A/N: Oh my gosh, I didn't know that so many of my readers cared for me so much. And some of you actually followed me from WP (shocks!) Thank you! I am already feeling better. Tthank you, and I love you all. Thank you so much for encouraging me and supporting what I am doing for fun. And please continue to love our little Dino san and Sayu chan and their parents.

And before we go onto the story, we'll see our Fugaku and Sayu show some fan service.

(Fugaku enters in a green dinosaur suit, with Sayu chan in a baby stroller. Sayu looks at Reader chan with her big light lilac eyes. She has a pacifier in her mouth that looks like a piece of candy. Then she waves something in her small pudgy hand.

Fugaku (in a monotonous voice): Sayu said she wanted to give something.

In her hand was a little yellow star, the same star she gave Sasuke in his birth dream. She keeps waving it in her little hand as looks at Reader chan with bright eyes. While sucking on her candy pacifier.

Fugaku (blushes): Th-thanks for showing your support... I guess...(grunts and turns away but is unable to leave Sayu's side. He shoves his hands into his pockets) whatever.

In the middle of the deep forests, a tall man flitted from one bough to another. His movement caused the wind to slice apart as if his body took on a shape of a knife. His face wore a deep scowl as he raced towards the forest. He almost cursed as he looked around the forest. Then his eyes widened as he finally caught the object of his search.

When he finally landed on a green plot of plain, he glared at the man who has his back turned to him.

Through gritted teeth, he spat out, "So...to what do I owe the pleasure of having you come all the way to this place?"

When the man didn't answer, Sasuke yelled, "Uzumaki Naruto!"

The addressed man finally turned to him and made a sad smile, "I gave up being a Waker and handed the place to the Akatsukis. Now I'm just living my childhood dream."

There were no formalities such as asking how they have been. Too much time, too much battles, and misunderstandings got in the way of their friendship. There was a strain that felt like something caught in the throat and weighing on the chest.

Sasuke looked at Naruto and mused how time made him look different. He looked stiffer, and his facial expressions were not as lively and varied as before. He also trimmed his hair, which made him look sterner and more imposing than his youthful days.

Naruto also looked at Sasuke with quiet scrutiny and then made a faint smile, "You look different, Sasuke. You look a lot better."

Sasuke didn't answer. At the back of his mind, all he could think about was Hinata and his children. Fugaku was just learning how to set up hunting traps for wild birds, and Sayu has finally started to coo and turn her head a little but. She was just two weeks! They'll have to wait a week more to hear her gurgle and coo more often. And how could he ever forget Hinata's smile as she nurses Sayu with her teat. When he sees her smile like that, he feels like a boy again. Sasuke knew that Naruto was going to ask about Hinata.

As if he was talking by himself, Naruto went on, "It's weird. I achieved the dream I always wanted. But… I don't feel as excited about it."

Naruto looked at Sasuke's serious face and tried to lighten up the mood. He shrugged and smiled. His whisker marks rose as he smiled, "Then I got bored so I decided to just go around here and there. Met some punks. Then—"

Sasuke said testily, "Naruto, get to the point." For some reason, seeing Naruto trying to lighten up about his solitary life made him feel a sharp twinge in his chest. Something deeply unsettling, nauseating, and painful. Guilt, yes, he was feeling guilt.

Naruto looked at him quietly, "To be honest… I wanted to know how you two were doing, but I thought it wouldn't be 'proper' for the hokage to leave his post just to look for his old mates."

Anger made way to Sasuke's voice, "No. You've been wanting to look for us. You just wanted an excuse."

Naruto yelled in protest as if they were just bickering, "Hey-no need to be so rude to an old pal!"

But then he heard a woman's soft voice, "No, you're wrong this time Sasuke kun."

Fury made his eyes blaze with intensity. There was only one woman in his life who could call him by that name—Hinata chan. But he knew who dared to show such audacity and familiarity.

From the shadows emerged a woman with short pink hair.

