A/N: NOT BETAED. DON'T FORGET ENGLISH IS NOT MY MOTHER LANGUAGE ;)

ENJOY!


FROM WHICH WE'LL RISE

Part XXIII: As They Are

Making his way to Ichiraku Ramen at the end of the day, Iruka felt happy and more than a little excited - after all, it had been a while since he'd spent some time with his former student.

Ever since Naruto had gotten married things had been hectic for him, what with Hinata's pregnancy and them getting their lives together. With Boruto's birth, Naruto seemed to have grown very attached to giving it his all at work, barely having a minute to spare for social outings, even when he was in Konoha and not on missions.

It wasn't as though Iruka didn't understand this. All his former students were now adults, successful, married and, most of them, already parents. Life just kept putting more and more surprises in everybody's way, and this was just the beginning of a new journey for all of them, as well as the start of a new era - a new generation was born.

Iruka found this to be very exciting, but it also made him feel unavoidably nostalgic, because it seemed like it had been just yesterday that he had taught his first class of snotty, loud kid. Sometimes, he felt like he wanted to go back in time, so he could return to those days when he was younger and more energetic, but often reminded himself that he had new students now, and that this joy of seeing them all grow up and becoming good people wasn't over yet. He felt nothing but pride at this point, though.

The sun was setting by the time he arrived at Ichiraku, and as soon as Iruka approached it, he could see the orange and black of Naruto's outfit peeking from under the familiar blinds. He seemed to be the only person there, which was a relief for Iruka, since it gave them a little more privacy.

Pushing the draping aside, Iruka found Naruto sitting at the counter with a thick glass of half-drunk beer already resting in front of him, and he seemed to be talking to the owner, Teuchi-san, with a small smile on his lips as the older man prepared something on the other side.

A deep emotion tightened around Iruka's heart - how Naruto had grown. He could still envision the small boy sitting in one those high stools, being loud and boisterous as he pretended that the world wasn't a cruel place and that he didn't feel lonely.

"Naruto!" Iruka greeted with a small smile, as he moved to sit on the stool by the young man's left.

"Iruka-sensei! Welcome!" Naruto greeted back, flashing him such a huge grin his blue eyes seemed to glint. Naruto patted his back with familiarity. "How have you been doing? Any exciting stuff happening in your life?"

"Unfortunately, I have nothing exciting to tell you," Iruka said with an embarrassed chuckle. "For me, teaching is all the excitement I need."

"Ahaha, you sound like a grandpa!" Naruto teased, moving his hand to Iruka's shoulder and giving it a healthy squeeze. Then, he turned to Teuchi-san. "Old man, two bowls of the usual, for starters. This one is on me!"

Naruto's hand left Iruka's shoulder to grab for the glass of beer. With a small smile, Iruka watched him down the rest of the beverage in a few swigs. "Someone is in a good mood," he commented gently.

Naruto still smiled. "Well, I just missed hanging out with you!"

"The feeling is mutual," Iruka replied, with a polite nod. "So, I heard you've been taking personal leave days away from the village from time to time. You've been working hard, too. It's been a while since I've lain my eyes on you!"

"Ah, yeah," Naruto mumbled, his smile diminishing while he rubbed at the back of his head - a gesture Iruka recognized as one of nervousness (and, sometimes, embarrassment or shame). The fact that he didn't say anything further was immediately strange.

"Is Hinata alright with that?" Iruka pressed on, carefully. "I mean, she has to stay with the baby and everything."

Naruto, who always looked so deeply into people's eyes, now lowered them as he seemed suddenly very interested in a flaw in the wood of the counter as he shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, she's cool with it."

The short reply had the teacher immediately on alert. The mood seemed to have changed rapidly from happy casual to tense and cautious, and Iruka couldn't really understand why - it felt foreign.

"May I ask where you go all by yourself?" he inquired, as casually as he possibly could since, somehow, he felt like they had, for some reason, entered shaky grounds.

Running the tip of a finger over said slash on the counter, Naruto bit on his lower lip and visibly flinched. He seemed to hesitate for a few seconds before deciding to reply. "Yeah, I… go meet up with Sasuke."

Well, if Iruka had to be honest, that wasn't exactly an answer he'd been expecting, but he supposed it made sense. Sort of. Now that he thought about it, wasn't Sasuke married to Sakura? Couldn't he and Naruto just meet when he returned to Konoha? There didn't seem to be any reasonable reason as to why Naruto would have to actively leave the village to meet up with him, but the issue was obviously sensitive for Naruto, so Iruka figured he had to be tactful.

"I see," Iruka muttered. "Is Hokage-sama giving you many missions together?"

Again, Naruto took a while to reply, taking his time chewing on his lower lip. Then, he took a deep breath. "Not really… I just… to be honest, it's really difficult for me to have him away for so long," he started, speaking at lightning speed. "He's always away and doing his thing and working so hard and he has all these ideals and great plans for the future and the shinobi world." Finally, he looked at Iruka, his eyes wide and worried. "In a way I suppose I… feel like I should've been by his side to make it happen. I feel like I should help him as much as I can you know? But there is little I can do right now, so I do whatever I can. But I feel so restless about it I don't really know what to do!"

So, there had been a reason for Naruto to schedule their meeting that day, Iruka realized. The young man wanted to vent, needed to talk and he was trying to tell him something; but what, exactly? It was obviously something related to Sasuke, but his worries seemed pointless now. Weren't those two sorts of working together, now? Weren't they finally in tune with their ideals and fighting for the same thing - world peace - in their own individual ways?

And yet, there was more to it, he could tell.

