Hi, everyone! It's been a long time! Do you miss mee? This is the fourth chapter here!
Elmou-san: thanks! Happy to hear you like it!
Shikara Gizzel-san: no, Itachi is a noble. You will get your answer this chapter. ;-)
nevvy-san: no one can resist Haruto's charm here. Oh, no. I have no heart to blame Itachi, too. He is too good. Some random Uchiha? Let's see it in this chapter, Kay?
Bexbluedragon76-san: thank you! I want our sasuhina get a real small family together, too! It's just bad that we can only read it here, huh? Hope you enjoy this chapter too! ;-)
Ms Y-san: oh my, you flattered me. You should see me on the cloud nine when I read your review. Honestly, I don't really relate to angst and angry Sasuke. He should have a better life, no? With Hinata obviously. Lol.
Ros-san: I appreciate your opinion. Truly. It's great you like this story pace. I will do my best to write better. Please let me know your opinion this time, too, Kay? ;-)
kiss2lips-san: I love that scene, too! Can't resist to add that. I want a playful Sasuke! For Hinata only, of course. B-) I'm suck at grammar. Sigh..
Rue24-san: oh my, I don't think I'm competent enough to give you tips as I believe I'm not that good myself. I just try to imagine what kind of story that I want to read if I read a story about them. But, I will help as much as I can to answer if you have any questions. :-)
Rhe Muliya Young-san: oh, thank you! I'm sorry if I am a bit slow updating, though.
Guest-san: aw.. We don't want to disappoint our Haruto, do we? Don't worry, I will definitely get this to the end although perhaps I will a liiittllee late sometimes. No, perhaps every chapter update. Urgh! :-D
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Got nothing except your love. And I like it.
Chapter 4
"Is this big enough?" Kurenai said to Hinata who was busy cutting some fruits.
"Hai, thank you, Kurenai-san." she smiled to the older woman.
"Geez, ever so polite." The older woman replied while placing the blue ceramic bowl next to Hinata. The said young woman smiled and put the neatly cut fruits into the bowl.
"There, done." she said.
"I'll help you to bring it to the living room." Kurenai's daughter, Mirai, said from next to the counter.
"Thank you, Mirai-chan." Hinata said to the eight years old girl.
"Hinata-sensei, can I give some to Haruto-kun?"
Hinata nodded, "Sure, use this to give him in small bites, okay?" she handed over a plastic spoon she usually used to feed Haruto.
"Okay."
"It's nice meeting and chatting with you outside of the school. Too bad Asuma is busy with his editor, he really would love to come and play with Haruto-kun but you know him."
Hinata shifted from the counter and arranged foods she had prepared earlier on a tray. "Me, too. I'm happy you can come to spend your time with us. We are in the middle of summer holiday but I have no will to bring him out under such strong weather and I'm afraid Haruto-kun will feel bored playing alone."
"Nonsense. He will never be bored, you can call us then we can spend all day long together. Mirai is really fond of the little baby, too." Kurenai took another tray and arranged big jar filled with cold green tea and empty glasses.
"Um..thank you, Kurenai-san."
They went to the living room where Mirai feed Haruto grounded apple and the baby nodded happily when the girl asked whether he liked the fruit.
Hinata left her guests and the baby when she heard her door bell rang.
"Hi, Hina! I have just read your message. I'm not too late, aren't I?" Kiba grinned to her.
"Of course not, Kiba-kun. Come in, please. We haven't started yet." she stepped back allowed the tanned skinned man entered her apartment.
"Here, I bring some pudding and ice cream for the brats." He handed a bag filled with the desserts while changing his loafers into lavender flippers.
"Thank you, Kiba-kun."
"Nah, it should be me who thanks you. I haven't had some proper meals and oh! Look who it is!" He laughed.
"Uncle Kiba!" Mirai called happily, Haruto turned his small head to see the man better.
The detective draped his jacket on Hinata's sofa and sat on it casually, "Man, you are still a squirt, huh? Do you eat properly? What are you eating, baby boy?" He touched Haruto's head gently.
"That rude, Kibaka! I won't believe in you! Daddy says not to grow so fast!" she stuck out her tongue to the man.
"Yeah, your daddy is a daughter fool."
"And you are a big bad bear!" Mirai replied.
"Ha?! Is that all you can think of me?" He laughed, Haruto grinned and laughed as he thought the detective was saying something funny.