Naruto covered his eyes and emitted a sigh of frustration, while Sasuke looked at her as if she was some sort of abomination. He honestly thought that seeing Naruto was enough, but now he knows that the worst has yet to come. All he wanted was to live a life of peace with Hinata and their children. Was it that much to ask?

But then maybe it was. He has committed many crimes. It was too much for him to live in such happiness. If there was such thing as a divine power, did it send Naruto and Sakura?

Sakura made a sad smile, "How are you doing, Sasuke kun?"

Ignoring the pain in her eyes, Sasuke glared at Naruto, demanding an explanation. His jaw clenched as he fought to hold onto his last piece of sanity. He felt as if he just ran laps, as his heart beat erratically.

Naruto looked at Sasuke and Sakura sheepishly, "Teme-"

"Shut up," his tone could slice iron, "don't call me by that name. I knew Sakura always had a hold on you, but you're not a shinobi, you're not a man."

Despite receiving such a harsh insult, Naruto still tried to explain, "Sakura and I are getting married this year, Sasuke."

"But before we get married," Sakura spoke with urgency, "I needed to talk with-"

"You haven't changed," Sasuke interrupted with a crooked smile that looked more like a snarl. His eyes were freezing cold. His face looked as if it was carved of ice.

Sakura closed her eyes shut as if she was pressing down the pain, "I know."

This time, he knew he effectively shut her down. So he turned to Naruto, his next target, "And don't lie to me. You two are not getting married."

When Naruto looked at him with surprise, he snorted, "Even a seven year old could see through that lie." His son Fugaku would never fall for such blatant lie, no matter how young. He would turn his head away haughtily and snort at such childish lie. Like his father, Fugaku wasn't tolerant of others who he viewed as below him in conduct.

Sasuke turned towards the direction of his home and spat, "I believe we're done here."

When he turned his back to her, she cried, "Do you think that Hinata really loved you more than I did?"

He almost stopped in his track. He felt his knuckles cracking as his fingers twitched. Sakura claimed that she loved him but she also knew how to strike where it hurt. He was already insecure about his wife's love, because it sometimes felt too good to be true. He wasn't a sappy kind of character, but it truly was a miracle that Hinata had a change of heart and decided that it was worth spending the rest of her life with a sick person like himself. Hinata was wise to see so much in Naruto and see him the way he was (broken and egotistical) when others failed to do so. Also, it took forever to convince her—number one, "yes, you were right for choosing Naruto over me," and number two, " but please, do consider, because I am selfish and this is the closest thing to love I could ever feel for someone other than myself."

He sighed. He really missed Hinata.

When he didn't answer and kept walking, Sakura went on, "Hinata doesn't love you, Sasuke. She loves the love and security you give her, but she doesn't love you!"

She bowed her head and screamed,

"You're only able to live with Hinata like that because Naruto and I gave up what we deserve!"

Then she started when she saw Sasuke's dull lavender eye with spiraling ringlets glare at her amid his dark hair.

It was a stroke of mercy on Sasuke's part for letting her on with her deluge of nonsense. She always wanted to play the victim. That was what Sasuke told himself as he turned away from the two. Right now, he just really wanted to see Hinata.

When Sasuke walked out from the forests and looked at the village, his eyes widened in shock and he stepped back.

His face turned ashen pale as he looked at the familiar buildings, the electric poles, and the familiar paths.

'No, this couldn't be,' he told himself, but it was true. He was in Konoha, the village in his home, the Land of Fire. 'But how...'

When he turned around, he wasn't ready for the second wave of shock.

"Teme!"

Naruto appeared. But he looked brighter and happier. Happiness seemed to radiate from his face like a beacon. Sasuke felt unknown fear creeping into his chest. Usually, when he saw Naruto's face glow like that, it was foreboding.

"Naruto, what did you just do—"

But he cut in—

"How was spending time with Sakura and Sarada?"

Sasuke stared.

When he looked at his face, Naruto raised his brow.

"Didn't you come back a few days ago? So you did spend time with your family right?"

Sasuke couldn't say anything.

Naruto looked at him and scratched the back of his head and sighed. Then in a tone of genuine grievance,

"Sasuke, maybe I shouldn't have named my son after a ramen topping. Boruto is too much like me."