"Oh, you look distressed," Iruka noticed. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Ah…" Naruto scratched his head more roughly this time as he grunted, messing up his already unruly hair even more. "I'm not sure. Maybe I really do? I just don't know if I should."

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Iruka assured him, using his gentlest voice.

Naruto seemed thoughtful, staring at Iruka as if quickly assessing if he should say what was on his mind or dismiss it entirely. "Have you ever dreamed about how your perfect life would be?" he then asked, choosing the first option. "You design this complex map of a path that you want to follow and are sure is the right one, but when you walk that path you realize that, even though it's not the wrong one, maybe a different one would've been the right one, too?"

Because Naruto wasn't one to be philosophical, Iruka was taken aback by the question. After all, Naruto wasn't one to question his life choices, and that was what he was alluding to right now. "I suppose it can happen," Iruka commented with a nod. "Some paths are right, and some are wrong, but of course it's possible for several paths to be the right ones. It's not like the gods have given us free will so our fates would be black and white and written in stone."

"Exactly!" Naruto said, straightening up emphatically, and now that he knew Iruka wasn't going to make all the wrong questions, he seemed much more prone to talking. "I just… I've achieved so much throughout the years, Iruka-sensei, that I'm proud of myself and really want to take advantage of that and keep pushing forward, to become Hokage and the person I always wanted to be. I have a family, love, and worldwide recognition, you know?"

"But?" Iruka pressed.

Naruto 'tsked' as his body seemed to slump once more.

"I didn't think I'd ever feel this… lonely... having so much," he admitted. "I felt that way for so long before the war, when I was fighting to bring Sasuke back and trying to save him and everyone else. I thought that I would get some form of peace and completion once I achieved all my purposes, so I kept doing what I thought should be done."

"But you didn't?" Iruka asked, not without feeling a bit surprised. Naruto had accomplished so much in his life so far - most of his dreams having come true already - that it seemed almost impossible that, after everything, he'd feel something as familiar to him as loneliness. Loneliness was something he had felt as a child, without friends or family or a caring hand. Now, he had all of that and more. He was more fulfilled than most men older than him ever would be, and he was on his way to becoming Hokage; how was it possible that he still felt lonely?

Naruto admitting it made Iruka feel unavoidably sad, and for some reason, he had a bad feeling about where this was going.

Naruto tensed once more, looking at Iruka with a bit of fear. "Do you think I'm a bad person for feeling like this?"

"No, of course I don't," Iruka muttered, placing a hand on Naruto's forearm reassuringly. "I'm just trying to understand if you're telling me you found an alternative path that wouldn't make you feel this way? That doesn't make you feel lonely, I mean?"

"I… I think I have," Naruto said, in a low voice, his expression turning strangely sour unexpectedly. "But now it's too late to take it. Because I... simply cannot turn things around like that at this point. I can't take that path when I'm too far down a different one already."

"Does this different path involve Sasuke in any way?"

Iruka didn't know what had possessed him to ask this so bluntly, but he figured that, given how the conversation had started with Sasuke's name on it, this had to have something to do with Sasuke and Sasuke's own path.

Was Naruto… having regrets at this point? Why, when he'd done everything right with Sasuke and with himself? Why now, that he had everything he'd ever dreamed of?

To his surprise, Naruto looked away from him again, crimson coloring his cheeks. "It involves him in every possible way, Iruka-sensei," Naruto admitted, almost inaudibly.

For a second, Iruka could swear that he saw longing in Naruto's features, but this quickly changed to an almost innocent sadness.

"Naruto…" he whispered, concerned. "Are you…?"

"Bah, let's not cry over spilled milk!" Naruto interrupted loudly, with a joyfulness that seemed far too exaggerated. "Everything is fine, and it is what it is! Let's drink! Old man, sake for two! Me and Sensei here have a lot of catching up to do!" He beamed at Iruka, who was so shocked by the sudden change of demeanor he could do nothing but smile nervously.

So, Naruto wasn't ready to talk about… whatever it was that he had wanted to talk about, and Iruka wouldn't pry because they were adults and Naruto had every right to keep his own secrets. However, Naruto had always been open with him, had always told him what was in his heart, and right now, for him to have held back like this it could only mean that the issue was serious - very serious.

Naruto was hurting, and he needed someone to know it. But why was he hurting? Had Sasuke hurt him? But hadn't Naruto mentioned that this other path that could be the right one involved Sasuke?

What was Naruto trying to say that Iruka couldn't grasp? That he would much rather be travelling with Sasuke than to live the life he had now?

The thought made Iruka's stomach churn with horror, and all he could do was watch Naruto as the other man spoke of mundane things he had tuned out already. No, for sure, it couldn't be. This life he led was everything Naruto had ever wanted, he wouldn't trade it for anything, least of all for a life of wandering never-ending days like Sasuke's. That made no sense whatsoever.

But… Sasuke remained Naruto's best friend to this very day, and for reasons Iruka understood only to a certain point, because the Uchiha boy had certainly done horrible things to him. However, to Naruto, the good things Sasuke had given him had been enough to forgive and forget, it seemed, and to Naruto, Sasuke was his number one friend and rival - would always be -, and everyone else just had to suck it up and accept it. Those two had always had a strange relationship, and a way of communicating with each other that was foreign to others.

Everyone knew that ever since the war, those two had made up and become closer. Sasuke was a free man, fighting to be respected once more, but now he and Naruto led different lives, so there was no reason as to why whatever Sasuke did with his own life would make any difference to Naruto if the Uchiha was alive and well.

Or was there?