"Are you sure we have one baby here since I think I see three babies here." Kurenai said with a sigh.
Hinata giggled, "Two babies and one oversized baby."
"Right, now give this oversized baby his foods." Kiba replied lightly. It was their routine bantering and Hinata enjoyed it very much.
Their lunch ended quickly, "God, Hinata! I can't move at all, you should take responsibility." Kiba flopped on the long sofa and groaned satisfyingly.
"What a glutton!" Mirai commented dryly.
"You will know how I feel when you are a grown-up, brat." Kiba replied in his sleepy voice.
"Here, drink your tea." Kurenai said to her daughter. Haruto was sitting on Hinata's laps, chewing his new toys Kurenai brought that morning.
"Any news about Haruto-kun's mother?" Kurenai placed another glass on the table to Hinata then one for Kiba.
"Nah, we capture her silhouette. She wore a hoodie, cap and mask. Definitely knows what she does. We have got the bus plate, though. I hope we can track down the cctv about where she lives soon."
"Oh, I see." Hinata looked at the plump baby, Haruto-kun saw Hinata and offered his toy to her. "No, you can keep it, Haruto-kun." She said and snuggled on the baby. Haruto giggled by Hinata's action.
"Don't worry Hina, we will find her." Kiba assured. Taking Hinata's spiritless answer as a disappointment that they couldn't find the mother yet.
However it was quite the opposite, Hinata was too attach to Haruto that she wished a very bad thing secretly, that they wouldn't find her, that she didn't want Haruto anymore so Hinata could have Haruto for herself from now on. What a bad person she was. "Yeah."
Sasuke groaned when he heard his phone rang. He had just gone to sleep at eight in the morning and now at what, ten o'clock, someone decided it was a great thing to call. He barely had his sleep so the person would receive his wrath in full force.
Sasuke placed the phone on his ear, half sleeping, "Hn..." He answered without looking at the number.
"Sasuke." a feminine voice said in enthusiasm.
"Mother." One and only person in the world who he couldn't tell to fuck off.
"What is it, Sasuke? You don't sound so good. Are you sick?"
"No, I had long night."
"Who was the pretty girl?"
"What girl?" His mind wondered to his pretty neighbor immediately, his mother wouldn't know about her, would she?
"She isn't my girl."
"The one who kept you up last night."
They said it at the same time.
"Oh my, so there IS a girl. You should bring her with you to our summer family gathering this afternoon."
Sasuke groaned and curse his stupid mouth and lack of sleep brain. "What gathering?" He tried to change the subject.
"Don't tell me you forgot about it. I have told you since the early of the summer, haven't I?" He could imagined his mother famous pout which no one could resist, especially his father.
"It's today?" He peeled open one eye and looked at the table calendar he placed on his nightstand.
"Uh-huh." His mother sang out her answer.
"Do I have to come?" Sasuke was trying his luck, really.
"What do you think?" Mikoto replied with the same tone.
"How 'bout itachi?" He shifted and placed his chin on the pillow and mumbled sleepily. Seriously, it wouldn't change much if he didn't attend the gathering once.
"I'm helping mother with her cookies, little brother." Itachi answered for his mother.
Sasuke groaned inwardly, his ever so busy brother bothered to attend the gathering which meant he had no choice. "I understand, I will be late but I will make it up to you."
"That's great! You can bring your girlfriend too, darling."
Sasuke grumbled, "I don't have any. I had to finish two proposals and a new project briefing last night so I barely had a sleep."
"Poor boy. Do you need Itachi to pick you up?"
"Hn.." Driving with some sleep deprivation wasn't a good way to spend your summer, it might become your last summer instead.
"He will go in an hour, darling. After finishing my cookies, definitely."
"Alright."
"See you soon."
"Hn.." Sasuke slumped down to his pillow again he still had three hours to sleep before his brother's arrival. Their summer house was far at the suburban and it took two hours to get here.
"Finally, some sleep." He mumbled.
By the time was he was ready, it was a little after two. His brother had a good way to annoy and wake him up even without him trying to.
They stepped out of his apartment at the same time with a man from Hinata's room. "Thanks again, Hina. I will make sure that everything works out immediately."
Hinata nodded, "Here, I have leftovers and onigiri packed for you, Kiba-kun. I have put it in small portion so you can eat it without dirtying your clothes."
"Wow! Thanks, Hinata! I do wait for it. I hope we don't gloat over your food supply, though." He grinned sheepishly.
