikoto said. "Where did you learn such language."
"'Tachi." Sasuke mumbled and Itachi shook his head. His little brother would throw him under the bus.
"How about I kick your butt at soccer instead of letting you win?" Itachi suggested, Sasuke stuck his tongue out at his brother.
"I'll win." Sasuke replied. "There's no way that I'll lose to you."
"I'm bigger and better." Itachi replied.
"That doesn't mean anything." Sasuke replied. "I'm still going to win."
"You don't stand a chance." Itachi replied, as he gulped down his cereal and placed the bowl in the sink and exited the room.
"He's not going to win." Sasuke muttered stubbornly, ignoring the fact that his brother was bigger than him.
"Of course he isn't." Mikoto said humoring Sasuke. "You've got the win in the bag."
"I always do." Sasuke replied, as he finished his cereal and pushed himself to his feet. Picking his bowl up, Sasuke took it to the sink and put it down.
"Keep believing that." Mikoto said softly as Sasuke exited the kitchen. "And eventually you'll be right."
An hour later, Sasuke and Itachi arrived at the Konoha park, to find Deidara and Izumi already waiting by the pond.
"You invited Izumi?" Sasuke asked looking up at his brother. If she was here, Itachi would be distracted and Sasuke liked having Itachi's attention.
"We needed someone else to play." Itachi replied. "Deidara is going to play on the same team as you, while Izumi is going to be on mine."
"Then I'll win for sure." Sasuke replied. "I won't be distracting you."
"I don't always get distracted." Itachi replied. "I do do more than just make out with her you know."
"Gross." Sasuke said making a face at Itachi. He didn't like hearing about Itachi's adventures with his girlfriend.
"One day you'll understand." Itachi replied, reaching out and ruffling Sasuke's hair.
"Hey guys." Itachi called out. "Ready to play?"
"I'm always ready to play with the little squirt." The blonde male called out, turning in the direction of Itachi's voice.
"I'm not a squirt." Sasuke called out, sounding annoyed at the Deidara's words.
"You're always going to be a squirt to me, baby Uchiha." Deidara said, walking over and ruffling Sasuke's hair. Sasuke scowled at him causing the trio around him to laugh at his irritation.
"Let's play some ball." Itachi said, tossing the soccer ball into the air, chasing after it once it hit the ground. Sasuke was quick on his heels, reaching out and kicking the ball away from Itachi and in Deidara's direction.
"Great job, baby Uchiha." Deidara called as he brought his foot back and kicked the ball into the goal. Sasuke grinned at Deidara before running after the ball again.
"This seems to be taking his mind off of your father's latest cancelation." Deidara told Itachi as he paused and let Sasuke chase after the ball.
"I understand what father's doing." Itachi said quietly. "But Sasuke is still too little to get it. It's not fair that father works all the time and avoids spending any time with him while I get to spend a few hours a night with him."
"I mean your father does know how to say no, he just doesn't choose too. He could also find some time to spend with Sasuke when he got off of work, but he doesn't." Deidara pointed out. "You can't blame Sasuke for being upset with him, he nearly never gets any time with his father anymore, yet Fugaku finds plenty of time to spend with you. I'm sure Sasuke thinks that he's somehow a disappointment to your father."
"That's not the case though, I know our father loves him just as much as he loves me. It's just winning that election caused all of this." Itachi replied, as he started jogging after Sasuke, his heart not really interested in beating Sasuke in soccer. He hated that Sasuke felt like his father loved him less than he did Itachi.
"Maybe he never should have run for governor." Deidara said as he jogged to catch up with Itachi. "He wouldn't be so busy all the time."
"It's always been something that he's wanted to do though." Itachi said catching up to Sasuke and reaching out and slamming his foot into the ball, knocking it several feet away. "You can't fault him for wanting to accomplish his own dreams."
"He should have done that before starting a family." Deidara said as he started running faster towards the ball. Kicking the ball, Deidara grimacing when the ball disappeared into the bushes.
"Thanks Deidara, I thought you were supposed to be helping me out, not hindering me." Sasuke called out.
"Sorry, squirt." Deidara called out. "Your brother distracted me."
"And I thought Izumi was supposed to be the distraction." Sasuke muttered, and Itachi reached out and smacked the back of Sasuke's head.
"Be nice and go get the ball." Itachi hissed at his brother, before turning towards Izumi.
"I'm sorry, he's just being a little crabby this morning." Itachi told Izumi, who only smiled.
"I get it, he's still not quite used to me being around so much." Izumi replied. "Besides that he's at the stage where girls are yucky."
Hearing a startled yelp, Itachi started towards Sasuke, who had started crawling underneath the bush, only to have a pair of hands hold the ball out towards Sasuke. Fearing that there was some sort of predator in the bushes Itachi reached down and grabbed the arm and pulled, dragging the person out. He was surprised to see a filthy, blonde haired boy who looked to be about eight years old staring back at him.
"Who are you and what are you doing in the bushes?" Sasuke asked.
"I'm Naruto, and I'm hiding." The boy replied, still staring up at Itachi with fear in his eyes.
"He's not going to hurt you." Sasuke said. "'Tachi won't hurt anyone." Still the boy whose clothes were filthy and had holes in them.
"How long have you been hiding here?" Sasuke asked, the soccer game all but forgotten as he stared at the kid in front of him. Naruto shrugged before pushing himself to his feet and jogging off in the direction of the street. Itachi frowned and watched him go, there was something about the kid that was familiar, he just didn't know what it was. He had a feeling that Naruto wasn't quite being truthful about why he was out there. He couldn't help but wonder if it would be a good idea to Sasuke come to the park by himself, because if that homeless kid could hide so easily, then so could a child molestor. He wasn't going to do anything that was going to put Sasuke at risk.
TBC?