Maybe Sasuke's ideals (that no-one knew anything about) were a strong match for Naruto's? Had Sasuke somehow managed to convince Naruto that his life choices paled in comparison to Sasuke's? That there were other ways to be happy other than the one Naruto had chosen?

But why? What was Sasuke's purpose with this? Hadn't Sasuke's choices been like Naruto's? Hadn't he gotten married and become a father? Wasn't he struggling to get his life together, so he could one day become an active citizen of Konoha and be home permanently with his wife and child?

Another path… Iruka mused. A path that had everything to do with Sasuke… a path very different from this one, that denied everything Naruto thought he ever wanted…

A path far away from everything else.

A path leading to Sasuke.

In a flash, the brief expression of longing in Naruto's features appeared in Iruka's mind and he almost gasped before managing to control himself.

And then, he understood.

It was a lonely road, the one Naruto wished he could take, or so it seemed to Iruka. However, to Naruto himself, it gave him everything his life in Konoha couldn't, simply because Uchiha Sasuke was in it, and it was such a simple, humble desire that it was almost offending.

Iruka could only stare at Naruto's smiling face as he held his breath. Teuchi-san, placed a bottle of sake and two tiny cups in front of them.

That Naruto wished he could turn back time and give everything up to be out there with Sasuke seemed preposterous and unreal. Iruka couldn't believe it, but he didn't have the audacity to ask for a confirmation of Naruto's reasoning simply because it wasn't his business, and it wasn't something he could just easily talk about with other people around. If this was what was tormenting Naruto, then the man had good reasons not to elaborate.

It was very serious indeed, and while Iruka was sure Naruto had purposely told him enough information for him to draw his conclusions, he didn't feel like it was his place to demand more.

Who exactly, was Uchiha Sasuke? What was he? What had he done to Naruto, what had he given him that was important enough for Naruto to have such serious and deep convictions towards him? What kind of man could be this manipulative, this poisoning, especially after everything he had put Naruto through?

Uchiha Sasuke had always been a mystery, even to him, his teacher.

Iruka felt anger boiling suddenly inside him, a white rage making his hands tense, which caused the hand holding Naruto's forearm to tighten painfully around the limb. Naruto went quiet at feeling it. "Iruka-sensei?" he called out worriedly at seeing Iruka's face becoming feral.

But then, it struck him. It was so obvious that he didn't understand why he hadn't come to this conclusion at first. Naruto was a loving man, and he was dumb and oblivious in many things, but he wasn't stupid when it came to his own heart. If Sasuke hated him or had nothing positive to give back, Naruto wouldn't turn his back on him, but he wouldn't drag himself after him either. Sasuke did have something Naruto wanted ferociously - or maybe, needed? - and this was something that clearly no-one else could offer in equal measure.

And even if Iruka didn't know how or didn't understand it - for Naruto it was everything.

Sasuke, lonely and hurt as he had been in his life, loved Naruto, and for Naruto, who had craved love just as strongly, wanted to absorb every drop of it he could.

Sasuke wasn't like Naruto - hate and contempt came easier than love to him, (or so Iruka thought) and no-one understood his feelings or how they worked. However, Naruto did - always had - and this was why Sasuke had allowed himself to reach out and be saved.

This type of love… Iruka could only imagine how different it had to be from a 'normal' type of 'love' for it to make such a huge difference for both.

With this in mind, his heart skipped a beat before becoming unbearably heavy as he realized that Naruto carried a far too heavy burden.

What would people say? How could Naruto ever express himself openly about this without being submitted to judgement? Was this why he had chosen a path so opposing to the one he desired - so no-one would know regardless of what he did?

He understood what was going on. For a moment, he felt sorry for Sasuke, too. Iruka knew nothing, but he now knew enough.

"It's his heart, isn't it?" Iruka asked unexpectedly and carefully in a whisper that only Naruto could hear. Blue eyes widened as Naruto's chin fell slightly. "To you, it's different from others, isn't it? Hinata's, Sakura's… And you want it. You want his heart."

Naruto's mouth closed, and he seemed to understand what Iruka was saying and why. Relief washed over his features as a small, thankful smile graced his lips in an utterly sad but beautiful way. "His heart is not his, Iruka-sensei," he said, almost sweetly, in an equally low voice. "I have it. Just as my own isn't mine anymore. That's why they never worked properly when they're not together, you see. Because bodies and hearts need to be together, so they can function as one."

And this was all Iruka needed to be sure, and yet, this didn't ease his mind at all.

In fact, the bad feeling was still there.

How were they going to fix this? What could he do to help? Was it even his place to meddle in? Did Naruto even want him to?

Naruto just wanted to be honest and tell him things as they were but telling him the truth behind it all was too much. In all honesty, Iruka was curious, and yet, didn't know if he even wanted to know.

All he could do was be there, and make sure Naruto knew he could count on him.

But he didn't like it. He couldn't possibly imagine where this was going, and the way things were, it could only lead to a painful ending.

What was Sasuke's take on this? Naruto seemed so sure that it was mutual, whatever it was. Had they talked about this or did they simply know? Had they acted upon it?

The thought was terrifying. Naruto had alluded to a physical proximity, so Iruka guessed it wasn't just platonic. It could be just a mention of a desire for more though, but…

If they had responded to these feelings at some point, then things were not good at all. If they hadn't… what was the chance that they would, someday? And what would it lead to, what would become of their lives, their families?

Would Naruto close his mouth with Sasuke's heart in his hands and live his whole life like this, or would he eventually take a leap of faith? And Sasuke? What was he even thinking?

Iruka didn't have the guts to ask. Naruto would tell him if he wanted to, but it wouldn't be today, nor tomorrow, and maybe not even ten years from then.