'...Son?'

"Naruto, wait!" He tried to accost him, but Naruto was faster.

Without waiting for an answer, he left. He made a saluting sign.

"Well, catch you later! If Boruto asks where I am, don't tell him. I have work to do."

Naruto smiled and disappeared.

Then a mini Naruto appeared soon after. He was wearing a dark jumper and had Naruto's characteristic scowl of frustration. He matched pass him and ran to the opposite direction Naruto went.

When he also vanished, after muttering how he was going to hunt down his father, Sasuke stood rigid like stone. His gaze fell to the ground. It was almost as if he was knocked at the back of his head. It was like a slap on his face. At that time, he couldn't feel anything.

"No, this can't be..."

Then he felt her chakra. Calm and billowing softly like a lazy cloud or a rippling stream. It was as if she was calling his name. Sasuke.

As he headed to where he could feel Hinata's chakra, he felt his chest constricting at every step. 'No, no, no, no,' this can't be.'

When he went to the bustling streets, he stopped and stared. There she was, holding a little girl's hand as she walked in the streets. In her arm was a bag of groceries.

Her pale, delicate hand was holding a little girl's. When he saw the blue eyes and whisker marks on the little girl's face, his heart churned as if it was getting reeled by two steel wheels.

"Oka-san, Boruto is chasing father again!" The girl chirped.

In the voice he knew so well, Hinata giggled,

"I wonder when your brother and father are coming home for dinner, Himawari~"

The girl seemed to be around five years old. He didn't know if it was the fact she had a daughter and son with Naruto or the bright smile on her face that caused all the blood to rush to his ears. All he could hear was the buzzing sound rushing, undulating in different lows and pitches. It was the same sensation as getting punched on the gut and right before spatting blood.

Same height, same stature, but with a short haircut. She was wearing a light purple hoodie over a white T shirt and a midi length skirt. Her brown flats looked well worn.

"Is dad coming home early today, mama?"

Hinata smiled and rubbed her thumb affectionately on her palm, "I wish he was, Himawari...Being a great hokage is a big responsibility."

"Can girls be hokages too?"

Her face lit up at her daughter's question, "Of course! There was a great seinen who became hokage, and she was a woman."

For some reason, he thought if he stood like that, watching her, she'll look at him. That she'll see him. But if she sees him, then what? What did he even want?

But even when she glanced at his direction, she just turned her gaze back to Himawari and smiled brightly.

"Let's have egg dish tonight, Himawari~"

And like that, she passed by his side as if he wasn't even there. When she passed, it was as if she took Sasuke's soul with her too.

Like a mad man, he followed her. Pushing against the pedestrians, he stalked behind her. His dark eyes stared at her like a lost soul, and he felt his throat drying up like sand.

But when he actually saw her head to her home, an apartment compkex, he didn't have the courage to go up to her door.

When he knocked, he was greeted instead by Boruto.

When Boruto flung the door open and tried to land a punch, he blocked him as easily as if he was a baby, but his focus was all on the woman in the house.

The woman with short deep blue hair looked at the two and smiled as she watched.

'Just one sign that you're unhappy in this marriage...Just one sign, please...' he prayed as he looked at her eyes.

But he couldn't find even one.

He doubted that all the sharingan or rinnegan in their glory wouldn't be able to seek any trace of shadow in her smile.

When he saw her smile, he stupidly asked,

"Where is Naruto?" He inquired in monotone.

"He's at work, I believe" was her polite reply. The kind of politeness that was appropriate to show towards her husband's enigmatic friend. He could tell that she was doing her best to look calm as she smiled. But her eyes seemed wary and the way she smiled had a tense edge.

He desperately looked at her for a sign that she was unhappy in this marriage, but all he could see that he was making her unhappy. It was best that he left her alone with her family.

He turned and when he was at the demarcated exit of Konoha, he ran into the Forest of Death. He ran. And ran.

Until he saw Naruto, looking at him as if he expected him.