Hinata giggled, "Don't worry about it, Kiba-kun. I invited you guys since you help us a lot. Don't sweat over it."
Kiba took Hinata's offering. "If you say so. I will do my best to find her, Hina." He assured.
Hinata smiled brightly, "Thank you, Kiba-kun." They hugged. "Say my good bye to my little boy, will ya?"
Hina giggled, "Of course." Kiba dissappeared into the elevator with a big smile.
Sasuke who watched the whole thing was irritated. The stranger was the same one who he saw that day and what with the overly friendly and touching gesture? Besides, Haruto was clearly an Uchiha, not a puppy like that stranger.
What?
"Uchiha-san." Hinata greeted politely when she saw Sasuke and Itachi.
"Hn.. Who was he?" He asked automatically then cursing inwardly when he realized his sudden question. Impatience.
"My friend Kiba-kun, he is a detective and I ask him to help me to find Haruto-kun's mother."
"Hn.. But it has been weeks. What a great detective." Sasuke commented smugly.
Hinata blinked, "He is being careful and he has his own works, Uchiha-san. Everyone does." she answered without stuttered.
Sasuke shrugged, "Well, Good luck then."
"Would you introduce us, little brother?" Itachi decided to talk when Sasuke started to walk away.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "Do I have to?"
Itachi smiled and introduced himself as he knew his little brother wouldn't do anything, "I'm Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's big brother. Nice to meet you, young miss."
Hinata didn't take Itachi's hand but rather inspect Itachi's face. No, he wasn't the one. Despite having black hair and onyx eyes, their features were a bit different.
"Is there something on my face?"
Hinata was surprised that she stared at the man impolitely, "No..no. It's just.. I'm Hyuuga Hinata. Nice to meet you too, Uchiha-san." she shook his hand and bowed politely.
"C'mon Itachi, we are late, mother will be angry with us." He pulled Itachi's hand away from Hinata's.
"And whose fault do you think?" Itachi smiled. Itachi then learned that his little brother was having a bad mood, was it related to the feminine beauty? Perhaps his mother's instinct about Sasuke being in love was right.
That was a big mystery he would love to solve immediately.
"Well then, Hyuuga-san." Itachi said and followed his suddenly turned very hurried brother.
"She is pretty, isn't she?" Itachi said nonchalantly when they were alone in the elevator.
Sasuke sighed, "No."
"Hmm.. Perhaps you can arrange a small dinner for us." Itachi pushed a bit.
Sasuke scoffed, "No way. She is off of the limit."
"Why? You said she wasn't pretty."
"She isn't but she isn't yours too." and then he stepped out of the small elevator, leaving his brother alone.
Itachi chuckled, his little brother was a very possessive man.
The grocery store was crowded as usual. Hinata decided to go for a walk to chase away her boredom.
"Let's buy some fruits, shall we?" Hinata said to the baby in her arms. "What do you want to eat, Haruto-kun?" she patted his back softly. "Perhaps, some mangoes?"
They walked at the fruits aisle, Hinata picked the fruit happily together with the baby. Just when she stepped aside she hit another person at her behind.
"Oh, my God! I'm so sorry.I didn't mean to.." Hinata bowed.
The person, a woman in her mid twenty giggled, her shoulder length brown hair shook as she did. "No. It's okay. Your baby is very cute, I can't help but to stare." she brushed off Hinata's apologize lightly.
Hinata smiled when she heard the woman's praise on Haruto. "Yes, Haruto-kun is very cute, aren't you?" she cooed to the baby and Haruto laughed.
"Yeah, he is very pretty for a baby boy. Is he yours?" she took Haruto's small fist and waggled tenderly. "You are so cute!"
"No. He is not mine. There are some circumstances and now he lives with me."
The stranger's brown eyes looked at them in surprise, "Oh, I thought he was yours since you both look so close." she stared the boy as the baby did to her.
"No..it's not. It's just Haruto-kun is a good boy and he can be friended anyone. Right, Haruto-kun?"
Haruto laughed.
"Aw.. But you both look great and resemble family more than other families I have ever met." she smiled but in Hinata's eyes, her laugh was somewhat..sad.
"A..ano.."
Then a ringing tone cut her words. "Excuse me for a while." she smiled and answered the phone. "Hello? ok, ok. Sorry,, I know." she disconnected her phone. "I'm sorry, I got to go now. Bye-bye, Haruto-kun." She greeted Hinata goodbye and disappeared amongst the crowd.