However, Iruka would love Naruto no less for this, and would be there for him no matter what.

With a firm nod that he made sure offered silent comprehension, compassion and support, he gave Naruto's arm one final squeeze before letting go. "Let's drink and catch up, shall we?" he said, with a fatherly smile. "I do have some gossip I want to share with you."

By Naruto's smile, this was the response he had been looking for.

000

The Hokage didn't seem surprised to see him. "Iruka-sensei," Kakashi said pleasantly from behind his desk - and surrounding pile of papers. "To what do I owe this visit?"

"Hokage-sama," Iruka greeted, with a polite bow. "Thank you for having me."

"Don't be so formal; you'll make me uncomfortable," Kakashi said, with a dismissive gesture. "We're still shinobi comrades, and fellow teachers."

Iruka smiled hesitantly. "Yes, well… it's rather hard being informal when we haven't spoken in a while," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck a little awkwardly before clearing his throat. "There's something I'd like to discuss with you."

"Go ahead, I'm all ears," Kakashi encouraged.

"I was wondering if you think it's reasonable to keep Uchiha Sasuke away from Konoha for such long periods of time," Iruka started, not wanting to waste time beating around the bush. "I'm sure there must be some political reasons for that considering what he's done in the past, but it has been a while since the war."

Kakashi's visible eyebrow rose. "Is there any reason why you're approaching me on this particular subject?"

"I was with Naruto a couple of days ago, and he seemed… disheartened," Iruka confessed, not really wanting to give anything away. "Sasuke has been a strong presence in his life for a long time now, both for positive and negative reasons. They have finally managed to find some common ground between them, and yet, they are distant and barely able to have a significant influence on each other at this point."

"I beg to differ," Kakashi disagreed easily. "I think that, even if Sasuke is absent, those two still influence each other more than anyone else. Sasuke's trust in Naruto is enormous, and I've been witness to that."

"Yes, but they are not present in each other's lives after all the things they had ambitioned to do together," Iruka insisted. "I'm worried about Naruto's motivations without Sasuke around, Kakashi-san, and I'm worried if Sasuke's constant absence will be detrimental to his own reputation inside the village once he decides to return for good."

"Forgive me, but I have the feeling that you're worried about something else, as well."

Kakashi was as perceptive as always, and Iruka didn't know if he should feel glad or upset.

Iruka wanted to look after Naruto, but he didn't know how he could do it at this point. Naruto missed Sasuke, that much was obvious, but he was married. Having Sasuke away forced Naruto himself away, and that was detrimental to his marriage to Hinata. However, having Sasuke around could have the same effect, so it was a double-edged sword. While Iruka didn't doubt Naruto's love for his wife and son, he now also knew Naruto would be happier if Sasuke was closer. Maybe things were different from what Iruka thought, and maybe if Naruto and Sasuke were more in contact, things would cool down and they could live their lives with their families as they were supposed to. Or maybe this was all just wishful thinking, but Iruka seriously didn't know what to do, or what was better. Far from him to advise Naruto to leave his family behind and go to Sasuke - that would be detrimental, and he wasn't that type of man. Naruto needed to understand himself, his heart, and make a choice. Until then, though, the final decision wasn't up to Iruka.

Still, he wanted to do something to make Naruto feel happier, less heavy.

"Ah, no…" Iruka muttered, feeling himself blush in frustration. "I just don't want Naruto to feel lost, I suppose. I sort of feel like his priorities might be a little all over the place now."

Good, he had been cleverly vague.

"Well, he certainly has been working himself to the bone for a good while now," Kakashi commented, joining his hands in front of his face. "But I suppose he wants to become Hokage as quickly as possible. Surely he has his own reasons." Kakashi assessed him, and for a moment, it looked as if he was looking through him, reading Iruka's mind. "I understand what you mean, Iruka-sensei, I truly do. But Sasuke's situation is a delicate one. Even if he is a war hero, some of his past misdeeds haven't been forgotten, and the council insists that he proves himself worthy of this village once more. His loyalty is constantly being put to the test with every mission assigned, and trust me, he leads a hard life. Even if he wanted to return and go back to being an active shinobi of Konoha, worthy of working for his titles, right now, it would put him in a worse position than he is."

"That's terrible," Iruka said, defeated. "I mean, he just got married, and he has a child, too…"

Kakashi sighed. "Iruka-sensei, this is what you need to understand about Uchiha Sasuke," he said, seriously. "He is not unhappy about this arrangement. Sasuke travels a lot and does a lot of research of his own accord. The work he delivers is something we are very pleased with, and he enjoys his life as it is. In fact, I dare say that he prefers to live this way than to live in Konoha."

"But… if Naruto is aware of this then it must surely sadden him..." Iruka mumbled. "And Sakura, too…"

"Well, that's a given," Kakashi said, with an eye roll. "But I know at least Naruto and Sasuke have their own understanding, even in their own distinct paths. Don't ever doubt that this sort of… arrangement has been mutually accepted between them, one way or the other. It may not please Naruto, but that is a different story altogether." Kakashi offered Iruka a smile behind his mask, and one that told him the Hokage knew of things he probably shouldn't. "I advise you to not think too deeply about it, my friend, because it'll only give you headaches. It is best to leave those two alone."

"It already gives me headaches!" Iruka grunted, not understanding how this could be so easily dismissed. "Because Naruto has said some things that have surprised me. He's…" 'Enchanted' or 'obsessed' sounded like correct words to use, but Iruka swallowed them back down. "I still feel like I'm missing something important, somehow, and I don't know what to do about it."

How much blunter could he be without being obvious he couldn't know, but he had to try.