Sasuke's eyes turned glowing red and the legendary light spiraling lavender as his hand churned out lightning. The lightning blasted into a ring of electricity around him, causing the ground to shake. He whipped out the kusanagi that was hidden under his cloak and charged. Blue lightning counteracted with bright white, and the world broke apart into shards like glass.

He aimed at Naruto's stomach and whipped his sword and butted the end of his weapon exactly at the middle.

Naruto almost forgot to breath at the shock of the blow and coughed blood.

He managed to leap on his feet instead of land on his back, but he already looked exhausted.

Wiping the blood coming from his mouth, Naruto smiled, wispily, "So you're not going to fall for it?"

To Naruto's surprise, Sasuke smiled. But it was not a friendly, "oh, Naruto you old prankster," congenial smile. Far from it.

Sasuke made a haunting smile at the hokage and former First Waker as he dug the tip of his sword into his tan throat.

"I used to be the Shadow Waker. Did you think I will fall for such trick?"

But his lips stopped smiling but his dark eyes were still manic as he raised his katana.

His cold voice echoed, as if it was the death sentence of an ice king.

"You shall die." And he swung the silver edge onto his chest.

"Hey, hey, hey, hear me out before you decide to kill me."

Naruto sweated as he landed on the ground with Sasuke hovering above him with his sword, his foot planted firmly on his diaphragm. Naruto waved his hands placatingly, but his nemesis continued to look at him as if he was going to rip him apart.

In a way, Sasuke was impressed. As demented as he himself is, Naruto's ability to be colloquial even when a lightning charged blade was cutting the skin of his throat was impressive and consistent. Right now, Sasuke's intention to kill pierced every inch of Naruto's face like needles.

"This is all just an illusion jutsu, Sasuke. I just re-enacted what I thought would be the future if you just went with the flow."

Then the hokage carefully held kusanagi's blade and pushed it away. When Sasuke stepped back, he felt fresh air coming back to his lungs and coughed.

He rubbed his throat,

"I did it because I needed to know that Hinata is really your everything, as you claim it to be. And now I think we have a pretty solid case."

He rubbed the back of his head, "But honestly, I didn't know you would react like that to this illusion."

Sasuke spoke in a chilling monotone, as he adjusted his grip on his sword, "You thought I wouldn't lay my hands on you?"

"I mean I knew that you were going to stake my head on a stick, but I didn't think you would react that way to 'Uzumaki Hina—"

Suddenly, without warning, Sasuke flung his sword to the ground and punched Naruto on the face.

His chest rose and sank erratically as he stared at Naruto whose back landed on an innocent oak tree that nearly splitted by the pressure.

Groaning, Naruto went on, "hey, hear me out."

Sasuke decided that if he didn't like what he is saying, he'll cut his yapping tongue or stake his sword into his jaw.

"I'm actually not so reckless as to destroy my friend's happiness, even if he's a shitty friend--taking away the girl of my life before I even got to realize that she even liked me, sealing me for thousands of years, reincarnating at the same time Hinata wakes up and still decides to seal me away-"

Sasuke breathed roughly as he glared at him.

Smiling with a sense of defeat, Naruto dusted off his knees and trudged away. He allowed the dark to swallow him as he walked closer to the deep forests.

But before he left, he said,

"Just...don't make her sad, Sasuke. There isn't a day when I don't think of Hinata. She was more than just a Waker's Pearl or my village friend. You know that."

Then he disappeared and Sasuke was alone, staring at the splintered oak tree.

When Sasuke arrived home, the first thing he did was run to Hinata. Hinata has just came out from Sayu's nursery, and she smiled as soon as she saw Sasuke rush to her.

Then her smile turned to a look of surprise when Sasuke started stroking her face.

"Sasuke," she tilted her head to the side in confusion, "is something wrong?"

"No, no, no" Sasuke shook his head and hugged her tightly, "Nothing's wrong. Nothing." His large hand gripped the back of her head as he hugged her.

Then he grabbed her shoulders with a vice grip. There was pure desperation in his eyes.

He trembled faintly as he remembered the agony he felt when he went through the illusion.