Hinata couldn't get rid of that person's sad face from her own mind.
Sasuke stretched his limbs when they arrive the big mansion. Being in the small car his mother lent his brother for hours wasn't a good experience. They even had to stop by places to buy things his mother forgot to buy and they were important so they had to buy them no matter what. Yeah, if you meant a specific brand of ramen and some sleeping bags together with large sum of fruits were important, especially the ramen. He could guess who gave the stupid idea.
They stepped into the living room, Sasuke brought the sleeping bags on one hands and a large paper bag filled with Ramen on another hand while his brother was responsible bringing in the fruits.
"Oi, teme! You have arrived?!" The stupid and annoying blonde greeted enthusiastically. His mother didn't go halfway in arranging her 'small' gathering.
"Wow! Ramen?!" He yelled happily and his playful tone irked Sasuke's mood. The raven haired man threw the whole paper bag to Naruto's direction when the blonde ran to take the bag.
"Ouch! What was that for, teme!" He groaned painfully on the floor.
Sasuke didn't pay any heed and stomped on his stomach when he walked passed by, "You deserve it, dobe."
"Naruto? What happened.." Sakura appeared from the kitchen. "Sasuke-kun, you have arrived." she smiled and ran toward the blonde on the floor in rush when she saw the disaster behind Sasuke.
"Naruto! What happened?!" Sasuke left them and continued his journey to find his mother.
Almost all of Uchiha had arrived and called him, Sasuke grunted his answer but didn't stop to talk.
"Ara? You have arrived. Where is Itachi?" Mikoto asked. Sasuke put the sleeping bags on the floor next to the wall. "Bringing in the fruits. Are we going to open a fruit stall or what? I literally dragged those bags out of the store."
Mikoto giggled hearing her son's gruff answer. "There are tons of people this time and I don't want them to starve." she said to Sasuke's cousins to help Itachi.
As if. "And what with the ramen? It's Naruto's stupid request, right?" His mother's giggle answered his questions.
The dinner his mother arranged was a big success. There weren't only the Uchiha family but also the Namikaze family -a business partner for generations-, extended family and close friends, Hatake Kakashi and Sakura.
Naruto flopped next to Sasuke on the sofa after the dinner. The family went scattered around the big mansion. Sakura took a small stoll and sat next to them. "Geez, you and your bad moods. Why did you call me and turned it off so suddenly days ago?" Naruto asked cheerfully.
Sakura nodded despite frowning, "That's right, Sasuke-kun. What's wrong? Can we help you?" she said out of concern.
Sasuke scoffed and didn't answer. He didn't want to remember why he called on the first place but it seemed like Naruto had another opinion.
"Talking about help, what about the beauty lady? When are you going to bring her here?" He asked curiously, his grin was so disgusting, just like his teacher. Sasuke wondered why Naruto turned more and more similar to his perverted teacher than his proper and gentle father.
"What lady?" Itachi asked from behind the sofa Sasuke and Naruto were sitting on. "What lady, little brother?" He placed his hands on the sofa soft headrest, hovering above Sasuke's head, asking again when he heard no answer from Sasuke.
"The lady with ba—" Naruto said but Sasuke was quicker, he smacked Naruto on his head. The blonde grunting in pain and Sakura went to help him immediately. "Sasuke-kun, that's too much."
"Yeah, teme! It hurts, damn you!"
Itachi looked at them in confusion. "What is it? You won't tell me?"
"Hn.. It's no one business." Sasuke answered shortly. It was not like he didn't want to tell his brother but Hinata and Haruto were in a difficult place. He didn't want to put his neighbor under the spotlight until he was shure whose baby it was. Hinata was quite in a trouble taking care of the baby and it would worry her more if his family barged into her life.
"and what about the lady?" Itachi asked again.
"Nothing. It's Naruto being stupid as usual."
"What?! You call me as a mbbph—" Sasuke threw another pillow the the blonde.
Shut up.
Naruto grabbed the pillow and scratched his nape awkwardly, "Nah, it's nothing. It seems like I remember it wrong."
Sasuke nodded while Sakura rolled her eyes, "Boys."
Itachi kept his opinion to himself. Sasuke would tell him when he was ready.
Like any other gathering, the older generation of Uchiha would hang out at the main living room where lots of chairs were provided, talking about business and worlds while the younger generation would gather on the recreation area, playing or merely talking.