"That's because you probably are," Kakashi said easily. "No matter how hard you try, the pieces of that puzzle will not fit for the time being, Iruka-sensei. Those two are too hard of a riddle to solve, but they can handle it. It's no use worrying for nothing."

Iruka couldn't feel like this, no matter how hard he tried. His conversation with Naruto had kept him up for days and he couldn't help but feel like Naruto and Sasuke were like winds that had no direction and kept clashing helplessly, creating chaos. He didn't want to see what the chaos would turn to.

"What do you think will happen when they do?" Iruka asked, tiredly. "What do you think happens when they 'handle it'? I somehow have the feeling that things will take a complete turn at some point. I'm just worried that it'll be for the worse."

"Well, I suppose we'll have to wait and see," Kakashi said, with a relaxed shrug of his shoulders. "Besides… do we really have the right to have a say on what they consider to be better or worse for themselves? Even if we don't understand it, or comprehend it, in the end, only they know what's best for them. It may not be conventional, but if it works for them, then that's all there is to it. They're adults now, Iruka-sensei, and don't need people to meddle in their lives and touch things they're not supposed to. Sometimes it can only make things worse."

The Hokage's words came as a slap and sounded like a reprimand, which made Iruka feel childish and helpless. Maybe he was worrying too much, but he couldn't help it. It wasn't just about Naruto and Sasuke, but about Hinata, Sakura and the children involved, as well. He just wanted things to be easier for all of them, but maybe he was just being paranoid.

Maybe he was misunderstanding everything. Some types of 'love' just existed and weren't supposed to be questioned. Whatever was happening between Naruto and Sasuke could have repercussions or not, but regardless, whatever needed to happen would happen because that's how things worked, and Iruka would be powerless to stop it.

Nevertheless, he wished he could. He wished he could be able to fix everything, so no-one would get hurt.

But, as Kakashi had said, that was not up to him.

"I suppose… you're right," he ended up saying. "I'm sorry for bothering you with this."

"Don't worry, you are always welcome to come talk to me, Sensei," Kakashi said, pleasantly.

With a final bow and a heavy heart, Iruka turned around and left.

000

Sasuke's lips remained tight, his posture rigid and firm. If he had two arms, he would've crossed them over his chest, but as it was he just stood there stiffly as Orochimaru examined his son.

If Sasuke had to be honest with himself, he was very surprised that the boy was so calm, obediently allowing the older man to observe him, touch him and take his blood. It sort of irked Sasuke that he'd had to go to his old mentor of all people, but with Katsuo's existence in his life being a secret, he couldn't exactly go to random doctors out there, not to mention that the child wasn't an ordinary human being, and Orochimaru had created him after all.

Sasuke had no idea if Katsuo even had any kind of resentment towards Orochimaru - or any feelings for the man at all - but then again, how can one have resentment towards the only life he'd known up until then? Before Sasuke, Orochimaru's lab and that dark, empty life as an experiment had been all Katsuo had known. Maybe someday he'd come to realize the hell he had been in, but Sasuke sincerely wished that he wouldn't.

Katsuo was sitting on a hammock with his legs dangling happily from over the edge of it, his small mouth opened wide as Orochimaru checked his throat with a thin flashlight.

Many days had passed during which he had worn the color of Naruto's bright blue eyes as his, and it had upset Sasuke for reasons he didn't want to explore. Then, Katsuo's eyes had suddenly started to reflect colors they saw as fast as the speed of light, and it was more than haunting. Whether he was looking at fire, leaves, flowers to Sasuke's own eyes, the boy's orbs would instantly reflect the exact same hues. Sasuke had no idea if this was supposed to be normal or not, so despite Katsuo looking and acting healthy, he was worried, which ultimately led him to decide to take his son to Orochimaru for a checkup, after roughly a year had passed since adopting him.

"Well, everything seems to be fine with him," Orochimaru said, straightening up and turning the flashlight off. "I need to look at his blood samples, but from a superficial examination, he is doing fine. I'm actually impressed at how well he's developed, I wasn't even expecting him to survive the first few days outside of my laboratory."

"He's stronger than you thought," Sasuke said dryly. "You didn't give him enough credit. Or rather, you didn't nourish him the way you should for him to develop properly."

"I can't argue with that," Orochimaru admitted with a smirk before looking at Katsuo. "I almost feel sorry that I allowed you to take him."

Inhaling sharply, Sasuke tried not to tense at that. "What about his eyes?" he asked. "And his voice? Is it normal that he doesn't make a sound?"

Orochimaru put a hand over Katsuo's head, and if one didn't know him, the gesture would almost be considered affectionate. "Sasuke-kun, he was created to be a chameleon," the man said smoothly. "Genetically, he supposedly has the superior ability to change hair and eye color, as well as the pigmentation of his skin. Since he is an underdeveloped child according to the standards I had hoped for him, what's happening with his eye color is just an early and uncontrolled manifestation of this same ability. If he ever gains control of his chakra, he will be able to do all of this at will and even change his facial features if he wants."

This time, Sasuke did feel his muscles stiffen. "But if that manifests itself in an uncontrolled way, it could be painful and even damaging," he commented, trying to keep worry from his voice.

"That is very likely, but while it may be easy for him to change his eye and hair color, I doubt his body will automatically want to change shape in a random fashion anytime soon," Orochimaru explained with a new, knowing smile that was unnerving. "I wouldn't worry about that if I were you. He is a defective specimen, so I'm sure the odds of him ever developing the skills I had planned for him are low."

Unsure whether to feel relieved or offended, Sasuke heaved a sigh. "What about his voice? Will he ever be able to speak?"

"There is nothing wrong with his vocal chords that I can see, I'm sure it's just a matter of him not understanding how the process of making noises work, since he wasn't stimulated as a normal child would be," Orochimaru said, as if it was the most normal thing in the world, and as if he hadn't been the one to blame for the fact . "He might come to figure it out eventually, but as you can imagine, it will probably be painful, and his voice might not come out clear for a while."

The man's smile became sweet in a nasty, almost condescending way. "If you're struggling to understand him, I strongly suggest you teach him some form of sign language. After all, he might, or might not, be able to speak, so it would be important for him to be able to express himself, otherwise his intellectual growth and his maturity might be held back."

Sasuke understood that the reason why Orochimaru sounded condescending was simply because it was such a simple suggestion anyone would be able to think about it. For a second there, Sasuke berated himself for not having thought of it sooner - he was supposed to be an intelligent man, after all.

Seeing Sasuke's facial expression turn to one of obvious self-frustration, Orochimaru smirked once more. "Well, I shall take a look at his blood and urine samples, and see if I can get him some vitamins," he announced, in his almost deceivingly charming, professional way. "The two of you are free to roam about and get something to eat, if you want. Make yourselves at home."

With one last nasty smirk at Sasuke and Katsuo, Orochimaru gathered his samples and left the laboratory without a word. Despite himself, Sasuke had to release the breath he had been holding unknowingly and force himself to relax before making his way to Katsuo, who was already putting his t-shirt back on. "You alright?" Sasuke asked, putting his hand on the child's knee.

With a simple nod, Katsuo lifted his small hand and gave him a thumbs up, a small, crooked smile gracing his thin lips. His eyes were now of a deep grey hue - a reflection of Sasuke's.

Sasuke all but had to roll his eyes. For sure, that gestures had to have been taught by that dumbass Naruto.

000

Naruto was biting on his lower lip hard as a stupid, big assed grin graced his features. Avidly, he ran his eyes over Sasuke's words for the third time, clutching the piece of scroll in his shaky hands.

It was the stupidest thing, but he was over the moon with joy - Uchiha Sasuke had reached out to him in need for help, and this was such a rare occurrence that he could be nothing but happy.

Not Gaara, or Taka, but him.

Apparently, Sasuke needed himself and Katsuo to be taught sign language but had absolutely no idea how to accomplish it without exposing the boy. Sasuke wanted Katsuo to be able to express himself freely and communicate with him, and Naruto thought that it was great idea, but understood Sasuke's struggle - after all, Sasuke only had one hand, and learning sign language by himself to teach it to Katsuo perfectly would be impossible.

And this where Naruto would intervene and save the day. He could barely believe that his friend would go to him of all people for help considering his prideful nature, but he knew this was his chance to show Sasuke how reliable he could be and do something for Katsuo that would have a positive impact in the relationship between the three of them.

He would not let Sasuke down.

A FEW MONTHS LATER

Sasuke felt restless that afternoon as he knocked on the door of his (supposed) house. He should have remembered to get a copy of the keys when he and Sakura had purchased it, but it wasn't like Sasuke dropped by enough to need them, anyway.

His eyes quickly roamed the outside of the house, noticing that it looked… slightly different from what he recalled. Mainly, he could not ignore the fans representing the Uchiha symbol so evidently painted on either side of the door for everyone to see. It was a fine work of art, he'd give Sakura that, but he couldn't help but feel like it was completely and utterly unnecessary.

For a moment he considered talking to Sakura about it and tell her that this was a little over the top. Sasuke didn't belong to Konoha, and Konoha had slaughtered the Uchiha clan. Regardless of the people's knowledge (or lack of it thereof) about the truth behind his clan's massacre, as far as Sasuke was concerned, the 'Uchiha' name and crest had no business being advertised in that place. As an Uchiha, Sasuke had his own path now, and his family name had a different meaning to him these days than it did a few years previously.

However, Sarada was an Uchiha, part of the village, and his heir by blood. When it came down to it, Sasuke realized that he didn't particularly care if his family symbol was exposed like that - it just didn't matter to him. If it helped his daughter get some respect and some form of recognition, then so be it. He wasn't thrilled about it, but he wasn't terribly offended, either.

Although, he was sure that this was not the reason why Sakura had done this. But then again, maybe he was thinking too lowly of her. Frowning, he berated himself for always assuming the worst.

Even back then when they had gotten married and Sasuke had decided to get Sakura and Sarada their own place to live, he had thought that such a big house was a little too much. There were several great apartments throughout the village that would be more than suitable, some of them modern and brand new, having been built after the degradation of the war and the previous Akatsuki attack. However, Sakura had seen that large house and had wanted it, and maybe out of guilt, Sasuke hadn't been able to say 'no'.

Sakura was now the mother of his child, and for taking that responsibility upon herself exclusively, Sasuke owed her a lot, especially considering that he was never around, and Karin took no part of Sarada's life, either. He felt grateful, and in many ways, he felt like he had the obligation to provide for absolutely everything Sakura and his daughter could possibly want and need, as long as it didn't go off limits. Since he knew Sakura was a responsible, intelligent person, he trusted that she wouldn't. He didn't even bother to check the bank account she had access to, and she had never tried to contact him asking for more money, so Sasuke supposed she was managing, even if Sasuke did provide enough money for them, even without that small percentage he kept in a separate account under Naruto's name.

The door was soon opened to reveal a breathless Sakura. Sasuke glanced at her from head to toe, quickly noticing the high heeled shoes and tight fitting minty green dress. As his eyes met her face, he couldn't help but notice that she was also wearing make-up and that she had straightened her hair, so it looked neat and glossy. There was no denying that she looked pretty, and yet, her obvious effort to look good for him made him feel oddly uncomfortable and self-conscious. It made him wish he hadn't written telling her he was arriving that day.