Uchiha Hisui leaned on a billiard pool and launched his attack, across of him was Uchiha Obito who laughed when Hisui failed his attack.
"It's my turn." Obito announced proudly.
Sasuke, Naruto, Itachi and Kakashi -Obito's closest friend- were sitting circling a big round table, playing poker. It wasn't very good actually since all the Uchiha plus Kakashi were great in hiding their emotions so except Naruto, everyone was very hard to read.
"Damn it! It's me again!" Naruto groaned loudly.
Sasuke threw his cards, "You have to shuffle it again and this time you owe me a new set of computer and professional audio equipment." He smirked.
"Aw.. It's not like you will use it anyway. You are working all the time so what use of them?" Naruto replied seriously, "Oh! Don't tell me you are going to use it to watch porn, huh?" He commented with a grin of course.
"I will decide how to use it, you ass!" He threw an apple to Naruto which was caught easily by the blonde. "Yeah, besides you can't use it since you have that Hinata as your neighbor, huh?"
"What is or who is Hinata?" Obito asked from his position.
"No one." Sasuke answered shortly.
Yet Itachi decided to join the conversation, "If I remember it correctly, she is Sasuke's neighbor. I met her this afternoon."
Obito grinned, "Really? How is she? Pretty? Hot?"
"Your turn." Hisui said flatly.
"Oh, yeah." He bent down to see his target.
"She is.." Itachi tried to find a correct adjective, "lovely."
Obito whistled, "I never thought you have such neighbor last year. Ah! Damn!" He cursed when he lost his target.
Hisui went back to the game. "and that reminds me, where are you going to leave again? As I remember, you are very busy at this time in one year. Just like last year." Obito asked randomly.
"Yeah, this teme works like crazy and takes any projects he is offered. Sakura-chan disapproves his work time and I am the one she beats everytime she knows." Naruto replied.
"It's the beats of love." Kakashi said while his eyes didn't leave his porn.
"Mah, you could say it so." Naruto grinned. The pink haired woman wasn't there to beat her boyfriend since there was an emergency at her hospital so she left early.
"So, this time you won't be at home, too Sasuke?" Obito asked a bit too eagerly.
"Perhaps." His schedule wasn't fixed yet since he hadn't decided which proposal to go.
"Then lend it to me again this year, okay?" Obito asked while laughing, "I really like your apartment, it's a best place to show off to the girls. I had a very memorable experience at your house at last summer. The girls went crazy knowing its your place."
Sasuke went silent, "What?"
"You have some nerve to say that, what if Rin hears about it?" Kakashi placed his porn and looked at his best friend seriously.
"Like I care about that woman. She was the first one I brought there and we had those fantastic moments, I thought we were meant to be but she disappeared after one month. I couldn't reach for her." He shrugged.
"You are dumped." Itachi said nonchalantly.
"Definitely dumped. Perhaps it relates to your tools." Hisui commented dryly.
"You jerk! My tools is fine and fantastic, the other girls told me so!" He laughed so did Naruto and Hisui. Kakashi rolled his eyes, clearly didn't agree with Obito's words.
It was only Itachi who realized Sasuke's rigid stance. "What's wrong, little brother?"
Sasuke went to his stupid cousin. "You!" He exclaimed loudly while grabbing Obito's collar.
Hisui moved quickly to separate them.
"Calm down, Sasuke. He knows what he does."
Naruto who stood behind Sasuke was holding one of his arms cautiously. "Yeah, teme."
"That's right. You don't need to worry, I cleaned up your apartment and refilled your fridge as a gratitude. I just need a roof to sleep."
"I am fine with you using my apartment only for sleeping." Sasuke hissed darkly.
"Little brother." Itachi said in concern. All of them thought Sasuke was mad because of Obito's illicit activities in his apartment yet it wasn't.
"I'm fine with you and your stupid and useless activities. If you were playing around safely, I wouldn't mind." Sasuke said and then added darkly, "How could an irresponsible man like you sire a baby."
Hisui staggered back, Kakashi looked at Obito, Naruto's hand on Sasuke was gone. Itachi, just like the other was standing silently, too confused and too surprised to talk.
"What?" Obito asked dumbfoundedly.
Sasuke grabbed his cousin's collar once again but this time tighter, "You have some explaining to do."
Alright, we found out about the father so it is not difficult to guess who the mother is. I need to go. See you again soon.
Ps. Don't forget to give me your love. :'(