Luckily, he couldn't stay long since he had left an obedient Katsuo waiting for him hidden behind a few bushes outside of Konoha's gates. While he trusted that the child wouldn't run off on his own, he expectedly couldn't help but feel very anxious and eager to go back for him as soon as humanly possible.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura greeted, blushing slightly. "Welcome home!"

"I won't be long, I just wanted to check up on things here and see if there is anything you need."

Making his unapologetic way inside the house as he spoke, Sasuke couldn't help but notice that his brusque and straight to the point greeting seemed to throw an invisible slap towards Sakura, whose smile froze before dropping.

"What do you mean you won't be long?" she asked, visibly crestfallen as she closed the door behind him. "Aren't you staying?"

"No, I need to leave before the sun sets." Sasuke looked around at the pristine clean hallway. "This is just a quick visit before I get back to my mission."

"I see…" Sakura muttered. The action of her tucking a strand of pink hair behind her ear (in a very feminine and clearly dissimulated seductive way) with a manicured hand forced Sasuke to look back at her. "Can I at least show you around? Sarada is taking a nap, but I can wake her up if…"

"That won't be necessary," Sasuke cut firmly. Despite Sakura struggling to keep her composure, her hands fidgeted in front of her chest almost sheepishly. He wondered if she realized how much women who played cute and shy annoyed him and how much her stance made him feel uncomfortable. There was no doubt in his mind that they would be able to get along much better if she could just relax and simply be herself.

"At least go and see her while I make something quick for you to eat?" She insisted, visibly hopeful.

Holding himself from sighing but moved by guilt of knowing how much his attitude wasn't the most correct one, Sasuke nodded. "Fine."

She offered him a genuinely happy smile. "She sleeps in my… our room," she said. "It's upstairs. Make yourself at home."

Sasuke nodded and wasted no time in searching for the staircase and ascending the steps once he did. He was quick to find the simple yet tidy room that was obviously Sakura's since it had a wooden crib inside at the king-sized bed's feet. The curtains were drawn, so the place was relatively dark. He couldn't help but hesitate before making his way inside and towards the crib with cautious steps, almost as if he was afraid of what he might find. Also, he didn't want to wake Sarada up because he wouldn't know what to do with her.

Once he was standing next to the crib he saw that the toddler was already up, her hands grabbing her small socked feet playfully as she silently looked around. Sasuke took a moment to watch her, surprised at how much she had changed in the last few months and how big she had gotten. As soon as she saw him she smiled and started babbling incomprehensible things, tiny hands and feet kicking the air now. She already had two teeth peeking from her upper gums and Sasuke would have smiled if he didn't feel so utterly at loss.

She had his dark hair and his dark eyes, even though the shape was rounder, maybe like Karin's. Her completion was pale like his, too. Sasuke knew she would be a beautiful woman someday.

He had no idea how he felt, looking at his daughter. That was his blood right there, and while he had feelings for her, their nature was a mystery to him. He didn't hate her, no. There was a form of love there, but it was somewhat tainted by his feelings of resentment towards her birth and his own distance. On one hand, he knew he would kill whoever tried to hurt her, but on the other one he didn't want to actively be close to her. He hated himself for feeling this way, but these were emotions he didn't know how to manage yet.

"Aren't you in a good mood," he muttered dryly. Then, a little awkwardly, he leaned down and stretched his hand towards her. Sarada at once grabbed for his finger with a small cackle and pushed at it until it was in her mouth before she bit down on it, hard, but not enough to hurt the calloused digit. Sasuke could only raise his eyebrows. That was kind of cute. Not Katsuo cute, but cute. However, Katsuo wouldn't be considered 'cute' by most people, so maybe Sasuke's standards were all wrong.

"She looks a lot like you," Sakura's voice said from the entrance of the room. "She's very lively as well."

"I can see that," Sasuke said, removing the finger from the child's mouth. "Are the two of you doing well?"

"We'd be better if you were here," Sakura said courageously, stepping inside the room and making her way to him. "The house's mortgage takes a bigger toll on the expenses than I initially thought, but we are managing, you don't need to worry."

Sasuke noticed she held a bento box close to her chest, wrapped in a blue cloth. "If you need more money all you have to do is ask."

"It's not money I need…" Sakura said shyly, stopping beside him, close enough to feel the heat but not enough to touch. "When is your mission over? Will you have a chance to, eventually, stay for a longer period?"

"I can't answer that question." Again, he was using a cold tone. Why did he always have to be this way, he berated himself. "Sakura, I don't know. You know I must be constantly working for the village until my name is completely cleared. I'm not wanted here, and my life works around what is asked of me by Kakashi and the council."

"I know, I just…" Sakura seemed to struggle with words that Sasuke didn't want to hear. Coming here had been a mistake.

"I have to go," he announced.

"Wait, take this," she said, pushing the bento towards him and forcing him to accept it. "What do you think about the Uchiha symbol on display? I hope you are not offended by me wearing it. I am an Uchiha right now, after all. I am your wife."

"As such, you are the one who runs the house and takes care of this family," was all Sasuke said. "I don't really care about what you do if it makes you feel happy and safe."

This made her smile, even if it was a bit disheartened. "Thank you."

Sasuke looked at her, unsure of what else to say or do, so he simply said, "Take care, Sakura." With one last glance at a giggling Sarada, he quickly made his way out.

000

It was with relief that Sasuke crossed the gates of Konoha to the exterior and found that Katsuo was still where he had left him, quietly crouching down behind a thick bush and attentively looking around with now blue eyes that had yet to return to their normal pearly hue. Sasuke had told him they were going to see Naruto, and for some ungodly reason, the child's eyes had been instantly painted in Naruto's bright blue color, much to Sasuke's exasperation.

Sasuke had already allowed his energy to reach out to Naruto to let him know they had arrived, so it was just a matter of time before the other man came to their spot. Naruto would usually feel his presence without him doing anything, but if Sasuke actively summoned him it would mean that coming to him would be safe.

As they waited, Sasuke offered Katsuo the bento Sakura had given him. The food inside had been positioned with care, that much was obvious, but it was also obvious that it lacked finesse and skill, the rice visibly overcooked, the omelet crooked and the veggies resembling mush. Sasuke almost felt sorry for Sakura but appreciated her effort nonetheless - especially since Katsuo ate without complaint, even nodding in approval.

It only took a few minutes for Naruto to meet them in his Jounin outfit with the happiest and cockiest smile ever, giving away an obnoxious amount of happiness and self-pride - it was infuriatingly blinding. If Sasuke hadn't been so depending on Naruto's help in getting Katsuo inside Konoha, he would've scoffed, or rolled his eyes, but he didn't feel like questioning Naruto's reliability to himself would be beneficial to his mental well-being, let alone picking up a fight with his friend by teasing him. Besides, Naruto looked strangely good in his uniform.

Sasuke could not be seen entering Konoha again, otherwise mouths would open and question the reasons for his return there, and it wouldn't be long until rumors started about why he wasn't sleeping in his own house. If Sakura herself were to know that he was in Konoha and staying home, things would become unnecessarily bitter, and this was why Sasuke was counting on Naruto's help in entering the village with Katsuo without drawing attention to either of them.

Truth be told, in normal circumstances, Sasuke could've just used a genjutsu on the Gatekeepers and manipulated their minds into forgetting they had ever seen him - from then onwards, he'd just rely on his speed and skills to get Katsuo safely inside without being spotted. As it was, though, and considering his fragile situation within the village, he simply could not risk being caught using his powers against a Konoha citizen, even if said citizen was a shinobi.

Upon seeing Katsuo and the vivid, familiar color of his eyes, Naruto's expression changed to one of utter shock and confusion. "Whoa, what the actual fuck?!" he uttered in an impulsive, but very loud gasp.

"Mind your language, idiot!" Sasuke scolded in a hiss, throwing Naruto a reproachful look. "I'll explain later. Now put your oh-so-fabulous plan into action and get us inside!"

"Don't talk to me like that!" Naruto barked, mockingly offended. "Excuse me for being shocked at seeing him with eyes like mine!"

"Yeah, it happened, deal with it," Sasuke retorted, grabbing for Katsuo's hand. "Now what do we do? Wouldn't it have been easier for you to teach Katsuo sign language outside of Konoha? This is too dangerous."

"Relax, Sasu-chan, I have everything ready," Naruto assured, putting his hands on his hips with a bright smile. "But I need my greeting first, you can't just come here and demand stuff with that frisky attitude of yours when I've worked so hard to help you."

Sasuke's eyebrows rose in disbelief. "Excuse me?" he hissed, annoyance rising in his chest. By gods he loved Naruto and had missed him in the months they hadn't seen each other, but he was feeling anxious at having Katsuo so exposed this close to Konoha and he was in no mood to fuck around.

Naruto turned his cheek to Sasuke and tapped it with his pointer finger. "Since you're such a prude in front of Katsu-chan you can kiss me here."

Sasuke's chin fell. "You've got to be fucking kidding me right now," he grunted, rolling his eyes. "Naruto, we don't have time for…"

"Watch your language in front of Katsu-chan!" Naruto admonished, playfully, and Sasuke could only roll his eyes impatiently. If he didn't feel so restless he would be kicking Naruto's ass just about now.

Naruto then crouched down in front of Katsuo, who offered him a twisted smile. "You'll give Naruto-nii a kiss, won't you?"

Of course, Katsuo instantly nodded and placed a loud kiss on Naruto's cheek. The man looked up at Sasuke mockingly. "See? At least someone is well-behaved around here."

"F. You," Sasuke threw, as Naruto stood up. "Can we please get out of here?"

"Can't you ever be nice to me, Sasuke?" Naruto said, shaking his head from side to side with false disappointment. "I hope you make it up to me later."

The implications of those words were obvious, and while they resonated within Sasuke in form of a sudden physical hunger for things that had been neglected for far too long - Sasuke had to take a deep breath to not tell his friend to go fuck himself again - he had to think of Katsuo and he wasn't being a good example right now. "You wish," he said, with a composure he didn't feel. Naruto winked at him, simply knowing Sasuke's own words were all bark and no bite - in the end, he always gave in one way or another.

"Come on, I'll get you both inside safe and sound," Naruto said in an unshakable good mood. "This week is going to be the best week ever!"

Sasuke could only fight to repress yet another eye roll.

TBC…


A/N: This chapter was a simple one, but I hope you guys enjoyed it nonetheless! The scene with Iruka is relevant to the plot since it will have importance further down the road.

Next chapter will be a nice one, and big things are about to happen!

Thank you all for waiting this long and being so patient by never giving up on this fic! It means a lot to me. I know I've been absent since forever, time isn't something I have often nowadays - but rest assured that this story will continue to be published to the very end ;)

My baby boy is already six months, can you imagine? How time flies 3

Don't forget to comment, and if you'd like to show your appreciation for my art, I do have a Ko-fi account under my author's name.

See you all next time!